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The Pixel 4 is here and it's definitely worth consideration when it comes to a Christmas phone purchase this year.  With the exceptional camera, new built in apps, cute accessories and phone stand are all welcome improvements to the Pixel.

Let’s great straight into what we like so it makes sense to start with the camera.  You can capture a perfect photo with the Pixel 4.  This phone has their largest camera upgrade to date – there are now two cameras on the back of the phone including a new telephoto lens.  The astrophotography is impressive.  Night sight already took beautiful photos in full darkness but now you can use the night sight for shots of the night sky and stars which make for beautiful pro-photographer photos but without the pro-camera kit costs.

Actual Night Sight photograph with the new astrophotography capability.

Legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz unveiled a series of portraits of individuals who are changing the landscape of their time. She used a Google Pixel exclusively; Annie encountered her subjects in the places they live and work and are inspired into action and it’s fair to say, the results which you can view here are extremely impressive.  

The project was said to push Annie who has rarely shot professional portraits on a camera phone. “I wanted to challenge myself to shoot with the camera that’s always in your pocket,” she says. “I’d heard so much about the Pixel and was intrigued.”

There a new Google Assistant too with better integration than before on the Pixel predecessors.  This means, it’s now much faster to get more done.  It’s been redesigned to allow for faster processing and to take up less space too which means its easier to multitask across different apps.   

There is appealing play factor on the Pixel 4 too where it pre-empts your reaching for the phone through its new motion sense feature.  The phone uses a miniature radar sensor to detect movement around the phone. So, whilst reaching to pick it up, it will turn on the unlock screen so it’s ready to go – pretty cool eh?  We also liked the wave your hand feature to turn off timers and alarms (although maybe this is too easy to do when it comes to turning off that early alarm clocks each day?!).

The new built-in apps add to the functionality of the phone – the Pixel 4 now includes a new recorder app which allows you save and listen to later and can also transcribe speeches too which makes it a worthy phone for the consideration of any student taking college courses.  

With the release, there are new accessories designed to help capture the best photos, get a fast-wireless charge, and in some cases, help the planet, thanks to sustainable materials.  The signature knit fabric cases come in four colours – Sorta Smoky, Just Black, Blue-ish and Could be Coral. New this year, is the fabric being used requires less water in the dyeing process which helps to minimize environmental impact.  The case has a new raised-edge design for better screen and camera protection, soft microfibre lining for cushioned scratch protection and durable fabric that's easy to clean.

The aesthetically pleasing stand (which we’ve always loved) is still standard with the new Pixel 4 is extremely functional too as you can view the screen easily whilst charging.

Now for the science bit – with 6GB RAM, a 90hz display, and Pixel Neural Core, Pixel 4 is fast and powerful.   The Pixel Neural Core is the engine for on-device processing, always-on computing, and machine learning, meaning more tasks are done on the device for performance and privacy.

Finally – for those who are hoping to channel your own inner photographer, we’ll leave you with a piece of advice from Annie: “It’s all inside you. You just go do it. It’s all there.

The recommended retail price for the Pixel 4 with fullscreen 5.7” display is from €759.  It comes in three colours – clearly white, just black, and a limited-edition orange.

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Since 1990 when the first Home Alone movie graced our screens and changed our lives forever, the nostalgia has been building.

We've waited SO LONG to see Macaulay Culkin give us more Home Alone magic, and now our wishes have been granted, courtesy of Google.

Yes, Google have somehow persuaded the former child star to recreate some of the film's classic scenes, and it's as special as you might imagine.

The actor tweeted the 'Hey Google' ad yesterday, and sent the internet into mayhem;

It seems that Peter and Kate McCallister's parenting skills haven't improved in 30 years, but we're sure that raising about 2930282 children in a beautiful twelve-level house can't be as simple as it appears.

I mean, we've all gone and holiday and forgotten something vital. We've never forgotten a child, but sure look. Each to their own.

“Have you ever wondered what Kevin McCallister is like as an adult?,” Macaulay tweeted, and from the looks of things, he's pretty much the exact same.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by THE STANDARD POP (@thestandardpop) on

Google is essentially helping him out this time around, so he doesn't have to fend off any burglars all on his lonesome. There are a few differences for Kevin as an adult, for one, he actually has a need to shave this time.

He puts out his back while jumping on the bed, much like the rest of us. He's not a kid anymore, SOB.

Culkin has retrofitted his gaff to be a super smart home, so there's no ingenious traps needed. Google implies that when you have a voice-activated tech assistant, warding off thieves is pretty damn easy.

Have a look at Kevin McCallister in all his adult glory, we're busy exploding with wistful thoughts of the blissful 1990s:

Keep the change, ya filthy animals.

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A range of emojis depicting 'professional women' have been nominated for Design of the Year by the Design Museum in London.

The characters, designed by Google, which show women as doctors, mechanics and scientists are due to be released on android by the end of 2017.

Speaking about the emoticons, a spokesperson for the tech company said: "We believe this will better reflect the pivotal roles women play in the world.”

The emojis were developed last year in an effort to empower young women and highlight the diverse career paths available to them.

The update will also include engineers, coders, farmers and professors, which will all be available in various skin tones.

According to The Telegraph, experts at London's Design Museum selected the symbols alongside 62 other works from the areas or architecture, digital, fashion, graphics, product and transport.

An overall winner, as well as winners from each category, will be announced on January 25, 2018.

Google's self-driving car and the 2012 Olympic Torch are among the previous designs to scoop the top prize.

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Google bosses have fired a male engineer after he wrote an internal memo claiming there are biological causes behind gender inequality in the tech industry.

The document, which has been at the centre of a debate in Silicon Valley this week, blasted the web company's diversity policies and its politically correct corporate culture.

James Damore, the engineer behind the memo confirmed his dismissal yesterday, telling Reuters that he had been let go for “perpetuating gender stereotypes.”

He added that he would explore all his legal options and even revealed that prior to his dismissal, he had submitted a charge to the US National Labour Relations Board accusing Google of trying to shame him into silence.

"It's illegal to retaliate against an NLRB charge," he said.

It's not clear what legal actions, if any, Mr Damore could take, but Google have remained strong in their claim that portions of the memo "violate our Code of Conduct and cross the line by advancing harmful gender stereotypes in our workplace."

This sentiment was then echoced by Google's vice president of diversity, Danielle Brown, who sent a memo in response to the situation, saying the engineer's comments  "advanced incorrect assumptions about gender".
 

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Writers everywhere; beware.

Google is now funding a new website which will see robots write for it.

According to Press Association, a the new project received $807,000 from Google's Digital News Initiative funding which will see data robots report on a news site which will produce "a daily diet of compelling stories."

Image result for writer gif

However, we don't need to be too scared, because it will collaborate with humans too.

"Using a combination of editorial expertise and automation, applied to the burgeoning supply of open data and the increasing sophistication of distribution tools, RADAR (Reporters and Data Robots) will provide a major enhancement to the local digital news ecosystem.

"This will provide a significant boost to the local media industry at a time when budgets are under increasing pressure – but when the public’s interest in local news is as high as ever.

computer, desk, email

"Skilled human journalists will still be vital in the process, but RADAR allows us to harness artificial intelligence to scale up to a volume of local stories that would be impossible to provide manually."

So, there you have it. Are you on board with it?

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These days, we get a lot of information from the Internet.

You're sick? Google it. You're stuck on a crossword puzzle? Google it. Can't remember the name of that great movie? Google it.

But for the day that's in it, I think that one thing we shouldn't be Google-ing is love.

Yet, taking a quick flick through Facebook, I come across article upon article telling me that 'These three signs mean your relationship is going to last' and 'How to make this Valentine's Day the best one yet'.

One website I stumbled upon had five articles in a row from 'experts' telling its readers how to do Valentine's Day or how to survive it if you're single.

But why do we need this? Why do we need a stranger to validate our relationships? And why the f*ck is someone telling you that you need to survive this day? It's not the zombie apocalypse.

In an article titled 'Valentine's Day: how to survive and achieve romantic enlightenment', I came across a paragraph that reads, "Valentine's Day is a 'thing' and you're going to do it properly. You spend 42 hours choosing an outfit, then cry when you still don't look genuinely pretty."

Seriously? Is every girl who reads this supposed to believe that this how Valentine's Day should be? That we have to put ourselves under that much pressure 'for the day that's in it'? 

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We rely so much on these 'Internet professionals', but we don't even know who they are. So, why should we trust them? 

Because, let's be honest – if you have a fight with your other half, you're going to click into that article that reads 'Experts say this is the one sure-fire sign your relationship is in trouble' and then you're going to freak TF out that your partner is going to break up with you because the article says he isn't your soulmate.

These articles are far from helpful and probably put more worry in us than anything else. It's so unnecessary.

And from these articles, there's a fall back effect in society.

On a recent night out, I was told by an acquaintance I was too young to be in a relationship, and that she read on the Internet that a person of my age shouldn't be tied down to a man, which she agrees with.

But why was it her business? And why was she believing these people on the Internet even though I, in person, was telling her I was happy?

The same goes for people who are single. One of my close friends is at breaking-point with people telling her to "get a man." And while she dibs her toe in the dating department, she's content with her single life and is thriving in her career – so why are people pressuring her to settle down?

And the laughable thing is, we're the same age. Yet, I shouldn't be with my partner and she should be with one.

Look, we all want that happy ending. We all want successful careers and loving relationships – but we need to start trusting ourselves more and stop believing everything these people behind the keyboard tell us.

Image result for love

Whether you're single or partnered-up, if you're happy, you're happy. We all need to stop putting such unnecessary strain on ourselves because the Internet is telling us that something is wrong – when really, for the most part, everything is perfectly fine.

Trust your family, trust your friends, hell, trust your dog… but most importantly, when it comes to your love life, trust yourself.

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The 'leap second' is officially a thing now.

Yep, because of the Earth's shifting rotation, 2016 is going to be one second longer this year in order to adjust with the planet.

However, the 'leap second' is apparently going to cause major confusion to computers, as of all things, they're not equipped to handle a 61-second minute.

Image result for new years gif

And so, Goggle has decided to create a new unit of time, called 'smeared time', that will stretch out regular seconds to make them last longer.

The new measure will be applied to Google's Network Time Protocol, which will allow the tech giant to keep all machines using its servers to withstand the extra second.

Google said: "At the beginning of the leap second, smeared time will be just under 0.5s behind UTC.

Image result for new years gif

"UTC will insert an additional second while smeared time continues uninterrupted, causing smeared time to become just under 0.5s ahead of UTC when the leap second ends."

So just as the clock strikes midnight, if you're not kissing someone, have a look because time keepers said we can expect the clocks to read 11:59:60 instead of 11:59:59.

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2016 is coming to a close, and it got us wondering: what were the most popular beauty questions of the year?

Luckily, Google has our back, and has compiled a list of the most googled beauty questions that have been asked over the last 12 months.

Whether you were wondering when Kylie's next lip kit was dropping or contemplating whether you could pull off glitter roots, we have all the answers to the world's most sought-after beauty questions. 

1. How to do a fishtail braid?

 

A photo posted by @hair_posts_xoxo on

Fishtail braids are taking the top spot for the most googled beauty question of 2016, probably because of their perceived trickery.

The braids are a little fussy to complete, but not as hard as they look.

 

2. How to make hair grow faster?

Unfortunately, there's no sure-fire way to achieve longer locks (other than getting extensions). 

Eating a diet that's high in protein and vitamins can help, as well as getting regular trims to prevent breakage. 

 

3. How to shape eyebrows?

 

A photo posted by Elizabeth Shyann (@shyannbeauty) on

Eyebrow shaping is best left to professionals, especially if you've never gotten them done before.

If you are between appointments and need a quick touch-up, only pluck any stray hairs between the brows and under the arch – never above the brows. 

 

4. How to curl hair?

Curling your hair is pretty easy, whether you have a GHD, curling wand or Instyler.

Looking for messy, subtle waves? Simply sleep with your hair in a chunky plait.

 

5. How to remove gel nails?

 

A photo posted by Amadea Muse (@amadea_dashurie) on

If you need to remove your gel nails, make sure you don't pick them off! This can cause damage to your natural nails, making them weak and brittle.

Simply drench some cotton balls in acetone, apply them to your finger tips, wrap them in tin foil and wait for the nails to become loose.

 

6. How to clean makeup brushes?

 

A photo posted by Beauty Flare (@beauty.flare) on

Cleaning your makeup brushes is super-easy. 

If you don't have a professional brush cleaner, get a bottle of gentle Baby "No Tears" Shampoo, and use it as a soap while gently rinsing your brushes under lukewarm water. 

You can also try a brush cleaning mat, which is a textured scrubbing mat designed to get in between the bristles for a deeply-cleaned brush. 

 

7. How to apply concealer?

 

A photo posted by Robyn Jones (@needcoffee85) on

There is no right way to apply concealer, as everyone needs it for different reasons.

However, applying concealer after foundation, rather than before, can give a better finish.  

 

8. How to get rid of bags under your eyes?

 

A photo posted by Lauren McKenna (@honestbeautyuk) on

Under-eye bags can only be truly cured by one thing – more sleep.

Getting yourself into a routine where you get a refreshing seven to eight hours of sleep a night can combat under-eye bags and puffiness, as well as improve your overall health. 

 

9. How to fill in eyebrows?

Filling in your eyebrows can be done using a variety of mediums, from powders to pencils to brow gel.

A tinted brow gel can be one of the easiest methods, as this shapes the brow with one swipe of a wand while also adding thickness and colour.

 

10. What is balayage?

 

A photo posted by Αμαλία; (@amaliaaxoox) on

Balayage is a hair colour technique where the ends of the hair are bleached lighter than the roots.

The trend came to the fore in 2012, but has been used on blonde hair for years to achieve a more natural effect.  

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Too hungover to walk to the shop for a hot chicken roll?  Not to worry, that trouble could soon be a thing of the past as drones are about to start dropping food on college students.

That’s right, those big boy toys you keep hearing so much about but may not really see the point of have finally found their noble purpose and it's a good 'un.

According to the New York Post, Alphabet – the parent company of Google – has decided to give drone delivery a go for the next few weeks after being granted permission to do so by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Unfortunately for now only those on the far side of the pond will be able to avail of this service as the initiative will be tested by delivering Chipotle Mexican Grill to students at Virginia Tech.

But if the experiment – which is designed to test if the packaging can effectively protect the goods mid-flight – is successful, maybe drone delivery will become the norm.

Feat image: Flirtey

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The internet is a weird and wonderful place where you can find information on pretty much everything.

And while we could use it to broaden our knowledge on a vast range of subjects, most of us use it to search for answers to questions we’re too embarrassed or lazy to ask other people.

‘How to tell if you have a fungal infection’, ‘When do I have right of way?’, ‘Can you break a penis?’; the list goes on.

And while the powers that be at Google quickly realised we’re a mortifying bunch of people, and swiftly provided features which allowed us to delete entries, that didn’t stop most of us seizing up when opening our Google app in view of anyone else or finding ourselves stunned by some of the ads targeted at us.

But now, according to Wired, those tech wizards have gone one step further.

Launching a new tool called My Activity – which combines data history from all of its services – Google allows you to delete entries based on topics, services or date ranges ,and lets you in on just how much those Googlers know about you.

Further to this, they have introduced a feature which – if enabled – can harness information from your Google account and ultimately improve the advertisements you see while online.

While Google already uses this feature to customise ads within its own services, the new tool will actually feature on ANY site which uses Google’s AdSense service.

Users will have to opt-in to avail of the service, so if it’s not for you, you don’t have to get on board, but it does sounds like a sweet way to keep track of how much you're being tracked.

 

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By this stage, we've all heard of the adorable gran who totally charmed the internet this week.

Proving good manners never costs anything, one young man's Nan made sure to say please and thank you to Mr. Google when doing a little research online.

And when Twitter user, Ben John, happened upon his 85-year-old grandmother's adorable internet search, he did what any upstanding millennial would do – he shared it online.

"Omg opened my Nan's laptop and when she's googled something she's put 'please' and 'thank you'. I can't" he tweeted alongside a photo of his Nan's attempt to chat with the search engine.

The post tugged on the heartstrings of internet users who shared it far and wide before it ultimately got the attention of Google itself.

Responding to the tweet from their UK headquarters, Google wrote: "Dearest Ben's Nan. Hope you're well. In a world of billions of Searches, yours made us smile. Oh, and it's 1998. Thank YOU."

Lads, our hearts.

 

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Yes, we get it. Times are changing. And fast.

We blink and there's new updates or a new format on our favourite app. And let's be honest, most of us complain about the updates. It's annoying and we have to try and figure out how to use the whole thing all over again. Ugh.

But now, Google has basically decided they want to totally get rid of all passwords, and we don't think we can keep up.

However, the tech giant has thoroughly thought things through, and according to Cosmo, decided that instead of a one-word system, it's going to use a series of small systems, which when added all together will make a hella-tight security code. 

To be honest. whether we like it or not, we'll probably have the new system forced on us, but everything changes, and the good people over at Google are doing this for the best, right?

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