It can be hard for a single host to manage large unruly video meetings, particularly given the complexity and features available in video conferencing apps these days. Now, Google has a solution for its Meet app with a new feature that allows you to have up to 25 co-hosts in a meeting, as 9to5Google has reported. That way, they can split chore like muting participants, launching polls, managing Q&As and more, while you focus on the business at hand. 

Until now, the feature was only available to Google Workspace for Education customers. Now, it's on all of Google's Meet apps across desktop and mobile, including users with personal Google accounts.

On top of that, Google introduced new controls for meeting hosts, which can be extended to co-hosts. All hosts will be able to limit who can share their screen, limit who can send chat messages, mute all with one click, end the meeting for all and control who can join the meeting and how they can join with the "quick access" setting. The latter allows participants in the same domain to enter automatically. 

“Quick access” allows automatic video call entry for users in the same domain. If disabled, hosts must join first, and those that are not invited will have to request permission to enter. Otherwise, the host must join first and give permission to anyone who isn't invited. 

The last feature, the "People" panel, adds search to let hosts quickly find participants if moderation actions are needed. The new features will begin rolling out next week on the web and Meet for Android, and the iOS version will arrive at the end of the month. 

Microsoft is updating some of the apps that come preloaded with Windows 11. To start, you’ll find a new version of the Snipping Tool that borrows a handful of features from Microsoft’s Snip & Sketch app. Press the “Win,” “Shift” and “S” keys on your keyboard simultaneously to activate the software and then select the part of your screen you want to capture. Once you’ve snapped a screenshot, you’ll find various tools that allow you to edit and annotate the image. With Windows 11, the Snipping Tool also finally includes a dark mode, and you can set it independent of your system theme.

Microsoft

Microsoft is also updating the Mail and Calendar apps in Windows 11. You’ll notice they now feature rounded corners “and other adjustments” that should help make them feel more like a natural extension of the operating system.

Last but certainly not least, the humble calculator app has received some love from Microsoft. It too now includes a dark mode you can set independent of Windows. The company has also rewritten the software in C# in hopes of more people contributing to its development over on GitHub.

According to Dave Grochocki, a senior program manager lead for Windows inbox apps, Microsoft plans to release “even more updates to the apps that come in Windows 11.” Look for previews of those to arrive before the company releases Windows 11 later this year. In the meantime, you can test the newly updated apps if you’re in the Windows Insider Dev Channel.

According to an internal company document obtained by Motherboard, Amazon plans to monitor how its employees use their keyboards and mice to prevent customer data leaks. The retailer is reportedly leaning toward licensing tools from a company called BehavioSec.

"The software does not rely on personally identifiable information or other static data," a FAQ page from BehavioSec states. Instead, the company claims it uses "behavioral biometrics" to generate a profile of how someone types and uses their computer. Its software then utilizes that profile to verify that a hacker or imposter hasn't compromised an employee's device. BehavioSec's website lists Cisco and Deutsche Telekom as "partners," suggesting Amazon wouldn't be the first company to use its software. Amazon reportedly looked at other employee monitoring solutions. However, due to "challenges around collecting keystrokes data," concluded it was best to turn to more "privacy-aware" models like BehavioSec.

In the document, Amazon claims it needs such software to combat various security threats. The company points to at least four cases where its security team identified incidents where someone posed as a service agent to obtain customer data. "We have a security gap as we don't have a reliable mechanism for verifying that users are who they claim they are," the company states in the document. 

With more of its employees working remotely due to the pandemic, it's also worried about a higher risk of "data exfiltration." Amazon points to several hypothetical scenarios it wants to protect itself against, including one where a customer service employee forgets to lock their computer, and a nosy roommate steals the company's data. By 2022, it estimates the software could help it reduce imposter takeover by 100 percent.  

"Maintaining the security and privacy of customer and employee data is among our highest priorities," Kelly Nantel, director of national media relations at Amazon, told Engadget. "While we do not share details on the technologies we use, we continually explore and test new ways to safeguard customer-related data while also respecting the privacy of our employees. And we do this while also remaining compliant with applicable privacy laws and regulations."

While Amazon's reasons for considering BehavioSec appear to be well-intentioned, the company doesn't have the best history with employee monitoring software. A recent report from CNBC found Amazon's Mentor app was far too overbearing to do its intended job effectively, and it would needlessly penalize drivers for things like going over the occasional bump on the road.

Google has banned SafeGraph, a company that captured and sold Android users' location data. Android developers who used the company's software development kit (SDK) were given seven days to remove SafeGraph's location gathering tools from their apps or face possible ejection from the Play Store, as Motherboard reported.

Some of the data SafeGraph obtained was from apps that harnessed the SDK. The apps were able to track user locations, though many people many not be aware how companies use their data. 

Google brought the hammer down on SafeGraph in early June. It's not clear if any apps are still using the SDK or if Google has taken action against developers who haven't removed SafeGuard's plug-ins. Engadget has contacted Google for comment.

With context, it's possible to find out details about individuals using location data, even when it's supposedly anonymized. Data Motherboard bought from SafeGraph showed the movement of users between points of interest. The company also sells secondary information from other companies to augment the location data, according to the report. Other datasets are said to include the names of people who own property in the US, which could reveal details about individual users.

SafeGraph reportedly sells its location data to almost anyone willing to pay for it. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is said to be among SafeGraph's customers, while The New York Times used SafeGraph data for a project that showed where people were gathering after COVID-19 lockdown restrictions were loosened. The publication told Motherboard that it aggregated the location data.

In February, Google took a similar action against Predicio, which is linked to a company named Venntel. Public contracts that emerged last year showed that US Customs and Border Protection bought data from Venntel, reportedly for warrantless phone tracking. Google and Apple both banned X-Mode, another location data broker, last December. Location data brokers sometimes pay app developers to use their tracking code so they can sell the information, which is against Google's rules.

With the launch of Samsung's Galaxy Watch 4 series and Google's new Wear OS version, Spotify has introduced a significant update to its Wear OS app, the company announced. Much like a feature it added to its Apple Watch app last May, Spotify's updated Wear OS app will let you stream and download music straight to your watch, so you can listen to it without the need for a smartphone or even a connection. 

"In the coming weeks, Spotify users will be able to play their favorite playlists, albums, and podcasts with their smartwatches that run Wear OS," the company wrote on its blog. "By having Spotify on your wrist, you’re more free to run, dance, shop, cook, and socialize—and control your music and podcasts at the same time. Plus, we’re excited to unveil one of the most requested features by our users: the ability to download all of your favorite music and podcasts to your smartwatch."

Spotify noted that the update will arrive on smartwatches from Fossil, Mobvoi and Suunto, along with Samsung's latest devices. It should also work on older watches too, as Spotify notes that it "requires your smartwatch to run at least Wear OS 2.0 or higher."

Once you have the latest app on your Wear OS watch, you'll need to have headphones paired directly to your watch. From there, you can stream music, playlists and podcasts directly with no need for a phone. You can also choose content to download directly to your watch, and once that's done, you'll see a green arrow next to the items. Spotify said the new version would be rolling out "in the coming weeks." 

A bipartisan group of US senators has introduced legislation that seeks to reshape how app marketplaces operate in the US. Penned by Senators Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, and co-sponsored by Amy Klobuchar, the chair of the Senate antitrust subcommittee, the proposed legislation would "prevent app stores from disadvantaging developers."

The Open App Markets Act reads like a wishlist of items groups like the Coalition for App Fairness have advocated for in their fight against Apple and Google. So it should come as no surprise the organization has come out in support of the proposed legislation. One of the most noteworthy provisions included in the bill's current iteration is a clause that would prohibit app marketplace owners from forcing third-party developers to use a payment system they own. Another provision aimed almost exclusively at Apple would force platform holders to allow consumers to sideload software and install third-party app stores.

Payment systems have been one of the issues at the heart of the recent antitrust movement. Apple kicked Epic Games off the App Store after the studio implemented a way for Fortnite players to skirt its 30 percent fee. Google, meanwhile, announced at the end of 2020 that it would give developers until later this year to make their apps compliant with the Play Store's billing system.

"The legislation would help create a more competitive app marketplace that will ignite innovation in the digital economy, and provide more options for American consumers," the Coalition for App Fairness said in a statement.

Outside of the CAF, organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Internet Accountability Project support the bill. Of course, introducing legislation and passing it are two very different things. You can be sure Apple and Google will lobby to soften the Open App Markets Act since it threatens the way they do business.

Google has released the fourth beta of Android 12, and while there aren't any major new features here, it marks an important step in the operating system's development. Android 12 has now reached platform stability, meaning work is complete on most of the underlying tech. Google said in March it was hoping to hit platform stability in August, so it's right on track.

"Android 12’s APIs and all app-facing behaviors are finalized," according to Google. That means developers can start their final Android 12 compatibility tests without worrying things will change much. A final Android 12 beta will emerge in the coming weeks. 

Google is expected to roll out Android 12 broadly in the next couple of months, likely alongside the Pixel 6 lineup. While there might be more features in the pipeline, we may not learn about those until Google gives an in-depth look at its new flagship handsets. 

If you'd like to try out the Android 12 beta, a number of devices have access to it. Along with Google Pixel, OnePlus, Xiaomi and ZTE phones, it's also available on Google TV.

It’s been more than three years since 1Password released its last major update for Mac. That’s not to say the company has been idle. Far from it, in fact, but macOS users haven’t had a significant refresh to look forward to until now. Following early access previews on Linux and Windows, you can now try 1Password 8, the latest version of the company’s desktop app, on Mac. The update brings with it a host of improvements to the password manager.       

One of the first things you’ll notice is how categories have moved from the sidebar to a dropdown menu you can access from below the search bar. 1Password co-founder David Teare told Engadget that’s a decision the company made to highlight different accounts and vaults without forcing users to access a separate mode. 

A goal the developer set out for itself when it started work on 1Password 8 was to make the app better at highlighting all the ways you can share different vaults and login credentials between family members and co-workers. You’ll see that approach reflected throughout the app, starting with when you first open it.

1Password

The lock screen now includes icons that display what accounts you will open. Moreover, once you’re in the main interface, you’ll see more contextual information throughout. For example, when you’re about to move a login, a pop-up window will appear to tell you who will gain access to that information as a result.

With the emphasis on sharing, 1Password is doubling down on paid memberships. While the writing has been on the wall for a while, 1Password 8 won't allow you to sync your accounts and vaults over Dropbox, iCloud or any other services aside from 1Password. According to Teare, the company decided to discontinue support for third-party syncing for a handful of reasons. “It’s hard to do sharing using a platform for syncing that doesn’t have a concept of other users,” he said. 

1Password

One of the other goals 1Password set for itself with this new app was to keep things familiar. However, there are areas where the company experimented. It’s most apparent in the new Watchtower view. That section of the software will still warn you if you have weak, reused and compromised passwords, but will do so using a new dashboard view that’s similar to how competitors like Dashlane and LastPass present the information in their products. Teare said 1Password debated making Watchtower the first screen you see after opening 1Password 8 but ultimately decided that was “too big of a jump for one release.” However, he noted the updated Watchtower represents a new direction for 1Password, one where the company has the capabilities to allow its designers to tweak things more freely.

In a way, that’s the unifying theme of 1Password 8. It’s a significant milestone for 1Password not because of the new features involved but due to the work the company did behind the scenes to put systems in place for future releases. “With 1Password 8, we really wanted to tie everything together,” Teare said. Previously, the company had separate teams working on its different apps, with little in the way of shared code and resources between them. To help them work together, 1Password built a common code base using Rust, a programming language Teare said allowed the company to create a more cohesive experience across its apps while still catering to what makes each operating system different.

1Password

The way 1Password 8 works in conjunction with Safari is one example of that. You’ll now see the browser extension open inline with the username and password field on a website. If you have the app configured to handle two-factor authentication requests for you, it will also automatically fill that field once you get to it.

Once it's done testing the app, 1Password expects to release 1Password 8 for Mac and Windows later this year. According to Teare, the company also plans to bring the improved experience to Android, iPhone and iPad users "in the near future."     

Pokémon Go developer Niantic Labs has acquired Scaniverse, the company announced on Tuesday. According to creator Keith Ito, the iOS 3D scanning app will remain available on the App Store, with all the features previously part of its $17 annual subscription now included for free. What’s more, Niantic will continue to support the software with future feature updates.

Much like its other recent acquisition, it sounds like Niantic hopes Scaniverse will help in its goal to build a 3D map of the world. As part of the deal, Ito will join the company's augmented reality engineering team. “Together, we plan on taking 3D scanning to new heights by combining Niantic’s dynamic mapping with Scaniverse’s LiDAR reconstruction,” he said.

Meanwhile, the company notes, “Scaniverse will make multi-OS scanning easier and more accessible to the Niantic Explorer community who contribute to this effort every day.” It says that will allow it to create more immersive AR experiences in Pokémon Go, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite and its upcoming games.

Most credit cards these days offer some kind of reward to users, whether it's a percentage of your spending in cash back, airline miles or some other perk. Venmo launched its own credit card last fall, and while it offers up to three percent cash back, the company is now letting users do something relatively unique with that refund. As of today, Venmo credit card users can automatically get that cash back in cryptocurrency.

Once you opt in, you can choose one of four cryptocurrencies to purchase with your cash back: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and Bitcoin Cash. There are no transaction fees for the purchase, and the transfer happens automatically. From there, you can turn that crypto back into cash at any time, or change what currency you get each month from your cash back. 

This feature builds on the cryptocurrency features that Venmo added to its app earlier this year. Since April, Venmo users have been able to buy those same four cryptocurrencies directly in the app, so a feature to easily turn cash back into crypto might make it easier for more people to dip their toes into the Bitcoin world.