News

A Google Account Purge Is Coming. Will You Be Affected?

In an email and blog post titled, “Updating our inactive account policies,” Google has warned users of the upcoming deletion of inactive accounts.

Published

5 months ago

November 15, 2023

Nour Nasir

a google account purge is coming will you be affected

Google has revealed plans to delete any dormant accounts that haven’t been used over the past two years, starting on December 1st. All messages, photos, and other data will also be wiped during the upcoming purge.

Google’s vice president of product management, Ruth Kricheli, wrote in a blog post that the company is updating its inactivity policy for Google (and Google Workspace) accounts that have not been used or signed into for at least two years, explaining that all content contained in Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar, and Google Photos will also be axed — though business and school accounts will be unaffected.

“This is because forgotten or unattended accounts often rely on old or re-used passwords that may have been compromised, haven’t had two-factor authentication set up, and receive fewer security checks by the user,” Kricheli says in the blog post. “Our internal analysis shows abandoned accounts are at least 10x less likely than active accounts to have 2-step verification set up. These accounts are often vulnerable, and once an account is compromised, it can be used for anything from identity theft to a vector for unwanted or even malicious content, like spam”.

Also Read: You Can Now Delete Threads And Keep Your Instagram Account

There are now 1.8 billion active Google account users worldwide, so the upcoming purge could lead to millions of deleted Gmail addresses. Unfortunately, if you expect to find it easier to grab a catchy new address, think again. The company will not release purged Gmail handles back into circulation due to fears they could be used to impersonate their old owners.

Should you be worried about Google’s December 1st plans? You’ll be completely fine if you’ve logged in to a Google account during the last 2 years. However, if you’re paranoid about an old account getting wiped, you should login and send yourself an email for extra peace of mind.

News

Samsung Galaxy Ring Wearable Will Launch In Eight Sizes

A recent Korean report reveals the model numbers of the new health tracking device, as well as details of its key features.

Published

2 days ago

April 25, 2024

Nour Nasir

samsung galaxy ring wearable will launch in eight sizes

The global launch of the Samsung Galaxy Ring is hotly anticipated, with details about the next-gen wearable gradually emerging since the company’s teaser announcement back in January. Now, a report has also unveiled the model numbers for the device, suggesting it will be available in eight different sizes.

While Samsung has yet to divulge detailed specs and features of the Galaxy Ring, it’s likely to feature an array of health and sleep monitoring functionalities, while boasting a battery life of up to nine days on a single charge.

As per a Galaxy Club report, there are currently eight confirmed variants of the Galaxy Ring: SM-Q500, SM-Q501, SM-Q502, SM-Q505, SM-Q506, SM-Q507, SM-Q508, and SM-Q509.

However, the mystery shrouding two absent model numbers persists, leaving speculation as to whether they signify additional sizes or if Samsung plans to unveil a later ninth variant of the ring, as previously hinted. There’s conjecture that these models may correspond to US ring sizes 5 and above, commencing with the SMQ500, with subsequent numbers potentially indicating larger ring sizes, possibly reaching up to size 13, aligning with model number SM-Q509.

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Recent Korean reports have shed light on how Samsung’s Mobile eXperience division (MX) collaborated with the Home Appliance department to integrate Samsung Food with the Galaxy Ring: Tailored for daily activity tracking, the Galaxy Ring, when paired with Samsung Food and an intelligent Samsung refrigerator featuring AI vision, delivers personalized dietary guidance based on calorie intake and BMI.

Samsung is banking on the user-friendly interface and high durability of the ring to redefine the healthcare wearables landscape. Meanwhile, Apple is also making strides in the development of a smart ring, aimed at monitoring users’ health biometrics discreetly when worn on the finger. According to the Electronic Times report, Apple has been closely monitoring market interest in this more inconspicuous alternative to a traditional watch.