Google has made client-side encryption (CSE) available for a number of its Workspace applications after introducing the function in beta mode last December.
Detailing the feature in a blog post on Tuesday, Google announced that client-side encryption would allow professional users to send data in Gmail and Calendar apps in such a way that no one except those in the organization and the recipients can access or read the content. Google as an entity is not even able to access data sent or created through Gmail or Calendar as it would be encrypted before reaching its servers. This is yet another way Google is using AI to the benefit of customers the brand said.
This feature takes Google’s security function up a notch in that users can manually decide whether they want the additional encryption within an email draft. It allows customers to have “sole control over their encryption keys—and thus complete control over all access to their data,” Google added.
Google made other Workspace applications including Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slide, and Meet compatible in October 2022; however, the functionality appears to be largely opt-in at the discretion of companies according to TechRadar.
Google detailed that CSE for Gmail and Calendar are available for Workspace Enterprise Plus, Education Standard, and Education Plus accounts rather than personal accounts. In terms of setup, it is more of a task for a company’s IT department, according to The Verge.
Google has been working on CSE for Gmail since 2014, but as the brand noted the feature appears to be among its recent artificial intelligence push, so it makes sense that various consumers are only seeing it now. Google has indicated plans to release over 20 AI-powered projects throughout 2023. However, details on most of these projects remain minimal, outside of its Bard chatbot that will work with the Google Chrome browser.
Meanwhile, other companies, such as Apple have implemented advanced encryption features into their ecosystems, but have received varying degrees of criticism. Apple’s Advanced Data Protection for iCloud is an opt-in security feature available for general consumers that protect apps including iCloud Backup, Notes, and Photos. Apple established the encryption feature when its system was hit by zero-day vulnerabilities such as those exploited by the Pegasus spyware. Currently, it doesn’t offer the same encryption protection for iCloud Mail, Contacts, and Calendar.
Government entities such as the FBI told the Washington Post in December 2022 that user-only-access encryption that leaves companies, such as Apple out of the security process by design can actually leave users more vulnerable to “cyberattacks and violence against children, drug trafficking, organized crime, and terrorism.”
Speech-to-text apps have flooded the App Store, making it easier than ever to type on our Macs with just our voice. I have previously covered one such app called TypeWhisper. However, there has been a dearth of good text-to-speech models, and most of the good ones are locked behind a subscription.
Ollama, an open-source app that lets you run local AI models on your computer, wants to change that. It works on macOS, Windows, and Linux, and your prompts are never stored or used for training.
Did you think hitting delete on your AI chatbot conversation actually makes it disappear? Georgia Tech researchers just proved that's not entirely true. They have built a forensic tool called ORISA that can dig deleted conversations from your phone and even rebuild them into a working chatbot session you can keep talking to.
How can ORISA bring deleted AI conversations back?
Touchscreen laptops have been around for years. You can get them in all sizes and shapes. Just not from Apple. For years, the Cupertino giant has treated the idea of a touchscreen MacBook the way I treat a meeting that could have been an email: with open contempt. However, Wednesday looks like the day the company could finally change its mind.
The latest Apple invite puts the “Pro and Tell” showcase in Los Angeles at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET) on October 28, 2026. Instead of a regular live-streamed keynote, it is an invitation-only, hands-on event for a handful of press and creators (similar to what the company did for the MacBook Neo earlier this year).