DuckDuckGo and Brave announce separate plans to fight back against Google's divisive AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) framework
Google's AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) project is designed to speed up the web for mobile users, but it has big privacy implications because it allows Google to further track user actions, as well as prioritize its own ads on pages.
Today, both DuckDuckGo and Brave announced changes to their respective products to protect against Google AMP tracking.
DuckDuckGo quietly begins removing pirate sites from its search results [Updated]
For years now, Google has been down-ranking -- or even removing entirely -- pirate sites from its search results. Privacy-focused search alternative DuckDuckGo has resisted taking similar action, making it a good choice for anyone seeking out such services.
Back in 2018, in a bid to avoid potential copyright liability, it did remove access to around 2,000 'bangs' -- shortcuts that let you run a search directly on a particular website -- for copyright infringing sites like The Pirate Bay and 1337x, but this didn’t affect the results in the search engine itself. It seems that has now changed.
New Google app makes it (marginally) easier to switch from iOS to Android
While most iOS users will remain iOS users for life, and the same can be said of those who choose Android, there are some people who switch allegiances. There are also some who like the idea of switching platforms, but are put off by the potential complexity.
To help anyone looking to make the jump from an iPhone to an Android handset, Google has quietly launched an app called, appropriately enough, Switch To Android. But while the app sounds great in theory, it is found sadly wanting.
Businesses want sustainability but aren't investing in it
New research from Google Cloud shows that sustainability is a key focus for executives, yet it's one of the lowest areas for investment.
The study of almost 1,500 executives around the world shows 80 percent of executives give their organization an above average rating for their environmental sustainability effort. Meanwhile 86 percent believe their efforts are making a difference in advancing sustainability.
If tech giants were countries Apple and Microsoft would be among the top 10 richest
In an interesting bit of equivalence, UK-based insolvency specialist Real Business Rescue has compared the market value of the world's richest companies to countries' GDPs to show how big these businesses have become compared to the rest of the world.
As the table below shows, Apple -- which became the first trillion dollar company in 2018 -- would rank eighth in the world, just behind France, while Microsoft is ranked ninth and worth more than Italy.
Google is going to help you improve your privacy in Chrome with Privacy Guide
Google is rolling out a new feature to Chrome users which it says will help to protect privacy while online.
Although the Privacy Guide does not add any new privacy options, it serves as a step-by-step guide that will enable users to implement the settings that are most appropriate. As well as providing guidance through what can be a confusing sea of settings, the new addition also offers up explanations about different options.
'Dr. Google, am I unwell?' What is cyberchondria and how do you tackle it?
When you experience a persistent cold or a petulant pain in your arm, there is no hiding that paying your doctor a visit is not always your first port of call. Sometimes, when struck by a headache or an unexpected rash, the first reaction is to switch on your laptop and fire your pressing questions at Dr. Google. "Why do I have pins and needles in my leg?" "What is causing this mild chest pain?" "Is this mole dangerous?"
Some searchers are simply looking for basic information and take their findings with a pinch of salt. Others, instead, will spend hours skipping from one website to the next, worried about the array of intimidating diagnoses they have found. When this occurs, it is often known as cyberchondria.
Microsoft and Google release emergency patches for security vulnerabilities in Edge and Chrome
Google has released an emergency patch for the Windows, macOS and Linux versions of Chrome after the discovery of a zero-day vulnerability that the company says is being actively exploited.
The security fix comes as Microsoft releases a patch of its own for the same vulnerability (CVE-2022-1096) in Edge, its Chromium-based browser. While neither company has given much detail about the problem, Google describes it as being of high severity.
CTL launches wireless keyboard and mouse that are certified to work with Chromebooks
If you have a Chromebook or other Chrome OS device, and you want to use an external keyboard and/or mouse with it, pretty much any of them will work. Whether the keyboard and/or mouse connect via USB or Bluetooth, they should be compatible with Chrome OS -- even if support is not listed by the manufacturer.
With all of that said, why are some accessories officially certified as "Works with Chromebooks?" The simple answer is, marketing -- especially when it comes to mice. For keyboards, however, there can be value in having a layout designed for Chrome OS rather than Windows or Mac. Such keyboards can be hard to find.
Android Messages and Dialer apps sent data to Google without consent
In a paper published by Douglas J Leith of Trinity College Dublin, it is claimed that the Messages and Dialer apps found in Android have been sending data back to Google. The paper, entitled "What Data Do The Google Dialer and Messages Apps On Android Send to Google?" says that data is sent without user knowledge or consent.
In what could be a breach of GDPR legislation, it is claimed that there is also no way to opt out of the data sharing. Among the data said to be shared with Google are phone numbers, call duration, hashes of messages and more.
Google finally gives Android users a privacy feature iOS has had for months
Google and privacy are not really happy bedfellows, but from time to time the company does make a nod in that direction. One example of this is the option to delete the last 15 minutes of your search history which iOS users have enjoyed access to since the middle of last year.
The feature is a handy way to cover your tracks should you forget to enable incognito mode and don't fancy the idea of trawling through your search history to manually remove anything you'd rather keep private. Now, some nine months after treating iOS users to this, Google has finally brought it to users of its own mobile operating system.
Google introduces 'Related search for content' to add associated search terms to web pages
Google has announced a new contextual navigation unit called "Related search for content". It is an AdSense tool that can be used by website owners to show visitors search terms that are related to the content of the page they are currently viewing.
From a web user's point of view, the feature provides an easy way to find out more information about a topic without having to manually hunt things down. For site owners, it is a way to help keep visitors on the site for longer.
Save space on your Android phone by compressing apps rather than uninstalling
However much storage you have on your phone, the sheer size of apps and games now available, coupled with the number of photos the average person takes, means that it is surprising just how quickly you can start to run out of space.
Traditionally, the solution to this problem has been to trawl through the photo gallery, deleting any snaps that are not really needed, as well as deciding which apps you can live without. But now Google has come up with another option that developers can implement: app compression or archiving.
New Kodi 19.4 for Android isn't available on Google Play -- here's how to get it
The Kodi Foundation has just released Kodi "Matrix" 19.4 and you can read all about what’s new in this point release in our story here. While this is great news for Kodi users, if you run the popular home theater software on Android there’s some not great news -- you won’t be able to download this update from Google Play.
The problem lies with a change to Google’s requirements, which Kodi doesn’t meet.
Microsoft teams up with Apple, Google and Mozilla to improve the web with Interop 2022
Four of the biggest browser developers have joined forces to participate in the Interop 2022 initiative. Apple, Google, Microsoft and Mozilla are working together to improve interoperability between web platforms, make lives easier for developers, and enhance the experience of internet users.
Interop 2022 is a series of tests, a set of benchmarks that are at heart a way to measure whether individual browsers meet various web standards, working with web developers to discover problems and find solutions. The ultimate aim is to eliminate inconsistencies between browsers, and it gives a reason for companies who are usually competitors to work together on a shared vision.
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