Use DuckDuckGo to create a QR code for any website
If you care about your privacy on the web, and you’re worried about just what Google knows about you, then privacy-focused search site DuckDuckGo is a great alternative.
It offers lots of features that you may not be aware of, including the ability to quickly generate a QR code for any website.
Google now offers virtual tours of many UNESCO World Heritage sites
I’ve been lucky enough to travel extensively and see a large chunk of the world, although thanks to COVID-19 and lockdowns, I haven’t been anywhere in quite a while and have seriously itchy feet.
Back when overseas travel was easy to do, I visited quite a few UNESCO World Heritage sites, but the world is a huge place and there are still plenty more I would love to go to (I will finally tick Machu Picchu off the list one day).
FLoC off! WordPress proposes treating Google's new targeted ad tech as a security concern
Google's Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC) technology has raised the hackles of many, and the latest to express concern at the new user tracking and ad targeting technique is WordPress.
The blogging platform joins the likes of DuckDuckGo in standing up to Google, suggesting it could block Google's new technology on the sites it powers. With WordPress catering for around two-fifths of the web, the proposal could have a huge impact on what Google has planned. Fighting FLoC, WordPress says it "can help combat racism, sexism, anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination and discrimination against those with mental illness with four lines of code".
DuckDuckGo's Chrome extension blocks Google's controversial new FLoC tracking technique
That Google tracks internet usage is hardly news -- it how the company has operated for years, and it is central to its business model. But the search giant recently started testing a new technique for delivering targeted ads to people called Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC), and it's now enabled for millions of users by default.
While Google is insistent that FLoC is "privacy-preserving mechanism" and one that " enables ad selection without sharing the browsing behavior of individual users", the algorithm remains controversial for many. The cookie-free technique uses fingerprinting which the likes of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and other privacy groups have expressed great concern about. For anyone who would like to block Google's new tracking method, DuckDuckGo's Chrome extension is here to help.
Google Chrome 90 to use HTTPS by default
With privacy and security being so important nowadays, you would think internet users would demand that all websites use the encrypted HTTPS protocol rather than "regular" HTTP. But as usual, humans are often ignorant or lazy when it comes to their own online safety. Ultimately, it is up to corporations to protect us. After all, we can't depend on the government for such oversight (nor would we want to).
Once again, Google is stepping in to better protect its users. This time, the wildly popular Chrome web browser is getting more secure thanks to a simple tweak. You see, in the upcoming version 90 of the browser, the search giant is making HTTPS default when typing in an address in the URL bar. In other words, you will now see https:// instead of http:// unless you specifically type in the latter.
How changes to tracking will affect the online world [Q&A]
The Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA) is a random device identifier assigned to a user's device which advertisers use to track data so they can deliver customized advertising.
But Apple is about to replace the iOS IDFA tracking system in iOS 14 with a new App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature which will allow iPhone users to opt-out of tracking on third-party apps and sites. This, plus Google's crack down on third-party cookies, means privacy is a hot topic currently -- and all signs point to even more shifts in the coming year.
Google's Nest Hub Gen 2 is all about that bass -- and tracking your sleep
Google's Nest Hub is an integral part of my home. It is on my living room table where it serves as a clock, but it is so much more than that. Hub is in "earshot" of my kitchen too, so I use it all the time for setting timers while cooking. When I take a nap on the couch, it is my alarm clock. Oh, and when I need to turn the lights on (or off), it does that for me too. All of these actions are done by voice -- "Hey, Google."
One of the reasons that I chose Nest Hub is for privacy -- it doesn't have a camera like some other hardware assistants do. Today, Google finally announces the second generation Nest Hub, and I am happy to say it also does not have a camera. With that said, it can optionally watch you sleep. Wait, what?
Why has Google become 'gambling loyal'?
Just a few years ago, Google opened up Google Play to real-money gambling apps in a limited number of countries, including the UK, Ireland, France, and Brazil. Before then, any app of that kind was totally prohibited for hosting in the official Android app store.
Starting from March 1, the new phase of real-money gambling app legalization in Google Play commences. Google now allows gambling and betting apps to be published in its Google Play Store. Generally, the policy change will have a positive impact on the gambling markets in an additional 15 countries, including English-speaking USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as local markets in Belgium, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Romania, and Spain.
Linux Foundation launches free service to verify software authenticity
The Linux Foundation, the non-profit organization enabling innovation through open source, has announced a new service to improve the security of the software supply chain by enabling the easy adoption of cryptographic software signing.
Called 'sigstore' it will allow software developers to securely sign software artifacts such as release files, container images and binaries. Signing materials will then be stored in a tamper-proof public log. Founding members of the project include Red Hat, Google and Purdue University.
Google makes it easier to test experimental features in Chrome
Just as Microsoft's Insider program gives a sneaky insight into the future of Office and Windows 10, so many web browsers have various preview versions that let eager users try out new features before their official release.
Chrome is one such browser, and in addition to the main release version, there are also Beta, Dev and Canary builds which are updated far more frequently. While these all get new features and options well before the main build, many are locked behind flag settings. But now Google is making it easier than ever to access new features that are being developed and tested in Chrome Labs.
The viral 'TikTok feta pasta' is wildly popular, and Google can prove it
TikTok is where all the cool people spend their time online nowadays. If you haven't tried the app before, I highly suggest that you do. The service is extremely addictive, and you can easily waste hours scrolling through the short videos.
The TikTok service is relevant for all age groups and caters to many interests. Best of all, over time, the algorithm will learn your behaviors and more frequently present you with content you are likely to enjoy.
Google works with a Debian developer to make COVID-19 research easier on Linux
The COVID-19 pandemic has made life harder for pretty much everyone. People have lost jobs, businesses have closed, and worst of all, countless people have lost their lives. Thanks to the hard work of scientists, however, we finally have vaccines rolling out and normalcy is on the horizon.
Medical research surrounding COVID-19 isn't over though, as scientists still have plenty of work to do. Olek Wojnar, a developer of the Linux-based Debian operating system, has been working to help these scientists by packaging some software for easy installation on Linux. One of those packages was Google's build software Bazel. Upon finding out about Wojnar's efforts, Google offered to help with the process.
Future versions of Google Chrome set to arrive much quicker
If you’re a Chrome user, you’ll probably be used to the frequency with which Google pushes out new versions. The search giant has been delivering new milestone releases every six weeks for over a decade now.
That’s about to change, however. Google already rolls out security updates on a bi-weekly basis, and this has inspired the company to speed up the general release cycle, ensuring we’ll get access to new features much quicker than before.
Google funds two Linux kernel developers to focus on security
Google and the Linux Foundation are prioritizing funds to underwrite two full-time maintainers for Linux kernel security development.
Gustavo Silva and Nathan Chancellor will focus on maintaining and improving kernel security and associated initiatives in order to ensure the world's most pervasive open source software project is sustainable for decades to come.
Apple TV+ comes to Google TV, but who the heck even cares?
The Apple TV+ streaming service is hot garbage. Just how bad is it? I think I've had it free for over a year now, and I almost never watch it. It came gratis when I bought an iPad, but then Apple kept extending that free period. It's a very bad sign that the company is continuing to give it away -- it clearly signals people aren't opting to pay for it.
I have gone to the service a few times to see if anything looked good, but I typically opt for something on Netflix instead. What I did choose to watch, however, didn't hold my attention. As the owner of two Apple TV devices (4th gen and 4K) I am probably one of the users Apple expected to embrace TV+, but nope. And now, Apple TV+ is coming to Google TV devices. The big question is, who the heck owns a Google TV device and cares about Apple TV+?
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