Do you want to feel old? Google Play launched in 2012! In other words, Google's digital store has now existed for a decade. Google Play has become a centralized digital store for both software and media, including mobile apps, games, books, television shows, and movies.

Is Google Play a good store, though? That is debatable. While it is has plenty of quality offerings, it is polluted with low-quality apps and games too. Even worse, some of the software downloads are designed by nefarious developers looking to trick and defraud unsuspecting users. Yes, Google Play actually contains some malware. Sadly, Google's digital store just isn't as safe as Apple's superior App Store.

Google has announced that app developers in Europe -- and only Europe -- will be able to implement alternative billing systems for apps and games listed in Google Play.

On top of this, the company says that although any developer that does choose to use a different billing system will still be required to pay a service fee, it will be a reduced fee. The changes are in response to the recent Digital Markets Act.

I decided to cut the cord and switch to YouTube TV over four years ago, and it was one of the best decisions of my life. No longer do I have to rent clunky boxes from the cable company to watch live television. Instead, thanks to YouTube TV, all of my devices serve as makeshift televisions! I can watch live TV anywhere on all my devices -- my smartphone, tablet, laptop, Apple TV, and more.

While the price of YouTube TV has gone up over the years, I never really minded the cost increases too much. Why? Because YouTube TV has remained consistently excellent thanks to the unlimited DVR, top-notch customer service, and ever-expanding channel lineup. It is rare to be completely satisfied with a service, but with YouTube TV, I literally have no complaints.

Google has announced plans to help protect user privacy in relation to health data. While the company does not make explicit reference to the recent overturning of Roe v Wade, there has been concern in the wake of the historic ruling, including fears that data collected by apps and websites could be used against individuals.

With this in mind, Google says that it will start to automatically delete location data about visits to "particularly personal" facilities such as abortion clinics and domestic violence centers. The company has also announced update to both Google Fit and Fitbit that will give users greater control over their data.

Passwords. Despite numerous predictions of their demise we still can't live without them. Using strong passwords though, especially if you have several devices, means using a password manager to help you keep track.

Google Password Manager has been around in Chrome since 2008, but it's always offered a somewhat different experience on desktop and mobile devices. Until now that is.

The US Supreme Court has overturned Roe v Wade, ruling that there is no constitutional right to abortion in the United States. With more than half of states either implementing an immediate ban on abortions or intending to do so as soon as possible, there are serious concerns about women's health care. Large-scale protests continue across the country, but particularly in Washington DC.

While unable to help the majority of those affected by the ruling, many of the major technology companies have detailed the support they offer employees seeking abortion services. Among those to offer helps such as the reimbursement of travel expenses are Microsoft, Meta and Apple.

It is pride month, so many companies are wrapping themselves up in the rainbow flag and proclaiming their allyship with the LGBTQIA+ community. It is in this spirit that Google has launched a new label in its Maps and Search products to let businesses indicate that they are LGBTQ+ owned.

The new attribute is currently only available in the US, and only to merchants that have a verified Business Profile on Google. Google says that it gives people a way to support diverse businesses, adding to the existing Black-owned, Latino-owned, veteran-owned and women-owned attributes that verified business are able to use.

Internet users get their news from a huge number of sources these days. In addition to newspaper websites, RSS feeds and social media, there are also aggregator sites -- including Google News. Google has just unveiled a major redesign for its news service, with a shift in focus as well as a change in appearance.

With the redesign -- which marks the 20th anniversary of Google News -- Google is placing an increased emphasis on local news, but it is also using the revamp to introduce a range of new customization options. The redesign is described as "a brand-new briefing, clear selections, and more picks for you".

It is easy to perform searches in Chrome, but you can make things easier. You probably currently either launch Google (or your preferred search engine) in a new tab, or just type a search term in the address bar, but there is another somewhat secret option.

Google’s browser has an optional search sidebar that not very many people know about. Called simply Side Search, this useful left-hand panel makes it easy to explore search results at speed.

If all goes according to plan, Google will phase out third-party cookies by the end of 2023.

These cookies, which brands use to track consumers’ browsing habits across the web, have long been controversial. Recently, the developers of major browsers have begun to block them entirely, preventing websites from saving third-party cookies on users’ systems. The end of these cookies may have big implications for privacy on the web.

Is Windows 11 a good desktop operating system. Absolutely. Is it the best desktop operating system? Well, that is harder to answer. Ultimately, if you are 100 percent dependent on Windows software, then yes, Windows 11 is the best operating system... for you. If you can get by without using software designed for Microsoft's OS, however, a Linux-based operating system might be the better option -- especially if you have an older computer.

You see, Windows 11 is very polarizing. The operating system features radical changes to the user interface (such as a centered task bar) which some users do like, but many others do not. Not to mention, the system requirements will leave many still-capable computers unable to upgrade without using unofficial hacks. Even worse, computers deemed incompatible could eventually stop getting updates! Linux doesn't have these problems.

If you have ever driven a car and needed directions, there's a good chance you have tried Waze. The Google-owned service is very popular thanks to its crowdsourced traffic information -- any user can report traffic jams, police speed traps, and more. It really is a useful app that can reduce travel times.

One of the coolest features of Waze is the ability to integrate with music-streaming services, such as Spotify, so you don't have to exit the navigation app to interact with music controls. This isn't just for convenience, but for safety purposes too. Sadly, the wildly popular Apple Music has not been compatible with the aforementioned Waze feature, but today, this finally changes.

Making payments online is fraught with potential dangers, and there is risk involved with making purchases with your credit card. To help offer a level of protection, many companies -- including the likes of Revolut -- enable their customers to create virtual, disposable credit cards.

Inspired by this, Google is building the same functionality into Chrome. The company announced the upcoming payment security feature at Google I/O, saying that there will be support for autofilling details to help speed up transactions.

The Google Pixel 6a was announced today, and there is both good and bad news regarding it. The good news is, the Android smartphone doesn't cost an arm, nor does it cost a leg. Yes, as is typical with Google's "a" smartphones, the 6a is inexpensive. This is very much appreciated at a time when inflation is causing everything to be so expensive. The bad news we can touch on in a bit...

Despite being fairly affordable at just $450, the Pixel 6a is powered by the famed Google Tensor processor that is also found in both the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. The Pixel 6a has some other nice specifications too. For instance, you get 6GB RAM and 128GB storage, and that's it -- there's only one configuration to be had. I rather like that strategy, as it makes things less confusing for consumers.

Google I/O kicks off today and while the search giant might want us to believe it cares about our privacy, most people are rightly wary of what Google knows about us, and what it does with the huge swathes of personal data it gathers.

DuckDuckGo provides a privacy-first alternative to Google Search, but the company offers much more than that, including a Chrome extension which helps safeguard your browsing. Today, the company announces an update to the add-on which means it can block Google’s latest tracking and targeting methods – Google Topics and FLEDGE.