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By David Uzondu · Posted
UK considers forcing Google to add competitor search options by David Uzondu Regulators are not playing around with Google this year. Just this April, we saw Japan take formal action against the company over Android phones, accusing the tech giant of forcing manufacturers to preinstall its search and browser apps. Now, the United Kingdom's antitrust watchdog is adding to the pressure with its own set of demands that could significantly alter how people use Google's products. The UK's Competition and Markets Authority, or CMA, wants to let users in the UK decide for themselves which search engine to use. This would come in the form of so-called "choice screens" that would appear when someone uses the Chrome browser or an Android device for the first time. In practice, this means offering a menu of different search providers, potentially even including AI assistants like ChatGPT, giving people a real opportunity to switch away from Google's default setting. To make this happen, the watchdog plans to slap Google with a special "strategic market status" designation, which means the agency gets new powers to impose very specific changes on how Google operates. The CMA is proposing this under new digital market rules designed specifically to rein in the power of large tech companies. A final decision on whether to officially give Google this label is expected by October 13. This fight over search and browser defaults is arguably more intense back home in the US, where the company is facing the possibility of having to sell off Chrome entirely after a landmark court ruling on monopoly grounds. You can bet OpenAI is very interested in that outcome, as its executives have said they would consider buying the browser if Google were ever forced to part with it. The CMA also has a few other changes in mind if its new status for Google goes through. The agency wants to ensure the company's search rankings are fair and do not unfairly penalize rivals. It also wants to give news publishers more transparency and control over how Google uses their articles and other content to train its AI models and generate those AI summaries you now see at the top of search results. Finally, the CMA is pushing for rules that would let people easily transfer their personal data, like their entire search history, to another company if they choose. According to AP News, Google sees the CMA's announcement as presenting "clear challenges" to its business in the UK. Oliver Bethell, a competition director at the company, also hinted that such strict regulations could even lead Google to delay the release of new products and features in the UK. -
By MulletMan69 · Posted
The Tick Tock of development, Hire, Fire, Rehire, Fire. Keeps the wages low and allows contract changes. I expect with AI here that will replace a tone of R&D with things like art concepts. Coding also will take a hit when the human will be the AI code checker and prompt basher. Instead of 100 programmers you can just have 2 overlooking generated code and tweaking if needed. -
By +sphbecker · Posted
That will be an interesting comparison. My guess is that the B580 will be the more powerful card, but due to less mature game support, may be slower in some titles. Right now, the B580 is a great budget option, but when it is the same price as the RTX 5050, I suspect many users will opt for the NVidia option if it is their choice. However, a lot of OEM systems are using the B580, so users who barely understand what a dGPU is, are probably going to be using the B580. -
By Aditya Tiwari · Posted
Google Earth is now 20 years old, brings historical Street View imagery by Aditya Tiwari Google is no longer a young company, and many of its products have been in existence for over two decades. Its "not an April Fools joke" email service turned 21 earlier this year, and now, Google Earth is celebrating its 20th birthday. The search giant announced that Google Earth is getting historical Street View imagery to celebrate the milestone. "Now, you can access historical Street View imagery right from Google Earth — and if you use Google Earth in a professional capacity, you can easily access new datasets, like tree canopy coverage for cities, land temperatures and more," Google said in a blog post. Google Earth is well-known for offering many internet users an interactive bird's-eye view of the world at a time when mapping apps weren't as advanced. It was launched in June 2005 and features 3D buildings across major US cities, integrated local search, and 3D terrains showing mountains, valleys, and canyons around the world. Users could activate, tilt, and rotate 3D terrain for a different perspective of a location. It was an instant hit after launch, with over 100 million downloads in its first week. Just months later, Google worked with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to make updated imagery available to first responders battling Hurricane Katrina. However, the tech that powers Google Earth is a bit older than that. It was initially developed as Earth Viewer by Keyhole Inc., which Google acquired in 2004 and later rebranded. Now accessible via web browsers and mobile apps, Google Earth was initially available as free-to-download desktop software for Windows, Mac, and Linux. The company also offered Google Earth Pro for $399 per year, but it was later made available for free. Google Earth in 2005 Google Earth differs from Google Maps, which also debuted in 2005. While Google Earth is more focused on exploration and research, its sibling is inclined towards finding real-time information and navigation. Google Earth is known for the flying animation that appears when you go from one place to another. Not just the Earth's surface, you can also explore the ocean floor, the Moon, and Mars (via desktop app). The virtual globe app has been used to discover a rare type of coral reef off the west coast of Australia, often referred to as "the rainforest of the sea." The 2016 movie Lion told the story of a man who used Google Earth to reunite with his mother 25 years after he got separated from his family. Google Earth has seen several new features over the past two decades, including VR support, distance measuring support, the ability to create virtual tours, and Timelapse. In 2017, the 'new Google Earth' added the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button and a discovery-focused feature called Voyager. Another redesign introduced in 2023 allows professionals to evaluate building and solar design options. A feature introduced last year allows users to view historical aerial imagery of places dating back up to 80 years.
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