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How to Play Your iPhone or Android Phone Videos on Your TV

CNET News - Thu, 09/26/2024 - 06:30
Sending video from your phone to a TV is easy. The trick is knowing which method will work best for your phone.
Categories: Technology

Google TV Streamer 4K Review: Smooth Streaming

WIRED Top Stories - Thu, 09/26/2024 - 06:30
The long-lived Chromecast has evolved into this plug-and-play streamer with Dolby Vision support and smart home controls.
Categories: Technology

WordPress officially bans WP Engine, putting thousands of sites at risk

TechRadar News - Thu, 09/26/2024 - 06:28

The conflict between WordPress and WP Engine has ramped up even further after the website builder platform officially banned the latter from accessing its services.

WordPress co-founder and CEO Matt Mullenweg blasted the website hosting firm, claiming WP Engine "broke thousands of customer sites" in what he called "a haphazard attempt" at retaliation following days of arguments between the two companies.

"What I will tell you is that, pending their legal claims and litigation against WordPress.org, WP Engine no longer has free access to WordPress.org’s resources," Mullenweg declared in a blog post. "Any WP Engine customers having trouble with their sites should contact WP Engine support and ask them to fix it."

Plugin risk

The news will be alarming for WP Engine users who frequently use WordPress plugins, as preventing them from accessing the latest versions may leave them open to security attacks.

Hackers frequently target WordPress plugins, with several recent attacks affecting millions of users across the world. Insecure plugins can offer hackers full access to vulnerable websites, or allow them to install malicious or harmful software without warning.

The news is the latest escalation between the two services, which appear to have fallen out in a big way.

In a speech at the recent WordCamp US Summit, Mullenweg had initially described WP Engine as a “cancer to WordPress” for exploiting the open-source project without contributing anything in return.

This was quickly followed by a cease and desist letter to WordPress parent company Automattic, with WP Engine saying Mullenweg's comments were a failed attempt to coerce WP Engine into paying millions to license the WordPress trademark. WP Engine's lawyers also claimed Mullenweg was looking to launch a “scorched earth nuclear approach” if the company did not pay up.

Mullenweg appeared to address these claims in his blog post, asking, "Why should WordPress.org provide these services to WP Engine for free, given their attacks on us?"

"WP Engine wants to control your WordPress experience, they need to run their own user login system, update servers, plugin directory, theme directory, pattern directory, block directory, translations, photo directory, job board, meetups, conferences, bug tracker, forums, Slack, Ping-o-matic, and showcase," he added.

"WP Engine is free to offer their hacked up, bastardized simulacra of WordPress’s GPL code to their customers, and they can experience WordPress as WP Engine envisions it, with them getting all of the profits and providing all of the services."

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Categories: Technology

Everything new on Netflix in October 2024

TechRadar News - Thu, 09/26/2024 - 06:26

I can always rely on Netflix for its extensive catalog to keep me entertained. As we approach the fall months, I've been keeping an eye out on the best streaming service for new movies and shows to watch during the cozier months – and seeing what Netflix has in store for October 2024, I don't think I'm going to have any trouble. 

In addition to some the best Netflix series returning (like Heartstopper season 3), the service will also be bringing a bunch of fresh movies to your screens in hopes that they will make our list of best Netflix movies. For Netflix, there's no waiting around as its official spooky season commences on October 1 with Hitchcock classics The Birds (1963) and Psycho (1960), as well as It Chapter Two (2019), which is currently one of our favorite Stephen King movies on Max

Of course horror is due to make an appearance this month, but Netflix has done a solid job at weaving comedy and drama titles in the mix also. Having this balance is always useful if you decide that the horror overload becomes too much, but for me, horror is the only option for October 2024. 

Everything new on Netflix in October 2024

Arriving on October 1 

21 Jump Street (movie)
22 Jump Street
(movie)
8 Mile
(movie)
As Above, So Below (movie)
The Birds
(movie)
Boyz n the Hood (movie)
Bridesmaids
(movie)
Brüno
(movie)
Cinderella Man
(movie)
Couples Retreat
(movie)
Elysium
(movie)
Escape Plan (movie)
Get Him to the Greek (movie)
The Girl Next Door
(movie)
Halloween (2018)
(movie)
It Chapter Two
(movie)
Jarhead
(movie)
Judy
(movie)
The Karate Kid
(movie)
The Karate Kid Part II
(movie)
The Karate Kid Part III
(movie)
Kung Fu Panda
(movie)
Kung Fu Panda 3
(movie)
Legion
(movie)
Making It in Marbella
(movie)
Marnie
(movie)
Psycho
(movie)
Psycho II
(movie)
Red Dragon
(movie)
Robin Hood (2010)
(movie)
Robin Hood (2018)
(movie)
Salt
(movie)
Scarface
(movie)
The Sentinel
(movie)
Till Death
(movie)
Tim Dillon: This Is Your Country
(movie)
Two Weeks Notice
(movie)
Unfriended
(movie)
Wipeout: Batch 4
(movie)
Yellowjackets: Season 1
(TV show)
You're Next
(movie)

Arriving on October 2

Chef's Table: Noodles (documentary, Netflix Original)
Love Is Blind season 7 (TV show, Netflix Original)
Unsolved Mysteries: Volume 5 (documentary, Netflix Original)

Arriving on October 3

The Bad Guys: Haunted Heist (movie, Netflix Original)  
Blue Box
(movie, Netflix Original)
Heartstopper season 3 (TV show, Netflix Original)
Trouble 
(movie, Netflix Original)

Arriving on October 4

The Amazing Digital Circus season 1 (episodes 1-3) (TV show)
CTRL (movie, Netflix Original)
IT'S WHAT'S INSIDE
(movie, Netflix Original)
The Platform 2
(movie, Netflix Original)
S.W.A.T. season 7 (TV show)

Arriving on October 5 

Ranma1/2 (TV show, Netflix Original)

Arriving on October 7 

The Menendez Brothers (documentary, Netflix Original)

Arriving on October 8

Ali Wong: Single Lady (comedy special, Netflix Original)
Bad Boys: Ride or Die (movie)
Dinner Time Live With David Chang: Holiday Edition
(live event, Netflix Original)

Arriving on October 9

Deceitful Love (TV show, Netflix Original)
Love Is Blind season 7 (new episodes) (TV show, Netflix Original)
Starting 5 (TV show, Netflix Original)
The Secret of the River
(TV show, Netflix Original)

Arriving on October 10 

Girl Haunts Boy (movie)
The Life and Movies of Erşan Kuneri
season 2 (TV show, Netflix Original)
Love Is Blind, Habibi
(TV show, Netflix Original)
Outer Banks
season 4 part 1 (TV show, Netflix Original)
Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft
(TV show, Netflix Original)

Arriving on October 11

In Her Place (movie, Netflix Original)
Lonely Planet (movie, Netflix Original)
Scream (movie)
Uprising (movie, Netflix Original)

Arriving on October 12

A Quiet Place Part II (movie)
A Virtuous Business
(TV show, Netflix Original)
Clifford the Big Red Dog (movie)

Arriving on October 14 

Mighty Monsterwheelies (movie, Netflix Original)

Arriving on October 15 

Abandoned (movie)
All American: Homecoming season 3 (TV show)
Detroiters seasons 1-2 (TV show)
Comedy Revenge (TV show, Netflix Original)
Rachel Bloom: Death, Let Me Do My Special
(comedy special, Netflix Original)

Arriving on October 16 

Ancient Apocalypse: The Americas (documentary, Netflix Original)
I AM A KILLER season 5 (documentary, Netflix Original)
Justice (movie, Netflix Original)
Love Is Blind season 7 (new episodes) (TV show, Netflix Original)
Selma (movie)
Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare (documentary, Netflix Original)
Untapped: Closing America's Opportunity Gap (documentary)

Arriving on October 17

Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance (TV show, Netflix Original)
Jurassic World: Chaos Theory season 2 (TV show, Netflix Original)
The Lincoln Lawyer season 3 (TV show, Netflix Original)
Outside (movie, Netflix Original)
The Shadow Strays (movie, Netflix Original)

Arriving on October 18

Ghost Hunters seasons 10-11 (TV show)
Happiness Is (TV show, Netflix Original)
Join or Die (movie)
The Man Who Loved UFOs (movie, Netflix Original)
The Turnaround (documentary, Netflix Original)
Woman of the Hour (movie, Netflix Original)
Yintah (documentary, Netflix Original)

Arriving on October 19 

American Ninja Warrior: Ninja vs. Ninja season 3 (TV show)
American Ninja Warrior season 14 (TV show)

Arriving on October 21 

Book Club (movie)
Kung Fu Panda 4 (movie)

Arriving on October 22

Escape at Dannemora season 1 (TV show)
Hasan Minhaj: Off With His Head (comedy special, Netflix Original)

Arriving on October 23 

Car Masters: Rust to Riches season 6 (TV show, Netflix Original)
The Comeback: 2004 Boston Red Sox (TV show, Netflix Original)
Family Pack
(movie, Netflix Original)
Love Is Blind
season 7 (new episode) (TV show, Netflix Original)
This is the Zodiac Speaking (documentary, Netflix Original)

Arriving on October 24

Tyler Perry’s Beauty in Black (TV show, Netflix Original)
Territory (TV show, Netflix Original)

Arriving on October 25

Don't Move (movie, Netflix Original)
Hellbound season 2 (TV show, Netflix Original)
Hijack '93 (movie, Netflix Original)
The Last Night at Tremore Beach (TV show, Netflix Original)
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (documentary, Netflix Original)
Simone Biles Rising part 2 (TV show, Netflix Original)

Arriving on October 28 

Blippi's Ultimate Bounce House Challenges season 1 (TV show)
Blippi's Wonderful Talent Show (TV show)

Arriving on October 29 

Botched seasons 2-3 (TV show)
Tom Papa: Home Free (comedy special, Netflix Original)

Arriving on October 30

Go Ahead, Brother (TV show, Netflix Original)
The Law According to Lidia Poët season 2 (TV show, Netflix Original)
The Manhattan Alien Abduction (documentary, Netflix Original)
Martha (documentary, Netflix Original)
Time Cut (movie, Netflix Original)

Arriving on October 31 

The Diplomat season 2 (TV show, Netflix Original)
Murder Mindfully (TV show, Netflix Original)

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Categories: Technology

Has Meta finally broken the Google Glass curse with its next-gen Orion glasses?

TechRadar News - Thu, 09/26/2024 - 06:22

Remember Google Glass and the glassholes? People relentlessly mocked anyone wearing those $1,500 smart glasses, arguably leading to skittishness about wearable technology, particularly anything related to artificial intelligence tools and assistants. But all that's about to change.

Meta made it clear that there is a much brighter future for AI wearables this week at Meta Connect 2024, bright enough that one of the wearables comes in the form of sunglasses. The company showcased two different types of smart glasses at the event: an upgraded version of the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses and a preview of Orion, smart glasses that employ augmented reality along with AI. 

There have been plenty of other wearables since Google Glass flamed out, but, except for smartwatches, most have either sputtered out or survived only in certain niche roles like Snap's Spectacles. Even the recent surge in generative AI software hasn't really cracked the code. Hardware like the Humane AI Pin, the Rabbit R1, and the Plaud.ai NotePin all had a lot of hype around them, but have largely faded from the conversation after the reality didn't match the promise.

Both Orion and the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses address the biggest problems plaguing those AI wearables, as well as Google Glass, but in different ways. The Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses are all about fashion and comfort, with the tech designed for subtlety and a non-intrusive AI assistant. They look miles better than Google Glass, which looked like it was built specifically to draw ridicule. And $330 bucks for an AI voice assistant is a tempting offer for any fan of AI helpers who don't want to advertise that they are using one. Meta's smart glasses are also more functional than the admittedly discreet AI pins that have attracted intense, if brief, interest this year. Real-time translation and the ability to use built-in cameras to answer questions about the world around you make for a product that prefers usability over novelty. 

Orion's Star Quality

Meta discarded much of the understated approach of the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses with Orion and its combination of AR and AI. While not ready for shipping yet, the prototype offers a much more immersive experience that could be both useful and distracting. It's a risk since distraction was another element that made people dislike the Google Glass look, and the possible discomfort people might feel around the AI wearable pins always listening might be even higher when there are cameras and visual information involved. 

The hand and eye-tracking in Orion also make for a less obvious control method, but they'll still be obvious for what they are based on the current design, even if Meta reduces its size somewhat. No price has been mentioned yet, either, but if Meta really wants to see Orion fly off the shelf, it may have to pick a number under $1,500. Keeping Orion off the market until its ready will likely help boost those sales eventually. 

I'm skeptical about whether Meta has really cracked the AI wearable design with its two smart glasses models. The Ray-Bans seem underpowered for a daily wearable, while Orion feels either too complex for smart glasses or not advanced enough to be a real gaming headset. Personally, I think North and its Focals smartglasses were the best design concept for wearable tech, but Google bought and seemingly buried all of the patents and research it acquired. Still, Meta has a lot of resources tied up in this hardware and is willing to spend time and money to sharpen its focus on its vision of wearable technology. 

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Categories: Technology

With AirPods 4 Down to Just $109 Today, Why Wait for Prime Day?

CNET News - Thu, 09/26/2024 - 06:20
The AirPods 4 are the hottest ticket in town right now, and you can pick them up at a bargain price.
Categories: Technology

Is Intel's nightmare finally over? One last patch could fix 13th-gen and 14th-gen CPU instability issues

TechRadar News - Thu, 09/26/2024 - 06:07

Intel has finally brought the investigation into its problematic 13th and 14th-gen CPUs to an apparent close, with a final summary of four main factors that caused the instability issues, and the revelation that an additional patch is required to remedy the fourth stumbling block.

VideoCardz noticed that Intel’s Communications Manager, Thomas Hannaford, posted a further update to provide these details.

The final patch required as a preventative measure to mitigate the gremlins in the works going forward with 13th and 14th-gen processors will be microcode update 0x12B. This addresses the final problem Intel discovered, namely: “Microcode and BIOS code requesting elevated core voltages which can cause Vmin shift especially during periods of idle and/or light activity.”

This patch will come with the previous two microcode fixes rolled into it, namely 0x125 and 0x129, which address issues with how Thermal Velocity Boost (TVB) was misfiring, and elevated operating voltages due to a flaky algorithm, respectively.

Those are the three main factors involved in the instability on Intel’s side, with the fourth point – and the first matter to be raised by Intel – being motherboard power delivery settings having been notched up over and above Team Blue’s guidance levels. That led Intel to clarify new default power settings for CPUs from these two generations.

Analysis: No performance hit is promised with the new fix

With this latest fourth root cause revealed, it’s a little worrying that the elevated voltages have been happening during periods when the PC is doing nothing, or very little, as this means that potentially the degradation occuring to the chip has been happening pretty much constantly. As you may recall, Intel has extended the warranty for these processors to five years – though beyond that, you may still suffer a CPU that fails earlier than it should, perhaps due to these issues in its early life. Not a pleasant thought.

We don’t know when this final microcode update will arrive – Intel doesn’t give us any kind of timeframe – but presumably it’ll be fairly soon. And presumably, it will be the final one, as the statement provided is certainly worded as if Intel has concluded its investigation (notably, the investigation was referred to as ongoing when the last microcode update was announced).

As with the previous microcode patch, there will be a delay, though, as Intel works with motherboard makers to get the new 0x12B update ready and packaged in the various different BIOS releases from these multiple hardware vendors. All you can do is keep an eye on your motherboard manufacturer’s website for a new BIOS release, and likely the next one will pack this final fix.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

The good news is that according to Intel’s testing, the new 0x12B update doesn’t impact performance compared to a PC running with the first microcode patch applied – and that’s for both running applications, and games, which remain within ‘run-to-run variation’ (in other words, any difference is negligible).

That is just Team Blue’s internal testing mind, and of course the company notes that “system performance is dependent on configuration and several other factors” as always.

Intel has again confirmed that the issues relating to elevated voltages and other gremlins therein with Raptor Lake and its current-gen refresh will not affect any future CPUs. Team Blue specifically clarifies that this means its next silicon in line, Lunar Lake (laptop chips that have only just debuted) and Arrow Lake (desktop processors which are imminent, and some high-end laptop too).

There’s one notable oddity in the statement, and that’s Intel saying the new microcode update will be provided via a BIOS release to “for all Intel Core 13th/14th-gen desktop processor users” (bolding added by us for emphasis).

Previously, it was announced that all Core i3 and Core i5 (save for the 14600K and 13600K) processors weren’t affected, and haven’t had to be patched – so is the entire 13th and 14th-gen line-up set to be patched in the coming days? This could just be an oversight by Intel, and the company might mean all affected Intel CPUs – we’ll have to wait for further clarification. Those Core i3 and i5 models shouldn’t need patching now, though, if they didn’t before.

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Categories: Technology

How to Use the Action Button on the iPhone 16, iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max

CNET News - Thu, 09/26/2024 - 06:00
The Action button is available for the first time on non-Pro versions of the iPhone. So what exactly can you do with it?
Categories: Technology

AT&T vs. Cox Communications: Which Provider Can Handle Your Internet Needs?

CNET News - Thu, 09/26/2024 - 06:00
Are you stuck trying to choose between internet service from AT&T or Cox? Make sure you have all the details before you make your choice.
Categories: Technology

Suffering From Slow Wi-Fi in Your Apartment? Here's How You Can Fix It in Five Easy Steps

CNET News - Thu, 09/26/2024 - 06:00
Apartments can have notoriously slow Wi-Fi, but there are a few simple ways to get around that.
Categories: Technology

Would You Vote From Your Phone?

WIRED Top Stories - Thu, 09/26/2024 - 06:00
Bradley Tusk, who has a new book on the topic, argues that mobile voting could completely change elections.
Categories: Technology

Millions of Vehicles Could Be Hacked and Tracked Thanks to a Simple Website Bug

WIRED Top Stories - Thu, 09/26/2024 - 06:00
Researchers found a flaw in a Kia web portal that let them track millions of cars, unlock doors, and start engines at will—the latest in a plague of web bugs that’s affected a dozen carmakers.
Categories: Technology

Meta’s game-changing Orion AR glasses could launch sooner than we thought, but they might cost as much as a smartphone

TechRadar News - Thu, 09/26/2024 - 05:30

Meta Connect 2024 was packed with announcements: the Meta Quest 3S was unveiled, the Ray-Ban smart glasses got new features, and Meta AI is getting upgrades too (including one that will dub Instagram Reels recorded in other languages). But the most flashy reveal was Orion – Meta’s first full- functioning holographic AR glasses prototype; and while Mark Zuckerberg was careful not to promise when we might see a consumer-grade pair, Meta’s CTO was more than happy to share some details.

Andrew Bosworth – @boztank on Instagram – often does AMA sessions in which he answers all sorts of questions about Meta’s tech. Post-Connect, plenty of questions were focused on Orion, and one user asked “How long until we can have our own AR glasses and around what price.”

While he didn’t give too specific an answer, Bosworth replied: “It’ll be a couple years, but not decades,” suggesting that we might see a consumer version of Orion relatively soon. My bet is that we’ll see them sometime around 2027, partly because that fits with the timeline Bosworth suggested, and partly because it matches the timeline laid out by a The Verge report from early 2023 that leaked details of Meta’s internal roadmap, which pegged 2027 as the year AR glasses would hit store shelves.

Lots could change in the next couple of years of course, but hopefully we’ll be able to wear Orion for ourselves sooner than some might have expected. The other big question, though, is will we be able to afford them?

(Image credit: Meta) Pricier than first predicted

On that note, Bosworth added that the price might not be quite as affordable as we'd initially hoped. Meta has said – and Zuckerberg mentioned this in the keynote – that one goal it must achieve before launching Orion for consumers is it must make the glasses more affordable. We took that to mean it’s targeting a price point around $299 / £299 / AU$449 – the price of the Ray-Ban smart glasses.

In his post, though, Bosworth said they “probably won’t get in at, like, a Quest 3S price point, or even a Quest 3 price point” – which immediately puts them over $499.99 / £469.99 / AU$1,049.99.

Instead Meta seems to be aiming at being affordable in terms of phones and laptops – which to me would be somewhere around $700 (around £700 / AU$1,350). Admittedly, this makes a lot of sense – $299 / £299 / AU$449 would be a surprisingly low price for smart specs that are being billed as an eventual smartphone replacement.

That said, price aside, it might take Orion a little longer than a couple of years to start eating the best smartphones' lunch. In another segment of the Q&A Bosworth revealed that Orion only has a two-to-three-hour battery life – roughly the same as the Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses. That's certainly not bad for an AR wearable, but it's a long way from being the full day we expect from our smartphones.

Hopefully a battery upgrade won’t be decades away either.

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Categories: Technology

Student Loan Debt on the Ballot: How the 2024 Presidential Election Could Impact Your Payments and Relief Options

CNET News - Thu, 09/26/2024 - 05:30
Both presidential candidates have shared very different plans for the future of student loans.
Categories: Technology

Your LG TV will now show screensaver ads, even on OLEDs – but here’s how to turn them off

TechRadar News - Thu, 09/26/2024 - 05:28

LG's TVs, including its premium OLEDs, will now display screensaver ads as the ads-on-smart-TVs bandwagon gains yet more speed.

As reported by FlatpanelsHD, during its testing of the LG G4, before entering the conventional screensaver image, LG's TVs will often now display an ad. During its testing, FlatpanelsHD experienced an ad for LG's own LG Channels service.

We asked TechRadar's Max Langridge to confirm if this was the case with his LG G4, one of the best TVs of the year, and lo and behold, the same ad came up.

Digging deeper into where these ads come from, FlatpanelsHD also reported an article from LG Ad Solutions that decrees 'Screensaver Ads Are In Fact Effective" and reading further into the article, LG Ads found a "2.9 percentage points lift in brand awareness" and found " This full-screen ad format has effectively utilized idle screen time to boost brand visibility." It's also suggested that it won't just be LG-relevant ads either, but potentially third-party ones too.

So, it sounds like these ads will be a regular part of LG's plans in the future. Thankfully, there's a way to turn them off.

You can remove these screensaver ads by turning off the above setting. (Image credit: Future) Ads be gone

To turn off the screensaver ads on your LG TV, go to Settings > General > System Settings > Additional Settings and then you should see the menu in the image above. Go down to the 'Screen Saver Promotion' option (highlighted in image) and turn it off, so the bar next to it is no longer green.

It's great that these ads can be hidden in a year where ads on TVs and smart interfaces seem inescapable. Whether it's Roku bringing Instagram-style shoppable ads to its smart TVs to entice customers to spend, YouTube's intrusive pause screen ads to get users to subscribe to premium or Amazon displaying full screen-ads on screensavers, TV and smart TV platform manufacturers are constantly trying to find ways to fill empty space on TVs.

Ads are becoming a part of life, with streaming services even offering ad supported tiers or in Prime Video's case, adding ads into its service which can only be turned off by paying $2.99/£2.99 a month extra. And now, not even letting your TV sit idly can escape them.

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Categories: Technology

Google accuses Microsoft of anti-competition practice in EU cloud market

TechRadar News - Thu, 09/26/2024 - 05:20

Tech giants have been pointing fingers at one another for months when it comes to the cloud computing industry, with Google, Microsoft, and Amazon (AWS), the three dominant players in the market, taking criticism from each other.

Now, Google has filed a complaint with the European Commission accusing Microsoft of using licensing terms to restrict European customers from switching cloud providers, despite there being no technical barriers to do so, or impose a 400% price markup.

It claims this has cost European businesses at least $1 billion a year, as well as stifling competition and innovation by preventing companies from using multiple cloud platforms.

‘Lock-in’ tactics

Microsoft’s terms force users to ‘lock-in’ to its service, which also weakens security, Google insists, since a lack of diversity in providers means cyber attacks are more frequent. The complaint points to the recent outage as an example of vulnerability when one firm has control of a large portion of the market.

In the UK, regulators found that Microsoft acquired up to 70% of all new cloud customers in 2022, and raised concerns about technical limitations and fees which make switching providers difficult.

“Like many others, we have attempted to engage directly with Microsoft.” Google’s statement said. “We have kicked off an industry dialogue on fair and open cloud licensing. And we have advocated on behalf of European customers and partners who fear retaliation in the form of audits or worse if they speak up.”

Just months ago, Microsoft came to an agreement with the Cloud Infrastructure Service Providers in Europe (CISPE), reportedly agreeing to a €20 million settlement to resolve an antitrust complaint in regards to its cloud computing licensing practices.

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Categories: Technology

Google Maps will now warn you about businesses with fake reviews

TechRadar News - Thu, 09/26/2024 - 05:10

Many people use Google Maps to find out more information about local businesses, and a key feature of this is the Google Maps rating system. Now, Google appears to be taking steps to make its reviews more trustworthy, and warn users if it’s detected and removed fake reviews from its platform.

The change was spotted by Mike Blumenthal on X (formerly Twitter), who posted a screenshot of a local business entry in Google Maps that came with a warning that read: “Suspected fake reviews were recently removed from this place.” This particular company is based in the UK, and it’s not known where else these warnings can be seen.

According to Google’s Business Profile policy, a company that violates Google’s rules on fake engagement (including by posting or receiving fake reviews) can be restricted in a few different ways:

  • The business “will not be able to receive new reviews or ratings for set period of time”
  • Its existing reviews could be unpublished for a set period of time
  • Its profile will display a warning to users about the removal of fake reviews, similar to the one mentioned above

Businesses will be able to appeal Google’s actions, but it’s likely that the warnings about fake reviews will remain in place while that appeal process is ongoing.

Detecting deception

Fake reviews can be used to maliciously tarnish a company’s reputation or to artificially boost a company's standing, and that means Google’s restrictions can be used to either punish or protect a business that has received fake reviews. Regardless, fake reviews mean users can be misled as to the reputation and quality of a business, and that’s not good for anyone.

By displaying these warnings, Google is being a little more transparent about the issue of fake reviews. After all, if a company used fake reviews to increase its rating and reputation, and Google then removed the offending reviews without leaving a trace or warning, users would be in the dark as to that business’s shady practices. By notifying you that fake reviews have been removed, Google is letting you know that something fishy has been going on with that business.

That said, Google’s warning doesn’t say whether the offending reviews were positive or negative, so you might be led to the conclusion that a business has been artificially bolstering its own standing when in actuality it was the victim of a malicious review campaign.

That suggests that there are still improvements that could be made to Google’s policy. Still, providing more information to users about fake reviews is certainly a step in the right direction, and could help to make your Google Maps experience a little more informative.

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Categories: Technology

Ding Dong! Ring's Battery Doorbell Pro Falls to Its Lowest-Ever Price at Amazon

CNET News - Thu, 09/26/2024 - 05:10
Add this 2024 Ring doorbell to your smart home setup at a huge $80 discount.
Categories: Technology

National Coffee Day 2024: Deals, Freebies and More

CNET News - Thu, 09/26/2024 - 05:00
Coffeehouses across the US, including Starbucks and Dunkin', are offering free coffee, discounts on subscriptions, and more on Sept. 29.
Categories: Technology

The Passwordless Future Is Here: How to Set Up a Passkey for Your Google Account

CNET News - Thu, 09/26/2024 - 05:00
Here's how to setup a passkey for your Google account and forget your password for good.
Categories: Technology

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