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27 Dec 2024

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Azerbaijan Airlines flight was downed by Russian air defence system, four sources say
The crash came after the passenger jet diverted from an area of Russia where Moscow has used air defence systems against Ukrainian drone strikes.

2024: The year AI drove everyone crazy
What do eating rocks, rat genitals, and Willy Wonka have in common? AI, of course.

Kohli free to play after ‘absolutely unnecessary’ clash with young Aussie cricketer
Kohli has been fined 20% of his match fee, but will be able to play on day two of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.

Google’s biggest wins, fails, and WTF moments of 2024
It’s been a big year for Google…but then as the de facto leader in online search, browser, and advertising, it’s always a big year for Google. Perhaps the biggest news is undeniably tied to the company’s status as an official and illegal monopoly, according to the US Department of Justice. While a potentially historic breakup is hanging over Google like the sword of Damocles, we won’t truly know how it ends until next year (at least). In the meantime, let’s look back at Google’s wins, losses, and WTF moments for 2024. Fail: The US Department of Justice wants Google to sell Chrome Michael Crider/Foundry After a historic ruling that found Google guilty of violating US anti-trust laws, the Department of Justice has recommended that Google be forced to sell the part of its business that handles the Chrome browser. This is the proposed “fix” for Google’s abuse of its position dominating search and advertising all across the web, tied in with things like Android, Gmail, YouTube, and pretty much every facet of its business. Forcing Google to break off Chrome would be devastating. Chrome is the #1 browser on the planet for both desktop (including laptops) and mobile, to say nothing of the decade-plus Google has spent trying to make Chromebooks a viable alternative to Windows-powered laptops. And that’s ignoring other proposed recompense, including a moratorium on high-dollar search contracts with companies like Apple and syndicating search data to its competitors. But the story (which has stretched for over four years since the original indictment) is far from over. Google will undoubtedly appeal, both the judge’s guilty ruling itself and any proposed penalty, dragging the case out for months or years. And the incoming Trump administration is a huge wildcard, sure to steer the DoJ to be both friendly to America’s mega-corporations and punitive toward the technology industry to suit the president’s goals. The outcome of the trial, whatever it is, could shake Google to the core in ways we haven’t seen since AT&T was broken up in the 1980s. Win: The Pixel 9 series is good! Luke Baker Google has been trying to sell its own-branded Android phones for almost as long as Android has been around — first with the Nexus series, then evolving into a more mass-market form with the Pixel. Apple and Samsung still rule the roost in the smartphone world, but it’s undeniable that after nine iterations, the Pixel is now a force to be reckoned with. The Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 phones are very, very good, especially if you’re hunting for a phone that takes great photos. The Pixel Fold and its horribly-named follow-up the Pixel 9 Pro Fold are also good, albeit still way too expensive for most users. The Pixel Watch 3 is good — I’m wearing it right now, and I’m very pleased with it. And there are more affordable (if not quite “budget”) alternatives in the Pixel A variant phones, which deliver almost all the same features at a far more palatable price. It’s been a slow, ponderous process of more than a decade, but Google finally has its own phone brand that most people are familiar with, and which is distinct from Android as a platform. There are regular users — not die-hard Android fans like me — who are seeking out Pixel phones because they like them, not just because they’re in all the carrier stores (though they are). That’s a win in anyone’s book. WTF: What the hell is Google doing with non-phone hardware? Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry I’ve literally bought more Google tablets than I can remember. I will always love you, Pixel C, even if Google doesn’t. But amid news of Google trying again to create a branded laptop years after closing the team that already did that, only to hear that it’s once again given up on a Pixel-branded Android tablet, I gotta ask: What the hell, man? For all the progress that Google has made in smartphones and wearables, not to mention ChromeOS with its Chromebook partners, it seems to be as clueless as ever as to what to do with its hardware brand beyond that. Even after watching this company closely for my entire professional career, I couldn’t tell you what it’s going to do next for a tablet or a laptop. But I can tell you what I want it to do, and what I think would be successful. Oh look at that, I have! Fail: AI search is turning tons of people away Mattias Inghe Google is pushing hard on its Gemini AI system across its business, but it’s most immediately visible in Search. And that’s not necessarily a good thing. While the initial blowback from Google’s AI Overviews in Search (including such infamous results as using glue as a pizza topping) seem to have died down, it’s a symptom of a deeper and much more widespread problem. Web users seem to have soured on Google, a name that used to be synonymous with search as in “let me Google that for you.” Between more and more advertising in results, and results themselves becoming far less useful as targeted SEO and AI-generated text becomes more prevalent, it’s easy to see why. Google’s dominant position isn’t going away anytime soon, but it’s clear that people are hungering and thirsting for an alternative, if not exactly a replacement. Perhaps more daunting for Google is that it doesn’t seem to have a clear solution. Search is the bedrock of Google’s empire, and if it cracks up — with or without a one-two punch from losing Chrome — the entire company could be in danger. Win: “Web” tab is how search should be Google For all the belly-aching that I gave Google Search in the section above, I confess that it’s so integrated into both my personal life and my workflow that I’m not ready to give it up. And I don’t have to. Google introduced a new “Web” search tab this year, and it’s almost like Google Search used to be. Almost. Clicking “Web” will strip out the AI overview results, the don’t-call-it-advertising shopping suggestions, the Maps business listings (again, essentially advertising!). It’s ten blue links again, giving Google Search a sense of focus and intention it’s been missing for a long time. I adjusted all my default searches to this view almost immediately, and it’s been a marked improvement. Granted, this doesn’t solve all of Search’s problems. Sometimes I want that Maps info right away, and there’s no way to pick-and-choose which bits you get, it’s All or (not quite) nothing. The Web view still periodically serves up alleged search results that are “Sponsored” — again, ads — right at the top, forcing you to scroll to get more organic info. And this view can’t do anything about junk SEO or AI-generated text, both of which make searching for genuine information far harder. But it’s an improvement. And it feels like a long time since I’ve been able to say that about Google Search. WTF: Google can auto-generated video games Google I feel like I constantly have to remind people that what they’re being sold as “AI” is not artificial intelligence in the sci-fi sense, a la Commander Data or HAL 9000. But darn it if that isn’t hard to keep in mind when you see some of the things these models can do, like create simple but complete video games from just a prompt. I don’t mean “code a game that’s kind of like the original Zelda.” I mean full games with 3D movement and graphics that are generated on the fly, no polygons necessary. The Genie 2 system has apparently analyzed so many video games that it can generate basic playable systems, including what looks like physics interaction and multiple viewpoints. Granted, we only have Google’s word for it. And as impressive as the results are (or at least the videos Google deigns to share), there’s no way the juice is worth the squeeze in terms of computing resources. But I could see this kind of system giving the tools to make simple games to kids and the non-tech-savvy, a step or two above RPG Maker or Dreams on the PS4, in a very cool way. Fail: Chrome users rebel after ad-blocker fiasco Google/Vivaldi As if Google didn’t have enough to worry about from alienating regular search users, it’s also managed to piss off power users with a shift to a new series of Chrome extension guidelines. Manifest V3 seems specifically targeted to hamstring ad-blockers — an implication, if not a direct allegation, from more than one ad-blocker developer — among other more laudable goals. And users are taking note. While most extensions are updating to bend the knee, the developer of the popular uBlock Origin refused, instead creating a separate and deliberately less powerful alternative as a means of demonstrative protest. As some form of ad-blocking becomes almost essential for using the web both efficiently and safely, alternative browsers are suddenly on the rise. I can’t claim objectivity here, as I bid adieu to Chrome after using it for over a decade in favor of the far more customizable Vivaldi. But Vivaldi, like almost every browser from a small company or development team, is based on Chromium. The only notable exception is Firefox. If there’s a reckoning for browsers on the horizon, it’ll have to go through Google first…at least if Google still controls Chrome at that point. Win: Google could combine ChromeOS and Android Dave Parrack / IDG With that huge uncertainty hanging over Google’s continued control of Chrome, there was a story that broke and gave us reason to celebrate. Google is, apparently, working on a new version of ChromeOS that uses Android as a base. ChromeOS and Android already have a lot in common — they’re both open-source operating systems maintained by Google, after all — but moving them closer could solve a lot of problems. Chromebooks could handle Android apps much more fluently and gracefully. That, in turn, would make ChromeOS tablets (a small but important part of the market) better all-around. On the flip side, it could give Android a much better way of handling multitasking on tablets, something that it’s not great at right now, and one of many reasons that the iPad kicks its butt in almost every metric. Android and ChromeOS both have long histories of being more or less distinct products unified by Google’s ecosystem…and that ecosystem isn’t great. But moving them closer together could go a long way towards fixing that, and making Google a more integrated alternative to both Microsoft and Apple. Granted, all of this is extremely tentative in more ways than one. WTF: Russia fines Google more money than exists in the world New Line Cinema Alright, you’ve got to admit this one’s funny. As a result of the Russian government’s crackdown on social media and some very bad math, a court has ordered Google to pay two undecillion rubles, the equivalent of 20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 US dollars, in fines. Probably a lot more by this point. The details of how and why are hardly important, since that’s more than a hundred trillion times the amount of money that exists on the planet, in all currencies, everywhere. Though Google still serves most of its products to Russian residents, its business operations in the country have shut down in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The odds of Google ever being forced to pay even a tiny, tiny portion of that ludicrous sum are about, hmmm, I’d say two undecillion to one.

Goodbye, bloatware! How to clean out Windows 11’s cruft
You may have already experienced it yourself with a new desktop PC or notebook: After the final installation of Windows 11, the desktop is covered in icons — much of which is bloatware. Common culprits are test versions of security suites and virus scanners as well as programs for image editing, photo books, and cloud services. get windows 11 pro for cheap Windows 11 Pro The PC manufacturers (OEMs) aren’t thinking of your interests with the software, but rather filling their own bank account. This is because money is paid for each installation of bloatware, and if the customer (i.e. you) takes out a paid subscription to the software, there is a tidy commission thanks to tracking links and traceability. In addition to bloatware — some also call it crapware — there are a number of other Microsoft programs and apps on your PC that you probably neither know nor need. This is because Windows itself also installs numerous applications. See also: 10 Windows 11 tips and tricks we use to customize our PCs A freshly installed Windows 11 23H2 comes with some applications that you may not even need and can therefore safely uninstall. IDG It would be nice to be able to choose which additional software should be installed during the initial installation of Windows 11. But that’s a pipe dream. So you have no choice but to clean out Windows 11 manually or with suitable tools. Important note: As you are sometimes intervening deeply in the Windows system, you should create a backup before you start uninstalling the apps and programs. A backup minimizes the risk of data loss in the event of a problem. We recommend the free. See our roundup of the best backup software for Windows for recommendations. As a general rule, be careful and do not uninstall any applications that you are not sure can be safely removed. Some applications may be necessary for the smooth functioning of the operating system. Why you should remove bloatware It is not particularly time-consuming or complicated to remove superfluous software under Windows 11. The few minutes that it takes will provide many benefits. The fewer applications running in the background, the lower the actual resource consumption. This improves the performance of the system. Bloatware takes up storage space on the hard drive or SSD. By uninstalling these programs, you can free up storage space for important data and applications. In the past, PC manufacturers have repeatedly used bloatware to unknowingly introduce malware. For example, Lenovo delivered notebooks with the adware Superfish. Pre-installed applications can therefore always pose a security risk. By removing bloatware, you minimize potential attack surfaces. How to identify annoying bloatware The website Should I Remove It provides comprehensive information on bloatware on PCs from various manufacturers. IDG The operators of the Should I Remove It website specialize in finding and removing bloatware. Here you will find comprehensive overviews of bloatware on OEM PCs, i.e. what Toshiba, Sony, Lenovo, Dell, HP, Asus, and Acer include on their Windows devices. In the case of Toshiba, there are/were more than 30 applications — partly proprietary programs, partly test versions from third-party providers. The instructions provide good explanations and describe in detail how to remove the bloatware using standard Windows tools. A search in the huge and always up-to-date database helps you to identify unknown software. Powershell tricks: Windows 11 – Debloater Tool The Windows 11 debloater tool allows deep interventions in the operating system. You should therefore be particularly careful. IDG After unpacking the zip archive, you can start immediately without installation by double-clicking on the file “Windows11Debloater.exe.” The interface offers numerous functions in a total of 15 tabs to remove Windows apps and game components, for example. The tool uses ready-made Powershell scripts that are called up via the GUI. But be careful: It is best to experiment first on a test system in a virtual machine or on a second PC. You should always create a backup of a production system. Many of the deleted components and settings cannot be restored or can only be restored with difficulty. Remove bloatware with the on-board tools Before using special uninstall tools, you can try to remove bloatware manually. However, please note that not all pre-installed applications can be easily uninstalled, as some are an integral part of the operating system. Open the “Settings” app with the key combination Windows + I. Go to “Apps” on the left-hand side of the window and then to “Installed apps” on the right-hand side of the window. The installed programs and (now also apps) are now listed here. Use the filters to limit the display to specific drives and sort the programs by name, date of installation, and size. Scroll through the list and check which programs you can uninstall. Click on the three dots on the right in the line of the program you no longer want and select the “Uninstall” menu item. Then follow the instructions of the uninstall wizard. Repeat this process for all unwanted applications. There has recently been a significant change for Windows apps: To install them, you must go to the Microsoft Store, which you can open via the icon in the taskbar or via the Start menu. In the application window, click on “Library” at the bottom left. All installed apps are displayed on the right-hand side of the window — both Windows apps and third-party apps. Until Windows 11 23H2, apps could also be uninstalled here — Microsoft has now moved this function to the “Settings” app. However, this only applies to third-party apps such as Spotify and Netflix. Windows’ own apps such as Xbox, Mail and Calendar, Windows Photos, and gaming services do not appear here. For a more comprehensive removal of unwanted programs and apps, you should use special tools that automate many tasks and offer additional functions. You don’t need to spend any money. Even the free versions of well-known tools offer corresponding functions for removing programs and apps. We present three recommended tools. Remove Windows apps with Powershell commands Installed apps can also be removed using appropriate commands in Windows Powershell. IDG Experienced Windows users can use Powershell as an administrator to uninstall Windows with the appropriate commands. Powershell is hidden in the Windows Terminal, which you can open by right-clicking on the Windows logo in the taskbar and clicking on “Windows Terminal (as administrator).” A tab for Powershell should be open here. If not, click on the plus sign. For an initial overview, enter the following command and press the Enter key: Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | Select Name, PackageFullName A list of the installed apps is now displayed. In addition to Windows’ own apps, the apps from third-party providers also appear. To uninstall an individual app, enter the following command: Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers [App-Name] | Remove-AppxPackage Instead of the placeholder “[App name]”, accept the name of the app as it appears in the list. With the addition “-AllUsers”, you ensure that the app is removed from all user accounts. If you briefly see a blue-colored text, the app has been successfully removed. These three free tools can help The free Appbuster from O&O Software specializes in removing programs and apps. It can also be used to safely uninstall and reinstall Windows apps. IDG Even the free version of the versatile cleaning and optimization tool CCleaner allows you to uninstall programs. Click on “Extras” on the left and then on “Uninstall” at the top right. In the large window area on the right, all installed programs and apps are now displayed with additional information such as publisher, installation date, size, and version. Click on a list entry and then on the blue “Uninstall” button in the top right-hand corner. Then follow the instructions and finalize the removal of the software. Please note: The “Delete” command (if offered) only removes the list entry, but not the software from the drive. Removing bloatware is similarly easy with the free tool IObit Uninstaller. Under “Programs” on the left-hand side of the window, you can limit the display according to various criteria. Click on the recycle bin icon at the end of the line on the right-hand side of the window to start uninstalling the selected application. Unlike CCleaner, the IObit tool uses its own engine for this and works more thoroughly. The IObit Uninstaller also detects remnants of software installations and removes them thanks to deep cleaning. Further extras: IObit Uninstaller Free can also be used to remove bundled programs, browser extensions, and apps from the PC. In the case of apps, a distinction is made between “Windows apps” and “third-party apps.” With just a few mouse clicks, you can remove unnecessary apps and free up storage space. The O&O Appbuster is another useful tool. The tool can be started directly without installation and is therefore also suitable for use with USB sticks on other people’s PCs. After starting the software, the system is analyzed for a few moments. The three tabs “All,” “Desktop,” and “Windows” then provide an overview of the installed applications with details such as manufacturer, installation date, status, and memory used. You can display a further “System” tab via View > Show system apps. Tick the checkboxes in front of the list entries and click on the red “Remove” button that then appears. Depending on the user configuration, select whether you want to remove the programs only for the currently active user account or for all user accounts. Click on “OK” to continue. The programs and apps are uninstalled one after the other. To be on the safe side, you should create a Windows restore point. You can find the appropriate command in the “Actions” menu or when uninstalling apps. O&O Appbuster can also be used to restore some uninstalled apps. The “Status” column will then show “Installable.” Select the app and click on the green “Install” button. A better life without bloatware Removing bloatware in Windows 11 can lead to a significant improvement in system performance and user-friendliness. By manually uninstalling and using specialized tools, you can safely and reliably clean up your system. And always remember that you should not unnecessarily bloat Windows 11 yourself. Our tip: Limit yourself to the applications that best meet your needs and remove software that you have not used for a long time. Tiny 11: Slimmed-down Windows 11 as a minimal edition Tiny 11 is a slimmed-down Windows 11 23H2. The setup ISO image was created with the free NTLite tool. Tiny 11 does without many Windows apps. IDG If you don’t want to have to slim down Windows 11 afterwards, you should take a look at Tiny 11. This unofficial minimal edition of Windows 11 reduces the system requirements and dispenses with unnecessary ballast. Windows Tiny 11 was developed by the YouTuber NTDev. This special version of Windows 11 is optimized for devices on which the official edition of the operating system cannot be installed or whose performance is too weak. Tiny 11 offers a quick and simple user interface that only contains the most important functions and applications. In detail, Tiny 11 requires a 1GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, and 64GB of free storage space. This corresponds to the system requirements of Windows 10. When fully installed, Tiny 11 only requires around 1GB of memory. This is a fraction of what Windows 11 normally requires. This is made possible by the omission of some system components, programs, and Windows apps. For example, the Edge browser and most of the gaming components are missing. The Tiny 11 developer has not created anything truly revolutionary, but simply created an ISO file for the Windows 11 setup using the free NTLite tool. This can be recognized by the fact that the ISO file contains the NTlite configuration files. You can use these as a template for your own customizations. When you click together your personal Windows installation with NTlite, you delete Windows apps from the installation medium, for example. These are then not copied to the hard drive during a new installation. Even if you have a little more work to do, it is actually advisable to create a system like Tiny 11 yourself. When downloading from unverifiable sources, there is always the risk of malware being included. get windows 11 pro for cheap Windows 11 Pro This article was translated from German to English and originally appeared on pcwelt.de.