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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER 26 - 31 AUGUST, 2024
Hello and Welcome,
Meetings This Week
NO MEETINGS
Meeting Next Week
2024/09/03 — 18:00-20:00 — September, Tue — Main Meeting
Schedule of Current & Upcoming Meetings
First Tuesday 18:00-20:00 — Main Meeting
Third Tuesday 10:00-12:00 — Tuesday Group
Third Saturday 14:00-16:00 — Web Design
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Go to the official Sydney PC Calendar for this month's meeting details.
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ASCCA News:Tech News:
Court: Google Has Search Monopoly
See the InfoPackets article by John Lister on August 16, 2024 at 04:08 pm EDT.
Google, Search Monopoly
According to a US Court ruling, Google has acted unlawfully to maintain its monopoly in the search market. Whether it will face any practical consequences remains to be seen.
The ruling was in a case brought by the Department of Justice alleging violations of the Sherman Act. That makes it a felony to intentionally act or conspire to have or maintain a monopoly in a particular market. Previous cases have established that this isn't simply about market share but the ability to exploit monopoly power. The judge in the case did not mince his words, stating that "Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly."
90 Percent Share
This case specifically centred on Google's dominance of the online search market, where its share has been estimated at 90 per cent. This includes both the sheer number of searches and the ability to monetize them, such as selling advertising on results pages or using data about searches.
The main allegations were that Google paid tech companies as a default search engine in an operating system or web browser. Prosecutors said Google paid over $10 billion annually to companies including Apple, Mozilla and Samsung. (Source: bbc.co.uk)
They argued that this created a vicious circle (and unfair monopoly power) in which Google's dominance gave it the money to spend this way and, in turn, maintain the dominance.
Google countered that the primary reason it is used for so many searches is that consumers prefer its service and the usefulness of its results. It also argued that consumers can easily switch to other search engines, and that the market is too narrowly defined. The market share calculations should also consider people looking for information from dedicated websites and apps, such as those who find flights or restaurant bookings. (Source: searchengineland.com)
Break Up Possible
The judge has yet to decide the consequences of the ruling, which a likely appeal may delay. The government has said a fine would not be sufficient and instead asked for "structural relief." That could mean anything from a ban on paying as a default search engine to a breakup of Google's business.
It's also possible that any court orders may depend on the outcome of a separate case that begins in September and alleges an unlawful Google monopoly in the online advertising market.
What's Your Opinion?
Do you back this verdict? How would you define the search market? How much of Google's success in search is down to the quality of its results vs its market dominance?
Apple 'Distraction Control' Tool May Block Ads
See the InfoPackets article by John Lister on August 19, 2024, at 12:08 pm EDT.
Safari's Distraction Control
iPhones and iPads could soon let users permanently hide parts of web pages including pop-up windows. The move has proven controversial, with suggestions it could also be used as an ad blocker.
The new feature is called Distraction Control and is in the development beta stages (i.e. test version) of the Safari web browser in the upcoming iOS 18 update. It is also on the way in Safari for Mac computers.
The feature lets users tap a page menu button marked "Hide Distracting Items." This will bring up a list of elements on a web page, such as pop-up windows, autoplay videos, and banners asking for cookie consent.
Publishers Panic
The user can then mark any of these elements to hide, and they'll disappear, including on return visits. However, the setting is device-specific and doesn't sync to Safari elsewhere. Users can also return to the list to re-enable any element. (Source: macrumors.com)
Apple had previously hinted at a similar feature under the name Web Eraser. That prompted complaints from the News Media Association that the feature could facilitate ad blocking and make it difficult for sites that rely on ads.
The controversy has led to Apple adopting the Distraction Control name instead and possibly toning down the effects of the feature. (Source: fastcompany.com)
Dynamic Ads Remain
The most significant limitation is that it only works properly on static elements of a website. That rules out many online ads that aren't the same for all users but are dynamically created for each visitor, usually through targeting based on known information about specific users.
While users can hide such ads with Distraction Control, they'll appear again the next time they visit the site. They'll also appear immediately if ads are set to refresh, for example, as users scroll down a page. Many users will likely conclude that tapping through the page menus every time they visit a site is too much of a hassle to get rid of ads only temporarily.
What's Your Opinion?
Would you use such a feature? Would it make you switch to Safari? Should Apple pay attention to publishers who are worried about even temporary ad blocking?
Comments —
uBlock Origin has this feature — Submitted by Dennis Faas on Mon, 19/08/2024 — 12:41
uBlock Origin adblocker has this feature. You must right-click an area on the webpage and select "Block Element". From there, you must review your changes before adding them as an official custom filter, but with caveats.
I have tried using the "Block Element" feature on YouTube's relentless ads for "Playables" (instant online games without needing to download anything) and similar YouTube advertisements. However, it usually ends up breaking the comment section on YouTube (among other areas), so be careful if you decide to create your custom filters in this respect. You can always review the filter section and remove what you did, as uBlock origin lists filters chronologically.
ads — Submitted by ronangel1 on Mon, 19/08/2024 — 16:28
This is a fantastic idea! 99% of ads are useless to the person viewing the page and very distracting to what they are doing! If I want something, I will search for it, not click on an ad.
The last thing I want to do is play games when researching something! It should be available on all systems and platforms. Some programs that block ads try to trick you via an ad with a very low price trial. After a month, they want to charge you 10 times as much per month to keep using more tricks than some car dealers, with their contracts automatically signed into, then offer all sorts of discounts to stop you from getting out! Be careful. I can't name them here; all have similar names to confuse people with the good ones!
The Upgrade Argument for Desktops Doesn't Stand Up Anymore
See the How-To Geek article by Sydney Butler | Published Aug 12, 2024.
Building a Computer
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Upgrading components in a desktop can lead to an "upgrade death spiral" of replacing multiple parts.
Only cheap components, like chassis and power supply, are future-proof through multiple upgrades.
Performance increases for CPUs and GPUs are too small to justify upgrading every generation.
One key benefit touted for desktop computers, as opposed to (for example) laptops, is that you can upgrade anything you want later down the line, which makes more financial sense and offers endless options. However, the upgrade argument for desktop computers may be weaker than it once was.
The Upgrade Death Spiral
The idea that you can upgrade one component sounds excellent on paper. Still, in many cases, it can result in the "upgrade death spiral", where you buy a whole new computer in pieces anyway.
This happens because upgrading one component of your computer can unbalance the system. Adding more RAM or storage usually doesn't present this issue, and of course, you can upgrade these in most laptops anyway, but the core performance components aren't so benign.
Let's say that you've just significantly upgraded your GPU. If you get the most out of your CPU with your previous GPU, your older component will hold back your new GPU. So now, you need a new CPU, or some percentage of your new GPU's performance will be wasted. However, getting a new CPU worth the upgrade usually means getting a new motherboard, which might also require new RAM, and so on.
Of course, upgrading like this has the benefit of spreading the total upgrade cost over time, with lopsided performance in the interim. Still, when this happens, it's slightly different from buying a whole new computer.
Only the Cheap Components Are Future-proof Anyway
Cheap Computer Components
Some parts of your computer can persist through multiple upgrade cycles, which may seem like a win. However, these components are things like the chassis, power supply, and perhaps your storage devices, assuming they quickly keep up with your other new components. These usually make up a small percentage of the cost of a system, so overall, you're not gaining that much compared to simply selling your old system as a complete working machine and putting the funds towards a new one.
Then again, sometimes you can get more for a computer by selling its parts individually rather than as a whole, but of course, that's a much larger time and effort investment. Even if you don't sell your old computer, having a completely working second computer is more useful than having a pile of parts.
Generational Performance Increases Are Too Small
Electronic Components
The performance gains for components like CPUs and GPUs have become smaller and smaller as manufacturers started pushing against the laws of physics. Unless you're one of the tiny percentage of computer enthusiasts who need the latest components no matter what, upgrading every second, or even third generation of components doesn't make sense. If you're waiting half a decade for something worth upgrading to appear, you will replace every part of your computer anyway.
Platforms Change Too Often
While AMD has done a phenomenal job of keeping the same CPU sockets and making motherboard chipsets compatible over many generations, the simple fact is that Intel currently holds 80% of the desktop CPU market. When it comes to Intel's CPUs, you're lucky to get two generations of compatibility these days, so if you want a worthwhile upgrade on the CPU side, that upgrade death spiral is practically guaranteed.
The Illusion of Freedom
Desktop computers have many natural and relevant advantages. It's the only way to get the best absolute performance and the best performance per dollar. It's much easier and cheaper to repair or replace faulty components, and you can use the desktop form factor to spread the cost of building a PC out over time by, for example, buying a cheap GPU now and getting a better one later.
However, spending good money on a PC today with the promise of extending its life far into the future is a more comforting illusion than most people will do.
Ask yourself this: how much of your current desktop computer has components from your PC from five years ago? What about ten years? For most of you, the answer is closer to zero than even 50%.
Fun Facts:
Walmart Is Grounding Its Drone Delivery Fleet in Three States
See the How-To Geek article by Andrew Tarantola | Published August 17, 2024.
Walmart's drone delivery partner, DroneUp
Walmart's drone delivery partner, DroneUp, has announced plans to shutter 18 delivery hubs in Arizona, Utah, and Florida and instead focus on further refining the program in the Dallas-Forth Worth (DFW) metro area. Some 70 DroneUp employees are expected to lose their jobs because of the move.
DroneUp, partly owned by Walmart, began service in Phoenix, Salt Lake City, and Tampa (as well as Orlando, Dallas, and Richmond, Virginia) in 2022. It had previously launched a similar operation in 2021 in Walmart's home state of Arkansas. The service was billed as the first "large-scale" drone delivery network in the U.S. Walmart expected the service to expand to 34 sites by the end of that year, delivering up to a million packages annually to as many as 4 million U.S. households. With it, you could order virtually anything that Walmart carries — "If it fits safely, it flies," DroneUp CEO Tom Walker told Axios at the time — and have it delivered via drone between 8 am and 8 pm for a $4 fee.
Drone delivery has proven popular with customers, especially in the DFW area. Walmart expanded its service area in that region in May, boasting that it could deliver packages to 75 per cent of DFW residents (around 1.8 million people). Walmart has also partnered with Alphabet subsidiary, Wing and Zipline for deliveries in the DFW region over the past three years.
"Customers will have access to a broad assortment of items from Walmart that are available for delivery to their home in just minutes," Prathibha Rajashekhar, SVP of Innovation and Automation at Walmart U.S., told Forbes in May. "Drone delivery is not just a concept of the future; it's happening now and will soon be a reality for millions of additional Texans."
However, the success found in DFW was nowhere to be seen in Phoenix, SLC, or Tampa. Those three operations needed to be bigger to maintain, DroneUp CEO Tom Walker told Axios. He explained that Drone delivery needs to operate at scale to be profitable, revealing that each airborne delivery costs Walmart $30. The company is trying to get that down to around $7 per flight, on par with ground-based deliveries. The decision to shutter operations in those three locations leaves DroneUp with just a 15-store service footprint: 11 Walmart stores in DFW, 3 in Bentonville, Arkansas, near Walmart's corporate offices, and a single one in Virginia Beach, where DroneUp is headquartered.
Walmart's struggle with drone deliveries is common in the industry. Its rival, Amazon, has been developing drone delivery technology of its own for more than a decade but has yet to progress past initial trial stages.
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Bob Backstrom
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