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Google

Google Starts the GA Rollout of Its Privacy Sandbox APIs To All Chrome Users (techcrunch.com) 11

Google continues the rollout of its Privacy Sandbox APIs -- its replacement for tracking cookies for the online advertising industry. From a report: Today, right on schedule and in time for the launch of Chrome 115 into the stable release channel, Google announced that it will now start enabling the relevance and measurement APIs in its browser. This will be a gradual rollout, with Google aiming for a 99% availability by mid-August. At this point, Google doesn't expect to make any major changes to the APIs. This includes virtually all of the core Privacy Sandbox features, including Topics, Protected Audience, Attribution Reporting, Private Aggregation, Shared Storage and Fenced Frames. It's worth noting that for the time being, Privacy Sandbox will run in parallel with third-party cookies in the browser. It won't be until early 2024 that Google will deprecate third-party cookies for 1% of Chrome users. After that, the process will speed up though and Google will deprecate these cookies for all users by the second half of 2024.
Encryption

macOS Sonoma Brings Apple Password Manager To Third-Party Browsers (macrumors.com) 19

An anonymous reader quotes a report from MacRumors: The macOS Sonoma update that is in testing allows Mac owners who opt to use Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or another browser to use Apple's Password Manager for filling passwords. Developers and public beta testers running macOS Sonoma can use their iCloud Keychain passwords with non-Safari browsers at this time, autofilling passwords and one-time codes. Third-party browsers can also save new passwords.

Apple has made an iCloud Passwords Chrome extension available for macOS Sonoma users, and it can be downloaded and installed to access Apple passwords on the Chrome browser or any Chromium-based browser. Apple plans to release a similar extension for the Microsoft Edge browser in the near future. Google and other browser developers are also working on implementing support for Passkeys, the password alternative that Apple introduced last year.

Firefox

Firefox 115 Released (mozilla.org) 61

williamyf writes: Today, Mozilla released Firefox 115. Changes most visible to users include:

* Hardware video decoding is now enabled for Intel GPUs on Linux..

* Migrating from another browser? Now you can bring over payment methods you've saved in Chrome-based browsers to Firefox.

* The Tab Manager dropdown now features close buttons, so you can close tabs more quickly.

* The Firefox for Android address bar's new search button allows you to easily switch between search engines and search your bookmarks and browsing history.

* We've refreshed and streamlined the user interface for importing data in from other browsers.

* Users without platform support for H264 video decoding can now fallback to Cisco's OpenH264 plugin for playback.

But the most important feature is that this release is the new ESR. Why this is important? y'all ask, well:

* Many a "downstream" project depends on Firefox ESR, for example the famous email client Thunderbird, or KaiOS (a mobile OS very popular in India, SE Asia, Africa and LatAm), so, for better or worse, whatever made it to (or is lacking from) this version of the browser, those projects have to use for the next year.

* Firefox ESR is the default browser of many distros, like Debian and Kali Linux, so, whatever made it to this version will be there for next year, ditto to whatever is lacking.

* If you are on old -- unsupported OSs, like Windows 7, 8-8.1 or MacOS 10.14 (Mojave, the last MacOS with support for 32 Bit Apps), 10.13 or 10.12 you will automatically be migrated to Firefox ESR, so this will be your browser until Sept. 2024.


Chrome

Google's New Standard For ChromeOS: 'Chromebook X' (9to5google.com) 27

Google is launching the "Chromebook X" program, aiming to differentiate high-quality laptops and tablets from standard Chromebooks by improving hardware specifications and adding exclusive features such as enhanced video conferencing capabilities and unique wallpapers. Chromebook X devices, expected to be priced between $350 and $500, will provide users with an elevated experience beyond the basic functionality of traditional Chromebooks. The devices are anticipated to be available in stores by the end of the year, coinciding with the release of ChromeOS version 115 or newer. 9to5Google reports: For the past few months, Google has been preparing new branding for above average devices from various Chromebook makers. Notably, we haven't yet seen any signs of Google making a Chromebook X device of its own, which is honestly a shame considering how long it's been since a Pixelbook has been released. The Chromebook X brand, which could change before launch, will appear somewhere on a laptop/tablet's chassis, with a mark that could be as simple as an "X" next to the usual "Chromebook" logo. There should also be a special boot screen instead of the standard "chromeOS" logo that's shown on all machines today.

Aside from the added "X," what actually sets a Chromebook X apart from other devices is the hardware inside. Specifically, Google appears to require a certain amount of RAM, a good-quality camera for video conferencing, and a (presumably) higher-end display. Beyond that, Google has so far made specific preparations for Chromebook X models to be built on four types of processors from Intel and AMD (though newer generations will likely also be included): AMD Zen 2+ (Skyrim), AMD Zen 3 (Guybrush), and Intel Core 12th Gen (Brya & Nissa).

To further differentiate Chromebook X models from low-end Chromebooks, Google is also preparing an exclusive set of features. As mentioned, one of the key focuses of Chromebook X is video conferencing, with Google requiring an up-to-spec camera. Complementing that hardware, Google is bringing unique features like Live Caption (adding generated captions to video calls), a built-in portrait blur effect, and "voice isolation." Earlier this year, we reported that ChromeOS was readying a set of "Time Of Day" wallpapers and screen savers that would change in appearance throughout the day, particularly to match the sunrise and sunset. We now know that these are going to be exclusive to Chromebook X devices. To ensure that those wallpapers only appear on Chromebook X and can't be forcibly enabled, Google is preparing a system it calls "feature management." At the moment, feature management is only used to check whether to enable Chromebook X exclusives. Based on that, some other exclusive features of Chromebook X include: Support for up to 16 virtual desks; "Pinned" (available offline) files from Google Drive; and A revamped retail demo mode.

Bug

Windows 11 Update Breaks Chrome for Some Antivirus Software Users (bleepingcomputer.com) 49

Wednesday BleepingComputer reported: Malwarebytes confirmed today that the Windows 11 22H2 KB5027231 cumulative update released this Patch Tuesday breaks Google Chrome on its customers' systems... While uninstalling the KB5027231 update fixes the issue, admins report that it's not possible to do so via Windows Server Update Services because of a "catastrophic error..." The Google Chrome process is actually running but is prevented from fully launching the application and loading the user interface due to the conflict.
Then Friday BleepingComputer reported that the same update "also breaks Google Chrome on systems protected by Cisco and WatchGuard EDR and antivirus solutions." "We deploy Secure Endpoint 8.1.7 to our few thousand devices, and we started getting a mountain of reports this morning that Google Chrome would not appear on the screen after attempting to open it," one admin said. "With a little trial & error, I found that killing the Secure Endpoint service or uninstalling Secure Endpoint will allow Chrome to open again..."

WatchGuard staff also confirmed on Friday that Google Chrome wouldn't open on Windows 11 after installing KB5027231 if anti-exploit protection is enabled in the company's Endpoint Security software.

Thanks to Slashdot reader boley1 for sharing the news.
Google

Google Lifts Ban on Downloader App (arstechnica.com) 10

Google has reversed the suspension of an Android TV app that was hit with a copyright complaint simply because it is able to load a pirate website that can also be loaded in any standard web browser. From a report: The Downloader app, which combines a web browser with a file manager, is back in the Google Play Store after an absence of nearly three weeks. As we previously reported, Google suspended the app based on a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) complaint from several Israeli TV companies that said the app "allows users to view the infamous copyright infringing website known as SDAROT." But that same website could be viewed on any standard browser, including Google's own Chrome app.

"The app was removed on May 19th due to the DMCA takedown request," developer Elias Saba wrote in a blog post today. "Instead of recognizing the absurdity of the claim that a web browser is somehow liable for all the unauthorized use of copyrighted content on the Internet, Google took a backseat and denied my appeal to have the app reinstated." The free app has been downloaded over 5 million times on Google Play and is available on the Amazon app store for devices such as Fire TVs. In addition to the rejected appeal, Saba filed a DMCA counter notification with Google. That "started a 10-business-day countdown for the [TV companies'] law firm to file legal actions against me," Saba wrote today. "Due to the app being removed on a Friday and the Memorial Day holiday, 10 business days had elapsed with no word from the law firm on June 6th and I contacted Google to have the app reinstated."

Google

Google's Password Manager Gains Biometric Authentication on Desktop (techcrunch.com) 18

Google's aiming to make it easier to use and secure passwords -- at least, for users of the Password Manager tool built into its Chrome browser. From a report: Today, the tech giant announced that Password Manager, which generates unique passwords and autofills them across platforms, will soon gain biometric authentication on PC. (Android and iOS have had biometric authentication for some time.) When enabled, it'll require an additional layer of security, like fingerprint recognition or facial recognition, before Chrome autofills passwords.

Exactly which types of biometrics are available in Password Manager on desktop will depend on the hardware attached to the PC, of course (e.g. a fingerprint reader), as well as whether the PC's operating system supports it. Beyond "soon," Google didn't say when to expect the feature to arrive.

Cellphones

Progressive Web Apps 'Don't Spy or Clog Your Phone'. Do You Use Them? (msn.com) 94

"It's worth questioning the status quo of technology," argues the Washington Post's Tech Friend newsletter, "including apps as we know them."

Then they tout the benefits of the "non-app app... a hybrid of a website and a conventional app, with features of each" — the unappreciated Progressive Web App (which many still don't know can be installed on your phone's home screen): Web apps look and function pretty much like the conventional apps for your phone or computer, but they clog less space on your device and are less pushy about surveilling you. People who make web apps also say they are easier to create and update than conventional apps... But web apps have been around for years, and most people don't know they exist...

[Traditional apps] come with profound downsides, including Big Tech control, privacy compromises and high development costs. It would be healthy if there were palatable alternative paths to our current app system. Web apps might be part of the solution... At their core, web apps are "the web with an app-like cover," said Rob Kochman, senior product manager for Google's Chrome. Kochman and other web app fans say these apps are less demanding and less intrusive than a conventional app. The web app for Starbucks, for example, takes up just 429 kilobytes of storage on my phone — or less than 1 percent of the storage taken by the standard Starbucks Android app...

And by design, once a conventional app is on your phone, it can access your phone's guts and peek under the hood of your internet network. Web apps are stingier about access, Kochman and other experts told me. "If you're worried about installing some app, you'd probably prefer that as a web app," said a veteran tech executive who helped develop the original technology for web apps. He referred to a web app as "just a website that took all the right vitamins...."

It's difficult to figure out which companies make web apps or find them. There's not an app store for web apps, although there are some attempts like Store.App and Appscope. They're not ideal... Some technologists told me that Apple has held back web apps by limiting their capabilities for Apple devices. The company has said that's not true. And this year, Apple added iPhone feature options for web apps...

We should keep challenging what can feel like immutable parts of digital life, including apps. We have to keep asking: What if there's something better?

It's as easy as "press the three-dot icon, then select 'Add to home screen.'" But it'd be interesting to hear the perspective of Slashdot readers. So share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.

Are you using progressive web apps?
Youtube

'The Rotten Tomatoes of YouTube' (bgr.com) 37

In 2021, YouTube made the controversial decision to hide dislike counts on its platform, citing the aim of protecting creators from harassment. While this removed a valuable metric for viewers, alternatives have emerged, such as the browser extension Return YouTube Dislike and the new site Favoree. The latter is being hailed as "the Rotten Tomatoes of YouTube," where users can rate and review YouTube channels. BGR reports: Earlier this week, one user disappointed with the removal of YouTube's dislike counts took to Reddit to promote their new site Favoree. Rather than simply giving a channel a thumbs up or thumbs down, you can give it a rating out of five stars and even write a review. That way, you can actually see why people like or dislike a given channel.

This is a new site, so only a small handful of YouTube channels are currently represented (much less have many ratings or reviews) [...]. For example, Summoning Salt is a stellar channel a friend turned me on to a few years ago, which features long-form documentary-style videos about the history of speedrunning video games. The channel page on Favoree features a short description, a list of relevant keywords, embedded videos, and several written reviews.

Obviously, this is only going to work if Favoree really picks up steam and thousands of users start writing reviews and submitting new channels. That said, it's an interesting project, and the creator is accepting feedback on Reddit and acting on many of those suggestions rather quickly. It will be interesting to track Favoree to see how it develops.

Android

Inner Workings Revealed For 'Predator,' the Android Malware That Exploited 5 0-Days (arstechnica.com) 11

Researchers from Cisco's Talos security team have uncovered detailed information about Predator, a sophisticated spyware sold to governments worldwide, which can secretly record voice calls, collect data from apps like Signal and WhatsApp, and hide or disable apps on mobile devices. Ars Technica reports: An analysis Talos published on Thursday provides the most detailed look yet at Predator, a piece of advanced spyware that can be used against Android and iOS mobile devices. Predator is developed by Cytrox, a company that Citizen Lab has said is part of an alliance called Intellexa, "a marketing label for a range of mercenary surveillance vendors that emerged in 2019." Other companies belonging to the consortium include Nexa Technologies (formerly Amesys), WiSpear/Passitora Ltd., and Senpai. Last year, researchers with Google's Threat Analysis Group, which tracks cyberattacks carried out or funded by nation-states, reported that Predator had bundled five separate zero-day exploits in a single package and sold it to various government-backed actors. These buyers went on to use the package in three distinct campaigns. The researchers said Predator worked closely with a component known as Alien, which "lives inside multiple privileged processes and receives commands from Predator." The commands included recording audio, adding digital certificates, and hiding apps. [...]

According to Talos, the backbone of the malware consists of Predator and Alien. Contrary to previous understandings, Alien is more than a mere loader of Predator. Rather, it actively implements the low-level capabilities that Predator needs to surveil its victims. "New analysis from Talos uncovered the inner workings of PREDATOR and the mechanisms it uses to communicate with the other spyware component deployed along with it known as 'ALIEN,'" Thursday's post stated. "Both components work together to bypass traditional security features on the Android operating system. Our findings reveal the extent of the interweaving of capabilities between PREDATOR and ALIEN, providing proof that ALIEN is much more than just a loader for PREDATOR as previously thought to be." In the sample Talos analyzed, Alien took hold of targeted devices by exploiting five vulnerabilities -- CVE-2021-37973, CVE-2021-37976, CVE-2021-38000, CVE-2021-38003, CVE-2021-1048 -- the first four of which affected Google Chrome, and the last Linux and Android. [...] The deep dive will likely help engineers build better defenses to detect the Predator spyware and prevent it from working as designed. Talos researchers were unable to obtain Predator versions developed for iOS devices.

Chrome

Google Chrome Will Now Detect Typos in Your URLs (blog.google) 47

"Google Chrome will now check for typos in your URLs and display suggested websites based on what it thinks you meant," reports the Verge.

From Google's announcement: When you type a website into the Chrome address bar, it will now detect URL typos and suggest websites based on the corrections. This increases accessibility for people with dyslexia, language learners, and anyone who makes typos by making it easier to get to previously visited websites despite spelling errors. This feature is now available on Chrome desktop and will roll out to mobile in the coming months.
It was one of several new and recently launched features Google touted as part of Thursday's Global Accessibility Awareness Day.

Google also announced its Lookout app (which provides audio cues for low-vision users) can now provide descriptions of images on web pages "powered by an advanced visual language model developed by Google DeepMind." And Chrome on Android recently updated its TalkBack screen reader so tab switching now also offers a tab grid with additional features like tab groups, bulk tab actions and reordering.
Google

Google Will Disable Third-Party Cookies For 1% of Chrome Users in Q1 2024 (techcrunch.com) 70

An anonymous reader shares a report: Google's Privacy Sandbox aims to replace third-party cookies with a more privacy-conscious approach, allowing users to manage their interests and grouping them into cohorts based on similar browsing patterns. That's a major change for the online advertising industry, and after years of talking about it and releasing various experiments, it's about to get real for the online advertising industry. Starting in early 2024, Google plans to migrate 1% of Chrome users to Privacy Sandbox and disable third-party cookies for them, the company announced today. Google's plan to completely deprecate third-party cookies in the second half of 2024 remains on track.

In addition, with the launch of the Chrome 115 release in July, Google is making Privacy Sandbox's relevance and measurement APIs generally available to all Chrome users, making it easy for developers to test these APIs with live traffic. Google doesn't plan to make any significant changes to the API after this release. Deprecating third-party cookies for 1% of Chrome users doesn't sound like it would have a major impact, but as Google's Victor Wong, who leads product for Private Advertising Technology within Privacy Sandbox, told me, it will help developers assess their real-world readiness for the larger changes coming in late 2024. To get ready for this, developers will also be able to simulate their third-party cookie deprecation readiness starting in Q4 2023, when they'll be able to test their solutions by moving a configurable percentage of their users to Privacy Sandbox.

Technology

Montreal's Iconic Brutalist Building Has Finally Been Finished Inside Unreal Engine (engadget.com) 18

Designers are using Unreal Engine to create virtual renditions of architectural projects that were never fully realized, such as the Hillside Sample Project by Neoscape and Safdie Architects, showcasing Moshe Safdie's original vision for Montreal's Habitat 67 housing complex. The interactive 3D models offer exceptional detail of the structures and highlight the potential of real-time 3D renditions for pitching architectural concepts. Engadget reports: A young Safdie designed Habitat 67 for Montreal's 1967 World's Fair, also known as Expo 67. It was meant to combine the advantages of suburbia (such as gardens and multi-level housing) with the affordability and density of apartments. The affordability didn't pan out, and Safdie ended up producing a smaller-scale version for the fair. Habitat 67 ultimately launched Safdie's career, though, and it's still one of the better-known landmarks in the city.

You have a few options for exploring the complex. You can watch a video if you just want a quick overview, but you can also navigate a 3D space using either Google Chrome or a downloadable app. The interactive models let you either roam freely or have Safdie guide you through the project with narration at key points.

Microsoft

Safari Beats Edge as Second-Most Used Browser in April (bgr.com) 49

An anonymous reader shared this report from BGR: Last year, Microsoft Edge surpassed Safari as the second most popular desktop browser. Now, new data from Statcounter shows that Apple's browser has finally regained second place.

The full ranking shows that Google Chrome remains the most used browser... It's also interesting to note that after Firefox almost surpassed Safari in February of 2022, the browser is still losing its base to Microsoft Edge and Safari... Even the all-mighty Google Chrome has lost a bit of userbase, as it had 66.64% of users last April and now has 66.13%.

The final rankings (with data from April 2023):
  • Google Chrome: 66.13%
  • Safari: 11.87%
  • Microsoft Edge: 11%
  • Firefox: 5.65%
  • Opera 3.09%
  • Internet Explorer: 0.55%

Microsoft

Microsoft is Forcing Outlook and Teams To Open Links in Edge, and IT Admins Are Angry (theverge.com) 139

An anonymous reader shares a report: Microsoft has now started notifying IT admins that it will force Outlook and Teams to ignore the default web browser on Windows and open links in Microsoft Edge instead. Reddit users have posted messages from the Microsoft 365 admin center that reveal how Microsoft is going to roll out this change. "Web links from Azure Active Directory (AAD) accounts and Microsoft (MSA) accounts in the Outlook for Windows app will open in Microsoft Edge in a single view showing the opened link side-by-side with the email it came from," reads a message to IT admins from Microsoft. While this won't affect the default browser setting in Windows, it's yet another part of Microsoft 365 and Windows that totally ignores your default browser choice for links. Microsoft already does this with the Widgets system in Windows 11 and even the search experience, where you'll be forced into Edge if you click a link even if you have another browser set as default. Further reading: Microsoft Broke a Chrome Feature To Promote Its Edge Browser.
Chrome

Chrome To Drop Lock Icon Showing HTTPS Status (itnews.com.au) 88

Google will remove the familiar lock icon that allows users to check a website's Transport Layer Security status for the connection, citing research that only a few users correctly understood its precise meaning. From a report: The lock icon has been displayed by web browsers since the 1990s, indicating that the connection to web sites is secured and authenticated with encryption. However, Google said its 2021 research showed that only 11 percent of participants in a study correctly understood the meaning of the lock icon. This, Google argued, is not harmless since most phishing sites also use the hyper text transfer protocol secure extension (HTTPS) and also display the lock icon. Ergo, a lock icon is not in actual fact an indicator of a site's security. [...] Starting with Chrome version 117, Google will introduce a new "tune" icon, which does not imply a site is trustworthy, and is more obviously clickable. The "tune" icon is more commonly associated with settings and other control, and Google said a more neutral indicator like that prevents the misunderstanding around site security that the lock icon is causing.
Chrome

Microsoft Broke a Chrome Feature To Promote Its Edge Browser (gizmodo.com) 124

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Gizmodo: Microsoft issued a Windows update that broke a Chrome feature, making it harder to change your default browser and annoying Chrome users with popups, Gizmodo has learned. An April Windows update borked a new button in Chrome -- the most popular browser in the world -- that let you change your default browser with a single click, but the worst was reserved for users on the enterprise version of Windows. For weeks, every time an enterprise user opened Chrome, the Windows default settings page would pop up. There was no way to make it stop unless you uninstalled the operating system update. It forced Google to disable the setting, which had made Chrome more convenient.

This petty chapter of the browser wars started in July 2022 when Google quietly rolled out a new button in Chrome for Windows. It would show up near the top of the screen and let you change your default browser in one click without pulling up your system settings. For eight months, it worked great. Then, in April, Microsoft issued Windows update KB5025221, and things got interesting. "Every time I open Chrome the default app settings of Windows will open. I've tried many ways to resolve this without luck," one IT administrator said on a Microsoft forum. A Reddit user noticed that the settings page also popped up any and every time you clicked on a link, but only if Chrome was your default browser. "It doesn't happen if we change the default browser to Edge," the user said. Others made similar complaints on Google support forums, some saying that entire organizations were having the issue. Users quickly realized the culprit was the operating system update.

For people on the regular consumer version of Windows, things weren't quite as bad; the one-click "Make Default" button just stopped working. Gizmodo was able to replicate the problem. In fact, we were able to circumvent the issue just by changing the name of the Chrome app on a Windows desktop. It seems that Microsoft threw up the roadblock specifically for Chrome, the main competitor to its Edge browser. [...] In response, Google had to disable its one-click default button; the issue stopped after it did. In other words, Microsoft seems to have gone out of its way to break a Chrome feature that made life easier for users. Google confirmed the details of this story, but declined to comment further.

The Courts

Google Gets Court Order To Take Down CryptBot That Infected Over 670,000 Computers (thehackernews.com) 14

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Hacker News: Google on Wednesday said it obtained a temporary court order in the U.S. to disrupt the distribution of a Windows-based information-stealing malware called CryptBot and "decelerate" its growth. The tech giant's Mike Trinh and Pierre-Marc Bureau said the efforts are part of steps it takes to "not only hold criminal operators of malware accountable, but also those who profit from its distribution." CryptBot is estimated to have infected over 670,000 computers in 2022 with the goal of stealing sensitive data such as authentication credentials, social media account logins, and cryptocurrency wallets from users of Google Chrome. The harvested data is then exfiltrated to the threat actors, who then sell the data to other attackers for use in data breach campaigns. CryptBot was first discovered in the wild in December 2019.

The malware has been traditionally delivered via maliciously modified versions of legitimate and popular software packages such as Google Earth Pro and Google Chrome that are hosted on fake websites. [...] The major distributors of CryptBot, per Google, are suspected to be operating a "worldwide criminal enterprise" based out of Pakistan. Google said it intends to use the court order, granted by a federal judge in the Southern District of New York, to "take down current and future domains that are tied to the distribution of CryptBot," thereby kneecapping the spread of new infections.

Chrome

Chromebook Expiration Date, Repair Issues 'Bad For People and Planet' (theregister.com) 102

Google Chromebooks expire too soon, saddling taxpayer-funded public schools with excessive expenses and inflicting unnecessary environmental damage, according to the US Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) Education Fund. The Register reports: In a report on Tuesday, titled "Chromebook Churn," US PIRG contends that Chromebooks don't last as long as they should, because Google stops providing updates after five to eight years and because device repairability is hindered by the scarcity of spare parts and repair-thwarting designs. This planned obsolescence, the group claims, punishes the public and the world.

"The 31 million Chromebooks sold globally in the first year of the pandemic represent approximately 9 million tons of CO2e emissions," the report says. "Doubling the life of just Chromebooks sold in 2020 could cut emissions equivalent to taking 900,000 cars off the road for a year, more than the number of cars registered in Mississippi." The report says that excluding additional maintenance costs, longer lasting Chromebooks could save taxpayers as much as $1.8 billion dollars in hardware replacement expenses.

The US PIRG said it wants: Google to extend its ChromeOS update policy beyond current device expiration dates; hardware makers to make parts more available so their devices can be repaired; and hardware designs that enable easier part replacement and service. [...] According to US PIRG, making an average laptop releases 580 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, amounting to 77 percent of the total carbon impact of the device during its lifetime. Thus, the 31 million Chromebooks sold during the first year of the pandemic represent about 8.9 million tons of CO2e emissions.
"We think that Google should extend the automatic update expiration to 10 years after launch date," said Lucas Gutterman, who leads US PIRG's Designed to Last campaign. "There's just no reason why we should be throwing away a computer that still is otherwise functional just because it passes a certain date."

"We're asking Google to use their leadership among the OEMs to design the devices to last, to make some of the changes that we list, to have them be more easily repairable by actually producing spare parts that folks can buy at reasonable prices," he added. "And to design with modularity and repair in mind, so that you can, for example, use the plastic bezel on one Chromebook on the next version, rather than having to buy a whole new set of spare parts just because a clip has changed."
The Courts

Google Wins Appeal of $20 Million US Patent Verdict Over Chrome Technology 25

Alphabet's Google on Tuesday convinced a U.S. appeals court to cancel three anti-malware patents at the heart of a Texas jury's $20 million infringement verdict against the company. Reuters reports: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said (PDF) that Alfonso Cioffi and Allen Rozman's patents were invalid because they contained inventions that were not included in an earlier version of the patent. Cioffi and the late Rozman's daughters sued Google in East Texas federal court in 2013, alleging anti-malware functions in Google's Chrome web browser infringed their patents for technology that prevents malware from accessing critical files on a computer.

A jury decided in 2017 that Google infringed the patents and awarded the plaintiffs $20 million plus ongoing royalties, which their attorney said at the time were expected to total about $7 million per year for the next nine years. But the Federal Circuit said Tuesday that all of the patents were invalid. The three patents were reissued from an earlier anti-malware patent, and federal law required the new patents to cover the same invention as the first, the unanimous three-judge panel concluded. The appeals court said the new patents outlined technology specific to web browsers that the first patent did not mention.

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