Dublin Says No To New Google Data Centre
South Dublin County Council has refused Google Ireland planning permission for a new data-centre at Grange Castle Business Park in South Dublin. Why? The reason given for the refusal was “the existing insufficient capacity in the electricity network (grid) and the lack of significant on-site renewable energy to power the data centre”. What Data Centre? Google…
Read MoreGoogle In Monumental Monopoly Ruling
Four years on from Google being sued by the US Department of Justice over its control of about 90 per cent of the online search market, a US judge has ruled that Google acted illegally to maintain a monopoly on its online search and the associated advertising. Building and Defending a Search Monopoly Following a ten-week…
Read MoreThird-Party Cookie U-Turn By Google
Following a previous announcement four years ago that it would be blocking third-party cookies from its Chrome browser, Google appears to have ‘updated’ that firm commitment in favour of a new approach. What Has Google Said? An “Updated Approach” … Google’s most recent comment is that it now favours an “updated approach that elevates user choice.…
Read MoreWill SearchGPT Overtake Google?
The new ‘SearchGPT’ (prototype) AI search feature which OpenAI plans to eventually integrate directly into ChatGPT is being seen by some as the future of search and a potential challenger to Google Search. What Is SearchGPT? At present, OpenAI (the makers of ChatGPT) describes the prototype version of SearchGPT, which is currently being tested in…
Read MoreGoogle Maps Alternatives
In this insight, we look at what’s good about Google Maps, what may be less ideal about it, plus we provide 10 examples of alternative mapping and navigation apps. What’s Good About Google Maps? Before we look at potential reasons for trying alternatives, it’s worth acknowledging why Google Maps (with 1.8 billion monthly active users…
Read MoreGoogle Acquisition Means Windows App Support For ChromeOS
Following the success of their partnership last year, Google has announced that it has acquired Cameyo, thereby enabling virtualised Windows apps to be integrated into ChromeOS. Why? Google says that its research (such as a new Forrester study) has highlighted a “fundamental shift in how businesses operate”. Google says that businesses are now turning to “web-based applications” to unlock…
Read MoreGoogle May Charge For AI Internet Searches
Google is reportedly considering charging for premium AI-powered Internet searches as the company fears that AI chatbots are undercutting its search engine. Advertising-Funded Google, up until now, has relied mainly on an advertising-funded business model (Google Ads) as a way to collect data and monetise its market-leading search. However, it seems that fears around users…
Read MoreGoogle Deleting Millions Of Users’ Incognito Search Data
As part of a deal to resolve a class action lawsuit in the US dating back to 2020, Google has said it will delete the incognito mode search data of millions of users. What Lawsuit? In June 2020 in the US, three Californians named Chasom Brown, Christopher Castillo, and Monique Trujill (along with William Byatt…
Read MoreA Dozen Handy Google Maps Tricks
With Google Maps now one of the most popular mapping services globally, used by millions of people every day, plus having new features regularly being added, here we look at a dozen top Google Maps (Android) tricks to help you on your way. Driving Since Google Maps can be extremely useful in the car, the…
Read MoreGoogle Pauses Gemini AI Over ‘Historical Inaccuracies’
Only a month after its launch, Google has paused its text-to-image AI tool following “inaccuracies” in some of the historical depictions of people produced by the model. ‘Woke’ … Overcorrecting For Diversity? An example of the inaccuracy issue (as highlighted by X user Patrick Ganley recently, after asking Google Gemini to generate images of the…
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