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Firefox could be put out of business should a court implement all the Justice Department’s proposals to restrict Google’s search monopoly. The DOJ wants to bar Google from paying to be the default search engine in third-party browsers including Firefox.
https://www.theverge.com/news/660548/firefox-google-search-revenue-share-doj-antitrust-remedies
Microsoft has announced that it will discontinue the password storage and autofill feature in its Authenticator app starting in July and will complete the deprecation in August 2025.
Many of us are guilty of at least some of the bad habits that put our passwords and accounts at risk. Some of these bad habits have simple fixes, but others require a change in behavior. Your passwords will be more secure if you break these 7 habits.
https://www.xda-developers.com/bad-habits-that-risk-passwords/
A beta build of Android 16 contains an early version of Google’s new Android Desktop Mode that, in the future, could let users simply plug their smartphone into a monitor and use it like a laptop or desktop computer.
https://www.theverge.com/news/660509/android-desktop-mode-16-beta-demo
A subtle psychological trick in your browser's address bar called salience bias has protected users from phishing attacks for over a decade. Salience bias is a cognitive behavior that causes one to notice things that stand out more.
"Brand new Microsoft accounts will now be 'passwordless by default,'" a big change that pushes individuals signing up for new accounts to use the phishing-resistant passkey authentication method by default.
https://thehackernews.com/2025/05/microsoft-sets-passkeys-default-for-new.html
One of the top security recommendations is to have strong, unique passwords for each of your online accounts, and for good reason. A new table shows how much time it takes a hacker to brute force your password in 2025.
Sooner or later, it's coming: You want to sign into a site but there is no password field. Passkeys are a titanic shift in how we authenticate with sites and apps. Here are 10 recommendations for reaching passkey paradise.
Privacy-focused Firefox is one of the few web browsers around that is not based on Chromium. Many have asked for improvements to its core functionality, and Firefox has finally delivered a long-requested Tab Groups feature.
Google is preparing to publicly unleash its AI Mode search engine tool for the first time. The company announced today that “a small percentage” of people in the US will start seeing an AI Mode tab in Google Search.
https://www.theverge.com/news/659448/google-ai-mode-search-public-test-us
Happy World Password Day! Now stop using passwords altogether and switch to passkeys. These handy little keys are essential to create a more robust account management strategy where you're less likely to encounter breaches and compromised access.
https://www.xda-developers.com/why-you-should-ditch-passwords-altogether-world-password-day/
OpenAI recently pushed a major update to ChatGPT search, which shipped with a handful of nifty features and improvements. Right off the bat, ChatGPT search is now getting a "simpler and faster to find, compare, and buy products" shopping experience.
https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/browsing/chatgpt-search-gets-a-new-shopping-experience
YouTube will begin blurring the thumbnails in search results for some queries “that frequently include sexual themes.”
https://www.theverge.com/news/658828/youtube-experiment-test-blurred-thumnail-mature-sexual-content
Passkeys are a modern-day, more secure, and more convenient replacement for passwords. Passwordless authentication is the future, and it's easy to get ahead of the curve by transitioning your accounts over to passkeys today. Here's how to get started.
https://www.pocket-lint.com/how-to-ditch-passwords-in-favor-of-passkeys/
Google’s document scanner for Android now automatically enhances your documents immediately after you’ve scanned them. This tweak applies to document scanning in Google Drive, Files by Google, and several other apps.
https://www.androidauthority.com/google-doc-scanning-auto-enhancement-3549392/
Google's overall share of web searches has fallen below 90% for the first time in a decade. But it's doing even worse in certain categories and territories, including desktop PC users and in Europe, both of which have dipped below 80% share.
Alternative browser Flow now passes 90 percent of web-platform-tests. It's a significant milestone for the browser, and ticks off one of the requirements for Apple to allow the rendering engine on its devices in the European Union.
https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/30/flow_browser_web_tests/
Google has confirmed in an email to parents that the kids’ version of Gemini is officially in the works. Children under 13 will be able to start using Gemini in the coming months via a supervised account, managed via Google’s Family Link app.
A new study conducted by Stanford, the University of Pennsylvania, and MIT, evaluated the economic forces that contribute to Google's large share of the search market. One key takeaway is that many people have never tried search engines other than Google.
For those who are locked into the Google ecosystem, it can be hard to escape. Use these free, self-hosted tools to de-Google your life as much as you can. They're really easy for anyone to set up and use.
https://www.xda-developers.com/replaced-google-photos-drive-docs/