 You might well expect that if you perform a Google search while signed into your Google account that the results will be tailored according to what that company has learned about you over the years. But what about when you're not signed into your account? A study carried out by the privacy-centric search engine DuckDuckGo yielded some slightly surprising results. In tests earlier in the year, it was found that even when people searched without logging into a Google account -- or when they used private browsing mode -- "most participants saw results unique to them", suggesting there was still personalization of results. While this was a small study with just 87 results involved, the findings are interesting, nonetheless. Conducted back in June -- during the US midterms -- DuckDuckGo wanted to use its study to test the influence of Google's "filter bubble". This "bubble" is the activity you would expect from Google -- the personalization of search results based on what it has been able to learn about you. When you're logged into your Google account, it's easy to understand how the company gathers information about you. But when you're using private browsing mode -- or just logged out of your account -- and you see similar personalization, it is a little worrying. More content posted on OUR FORUM.  Today at Snapdragon Summit, the chipmaker Qualcomm announced Snapdragon 8cx for Always Connected, Always On Windows 10 devices. This new high-end Snapdragon 8cx chipset will power 2-in-1s instead of smartphones and tablets. At its event, Qualcomm shared more details about the chip that will rival Intel that powers the high-end PCs. Qualcomm also detailed how its Snapdragon processors can contribute to the PC industry and address the battery backup and internet connectivity problems. Earlier this year, Qualcomm unveiled Snapdragon 850 platform which is made specifically for Windows laptops. The new Snapdragon processor takes the Windows on ARM project to the next level. Qualcomm is calling the 8cx its “most extreme” package yet. This new platform promises a major boost to Windows performance. The key changes include enhanced AI and machine learning capabilities, improved performance and up to 24 hours of battery backup from traditional 2-in-1s. The Snapdragon 8cx is more powerful than the Snapdragon 850 and it is set to come out next year. The Snapdragon 8cx, a 7nm chip that’s currently in testing and it’s going to power the future Always Connected PCs from Microsoft partners. This is the most powerful and fastest Snapdragon chipset ever made. The new system-on-chip (SoC) features the highly-anticipated eight-core design. The platform also contains support for faster LPDDR4X memory which ensures faster performance. The Qualcomm’s “Extreme” chipset for Windows 10 ARM devices promises better performance, more power, improved connectivity, and up to 25 hours battery backup. More details are posted on OUR FORUM.  Microsoft confirmed the leaks that they will be using Google’s Chromium web rendering engine for the Edge browser, and would be contributing their developer expertise to evolving the Chromium and other open source web engines. VentureBeat has asked Google and Mozilla, the non-profit behind the Firefox browser, what they thought of the announcement. Not afraid of being embraced and extended by Microsoft, Google has welcomed the move, saying: “Chrome has been a champion of the open web since inception and we welcome Microsoft to the community of Chromium contributors. We look forward to working with Microsoft and the web standards community to advance the open web, support user choice, and deliver great browsing experiences.” Mozilla, on the other hand, was not encouraged, and painted themselves as the last bastion of the free web, saying: “This just increases the importance of Mozilla’s role as the only independent choice. We are not going to concede that Google’s implementation of the web is the only option consumers should have. That’s why we built Firefox in the first place and why we will. Follow this and more browser news on OUR FORUM. |
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