Skip to main content
All Stories Tagged:

Web

Featured stories

AnandTech shuts down after 27 years

The hardware enthusiast site was an influential presence in tech journalism for its in-depth component reviews and analysis.

The rise and fall of OpenSea

Insider accounts of the company reveal a chaotic work environment, ever-shifting priorities, and troubles with the SEC

Google switches up how you email collaborators in its office apps.

Now, when you choose “Share” within an already-shared Google Drive folder or document, you can click a new envelope-shaped icon to write an email to those you’ve shared it with.

The feature is rolling out now for some, with a broader rollout starting August 26th.


A screenshot showing the Google share dialog with a new envelope icon circled in red, on the same line as the header “People with access.”
Screenshot: Google
W
External Link
Threads is giving Fleets a shot.

Meta is now testing posts that will disappear after just 24 hours, the company confirmed to TechCrunch. (You may recall Twitter’s short-lived version of this, Fleets.)

When replying to one, you’ll see a timer next to the person’s name, along with a banner at the top that says the post will disappear, taking any replies with it, the outlet writes.


TIL what an “asterism” is.

A few folks working on decentralized social stuff just proposed a new symbol for all things fediverse: the asterism, represented here by three asterisks in a triangle. Looks like this: ⁂

I dig it! But I might like one of the Hacker News comments even better: “that’s the sarcasterisk and should replace /s in modern communication.”


OpenAI is fresh out of SearchGPT.

The company closed the waitlist for its “prototype” generative search product, sending out emails like the one below to signed-up users who weren’t chosen to test it.

The company has said only 10,000 users will get access at first, which could help it if its searchbot gives bad recommendations like gluing slippery cheese to pizza.


A screenshot of an email letting the receiver know they weren’t chosen for SearchGPT.
There’s not enough SearchGPT to go around.
Screenshot: OpenAI’s rejection letter
W
External Link
Donald Trump’s account is currently unsearchable on X.

At the moment, if you type “from:realdonaldtrump” followed by a specific term in X’s search bar, you’ll get the same set of results, seemingly no matter what you type, according to a Mediaite story spotted by Engadget.

I experienced the same thing when I tried it, but could still search other accounts this way. X responded with an auto-reply when reached for comment.


Gemini may be rolling out to personal Gmail accounts on Android.

You may need to close and reopen the app to see it, but according to Android expert Mishaal Rahman, Gemini is showing up for non-Google Workspace users.

Gemini can do things like summarize emails, suggest next steps, or draft replies. Before now, you’ve needed a Google AI premium subscription or a Workspace account for access to the AI assistant.


How the Supreme Court’s Chevron ruling could doom net neutrality

The court struck down Chevron deference last month. That’s a big deal for the future of net neutrality.

W
External Link
Will Chrome start complaining about itself soon?

A new Canary test build of the Chrome browser (I see it in version 128.0.6611.0 in macOS) has a new performance alert to tell you when a tab is hogging resources, Windows Report spotted.

To try it, open the Canary Chrome browser, navigate to chrome://flags/#performance-intervention-ui, enable “performance intervention suggestions,” and restart. Now Chrome can complain about Chrome’s memory usage, too!


Take a moment to reflect.

In the old days, running Disk Defragmenter in Windows took forever but was a welcome, meditative reminder that you can’t control everything.

I’m kidding, it was awful. Here’s a website that simulates it, hard drive sounds and all, from developer Dennis Morello. It’s nicer when it’s not keeping you from playing Starcraft.


W
External Link
Bob Wehadababyitsaboy.

Software engineer Robert Heaton wrote a tool that gives him “free, unbelievably stupid wi-fi” on planes, by... repeatedly updating fields in his Air Miles account without paying for in-flight Wi-Fi.

Go read this blog recounting how his PySkyWiFi tool uses data tunneled through the limited space of his Air Miles account information to a proxy computer on the ground. It’s apparently very slow. And it sounds a little familiar.


Edge edges out Chrome with new extremely specific clipboard powers.

Microsoft announced an update to Edge’s clipboard allowing SVG files — space efficient vector images — to be copy and pasted into web apps without any complicated workarounds.

The company also contributed the updates to the open-source Chromium project so that other Chromium-based browsers can add streamlined SVG copying and pasting. Maybe Chrome will be next?