The European Commission has opened a new probe into Google, this time focused on the company's massive online advertising business, Bloomberg reports. European Union regulators have already fined Google billions for violating the Digital Markets Act, and being found guilty of anticompetitive behavior in online advertising could add to that total.
While the Commission has yet to announce a formal investigation, Bloomberg writes that it has started contacting Google's customers and competitors for information about its dominance across multiple online advertising markets. Regulators are particularly concerned that Google could be "artificially increasing the clearing price" of ad auctions "to the detriment of advertisers." If the company is found to be violating the EU's competition rules, Google could be fined 10 percent of its global annual sales.
Google's approach to advertising to minors was reportedly already under investigation by the EU as of December 2024, and besides fines, regulators have ordered the company to open up Android to competing AI assistants and share search data with rivals. In the US, there's also precedent for finding Google's approach to online advertising anticompetitive
Feral Interactive has announced the release of Tomb Raider on iOS and Android. Originally released in 2013 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, Tomb Raider has been fully rebuilt for iOS and Android.
AI features are expanding to all kinds of apps, and it's getting difficult to find a service that hasn't embraced AI. Lately, AI playlists in music apps have been growing in popularity, and it's plausible that we'll see Apple adopt the trend in the near future.
NEW RESOURCES Fast Company: This simple site makes it easy to track ICE's actions. "The database…includes continuously updating sections that track statistics like the total number of people currently detained by the […]
Get ye to Windows Update, because there's a good chance you've got new Secure Boot certificates to install. Microsoft just announced that it will be refreshing those certificates, which were originally introduced when Secure Boot debuted in 2011, as a security precaution. Secure Boot was a way for Microsoft to protect systems from running unsigned and potentially malicious code before Windows launched. It went on to be an installation requirement for Windows 11, as well as anti-cheat software used in Valorant, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6/7 and Battlefield 6.
Without the new Secure Boot certificates, Microsoft says your system will still function normally, but it will enter "a degraded security state that limits its ability to receive future boot-level protections." Basically, you won't be protected from malware and viruses targeting vulnerabilities in older versions of Windows. As expected, Microsoft also notes that unsupported versions of Windows won't be receiving the new Secure Boot certificates. They're only coming to Windows 11 systems, as well as Windows 10 PCs subscribed to Microsoft's Extended Security Updates.
Microsoft says many users will be able to pick up the updated Secure Boot certificates by visiting Windows Update, but a few may need additional firmware updates from their system (or motherboard's) OEM. You'll also be able to track the statu
In one 30-second clip, you've caught someone breaking the law-but you might also have broken one yourself.
Smart cameras are everywhere now—mounted on porches, tucked under eaves, perched on fences, and watching over driveways, garages, and balconies. They're cheaper, easier to install, and produce sharper video than ever. But with that convenience comes a degree of legal uncertainty. Can you record anything your camera sees? What about what it hears? Can a neighbor make you take it down? And what if you rent instead of own?
We'll break down what the law actually says about surveillance at home—what's legally allowable, where things get complicated, and how to protect your home without accidentally violating someone else's privacy.
The testing official explained to Procolored that both Google Chrome and Microsoft Defender had triggered an alarm when the printer software was downloaded, and quarantined it.
Despite Procolored's protests, the tester persisted. He sent the software to the security company G Data, a manufacturer of antivirus programs.
Upon investigation, it turned out that the printer software actually contained a backdoor virus called Xred and a Trojan.
When G Data then confronted Procolored with the results, the company admitted that a virus had crept into its download area and provided a new version of its software.
In addition to well-known tips—such as staying on top of system updates, keeping storage space free, and regularly scanning for malware—Microsoft highlights OneDrive and visual effects as performance killers. We show you how to get around these issues.
