Google Chrome wants to hide your IP address

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Google Chrome wants to hide your IP address
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Google plans to roll out its IP Protection feature for Chrome in phases.

Google is working out some kinks in the project formerly known as Gnatcatcher, which will now be known under the more descriptive name “IP Protection.” Which means that Chrome is reintroducing a proposal to hide users’ IP addresses, to make cross-site tracking more difficult.

An Internet Protocol (IP) address is a unique number that’s assigned to your computer when it joins a network. The number acts as your address on the network. In order for two computers to communicate, each must know the other’s address, so that messages go to the right place.

The IP address you use on the Internet is typically the one that your router is given by your ISP (Internet Service Provider). Although the IP address you use isn’t assigned to you permanently it will likely go unchanged until you disconnect or turn off your router. Blocks of IP addresses are assigned geographicaly, so it’s also possible to use them for a form of crude geolocation, accurate to about the nearest city.

Your IP address’s combination of persistence and uniqueness makes it a useful identifier for anyone who wants to track you across multiple websites. It can also be combined with other semi-permanent information from your browser to create an even more accurate “fingerprint”, that identifies you when you browse.

Over time this fingerprint can be used to build up a unique, persistent user profile that can be used for targeted advertising, which many people see as a threat to their privacy.

As a result, some users do not like to reveal their IP address, so they hide it using a proxy server or a VPN. Both proxies and VPNs mask a user’s IP address with one of their own. Only the proxy operator or VPN provider knows the user’s real address.

Google’s IP Protection proposal will use proxies to hide users’ IP addresses.

Because there are some potentially unwanted side-effects, and Google wants to learn as it goes, the feature will be tested and rolled out in multiple phases. In the first phase the feature will use a single Google-owned proxy, will only proxy requests to domains owned by Google, and will only work for users with US-based IP addresses.

Apparently Google wants to test the infrastructure without impacting third-party companies. Domains owned by Google include services like Gmail, but also AdServices. Note that in this phase Google will automatically enroll a small percentage of users, and they must be logged in to Chrome.

In later phases Google plans to  use a chain of two proxies so that neither proxy can see both the origin and destination IP addresses. There are some concerns that will need to be ironed out in the course of the testing phases:

  • Defensibility, since a compromised proxy may be used to deploy attacks.
  • Disruption of existing Denial of Service (DoS) defenses by using the two proxies.
  • Disruption of existing defenses for fraud and invalid traffic detection. For example, depending on the way they work, some block-lists will no longer be effective because the final destination is not detected.

Google expects that this may change plans along the way, and states:

“Long term solutions will evolve and will be shaped in conjunction with the ecosystem. We will collaborate with ISPs, CDNs, third parties, and destination sites towards the end-state of privacy proxies for the web. For instance, ISPs and CDNs are well suited to operate privacy proxies.”

We will keep an eye on how this development takes shape. But, even if I could, I would not sign up for the first phase if I were a user that now uses a VPN to hide their IP address. Because in this phase Google will be able to see your IP address and the one you are visiting, which means you would only be shifting the information gathering from several Google services to one central point.

We don’t just report on privacy—we offer you the option to use it.

Privacy risks should never spread beyond a headline. Keep your online privacy yours by using Malwarebytes Privacy VPN.


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Spotify’s prices rose, and so did its user base

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Spotify’s prices rose, and so did its user base
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“When a company raises its prices, you’d expect its user base to go down. However, in the case of Spotify, we’re seeing the opposite. Spotify’s user base just grew after it raised its price, according to a new report.

If you’re a Spotify user, then you should be familiar with the prices for the service. The most basic single-person plan used to cost $9.99/month. However, Spotify recently raised the price to $10.99/month. That’s not the biggest price hike, but a higher price is a higher price.

Spotify’s user base grew amid the price hike

While the company hiked its price, not as many people dropped the service as many had thought. In fact, the number of subscribers and the number of monthly users rose. Spotify posted its Q3 2023 earnings report, and it shows some decently promising numbers. The company isn’t quite breaking records, but it performed a bit better than it predicted.

Spotify saw a 3% increase in its number of subscribers to 226 million users compared to Q2 2023. Again, any increase is impressive seeing as the company raised its price. Not only that but more people seem to want to use the app, as its monthly active user base (MAU) also saw a 4% increase compared to the previous quarter. It rose to 574 million.

Spotify’s numbers seem even more significant when you compare them to the same quarters last year. The platform’s number of subscribers rose 16% YoY (Year over Year), and its MAU rose a whopping 26% YoY.

More people are hopping onto Spotify as time goes on. This might be thanks, in part, to the company’s non-music content as well as its music. Spotify went waist-deep into the podcast market, and now it’s one of the leading podcasting platforms on the web. Not only that, but the company also offers audiobooks.

Things seem to be looking up for Spotify. The company’s earnings this year are exponentially better than last year’s. According to the report, the company pulled in $69 million in Q3 2023. That’s a stark difference between the $177 million loss that it sustained a year ago.


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The EU just can’t decide on laws regarding AI

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The EU just can’t decide on laws regarding AI
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The honeymoon phase for AI is over; we’re all done being wowed by what it can do. Now, it’s time for lawmakers to tell it what it can’t do. Several governmental bodies all over the world are scrambling to develop laws and regulations to keep AI in check and keep it from disrupting the workforce (and, ya know, wiping out humanity or something). At the moment, the EU is struggling to agree on laws to govern AI.

Right now, AI companies are still enjoying the free reign they have, so they’re able to scrape data at will and develop their AI without limitations. We’re all wondering if we can trust profit-driven companies like Google and Microsoft to truly develop safe AI. This is why so many governmental entities are trying to draw a line in the sand that these companies can’t cross.

The EU is doing this, and it’s already had three trilogues (basically large meetings between the EU parliament and the states to finalize laws) on the subject.

However, the EU is having trouble getting laws together for AI

According to four people close to the matter (via Reuters), it’s possible that these meetings could continue into next year. Three trilogues have already been held, and a fourth one is happening on Tuesday. It’s unlikely that there will be some sort of agreement during this meeting, so a fifth one is scheduled to happen in early December.

The issue with this is that governmental processes take time, and this whole situation is no different. With the fifth trilogue planned to happen in December, this whole process could spill into early 2024. Not only that but the June elections could delay the legislation even further. We’re looking at several months before we have anything written in ink.

Spain currently holds the presidency in the EU, and it has proposed some ideas to expedite this process. One thing proposed was a “tiered approach” which might target AI models with more than 45 million users.

Right now, the main chatbots under the EU’s radar are ChatGPT and Google Bard. These are two bots with massive userbases and a massive amount of data powering them. Let’s just hope that the EU can reach an agreement sooner rather than later. There’s no telling what could happen in the next couple of months.


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Safe Headphones app adds transparency mode to any headphones

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Safe Headphones app adds transparency mode to any headphones
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If your headphones don’t have a transparency mode, there’s an app for that. The Safe Headphones app adds a transparency mode to basically any headphones.

This app basically adds transparency mode to any pair of headphones

This app will basically make it possible to hear your surroundings as you’re wearing your headphones. Its goal is to amplify the sound of your surroundings, so that you don’t get hit by a car or something like that.

How does it do this? Well, it uses the microphone(s) built into your headphones. If that’s not an option, the app can also use your phone’s microphones to do the same thing. That won’t exactly be useful if your phone is in your pocket, however. So you need either headphones with a microphone(s), or your phone has to be able to hear your surroundings aka not be in a pocket/backpack.

The app allows you to tweak ‘Volume Gain’, which is essentially the transparency level. There is also an option called ‘Filter Gain’ here, which will reduce most of the noise, but push through the ones that may be important, such as cars honking at you.

Walking around without a transparency mode can be dangerous

The worst thing you can do is stick a pair of headphones/earphones on/in your ears, and forget about the world. That is especially true if you’re driving your bike, walking on the side of the road, or something like that.

The best option would be to get a pair of headphones/earphones with transparency mode built in. If that’s not an option, well, this app is the second-best thing. It actually works decently well, it seems, so the least you can do is try it out.

Dark theme is also an option in this app, and the official images are included below. You’ll also find a download link below this paragraph (Google Play Store).

Safe Headphones (Google Play Store)


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People don’t want an iPhone 15 as much as they wanted an iPhone 14

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People don’t want an iPhone 15 as much as they wanted an iPhone 14
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The launch of the iPhone 15 series hasn’t been what Apple expected, as despite being one of the most significant upgrades in recent times, these phones have faced several issues, including overheating problems (now fixed) and unexplained Wi-Fi drops. Now, a new report from J.P. Morgan analyst Samik Chatterjee suggests that the initial high demand for the iPhone 15 series is waning as wait times return to normal levels.

According to Chatterjee’s research note to his clients, the lead times for the iPhone 15 series have fallen below the figures recorded during the same period for the previous iPhone 14 line. And although this might partly result from increased production by Apple, it could also signal weaker demand for the iPhone 15 series.

“Average lead times are now tracking to one day for the iPhone 15, 15 days for the 15 Pro, and 25 days for the 15 Pro Max, all of which are in line or below the lead times for the respective models in the 14 series during Week 6 a year ago,” said Chatterjee.

Discounts on the iPhone 15 series already

This report comes at a similar time to when Reuters reported that Chinese retailers, including Pinduoduo from PDD Holdings and Taobao from Alibaba, are offering significant discounts of up to 900 yuan ($123) on the latest iPhone 15 series, thus suggesting that demand for the new series has been lackluster. This was also evident when Counterpoint Research reported a 4.5% drop in sales during the 17 days following the iPhone 15’s launch in China.

However, it is important to note that these aggressive discounts may also result from intense competition between Chinese retailers as they strive to attract budget-conscious buyers amidst a slowing economy.

Not a big hurdle for Apple

Despite the performance of the 15 series, Chatterjee maintains his bullish rating on the company, suggesting that fund managers should consider allocating a larger portion of their portfolios to Apple. To put this into perspective, Apple currently accounts for 7% of the S&P 500 index, and according to Chatterjee, fund managers aiming to outperform the S&P 500 should logically have a higher stake in Apple.


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Galaxy S23 One UI 6.0 beta ending this week, stable release imminent

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Galaxy S23 One UI 6.0 beta ending this week, stable release imminent
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Samsung‘s stable Android 14 update for Galaxy devices might be just days away now. The company is ending the Android 14-based One UI 6.0 beta program for the Galaxy S23 series this week. Other models should follow suit soon after it.

Samsung is ending One UI 6.0 beta for the Galaxy S23 series

One UI 6.0 is Samsung’s Android 14-based custom software for Galaxy devices. The company has been running public beta programs to test the big update since early August. Over the past two and a half months, the Korean biggie has released several beta builds. The Galaxy S23 series has received eight of them, while the likes of Galaxy S22, Galaxy Z Fold 5, Galaxy Z Flip 5, and other devices have also picked up multiple beta updates.

While Samsung never said a word about its stable rollout plan, everyone expected it to start pushing the update in late October. The Galaxy S23 series was reasonably rumored to get it first. A user recently took to the official Samsung community forum to ask whether the rumor is accurate. A forum moderator responsible for S-series products responded by saying that the One UI 6.0 for the latest flagships is ending this week.

According to the moderator, Samsung’s software team is currently conducting “a final inspection” of all bugs and issues spotted in the beta build. If it finds major issues, the company will release a new beta update before the stable rollout. However, the latest One UI 6.0 build for the Galaxy S23 series is quite stable with no big issues. This should mean the next release will be the stable Android 14 update, and it could come before the end of the month.

Android 14 will soon make it into Samsung Galaxy devices

The Galaxy S23 series will lead the line, but other models shouldn’t be too far behind. If history is any indication, Samsung may update all flagship models launched over the past few years to Android 14 and One UI 6.0 before the end of the year. The company has significantly improved its software update pace in recent years, so budget and mid-range models should get it relatively quickly too.

Samsung should publish its One UI 6.0 update roadmap for each market once the rollout begins. Since it doesn’t release every model in every market, the roadmap varies. You can find the one for your country in the Samsung Members app. The company also shares information about beta programs in this app. We will keep a close eye on the official Samsung channels and let you know as soon as we have more information.


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MediaTek’s Dimensity 9300 has an official launch date

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MediaTek’s Dimensity 9300 has an official launch date
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MediaTek has announced the launch date for the Dimensity 9300. The Taiwanese firm’s next-gen flagship smartphone chipset will go official on November 6, 2023. The launch event will take place in China at 19:00 local time.

Dimensity 9300 is coming to challenge the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3

The Dimensity 9300 is MediaTek’s answer to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which launches later today. These two chips will compete to power flagship Android smartphones for the next year. Like in previous years, we are expecting a close battle. Early benchmark runs have suggested the same.

However, that doesn’t mean the two chipsets have similar specs or CPU configurations. The new Dimensity chip comes with a rather unusual CPU core setup. An illustration published by MediaTek as part of its date announcement confirms rumors that the Dimensity 9300 doesn’t have “efficiency” cores. It only features prime cores and mid-cores.

Based on leaks, we are expecting one ARM Cortex-X4 prime core operating at a maximum frequency of 3.25GHz and three more Cortex-X4 cores at 2.85GHz. The four Cortex-A720 cores are reportedly clocked at 2.0GHz. MediaTek has paired the CPU with ARM’s Immortalis G720 MC12 GPU. There aren’t any Cortex-A520 efficiency cores here.

MediaTek Dimensity 9300 launch date official

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, on the other hand, has only one Cortex-X4 prime CPU core. Leaks suggest it’s clocked at 3.3GHz. Qualcomm is also offering five Cortex-A720 mid-cores clocked at 3.2GHz and two Cortex-A520 efficiency cores operating at a frequency of 2.3GHz. Samsung‘s Exynos 2400 also has one prime core and five mid-cores. However, it’s a deca-core (ten CPU cores) chipset, so we are getting four efficiency cores as well.

The new MediaTek chip has set an AnTuTu benchmark record

Theoretically, the Dimensity 9300 should decimate the competition. Its AnTuTu benchmark run certainly hints at a groundbreaking performance. The chip has set a new record by becoming the first-ever mobile SoC to score more than two million points on the benchmarking platform.

However, the lack of efficiency cores is a major limitation. With four Cortex-X4 CPU cores under its hood, the chip could overheat easily. MediaTek may rely heavily on performance throttling to keep it cool. So in real-world scenarios, it might perform similarly to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 or the Exynos 2400.

The new Qualcomm chip is expected to debut inside the Xiaomi 14 series later this month. The Dimensity 9300 may ship inside the Vivo X100, which launches in China on November 17. Finally, the Exynos 2400 will power Samsung’s Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ early next year. Time will tell which of the three comes out as the best performer.


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Nubia Z60 Ultra specs tease another powerhouse smartphone

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Nubia Z60 Ultra specs tease another powerhouse smartphone
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The Nubia Z60 Ultra specs have just appeared to tease the phone’s arrival. Not a lot of details surfaced, though, as the phone appeared on Geekbench. So we only have what that benchmarking tool shared.

The Nubia Z60 Ultra specs just got teased by a benchmarking tool

The phone appeared as ‘nubia NX721J’ on Geekbench. This listing confirms that the Nubia Z60 Ultra will be fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor. It also confirms that Android 14 will be included out of the box.

Now, the last piece of spec information claims the device will offer 12GB of RAM. What’s interesting is that its predecessor came with 16GB of RAM. So, perhaps we’ll get more than one RAM variant this time around?

The device managed to score 1,634 points in the single-core test. It scored 5,947 points in the multi-core test. Do note that this is likely a pre-release model with pre-release software. So, take those results with a grain of salt.

Nubia Z60 Ultra Geekbench

What about the rest of its specs? Well, we’re not sure at this point. Its predecessor, which launched in March, offered truly powerful specifications. So we’re expecting the rest of the Nubia Z60 Ultra specs to be quite impressive.

Nubia will likely use the very best hardware it can get its hands on

Nubia will almost certainly use LPDDR5X RAM here, and UFS 4.0 flash storage. A 120Hz OLED display will be included too, most likely an LTPO panel. At least three cameras will sit on the back of this phone.

We’re expecting a large battery to be included, and also fast charging. The Nubia Z50 Ultra offered 80W fast wired charging, by the way. It did not support wireless charging, however.

This smartphone is likely coming in the near future, and it will launch in China. Chances are it won’t make its way to global markets, unfortunately.


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Amazon embraces passkeys for easier and more secure sign-ins

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Amazon embraces passkeys for easier and more secure sign-ins
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Amazon is the latest company to embrace passkeys. The e-commerce giant has announced that users can now sign in to their Amazon accounts using the new authentication system. The feature is available on the iOS app as well as the web version, with support for the Android app coming soon. The traditional passwords aren’t going away.

Amazon adds support for passkeys

Passkeys are an alternative to passwords that you use to sign in to your online accounts. The new tech has several advantages over the age-old method, hence companies are encouraging their customers to adopt it. Firstly, you don’t need to manually create a passkey and memorize it or use a password manager to store it securely. Your device will locally store the passkey for your account.

To access the account, you have to simply unlock your phone or computer using any of the existing unlocking options such as PIN or fingerprint authentication. This makes the log-in process faster and more convenient. Since passkeys are stored on the device, they are more secure too. Data breaches won’t compromise your account, which isn’t the case with traditional passwords.

Over the past few months, Google, PayPal, TikTok, 1Password, Uber, eBay, and many others have added support for passkeys. Amazon is now joining this bandwagon. To set up a passkey, open the app or log in to your Amazon account on the web. Now go to Your Account, select Login & Security, and select Set up next to Passkeys. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup process.

“This is about giving customers ease-of-use and security simultaneously in their Amazon experience,” said Dave Treadwell, senior vice president of e-commerce at Amazon. “While passwords will still be around in the foreseeable future, this is an exciting step in the right direction. We are thrilled to be an early adopter of this new authentication method, helping to realize our vision for a more secure, passwordless internet.”

Google recently made passkeys default for all users

Amazon’s move comes shortly after Google made passkeys default for all users. Anyone can now skip passwords and use the newer and more secure authentication system to access their Google account. Unsurprisingly, the company is keeping passwords around too. That’s because “new technologies take time to catch on.” Not everyone is aware of the change or willing to make the shift. It might still take a few years before passkeys completely replace passwords.


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Google Messages “Top contacts” section mysteriously disappears from the “New conversation” page

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Google Messages “Top contacts” section mysteriously disappears from the “New conversation” page
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Google Messages has been getting some updates recently, while also having some in store for the future like a camera button for easier photo sharing. However, one slightly odd change has been noticed in the app recently, reports 9to5Google. It seems Google Messages doesn’t show the “Top contacts” section on the “New conversation” screen for some people.

Bug or by design? Google Messages “Top contacts” missing for some


The change seems to be for the majority of users, and it seems to have happened in recent weeks. Before, when you were to start a new chat, you’d get a grid of “Top contacts” on the “New conversation” page. Below it, you will find all the contacts alphabetically.

However now, this “Top contact” section is just plainly… missing. You’d have to go find the contact from the alphabetical order, and that, for some may be quite the annoying change. If you’re one of the people who frequently archive conversations or have a lot of threads, losing the ability to jump to one of your top contacts from that page might be annoying.


There’s a workaround though: you can pin conversations (up to five) to the top of the Google Messages home screen, so that can help you quickly find the one you need, at least if you’re one of the people with many threads.

It seems that that’s most likely not a bug but a planned revamp. Google Messages has been getting changed here and there recently. Like, another similar change that’s in the testing currently (so not all users have that one yet) is a fullscreen “Select recipients” page that allows you to select multiple contacts.


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