Information Management
UK competition watchdog wants to give Android and Chrome users more search engine choices
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is trying to introduce more search choices where Google has the tightest control: Android smartphones and the Chrome browser. The regulator has proposed allowing users to choose their preferred search provider on those platforms so Google's own search engine isn't used automatically. The CMA also wants to change rules around AI assistants and require search providers to give clearer attribution to publisher content when used. The new proposal follows measures recommended at the beginning of 2026. The CMA's latest proposal has three primary recommendations.
A Startup Wants to Power Data Centers With 'Supercritical' Carbon Dioxide
The technology could strap onto existing gas turbines and make them more efficient--but it wouldn't do away with their emissions entirely. A new company has a plan to make the dirty gas turbines powering data centers more efficient: liquid carbon dioxide. American Supercritical came out of stealth Wednesday, announcing $8 million in funding. It wants to retrofit inefficient gas turbines that many data centers rely on for power with units that can generate more power, without adding more emissions (though the gas-fired turbines will continue to emit carbon pollution). The technology can also theoretically be used on a wide variety of energy sources at a time when power demand is skyrocketing.
Lock down your Windows 11 taskbar so no one else can change it
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Here's how to lock Windows 11 taskbar settings using the Registry or Group Policy. The Windows taskbar is a pretty nifty thing, offering a wide range of customization options. You can change its position, size, the buttons displayed, the pinned programs, the appearance of the search box, and much more. However, if multiple people use the computer, they might adjust those settings to suit their personal preferences.
Scammers are buying Google ads to steal bank logins
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It's Donald Trump Versus MAGA on Data Centers
The president has doubled down on data centers and AI. His base is running in the opposite direction. Welcome back to Power Play! Each week, senior writer Molly Taft tackles a topic around this midterm season's biggest issue: data centers. If you've got a question or thought for the column, feel free to shoot Molly an email at [email protected] or reach them securely on Signal at mollytaft.76.
The fall of once-mighty McClatchy newspapers underscores California's news crisis
Things to Do in L.A. Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article. The fall of once-mighty McClatchy newspapers underscores California's news crisis This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here . See more from the L.A. Times in Google Search. Dan Walters describes working for the Sacramento Bee several decades ago as "like living in Sweden."
Adopt This Data Center Plushie and Hear Its Piercing Scream
The satirical collaboration between a creative studio and the music producer behind Big Data, "Bezzy" is a cute little doll that spews the sounds of real data centers. Uh oh, we got a cute alert! Give this soft lil' doll a squeeze, and it shall sing you its telltale song: the piercing, grinding ambient squeals emitted from a real US data center. The Bezzy doll is a stuffed plushie made in a satirical collaboration between the New York-based creative studio Basura and Big Data, the musical project of producer Alan Wilkis, best known for the song "Dangerous," a 2013 collaboration with the band Joywave. The joint project, which is coming out the same day as a new Big Data single, is called Adopt a Data Center.
Customer Data Permanently Lost in Iran Strikes on Amazon Data Centers
Amazon Web Services didn't design its data centers to withstand war, and now the company admits it can't recover what's been lost. Half a year after Iranian drone strikes knocked out multiple Amazon data centers, the US tech company has acknowledged the permanent loss of some customer data that was hosted in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. Amazon Web Services was "unable to restore access to the resources and data" hosted in some of the war-damaged data centers, according to an AWS dashboard update posted on September 15. The development was first reported by Reuters and suggests that the Iranian strikes inflicted catastrophic damage on the data centers. Customer data was irretrievably lost in one of three AWS availability zones in the United Arab Emirates region, specifically the mec1-az2 availability zone.