在「Social Media Usage by Age」這邊看到的文章,把美國人使用社群媒體的情況做成圖,資料來源是 Pew Research Center 的「Social Media Fact Sheet」這裡。
很明顯的可以看到 Google (Alphabet) 基本上就是 YouTube 一個產品吃天下,而 Facebook (Meta) 有三個產品在滲透,包括 Facebook、Instagram 與 Whatsapp:
幹壞事是進步最大的原動力
在「Social Media Usage by Age」這邊看到的文章,把美國人使用社群媒體的情況做成圖,資料來源是 Pew Research Center 的「Social Media Fact Sheet」這裡。
很明顯的可以看到 Google (Alphabet) 基本上就是 YouTube 一個產品吃天下,而 Facebook (Meta) 有三個產品在滲透,包括 Facebook、Instagram 與 Whatsapp:
一月的時候 Google 就提出了「Manifest V3」,打算閹掉 extension 透過 webRequest 攔截連線的能力,而這個功能就是 uBlock Origin 這類 ad blocker 的基礎。
當時 Google 宣稱 webRequest 嚴重影響瀏覽器效能,但 Ghostery 的團隊則做了實驗證明影響極小:「Ad blocker performance study in response to Manifest V3 finds that Ghostery's ad blocker beats the competition」、「Google遭證據打臉,廣告封鎖程式幾乎不影響Chrome效能」。
All content-blockers except DuckDuckGo have sub-millisecond median decision time per request.
另外在 Alphabet (Google 母公司) 遞交給美國證管會的資料 (FORM 10-K) 可以看到他們把 ad blocker 視為威脅:「goog10-kq42018.htm」。
New and existing technologies could affect our ability to customize ads and/or could block ads online, which would harm our business.
Technologies have been developed to make customizable ads more difficult or to block the display of ads altogether and some providers of online services have integrated technologies that could potentially impair the core functionality of third-party digital advertising. Most of our Google revenues are derived from fees paid to us in connection with the display of ads online. As a result, such technologies and tools could adversely affect our operating results.
所以後續的行為就很清楚了,他們決定 Manifest V3 還是會閹掉 webRequest (以有效抑制 ad blocker 的能力,反正繼續堅持效能問題,當作沒聽到),只開放企業版本使用:「Google to restrict modern ad blocking Chrome extensions to enterprise users」。
在 Mozilla 愈來愈不成氣候的情況下,現在要看的戲應該是 Google 是否會因此受到 anti-trust 的挑戰呢...
先前在「Alphabet (Google) 的 Project Loon 拿到授權,支援波多黎各的救災計畫」提到 Project Loon 當時還在研究要跟誰一起合作,現在確認會跟 AT&T 合作提供服務了:「Turning on Project Loon in Puerto Rico」。
Thanks to their support, we are now collaborating with AT&T to deliver emergency internet service to the hardest hit parts of the island.
接下來應該還會有不少數字丟出來... (像是透過 Project Loon 傳輸了多少資料,或是多少分鐘的語音通話)
Project Loon 是 Alphabet (Google 的母公司) 透過熱氣球建立網路的計畫。
這次波多黎各災後已經好幾個禮拜了,但還是有大量的基地台還是不通。於是 Project Loon 從 FCC 得到實驗性的執照,建立行動網路:「Alphabet’s Internet balloons will try to restore cell service in Puerto Rico」。
Nearly 82 percent of cell sites in Puerto Rico and 57 percent in the US Virgin Islands are out of service, the FCC said in its daily damage report yesterday. In nearly all counties in Puerto Rico, more than 75 percent of cell sites are not working, and "22 out of the 78 counties in Puerto Rico have 100 percent of their cell sites out of service." Large percentages of residents are also without cable or wireline service.
在 FCC 的公告裡提到授權了 900Mhz 頻段:「FCC GRANTS EXPERIMENTAL LICENSE FOR PROJECT LOON TO OPERATE IN PUERTO RICO」(PDF 檔但是標題是「Microsoft Word」...)。
Project Loon obtained consent agreements to use land mobile radio (LMR) radio spectrum in the 900 MHz band from existing carriers operating within Puerto Rico.
不過由於要讓使用者可以使用現有的 SIM 卡連上網,需要當地電信業者的合作,Google 目前還沒完全確認:
Alphabet hasn't announced a schedule for providing service in Puerto Rico, and the company says it is still determining whether it will be able to help.
Project Loon must be integrated with the network of a cellular company in order to provide service, and Alphabet is “making solid progress on this next step," the spokesperson said. Project Loon is part of Alphabet's X division, formerly known as "Google X."
是一戰成名的機會...
Google Express 延伸業務到生鮮食品上:「Google Launches Fresh-Grocery Deliveries」,與生鮮業者合作。
Google said it would begin delivering produce, meat, eggs and other perishable goods on Wednesday in parts of San Francisco and Los Angeles. The service is part of Google Express, which partners with retailers in some U.S. cities to deliver goods to consumers within hours of an order.
而且是當日配送:
Alphabet Inc.'s Google is expanding its same-day delivery service to fresh groceries, the latest example of the tech titan’s increasing push into consumers’ daily lives.