Tim Culpan:
TSMC Arizona has picked up a second Apple product. In addition to the A16 processor for iPhones, which I shared with you in September, the fab is now producing SiPs (Systems-in-Package) for the Apple Watch, according to my sources. This product is believed to be the S9 SiP (I’ll be honest, I am a little unclear on this, but I’m 99% sure it’s the S9). Recall that TSMC Arizona is manufacturing at N4 (part of the N5-family of process nodes) while the S9 is made in Taiwan at N4 and is a derivation of the A16, so this would make sense.
Note that both of these are previous-generation chips.
Via Ryan Christoffel (MacRumors):
Trump’s administration is expected to impose strict tariffs on products being brought into the US from overseas, but Apple hopes to largely be exempt from any such financial burdens.
Mike Piatek-Jimenez:
The news that Apple is going to start manufacturing the S9 SIP in the U.S. is also likely an attempt to dodge the ITC import ban for the O2 monitoring feature.
Previously:
Apple A16 Apple Watch Apple Watch Series 9 iPhone 15 Legal Processors Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC)
Tom Warren (tweet, Hacker News):
Microsoft is pulling yet another trick to get people to use its Bing search engine. If you use Bing right now without signing into a Microsoft account and search for Google, you’ll get a page that looks an awful lot like… Google.
It’s a clear attempt from Microsoft to make Bing look like Google for this specific search query, and other searches just list the usual Bing search results without this special interface. The Google result includes a search bar, an image that looks a lot like a Google Doodle, and even some small text under the search bar just like Google does.
[…]
We’ve been cataloging every trick Microsoft has used to convince people to switch to Bing or Edge instead of Google and Chrome over the past few years. Microsoft has modified Chrome download sites, added pop-up ads into Google Chrome on Windows, injected polls into Chrome download pages, and even used malware-like popups to get people to ditch Google.
John Gruber (Hacker News):
The autoscrolling moves the page down just far enough to move Bing’s own page header out of the viewable page content. But because they just autoscroll down from the Bing page header, as opposed to hiding it completely (say, using display: none in CSS) you can see it by just scrolling back up. But who thinks to scroll up immediately after typing a search term and hitting Return? (No one.) They even actually have the word “Google” and Google’s actual logo on the results page, in an “info box” for Google, the “American tech company”. See for yourself.
It’s an exquisite dirty trick, and I’ll bet it actually works remarkably well. Google itself has long claimed that “google” is the most-searched-for term on Bing. I’ll bet that presenting the results for that search this way greatly increases the number of users who, thinking they’re actually now on Google, perform the search they intended to do on Google right there on Bing.
Mayank Parmar:
Microsoft is rolling out a new server-side update that could trick some people into using Bing as a default search engine in Google Chrome.
While using Google Chrome, I encountered a Bing pop-up on the right side of the browser. For a moment, I thought Chrome was infected with malware, but it turned out to be a new Microsoft campaign.
Via Nick Heer:
Speaking of things first-party platform vendors can do, this is an ad delivered by Windows within Chrome. Many things have changed since that antitrust trial, but something that remains the same is the contempt for users shown by corporate attempts to grab market share.
John Gruber:
Following up on yesterday’s item regarding Bing masquerading as Google to trick Edge users into searching with it, this Mastodon post from Timo Tijhof lists a few other such subterfuge tactics they’ve pulled recently. My favorite was this one from last year: when users opened a tab for “bard.google.com”, Edge inserted an ad in the tab bar encouraging the user to “Compare answers with the AI-powered new Bing”. Ads in the tab bar, jeebus.
Previously:
Bing Dark Patterns Google Search Microsoft Microsoft Edge Search Web
Brandon Vigliarolo (via Hacker News):
Buried within Edge’s browser settings on Windows PCs is code that goes well beyond a one-time import of favorites and stored passwords, and has been present in some form as far back as mid-2022 at least. It gives gives Edge the ability to import practically all browser data from Chrome each time Redmond’s browser is launched.
Ostensibly a way for Microsoft to simplify the process of getting Windows users to switch to Edge, the feature has a classic Microsoft problem: it’s right now doing so without full permission, according to users. As the Windows maker is wont to do, it’ll also sync that data to the cloud too, provided users are signed into a Microsoft account - not great if you had intended to keep your Chrome and Edge environments separated.
Tom Warren:
I never imported my data into Microsoft Edge, nor did I confirm whether I wanted to import my tabs. But here was Edge automatically opening after a Windows update with all the Chrome tabs I’d been working on. I didn’t even realize I was using Edge at first, and I was confused why all my tabs were suddenly logged out.
[…]
“Always have access to your recent browsing data each time you browse on Microsoft Edge,” reads Microsoft’s description of the feature in Edge. This setting was disabled, and I had never been asked to turn it on.
[…]
Microsoft displays a big blue accept button to encourage Windows users to enable the feature, with a darker “not now” button if you want to opt out.
The button to opt in simply says Accept, but at least the Now now button is of the same size and looks like a button, unlike on iOS.
Thomas Claburn:
In a report [PDF] titled, “Over the Edge: How Microsoft’s Design Tactics Compromise Free Browser Choice”, the public benefit browser org argues that Windows users are encouraged to use Microsoft Edge and deterred from other options.
“Over the Edge” focuses specifically on Microsoft Edge and alleges manipulative design patterns – sometimes referred to as “dark patterns” or “deceptive patterns” – that push people towards a preferred outcome when presented with a choice in a visual interface.
Previously:
Dark Patterns Google Chrome Microsoft Microsoft Edge Windows Windows 11
Lexmark (via Hacker News):
Xerox Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: XRX) today announced it has agreed to acquire Lexmark International, Inc., from Ninestar Corporation, PAG Asia Capital, and Shanghai Shouda Investment Centre in a deal valued at $1.5 billion, inclusive of assumed liabilities. This acquisition will strengthen the Xerox core print portfolio and build a broader global print and managed print services business better suited to meet the evolving needs of clients in the hybrid workplace.
Previously:
Acquisition Business Lexmark Printing Xerox
