Tag: chrome

Google TV recommendations

Post author By Yeri Tiete
Post date Thursday, December 8, 2022
No Comments on Google TV recommendations

Google recently updated their Google TV, to include “in your face” supposedly recommendations.

I don’t mind recommendations if…:

a/ they are useful (i.e. I don’t see how kid shows are something I’d be interested in; and Google has no idea Ila exists, and she’s at least 2-3 years too young to watch those shows anyway).

b/ the recommendations would be for apps and subscriptions I actually have. Don’t recommend me something on Amazon Prime if I don’t have Amazon Prime installed, nor an active subscription. Idem dito for Disney+.

Mumu is not impressed. And neither am I. Didn’t even know YouTube had TV Series and I honestly couldn’t care less.

Google had recommendations before but at the bottom of the app list. It was not so much in your face. Now it’s all the way on top and I need to click 2x down on the remote before getting access to the apps (Netflix, Kodi, Youtube, etc).

So far the best method I found was to enable your Google TV in apps-only mode. It turns off ALL recommendations (so your home screen becomes rather bare; but at least less clicking). Note that the article doesn’t mention rebooting the device; but I had to restart it to get rid of all the ~~ads~~ recommendations.

Turn on Apps only mode:

1. On a Google TV device, from the home screen, scroll to your profile.
2. Select Settings.
3. Select Accounts & Sign In.
4. Select your profile.
5. Select Apps only mode and then Continue.
7. Reboot the device

Tags ad, chrome

Apple Google Hardware

Custom CPUs

“Google developing own CPUs for Chromebook laptops“.

Interesting to see that many years after Apple started creating their CPUs for the iPhone (and now laptops/desktops), so many companies are following. Google is not new to building their chips (TPU, Titan (used in security keys and as encryption module for servers/Pixel phones), and likely more), but quite new to more generalised computing CPU for phones and laptops.

And it makes sense — a lot of the generic CPUs were too generalist and not that great at their job (and are plagued with bugs). It came with heavy power usage. Having a ML/AI chip, a GPU chip, a generalist CPU chip (or two, one focussing on high performance, and one on efficiency, like the M1), one for security/encryption (Titan/T2), etc.

Curious to see how much of a head start Apple really has, and very eager to finally see some real innovation in the CPU space (sorry AMD with Ryzen: too little, too late).

Let’s see if Intel and AMD will be able to adapt and reinvent themselves and what it means for ARM (and the ARM IP issue in China), and if other architectures like MIPS are making a chance.

Tags china, chrome, cpu, iPhone, usa

Google Software

Use Google.com instead of .be in Chrome

Post author By Yeri Tiete
Post date Sunday, June 17, 2012
No Comments on Use Google.com instead of .be in Chrome

Why?

Google.be lags on new features
no +1 in .be
no social integration
no instant search
probably a million other experiments that run on .com but not on .be
The black-bar is entirely different on .be, don’t know why
Better G+ integration, not that I would ever use it
.be lagged on https as well, and I’m a https fan.

How?

In Chrome: surf to settings > Manage search engines.

Then either delete the default one:

{google:baseURL}search?{google:RLZ}{google:acceptedSuggestion}{google:originalQueryForSuggestion}
{google:searchFieldtrialParameter}{google:instantFieldTrialGroupParameter}
sourceid=chrome&ie={inputEncoding}&q=%s

Or just add a random website from the list below, and rename it to “Google”, “Google.com” and add this in the last column:

https://www.google.com/search?{google:RLZ}{google:acceptedSuggestion}
{google:originalQueryForSuggestion}{google:searchFieldtrialParameter}
{google:instantFieldTrialGroupParameter}sourceid=chrome&ie={inputEncoding}&q=%s

When copy pasting, make sure it becomes one line (e.g. no new lines).

And be sure to make it https and www.google.com (not http://google.com for example), this will increase speed significantly.