Kind of wish there was an IA community. I would join that.

No worries. No it just got slow and I had problems with crashing but that could even have been windows at the time (the problems with freezing were definitely probably related to the Internet quality).

Compared to the resources it used to take chrome is absolutely a resource hog and that’s why I describe it as bloated. I wasn’t describing Firefox as bloated. But I agree with you that it was slow and a bit clunky back then which is part of the reason I moved away from it.

Yep. I actually switched to chrome back then specifically because it was faster than Firefox (which I had been using), and each tab was its own process so if one bogged down, timed out, or crashed I could just close it without losing everything. And then they made it a bloated mess and I went back to Firefox when they got their act together and opening the browser didn’t tank ram usage. There was a point where people switched to chrome because there were benefits. And now the whole browser infrastructure is just kind of garbage because Google investors need more money.

That’s totally fair. I’m the person a lot of friends and family come to for tech advice so I recommend Firefox a lot.

I do most of my computer interaction at work. But I wouldn’t use edge (or any other chromium based browser) if I didn’t have to. So I guess that’s fair.

I have to use edge at work. So do all my coworkers. Some of our front end software requires it. But at home most of my fellow techs use Firefox. And pretty much all my family and friends use Firefox. So I guess it depends on what circles you run in.

I honestly don’t know too terribly many people who don’t use Firefox (at least in my personal life).

So, (assuming on mobile) you have selected to delete browser data on Firefox (fennec). Because of that and because there is no setting to white list the sites you’d like to keep cached, those sites load more slowly. You could try removing the one for cookies specifically and then manually erase them on a weekly basis but that’s more finicky. It may be better to use something like ublock origin to block cookies. You may be able to just whitelist the sites you want from there. Or switch browsers I suppose.

This is us. Up til recently they just gave out too much stuff. At this point I have given chargers away to homeless people because I have so many. My husband and I buy phones every two years generally (because android’s update BS until now). It’s ridiculous. And we never used the headphones when they came in the box.

From the Article:

". Back in May of this year, Google announced that it would launch the “Find My Device” network for Android, which would allow for AirTag-like tracking on Android devices. But, over the summer, Google announced that it would delay the “Find My Device” network until Apple implemented tracking protection in iOS, and now, amid the busiest travel season of the year, Google is still leaving Android users at the mercy of Apple.

The “Find My Device” network, whenever it debuts, will use millions of Android phones, regardless of manufacturer, to help pinpoint the location of a tracker, lost headphones, and more. While Apple’s network is very strong in the US market, Google’s Android-based network would immediately outrank Apple’s on a global scale as Android devices are far more widely used internationally. That’s why the launch was so exciting, and Google even had hardware on board immediately.

In May, a few key partners signed up for Google’s “Find My Device” network, including Tile, Pebblebee, and Chipolo. All three brands were set to offer AirTag-like trackers that tapped into Google’s network, and there have been persistent rumors of Google releasing a first-party tracker too.

But back in July, Google announced that it would delay the launch of the “Find My Device” network and gave a specific reason for that. Google would hold off until Apple had implemented tracking protection into iOS for trackers using the Android-based network.

We explained at the time:

Google is not launching the Find My Device network “until Apple has implemented protections for iOS.” By making sure iPhone owners can find FMD-compatible trackers, this should hopefully reduce and help prevent the Google network from being used to track Apple devices without awareness from their owners.

Objectively, this is the right decision. Apple was hit with major criticism following the launch of the AirTag that the tags could be used for, and ultimately are often used for, tracking individuals without their knowledge. That was especially bad for Android users, as Apple’s device, at launch, gave an Android user absolutely no way to know if a tracker was on their person. That eventually changed, and in July Google and Apple launched “unknown tracker alerts” on Android, which would be able to detect an AirTag, no separate app needed.

That system is based on a new industry specification and, eventually, should also be able to detect trackers from other networks, including Samsung’s SmartThings Find network for the Galaxy SmartTag series, as well as third-party options from Chipolo, Tile, and others.

Google did mention that the new spec would be finalized “by the end of 2023,” which is coming up quickly. But even then, in the months since that announcement, it’s all been silent, and that silence is only getting more frustrating.

Apple hasn’t implemented tracker detection in iOS outside of protection for its own AirTag, and as far as has been said publically, there’s no word on when that will change since the spec isn’t finalized. Given that Apple’s updates are usually structured around big updates, that could mean we still have months more to wait if Apple doesn’t implement this change in a minor iOS update.

As a result, Android users are still just waiting. Pre-orders of the Chipolo and Pebblebee trackers that were specific to Google’s network are still on delay, and users are stuck settling for the third-party networks that aren’t as widely supported, especially now as Apple’s Find My network has been adopted by many third-party brands.

Samsung’s SmartThings Find network and the revamped Galaxy SmartTag 2 are currently among the best options for Android users, but the whole system is still restricted solely to Samsung devices. As Samsung is the top-selling smartphone brand in the world, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it makes the tracking far less capable than a more open network that encompasses all Android devices.

Really, it’s just a rough situation, and the timing couldn’t be worse.

As COVID-19 lessens its impact across the globe, travel is returning stronger than ever. In November, the TSA said that it expected the 2023 holiday season to top the records, with nearly 3 million passengers traveling around the Thanksgiving holiday, which surely led to plenty of lost luggage and items. As the BBC reports, 5.7 million pieces of luggage were lost or “mishandled” in the first half of 2023 alone. That’s a number that’s going down, thanks to better systems from airlines, but personal trackers go a long way in helping to better pinpoint the geolocation of a lost item.

Our colleagues over at 9to5Mac have detailed in-depth the benefits of Apple’s AirTag, which offers excellent tracking features and pinpoint accuracy, thanks to the wide use of iPhones. Earlier this year, Chance Miller called the AirTag a “must-have travel accessory,” citing the countless cases of people being reunited with lost or stolen items, thanks to an AirTag being in place.

Again, Google is technically doing the right thing by holding this network back until protections are in place.

Apple created a terrible privacy situation by launching the AirTag without such protections in place for iOS and Android users alike, but it doesn’t change the sting that comes from Android having this tech being actively developed and seemingly ready to go for months now but leaving its launch, at least partially, at the mercy of a competitor that has shown time and time again that it couldn’t care less about Android users. “Buy your mom an iPhone.” "

I hope this is a feature we can opt out of. I don’t want it.

To see them or set them? Well. Turns out they do mean to see them.

"Currently in the Google Contacts app for Android (used on Pixels and some other Android devices), users can set a custom ringtone for incoming calls and messages for contacts through the contact listing itself. It’s not a difficult process, but over time it can be a little overwhelming as there’s no easy way to know which contacts have custom ringtones and which ones do not.

That’s what Google is about to change.

As spotted by @AssembleDebug on Twitter/X, Google Contacts is preparing a new “Ringtones” section of the app that lists any contacts with a custom ringtone and makes it very easy to set a new ringtone. Users are able to simply tap “Add contact ringtone” which, apparently, opens a list of your contacts and allows you to select one to set a custom ringtone for.

It’s much more straightforward and obvious compared to the current solution."

You aren’t crazy. I remember this being posited as a wifi alternative too. They claimed you could have a Bluetooth signal that wouldn’t reach beyond the walls of your home, preventing outside people (neighbors etc) from piggybacking on your network even if they had a password or the network was open because of the short range. And that tech does sort of exist today. A lot of mesh wifi routers use Bluetooth to connect to each other and provide that wifi to you in whatever part of your home you happen to be in. IOT devices do this as well. I believe this was called a piconet. But it never caught on, and I think it was more a theoretical idea than an actual real push.

Does it work after clearing the cache and restarting the app? Also apparently for awhile this would happen when switching back from incognito mode, is that a factor for you?

What does the note do that the ultra doesn’t?

This lacks context and they did keep this promise after a fashion. They never promised it would be consistent across any phones but the pixel line at the time, and additionally never said it would continue on new pixel phones.

Have you turned on anti tracking features? Any of the stuff that just got updates that prevents cookies (answers and deals with the cookie popups), disables trackers or uses their VPN?