Today Google announced that they've got a timeline for when they'll move to mobile-first indexing for all websites starting in September of 2020. For most websites, this won't be a big deal. Most modern websites - news sites and social networks especially - have been ready to roll with "mobile friendly" design for several years at least. It's the old guard that should worry.
Today Google updated the way Google Search results appeared in web browsers on desktop computers after a similar redesign earlier this month. The most visual bit of this update - the most prominent, easy to see, and central element of this update - is the favicon. As it was with mobile UI for Google Search results updated in May of 2019, so too shall it be for Google Search results on desktop computers - or at least that's what Google suggested on the 17th.
Gone are the days when almost anyone that can set up a web server would offer a search engine of their own. These days, any custom engine is often powered by either Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, or Yandex and Baidu in certain countries. That is exactly what is happening with Verizon's unexpected OneSerch engine, which actually serves up results from Microsoft Bing. That, however, isn't what makes it interesting. Rather it is its promise to protect users' privacy that will probably raise not a few eyebrows.
Android users in Europe will get to pick their search engine of choice, as Google complies with the antitrust ruling from the European Commission, though in doing so the company will be lining its own pockets. Google was found guilty last year of creating a monopoly situation in Europe, insisting that Android smartphones have the Chrome browser pre-installed, and its own search engine set as the default.
After spending just a few minutes with Valve's new Interactive Recommender for Steam, I can already see the massive improvement. I've been using app stores and game stores since before they were digital, and I've never experienced such a smooth process. This is a positive, well-planned, thoughtful, non-intrusive way to use machine learning, and I'm glad it was a gaming company that had to be the first to make it happen.
Mobile-First Indexing by default is the new way of things at Google Search. This won't come as a surprise to those that've been watching the throne - Google's been headed toward this day for a long time. But today's the day. Today is when the official Googlebot army begins indexing new webpages with a mobile-first approach.
Google Search is getting a makeover, with results set to add recognizable brands and more in order to make finding your answer even quicker. The update will be showing up in mobile results first, Google says, though it coincidentally arrives in the midst of an indexing glitch that has left the search giant ignoring new content.
![Microsoft Bing search engine blocked in China, report says [UPDATE]](https://www.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/bing.jpg)
The Chinese government seems to be working to further strengthen its notorious Great Firewall of censorship. Or at least that’s the growing suspicion behind the still unexplained outage of Microsoft Bing in China. While it’s not really unusual for the restrictive regime to block access to Internet services to “protect” its citizens from outside corruption, Bing’s exit could mean that Chinese users will no longer have access to non-Chinese search engines completely.
DuckDuckGo, the search engine that revolves around user privacy, has brought users a combination of mapping and private searches via Apple's MapKit JS framework. The update enables DuckDuckGo users to search for locations and enjoy better map results, including enhanced satellite images, new visual features, better support for address searches, and more. Unlike now, DuckDuckGo's mapping results utilized OpenStreetMap and were fairly limited.
Almost since birth, Google's done business with Apple - be it by listing ads, running GPS maps, or by being a default for search on a smartphone. Apple and Google understand that it's better for business that they collaborate and compete, rather than just one or the other. Today we're going to talk about how Google paid Apple one massive amount of money for one key bit of preferential treatment in their MacBooks, iPhones, iPads, and so forth.
The internet is a huge place, and while there's a variety of search engines available, it's undeniable that Google is the top player: it handles roughly 77% of web searches around the world. But with that in mind, it's still an impressive feat when an underdog reaches a milestone, especially one with goals different from the entrenched leader. That's the case this week, as the anonymous search engine DuckDuckGo hit 30 million direct searches in a single day.
Google's next step after Google Feed is "Google Discover" and it's all about News. Google's describing it a bit differently - they're offering this system up as a set of changes in the way they think about Search. "We're launching a major update to this experience," said Karen Corby, Google Search Group Product Manager, "including a new name, a fresh look, and a brand-new set of features."