WEEKLY WHEATIES #2416
Incognito Mode, Google, EVs, Fonts
In this newsletter:
Post: Navigating the Web’s Cookie Jar with Incognito Mode
In Case You Missed It: Google Updates
In Case You Missed It: EV Updates
Pick of the Week: Font Fun
Navigating the Web’s Cookie Jar with Incognito Mode
Since talking about VPNs last newsletter, I wanted to talk about something in the same theme of topics included in web browsers - Incognito mode. Sometimes called InPrivate Mode. Either way, they both do the same thing - allow private browsing. However, the term private browsing is a bit tricky here as what is meant by private browsing is probably not what you think it means.
I don’t think it’s a secret that our Internet Service Providers (ISPs) can monitor web traffic. But just to be clear, any network you connect to (whether over WiFi or cellular data), can see what websites you visit and what information is transmitted back and forth if unprotected. Typically, an https website will blog personal identifiers, which is something to keep in mind. To further warn you, do not visit any sites requiring personal information if not using a VPN, on your personal home network (that has a WiFi password), or your own personal cellular connection.
With the popularity of VPNs, they have been advertised to help hide traffic from your ISP. However, you must be careful in using one as it potentially could break terms of service if abused or doing anything illegal. With that in mind, some may think using the Incognito mode may replace the function of a VPN. This is not true.
Before we can talk too deep on Incognito mode, we must first talk about other term you’ve probably heard before - Cookies! No, we’re not talking about the baked snack with chocolate chips. At the most basic level of explanation, internet ‘cookies’ store information on your computer or device. Just like anything, they can be used for good or bad.
They were originally created to help with online stores. A ‘cookie’ file would save your shopping cart on your local computer, allowing the website to know what items you added to your cart. This could help if you left the site and came back at a later time and would work even if you weren’t signed into your account.
Other positive uses of cookies includes: storing login and password information on websites to keep you from having to sign in and out all the time, and saving your location on a YouTube video, podcast, or progression in a survey. Ultimately, they help websites track your location and information specific to the website you’re on. On the other hand, whatever information you allow your web browser to have access to, any website has the ability to access that information, too. For example, location, photos, microphone, camera, and more.
Except, the next problem comes with continued tracking. If a website tracks your information on their site, there is potential other sites may have access to the same information. This is especially true with third-party cookies. This can include any type of site technically, but mainly is focused on email services and social media sites as it focuses on login information. Meaning, if you use your social media account to login to another site, that site now has access to everything you allow via the browser, and the social media site or app.
In some cases, even if you don’t explicitly give the app permission, you may have some other third-party tool or plugin connecting the two. Even Facebook acquired a VPN app, Onavo, to snoop on users’ Snapchat traffic. This can escalate quickly, and these sites and apps talk to each other a lot behind the scenes. Which is how one site or app appears to know things you think it shouldn’t.
Again, the good and the bad with these cookies is that information now is shared. Upon visiting Weather.com, advertisements are probably showing the last things you searched on Amazon. Or perhaps other sites you visited - or at least something similar. But guess what? Weather.com doesn’t know that. They are using a third-party tool - in this case, Google Ads - to gain access to and share your browsing history.
Then, we need to talk about those bothersome popups. You know what I’m talking about. All of those sites you visit that have a box in a corner, or worse - the middle of the page, that won’t go away until you accept, deny, or click the X.
Those pop-ups are required by law in some countries, so that’s why you see them on any site that collects this information. The pop-up is required to give you information on what cookies they store, and in some cases give you the option to opt in or opt out. At the risk of boring you too much, you can read more about the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) here.
It varies by site, but clicking the X to close the box may automatically accept or deny cookies, depending on their settings. Denying is exactly what it sounds like. You will be denying the site to use cookies to track you or access other cookies. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. It all depends on what you are looking to do, for example, disallow targeted ads.
But what if you wanted to block all cookies across all sites? Enter Incognito mode. That is essentially what it is doing - opening a new browser with no current cookies or history, and no storing cookies or saving your history as you browse. Or at the least, emptying all saved data when the current browsing session is complete.
There’s a big misunderstanding here, though. Just because this information isn’t stored on your local device doesn’t also mean it’s not tracked. Any network you’re using to access the internet can still see all traffic. Google even has fought court battles on this exact concept and has agreed to delete any data collected specifically from users of Incognito mode. The data these web browsers have access to help not only them, but other third-party tools they work with. Suffice it to say, this is one of many reasons Microsoft is trying to keep you using its Edge browser.
Lastly, using Incognito mode has other perks. I suggest using it if accessing the internet on any public computer or device. It can also be a great troubleshooting tool. For example, if you have suspicion of a website, or the internet in general may be down, Incognito mode can help with verification. If cookies become corrupted, they may cause issues when launching a browsing window. This is one reason it may be useful to clear your cookies and browsing history every so often. See how to disable cookies on your browser here.
Do you allow, deny, or eat your cookies?
ICYMI: Google Updates
If you’re a Google Photos user, starting next month, you will start to have access to editing tools previously only available to Pixel Phone or Google One users for free. This includes Google Magic Eraser, Photo Unblur, Portrait Light, and the AI-powered Magic Editor, along with others. I am not a user of Google Photos or any of these tools, but this is something you’d have to play around with yourself anyway to see how and why you would use these tools. Think of these as an easier-to-use and AI-powered version of Photoshop.
To keep up with all your devices, Google has also introduced a new software to work in tandem with Android smartphones and trackers. Find My Device on the Android OS will work similar to the Apple counterpart of the Find My network. While Apple and Google devices can alert users who may be being stalked from either devices, it’s unclear if a Google device can be added to the Apple Find My network or vice versa. If history has proven anything here, I doubt it, but since they use an industry standard designed in tandem, one can hope.
Something that may help out all Android users moving forward is the acquisition of Beeper. Automattic, the parent company of WordPress and other web tools, says they have big plans for the future of messaging. We have more reason to believe them now, as just last October they acquired Texts.com, a competitor to Beeper. Google users have used the RCS standard in text for a while, with Apple’s commitment to bring it to their devices in 2024. This standard shared across devices will give apps like Beeper more authority and security in their use.
ICYMI: EV Updates
China’s major competitor to Tesla, BYD, has announced the Seagull EV, with a price around $10,000. They have no plans to come to the US soon, as they note complications in the market around politics, competition, availability of the charging network, among others.
While Tesla has announced an upcoming $25,000 car, they have also regained the lead of sales of EVs across the globe. With the Cybertruck deliveries starting to ramp up, along with potential updates to the Model Y (to follow the Model 3), I personally don’t see a need for them to worry with the less expensive variant. Why would you waste time on a different model and not sell the more expensive products as quick as you can make them? Especially if you can instead build a Robotaxi to compete with Uber and Lyft. We’ll have to wait for August to see what that looks like though.
POTW: Font Fun
Fonts are something else interesting whether on the web or dealing with print. Even in the same type of business, fonts can bring about different feelings or meanings. We see that with restaurants all over the place, but check out what fonts the various Tourism Boards across the US and the World are using. However, you may see a font you like but not sure what font it is. That’s where What the Font comes in handy. Simply upload a picture or screenshot, and crop the text you want to identify. Then, free fonts are available for download through DaFont.com, Font Squirrel, Font Space, and Google Fonts, among many others.
For some fun with fonts, check out two online games: Shape Type and Kern Type.
