Chrome Browser will start blocking ads on February 15

Google announced an initiative to begin blocking ads with its Chrome browser back in June. This announcement entailed that the usage of ad blocker extensions on Chrome has been on the rise and continues to do so. Since Google is a company that makes the majority of its money on advertising, it wants to make sure that web surfers can have a pleasant, unobtrusive experience without overly annoying ads.

Google will begin to block all ads from websites seen with the Chrome browser (including its own ads) starting on February 15, but only on one condition: the website doesn’t pass Google’s “Better Ads Standards”. This means that any website that displays ads that might be overly annoying won’t show any ads when the viewer uses Chrome.

You’ve seen these annoying ads before: full page ads, ads that flash, or ads that unexpectedly play sound or video. These types of ads taint an otherwise pleasant surfing experience. In turn, users might flock to Chrome to get away from those kinds of ads, and websites are pressured to get rid of obnoxious ads.

Website admins can use Google’s Ad Experience Report to identify which ads don’t comply with Better Ads Standards. If the website has a “passing” status, ads will show business as usual. If the status is “failing” for 30 days or more, Chrome will stop displaying ads on that website. The website will need to use the Ad Experience Report to request a revision of the website before it can start showing ads again.

This strategy does two things: it keeps people who care about their surfing experience on Chrome, and it encourages websites to serve more acceptable ads for everyone. Let’s see if Google’s initiative pays off.

New Facebook feature issues alert if you're spotted in someone else's photo

Facebook has introduced a couple of new features that the company says will help people better manage their identity on the social network. First up is the ability to issue notifications whenever you show up in someone else's photo.

So if you have the feature enabled, and Facebook spots you in a photo, and you're also part of the audience of that image, then you'll be notified about this, even if you've not been tagged in the photo.

"You’re in control of your image on Facebook and can make choices such as whether to tag yourself, leave yourself untagged, or reach out to the person who posted the photo if you have concerns about it," Facebook says.

Moving on, the company says they'll soon be rolling out another feature that'll let you know if someone is trying to impersonate you on Facebook by using your photo as their profile image.

It's worth mentioning that both these features are optional. The company also revealed that the functionalities use the same face recognition tech that's currently used to suggest friends you may want to tag in photos or videos.

As for availability, the company says these features will be accessible in most places, except for Canada and the EU where Facebook currently doesn't offer face recognition technology.

And finally, Facebook has also announced new tools for people with visual impairments. 

Chrome 64 Beta Update adds stronger pop-up blocker, sitewide audio muting and more

While the Chrome 63 update is just rolling out to Mac, Windows, Linux, and Android, the new Chrome 64 is already out in beta with a handful of new features. Firstly, the new Chrome 64 update brings an improved pop-up blocker to prevent sites with abusive experiences like overlays, etc.

With the latest update, Chrome will also prevent malicious auto-redirects. In addition to that, this version also adds a new sitewide audio muting setting which will be accessible from the permissions dropdown by tapping the info icon or green lock in the URL bar.

There is also support for HDR video playback when Windows 10 is in HDR mode, however, it will require the Windows 10 Fall Creator Update, HDR-compatible graphics card, and display. Other new features include “Split view” feature for improved multitasking in tablet mode, screenshots on convertible devices, etc.

Google brings YouTube VR to steam, but it loaded with bugs

Google has brought support for its YouTube VR service to popular digital game distribution platform- Steam-and it is now available as an Early Access release for HTC's Vive VR headset.

However, YouTube VR's debut on Steam has not been a smooth release as early impressions of the 360-degree video streaming service state that frame drops are commonplace despite fairly powerful PC set-ups.

Moreover, some users have reported that the app simply refuses to function properly and crashes on start-up, but a member of the developers' team has responded to the issue and has promised to look into the bug.

Google backup and sync for desktop bags a major update

Google has released a new version of Backup and Sync client (build number 3.38.7642.3857), that brings a few major changes. As supposed to syncing all the files and folders, with this new update, you can now choose to sync just the photos and videos. To do this, just go to the preferences section and choose which files to sync.

In addition to that, if you want to add folders to Google Drive, you can now just right click whichever folder you want, and then tap on the Sync this folder option. No need to upload the folders manually to the cloud, which can sometimes be a hassle and be so slow as well. The update has also been able to fix some issues from the previous one, including creating multiple copies of the .exe file in Windows and more.

That said, all these features are built into the client itself and you can just download the latest version of the same and start using them right out of the box.

Xbox's party chat is now available on Android, coming to ios soon

Microsoft is reportedly testing its party chat feature in the Xbox apps on Android and iOS. The feature allows users, and especially gamers, to voice chat with Xbox Live friends while playing. Microsoft has already released the beta version of the app on Google Play Store while iOS users must register to for beta testing.

The feature is pretty useful for gamers as it can replace traditional gaming headsets if you're not a fan and it even works when you're sitting far away from your gaming device. Further, players can use party chat on their smartphones to interact with friends even when they're not playing and is not limited to Xbox console gamers.

You can give Xbox's party chat feature a try by downloading the app from Google Play Store (free).

Facebook now allows adding whatsapp button to ads

In a major push to advertising on its platforms, Facebook will now allow users to contact brands and advertisers over WhatsApp. The social media giant now allows adding "Click-to-WhatsApp" buttons in promoted posts and the feature is gradually rolling out to users in most parts of the world.

Meanwhile, Facebook is set to launch a dedicated "WhatsApp Business" app soon and this button will allow users to experience an integrated medium of service and support. Further, users can also enquire about products, seek appointments, or demo products offered by the brand using WhatsApp.

Facebook noted these ads will only be visible to users who have WhatsApp installed on their smartphones.