Chrome New Mode Boosts Battery Life; Tesla Returns to Radar; Amazon Sued Over Withholding Driver Tips; Apple Extends iCloud End to End Encryption

A couple of nice upgrade modes for Google’s Chrome desktop browser. As of today, theverge.com reports that Memory Saver and Energy Saver are available. The new modes allow users to reduce Chrome’s memory usage by up to 30%, and tend battery life when a device is running low on power. They are rolling out today, and should be available everywhere in the next few weeks. Look for them under the three-dot settings menu in Chrome. They can each be activated or deactivated separately. 

A few years ago, Tesla notoriously dropped lidar, a form of radar, claiming cameras could do it all as far as seeing the road and surroundings for piloting its cars. The units were costly, but really work. Other car manufacturers claimed they were crazy. Now, according to techcrunch.com, Tesla is coming back into the fold. They had even started taking out radar back in May of this year, and in October removed the 12 ultrasonic sensors from Model 3 and Model Y vehicles built in the US. Starting in January, they will be putting radar back in unspecified models. Tesla is calling it an ‘edge’ radar sensor, and says its use will be limited. It works over the frequencies allotted for car ADAS applications. Numerous cars now have such radar built in for driver assist like emergency braking. 

Amazon yesterday put out word that you can tip your driver $5 by having Alexa thank them. Nice gesture, but it came as the online giant is being sued by the DC attorney general for deceiving customers who tipped their drivers. Arstechnica.com says Amazon already paid $61.7 million in restitution to Amazon Flex delivery drivers for tips withheld by Amazon between 2016 and 2019. Now, the District of Columbia is seeking unawarded “civil penalties in connection with the misrepresentations and omissions it made to consumers with respect to these deceptive tipping practices.” The highest amount of tips withheld for a Flex driver was ‘more than $28,000.’ The average amount for tips withheld was $422.

Apple has already protected some 14 categories of iCloud data with end to end encryption…now that grows to 23…including iCloud device backups, photos, and notes. Engadget.com reports that your calendar, contacts, and iCloud mail are still unencrypted to support global systems. You can check it out further if you want to have the Advanced Data Protection, but be warned…you either have to have your recovery key safe or have a designated person like a family member who can recover your stuff if you lose your device or it gets stolen…otherwise, you will never be able to recover your info from iCloud. 

I’m Clark Reid and you’ve been ‘Technified’ for now.