The US Department of Justice wants to break up Google. After launching to horrible reviews earlier this year, the Rabbit R1 is getting a little more useful through software updates. Pine64 stuck a 2MP camera on the end of a tiny computer with a RISC-V and ARM processor. And Google may be done with tablets… again.

Here's a roundup of recent tech news from around the web.

The US Department of Justice wants to force Google to spin off Chrome, make other changes [Techmeme]

If you've seen any tech news today, you've probably seen this one. But the long and short of it is that the US government alleges that Google has violated antitrust laws by leveraging its Chrome web browser, Android mobile operating system, and Google search engine to create a sort of inescapable Google experience.

Google Chrome

One proposed solution? Make Google sell off its web browser and maybe even its mobile operating system. But it's unclear to me what that would actually mean for the general public that uses these apps and services – it would certainly be a setback for Google that could theoretically lead to increased competition.

But a big part of the reason Google offers Chrome and Android for free is that they're bundled with Google search and other apps in a way that helps Google make a LOT of money from advertising. Would an independent Chrome browser be a financially viable product? I guess that depends on who buys it and what changes they implement. This is all hypothetical until a judge rules early next year though.

Teach mode, Rabbit's tool for automating R1 tasks, is now available to all users [Engadget]

The Rabbit R1 is inching closer to living up to its potential. The long-promised "teach mode" is now available in beta, allowing users to train the R1 to interact with websites on their behalf. Theoretically this opens the door to doing things like ordering groceries for you, but right now the simplest functions are things that it'd probably be easier to do manually.

Android will soon instantly log you in to your apps on new devices [Ars Technica] Restore Credentials

When you set up a new Android phone, odds are that you'll have the chance to import your apps and data from your old phone. One thing that you normally still need to do though, is login to most of your apps. But Google has introduced a new Restore Credentials feature that could save you the trouble… assuming third-party developers update their apps to use the feature.

November Update: Something Borrowed Something New [Pine64] Pinecam

The company behind the PinePhone, PineBook, PineTab, and PineNote line of hacker-friendly products is returning to putting out monthly progress/status updates. The latest brings news of a new PineCam featuring a SG2000 RISC-V + ARM processor and a 2MP camera. The RISC-V powered PineTab V has also received a small hardware update: it now has an accelerometer and status LED as well as some bug fixes.

Google Cancels Pixel Tablet Development [Android Authority]

I'd take this with a grain of salt, because Google has been making tablets in one form or another on and off for more than a decade. Yesterday Android Headlines reported that Google was still planning to release a Pixel Tablet 2 in 2025, but that the tablet after that had been canceled. Now Android Authority reports that BOTH tablets are canceled. Not only will there not be a Pixel Tablet 3, but there won't be a Pixel Tablet 2. 

Keep up on the latest headlines by following Liliputing on Bluesky or @[email protected] on Mastodon. You can also follow Liliputing on Threads, Facebook, and X.

Liliputing's primary sources of revenue are advertising and affiliate links (if you click the "Shop" button at the top of the page and buy something on Amazon, for example, we'll get a small commission).

But there are several ways you can support the site directly even if you're using an ad blocker* and hate online shopping.

Contribute to our Patreon campaign

or...

Contribute via PayPal * If you are using an ad blocker like uBlock Origin and seeing a pop-up message at the bottom of the screen, we have a guide that may help you disable it. Join 9,569 other subscribers