WP Engine will no longer support .htaccess with release of PHP 7.4
The popular WordPress hosting platform, WP Engine, is removing the ability to use .htaccess files when sites upgrade to PHP 7.4. They claim the deprecation results in a performance increase of up to 10%, and they are providing .htaccess alternatives.
Google is completely removing FTP access from Chrome
Users of the Chrome browser will no longer be able to view FTP directories or download files from FTP servers.
Pixelmator Pro adds image upscaling that maintains clarity for enlarged pixelated images
The popular image editing app for macOS, Pixelmator Pro, added a featured called ML Super Resolution. The feature uses machine learning and a convolutional neural network to increase the size and resolution of raster images.
Ookla adds free VPN to Speedtest app for iOS
A new version of the Speedtest app for iPhone and iPad includes a preview version of its free VPN service.
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey announces Bluesky, an initiative to create a decentralized social media standard
Jack Dorsey made a surprise announcement that Twitter is funding a small team of software architects, engineers, and designers to create an open-source standard for social media.
Domain prices are unregulated and rising at an alarming rate
The days of enjoying reasonably priced domain names may be coming to an end. Generic top-level domain (gTLD) owners have been significantly raising their annual fees as their extensions gain in popularity.
Alphabet is quietly fighting attacks on free speech through its Jigsaw incubator
Jigsaw has six projects it's currently working on to help activists and journalists protect their freedom of speech. They include technology to prevent hacking and to detect disinformation campaigns.
Feedly launches Pro+ account with new AI-powered features
Feedly debuted a major upgrade to its content discovery and reading app. The new Pro+ account uses its Leo AI technology to surface content based on interest and usage, and includes deduplication and mute filters.
‘Solid’ Decentralized social apps, where users control their data and privacy, could replace Facebook
Tim Berners-Lee’s vision for personal data ownership and privacy on the web gains traction as more companies are committing resources to make Solid-based apps.
Report says ads.txt usage is up but impact on invalid traffic is minimal
The Pixelate Q3 2019 Advertising Trends Report found that more publishers are including ads.txt on their sites, but it may not be having any effect on reducing invalid traffic.