Category: 4. Technology

While there are plenty of privacy-focused browsers to choose from, as well as search engines that block trackers, you may come to miss Google Search if you’re used to its ability to comprehensively surface links. That said, Google Search has gotten significantly worse over the years, prioritizing sponsored links while Google hoovers up as much data as possible.

But what if you could access Google’s search indexing without all the sponsored nonsense? That’s where Whoogle comes in.

What is Whoogle?

A self-hosted app that makes Google Search more private

Whoogle is a self-hosted web app that allows you to get search results, but without the usual ads, third-party JavaScript, AMP links, and third-party cookies that Google Search has. The aim is to provide less cluttered and more privacy-focused results.

While the Whoogle Github page says that a change to Google Search may be a breaking change for Whoogle. However, we tested an instance of Whoogle and were able to confirm that it still works.

There are also a variety of ways to configure your searches in Whoogle, allowing you to block certain websites, enable SafeSearch, and adjust your User Agent. Once you’ve set up Whoogle on a private server, you can also adjust your default search engine in certain browsers to use your Whoogle instance instead.

Whoogle focuses on easy deployment

User-friendly and convenient

There are other self-hosted metasearch engines out there, but Whoogle is designed to be as easy to deploy as possible. As the platform’s FAQ on Github notes:

“Whoogle is intended to only ever be deployed to private instances by individuals of any background, with as little effort as possible.”

The dev notes that this means that technically-minded users might be more interested in Searx since it offers more configuration options. You can easily configure Whoogle in the web UI, but you can’t change the search engine to Bing, for example.

I’m still relatively new to self-hosting, and setting up Whoogle in Docker Desktop was very easy. In fact, the most time-consuming part of the process was trying to get WSL to mount the right folder to clone the repository — only for me to realize I’d left out a slash in the command.

Trying Whoogle versus Google Search

The differences stack up

The most noticeable difference when using Whoogle versus Google Search is the lack of AI Overviews. I personally try to avoid Google’s AI-powered summaries as much as possible due to inaccuracies and hallucinations. While there are ways to disable AI search summaries, Google keeps making that more difficult to do. But you don’t need any tricks to get results without AI summaries when using Whoogle. You will still receive featured snippets, however.

When I compared the results between Google and Whoogle using Chrome, other differences weren’t as prominent. However, this was likely due to my ad blocker filtering to some extent, even when I set it to no filtering. I switched over to a newly installed version of Brave with no extensions, and here I could see the differences more easily.

The sponsored shopping links that often come with broad searches like “mechanical keyboard” were not in Whoogle, but took up most of my Google Search window. While shopping links can be useful if you’re looking for a certain product available locally, I’ve found that the results are weighted more in terms of whether they’re sponsored. For example, when searching for a mechanical keyboard, the shopping links weren’t only littered with a ridiculous number of Temu products — but they also included results for membrane keyboards.

Likewise, when searching for plus-size clothing, Google’s links were filled with Shein results. Since Whoogle doesn’t have these sponsored results, the results included focused more on local brands that offer plus-size clothing. You might wonder why I wouldn’t want my search engine to track that I was looking for this clothing, but that’s because it sometimes results in adverts for weight loss and dodgy supplements that aren’t helpful when you’re a person with chronic illness.

But what was that I said about local results? It’s important to note that when Whoogle submits the search to Google, Google still receives an IP address from your instance. If you want to protect your IP address, it’s better to deploy Whoogle to a Virtual Private Server (VPS). I’d also recommend using Whoogle in addition to a privacy-focused browser and a VPN to further protect yourself from tracking.

Whoogle provides you with a simple, self-hosted search

I’ve been dabbling with alternative search engines to avoid the many drawbacks of Google’s results. While my mobile browser and search has been replaced with Brave, I’m glad I’ve tried out Whoogle as well. I hope the project continues since it’s one of the most user-friendly ways to deploy an ad-free search engine.

Hideo Kojima lives on the edge. The legendary game designer’s works abandon safer, traditional tropes in favor of contemplative, post-modern sagas that marry AAA budgets with eccentric themes and characters, which, by his own admission, only he truly understands. He balances this singular vision against the tumultuous nature of the games industry, where experimental releases and defiant studios are shuttered without ceremony. That alone would be enough risk-taking for most creators, but Kojima is eager for more.

The iconic game maker was on the ‘World Strand’ tour, connecting with admirers across the globe, mirroring the Chiral Network from his latest opus— Death Stranding: On The Beach. The tour gives fans a chance to peer behind the messianic mythos and learn more about the humans behind Hideo. It also doubles as a well-deserved victory lap for the highly acclaimed Death Stranding 2 (review), which left us in awe with its uncompromising and soulful mastery.

Attendees at the Sydney Film Festival received a similar opportunity back in June, when Kojima appeared for a conversation alongside his “sensei,” George Miller. As relayed by The Guardian, the 61-year-old touched on topics ranging from his love for the land down under’s wildlife to his struggles with isolation during the pandemic.

Kojima also shared his dreams of charting new frontiers by visiting outer space, but not as part of some commercialized, corporate endeavor facilitated by the mushrooming space tourism sector.

“That’s not space,” he remarked. “I want to train properly, learn how to do the docking, go to the International Space Station, and stay there for a few months. I’m not a scientist, but I could probably make games in space. I want to be the first. There are a lot of astronauts over 60, so I guess it’s possible.” He joked that the absence of gravity could alleviate his nagging back pain before sharing one of his more audacious desires.

The video game auteur wants to experience a life-threatening situation and the jolt of adrenaline that comes with it. He labeled it the “Tom Cruise disease,” as a nod to another uncompromising creative who “finds out his worth when living with his life on the line.” That invigorating feeling might just be what he’s attempting to capture in OD, the mysterious horror game in development alongside Xbox.

As always, it will be fascinating to see what Hideo Kojima does next. But what are your hopes for his next project? Let us know in the comments.

Aryan Singh

A massive gaming nerd who’s been writing stuff on the internet since 2021, Aryan covers single-player games, RPGs, and live-service titles such as Marvel Rivals and Call of Duty: Warzone. When he isn’t clacking away at his keyboard, you’ll find him firing up another playthrough of Fallout: New Vegas.

Jett Lawrence scored his 37th moto win in the RedBud Nationals in Buchanan, Michigan, to stretch his championship points advantage. Jett finished more than seconds ahead of the field for the third consecutive moto.

“It was good to battle with HJ,” Jett said, referencing his brother Hunter Lawrenc. “He was running well. It was hard to pass because it was so deep. I think we went back and forth like four times in that one lap.”

The championship battle took a dramatic turn just past the halfway mark of Moto 1 of the RedBud Nationals in Buchanan, Michigan. As Jett Lawrence led the field in yet another race, Eli Tomac’s bike began to smoke. It did not take long for the bike to expire at the lowest point on the track, far away from the pits. Tomac took the long walk back and failed to earn any points for the moto. The same thing happened to him in 20189 and he was barely able to recover and finish ninth in the second race that season.

Jett had a sketchy moment early in the moto and almost crashed as he made a pass for second around RJ Hampshire.

After losing contact with his brother and with no pressure from behind, Hunter Lawrence settled into a safe ace pace and dropped back more than 15 seconds to finish second.

“It was a good race,” Hunter said. Gave Jett a run for his money in those first few laps. Just couldn’t quite get going in those later stages and we’ll go back, regroup and get ready for the next moto.”

Tomac’s departure opened the opportunity for another rider to stand on the podium as RJ Hampshire showed continued improvement. He passed Aaron Plessinger for third and remained there until the checkers.

Plessinger continued to fade in the closing laps to elevate fourth-place Justin Cooper and Chase Sexton into the top five.

Ducati debuted this round with Tony Cairoli finishing ninth.

In Race Notes

Jett Lawrence took the lead early in his quest to keep his perfect season alive.

Hunter Lawrence was running a distant second at the halfway mark with seven seconds separating him from Jett as Eli Tomac started to close the gap. The bad news is that his bike was smoking at the time.

Tomac was running third with nine minutes on the clock when his bike expired.

Tomac’s departure shifts the focus to the battle for the podium between RJ Hampshire and Aaron Plessinger.

With two minutes on the clock, it gets resolved in Hampshire’s favor.

Justin Cooper joins the battle with Plessinger and takes fifth.

In his return to the field, Chase Sexton was sixth.

More SuperMotocross News

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Southwick 450 results | 250 results
Motocross community mourns the death of Aidan Zingg
Jett Lawrence sweeps Southwick for fifth win of 2025
Haiden Deegan earns truly perfect round at Southwick
Jett Lawrence runs away from field in Southwick Moto 1
Haiden Deegan wins Southwick Moto 1 by 25 seconds
Justin Barcia to return from knee injury in Southwick
Drew Adams sidelined with broken finger

Struggling to level up your Porter Grade in Death Stranding 2? You’re not alone. This system quietly tracks your performance, shaping your upgrades, titles, and online influence. Whether you’re hauling packages up snowy slopes or sneaking past MULEs, every action counts. Here’s a breakdown of how to boost each of the five core categories and become a legendary Porter, without wasting hours in trial and error.

How to Increase Porter Grade in Death Stranding 2?

Think of your Porter Grade as a personalized report card. Every delivery you complete contributes points to five different stats:

Together, they define your reputation and unlock upgrades tailored to your playstyle. The key? Focused, repeatable actions. If you want to level up your porter grade, then you need to level up these five stats:

1. Leveling Up Porter

Want to boost your Porter stat?

Tip: Add extra cargo to orders if available. The more weight you carry, the faster this stat climbs.

2. Leveling Up Combat

This isn’t a stealth-only game. To grow your Combat stat:

Tip: Don’t run past enemies every time. Taking them head-on (and winning) rewards you handsomely here.

3. Leveling Up Stealth

Going unnoticed pays off. Here’s how to level Stealth:

Tip: Complete stealth orders with zero alerts for max gains.

4. Leveling Up Servicemanship

This one’s all about being the helpful postman. To increase Servicemanship:

Tip: Sort your map for Lost Cargo regularly. These small gestures stack up fast.

5. Leveling Up Bridge Link

This is the trickiest stat—but also the most rewarding. To build Bridge Link:

Tip: Place signs at chokepoints or rest spots. Every time another player interacts, you gain Likes.

Why Should You Increase Porter Grade in Death Stranding 2?

Play your way, but play smart. Mix up your mission types, interact with the world, and don’t ignore the side content. The road to being a top-tier Porter isn’t just about surviving—it’s about delivering with purpose.

We’ve rounded up the best deals for Saturday, July 5, below, so don’t miss out on these limited-time offers.

Save Big on Samsung Gaming Monitors

LED display that projects moving images behind device

 

The Picdance iPhone case has an LED screen at the back so users can project pixelated animations and moving images on it. A collaboration between Kiwidesign and Picdance, the case is only 3.6 millimeters thick, including the screen that can show pictures, lights, and even music. iPhone users can change the image on the back, make their own pixelated pictures, and even see the lights get animated to the beat of the song their phone is playing.

 

They can also set up their custom button for apps like camera, flashlight, or wallet. When they get call and message alerts, the Picdance iPhone case with screen flashes the icon of the app being used during that call or message, still in their pixel forms. Adding a moving and customizable display at the back is a way for the design team to let the users change the case’s style without needing to replace their entire cover.

all images courtesy of Kiwidesign

 

 

Picdance iphone case with screen has hotkey

 

There’s a dedicated app for the Picdance iPhone case with a rear screen where the users can design their own pixel images, share them, and download others. It doubles as a creative community, like a social platform, where people can talk, share, and generate new ideas. Users can upload their own photos or choose one from their iPhone’s album, and the app will turn and flash it behind into a pixel-style icon.

 

The Picdance iPhone case with a rear screen comes with an orange button on the side, and the users can program this for a specific function, including opening the camera and turning on the flashlight. The cover also features a microphone, and this is where the music light mode comes in: the case listens to the external playing, and the LED screen lights move with the rhythm. The Picdance iPhone case with a rear screen is made of tempered glass, diffusion film, LED lights, and a heat-resistant glue, and so far, the cover is only available for iPhone 15 users. 

Picdance iPhone case has an LED screen at the back for pixelated animations

it is suitable for iPhone 15 at the moment

the case is only 3.6 millimeters thick, including the screen

the cover flashes the icon of the app being used during the call or message

the lights get animated to the beat of the song the phone is playing

This week, we heard some news from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo about Apple entering a new segment of the laptop market. The company is reportedly working on a new MacBook at a lower starting price point than the MacBook Air, and it’ll apparently pack the A18 Pro chip found in iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

While a cheaper MacBook is certainly a welcome add, the question truly stands: will Apple do it properly, or will it serve as another decoy model?

Rumor refresh

To quickly recap, the cheaper MacBook is rumored to use a 13-inch display, pack an A18 Pro chip, and come in the same four colors as Apple’s entry-level iPad: blue, yellow, pink, and silver. It’ll enter mass production in the fourth quarter of this year, or first quarter of 2026.

Ultimately, theres precedent for both sides. When Apple introduced the redesigned entry-level iPad in 2022, it started at $449, making it not incredibly affordable – at least compared to its predecessor at $329.

Sure, Apple made a cheaper iPad that looked incredibly visually similar to the higher end iPad Air, but it wasn’t a particularly fantastic deal either. Especially once you consider the fact that iPad Airs regularly went on sale for $499 at the time, leaving just $50 in price difference to gain an M1 chip, a laminated display, and more. Two years later, that iPad now starts at just $349, and often goes on sale for $299 – which is far more competitive.

What would Apple cut?

People are generally speculating that this new entry-level MacBook will start between $699 and $799, which seems fair – depending on how Apple positions it.

Last fall, Apple updated all of its MacBook Air models to start with 16GB of RAM, providing a potential hint at something it could cut from an A18 Pro powered MacBook: unified memory.

I could see this entry-level MacBook retaining 8GB of RAM, which wouldn’t necessarily be too big of a loss on its own.

However, Apple could also cut some niceties from the entry-level MacBook: an extra USB-C port, Touch ID, a Center Stage webcam, and battery capacity could all be cut.

New MacBook: good value?

Out of all of those cuts, I think Touch ID might be one of the harder ones to stomach for most people. That said, there is precedent for it. Apple’s base model M4 iMac does not come with a Touch ID keyboard.

If the MacBook comes in at $699 with 8GB of RAM and all of these feature cuts, it likely wouldn’t be too bad of a bargain. $799 makes that a much tougher sell. Given all of the fluctuating tariffs, Apple might not want to price it too low from the start, so a $799 MacBook seems much more probable.

At $799, if it comes with 8GB of RAM and cuts a plethora of key Mac features, it might not be the best value. After all, MacBook Airs tend to go on sale for around that price level. M4 MacBook Air (which starts with 16GB of unified memory) is currently on sale for $849, and just a couple days ago we saw clearance M3 MacBook Airs (also with 16GB of unified memory) for just $699.

Another thing worth mentioning is that there’d definitely be a $50-$100 education discount on this MacBook, bringing that $699-799 starting price point down to $599, $649, $699, or $749 for students in the US.

Wrap up

Obviously, those deals aren’t 24/7 – but it provides a picture of what can already exist in the market. Ultimately, Apple’s biggest competitor to this cheaper MacBook will be online retailers providing discounts on older MacBook Air models.

If Apple were to release a cheaper MacBook without cutting too many key features, I’d be pleasantly surprised. Ultimately, this MacBook is still 3-9 months away from release, so a lot is still up in air. Kuo predicts that Apple will sell 5-7 million units of this MacBook model in 2026, suggesting that Apple is confident in what’ll put out.

What do you think of the cheaper MacBook rumor? Do you think Apple will strike a nice balance? Let us know in the comments.

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My favorite Apple accessory recommendations:

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YouTuber and Elon Musk stan Ellie Sheriff had a bizarre experience during her first Tesla robotaxi ride in Austin, Texas.

As seen in a video she shared on her channel, “Ellie in Space,” over the weekend, Sheriff got a strange call from the EV maker mid-ride, asking her and her fellow passenger to literally leave the vehicle due to incoming weather.

“So we had to get out of the robotaxi, because weather is coming in,” Sheriff said in the video while standing in the middle of a windy field.

Their ride had to be fully canceled, leaving them stranded. Worse yet, the app claimed there was “high service demand.” However, moments later, they were able to hail another robotaxi to get them back to the place where they started.

“I don’t want to just be a Tesla rah-rah cheerleader,” Sheriff said. “It is very cool. However, this is a limitation currently, how it is. You shouldn’t have to terminate the service cuz it’s about to rain.”

The head-scratching incident highlights some glaring shortcomings of Tesla’s long-awaited autonomous ride-hailing service. The company’s launch of an extremely scaled-down service that features human safety drivers in the passenger’s seat has already led to plenty of chaos, including violently jerking steering wheels, unexpected braking around cop cars, and a dangerous drop-off in the middle of a four-way intersection.

It’s unclear why exactly Sheriff’s ride was cut short beyond some wind and rain. However, considering Musk’s carmaker has long ditched light detection and ranging sensors known as lidar in favor of relying exclusively on cameras for its driver assistance features, it seems probable that Tesla is nervous about having the robotaxi drive in bad conditions.

Case in point, earlier this year, YouTuber and former NASA engineer Mark Rober published a damning video, demonstrating that Tesla’s erroneously-named “Full Self-Driving” software can be easily fooled by rain, bright lights, and even a fake, Wile E. Coyote-style wall painted to look like the road behind it.

The stakes are extremely high for the EV maker as Musk has bet the company’s fate on the tech. In light of cratering car sales, the CEO has gone all in on automation. Earlier this week, the company revealed it had delivered just 384,000 vehicles between April and June, compared to 444,000 over the same period last year, the biggest drop in the company’s history.

More on Tesla robotaxis: Tesla Robotaxi Terrifyingly Jerks Wheel Back and Forth While Carrying Passenger