I downloaded AVG 8.0 about a week ago. It’s great, easy to use and very quick.

I spotted however, that the new Link Checker that works while you search with sites like Google, Yahoo and MSN – doesn’t seem to do what I’d like it to do.

I’ve looked at the HTTP requests going to and from Google when I search, and it looks like AVG are checking nearly every single link on the search page. “Great” you might think, “fantastic, I can feel safer while surfing”.

From looking at the HTTP requests, it seems that each link is being followed (included sponsored links) with no change in use-agent requests, or the like. This means that it appears to be throwing artificial
clicks every which way.

Does anyone know more about this?

Am I worrying over nothing?

Or goes AVG, Google, Yahoo and MSN all handle data a little differently for these requests?
I’ve disabled the Link Checker for now – but that doesn’t stop the millions of other web users out there with AVG installed – from taking away AdWords credits and fudging my stats.

Anyone?

Here’s the latest in a long living internet tradition. The Apri Fool by google.

I have to say, this one isn’t all that clever and they’ve done a much better job in previous years. But, it’ll no doubt dupe loads of ‘n00bs’ as it were.

Great fun for Google - nice to see they still like to play.

This year brings the Custom Time Flux Compactor to Gmail. The theory goes, you can change the time your emails appear to be sent. For example: send an email now - pretend you sent it yesterday when your deadline was up.

Here’s a few more from around the net, some old, some new:

Whatever next? Find out, with gDay MATE. Google Oz’s answer to searching what will happen in the future.

How about free toilet WIFI with Google TiSP?

Sick of having to log on to Gmail? Why not print all your emails out? Or, why not have Google Paper do it for you?

Sick and tired of life? Want to get away from it all? Maybe emigrating to Mars is the answer, with Virgle a joint effort from Google and Virgin.

Too many of those BetaMax tapes floating around? Tell you what, you really should convert them to HD-DVD. Get a new BetaMax converter, among these gems.

And just for fun, some flying penguins.

Here’s some more reading:

Museum of hoaxes
April Fools Day On The Web