Things are bad in the US right now, with the current administration deploying all the tricks in its bag against its perceived political enemies — and that means a huge crackdown on anyone appearing even remotely “foreign.” Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has found itself leading this effort, with sweeping raids targeting vulnerable communities, all too often leaving divided families and heartbreak in its wake.

We’ve already looked at the role smartphones have been playing in this saga, with moves by Google and Apple alike that appear to support the government’s efforts and remove access to apps designed to protect people from ICE harassment. And now we’re turning our attention to another tool in the agency’s arsenal, as we learn of its latest acquisition of phone-tracking vehicles.

The number of Google Chrome alternatives has shot up in the past year thanks to the rise of generative AI, but Chrome remains the top dog in the browser space. While Chrome may fall behind competitors in some areas, its support for new Android features is second to none. Case in point: Google is working on a new feature that makes Chrome work better in Android’s Desktop Mode, which was only recently released as an experimental developer preview.

For context, Desktop Mode is a new feature in Android 16 QPR1 that provides a desktop-like interface when you connect a compatible Pixel phone to an external display. Rather than simply mirroring the phone’s screen, Android extends it, allowing apps to launch in freeform windows by default. Apps that are optimized for larger screens will show their tablet UIs, creating a more productive experience.

How far would you go to get a stolen phone back? When someone makes off with your beloved handset, tools like Google’s Find Hub and Apple Find My can empower us to track our hardware, but what do you do next? Lock down your data, sure (if not full-on erase everything), but what then? Just give all your info to the police and hope for the best? You might not have a lot of faith that reports like that can actually go anywhere, but today we’re hearing about a major police action in the UK that broke up a phone-smuggling ring, and it all got started by tracking one stolen phone.

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