Material Design and new developer tools come to Chrome 59


Google has started to push out updates to the latest version of its web browser -- Chrome 59 for Windows, Linux and macOS. The update includes a number of important security fixes, but also sees the arrival of Google's Material Design on the desktop.
The Material look is one that will be very familiar to Android users, as well as anyone who uses Google's various online services. But Google is not quite ready to give its desktop browser a full makeover yet.
Google is building an ad blocker into Chrome in 2018


Starting early next year, Chrome users will benefit from an ad blocker built into the web browser. As part of its work with the Coalition for Better Ads, Google is looking to clamp down on intrusive ads that web users find most irritating.
Google is a company whose business model is built largely on advertising, and it is keen for the experience of being subjected to ads to be as painless as possible for people. But rather than block all ads -- killing revenue streams for many websites -- Google wants to block only those that do not comply with Better Ads Standards.
Instantly enable and disable Chrome extensions with Extensity


Chrome extensions can be incredibly useful, but they also grab resources and clutter your toolbar, annoying if you only use them occasionally.
Extensity is a free Chrome extension which allows all, individual or groups of extensions to be turned on and off with a couple of clicks.
Any browser coming to Windows 10 S will have to use the EdgeHTML rendering engine


Windows 10 S, Microsoft’s new education-focused operating system, has a lot of restrictions in place. The main one, of course, being that it only allows you to install apps from the Windows Store. If you want to install programs from outside its ecosystem, you’ll need to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro.
Edge is the default browser in Windows 10 S, and Bing the default search engine, and unlike in Windows 10 itself, you can’t change these. That might be something of a deal breaker for any browser-makers interested in bringing their product to Windows 10 S, but that’s not the only issue they’ll face.
Google just made offline browsing a whole lot easier in Chrome for Android


Offline web browsing is a useful feature, particularly on a smartphone, so it was little surprise when Google added website downloading to the Android version of Chrome. Today the company launches a number of improvements to make the whole process even easier.
The latest update to the app introduces a couple of new ways to download pages for offline viewing. It also provides easier access to the content you have earmarked for offline reading, encouraging more people to make use of the feature.
Is a Google-made Chrome ad-blocker the answer to intrusive advertising?


In case you missed it, rumors are rife that Google will soon introduce an ad blocker in Chrome. Understandably, there's concern about the power that would give Google over the advertising industry and its competition. As a member of said competition, I am equal parts concerned and supportive of an ad blocker in Chrome.
It’s certainly an interesting story. On first thought it’s a little ironic, in that a company which makes a large proportion of its money through advertising revenue is not only giving users of its browser the ability to block ads from appearing, but turning it on by default too. If the rumor is true, the addition of an ad blocker in Chrome could limit the reach of ads to over half of the world’s internet users overnight. That’s a big change, and in many instances it’s needed.
'Start' is a do-everything new tab page for Chrome


If you’re bored with Chrome’s standard "new tab" page, there are hundreds of free extensions to make it better. Whether you’re after gorgeous photos, better searching, more productivity tools, there’s something, somewhere that can help.
If you don’t have time to look, that doesn’t have to be a problem either -- just install something like Start -- A Better New Tab, which crams in just about every feature you could possibly want.
Schedule web pages to open automatically with Open Me Later! for Chrome


If you’re looking to revisit a website later then the obvious solution is to bookmark it. That’s easy, but won’t help much if you forget about the link, or where you saved it.
Open Me Later! is a free Chrome extension which enables scheduling a page to open automatically, as the date and time you specify.
Google Chrome could soon include an ad blocker


It's news that -- on the face of it -- makes very little sense; the Wall Street Journal reports that Google is going to include an ad-blocking feature in its Chrome web browser. For a company that makes so much money from advertising this seems like something of a strange move, but in the light of recent ad controversy, it could be sensible business.
Just last month a large number of big companies started to pull advertising from Google and YouTube after finding that their ads were appearing on sites hosting extremist material. This, coupled with the fact that there is a general backlash against advertising from consumers (hence Adblock Plus pushing its Acceptable Ads program), could explain why Google is keen to be seen to be doing something that will give uses a better ad experience with greater control.
How to enable Dark Mode on YouTube


If you're someone who enjoys watching YouTube at night -- perhaps on your phone in bed -- you'll be all too aware that the site's light color palette can be rather harsh on the eyes. With a little tinkering, you can unlock a hidden Dark Mode which will save your delicate peepers and make nocturnal viewing all the more enjoyable.
At the moment the hack only works in Chrome, but it's likely that Google will bring it to everyone when word spreads. Here's what you need to do.
CrankWheel: easy screen sharing for Chrome


CrankWheel is an easy-to-use Chrome extension which enables speedy sharing of your Chrome tabs or entire screen, without installing any other software.
The service requires a little setup before you start. You must provide your email address, choose a password, a unique name for your "meetings", and so on.
Microsoft shows off Edge's battery usage improvements in Windows 10 Creators Update


The war over which web browser offers the best battery life to laptop users has been waging for some time. Chrome, Firefox and Microsoft Edge have all been battling it out, and with the release of Windows 10 Creators Update, Microsoft thinks it's time to show off the improvements that have been made to its browser.
In Microsoft's own tests -- involving streaming video on a Surface Book -- Edge lasted for over three hours longer than Chrome, and nearly five hours longer than Firefox. These are figures that will almost certainly be disputed in further tests by Mozilla and Google, but for now, Microsoft is giving Edge its moment in the spotlight at the top of the performance pile: 77 percent longer battery life than Mozilla Firefox, and 35 percent longer than Google Chrome.
Google Chrome gets scroll anchoring


Google Chrome is a great web browser for many reasons. Like Firefox, it is a cross-platform program based on (mostly) open source technologies, but compared to Mozilla's offering, its development moves at a much faster pace. Google is constantly pushing the envelope, creating a largely positive web browsing experience.
Today, Google introduces a new Chrome web browser feature that highlights the search giant's forward-thinking. Called "scroll anchoring," it literally "anchors" the web page, preventing the page from scrolling to the top in certain circumstances. In other words, if the user is reading text on a page, it will prevent the page from shifting and interrupting the consumption. The brilliance of this feature is its overall impact -- this annoyance has probably been experienced by most, if not all, web surfers.
Google Chrome's background tabs now use less power


Chrome isn't the most energy efficient browser around, but Google has been working hard to make things better. The latest improvement focuses on background tabs, which are now said to use less power.
The lower power consumption in background tabs is actually one of the main changes that are part of Chrome 57, which Google released earlier in March. The latest version of the popular browser also gained WebAssembly support and dropped the ability to disable plugins, to name a few.
Updated Skype extension for Chrome brings one-click Skype integration to calendars, emails and Twitter


Microsoft is pushing out an update to its Skype extension for Chrome, bringing a host of new features to a range of online services. The update means that you can add Skype call links to emails, calendar events, and social media postings with a single click.
With support for Gmail, Google Inbox, Outlook.com, Google Calendar and Twitter, Microsoft is clearly trying to cover a lot of bases. Twitter is arguably something of a strange choice, but by embracing rival Google services, Microsoft is clearly keen to make Skype more accessible for as many people as possible.
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