Google is giving Chrome a new Password Manager -- here's how to enable it
For anyone who struggles to remember the growing list of endlessly complicated passwords needed to gain access to the plethora of online accounts we all now have, a password manager is near-essential. Chrome, like many of the web browsers, has long-featured a tool for storing and automatically entering passwords, and now Google is giving it a much-needed upgrade.
Until now, Chrome's password manager has been functional, but far from being adorned with bells and whistles. Now Google is giving it a new user interface as well as an important injection of new features.
Google is rolling out Memory Saver and Energy Saver features to Chrome users
Chrome may be one of the most widely used web browsers in the world, but along the way it has managed to earn itself a reputation for being something of a bloated resource hog. Now, weeks after initially announcing them, Google is rolling out a pair of new features to help address the problem.
Energy Saver and Memory Saver do very much what their names suggest, helping to reducing battery consumption and memory usage with a range of techniques. Available in Chrome 110, both features can be customized to your liking.
Future versions of Chrome will allow browser extensions to be disabled on a site-by-site basis
In a future update to Chrome, Google will give users the option of having extensions enabled or disabled on a site-by site basis.
This is an option that some browser extensions -- notably ad-blockers -- feature as standard, but the update will expand this so it applies to all add-ons. With a few clicks it will be possible to quickly disable all extensions for a particular site for the purposes of compatibility, privacy or performance.
Google brings passkey support to Chrome so you can ditch passwords
Passwords are a problem. They are difficult to remember, often easily guessed or cracked, and generally just a pain. Google is looking to help by adding secure, password-free login to Chrome 108 thanks to newly added passkey support.
The security feature is available to users of Windows 11, macOS and Android, and it follows a short period of beta testing. Backed by the likes of the FIDO Alliance, Microsoft, Apple, and -- of course -- Google, passkeys are a step away from the password managers so many of us have become reliant on.
Google is making Chrome far less greedy
With 2023 just around the corner, thoughts may well be turning to New Year's resolutions -- and that certainly seems to be the case for Chrome. Just as many people use the arrival of a new year as a reason to go on a diet, so Google is making its web browser less greedy.
Chrome has earned itself something of a reputation for being incredibly resource-hungry, and Google is now ready to address what amounts to a serious problem for many people. What does this mean in practice? Google is reducing Chrome memory and power consumption thanks to Energy Saver and Memory Saver.
Google now lets you search tabs, bookmarks and browsing history from the address bar in Chrome
Google is, of course, best known for its search engine but in a significant update to Chrome, the company has introduced a powerful new way to search tabs, bookmarks and browsing history in the browser.
It has been possible to conduct each of these types of search for some time, but now Google has simplified things dramatically. The change means that Chrome's address bar can now be used for much more than just to search the web; all it takes is the addition of an @.
StarTech.com DK31C3MNCR is a premium USB-C Docking Station for Chromebooks
A Chromebook is a laptop running Google's Linux-based ChromeOS operating system. However, when you connect such a notebook to a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, it becomes a makeshift desktop computer.
The most elegant way to transform a laptop into a desktop is with a USB-C docking station. But how can you be sure your Chromebook is compatible? Well, if the dock is officially certified as "Works With Chromebook," then you can be assured that it will work flawlessly.
Google Chrome will no longer be supported on these Microsoft Windows versions
Google Chrome is a great web browser for many reasons, including its cross-platform nature. You can run Ubuntu Linux, macOS, Windows, and Android, for instance, and use the same Chrome web browser on all of those operating systems. Thanks to cloud data syncing, you can have a seamless experience too.
With the upcoming Google Chrome 110, however, there will be two fewer operating systems supported. You see, early next year, Google will be dropping support for its web browser on both Windows 7 and 8.1. In other words, if you use Microsoft's desktop operating system, you will need to be on Windows 10 or 11.
Passkey support comes to Chrome and Android
Google has announced today that it's bringing passkey support to both Chrome and Android. Passkeys offer a significantly safer replacement for passwords and other phishable authentication factors and mark another step towards a passwordless future.
If you're unfamiliar with passkeys, they're a joint initiative from Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Unlike a password the key is stored exclusively on your devices and never gets shared with anyone else.
Update Chrome immediately -- Google releases emergency patch for serious security issue
Whether you are running Windows, macOS or a Linux distro, if you're a Chrome user there is an extremely important update to install right now.
Google has released Chrome 105.0.5195.102 for all three platforms to address the vulnerability which is tracked as CVE-2022-3075. The security flaw, which relates to data validation in the Mojo runtime libraries, is known to have been exploited in the wild, so users are advised to actively seek out the update rather than waiting for Google to roll it out to everyone.
Google revamps its Password Manager for better protection and ease of use
Passwords. Despite numerous predictions of their demise we still can't live without them. Using strong passwords though, especially if you have several devices, means using a password manager to help you keep track.
Google Password Manager has been around in Chrome since 2008, but it's always offered a somewhat different experience on desktop and mobile devices. Until now that is.
How to enable the secret side search feature in Chrome
It is easy to perform searches in Chrome, but you can make things easier. You probably currently either launch Google (or your preferred search engine) in a new tab, or just type a search term in the address bar, but there is another somewhat secret option.
Google’s browser has an optional search sidebar that not very many people know about. Called simply Side Search, this useful left-hand panel makes it easy to explore search results at speed.
Microsoft retires Internet Explorer after 27 years -- here's what happens next
Internet Explorer was once the dominant web browser, boasting a 95 percent market share in 2004. The arrival of better and faster browsers like Firefox and Chrome, along with the rise of smartphones, slowly destroyed its ubiquity and from today it is now officially retired and out of support.
While few people will mourn its passing, the browser is still used by many businesses and individuals who simply haven’t bothered to switch from what they know. For those users, Microsoft’s solution will be a predictable one.
Say goodbye to Microsoft Windows 11 and wave hello to Ubuntu-based Linux Lite 6.0
Is Windows 11 a good desktop operating system. Absolutely. Is it the best desktop operating system? Well, that is harder to answer. Ultimately, if you are 100 percent dependent on Windows software, then yes, Windows 11 is the best operating system... for you. If you can get by without using software designed for Microsoft's OS, however, a Linux-based operating system might be the better option -- especially if you have an older computer.
You see, Windows 11 is very polarizing. The operating system features radical changes to the user interface (such as a centered task bar) which some users do like, but many others do not. Not to mention, the system requirements will leave many still-capable computers unable to upgrade without using unofficial hacks. Even worse, computers deemed incompatible could eventually stop getting updates! Linux doesn't have these problems.
Google is bringing secure virtual credit cards to Chrome
Making payments online is fraught with potential dangers, and there is risk involved with making purchases with your credit card. To help offer a level of protection, many companies -- including the likes of Revolut -- enable their customers to create virtual, disposable credit cards.
Inspired by this, Google is building the same functionality into Chrome. The company announced the upcoming payment security feature at Google I/O, saying that there will be support for autofilling details to help speed up transactions.
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