Articles about Chrome

Now that Ubuntu 22.04 has been released, we will start to see updates to all the Linux distributions that are based on Canonical's operating system. For instance, the first release candidate of Linux Lite 6.0, which is based on Ubuntu 22.04, is now available. If you aren't familiar, Linux Lite is very popular with those that are switching to Linux from Microsoft Windows.

Linux Lite 6.0 RC1 is notable for ditching Mozilla Firefox as the default web browser, and switching to Google Chrome 100 instead. The operating system currently uses Linux kernel 5.15.0-25 and the desktop environment Xfce 4.16.3. It comes with some excellent software pre-installed, such as GIMP 2.10.30, Thunderbird 91.7.0, VLC 3.0.16, and LibreOffice 7.2.6.2.

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Among the supposed benefits of downloading apps and other digital products from an official store is that they should be safe and reliable. But as users of the Microsoft Store, Google Play and the App Store will attest, making an appearance in such a repository is really no indication of quality or trustworthiness.

And the same is true of browser extensions. Once completely unpoliced, this is an arena that Google tried to take control off by introducing the Chrome Web Store. Now the company is introducing two new features which it believes should help Chrome users find extensions that are of a high standard.

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If you need to buy a new Chrome OS laptop, I have some exciting news. Starting today, you can trade your money for the all-new Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 360. This convertible notebook can transform into a makeshift tablet, and with Android app support, that will be very much appreciated.

While the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 is powered by a rather anemic Intel Celeron N4500 processor, you can opt for a respectable 8GB of RAM rather than the 4GB of memory that comes with the base model. Sadly, regardless of which storage capacity you choose -- 64GB or 128GB -- you only get a sluggish eMMC drive. Thankfully, you do get USB-A, USB-C, 3.5mm audio, and a micro SD card reader. You can configure with option LTE wireless connectivity too.

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Google is rolling out a new feature to Chrome users which it says will help to protect privacy while online.

Although the Privacy Guide does not add any new privacy options, it serves as a step-by-step guide that will enable users to implement the settings that are most appropriate. As well as providing guidance through what can be a confusing sea of settings, the new addition also offers up explanations about different options.

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Google has released an emergency patch for the Windows, macOS and Linux versions of Chrome after the discovery of a zero-day vulnerability that the company says is being actively exploited.

The security fix comes as Microsoft releases a patch of its own for the same vulnerability (CVE-2022-1096) in Edge, its Chromium-based browser. While neither company has given much detail about the problem, Google describes it as being of high severity.

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Windows 11 is cool, but let's be honest -- Microsoft's operating system is total overkill for the vast majority of users. When a family member asks my advice on buying a new PC, I almost always suggest a Chromebook. Why? Because they tell me everything they do is in the web browser anyway. And by getting them onto Chrome OS, there is a far reduced chance of them bothering me for PC help in the future. Chromebooks are simple and secure.

But what Chromebook should they buy? Ah, that is a tough one. There are so many great makes and models on the market these days. You really can't go wrong by sticking with reputable brands such as Acer, ASUS, or HP. One of my personal favorites, however, is Lenovo. That company is legendary for offering high-quality Windows computers, and its Chromebooks are no different.

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Windows 11 is a really good operating system, but it is overkill for many home and education users these days. Not to mention, it can be risky to use since there is so much malware designed for it. Even for business, many companies are exclusively using web-based solutions in the browser, making Windows unnecessary for them. And so, Chromebooks are becoming more and more popular. They are affordable, easy to use, and extremely secure.

If a company wants to switch to Chromebooks from Windows laptops, however, there is a big dilemma -- what should be done with existing computers? After all, Chrome OS cannot be installed on computers that didn't ship with Chrome OS, right? Well, actually, this is changing...

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In theory, the fact that Google Chrome can warn you if any of your saved passwords have been involved in breaches is a good thing. In theory. In practice, it can be a different story. There may be a very good reason for no wanting to change a particular saved password, rendering warnings nothing more than irritating.

You could, of course, disable password warnings completely, but this is clearly something of a security risk. But if an experimental setting Google is working on in Chrome makes its way to the release version of the browser, you could soon have finer-grained control over password warnings -- meaning that you could stop Chrome pestering you about passwords you won't want to change or can't change.

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Google introduced a feature a while back called Chrome Actions that lets you quickly accomplish tasks like creating a Google doc, managing downloads, sharing a tab, translating a page, and clearing your Google account password, all directly from your browser’s address bar.

All you have to do to use the feature is type in a recognized command and then click on the Action chip that appears under the search bar. Google will often predict what you might want to do, saving you typing in the full request. And today the feature just got even more useful.

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Although it’s had a number of problems in the past, most following Piriform’s takeover by Avast in 2017, CCleaner remains a great program for removing junk from your computer.

Except that’s not true of the latest version of the program which users report is unable to clear cookies from Chrome and other browsers.

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For most of one day last week, a majority of Amazon Music and Ring customers suffered a catastrophic outage when Amazon’s own Amazon Web Services (AWS) went down for hours. Whether you were missing music or vital security, it was a long day for many people. 

The system came back up gradually; here and there a site or app would work, but sometimes only briefly. By that evening, US east coast (EST) time, everything was back up and running as normal. 

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It is certainly not unknown for Microsoft to use Windows and other software it produces to promote its own products. In many ways, the likes of Windows 11 serve as an ad platform for the company. Now the Windows-maker has upped its efforts to discourage people from using browsers made by other companies.

If you use Microsoft Edge to download Chrome, you are now likely to see a message extoling the benefits of sticking with Edge. One prompt which is sure to raise a few eyebrows advises would-be Chrome users that Edge runs on the same technology (that is, the Chromium engine) "with the added trust of Microsoft".

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Vivaldi may not be the most popular web browser when compared to Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, for instance, but it is used by millions of people to surf the web every day -- that is still significant. Many of its users are privacy-focused and tech-savvy too. Best of all, the free Vivaldi web browser is available on all major desktop operating system platforms, including Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Speaking of Linux, today, Vivaldi is making huge news in that community, and the folks over at Mozilla are not going to like it. You see, the developers of the Arch Linux-based Manjaro Cinnamon operating system have decided to ditch Firefox as the default web browser, instead opting for Vivaldi. Wow!

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Over the years Google has made sweeping changes to Chrome, introducing all manner of features and options. The constant stream of Beta, Dev and Canary builds of the browser are proof of the constant development that is going on, and some of the work has been rather controversial.

One move that was widely opposed was the decision to stop showing full URL of a web page in the address bar (or Omnibar if you want to use Google's nomenclature). Introduced almost a year ago, Google said the experiment was an attempt to help people spot spoofed URLs, but it caused widespread annoyance and confusion. Now the company has seen sense and is opting to show full addresses once again.

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Let me get this out of the way first, lest I be called a Microsoft hater (I’ve been called both that and fanboy). I have Windows computers and I use them for some things, just not for my regular, daily routine. I started with a Chromebook early on when Google itself released the HP Chromebook 11 G1 back in 2013. 

Chrome OS was announced in 2009 and an actual "Chromebook" shipped in 2011, but it took a couple of years from then for the platform to pick up steam. 

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