Manjaro Linux Cinnamon switches from Firefox to Vivaldi for default web browser
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!
Google reins in the madness and brings some sanity to Chrome's address bar
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.
A decade of Chrome OS: What do you think of it?
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.
Update Chrome now, it has a zero-day exploit
We’re much more used to security flaws now after years of being conditioned to hearing about them from various sources. Some software makers handle vulnerabilities better than others of course, but remember, software is inherently complicated and it’s being written by flawed humans so mistakes are inevitable.
Today Sergei Glazunov of Google Project Zero reports on a new flaw in Google Chrome, the sixth zero-day affecting the browser this year. Very little information has been released on the vulnerability, but from what we can learn it seems to be in the Javascript engine that powers Chrome.
How to block site notification requests in Chrome
There are many things to get annoyed by online, and we're not just talking about the content you find and the people you encounter. It used to be that pop-ups were the scourge of the internet, but these have been replaced by new irritants -- in particular ads, cookie warnings and site notifications.
Pop-ups have all but died a death and ads can -- should you wish -- be avoided with various blockers. There's little that can be done to stop sites warning your about cookies, but when it comes to being pestered by sites asking if you would like to receive notifications, you can take action. Here's how to block notifications and notification requests in Chrome across Windows, macOS and Linux.
How to force all web links to open in your default browser on Windows 10, not Microsoft Edge
It’s no secret that Microsoft wants you to use its Edge browser in Windows 10. It’s tried a lot of ways to persuade users to switch from Chrome, Firefox or other browsers over the years, including advertising Edge in Windows.
The new Edge is genuinely good now, but that doesn’t mean you have to use it if you prefer another browser, like Chrome or Firefox.
DuckDuckGo's Chrome extension blocks Google's controversial new FLoC tracking technique
That Google tracks internet usage is hardly news -- it how the company has operated for years, and it is central to its business model. But the search giant recently started testing a new technique for delivering targeted ads to people called Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC), and it's now enabled for millions of users by default.
While Google is insistent that FLoC is "privacy-preserving mechanism" and one that " enables ad selection without sharing the browsing behavior of individual users", the algorithm remains controversial for many. The cookie-free technique uses fingerprinting which the likes of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and other privacy groups have expressed great concern about. For anyone who would like to block Google's new tracking method, DuckDuckGo's Chrome extension is here to help.
Google Chrome 90 to use HTTPS by default
With privacy and security being so important nowadays, you would think internet users would demand that all websites use the encrypted HTTPS protocol rather than "regular" HTTP. But as usual, humans are often ignorant or lazy when it comes to their own online safety. Ultimately, it is up to corporations to protect us. After all, we can't depend on the government for such oversight (nor would we want to).
Once again, Google is stepping in to better protect its users. This time, the wildly popular Chrome web browser is getting more secure thanks to a simple tweak. You see, in the upcoming version 90 of the browser, the search giant is making HTTPS default when typing in an address in the URL bar. In other words, you will now see https:// instead of http:// unless you specifically type in the latter.
Google makes it easier to test experimental features in Chrome
Just as Microsoft's Insider program gives a sneaky insight into the future of Office and Windows 10, so many web browsers have various preview versions that let eager users try out new features before their official release.
Chrome is one such browser, and in addition to the main release version, there are also Beta, Dev and Canary builds which are updated far more frequently. While these all get new features and options well before the main build, many are locked behind flag settings. But now Google is making it easier than ever to access new features that are being developed and tested in Chrome Labs.
Browser patch lag can put home workers at risk
Remote working continues to present a security problem for businesses and an issue that is often overlooked is the delay in patching browsers.
New research from Menlo Security looks at the importance of this issue for both desktop and remote users, focusing particularly on Google Chrome.
Future versions of Google Chrome set to arrive much quicker
If you’re a Chrome user, you’ll probably be used to the frequency with which Google pushes out new versions. The search giant has been delivering new milestone releases every six weeks for over a decade now.
That’s about to change, however. Google already rolls out security updates on a bi-weekly basis, and this has inspired the company to speed up the general release cycle, ensuring we’ll get access to new features much quicker than before.
Update Chrome for Windows, Mac and Linux to protect against a dangerous zero-day vulnerability
A serious security vulnerability has been discovered in Chrome, forcing Google to push out an emergency update to the browser. Affecting the Windows, Mac and Linux versions of Chrome, the high severity vulnerability is being tracked as CVE-2021-21148.
Described as a "heap buffer overflow in V8", it is being actively exploited in the wild, although few details of the exploit are available. Because of the severity of the vulnerability, Google has released a fix and is urging everyone to install it.
Google issues patches for two serious Chrome zero-day vulnerabilities
Google's Project Zero is very quick to point out security flaws in other company's products, but the search giant is far from being perfect itself. Two recently discovered zero-day vulnerabilities in Chrome have just been fixed with a new patch.
CVE-2020-16009 and CVE-2020-16010 are remote code-execution and heap-based buffer overflow flaws respectively and affect both the desktop and Android versions of Google's web browser.
How to enable the secret collapsible grouped tabs option in Chrome 85
The latest update to Chrome has rolled out, and Google has done a lot to improve and evolve the browser. The company says that there are massive improvements to page load times as well as improvements to resource usage by open tabs thanks to Tab Throttling.
But this is not the only change to come to tabs. Google has also made tabs touch-friendly, added tab previews, and introduced a new option to collapse grouped tabs to save space. This last option is currently in beta, however, and you'll have to enable hidden setting to enable it.
Google Chrome for Android gets credit card biometrics and new touch-to-fill
Biometrics have been a game-changer for consumer security. Not only can you unlock computers, tablets, and smartphones with facial recognition and fingerprints, but also, your finger can be used to decrypt encrypted storage devices. Are biometrics infallible? No. But still, the convenience makes consumers less likely to develop bad habits like having no password or pin at all on their devices! Never let perfect get in the way of better, folks.
Today, Google announces that it is integrating WebAuthn biometrics into its Chrome browser for Android. If you choose to store your credit and/or debit cards in the browser for easy checkout while shopping, you can now use your face or fingerprint rather than having to enter the CVC code from the card. In addition, Google is adding touch-to-fill, allowing you to easily fill in your information with one hand.
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