DoH! Google tries to clear up DNS-over-HTTPS confusion


Google has already revealed plans for Chrome which it says will increase privacy and security. DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) was announced back in September, and the company is already worried that people are confused about the implementation.
The company has published a defensive blog post in which it says that "there has been some misinformation and confusion about the goals of our approach and whether DoH will impact existing content controls offered by ISPs". It goes on to try to dispel the incorrect beliefs it says have built up.
Pixelbook Go is a smart, competitively-priced Chromebook


Google's original Pixelbook launched back in 2017, and two years on the company is launching a new lighter, thinner version called the Pixelbook Go.
Weighing around two pounds and only 13mm thick, the Go offers up to 12 hours battery life, backlit keyboard and a 13.3-inch 1080p touchscreen. Top end models will feature a 4K display.
Google Chrome update to blame for unbootable Macs


Earlier in the week, Variety reported about a mysterious problem with Macs in Hollywood. As the issues -- which prevented systems from rebooting -- affected television and film editors in LA, it was initially thought that the Avid Media Composer software was at fault.
But in fact, it was Google that was to blame. A buggy update for the company's Chrome browser caused issues for a number of Mac users whose systems met certain conditions. Google has published details of a workaround for those hit by the problem which saw the Chrome update damaging the macOS file system.
LastPass fixes bug that exposed passwords


The browser extensions for password management tool LastPass suffered from a vulnerability that meant users' passwords could be leaked, a Google Project Zero researcher reported.
Affecting the Chrome and Opera extensions, the vulnerability meant that malicious websites could trick LastPass into exposing usernames and passwords. LastPass explains that the problem stemmed from a "limited set of circumstances" that allowed for clickjacking. The good news is that the security flaw has been patched.
Malwarebytes launches free safe browsing extension for Chrome and Firefox


People are spending more of their time and managing more of their lives on the internet, so it's little wonder that the web is a rich hunting ground for cybercriminals and scammers.
In order to make using the internet safer, Malwarebytes is launching Browser Guard, a free browser extension aimed at safeguarding consumers from scammers, and allowing them to browse up to four times faster.
Chrome 77 makes it easy to send tabs from one device to another


With the release of Chrome 77 -- which is rolling out right now to desktop and mobile platforms -- Google just made it a whole lot easier to send tabs between devices.
If you're reading a website on your laptop and want to finish off a story on your journey to work, there's no need to email a link to yourself anymore. Now you can easily bounce an open tab from your computer to your phone, from your phone to your computer, or between two computers -- all it takes is a few clicks.
Google's bug bounty program now covers any big Android app


Bug bounty programs have become a popular way for developers to track down security issues in software, but big pay-outs are not something that every company can afford.
In a bid to keep its Android platform secure, Google has announced that its own bug bounty program is being expanded to include all big Android apps, regardless of who develops them. The company will reward security researchers who find bugs in any app in the Google Play Store with 100 million or more installs.
Google seeks to make the web more private for Chromium users with Privacy Sandbox


Google is not a company synonymous with privacy, but the company increasingly recognizes the importance people place on it. With this in mind, it has launched a new initiative called Privacy Sandbox which aims to increase online privacy.
The bold goal is to "develop a set of open standards to fundamentally enhance privacy on the web", and one of the first proposals seeks to limit online track of users. It will limit fingerprinting, change the way targeted advertising works, and more.
Chrome 76 arrives, blocking Flash and making paywalls easier to bypass


Google has released Chrome 76 for Windows, macOS and Linux. As expected from the preview releases, this version of the browser brings a couple of important changes: Flash is now blocked by default, and Incognito mode detection is also blocked.
The blocking of Flash will be welcomed by many, and -- once word spreads about what the implications are (namely that it makes it far easier to get around paywalls) -- the same is likely to be true of the changes to the detection of Incognito mode. The changes have been welcomed by privacy and security advocates.
Hate the new-look Twitter? Here's how to get the old version back


People are often resistant to change, particularly when it feels like change for the sake of change -- and this is certainly the feeling that abounds with the recent redesign of Twitter.
While some Twitter users have been working with the new look for some time, it only rolled out globally a couple of weeks ago. Predictably, the reaction has been mixed, but the redesign has certainly not been met with universal praise. If you're one of the many who hate the way things are now, you'll be frustrated to learn that Twitter does not give you a way to revert back to the old look. But where there's a will, there's a way...
Google declares war on private property


"Hey! You going to pay for that?"
It’s an age-old question. The idea that an individual or entity should be compensated for something they created rests at the heart of the Western concept of property rights. Yet the folks at search giant Google seem to think you shouldn’t be -- or at least, that’s how they’re behaving. The company is actively thwarting efforts by private publishers to moderate access to the web content that they, the publishers, produce. And it’s doing so in the name of "privacy" at a time when most content creators are struggling just to survive.
Google boosts Chrome bug bounties


Bug bounty programs have become a popular way for companies to unearth security issues in software and address them quickly. Google is no stranger to such programs, and it has just announced massive increases to the payouts made for finding vulnerabilities in Chrome.
Some rewards have doubled while others have tripled, taking the maximum compensation for reporting a security flaw in Google's web browser -- and other Chromium-based browsers -- to an impressive $30,000.
Google is closing a Chrome API loophole to make Incognito Mode more secure and private


Following increasing awareness that using Incognito Mode in Chrome can be detected, and it is still possible for sites to track your online behavior when you're using it, Google has announced upcoming changes that will close a loophole.
The update is due at the end of this month and it addresses a chink in the FileSystem API. Google says the change are coming in Chrome 76, and will also make it harder for publishers to determine when people are trying to bypass paywalls.
Is Google Safe Browsing falling short on mobile?


Google has a pretty good record when it comes to protecting its users against online threats. Part of this is its Safe Browsing technology which scans billions of URLs each day to discover dangerous websites.
But research by mobile threat defense specialist Wandera has discovered a disparity between the protections available within Google’s desktop browser compared to its mobile browser.
Chrome 76 makes it easier to get around paywalls


Google is busy working away on Chrome 76, and the beta version of the browser includes a change that will please anyone looking to bypass paywalls and view articles for free.
Many people switch to Incognito Mode, aware that this makes it possible to access paywalled articles on sites such as the New York Times. Many sites offer a number of free articles to non-paying visitors, and using this mode makes it impossible to determine whether you have reached your free article limit or not. As such, some sites blocked access to anyone using Incognito Mode -- but Chrome 76 has a trick up its sleeve.
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