Items tagged with Chrome
Google is making waves when it comes to privacy at a rapid pace. Just last week, the company introduces a new way to quickly delete the last 15 minutes of search history with the push of a button. This week, the company is opening up a new option that will allow you to lock Incognito tabs in Chrome with biometric authentication. For those not familiar with Incognito mode, it allows you to browse the web privately and won't save your site history, cookies, site data, or form data. However, if you don't close out your Incognito tab when switching to your "normal" tabs, the last site that you visited would still be visible when switching back. For example, let's say you use Incognito mode to search...
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Coping and pasting content from the web is about to become a whole lot more flexible, courtesy of some new APIs (application programming interfaces) Microsoft and Google are working on for their respective browsers. Once in place, Edge and Chrome users will be able to copy content from a wider range of sources, including .docx. What is at play here are a set of Pickle Clipboard APIs. As things currently stand, Edge and Chrome users are only able to copy content from a limited selection of file types, like .jpg and .png. But that is going to change. As described in a Google Chromium conversation, Pickle Clipboard APIs will expand the copy and paste capability to non-standard web formats. "Pickle...
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There is a security update available for Google's popular Chrome browser, and you should apply it sooner than later. That is because it stomps out more than a dozen bugs, one of which Google says it is aware of being actively attacked the wild. That particular one is a zero-day exploit with a 'High' security rating, and is tracked as CVE-2021-30551. Most of the details of the actively exploited attack vector remain a secret. It is normal for Google to restrict access to bug details (and associated links with more information about them) until a majority of Chrome users are patched and no longer vulnerable. That is the situation with CVE-2021-30551. "We will also retain restrictions if the bug...
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Big corporations seem to always think they know what is best for consumers, and often jam policies down their throats whether they want them or not. Case in point, Google is moving away from traditional tracking cookies in its Chrome browser to a system called Federated Learning of Cohorts, or FLoC, which has drawn widespread scrutiny. For those who have no interest in FLoC but want to stick with Chrome, there is a way to disable it. We'll get to the steps in a moment, but first let's talk about cookies and FLoC for a moment. Cookies are what sites use to track user sessions or data, so that if you leave a website and return to it later, you are still logged in. Third-party cookies also track...
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Every so often, Google touts improvements it has made to memory management within its popular Chrome browser, which claims the lion's share of the browser market. This is another one of those times. Following the release of Chrome version 89, Google detailed in a blog post what it has done to make the browser manage memory better than Chrome 88 and earlier builds. This is a popular topic, because a simple web search will bring up all kinds of articles and forum threads on Chrome's memory usage, and how in some instances it can be a little too resource intensive in that regard. Experiences vary, but this is an issue that has followed Chrome through several builds. As it applies to the newest release...
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Google already maintains a fairly rapid release schedule for its Chrome browser, but not fast enough, apparently. Instead of doling out new milestone updates every six weeks, Google plans to shorten the gap in between new browser version updates, to every four weeks. Buckle up folks and keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times, this could get interesting. If looking at the glass half empty, an accelerated release schedule opens the door up to bugs and quirks slipping through the cracks, and perhaps even security flaws. Especially during a pandemic when workers might not be firing on all cylinders, because of disruptive changes in everyday workflow. But let's stay optimistic, shall...
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The concept of "private browsing" has been around for well over a decade and has been incorporated into all major web browsers. The concept is similar across all these browsers as well: it gives users a new, "clean" session that wipes out your browsing history when you close the tab. While your IP address and other information can still be tracked, someone with direct access to your computer or shared mobile device wouldn't be able to easily see what sites you visited or content you searched for. While this is a definite "perk" of private browsing, you still need to actually close out the session or someone could just open the browser, and click over to it. Google, however, is looking...
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Google has begun pushing out an update to its Chrome browser to patch a zero-day vulnerability that is potentially being exploited by hackers in North Korea. If you use Chrome—and many people do, as it wields the largest market share of all browsers—you should apply the update at your earliest convenience (and right now, if possible). The update shifts Chrome to version 88.0.4324.150 and is available for builds on Windows, Mac, and Linux. At the moment, Google is restricting access to finer grain details about the zero-day vulnerability "until a majority of users are updated with a fix." However, it has been assigned CVE-2021-21148 with a High security rating. According to what few...
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The Great Suspender extension is sounding more like the "The Great Suspension" after actions taken today by Google. But first of all, what is The Great Suspender? Well, it's a browser extension that tames some of Google Chrome's most odious habits. It can automatically deactivate tabs that have been used infrequently (thus cutting down on memory consumption), then reload them right away as you click back to them. This is a feature (Sleeping Tabs) that Microsoft has already implemented in the current stable branch of its Edge browser. However, The Great Suspender has been kicked out of the Chrome Web Store over allegations that it "may contain malware." All links to the popular app have been...
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The browser wars will not be won by being complacent or resting on one's laurels, and that includes within the mobile space. Google appears to recognize this, with timely improvements to Chrome. As it pertains to Chrome on Android, Google has apparently begun porting over a nifty feature it introduced on the desktop—tab groupings with a grid view. Tab grouping is a handy feature, and if you use the Chrome browser on a desktop PC, you might already be familiar with it. On the desktop, all you have to do is right-click on a tab and select Add tab to group, then either selecting an existing grouping or create a new one. If you find yourself routinely juggling a bunch of tabs, this is great...
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When GeForce NOW launched, NVIDIA's cutting-edge gaming service supported streaming games that were rendered in cloud data centers to devices running a dedicated app. Over the course of 2020, the company opened up its cloud gaming service to browsers, starting with Chrome on ChromeOS. Adding GeForce NOW support to Safari on iOS devices also allowed NVIDIA to skirt Apple's apparent ban on game streaming subscription services that might compete with Apple Arcade subscription services. NVIDIA seems to be getting the hint that more users is always better, as the company has now opened up support for Google's Chrome browser on Windows and macOS. Providing browser-based solutions for traditional...
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The last thing you want to experience when working on your PC or playing a game is to experience a blue screen of death (BSOD) error, especially since these kinds of crashes can sometimes be difficult to diagnose. There are many reasons why you might experience one, though. Case in point, there is a rather odd bug that can crash your PC from within Google's Chrome browser. It is another bug for Microsoft's software engineers to investigate. You might recall that last week we reported on a different quirk that could scramble your hard drive, with a simple string of command-line code. One of the ways it could be leveraged is to hide the code within a system icon, and if downloaded to a PC, it would...
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Official support for Windows 7 might have ended in January of this year, but software support for Microsoft's older operating system hasn't completely dried up yet. Google still fields the world's most popular web browser, Chrome, on the platform. Originally, that was due to change in July of 2021, but the search giant has shifted its plans slightly. In a blog post, Chrome Engineering Director Max Christoff says that now that Chrome's Windows 7 support will live on for at least another six months, into early 2022. Why did Google shift gears? The short answer is the COVID-19 pandemic. However, not every organization has been able to keep up with its plan to migrate existing Windows 7 clients to...
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Have you updated to the latest version of Google's popular Chrome browser yet? You should, because as far Google is concerned, this month's update delivers the biggest performance gain in years, the result of several tweaks and improvements it made underneath the hood of the Chromium-based browser. Google is also touting better battery life on laptops. The update to Chrome version 87 also represents the last Chrome release until next year, Google says. On most PCs, Chrome will eventually get around to automatically updating itself, but if you want to force the issue (or simply check which version you are running), click the three dots in the upper-right corner of the browser and navigate to Help...
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Google has long been on the radar screen of the U.S. Department of Justice for potential antitrust violations. In the past two decades, the company has become a tech behemoth covering search, advertising, smartphones, web browsers, hardware and various other sectors while maintaining a vast global footprint. Meanwhile, the U.S. House antitrust subcommittee has been investigating alleged antitrust violations by Google and its tech counterparts like Apple, Amazon and Facebook for the past 16 months. Now, we're learning that the DOJ is reportedly taking steps to breakup up Google, and it could send shockwaves through the tech sphere. The news comes from Politico, which is...
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Google is working toe decouple its Chrome browser from the Chrome OS window manager and system UI, and while on the surface that might sound like a puzzling move, there is a method the company's madness. By separating Chrome from Chrome OS, Google could theoretically extend the relevancy of an aging Chromebook. Chrome and Chrome OS are intertwined. The system UI and browser share the same binary. Where this can become problematic is when a Chromebook reaches its Auto Update Expiration (AUE) date, At that point, automatic updates are no longer doled out, and owners of an affected model could lose some key functionality. "Chrome devices that have not reached their AUE date will continue to receive...
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Google Chrome, destroyer of RAM, is getting some updates this week that make it a little more conservative. Included in the update are “under-the-hood” performance boosts, tab grouping, mobile UI redesigns, and more. First up is the performance uplift. For quite some time, Google Chrome has been known as a bit of a resource hog. Now, Google aims to change some of that with this update and claims that you could see “Chrome tabs load up to 10 percent faster.” To do this, the Chrome team implemented two things: Profile Guided Optimization and Tab Throttling. The profile guided optimization is a way in which code is compiled and allowed to run faster for commonly run...
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Google is continuing to develop new ways to preserve the battery life of your laptop. Google’s new Battery-Savings Meta Tag would allow websites to ask that Chrome enable various battery-saving features. The Battery-Savings Meta Tag will likely make an appearance in Chrome v86 and v87. Users can currently experiment with this feature through the Origin Trials platform for developers. Some websites can be very resource-intensive, including video or video-conferencing websites that have become especially popular during the current COVID-19 health crisis. Google Chrome in particular has a reputation for being power hungry (many users will even avoid using Chrome if their device is low on battery...
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Google is bringing a biometric security mechanism to its Chrome browser on Android, after rolling it out to Windows Hello earlier this year. Once in place, users with Android phone will be able to authenticate web purchases using biometric inputs supported by their handsets, such as fingerprint scanning and facial recognition capabilities. This will make confirming credit card details quicker, easier, and overall more convenient. That is assuming you choose to save your credit card information to your Google Account. If so, rather than having to punch in the CVC number on the back of your card before having Chrome autofill the credit card details in a web form, biometric authentication will serve...
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The most popular web browser around is Google Chrome, and lots of Android users who prefer the browser will be glad to hear the latest news about a new feature. A report indicates that Chrome Canary for Android will get a scheduler feature for downloads. This will allow users to schedule a download to happen when they aren't using their device in the middle of the night or any other time of their choosing. The new feature is called "download later" and offers a download dialog that allows users to choose a specific date and time in the future. The image seen below shows what the interface would look like and provides options to download now, when on Wi-Fi, and an option to pick a date and time....
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Google is looking at ways to extend the battery life of devices running Chrome with significant numbers of tabs open in the background. The search giant has announced that starting with Chrome 86, it will ship a new feature that limits JavaScript timer wake ups in background web pages. Chrome's new feature will be part of the chrome://flags settings area. The new setting will limit the JavaScript timer wake ups in background web pages to one wake-up per minute. Apple also limits wake-ups to the same time frame in Safari. Google will reportedly use the new feature in Chrome for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and Chrome OS. Ahead of rolling out the new feature, Google has been doing some research...
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While the Android ecosystem moved in large part to support 64-bit architectures way back in 2014 with Android 5.0, one of the most commonly used web browsers has lacked 64-bit support. Chrome has only been offered for Android devices in 32-bit form, but that is now changing. Chrome 85 finally brings a 64-bit version of the popular browser to Android devices. Current stable builds are version 83 and version 84, which are both 32-bit apps. However, it has been confirmed that Chrome Dev and Chrome Canary for Android are both 64-bit software. What this means for users is faster operation and consistently better scores on benchmarks like Octane 2.0. Improved performance on benchmarks should equate...
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