Items tagged with Chrome
Google has begun pushing out a new build of its Chrome browser, version 70.0.3538.67, to end users at large. This latest release is an official build, not a beta version, and as such should be considered stable for the general populace. One of the new features Chrome 70 brings to the table is a retooled account login system. The new feature is in reaction to complaints and concerns that the previous build was automatically signing users into their Google accounts whenever they would visit a Google website or service, such as Gmail. The featured sparked a privacy concern. Google insisted it wasn't...
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Sometimes making it into a beta test for a new service seems as unlikely as hitting the lottery. Some folks may have thought when Google announced Project Stream earlier this month and invited people to sign up for a chance at the beta test for the service, the odds of getting in on a Google beta for a completely new service were slim. As it turns out, it appears that Google invited everyone who signed up for the beta. If you signed up, check your email because you probably have an invite sitting there. Inside the welcome email is a setup code unique to each user. To play you go to the Project...
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Google has been catching some flak for a feature it recently introduced into its Chrome browser, one that automatically logs users into the browser whenever they visit a Google website or service, such as Gmail. Starting with Chrome 70, Google will give users the option of disabling this controversial feature if they want to. "While we think sign-in consistency will help many of our users, we’re adding a control that allows users to turn off linking web-based sign-in with browser-based sign-in—that way users have more control over their experience. For users that disable this feature,...
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A good dark theme for your computer and other devices is worth its weight in gold to many users. Google is looking to add a little dark magic to Chrome, and its initial rollout will be very limited. Google Chrome users can already download third-party dark themes for the browser right now, but Chrome is getting a native dark mode with a caveat. That caveat is that the native dark mode will work on macOS only. There is speculation that the native dark mode might come to other Chrome users later, but that is unconfirmed for now. Apple will begin supporting a system-wide dark mode with macOS...
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Chrome fans will be glad to hear that the Chrome 70 beta has landed and that it is packing some very cool features that will enable improved security on some devices. The big new feature for macOS and Android users is support for Touch ID or fingerprint sensors; the hardware is enabled by default as part of the Web Authentication API. One of the cool things about that implementation is that websites with support for the API allow the use of Touch ID for 2-factor authentication. Google is also removing the Android and iOS build numbers from the user-agent identification string that is visible to...
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When Microsoft rolls out its big update for Windows 10 in October, there will be a new and annoying popup for users who try and install Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox on their machines. Word comes from beta testers of the update report the screenshot below pops up if you try and install a competing browser on your PC. The popup notes that users already have Edge as part of Windows 10, and claims that it is the safer and faster browser. While the popup tries to talk users out of installing the alternative browsers, it will still allow you to install the other browsers if you click the “Install...
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Over the past few months, Google has been experimenting with its latest Material Design refresh on its Chrome Canary builds. Google even added support for Material Design in current builds of Chrome 68, but you have to enable it with flags -- it isn't on by default. That will all change with Chrome 69, which is expected to make its debut next month and will have the new look enabled by default. As pointed out by 9to5Google, the release notes for Chrome 69 Enterprise mention the following: Browser interface changes Chrome Browser will have a new design across all operating systems....
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Google is looking to deliver another speed boost to Google Chrome in the near future, and it's doing so by changing the way that a webpage is loaded in the browser. Google calls this new method for speeding our browsing experience "lazy page loading". Although it might sound like an oxymoron, lazy loading is anything but "lazy" with respect to speed. With the public channel release of Chrome (and all versions that came before it), the browser will render all elements of a webpage as soon as it's opened. However, in the newest build of Chrome Canary, the browser will only load elements...
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In the world of browsers, updates come fast and often. So never mind that you only recently updated Chrome to version 68, the next version is right around the corner and currently being beta tested. One of the features Google will introduce with Chrome 69 is supported for smartphones with display cutouts, otherwise known as notches. "Display cutouts are now supported in Chrome through the new CSS env() function (environment variables) and the viewport-fit meta tag. This allows developers to take advantage of the entire screen on devices that have a display cutout," Google explains in a blog post....
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Security conscious computer users might wonder if we will ever fully put Spectre vulnerabilities behind us. Researchers were still discovering new vulnerabilities related to Spectre early this year. Intel is working to protect users from the vulnerability and only a few days ago it announced a patch for side-challenge exploits for some of it chips and awarded the researchers who found the bug $100,000 for their efforts. Google is also integrating security technology into its popular Chrome browser to protect against Spectre vulnerabilities. Those new security features come at a cost for Chrome...
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Google has started pushing out a version update to its Chrome browser, Chrome 67 (67.0.3396.62, to be exact), for Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. The latest releases introduces several fixes and improvements, including password-free login support by way of WebAuthn, a new specification that is supported by default in Chrome 67. It's the first stable release of Chrome to offer this ability. WebAuth, or Web Authentication, is an API that allows for logging into websites using biometric schemes, such as fingerprint scanning and facial recognition technology. It also supports USB devices that can...
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Earlier this month Google rolled out an update that aimed to mute those annoying videos that automatically play with sound while you are surfing the web. While that was a welcome goal, the update also had some unintended consequences for fans of web-based games. The update rendered those games unable to play sound. Google has recognized its error and has announced that it will be updating Chrome to temporarily remove the update that broke the games. The original update automatically paused Web Audio projects when a webpage launched. The same feature silenced the audio in these web-based games and...
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Managing the web and its many destinations is not an easy thing to do, though it's one that every browser maker has tasked itself with accomplishing. That includes Google and its popular Chrome browser. As it were, one of the things Google recently set out to do was to make the web less annoying by muting some videos that play automatically when visiting a website. Unfortunately, it's had the undesired side effect of breaking millions of browser-based games. Google introduced the feature as a default option when with Chrome version 66, which it started pushing out three weeks ago. In previous versions,...
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Have you been experiencing wonky issues on your PC after installing the April 2018 Update for Windows 10? Well, you're not alone, if that comes as any consolation. Others have taken to Reddit and other destinations on the web to complain of annoying behavior after applying the update, including freeze ups in Chrome and even complete system hangs. Fortunately, Microsoft is aware of the issue and is working on a fix. In a support document, Microsoft acknowledges that some devices running the latest version of Windows 10 (build 1803) "may hang or freeze when using certain apps, such as 'Hey Cortana'...
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