You may not have heard that Samsung’s been building a mobile browser, but the company said Wednesday that the software now works on any relatively new Android phone — not just on its own devices or Google’s scarce Nexus and Pixel models.  The Samsung Internet browser is still being tested, but Samsung is releasing it …

Mozilla plans to release a version of its Firefox browser Tuesday that embraces a version of virtual reality for the web. Back in 2014, Mozilla developers including Vladimir Vukicevic put together a concept called WebVR. The idea was to let web browsers navigate virtual realms, and make it easier for people to create a VR world once that would work …

Three years ago CNET addressed whoever might step into Mozilla‘s then-empty CEO slot and asked 10 questions about the future of the nonprofit organization behind the Firefox browser. It was a chaotic time, with Mozilla co-founder Brendan Eich quitting after a controversy over his stance on gay marriage, and Google‘s Chrome increasing its threat as the browser of choice for …

Facebook Stories, the Snapchat-esque short-lived messages, are expanding from the social network’s phone app to your PC, too. The messages let you adorn a photo or short video with graphics, text and styles, but the missives disappear after 24 hours. The Facebook web interface you’ll see when browsing from a laptop or desktop machine now spotlights a few Stories in …

When Google’s Chrome arrived in 2008, it showed off a bold new tab design that made the tops of websites look like folders in a filing cabinet. Firefox came up with its own variation in 2013 called Australis that had even curvier tabs. Now, though, Firefox is going for the austere, bare-bones rectangular tabs that Microsoft’s Edge browser uses. The …

Google is relegating poorly behaved Android apps to obscurity, making it harder for you to find them when you’re searching the Google Play Store. “We recently enhanced our search and discovery algorithms to reflect app quality,” Google Play Product Manager Andrew Ahn said in a blog post Thursday. “This results in higher quality apps being surfaced in the Play Store …

Now playing: Watch this: Adobe Flash to flicker out in 2020 1:26 The Flash Player has been there for you all along, inside your browser, making it possible for you to play online games, stream radio station music and watch YouTube videos. But after a two-decade run, Adobe is killing it off. Countless nails have been hammered in Flash’s coffin …

Now playing: Watch this: USB feels the need for double speed 1:25 Enlarge Image The HP Spectre x360 has two oval USB-C ports, the same ports you’ll see on new phones from Samsung, Google and others. Stephen Shankland/CNET If you’re the type of person who copies hundreds of photos or mammoth video files to your external hard drive, good news: …

Google’s YouTube has begun using technology to try to redirect viewers away from extremist videos that can be used to publicize terrorism and recruit new members. “When people search for certain keywords on YouTube, we will display a playlist of videos debunking violent extremist recruiting narratives,” Google said in a blog post Thursday. The approach uses technology from a project …

Mozilla released Firefox 8.0 for iOS on Thursday, adding a dark mode to make nighttime reading easier on your eyes and the ability to scan QR codes from the browser. The new dark mode dims the screen automatically, Mozilla said in a blog post, though it doesn’t change white backgrounds to dark or make other more dramatic changes. The QR …