Tag Archives: chrome

Brave builds privacy

For the most up-to-date news and information about the coronavirus pandemic, visit the WHO and CDC websites. Brave, a privacy-focused browser, is adding a videoconferencing feature called Brave Together to compete with services like Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet. Testing of the new feature has begun during a hot time for video chat as …

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Chrome now can stop an important type of network snooping

Google Chrome has begun locking down an important type of communication that can leak private information to internet service providers or others who can snoop your web browser’s network activity. Chrome 83, released Tuesday, incorporates a new technology called DNS over HTTPS. Google, Mozilla and other allies have been trying to secure your connections to websites with the HTTPS technology, …

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Microsoft, no longer fearing the web, gives it a new boost on Windows

Web apps, websites that can be converted into standalone apps, are moving closer toward becoming first-class software citizens on Windows 10. Google coined the term progressive web app, or PWA, to describe websites that can assume the power and prominence of conventional native apps you’d download from an app store. For a taste of PWAs, visit coronavirus.app, which with most …

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Google Chrome to block ads that drain your battery and gobble network data

To improve battery life, network usage and website speed, Chrome will delete ads that consume too many computing resources, Google said Thursday. Google will begin experimenting with the technology in coming months and plans to build it into Chrome in August, Google said in a blog post. The move will excise only the worst ad offenders, including those that consume …

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Google Duo group video calls coming to Chrome in weeks

Google on Friday said it’s working on an update to its Duo video calling service that will let you make group video calls over the web. The search giant said Duo group video chats for the web would come as a preview in its Chrome browser in the coming weeks. Google also added a “Family Mode” feature to Duo for Android …

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Google Chrome offers you a new way to shame slow websites

Google on Tuesday released a Chrome extension called Core Web Vitals that gives you a direct measurement for lodging complaints about slow websites. The tool accompanies a new push to get developers to focus on speed by measuring what Google’s Chrome team deems a useful collection of important data. For more than a decade, Google has pushed for a faster …

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Firefox now warns when password reuse is particularly dangerous

Mozilla has beefed up Firefox Lockwise, its password management tool, to tell you when you’re making a more bonehead mistake than usual by reusing your passwords. Firefox already warned if a site you’re logging into has suffered a data breach. But in Firefox 76, released Tuesday, the browser now also tells you when you’re using that site’s password on another …

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Google cracks down on spammy Chrome extensions with new policy updates

Google has announced new efforts to crack down on bad-faith actors posting misleading or fraudulent extensions to the Chrome Web Store, where users can download add-on software and themes for the Chrome web browser. “The increase in adoption of the extension platform has also attracted spammers and fraudsters introducing low-quality and misleading extensions in an attempt to deceive and trick …

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Microsoft tells Chrome users to switch to its Edge browser on Outlook

For years, Google has placed prominent pop-up ads on its web properties suggesting people switch to Google’s Chrome browser, saying they’ll get better performance, features and security. Now Microsoft is trying the same idea, taking advantage of its email service to try to push people to its newly revamped Edge web browser. “Microsoft Edge + Outlook = Better together,” says …

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Vivaldi 3.0 becomes the newest web browser to block ads and trackers

Vivaldi now has built-in options for blocking online trackers and ads, a change of heart for a web browser-maker whose founder had hoped regulators would step in to protect privacy. The new features, designed to improve performance, too, are set to arrive Wednesday with the release of Vivaldi 3.0. The development of a version of Vivaldi for Android phones, the …

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