Neowin: Vivaldi browser introduces a Break Mode to help users unplug from work. “Vivaldi, the web browser available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, has introduced a new feature in its latest update – version 3.3 – to pause the internet. The Break Mode helps users unplug from continuous work and is aimed at improving work-life balance, especially in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic that has necessitated many people across the world to work from home where the lines of personal and professional time are often blurred.”
browsers
The Daily Swig: Browser fingerprinting ‘more prevalent on the web now than ever before’ – research
The Daily Swig: Browser fingerprinting ‘more prevalent on the web now than ever before’ – research. “With major web browsers now including privacy protections against cookie-based tracking, there’s been a rise in the use of fingerprinting – and researchers now say they’ve developed a way to spot and prevent these stealthy tracking techniques. FP-Inspector, created by a team from the University of Iowa, Mozilla, and the University of California, uses a syntactic-semantic approach to detect fingerprinting (FP) scripts, using machine learning models based on static and dynamic JavaScript analysis.” You can learn more about browser fingerprinting here.
BetaNews: Microsoft is finally ditching Internet Explorer and legacy Edge
BetaNews: Microsoft is finally ditching Internet Explorer and legacy Edge. “With Internet Explorer having shown its age for a very long time, and with Microsoft pushing out the new Chromium-based version of Edge, it is little wonder that the company is ready to kill off its older browsers. Microsoft has now set out its timetable for sunsetting legacy Edge in Windows 10 and the dropping of support for Internet Explorer. The changes start later this year, and in twelve months’ time the process of moving on will be complete — from Microsoft’s point of view, at least.”
CNET: How to improve your privacy in Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge and Brave
CNET: How to improve your privacy in Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge and Brave. “Privacy is now a priority among browser makers, but they may not go as far as you want in fighting pervasive ad industry trackers on the web. Here’s a look at how you can crank up your privacy settings to outsmart that online tracking.”
MakeUseOf: Best Chrome Extensions to Refresh the New Tab Page
MakeUseOf: Best Chrome Extensions to Refresh the New Tab Page. “Google Chrome’s new tab page is very minimal with a few quick links to the most viewed websites. For many, this default new tab page is boring and uninspiring, and the lack of customization options make it unpopular with the crowd. Luckily, there are lots of good chrome extensions which can totally revamp your default new tab page to a more useful one.”
Neowin: Edge 84 begins rolling out with Collections, PDF improvements, and more
Neowin: Edge 84 begins rolling out with Collections, PDF improvements, and more. “Microsoft has begun rolling out version 84 of the Edge browser to users in the stable channel. The release comes just two days after Chrome released version 84 to the desktop. The Redmond giant aligned the release of its browser with that of Chrome since both are built on the same open-source platform.”
How to clean up Google Chrome when it’s slow: Notifications, search engine, more (9to5 Google)
9to5 Google: How to clean up Google Chrome when it’s slow: Notifications, search engine, more. “These days, you can’t get hardly anything done without a good, working web browser, but what do you do when Google Chrome starts acting up? Here’s a guide for how to clean up some of Google Chrome’s most common issues including slow loading, excess notifications, using the wrong search engine, and more.”
BetaNews: Vivaldi 3.1 unveils new Notes Manager tool, customizable menus
BetaNews: Vivaldi 3.1 unveils new Notes Manager tool, customizable menus. “Vivaldi Technologies has unveiled Vivaldi 3.1 for Windows, Mac and Linux. The release comes 48 hours after the first major update for Vivaldi for Android. The desktop build unveils a major upgrade to its existing Notes feature in the form of a full-blown Notes Manager tool. The tool is now accessible via its own full-screen tab in the main browser window (click the link in the Start page or type vivaldi://notes/ into the browser’s address bar).”
The Next Web: This tiny game runs directly in your browser’s title bar — and it’s kinda fun
The Next Web: This tiny game runs directly in your browser’s title bar — and it’s kinda fun. “I was absolutely mind-blown when I first discovered the not-so-hidden Chrome dinosaur game. I’ll never forget that moment, because I spent the next several hours playing it — without even taking a break. I just loved how simple and unassuming it was. But now I’ve found something even simpler and more unassuming. Enter TitleRun, a micro-game that exists entirely in your browser‘s title bar (not to be confused with the URL bar, which is the mistake I first made).”
Neowin: Mozilla pushes Firefox 74.0.1 fixing two zero-day exploits
Neowin: Mozilla pushes Firefox 74.0.1 fixing two zero-day exploits. “Mozilla has pushed Firefox 74.0.1 along with the related security advisory. The new update, which users are advised to apply soon, comes with fixes for two critical zero-day vulnerabilities. The new patches are also available for Firefox 68 users with version 68.6.1. Normally, the update will apply automatically, but you can go to the hamburger menu > Help > About Firefox and apply the patch manually.”
Microsoft follows Google: Edge updates paused due to COVID-19 (Laptop Magazine)
Laptop Magazine: Microsoft follows Google: Edge updates paused due to COVID-19. “The last thing Microsoft wants to do is follow in Google’s footsteps, but the Redmond-based firm has no choice. As Chrome pauses updates due to COVID-19, Edge implements the same upgrade-halting measures as its biggest browser competitor, BleeingComputer reported.”
Make Tech Easier: Why You Should Use Two Browsers for Your Daily Browsing
Make Tech Easier: Why You Should Use Two Browsers for Your Daily Browsing. “When you use browser compartmentalization, you use different browsers for different activities, and you are strict about following your rules for when to use which browser. Using separate browsers for separate activities will stop companies from tracking information between sites with different identifying information. Tracking cookies cannot follow between different browsers.”
TNW: Google Chrome can now show devs how their sites look to users with visual impairments
TNW: Google Chrome can now show devs how their sites look to users with visual impairments. “Google’s popular Chrome browser has launched a new tool to help developers tune their websites for different visual deficiencies such as color blindness and blurred vision.”
BetaNews: Firefox 74 tightens add-on security, simplifies importing data from Microsoft Edge
BetaNews: Firefox 74 tightens add-on security, simplifies importing data from Microsoft Edge. “Firefox 74.0 ships with several new features, none of which are jaw-dropping, but all of which serve to further improve the browser’s privacy, security and usability. In addition, the Facebook Container add-on now gives users control over which sites are blocked from reporting back to Facebook.”
ZDNet: What’s the most popular web browser in 2020?
ZDNet: What’s the most popular web browser in 2020?. “For ages, it was almost impossible to get hard data on which were the most popular web browsers. Sure, many companies claimed to have good information, such as NetMarketShare and StatCounter, but their numbers were massaged. The US federal government’s Digital Analytics Program (DAP), however, gives us a running count of the last 90 days of US government website visits. While it doesn’t tell us about global web browser use, it’s the best information we have about American web browser users.”
