Bleeping Computer: Google Chrome updates failing on Android devices in Russia. “A growing number of Android Google Chrome users in Russia are reporting errors when attempting to install the latest update for the web browser. The number of complaints is increasing every day but so far, the cause of the problem remains unknown and is still unsolved.”
Android Police: Google is testing a new intelligent shortcut in Chrome. “Google Chrome’s interface is mostly fully matured. The layout and design haven’t substantially changed the past few years, and it doesn’t look like they’re going to anytime soon—the highly anticipated bottom bar interface, which would have been the biggest change since the launch of the mobile browser, was sunset before it ever became a standard feature. There are always some smaller tweaks Google is working on, though, and the latest in line is a new button in the app bar next to the address field, intelligently adjusting based on your usage of the browser.”
WIRED: You Need to Update iOS, Android, and Chrome Right Now. “APRIL HAS BEEN a big month for security updates, including emergency patches for Apple’s iOS and Google Chrome to fix vulnerabilities already being used by attackers. Microsoft has released important fixes as part of its mid-April Patch Tuesday, while Android users across multiple devices need to make sure they are applying the latest update when it becomes available. Here are all the April updates you need to know about.”
How-To Geek: What’s New in Chrome 101, Arriving Today. “Chrome hit the big 100 in March 2022, but the celebration is over now. We’re back already with another release in April. Chrome 101 includes more improvements to the new download UI, saving Tab Groups, and the password manager. Let’s take a look.”
The Verge: Google rolls out new badges to help people avoid bad Chrome extensions. “Google is trying to make it easier for Chrome users to install useful extensions without having to scrutinize where they come from. The company says it has begun applying two new badges to extensions. The first, Featured, looks like a prize ribbon and will be displayed on extensions that ‘follow our technical best practices and meet a high standard of user experience and design.’”
The New Stack: Contra Chrome: A Biting Satire of Google’s 2008 Chrome Comic. “For those of us old enough to remember Web 2.0 in its heyday, one of the classic ‘texts’ of that era was the Chrome comic book, which was released in September 2008 at the same time the first version of the Chrome browser was launched. As a tech blogger at the time, I was lucky enough to receive a paper copy of the comic, which I still have on my bookshelf to this day. Well, this week I got a surprise when I discovered a new online ‘remix’ of that comic.”
MakeUseOf: How to Create Your Own Google Chrome Extension. “Have you ever found yourself unhappy with the features that come with your web browser? Even with hours of scouring the Google Web Store under your belt, it isn’t always a simple matter of hitting ‘download’ to enhance your web surfing experience. This is where browser extensions come in. In this article, we will be exploring the process of building your very own DIY Google Chrome Extension from scratch.” Not for beginners, but an interesting look “under the hood” at Chrome extensions.
MakeUseOf: How to Record Macros in Google Chrome . “A macro is a recorded sequence of mouse and keyboard input actions. The Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, and Access) include built-in macro recording tools. With those tools, users can record repetitive tasks within the Office software and replay them whenever needed. Wouldn’t it be great if Google Chrome included a similar tool for automating repetitive browsing tasks? Then you could record macros that fill out web forms, log in to sites, and open multiple sites among other things. Chrome doesn’t have such a built-in feature, but you can still record browser macros with the iMacros and Wildfire extensions.”
Bleeping Computer: Google Chrome emergency update fixes zero-day used in attacks. “Google has released Chrome 100.0.4896.127 for Windows, Mac, and Linux, to fix a high-severity zero-day vulnerability actively used by threat actors in attacks.”
MakeUseOf: How to Search for Google Drive Files Directly From the Chrome Address Bar. “Search engine shortcuts are a great way to optimize your browsing experience. When you’re urgently looking for a file from Google Drive, you might not have enough time or patience to open the Google Drive web app and search for your file. Luckily, there’s a quicker way to find your files stored in Google Drive. In this article, you’ll find out how to search for Google Drive files directly from your Chrome address bar.”
The Verge: Google is adding a privacy settings walkthrough to Chrome. “Google is adding a new ‘step-by-step guided tour’ of privacy and security settings in Chrome to sift through the many available controls, the company announced Wednesday. The new guide will include separate pages about some settings, each containing descriptions of what happens when a feature is turned on.”
Bleeping Computer: Google Chrome 100 released with new features, icon, and more. “Google has released Chrome 100 today, March 29th, 2022, to the Stable desktop channel, and it includes a new logo, security improvements, development features, and more.”
Bleeping Computer: Emergency Google Chrome update fixes zero-day used in attacks. “Google has released Chrome 99.0.4844.84 for Windows, Mac, and Linux users to address a high-severity zero-day bug exploited in the wild. ‘Google is aware that an exploit for CVE-2022-1096 exists in the wild,’ the browser vendor said in a security advisory published on Friday.”
SecurityWeek: Google Issues Emergency Fix for Chrome Zero-Day. “Tracked as CVE-2022-1096 and considered high-severity, the security hole is described as a Type Confusion bug in the V8 JavaScript and WebAssembly engine. The internet search giant says the bug was reported by an anonymous researcher, and the company has yet to determine the bug bounty amount for this issue.”
MakeUseOf: 8 Chrome Extensions to Track Your Web Time and Activity. “Without so many distractions available online, it is really challenging to avoid wasting your time on social media or entertainment sites. Though visiting these sites can be relaxing and fun, it’s worrying if it is eating up your productive time. Luckily, there are Chrome extensions that can track your web time, showing how much time you spend on these distracting websites. Below, we mention the eight best Chrome extensions to track your web time.”
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