The Register: Mozilla drags Microsoft, Google, Apple for obliterating any form of browser choice. “Firefox maker Mozilla is taking aim at Microsoft, Google, and Apple for using their operating systems to steer users to their browsers and stacking the deck against rivals who lack the same OS advantages. Like, for instance, Mozilla.”
Lifehacker: Update Google Chrome ASAP to Patch This Security Flaw. “If it seems like you just updated Chrome, that’s because you did. Google refreshed its web browser to version 105 on Wednesday, introducing new features and security patches. However, only days later, Google has provided yet another update. The company doesn’t usually issue surprise updates without a good reason, and they’ve got one: Chrome 105 includes a zero-day security flaw.”
Ars Technica: Chrome extensions with 1.4M installs covertly track visits and inject code. “Google has removed browser extensions with more than 1.4 million downloads from the Chrome Web Store after third-party researchers reported they were surreptitiously tracking users’ browsing history and inserting tracking code into specific ecommerce sites they visited.”
Bleeping Computer: Microsoft Defender falsely detects Win32/Hive.ZY in Google Chrome, Electron apps. “A bad Microsoft Defender signature update mistakenly detects Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Discord, and other Electron apps as ‘Win32/Hive.ZY’ each time the apps are opened in Windows. The issue started Sunday morning when Microsoft pushed out Defender signature update 1.373.1508.0 to include two new threat detections, including Behavior:Win32/Hive.ZY.”
How-To Geek: What’s New in Chrome 105, Available Now. “Google Chrome version 105 arrived on August 30, 2022. This latest release gains better picture-in-picture support for Android, more tools for web apps to feel native, and some under-the-hood goodies.”
How-To Geek: Chrome’s Next Privacy Upgrade Might Break Some Websites. “Most web browsers have been slowly phasing out User Agents, which send details about your computer and browser to sites. Starting in October 2022, the Chrome web browser will take another step towards ditching User Agent strings entirely.”
Ghacks: How to restore Google Image Search in Chrome. “If you prefer Google Images search in Google Chrome, you may restore the classic functionality for now. Please note that this is done by changing the value of an experimental flag; this flag will be removed by Google at one point, forcing all users to use Google Lens in the browser.”
How-To Geek: Chrome Will Revamp Its Forgotten App Menu, to Match Edge. “Google is now working to overhaul the Apps menu in Chrome, according to information on the Chromium Gerrit spotted by Chrome Story. The browser’s development team plans to add more options, including the ability to change which permissions a web app can access, and quickly opening the settings for a given app (if available).”
Ars Technica: Update Chrome now to patch actively exploited zero-day . “The exploit was reported by Ashley Shen and Christian Resell of the Google Threat Analysis Group, and that’s all the information we have for now. Details of the exploit are currently tucked behind a wall in the Chromium bugs group and are restricted to those actively working on related components and registered with Chromium. After a certain percentage of users have applied the relevant updates, those details may be revealed.”
9to5 Google: How to search any image on Chrome desktop using Google Lens. “Chrome is a great browser with tons of tools and functionality; one feature that many users aren’t familiar with is the desktop version of Google Lens that’s fully integrated into Google Chrome. Follow along to learn how you can use Google Lens on Chrome desktop to search for any image on the web.” The translation feature comes in surprisingly handy.
TechRadar: Chrome update will soon help you stop making a huge security mistake. “Making sure you have strong passwords has been common security advice for some time, but Google Chrome is now looking to go a step further with its latest update. The browser is reportedly working on a new feature which will immediately show just how strong, or weak, your passwords are.”
Ars Technica: Google tests battery-conserving feature perfect for hoarding tabs. “Google is testing a method to boost the battery life of Chromebooks by changing how they work with the Chrome web browser. It’s shaping up to be a potentially attractive update for users who leave a lot of tabs open on their Chromebooks.”
Chrome Unboxed: ChromeOS can now open 7z, ISO, RAR and many other newly supported archival formats. “Most notably among the above newly supported formats are ISO and 7z. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve already received 7-zip folders from others or transferred them myself (RAR is a thing of the past for me), and simply couldn’t open them. I think the more users see that ChromeOS can do what Windows can – at least for the basics, the more they will be willing to invest in it or integrate it as a part of their workflow.”
