Google Chrome has been updated to take advantage of the Touch Bar on newer MacBook Pro models. It provides handy navigation shortcuts, fast access to your favorites, as well as a hybrid search and address bar.
Don’t ditch Safari if you want the fastest browsing experience
If you want the fastest possible web browsing experience on Mac, don’t sway from Safari.
Apple promises that Safari 11, which will debut in macOS High Sierra this fall, is “the world’s fastest desktop browser.” And tests show that it does not disappoint.
‘Best Firefox ever’ pours on the speed
Mozilla is rolling out its “best Firefox ever,” promising a perfect balance between speed and efficiency.
Firefox version 54 finally uses multiple processes for improved performance just like its rivals, so a complex webpage in one tab won’t impact your experience in another. What’s more, it uses less memory than other browsers on macOS, Mozilla says.
Twitter Lite keeps you tweeting over bad data connections
Twitter is making it easier for users to keep on tweeting even when they have a poor data connection.
The company today unveiled its new Twitter Lite web app, which is optimized to deliver a smooth and snappy experience over slow and spotty connections. You can access it in your browser, so you don’t even need to download to get started.
Android squeaks past Windows to become internet’s most popular OS
Windows can no longer claim the crown as the most popular operating system on the internet thanks to the rise of smartphones.
During the month of March, Microsoft finally saw its share of worldwide OS internet get eclipsed by Google’s Android operating system, marking the first time a mobile OS is more popular than the software powering PCs.
Google Chrome for Mac is finally kinder on battery life
The latest Chrome update for Mac is finally kinder on battery life, thanks to a new processor throttling feature.
Google has taken steps to minimize the power impact from things you cannot see, which leads to 25 percent fewer “busy background tabs.”
Chrome for iOS finally gets Safari-like reading list feature
Keeping track of news articles you want to read later is finally getting a lot easier in Google’s Chrome app for iOS.
Today the company finally added a new feature that is similar to Safari’s Reading List option that allows iPhone and iPad users to save stories to read while offline.
Google Chrome for iOS to get Safari-like Reading List feature
Google Chrome is already the best third-party web browser on iOS, and with every update, it gets even better. The next will bring a Safari-like Reading List feature that lets you save web pages for later.
Bumpr lets you switch Mac browsers, mail apps on the fly
Most of us have a favorite browser, but some of us use different browsers for different purposes. The same goes for email clients. With Bumpr for Mac, you don’t have to be tied to one default; you can switch between your favorites on the fly.
Mozilla buys Pocket in first ever acquisition
Mozilla, the company behind the Firefox web browser, just snapped up Pocket in its first ever acquisition.
Pocket will remain an independent subsidiary and promises to continue delivering the service fans know and love. However, the Mozilla takeover will allow it to add “fuel to the rocketship” and build an even greater product.
Handy Chrome extension stops Facebook videos from playing automatically
Even though nobody asked for it, Facebook made it so videos play automatically, with the sound turned on, as you scroll by them in your News Feed. Luckily, a simple Chrome extension prevents that from happening — and it doesn’t just work on Facebook.
Chrome OS tablets plan to punch iPad in the aluminums
iPad sales might be falling, but Apple’s tablet still outsells Android-powered rivals. Google hopes to change that by launching new Chrome OS slates that have the ability to run Android apps.
Google is developing a new operating system for everything
A brand new operating system with a colorful name is currently under development at Google, according to a new project page found on GitHub.
Google hasn’t officially acknowledged that it’s working on the project, but the new operating system could possibly replace Chrome OS and Android by being able to run on pretty much everything.
Google Docs, Sheets, Slides finally support Split View on iPad
Google’s official Docs, Sheets and Slides apps for iOS finally support Split View multitasking on iPad, giving users the ability to compose reports and edit their spreadsheets while simultaneously using a second app.
Firefox will auto block unnecessary Flash for better browsing
Mozilla is to begin automatically blocking unnecessary Flash content within its Firefox browser to provide users with a better web browsing experience. The move should boost browser performance and reduce the impact Firefox has on notebook battery life.
Chrome browser bug makes movie piracy even easier
A worrying flaw uncovered in Google Chrome makes it even easier for pirates to download movies and TV shows from the web. Google was made aware of the issue a month ago, but the company is yet to release an update that fixes it.
Slack voice calls give you another reason to ditch Skype
The popular messaging platform Slack is ready to go from text-only to providing voice calls for teams that use the service to communicate.
Starting today, paying teams using the iOS, Mac and Chrome apps will be able to make group calls, giving you one less reason to keep Skype installed on your Mac.
Google makes group sharing simple with new Spaces app
Google isn’t waiting until its I/O conference next week to put its latest app in your hands. The company today launched Spaces for Android, iOS, and the web, making it easy to share just about anything with your favorite groups of friends.
Google Chrome will swap Flash for HTML5 this fall
Google is finally stepping up its bid to kill Flash content. Later this year, its Chrome browser will default to HTML5 wherever possible, using Flash only as a last resort.
The move should make Chrome speedier and more stable — and better on battery life when used on a MacBook.
Googlebot ditches iPhone disguise to become an Android
Googlebot, the giant webcrawler that Google uses to scan webpages and update its index, is ditching its iPhone disguise to become an Android.
Rather ironically, the tool has been masquerading as an Apple device running iOS 8.3 for years, but it will soon become a Nexus 5X running Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow to become more efficient.
Chrome update sports a boatload of new features
Google’s mobile Chrome web browser gets a new update today, which — according to the Chrome team — has “more than a barge full of performance and stability fixes.”
We’re not sure how many software fixes a barge would hold, but we feel confident in saying it’s a whole lot.
How to eliminate the adware that’s plaguing your Mac
In addition to various viruses that can harm your Mac, there’s a different kind of annoyance you might have stumbled upon: adware.
This might manifest itself as a web page that tells you you’ve been infected, with an accompanying phone number to call or malicious website to visit, or it might even show up as an ostensibly helpful Mac app you don’t remember installing.
If you’re experiencing the pain of malicious adware, we’re here to help. Here’s how to eliminate the adware that’s plaguing your Mac.
Google cracks down on shady, fake download buttons
If you use Google’s Chrome web browser, you’re now even safer from sneaky advertisers that try to get you to download their crummy software with fake download buttons.
Chances are you’ve seen these around, even on some large sites like Sourceforge and CNET, and might have clicked on one or two by accident, as intended.
Google’s new addition to its Safe Browsing initiative will block sites that have these deceptive download buttons on them.
Chrome update gives iOS users a speed boost
Good news for iOS users who prefer Chrome: Google’s browser is now as fast as mobile Safari.
Chrome has switched to the WKWebView engine, which first became a feature in 2014 with iOS 8, allowing third-party browsers access to the same rendering engine as Safari.
This one weird website will cause your smartphone to crash
Watch out for people sending you links to the website CrashSafari dot com, which is causing smartphones and PCs around the world to crash by overloading their browsers with a self-generating address bar text string that causes devices to stop responding.
Although the name refers to Apple’s default browser for Mac and iOS devices, the website also causes Android devices running Chrome to slow down and, in some cases, to actually heat up.