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Google Chrome finally gets malware download protection

By Fei on January 9, 2012

By John E Dunn
January 9, 2012

LONDON – Nine months after first being put into testing, the new version of Chrome will at last included filtering against inadvertently downloading malware executables, Google has announced.

Reported as being on the browser’s long list as long ago as April 2011, the version 17 beta includes the ability to relate known malicious websites detected using the software’s Safe Browsing API, blocking downloads hosted on such domains.
The release notes mention only .exe and .msi files as being covered, but the developers offer hope that this will be extended over the course of 2012.

“Remember, no technical mechanism can ever protect you completely from malicious downloads. You should always be careful about which files you download and consider the reputation of their source,” said Google developer, Dominic Hamon.

In other words, the effectiveness of the technology will always depend on the ability of the central Safe Browsing system to quickly detect which domains are suspect, and that’s never going to be perfect.

The feature will also be able to block downloads from domains identified as being sources of malicious files, which covers legitimate domains that have been hijacked to host malware.

The benefit of the new security layer is to protect against files the user agrees to download without realising the danger in doing so, a common element of many fake anti-virus programs to pick one scenario.

The Chrome 17 beta also shows off the software’s new address bar which will in some cases be able to start loading web pages before the full address has been entered.

If the algorithms determine that the site is likely from the entered text, Chrome will be able to pre-render them, reducing loading times to near instant, Hamon said.

Solve Internet Explorer 6 Problems–By Ditching IE6

By Fei on August 27, 2010

By Rick Broida
August 27, 2010

SAN FRANCISCO – Reader John is having a problem with Internet Explorer 6 (which he’s running on Windows XP Pro SP3): When he shift-clicks a link to open a page in a new browser window, that window shows up blank.

My response: why, oh why, John, are you still using IE6? It’s an outdated, unsupported, potentially dangerous browser that deserves to be put down like a lame plow horse.

Indeed, there’s only one legitimate reason for sticking with it: work. If you’re using, say, a company laptop, you may have no choice but to use the IT department-approved browser, which in many cases is still IE6.

Otherwise, it’s time to make a change. I highly recommend upgrading to Internet Explorer 8, which will very likely solve your problem and open the door to all kinds of worthwhile features: tabs (which obviate the need for new windows–get in the habit of CTRL-clicking your links instead), Accelerators, Web Slices, and a wealth of malware and phishing protections.

Alternately, try Firefox. Try Google Chrome. Try Opera. Any of these modern browsers offer more features and better security than IE6, and all of them can import your existing Favorites.

Sorry if that’s not exactly the kind of help you were hoping for, John, but at this stage I think it’s borderline irresponsible to use a Web browser that’s such a major security risk.

Twitter Phishing Scam: Blame Browsers and Users

By Fei on March 1, 2010

By Jared Newman
March 1, 2010

SAN FRANCISCO – With banks, newspapers, and politicians in Britain overrun by a blatant Twitter phishing scam, it’s time to point some fingers. Most disappointing are browsers and users, both of which failed to recognize an obvious ruse.

Specifically, I’m calling out Firefox and old browsers. After receiving a malicious “This you????” link from a follower, I tried it with all the browsers at my disposal, including Firefox 3, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer 8 and mobile Safari for the iPhone. Firefox was the only one that didn’t throw up a warning page when I tried to visit the link.

In fairness, Firefox is usually better than this. A report by NSS Labs last year found that Firefox 3 and Internet Explorer 8 blocked 80 percent and 83 percent of phishing sites, respectively — far superior to the competition. But what good are those numbers if you don’t block the big one? It’s like batting with the highest average during the regular season and choking in the playoffs.

I imagine that older versions of browsers fell prey to the attacks as well, but I couldn’t test those out. After all, Internet Explorer 8 was the first version to include a phishing filter, so older versions might not have warned users.
It’s also hard to believe that so many Twitter users fell for the phishing scam. This one had all the telltale signs: A shortened URL, an actual URL hosted on a different domain (kevanshome.org) and a login page that doesn’t quite follow Twitter’s format, but has all the same graphics. And if you’re already signed in to Twitter, there’s no reason you’d need to sign in again.

As with any phishing attack on a social network, Twitter shoulders some of the blame for merely letting it go on for too long, but I understand that Web services get attacked often, and the major ones aren’t immune. In the end it comes down to having a browser that’s got your back and some computer smarts when all else fails. Apparently some high-profile people across the pond had neither.

Chrome Aims to Steal Some iPad Thunder

By Fei on February 5, 2010

By Tony Bradley
February 5, 2009

SAN FRANCISCO – Fresh off the unveiling of Apple’s iPad tablet PC, we have a whole new batch of tablet rumors–this time regarding a Google Chrome-based tablet device. The Chromium Project, the core behind the development of the Chrome operating system. Has released a number of mockups and early concepts regarding what a Chrome-based tablet PC might be.
isn’t Apple, but next to Apple, Google is arguably the most-qualified to launch a tablet device capable of being a game changer. One thing that Apple and Google have in common is that they tend to think outside of the mainstream and are capable of creating paradigm-shifting innovation.
After all of the hype, rumors, and speculation, the Apple iPad is really more of a giant iPod Touch than a full computer. While some tablets, like the HP Slate unveiled by Steve Ballmer at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), operate on Windows 7 or some other desktop operating system, the iPad runs the iPhone mobile operating system rather than Apple’s Mac OS X.

An “iPhone on steroids”, as many have dubbed it, may not seem very compelling, but the reality is that the iPad looks to be a very capable device for what its designed to do. The fact that it runs the vast library of apps available in the iTunes App Store gives users tens of thousands of free and cheap programs to choose from, and developers will soon create new apps uniquely suited for the iPad form factor.

Based on the early conceptual ideas regarding the Chrome tablet, Google may be taking a completely different, yet equally innovative, approach to the tablet PC. Whereas the Apple iPad revolves around apps–similar to the popular iPhone and iPod Touch devices, the Chrome tablet takes a Web-based doc, or file-centric approach.

The very concept of the Chrome OS revolves around creating a Web-centric operating system that sheds all of the excess weight and frivolous features of standard desktop operating system, and provides a streamlined Web browser interface that enables users to interact with Web-based services like Google Docs, Gmail, Picassa, etc.

The tablet PC page on the Chromium site has a variety of mock photos depicting what a Chrome-based tablet might look like. It also lists some of the design elements currently under consideration:

•Keyboard interaction with the screen: anchored, split, attached to focus.

•Launchers as an overlay, providing touch or search as means to access web sites.

•Contextual actions triggered via dwell.

•Zooming UI for multiple tabs

•Tabs presented along the side of the screen

•Creating multiple browsers on screen using a launcher

Aesthetics and user interface aside, a Chrome OS tablet may make a better business tool than the Apple iPad for a few reasons. First, many businesses have existing Web-based tools and applications. A tablet that works seamlessly with the Web would be a more natural extension of existing business tools than a tablet PC centered around iPhone apps.

The nature of Google Docs, Gmail, Google Wave, and other tools from Google allow for seamless synchronization between the tablet, the desktop, the mobile phone, and any other platform because the tools and the data reside online.

The fact that the applications and data are Web-based also makes it easier to share data with other users and collaborate–in real-time, or not–with peers, partners, or customers.

Finally, the Chrome operating system is open-source which enables businesses to freely customize it to fit their needs, or develop tools for it that integrate with other systems and improve business processes. Further, they can deploy those tools without having to get approval from Google, and without having to make them available to the general public in the app store.

Don’t get me wrong, the iPad actually has way more business potential than many give it credit for. Once it arrives, I have faith that new tools will continue to be developed to enhance its business functionality even farther. And, let’s face it, the iPad has been officially announced and will be available soon while the Chrome tablet is pure speculation, so the iPad wins in that department as well.

Whether or not the Chrome tablet ends up being a better business tool than the iPad will remain to be seen, if and when a Chrome-based tablet actually exists.

Facebook Tips and Tweaks

By Fei on February 4, 2010

By Rick Broida
February 4, 2010

SAN FRANCISCO – I like using Facebook to keep tabs on my friends, but I don’t like the endless stream of “so-and-so took this quiz” and “Joe became friends with Jane” messages. I just became a fan of Facebook Purity, an add-on that removes those notifications from your Facebook home page. Facebook Purity is a script that requires Greasemonkey. Once you’ve installed that and restarted Firefox, just install the FP script, start up Firefox again, and fire up Facebook.

The effects are subtle–don’t expect a major makeover–but definitely worthwhile. You may not notice any immediate changes, but you should see a “FB Purity hid” header like the one highlighted in this screen shot. The tally refers to the number of Facebook apps and “extras” hidden from your home page. If you’re curious to see what they are, just click Show for either category.

If you want to edit the list of apps and extras Facebook Purity blocks, see the developer’s FAQ page. Speaking of which, the script doesn’t cost anything, but the developer sure would appreciate a few bucks if you find it useful. (Click the Donate button on his page to make a contribution via PayPal.)

By the way, Facebook Purity is compatible with Google Chrome, Opera, and Safari, but using Greasemonkey scripts with those browsers is a bit more complicated. Again, see the FAQ page for details.

Download Photo Albums in a Flash

For a service as photo-oriented as Facebook, the simple act of downloading photos is annoyingly complicated. In fact, there is no download option; you have to view each photo in turn, right-click it, and choose Save Image As or Save Picture As (depending on your browser).

So what happens if a friend posts a bunch of pictures you want to download? Are you really supposed to go through and save them one by one? Not if you install the FacePAD plug-in for Firefox. Short for Facebook Photo Album Downloader, it does exactly what its name implies: downloads entire albums at a time.
After loading the plug-in and restarting Firefox, select Tools, Add-ons, find FacePAD, click Options, and choose your language. Click OK and you’re good to go.

To use FacePAD, just navigate your way into a friend’s photo library, right-click an album link, and choose Download Album with FacePAD. In a matter of minutes the plug-in will plunk every photo into your default Firefox Downloads folder.

It’s too bad you can’t specify a folder or do any batch-renaming; all the photos end up with cryptic numerical file names. Still, FacePAD works as advertised, and it’s a damn sight easier than retrieving each photo manually.

Add Facebook Chat to Your Firefox Sidebar

Let’s solve another Facebook hassle: When you leave the site, your chat sessions get left behind. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could keep a Facebook chat going regardless of what site you’re viewing?

If you use Firefox as your Web browser, you can add Facebook chat to the Sidebar, thus keeping it alive and active even while you browse elsewhere. (I also find it a more convenient location than the bottom-right corner of the screen, which is where Facebook shoehorns it.) Here’s how to make it happen:

In Firefox, press Ctrl-B to open the Sidebar in Bookmarks view. Right-click the bookmark folder where you want to add Facebook chat, then choose New Bookmark. Name the new bookmark “Facebook Chat,” then paste this URL into the Location field: http://www.facebook.com/presence/popout.php Check “Load this bookmark in the sidebar,” then click OK.

Now just click your new bookmark and presto: Facebook chat in the sidebar. Not too shabby, eh?

Simplify Your Facebook Experience with Brizzly

Brizzly provides a clean, simple, ad-free interface for Facebook (Twitter, too).
Getting started with this free Web service is a snap. Sign up for an account, then supply your user name and password for Facebook and/or Twitter. You’ll have to click through a couple “approval” pop-ups, which is normal for any outside service seeking access to your account.

Now you’ve got a simple front end for your Facebook news feed. You can update your status, comment on friends’ posts, watch posted videos, write on walls, and so on. You don’t get every single Facebook feature–you can’t “hide” a friend or play any games–but you do get a refreshingly streamlined interface.

10 Great Google Chrome Extensions

By Fei on January 27, 2010

By Jared Newman
January 27, 2009

SAN FRANCISCO – With Google releasing a stable version of Chrome that supports extensions, it’s a great time to install some of these enhancements for the Web browser. Google says there are now 1,500 extensions to choose from, which you can find can find and install here. To get you started, here are 10 of my favorites:

RSS Subscription Extension: This extension displays an icon whenever you’re on a page that can be subscribed to in an RSS feed reader.

SmoothScroll: Craving that glide you get with Apple’s multi-touch interfaces? SmoothScroll delivers, with options for scroll speed and frames per second. It works great with multi-touch track pads.

Google Translation Bar: Next time some gadget blog links to an obscure Japanese Web site, you can check it out yourself without visiting Google Translate directly.

IE Tab: Not all Web sites care that Chrome is your favorite browser, and they’ll only run in Internet Explorer. For these occasions, IE Tab emulates Internet Explorer within Chrome. Tip: The extension lacks a “Back” button, but you can navigate by right-clicking.

Instant Image Editor: Pixlr is my favorite cloud image editor — it’s a lot like Photoshop, but for free — and Instant Image Editor opens online photos up in Pixlr by holding “Alt” and right-clicking.

Bit.ly: Click the Bit.ly button, and a window appears, containing a shortened link of the page you’re on. I’m removing the Web site proper from my bookmarks.

Google Mail Checker Plus: I prefer Plus over the basic Gmail checker because it lets you preview and manage new messages directly from the current browser window. No need to switch windows just to toss some spam in the trash.

Shareaholic: See a Web page you like? Shareaholic lets you blast it out over several social networking sites and aggregators, including Facebook, Twitter and Digg.

Google Weather: And I’ll be deleting Accuweather from my bookmarks as well. This extension brings up a four-day forecast in predefined locations with one click, and it provides links to Web sites if you want to go more in depth.

Nothing: “This extension does nothing,” developer Salmonella writes. Works as advertised. Good for a chuckle, and nothing more.

Google releases Chrome beta for Mac

By Jon on December 10, 2009

By Dan Moren
December 10, 2009

As promised, the Google Chrome for Mac beta has just made it in under the wire for a 2009 release. Of course, it’s still just a beta, not a first release-and, as we know, it’s missing some features-but it’s a step beyond what we’ve seen so far.
Available for Windows for more than a year, Chrome’s stated purpose is to provide a slim, fast, secure browser. Developer builds of Chrome first appeared for OS X last June, though they were plagued with bugs and missing features.

Based on WebKit, the same technology that underlies Safari, Chrome boasts a sandboxed security mode that aims to mean the crash of one tab won’t take down the entire browser. There’s also a location field that doubles as a search box and an incognito mode for when you don’t want your browsing history retained.

The 17.6MB download requires Mac OS X 10.5 or later and an Intel processor, and while it might lack features from its Windows counterpart such as a Bookmark Manager, support for Google Gears, and a full extension architecture, it does at least hope to deliver on its core promises of speed and stability. We’ll have an in-depth first look at Chrome later on Tuesday.

Google Chrome Beta gets bookmark sync

By Jon on November 4, 2009

By Ian Paul
November 4, 2009

The latest beta version of Google‘s Chrome Web browser is making it easier for you to keep track of all your favorite Web sites across multiple computers. The search giant introduced bookmark syncing this week as a feature of Chrome’s latest trial version. Google started testing bookmark syncing earlier this year on developer builds of Chrome, and its release on the beta channel means bookmark syncing is one step closer to becoming a standard feature of Chrome’s stable version.

Bookmark Sync
Once you’ve downloaded the Chrome beta, you can access the new feature by clicking on the wrench icon on the far right side of your browser window. Then select “Synchronize my bookmarks,” and a pop-up window should appear asking you for your Google Account information. Sign in, and Chrome will store your bookmarks in your Google Docs account. To sync your bookmarks across multiple locations, just download the beta version of Chrome on each computer you use, and repeat the steps outlined above.

When you add, delete, or edit your Chrome bookmarks on any device, those changes will be updated across all your computers. You can also add bookmarks from other Web browsers like Firefox and Internet Explorer by importing the data into Chrome, and the new additions will be automatically synced with the file in your Google Docs account. Google does not allow you to edit bookmarks directly from Google Docs.

Other Alternatives
If Google Chrome is not your thing, but you like the concept of bookmark syncing, you can also get the same functionality on other popular browsers. Internet Explorer users can download the Windows Live Toolbar to store and sync bookmarks with Microsoft‘s online storage service, SkyDrive.

Firefox users can download the Xmark add-on that allows you to synchronize your bookmarks and passwords. And Opera users can get in on the syncing action through Opera Link, which stores bookmarks, speed dial entries and more. You can also access your Opera Link data within competing browsers at link.opera.com. If you don’t want to be tied down to a specific browser brand, try out Delicious, the social online bookmarking site.

Speed
Google says the latest developer build of Chrome is thirty percent faster than the browser’s current stable version. Chrome’s new speed claims come on the heels of similar statements from Mozilla, which released the beta version of Firefox 3.6 on Friday. Despite the media attention heaped on Chrome since its initial release last year, the browser is still far behind in popularity compared to the two market leaders: Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.

Check out the video below to see Chrome’s bookmarks sync in action:

The Web browser turns 15: a look back

By Jon on October 9, 2009

By Carolyn Duffy Marsan
Network World
October 9, 2009

Web Browser Milestones

The Web browser turns 15 on Oct. 13, 2009 – a key milestone in the history of the Internet. That’s when the first commercial Web browser – eventually called Netscape Navigator – was released as beta code. While researchers including World Wide Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee and a team at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications created Unix browsers between 1991 and 1994, Netscape Navigator made this small piece of desktop software a household name. By allowing average users to view text and images posted on Web sites, Netscape Navigator helped launch the Internet era along with multiple browser wars, government-led lawsuits and many software innovations. Here are 15 highlights in the history of the Web browser.

September 2, 2008

Google Chrome introduces
Google announced the beta release of its open source Chrome browser for Microsoft Windows systems. Google offered a developer’s version that supports Linux and Apple Macintosh systems in June 2009. Now, Google is on Version 3 of Chrome, which aims at being speedier than competitors with a cleaner layout and design. So far, Google has attracted more press than users with Chrome. Currently, Chrome has 3.7% browser market share, according to Janco Associates.

March 19, 2009

Microsoft responds to rivals, enhances IE
Responding to innovations in Firefox, Safari, Opera and Chrome, Microsoft released Version 8 of Internet Explorer. Microsoft said it was the company’s fastest, most stable and secure Web browser. One innovation is Web slices, which notify users when a favorite site is updated. Another improvement makes it easier for users to refer to multiple tabs. IE also offers InPrivate browsing, which has the nickname “porn mode.” Microsoft was prompted to improve its Web browser by shrinking market share, which is down to 68%, according to Janco Associates.

June 30, 2009

Mozilla ships faster Firefox
Mozilla released the latest version of Firefox, which offers several performance enhancements, particularly for Web developers. Though not the fastest browser, Firefox 3.5 is more competitive against Chrome and Safari in this area. Firefox 3.5 features location-aware browsing so it’s easier for users to find nearby retailers or restaurants. This version also supports private browsing, which was already available in Chrome, Safari and Internet Explorer. Mozilla says more than 300 million people around the world use Firefox.

August 13, 2009

Netscape founder discloses browser start-up
Marc Andreessen, leader of the NCSA Mosaic project and founder of Netscape, admits to the New York Times that he is backing a browser start-up called RockMelt . The article caused much speculation in the tech press about what RockMelt will be, with many believing that the new venture will create a browser customized for social networking sites such as Facebook.

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The Web browser turns 15: a look back

By Jon on October 9, 2009

By Carolyn Duffy Marsan
Network World
October 9, 2009

Web Browser Milestones

January 7, 2003

Apple enters the browser fray with Safari
Apple released a beta version of Safari, which would become its standard Web browser built into the Mac operating system later that year. In June 2007, Apple released a version of Safari for Windows XP and Vista systems. Safari also is the browser used in Apple’s iPhone. In June 2009, Apple released Safari 4 featuring speedier performance, enhanced integration with Windows and an at-a-glance view of a user’s favorite Web sites. More than 11 million copies of Safari 4 were downloaded in the first three days of availability, Apple said. A niche player, Safari has less than 1% market share, Janco Associates says.

February 9, 2004

Firefox released, gains mindshare with techies
The Mozilla Foundation released a beta version of Firefox – dubbed Firebox 0.8 – that would soon catch on as a speedy alternative to Internet Explorer. By 2004, Microsoft had more than 87% of the browser market, according to Janco Associates. But within six months of this release, Firefox was the preferred browser among techies, winning awards at Linuxworld Expo and being dubbed hot by Wired Magazine. Firefox grew in popularity, and today this free, open source browser has 19.2% market share.

December 13, 2007

Opera files antitrust complaints against Microsoft
Opera filed a complaint with the European Commission (headed by Neelie Kroes, shown here), claiming that Microsoft violates antitrust laws by integrating Internet Explorer into the Windows operating system and by failing to follow open Web standards. Microsoft has offered to provide its customers with a menu of available browsers to download rather than installing Internet Explorer by default in Windows 7. The EC says it hopes to settle the case before year’s end.

January 14, 2008

Web browsers top Internet vulnerability list
For the first time, Web browser attacks top the list of the Top 10 Cyber Security Menaces for 2008 compiled by SANS Institute. The infosec research group says malicious code placed on popular, trusted Web sites is exploiting components of Web browsers, such as Flash and QuickTime. These attacks are gaining in sophistication and becoming more common. In December 2008, Microsoft would announce a “ huge increase ” in Internet Explorer attacks, one of several times Microsoft must scramble to patch a browser vulnerability.

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