Chrome for Android comes with Easter eggs
By Stephen Shankland on Feb 09, 2012
Open more than 99 tabs in Chrome for Android, and a tab button that doesn’t have room for a three-digit number just gives you a smile.
(Credit: screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET)
Shortly after Google released its Chrome browser for Android, enthusiasts are finding the Easter eggs tucked away into the software.
One draws attention to the fact that the browser doesn’t have the eight-tab limit of Apple’s Safari on iOS. The browser shows a button showing the number of tabs; tapping the button takes a person to a page with all the tabs showing. But there’s only room for two numeric digits in the button.
(more…)
Article source: http://asia.cnet.com/crave/chrome-for-android-comes-with-easter-eggs-62213368.htm
Tags: Apple Safari, Ice Cream Sandwich, OS, Sundar Pichai
Chrome for Android comes with Easter eggs
By Stephen Shankland on Feb 09, 2012
Open more than 99 tabs in Chrome for Android, and a tab button that doesn’t have room for a three-digit number just gives you a smile.
(Credit: screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET)
Shortly after Google released its Chrome browser for Android, enthusiasts are finding the Easter eggs tucked away into the software.
One draws attention to the fact that the browser doesn’t have the eight-tab limit of Apple’s Safari on iOS. The browser shows a button showing the number of tabs; tapping the button takes a person to a page with all the tabs showing. But there’s only room for two numeric digits in the button.
(more…)
Article source: http://asia.cnet.com/crave/chrome-for-android-comes-with-easter-eggs-62213368.htm
Tags: Apple Safari, Ice Cream Sandwich, OS, Sundar Pichai
Dominance of a single browser is rarely a benefit for the evolution of the Internet.
As we are moving past IE6, the co-chairman of the W3C CSS Working Group, Daniel Glazman, is warning web designers that a similar pain in the neck is growing. Websites that are built entirely with Webkit browsers in mind are threatening to turn Webkit browsers into a “de facto standard” and create another monopoly.
According to StatCounter, Google’s Chrome and Apple’s Safari owned about 34 percent of the browser market in January. In February, that share will be climbing to nearly 36 percent and closely match the market share of IE. More significantly, Chrome 16 alone has accounted for more 26 percent of the HTML5 browser market this month and almost 30 percent if we include Safari 5.1, far ahead of IE9 with about 12 percent and Firefox 9 10 with a combined 16 percent. IE8 still has about 20 percent of the market, but does not support HTML5.
“Without your help, without a strong reaction, this can lead to one thing only and we’re dangerously not far from there: other browsers will start supporting/implementing themselves the -webkit-* prefix, turning one single implementation into a new world-wide standard,” Glazman wrote. “It will kill our standardization process. That’s not a question of if, that’s a question of when.”
In a call to action, Glazman is asking web designers to stop designing websites for Webkit only, “in particular when adding support for other browsers is only a matter of adding a few extra prefixed CSS properties.” He directly addressed Apple and Google to prevent Webkit from taking over the browser world and requested the submission of “complete technical proposals for the proprietary CSS-like properties” in Chrome and Safari to support the open web.
Article source: http://www.tomsguide.com/us/webkit-google-chrome-apple-safari,news-14139.html
Tags: Apple Safari, CSS, Daniel Glazman, Google Chrome
The sponsor of the annual Pwn2Own hacking contest has dramatically revamped the challenge and will be awarding a first prize of $60,000 this year, four times 2011′s top reward.
Google will also significantly increase the money it potentially will pay to people able to hack its Chrome browser.
Pwn2Own will take place over a three-day stretch in early March at the Vancouver, British Columbia-based CanSecWest security conference.
Four desktop browsers — the most up-to-date editions of Chrome, Apple’s Safari, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and Mozilla’s Firefox — will feature as this year’s targets, said Aaron Portnoy, the leader of TippingPoint’s security research team and the organizer of Pwn2Own.
Rather than take a target off the table when the first researcher manages an to exploit — as has been done at past Pwn2Owns — this year the contest will use a point schedule that lets everyone try their hand.
More importantly, researchers will be challenged to devise exploits on the spot.
“The first morning of the contest we’ll announce two vulnerabilities per target that have been patched and give [researchers] a basic proof-of-concept,” said Portnoy. “Until now, Pwn2Own has never been much of spectator sport.”
The on-site exploit writing should change that, as researchers or teams of researchers will be awarded 10 points per hack on the first day, nine points on the second and eight points on the third.
While those scores will be much less than the 32 points awarded for each new browser “zero-day” — or previously unpatched — vulnerability revealed and exploited at Pwn2Own, they make it possible, said Portnoy, for someone to win the big money by adding one or more on-site exploits to the zero-day(s) they bring with them.
The on-site exploits will take aim at older versions of the four browsers that were available during 2011. Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) will likely be one of the targets. for instance.
The top-scoring researcher or team will take home $60,000, triple the maximum Pwn2Own has given in the past. The second-place prize will be $30,000, and third place will collect $15,000.
Last year, the biggest cash prize was $15,000, which went to the first researcher able to hack one of the desktop or mobile browsers put in the spotlight.
Among the other changes, said Portnoy, is the elimination of the random drawing that decided the order in which researchers took on targets.
“That really wasn’t fair to competitors,” said Portnoy, noting that the first in line had a decided advantage because once exploited, a browser was removed from the contest.
“We won’t have any winners until end the end of the third day,” Portnoy added.
Stretching out the contest and offering points for on-the-scene exploits will also distance Pwn2Own from headlines that Portnoy called “sensationalist.”
Because researchers came armed with zero-day vulnerabilities they had found earlier, along with exploits created before the contest, media reports — including those by Computerworld often focused on the short time it took a hacker to break a browser.
Google will also reprise its promise to pay $20,000 for Chrome exploits, said Portnoy.
Last year, Google said it would pay that amount to the first researcher who successfully exploited Chrome using vulnerabilities in Google’s own code. In 2011, it also said it would pay $10,000 to any researchers who employed a non-Chrome bug, say one in Windows, to break out of the browser’s sandbox.
This year, Google will pony up $20,000 to any researcher who manages to exploit Chrome by leveraging Google-only flaws. “Google will pay $20,000 each to any researchers who demonstrate vulnerabilities in Google’s code,” said Portnoy.
In other words, if six different researchers hack Chrome using six different sets of Google-exposed vulnerabilities, the search giant will be on the hook for $120,000.
What Portnoy called a “partial” exploit will earn a researcher $10,000. “A partial Chrome hack uses a bug in Chrome in addition to a bug in the operating system,” said Portnoy.
Because Chrome is “sandboxed” — the label for an anti-exploit technology that isolates malware — a hack of the browser typically requires two or more exploits. The first is necessary to get attack code out of the sandbox, and the second is needed to actually exploit a Chrome vulnerability and plant malware on the machine.
Any money paid out by Google will be above and beyond the three cash prizes given by TippingPoint.
Google’s money may be safe: Chrome has never been exploited at Pwn2Own .
No other browser maker has stepped forward with a similar offer for this year’s contest, Portnoy confirmed.
TippingPoint today posted the revised contest rules on its website, and will release news during the challenge from a special Twitter account .
Gregg Keizer covers Microsoft, security issues, Apple, Web browsers and general technology breaking news for Computerworld. Follow Gregg on Twitter at @gkeizer , on Google+ or subscribe to Gregg’s RSS feed . His e-mail address is gkeizer@computerworld.com .
See more articles by Gregg Keizer .
Read more about cybercrime and hacking in Computerworld’s Cybercrime and Hacking Topic Center.
Article source: http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/413189/google_ups_ante_chrome_hack_revamped_pwn2own/?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=sectionfeed
Tags: Aaron Portnoy, Apple Safari, British Columbia, Microsoft Internet Explorer
Back in August, Mozilla took the WBGP crown with Firefox 7. Can Firefox 9 retain that title? And how are the top Web browsers doing in Mac OS X? We used a Hackintosh last time. This time, we’re testing on the world’s first Ultrabook, the MacBook Air.
Last August, we ran the Web Browser Grand Prix (WBGP) in an entirely new venue. The title was Web Browser Grand Prix VI: Firefox 6, Chrome 13, Mac OS X Lion, and we used the same desktop test system we always use, but Hackintoshed. Despite the fact that an OS X browser took first place in nearly one-third of the tests, some of the more, er, enthusiastic Mac fans weren’t very happy with our platform choice. They set down their Starbucks double venti caramel macchiatos to complain, “But Adam, that’s not a real Macintosh, so of course OS X on a PC is going to suck compared to Windows” and “why didn’t you run it on a MacBook with Parallels?” and (my all-time favorite) “it’s not fair!”
The short answer is that we don’t have a ton of Macs in our PC-centric labs. Nevertheless, we went out and bought a brand-new 11” MacBook Air specifically to satisfy the folks who want to see browsers tested on their native platforms. Welcome to Web Browser Grand Prix VIII, the Mac rematch!
But before we dig our heels into this Mac versus PC Web browser battle royale, let’s get everyone caught up on the latest events and ensuing drama. More than two months have passed since we published Web Browser Grand Prix 7: Firefox 7, Chrome 14, Opera 11.51, and a lot has happened in the browser wars since then.
October 9th 2011: On this day, Chrome briefly became the world’s second most popular Web browser (according to StatCounter).
October 11th 2011: Opera floats the idea of replacing the scrollbar with set length pages which can be turned, like e-books.
October 15th 2011: Google announces that Chrome has reached 200 million active users.
October 26th 2011: Google releases Chrome 15.
October 28th 2011: Mozilla and Microsoft team up to launch a special version of Firefox with Bing as the default search provider.
November 1st 2011: Opera releases an impressive WebGL demo code-named Odin, requiring a WebGL-capable browser.
November 3rd 2011: Chrome finishes October just shy of 25% overall Web browser market share (according to StatCounter).
November 7th 2011: Mozilla releases Firefox 8.
November 10th 2011: Mozilla celebrates the 7th anniversary of Firefox.
December 2nd 2011: Google Chrome overtakes Mozilla Firefox in market share to become the second most popular Web browser, behind Internet Explorer
December 6th 2011: Opera releases version 11.60
December 14th 2011: Google updates Chrome to version 16.
December 16th 2011: Windows Update now auto-updates Internet Explorer to the latest version. Meanwhile, Chrome 15 edges out IE8 as the most widely used Web browser version, although Microsoft claims IE9 holds that title (when only looking at Windows 7 installations).
December 16th 2011: Mozilla releases a developer preview of Apps project and hints at Firefox as a gaming platform.
December 20th 2011: Mozilla releases Firefox 9.
December 21st 2011: Mozilla renews its search bar deal with Google for another three years, at three times the cost of the previous arrangement. There has been speculation that the increase is due to a bidding war with Microsoft Bing.
January 4th 2012: Use of IE6 drops below 1% in the US, and Microsoft is thrilled. “IE6 has been the punch line of browser jokes for a while, and we’ve been as eager as anyone to see it go away,” writes Roger Capriotti, director of Internet Explorer marketing.
September 26th 2011: Google launches a prime time television commercial for Chrome featuring Angry Birds.
September 30th 2011: Microsoft Security Essentials mistakenly classifies Chrome and Firefox as malware.
October 11th 2011: Microsoft concocts a browser security test in which IE9 is “proven” to be more secure than both Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. Apple Safari and Opera were left out of the testing.
November 4th 2011: Alex Faaborg, the lead UI designer of Firefox announces that he is leaving Mozilla. He is the third high-profile employee to do so in 2011. Another Mozilla developer admits Firefox needs to support importing of Chrome bookmarks. Also calls Add-ons for the Windows version of Firefox “awful.”
November 15th 2011: Mozilla adopts three endangered Red Panda (Firefox) cubs and yet again sets up a live 24-hour feed of their pen on Firefox Live. This time the site contains a a warning for users of competing Web browsers.
December 12th 2011: Google funds a Web browser security study in which Chrome is found to be the safest browser. Apple Safari and Opera were left out of the testing.
December 27th 2011: In response to the renewal of the Firefox/Google search bar deal, Chrome developer Peter Kastings says in an interview that “the primary goal of Chrome is to make the web advance as much and as quickly as possible.” Firefox product manager Asa Dotzler counters that “This is Google’s business, they sell ads…”
Wow, what a couple of months! Mozilla seems to realize that Chrome is the real threat, as Google becomes the number two Web browser, and all of the top three continue with their antics. Meanwhile Apple remains silent on the browser front, and Opera has some really big changes in store for 2012.
Article source: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/macbook-air-chrome-16-firefox-9-benchmark,3108.html
Tags: Apple Safari, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, WBGP
If one in 50 people on the web move from Firefox to Chrome, Google’s browser will unseat Mozilla’s for the No. 2 spot in worldwide usage.
(Credit: Net Applications)
That’s because, according to Net Applications’ November browser usage measurements, Chrome is now within 4 percentage points of Firefox. With a 2 percentage-point increase in one and a 2 percentage-point decrease in the other, Google comes out on top.
Firefox dropped 0.4 percentage point to 22.1 per cent of usage in November, while Chrome gained 0.7 per cent to 18.2 per cent. If that rate was to continue, Chrome would outpace Firefox in March 2012, but fluctuations make such predictions difficult.
Firefox once was the prime challenger to Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, which for years languished in the doldrums of software development. Now it shares that role with Chrome and, to a lesser degree, Apple’s Safari. Microsoft is in high gear again, though, with IE9 a credible challenger and IE10 shaping up to be a strong competitor when it’s finished in 2012.
The browser market is now fiercely competitive as browser makers use the software to drive their agendas. For Microsoft, it’s about the Metro user interface in Windows 8; for Google, it’s browsing speed and web applications; for Mozilla, it’s a web built on openness and standards; and for Apple, the best mobile devices.
(Credit: Net Applications)
In November, IE’s steady decline stopped, with Microsoft’s browser holding steady at 56.2 per cent of usage. Microsoft has largely written off Windows XP users by requiring Windows Vista or Windows 7 for its current IE9. The company measures its performance by Windows 7 usage, where IE9 passed Chrome and Firefox in usage and now trails only IE8.
The vast majority of browser usage today is from personal computers — 92.2 per cent. But with smartphones and tablets, mobile-device usage is generally increasing. In November, it reached a record 6.7 per cent, according to Net Applications.
The top mobile browser by far is Apple’s Safari, but it plunged 7 percentage points to 55.0 per cent of usage in November. The Android browser had bumped Opera Mini aside in October for the second-place spot, but in November, Opera Mini clawed its way back. Opera’s lightweight browser, which runs on thousands of phones, surged 7 percentage points to 20.1 per cent, while the Android browser dropped 2.2 percentage points to 16.4 per cent.
Opera also offers a full-fledged browser, Opera Mobile, for higher-end smartphones. But that remains relatively rare at 0.4 per cent of mobile browser usage.
(Credit: Net Applications)
Via CNET
Article source: http://www.zdnet.com.au/chrome-usage-almost-at-that-of-firefox-339327207.htm
Tags: Apple Safari, Net Applications November, Opera Mini, Opera Mobile
Chrome is within striking distance of Firefox for second place in worldwide browser usage.
(Credit:
Net Applications)
If one in 50 people on the Web move from
Firefox to Chrome, Google’s browser will unseat Mozilla’s for the No. 2 spot in worldwide usage.
That’s because, according to Net Applications’ November browser usage measurements, Chrome is now within 4 percentage points of Firefox. With a 2 percentage-point increase in one and a 2 percentage-point decrease in the other, Google comes out on top.
Firefox dropped 0.4 percentage point to 22.1 percent of usage in November, while Chrome gained 0.7 percent to 18.2 percent. If that rate was to continue, Chrome would outpace Firefox in March 2012, but fluctuations make such predictions difficult.
Firefox once was the prime challenger to Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, which for years languished in the doldrums of software development. Now it shares that role with Chrome and, to a lesser degree, Apple’s
Safari. Microsoft is in high gear again, though, with IE9 a credible challenger and IE10 shaping up to be a strong competitor when it’s finished in 2012.
The browser market is now fiercely competitive as browser makers use the software to drive their agendas. For Microsoft, it’s about the Metro user interface in Windows 8; for Google, it’s browsing speed and Web applications; for Mozilla, it’s a Web built on openness and standards; and for Apple, the best mobile devices.
In the mobile market, Apple’s Safari dominates, while Opera Mini and the Android browser jockey for second place.
(Credit:
Net Applications)
In November, IE’s steady decline stopped, with Microsoft’s browser holding steady at 56.2 percent of usage. Microsoft has largely written off Windows XP users by requiring Windows Vista or
Windows 7 for its current IE9. The company measures its performance by Windows 7 usage. there, IE9 passed Chrome and Firefox in usage and now trails only IE8.
The vast majority of browser usage today is from personal computers–92.2 percent. But with smartphones and tablets, mobile-device usage is generally increasing. In November, it reached a record 6.7 percent, according to Net Applications.
The top mobile browser by far is Apple’s Safari, but it plunged 7 percentage points to 55.0 percent of usage in November. The Android browser had bumped Opera Mini aside in October for the second-place spot, but in November, Opera Mini clawed its way back. Opera’s lightweight browser, which runs on thousands of phones, surged 7 percentage points to 20.1 percent, while the Android browser dropped 2.2 percentage points to 16.4 percent.
Opera also offers a full-fledged browser, Opera Mobile, for higher-end smartphones. But that remains relatively rare at 0.4 percent of mobile browser usage.
Mobile browser usage is small but growing.
(Credit:
Net Applications)
Article source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-57334418-264/chrome-usage-within-striking-distance-of-firefox/?part=rss&subj=software&tag=title
Tags: Apple Safari, Net Applications November, Opera Mini, Opera Mobile
Chrome is within striking distance of Firefox for second place in worldwide browser usage.
(Credit:
Net Applications)
If 1 in 50 people on the Web move from
Firefox to Chrome, Google’s browser will unseat Mozilla’s for the No. 2 spot in worldwide usage.
That’s because, according to Net Applications’ November browser usage measurements, Chrome is now within 4 percentage points of Firefox. With a 2 percentage-point increase in one and a 2-percentage decrease in the other, Google comes out on top.
Firefox dropped 0.4 percentage points to 22.1 percent of usage in November, while Chrome gained 0.7 percent to 18.2 percent. If that rate was to continue, Chrome would outpace Firefox in March 2012, but fluctuations make such predictions difficult.
Firefox once was the prime challenger to Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, which for years languished in the doldrums of software development. Now it shares that role with Chrome and, to a lesser degree, Apple’s
Safari. Microsoft is in high gear again, though, with IE9 a credible challenger and IE10 shaping up to be a strong competitor when it’s finished in 2012.
The browser market is now fiercely competitive as browser makers use the software to drive their agendas. For Microsoft, it’s about the Metro user interface in Windows 8; for Google, it’s browsing speed and Web applications; for Mozilla, it’s a Web built on openness and standards; and for Apple, the best mobile devices.
In the mobile market, Apple’s Safari dominates, while Opera Mini and the Android browser jockey for second place.
(Credit:
Net Applications)
In November, IE’s steady decline stopped, with Microsoft’s browser holding steady at 56.2 percent of usage. Microsoft has largely written off Windows XP users by requiring Windows Vista or
Windows 7 for its current IE9. The company measures its performance by Windows 7 usage. there, IE9 passed Chrome and Firefox in usage and now trails only IE8.
The vast majority of browser usage today is from personal computers–92.2 percent. But with smartphones and tablets, mobile-device usage is generally increasing. In November, it reached a record 6.7 percent, according to Net Applications.
The top mobile browser by far is Apple’s Safari, but it plunged 7 percentage points to 55.0 percent of usage in November. The Android browser had bumped Opera Mini aside in October for the second-place spot, but in November, Opera Mini clawed its way back. Opera’s lightweight browser, which runs on thousands of phones, surged 7 percentage points to 20.1 percent, while the Android browser dropped 2.2 percentage points to 16.4 percent.
Opera also offers a full-fledged browser, Opera Mobile, for higher-end smartphones. But that remains relatively rare at 0.4 percent of mobile browser usage.
Mobile browser usage is small but growing.
(Credit:
Net Applications)
Article source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-57334418-264/chrome-usage-within-striking-distance-of-firefox/
Tags: Apple Safari, Net Applications November, Opera Mini, Opera Mobile
04/11/2011
Google’s Chrome web browser has continued to increase its popularity, taking 25 per cent of the total market share last month.
The firm racked up a 24.99 per cent share, catching up with rival Firefox which is currently on 26.39 per cent, according to new research from internet trend analysis specialist StatCounter.
Internet Explorer (IE) is still the runaway winner, with 40.19 per cent of internet users opting for the browser, although its lead is diminishing.
Google’s Chrome gained 1.38 percentage points of market share, while IE lost 1.47.
StatCounter believes that if the current trend continues, Google’s Chrome will overtake Firefox as the second most popular browser in the middle of next year.
Opera and Apple’s Safari browser are far behind the market leaders and their market share has remained relatively unchanged since the start of the year.
Recently, Opera added a new mobile data function to its Opera Mini 6.5 browser so people surfing the internet on the move can keep track of how much money they spend on downloads.
Article source: http://www.bcs.org/content/conWebDoc/42752
Tags: Apple Safari, Google Chrome, IE, Opera Mini
Chrome’s rise and rise in the browser market has seen it overtake its rivals in TechRadar’s latest data – with IE bleeding users and the Android browser coming up fast.
Looking at TechRadar’s own traffic in 2011, it is clear that Google’s Chrome is increasingly a favourite with our audience – finally overtaking Microsoft’s veteran Internet Explorer in October, using data from over 8.7 million unique users globally.
Firefox has traditionally been a strong performer in terms of TechRadar’s audience, but it has fallen away in recent times, whilst Apple’s Safari is the most inconsistent performer.
Safari roller-coaster
A steady slide from January to June saw Safari go below 16 per cent of visitors, but a bounce has pushed it back to over 19.5 per cent in the last month.
But with Opera holding steady at between 1.5 and 2 per cent, it is the mobile Android browser that has increased hugely – coming from nowehere to take more than five per cent in October.
Although the data is affected by major tech releases the shift in power is becoming clear, with Google’s two browsers, Chrome and Android, now accounting for 30 per cent of TechRadar’s traffic.
Microsoft will be keen for IE10 to prove successful enough to prevent further market slippage, but with mobile devices proliferating you would expect to see ground increasingly taken by mobile Safari and the Android browser, as well as the increasingly popular Chrome.
It will also be fascinating to see what, if any, impact Amazon’s Silk browser will have on the data when the Kindle Fire tab begins to proliferate.
Article source: http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/chrome-is-most-popular-browser-among-techradar-readers-1037749
Tags: Amazon Silk, Apple Safari, IE, Kindle Fire
