Chrome

Google is one company that doesn't shy away from killing off products, whether or not people have become dependent on them. Sometimes, like with the case of Google+, the impact may not have been so severe. Other times, it sends users into a riot, like with Inbox by Gmail, Chrome Apps sit somewhere in between but, as always, Google's word is pretty much final and users will have to bid farewell to these apps as early as June this year.

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The new Microsoft Edge, the Chromium-based browser that saw the software giant rebuild its app from the ground up in the name of easier updates and less fragmentation, has finally been released. Users of both Windows and macOS will be able to try out the new Edge, though for many it won't be their first taste of the updated browser.

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Google seems to be putting its products on a sugar diet. First, it gets rid of Android's dessert names, now it wants Chrome to go cookie-free. Granted, web cookies have gone beyond being useful to the point of being a liability. And Google should know, considering how close it is not just to the Web but to the whole advertising industry that corrupted those cookies. Now it's making rather bold moves that will shake up that very industry by removing support for cookies from one of the world's most used browsers.

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Beginning on March 1st, new Android users in Europe will be greeted by something new when opening Chrome for the first time. Instead of simply seeing the Google search bar, they'll be asked to make one of four search providers their default for Chrome. Google today revealed which search engines will appear alongside its own, and each country will have its own selection.

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The Web as a whole has shunned the kinds of ads that pop up in your face but, unfortunately, there are some popups that may be critical to protecting the user. These usually involve asking the user's permission to use cookies or send them notifications. Of these two, the latter is actually less critical considering almost all users either ignore the request or say "No" outright. Fortunately, browser makers have finally taken notice and have implemented less annoying ways to ask users' permission.

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There is a certain benefit to Google's strategy of rolling out updates only in waves rather than all at once. When a bug is uncovered early on, the update can be halted to prevent affecting all users. That was the exact scenario that faced Android users when the latest Chrome 79 version started rolling out, causing a specific set of apps to lose their data. While the update has now been halted the damage has unfortunately been done to those affected by the bug.

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Google has detailed the changes and new features that have arrived in its Chrome web browser. Most notable among the changes is a new feature that warns users when their passwords have been stolen, helping protect them from identity theft and other issues that can result from compromised credentials. In addition, Google is making it easier to see whose profile is signed in at any given moment and more.

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The one good thing about Google's strategy of rolling out Stadia features piecemeal is that you are assured that the service is still alive and kicking, despite the many setbacks and criticism it has encountered in just a few weeks. Of course, that also means that you're being kept at the edge of your seat, waiting when your favorite feature will be implemented. The latest update doesn't directly affect the service itself but makes life a little bit easier buy letting Stadia players browse and buy games on their desktop.

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Once upon a time, you couldn't go living a normal Internet-connected life without an anti-virus software of some kind. While the threat and effects of malware haven't really gone down, the quality of said security software sadly has. Some of the giants in that industry have been gobbled up by even bigger giants while others have been accused of using their reach for their government or for their own profit. The latest to fall prey to that tactic is Avast, which also owns the free AVG software, and its questionable activities are apparently also at work even on web browsers.

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Google continues to build out the capabilities of Google Assistant, and beginning today, it can help you buy movie tickets. Google has put its Duplex AI at the center of this functionality, allowing you to ask the Assistant to find showtimes near you. This isn't the first time we've seen Google pair Duplex with the Assistant, as the pair are also used to assist in booking restaurant reservations.

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There are a few things that can ruin an otherwise ideal web browsing experience. Malicious and misbehaving ads are the ones blamed most of the time but pages that load too slowly also waste your time and patience. Often, people will immediately presume it's either the connection or their device that's causing the slow experience but websites might also be unoptimized for today's browsers and use cases. That's why Google is planning on labeling sites that regularly load slowly so that you know that it's them and not you that's the problem.

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Virtual reality and even augmented reality seem to have taken a backseat to other tech news of late but that may be partly due to the growing maturity of the technologies. In other words, they're no longer as groundbreaking or as odd as they were at the start. That said, VR and especially AR are still pretty much out of reach of the majority of users and even developers, which is why Google is heavily pushing for the wide adoption of WebXR standards that are coming to Chrome starting with version 79 beta.

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