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Tag: browser

  • Google Simplifies Safari-to-Chrome Switch on iOS: Seamless Browser Transition in Your Pocket

    Google Simplifies Safari-to-Chrome Switch on iOS: Seamless Browser Transition in Your Pocket

    Google has reportedly developed a new feature to simplify the process of switching from Safari to Chrome on iOS devices. This innovation should help to streamline what is often considered a complex and inconvenient task due to Apple’s stringent data protection measures.

    A New Tool for iOS Users

    Google is said to be in the process of creating a feature that allows individuals to transition from Safari to Chrome directly on their iPhone, negating the need for a desktop computer. This feature, referred to as the “Safari import” tool, utilizes the Export Browsing Data functionality of iOS.

    To use the new tool, individuals must first create a ZIP file containing their Safari data. Google Chrome provides a clear guide to assist users in this process:

    • Access Safari’s application settings
    • Select ‘Export Browsing Data’
    • Choose the specific data you wish to export
    • Save the created ZIP file to ‘Downloads’

    Once these steps are complete, Google provides an import feature that allows users to decide what data they wish to transfer. This includes passwords, bookmarks, browsing history, and credit card information, with all of the chosen data then stored in the user’s Google account.

    Improved User Experience

    A notable aspect of this new feature is that, once the import process is complete, Chrome issues a warning that the exported Safari file contains private data and presents the user with a swift option to erase it. The feature is currently part of Chrome’s latest beta for iOS, suggesting that it may be incorporated into the forthcoming public version of the browser.

    This development is expected to be well-received by users as the process of switching from Safari on mobile has traditionally been a daunting task, usually necessitating starting afresh with a new browser or resorting to the use of a computer.

    Questions & Answers

    What is Google’s new feature for iOS users?
    Google is reportedly developing a ‘Safari import’ tool that will simplify the process of switching from Safari to Chrome on iOS devices.

    How can users utilize the new tool?
    Users can utilize the new tool by creating a ZIP file of their Safari data, then using Google’s import feature to choose what data they want to transfer to Chrome.

    What happens after the import process is completed?
    Once the import process is completed, Chrome issues a warning that the exported Safari file contains private data and offers a quick option to delete it.

  • Openai’s Atlas: Revolutionizing Browsing With Ai Integration

    Openai’s Atlas: Revolutionizing Browsing With Ai Integration

    OpenAI has escalated its rivalry with Google by launching its inaugural AI-based web browser. The software, termed ChatGPT Atlas, is currently accessible on macOS and is set to extend its support to other platforms in the near future.

    OpenAI’s Internet Ambitions with Atlas

    Atlas, constructed on Chromium, boasts all the conventional features of a contemporary web browser such as tabs, bookmarks, an incognito mode, and a password autofill feature, among others. However, what sets Atlas apart from its counterparts is the integration of ChatGPT into the browsing experience with several unique functionalities.

    One primary feature, dubbed ‘Browser memories’, enables ChatGPT to glean context from your browser history and utilize it when necessary. For instance, users could request the chatbot to recall job listings viewed in the past week or construct a to-do list derived from recent activity. This feature is optional and is designed to delete related memories when the browsing history is cleared.

    Another distinctive attribute of Atlas is the AI ‘agent mode’, which can manipulate a tab and carry out a task independently. In a demonstration previewing the browser, the AI agent successfully compiled a list of ingredients required for a recipe and added them to the checkout page on Instacart.

    A permanent ‘Ask ChatGPT’ button is located in the upper right-hand quadrant of the browser. On activation, it opens a sidebar with the chatbot, facilitating queries about the current webpage without needing to close it or navigate away. The ‘Cursor’ feature is another tool that allows users to edit text using ChatGPT in any text field.

    At present, Atlas is accessible to all ChatGPT users via macOS, with the promise of support for Windows, iOS, and Android on the horizon.

    The Browser Battlefield Heats Up

    OpenAI is the latest player to enter the arena in the struggle for AI supremacy. Google Chrome has maintained its position as the leading web browser for years, but the impending AI revolution is projected to disrupt this status quo. By utilizing chatbots and agents, users’ interaction with apps and websites as well as their approach to work and information search is set to be transformed.

    This anticipated shift is the driving force behind the surge of AI-driven browsers. Despite the recent launch of several AI-based browsers such as Comet by Perplexity, Dia by The Browser Company, and Neon by Opera, along with updates from Google and Microsoft to Chrome and Edge, Apple has refrained from integrating AI into Safari.

    Launching a browser may not be a surprising move for OpenAI, but it will require more than that to sway users. Although it’s likely that many dedicated ChatGPT users may promptly transition to Atlas, achieving mainstream adoption for a new browser is a significant undertaking.

    Personally, I am not yet willing to abandon the horizontal tabs feature of Arc. While the AI-driven features of ChatGPT are intriguing, they don’t present a compelling case for me to break away from my established habits.

    Questions & Answers

    What is the unique feature of OpenAI’s new browser, Atlas?
    Atlas distinguishes itself through the integration of ChatGPT into the browsing experience, offering unique features like ‘Browser memories’ and an AI ‘agent mode’ that can independently carry out tasks.

    Which platforms currently support Atlas?
    Atlas is available on macOS for all ChatGPT users, with plans for support for Windows, iOS, and Android in the works.

    What is the impact of AI on the browsing experience?
    AI is set to transform how users interact with apps and websites as well as their approach to work and information search, driving the current surge of AI-driven browsers.

  • Google beware: OpenAI launches AI browser rival, Atlas

    Google beware: OpenAI launches AI browser rival, Atlas

    OpenAI recently launched its highly anticipated artificial intelligence (AI) driven web browser, ChatGPT Atlas, in a bid to challenge Google Chrome’s supremacy. The new browser builds on the company’s popular chatbot, ChatGPT, which has an impressive 800 million weekly active users. The unveiling of Atlas marks a strategic move by OpenAI to further infiltrate users’ digital lives, collecting data about consumer browsing behavior. This development could potentially ignite a wider shift towards AI-enhanced search as users increasingly adopt conversational tools that synthesize information, moving away from traditional, keyword-based search results provided by Google.

    Assessing the Market Impact

    The announcement of OpenAI’s new browser appears to have had an immediate impact on the market, with shares of Alphabet, the parent company of Google Chrome, falling by 1.8% in afternoon trading. The move by OpenAI to launch a web browser adds to a growing list of AI browsers, including Perplexity’s Comet, Brave Browser, and Opera’s Neon. These companies are in a race to integrate features that can summarize web pages, auto-fill forms, and write code to attract users.

    Atlas, with ChatGPT embedded in its interface, allows users to simplify content, compare products, or analyze data from any website. A new ‘agent mode’ feature, accessible to paid users, allows ChatGPT to interact with websites on the user’s behalf, performing tasks from beginning to end, such as planning and booking a trip.

    Live Demonstration of Capabilities

    A live demonstration by OpenAI developers showcased Atlas’ capabilities. The developers demonstrated how ChatGPT could locate an online recipe and automatically purchase all the necessary ingredients. The AI performed this task by navigating to the Instacart website and adding the necessary grocery items to the cart, a task that took several minutes to accomplish.

    The browser is now globally available on Apple’s macOS, with versions for Windows, iOS, and Android scheduled for future release.

    OpenAI’s Evolution and Competitive Landscape

    OpenAI, led by Sam Altman, revolutionized the tech industry with the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022. Despite its initial success, the company has faced fierce competition from Google and startup Anthropic, which has led OpenAI to seek new growth areas.

    Google has been developing ways to adapt to the changing search behaviors since the launch of ChatGPT, integrating AI technology into their search results and offering a chatbot-like experience to users. Last month, Google incorporated its Gemini AI model into Chrome for US users, with plans for a similar integration in the iOS Chrome app.

    Despite the increasing competition, Google Chrome retains dominance in the global browser market, with a 71.9% share as of September, according to StatCounter. However, analysts believe the advent of a new browser from OpenAI could disrupt the market, intensifying competition for advertising revenue.

    Questions & Answers

    What is ChatGPT Atlas?
    ChatGPT Atlas is an artificial intelligence-driven web browser developed and launched by OpenAI. It is built around the company’s popular chatbot, ChatGPT.

    What are the primary features of ChatGPT Atlas?
    One of the main features of Atlas is the integration of ChatGPT into its interface, which allows users to summarize content, compare products, or analyze data from any site. In ‘agent mode’, ChatGPT can interact with websites on the user’s behalf, executing tasks from start to finish.

    How does the launch of Atlas impact Google and the AI browser market?
    The launch of Atlas adds to the growing list of AI browsers in the market, posing a direct challenge to Google Chrome’s dominance. This development could potentially ignite a wider shift towards AI-enhanced search and intensify competition for advertising revenue.

  • DuckDuckGo Mobile Browser blocks you from being tracked

    DuckDuckGo Mobile Browser blocks you from being tracked

    Since it was first released on February 29th, 2008, DuckDuckGo has became known as a privacy-first search engine, a browser that blocks trackers from following you, and an app that protects you from trackers even when you’re simply accessing your email.
    Now you’re probably wondering how DuckDuckGo makes money, and that is a fair question. The company explains that since it doesn’t collect your personal data, the search results you see on DuckDuckGo are based on the websites you are viewing rather than allowing trackers to use your browsing history to figure out who you are as a person. For example, if you are searching for cars, you’ll see search recommendations on DuckDuckGo about cars.
    And since search results aren’t based on the data profile that others create about you, the search results you see and the accompanying ads are all based on keywords you’ve typed in. As an example, if you open the DuckDuckGo app and search for dishwashers, you’ll see results for dishwashers that are for sale. On the other hand, if you search on Google, your searches become part of a data profile that allows advertisers to follow you around the internet.
    When you search for something on Google, you soon see ads for the product all over the place when you’re online. According to the Princeton Web Transparency & Accountability Project, Google has trackers following you on 76% of websites on the internet. The same source says that Facebook has hidden trackers on 25% of websites online.
    As a result, Google and Amazon have created huge data profiles that track your “interests, past purchases, search, browsing and location history, and much more. This personal data is stored indefinitely and used for invasive targeted advertising that can follow you around the Internet. And this information can be used for “hyper-targeting” which allows bad actors to use this data to influence elections, create discriminatory scenarios, and more.
    DuckDuckGo quotes former Google CEO and Chairman Eric Schmidt as saying that “Google’s policy on a lot of these things is to get right up to the creepy line, but not cross it.” But as the search engine points out, “for most people, that line was crossed by Google, Facebook, and others long ago.”
    If you want to give DuckDuckGo a shot, you can install it on your iPhone from the App Store, or for your Android phone from the Google Play Store.
    Now we must point out that not everyone has a disdain for being tracked across the internet. It does help some people more easily compare pricing on a product they are interested in buying.
    When you open a website using DuckDuckGo, you can see how many trackers are blocked by the app in real time. For example, 24 trackers were disabled on the ESPN site when we used the DuckDuckGo browser to visit the site just seconds ago. On the DuckDuckGo app, you can go into settings to block email trackers and hide your email address without switching your email provider. You can also sign up for App Tracking Protection and block trackers hiding in your other apps.

    Inside the settings menu on the app, there is a setting for you to change the color of the iconic DuckDuckGo icon. The bow-tie wearing drake can be changed to appear in orange, red, green, blue, purple, and black.

     

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  • Vivaldi is world’s first mobile browser to introduce two rows of tabs

    Vivaldi is world’s first mobile browser to introduce two rows of tabs

    Vivaldi is trying to appease as many Android users as possible, so the most recent update for the mobile browser brings a world premiere. Vivaldi 5.0 is the world’s first mobile browser to offer a “two-level tab stacks” solution. Additionally, Vivaldi’s Android browser brings built-in Panels on tablets and Chromebooks, another first.

    Back to the “two-level tabs stacks” solution, this has been launched on Vivaldi’s desktop browser earlier this year and allows users to manage multiple web pages smoothly and easily. Starting today, the same feature but designed for mobile devices, is available for Android users.

    To enable the new feature, simply long-press the New Tab button and select “New Tab Stack.” That should allow you to start using the new stack/group created, with the current tab and one new additional tab. There’s another way to make a group of tabs from the Tab Switcher: drag one tab on top of another to create a new stack.

    But this isn’t the only new feature included in the latest Vivaldi update. An improved tab interface and new ways to tweak the Tab Bar have been added too. The built-in Notes tool has been enhanced too so that Android users can quickly handle big chunks of text from a webpage to an existing note with an “Append to Note” option when highlighting text.

    Vivaldi 5.0 is also a big step up for tablet users, as developers have been working to optimize the browser for bigger screens. Apart from a new design, the new version of Vivaldi features a side Panel to make it easier for users to optimize their screen space better on tablets.

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  • Google Chrome delays removal of third-party cookies to 2023

    Google Chrome delays removal of third-party cookies to 2023

    Google has moved to an updated time frame for fulfilling its 2020 plan to eventually remove all third-party cookies from its official browser, Chrome. That annoying third-party data collection prompt asking you to “accept” or “reject” cookies, on most websites we visit these days, will soon be a thing of the past.

    This new leap is just one of Google’s recent initiatives to associate its brand name with a bit of privacy awareness, although everyone knows how Google gets its big bucks: AdSense and advertising services. And that goes hand-in-hand with the fact that the more Google uses tracking and data collection to target audiences, the more money there is to be made.

    It’s a bit of a catch-22 situation, but with the Privacy Sandbox initiative announced back in 2019, Google has seemingly been trying to work towards a slightly less privacy-invasive balance.

    Today, Google announced that by the end of 2023, we can expect third-party cookies to be gone entirely from Chrome. More specifically, they will be phased out over a period of exactly three months, “starting in mid-2023 and ending in late 2023.” The original plan was to remove them in early 2022.

    The reason for leaving two years in between is because, Google wants to have certain “key technologies” in place by the end of next year. Among these key technologies is the “widely disabled FLoC” (an algorithm that allows ad selection without sharing individuals’ browsing behavior), as well as other APIs driven by privacy.-

    Google has shared the following two-step plan for phasing out third-party cookies in Chrome.

    • Stage 1 (Starting late-2022): Once testing is complete and APIs are launched in Chrome, we will announce the start of stage 1. During stage 1, publishers and the advertising industry will have time to migrate their services. We expect this stage to last for nine months, and we will monitor adoption and feedback carefully before moving to stage 2.
    • Stage 2 (Starting mid-2023): Chrome will phase out support for third-party cookies over a three-month period finishing in late 2023.

    It’s already been over a year since Google began searching for ways to limit personally identifying data while still being able to deliver ads to the right groups of people “sufficiently large enough to maintain anonymity,” with the Google Sandbox. We can’t fool ourselves that the search will ever be on the same level as Apple when it comes to browsing and privacy, but it’s definitely taken a couple of steps in the right direction.

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  • Time is running out for Google to fix frustrating Chrome OS bug found on Android apps

    Time is running out for Google to fix frustrating Chrome OS bug found on Android apps

    Google is racing against the clock to get a bug fix out in time because in just three days, Chrome OS 87 is to be released on the Stable channel. Android apps have never fared well on Chrome OS and now this bug is greatly slowing down the input speeds that a user deals with when typing on the keyboard while running an Android app on Chrome OS 87. The keyboard input slows down to a crawl forcing the user to wait for the previous line he typed to hit the screen before typing the next line. The issue has been affecting users on the Beta, Dev, and Canary channels on Chrome OS 87.

    Even though the slowdown doesn’t affect the Stable channel at the moment, that could change because after the aforementioned three days, Chrome OS 87 starts running on the Stable channel bringing the keyboard input bug to those who are used to a relatively bug-free experience on that channel. Chrome OS users have been complaining about the issue on the Google support page. One member with the user name of Mattev writes, “Some apps are very slow to type into. What I mean is, if I’m typing stuff like this, the characters lag and take a few seconds to appear on the screen. The Chrome browser works fine. The problem happens in other apps like Opera browser. I’m on the beta channel. Another problem is that when hovering over a tab in Chrome browser, some other tabs flicker light/dark. I don’t know if it’s related.”

    A Diamond product expert named Jim Dantin, considered to be at the top of those helpers that browse through Google support communities seeking to answer questions, had some solutions for a short-term fix. He wrote “The usual cause of “slow” issues, is one or more extensions causing problems, flags that you may have altered, too many tabs open, you haven’t completely turned off your Chromebook recently, you are low on storage space, or you have too many extensions installed.

    • Reboot your Chromebook, don’t just close the lid, every night.
    • Reset all flags. Flags are really intended for the Google engineering/development team, not end users.
    • Delete or disable unneeded extensions. Or, do a Browser Reset to disable them all.
    • Keep the number of open tabs to a minimum, especially if you are doing something where performance matters.
    • Make sure that you have adequate (more than just a few GB) of available space on your internal storage.

    Check your internet speed. I like speedof.me or speedtest.net as a test. Compare to what you should be getting from your internet provider.”

    There is no question that creating documents or just generally typing with this latency bug is frustrating. Last month, Chrome OS users had another issue taken care of. To make sure that Android apps can be readable on Chrome OS, they were universally scaled to be 25% larger. The problem with this is that in the process of scaling these apps, content appears to be too big on the screen resulting in the cutting off of content. Another problem was that users with a digital pen discovered that the tip of the pen was not matching up with where the “ink” was starting from on the display. In other words, the “ink” trailed the tip of the digital pen making it hard for users to draw since the lines were off to the bottom right. Users would be forced to guess when they put the pen’s tip on the display, where the actual drawing was going to show up. And since there was no way to shut off uniform scaling, some workarounds were suggested such as the use of an app called Activity Launcher.

    1) Install the app, launch it, and search for “display.” 2) Click on com.android.settings. DisplaySettings to launch hidden display settings.3) Click on “Advanced” and then “Screen Size.” 4) Move the display size to “small” bymoving the slider to the left.You must repeat these instructions from step two to four every time you log out or restart your Chromebook. Following this workaround will return the apps to the way they looked before uniform scaling was first tried on Chrome OS.

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  • New Chrome feature being tested for Android can save battery life and data

    New Chrome feature being tested for Android can save battery life and data

    Google is testing a new feature for the Chrome browser app on Android. A “download later” feature will allow Chrome users to schedule downloads on the mobile browser. All the user needs to do is select the time and date when he wants the browser to start downloading. This feature can also be set to start a download from the browser when a Wi-Fi connection is detected.

    The “Download later” feature is being tested on version 86 of the Chrome Canary app. This is a very unstable version of Chrome that can be installed from the Google Play Store. You can enable the feature by downloading the Canary app on your Android phone. Then you need to enable a flag by following these directions: Open Chrome Canary and type in chrome://flags. Search for “Enable download later.” You will see three options from a drop-down menu; select “Enabled” and restart the Chrome Canary app. Once this has occurred, whenever you try to download a webpage from Chrome you will see the options to “Choose when to download” with Now, over Wi-Fi, and “Pick date and time” as options.

    We don’t know when this new feature will be made available to a stable version of Chrome and it is likely that Google will tweak it several times before “Download later” is ready for prime time. The advantage of offering this feature is that if you want to download content from the Chrome browser, you can do so without using up your data or battery life by arranging for the downloading process to take place at a certain time or over Wi-Fi.

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  • Samsung Internet Browser beta shows privacy and interface improvements

    Samsung Internet Browser beta shows privacy and interface improvements

    Samsung devices come with the South Korean giant’s own app ecosystem, including an email client and an internet browser app. And although most Android users usually stick with Google’s offerings, namely Gmail and Google Chrome, Samsung’s own internet browser is becoming a respectable alternative to the latter.

    In its new beta version, the Samsung Internet app brings a number of security and privacy-related updates, including support for DuckDuckGo, which is a search engine that’s primarily focused on user privacy, its tagline being “The Search Engine That Doesn’t Track You.”

    Another great addition is support for third party content (advertising) blockers. SamMobile also reports that a new feature called “Block unwanted pages” will combat shady websites that would normally be a hassle to get out of, requiring several back button taps.

    The Samsung Internet Beta app also introduces some convenient customizations, such as the ability to add shortcuts to actions like Share or activating Secret Mode (an alternative to Incognito in Chrome) to the menu bar.

    Its other notable features include support for progressive web apps, allowing for certain websites to be installed as apps. Samsung’s Video Assistant also made a return recently, letting users switch between viewing modes while watching videos. 360° video support and an Amazon Shopping assistant, allowing for comparing products and finding deals, are also available.

    The browser itself is based on the open-source Chromium project, much like Chrome and Microsoft’s new Edge browser, so web pages should load and behave as they do in those alternatives, with no issues.

    It’s not certain if all of the features seen in the beta will make it to the main Samsung Internet Browser app, and when, though generally a jump from beta shouldn’t take too long.

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  • Roadmap reveals the Transition for an Android browser will Happen

    Roadmap reveals the Transition for an Android browser will Happen

    Back last summer, we told you that Mozilla is working on a new Android browser called Fenix. The app will eventually replace Firefox for Android and a support document posted by Mozilla offers something of a roadmap for this transition. After the Firefox browser app for Android receives Firefox68 in July, future updates will only carry security patches and bug fixes. The Firefox browser will be moved to the Extended Support Release (ESR) branch where Mozilla can manage engineering, testing, and release builds until Firefox reaches EOL (End-of-life) status.
    As we said, the Fenix browser will replace Firefox, but not until Mozilla is sure that Fenix has reached “migration readiness status.” So Firefox will continue to be kept secure and supported until Mozilla is sure that its new browser is ready to receive the migration of Firefox users. Based on the timeline created by the not for profit developer, Firefox will be kept alive until sometime next year.
    The timeline for Firefox, calls for an update to version 67 on May 14th, 2019 followed by the Firefox68 update to be disseminated on July 9th. After being moved to the ESR branch, the browser app will be updated in September, October, and December (again, these updates are for security and bug fixes only). As soon as Fenix is ready to receive those using the legacy version of Firefox, support for the latter will come to an end.
    Fenix was built from scratch; it will feature a brand new UI. Like Samsung’s OneUI interface, the most used elements will be found on the bottom of the screen. Swiping up on the display will show more available actions, and once you’re finished browsing on Fenix, open tabs are saved in a bundle called “sessions.” When the browser is in use, active tabs can be manually saved in sessions.
    Mozilla once said that “Fenix is not your parent’s Android browser.” We won’t know how accurate that statement is until the app is ready for prime time next year.
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  • Could Samsung Internet actually be killing Chrome on mobile?

    Could Samsung Internet actually be killing Chrome on mobile?

    Chrome is the most popular Internet browser in the world. It’s cross-platform, it syncs effortlessly across devices, it’s fast and capable, and it comes with every Android handset, ready to rock. It’s so widely preferred by users that Android manufacturers kind of gave up on developing their own browsers and just release their phones with nothing but Chrome.

    Well, most of them.

    Through the years, Samsung has persisted and kept developing its Samsung Internet browser — an app that was once a laggy mess — and has managed to make a fast, powerful browser that supports a lot of useful plugins and works in unison with other elements across the One UI interface.

    We thought we’d ask you — do you prefer Samsung Internet over Chrome? And it turns out the result is almost 50/50! Not only that, some people report that they are on another Android phone, but make it a point to go to the Play Store and download the Samsung Internet browser.

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  • How to open links in external browser with Facebook Messenger

    How to open links in external browser with Facebook Messenger

    For a while now, both the Facebook and Messenger app have been opening links in their own, internal browser — a simple webview window, which doesn’t support multiple tabs and is there to allow you to quickly interact with something on the web, and even allow said item to communicate back to your Facebook app instantly.

    That said, a lot of people find the internal browser annoying. Why? Well, sometimes you just tap on a YouTube video only to be greeted by a webview window, which opens a desktop version of the YouTube site that you are not even logged into. Lame. Sometimes, you want to open a web page in your Chrome or Safari browser so that it can stay there as an open tab. Other times, you get so into the information you are reading about that you want to quickly open a few more tabs on it and do a deeper research… oops, you can’t — you are not in your browser of choice, you are in Facebook’s webview.

    Needless to say, many users out there would prefer it if their links simply open in a default app of choice — if it’s a YouTube link, just have it open the video in the YouTube app; if it’s a web link, just launch it in Chrome or Safari.

    Well, there’s a solution for that problem… if you are on Android. That’s right, for some odd reason, Facebook does not allow iPhone users to opt out of using its internal browser. If you are on iOS, you are forced to manually swap apps, though it’s not as slow or painful as it may sound.

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  • Browser and search engine UCWeb claims 50pc market shares in India and Indonesia

    Browser and search engine UCWeb claims 50pc market shares in India and Indonesia

    UCWeb, the mobile browsing arm of e-commerce giant Alibaba Group which is behind the UC Browser, is claiming more than 50 per cent shares of both the Indian and Indonesian mobile browser and search engine markets, six years after entering the countries for the first time.

    The company also revealed it has reached the milestone of recording more than 400 million monthly active users globally, including 88 million in India.

    Amid stagnant growth in mobile internet usage and cutthroat competition in its home market, the Chinese company said the successes have been built on its relentless effort to adapt to both media environments, spearheaded by local sales teams, and a lack of any strong local competitors.

    “In these markets [UCWeb] has focused on being a big ‘platform’ that enables users to discover content.

    Indian viewers have a much stronger appetite for sport, music and videos, while less interest in social and gossip news, as in China

    He Xiaopeng, UCWeb’s president

    “We don’t care about short-term revenue and profit overseas. And we don’t rely on small apps to acquire traffic,” said He Xiaopeng, UCWeb’s president.

    His comments came as the company officially shortened its name from UCWeb to just “UC”, in an effort to highlight its upgrade from being a simple browser to what officials called a “digital media and entertainment platform”, which along with other operations such as Alibaba Music, and Alibaba Pictures, form the company’s growing culture and entertainment matrix.

    In a separate announcement, it said in partnership with Mumbai entertainment TV station Colors, it is also launching an English language news conglomerate, “UC News”.

    “India is among the few markets that still see traditional media outlets growing,” He explained.

    “This is different from China and Indonesia, where social media and online celebrity culture dominate.

    “Indian viewers have a much stronger appetite for sport, music and videos, while less interest in social and gossip news, as in China,” He said.

    The company employs nearly 100 staff in India, and a few less in Indonesia, mainly business development and marketing staff, who are backed up by much larger technical and products team in Guangzhou, He said, within a total workforce of 500.

    Chen Chao, the company’s general manager, said it is relatively easy building a successful presence in markets like India and Indonesia, where users are happier to accept foreign companies, and there is a lack of competitive local firms.

    UCWeb has far less interest in developed markets such as Japan, he added, for instance.

    The company’s expansion in the emerging markets comes as growth in the number of mobile internet users has plateaued in China, and browser competition has intensified between rivals such as QQ, which is backed by Tencent, and Baidu’s own browser.

    Zhu Dalin, an analyst with Analysys International, said the announcements underlined UCWeb’s ambition to become a major platform, which alll users can access easily.

    “It is also stressing its customised feeds, but its competitors are doing this.

    “China’s mobile internet landscape has changed so fast that it may not necessarily have developed in the way that UC wished,” said Zhu.

    Unlike during the personal computer age, mobile users can now access content through a various of ways, so browsers such as UC have to fight even harder for users, analysts say.

    India and Indonesia have become natural targets for UCWeb, despite having to overcome tough regulatory risks.

    The company has also built a strong presence in Iran, before being blocked by the Iranian government overnight, along with Facebook and Google.

    He Xiaopeng said the biggest challenge in India turned out to be poor infrastructure, on top of a lack of electricity, water and online payment tools.

    UCWeb’s local operating experience could potentially be an asset for its parent Alibaba, which is also exploring opportunities in markets including India.

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  • Opera ramps up video multitasking for computers

    Opera ramps up video multitasking for computers

    Opera has updated its software for computers, revamping the video pop out feature to enable users to continue watching while working, playing or doing research — in the browser or any other program.

    The “picture in picture” feature now lets users pop out video from even more websites, including Vimeo, and play/pause with a single click. There is also an option to disable the feature, for those who do not need it.

    Users can simply go to a favorite video page, such as YouTube, and run a video. They will see an icon in the middle of the top border of the video. By clicking on it, they can pop out the video and continue watching it even while using other programs on their computer.

    Opera took a deeper look into how people multitask while watching with the video pop out feature in different geographies. The results of this research show the geography of online video preferences around the globe.

    Results are based on aggregated data coming from users of Opera 38 for computers. Data on the individual level or about video content is not collected.

    The top-10 countries for video pop out usage span four different continents, clearly showing that the online video boom is a global phenomenon. It’s also interesting to see that people in some countries – such as Italy, UK and Germany – multitask with video more on weekends, while others, such as China, spend more time watching pop out videos during working days.

    videopopout-infographic-630

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  • UC browser grabs over 50 percent market share in Indonesia

    UC browser grabs over 50 percent market share in Indonesia

    Coinciding with its consistent rise in overseas markets, UCWebInc, the global leading provider of mobile Internet software and services and maker behind UC Browser, has hit a new milestone in Indonesia.

    The browser has clocked in 55.27 percent monthly page-view market share as of 2015 year-end, as per StatCounter. The announcement comes on the heels of another feat, where UC Browser became the world’s second most popular mobile browser with 18.6 percent monthly page-view market share in December 2015. UC Browser is already the undisputed leader in the Indian market with over 55 percent market share, according to StatCounter.

    Looking ahead, Kenny Ye, Director of UCWeb International Business, said: “We’re going to sustain our development by enlarging our network of local partners besides keeping innovating our product. All those learnings from partnerships with e-tailers, content providers, etc. last year have made us remain steadfast in increasing our commitment to the local community.”

    As of today, one of every two mobile pages viewed in Indonesia is processed by UC Browser, and it has become the crucial artery in the country’s mobile traffic. The achievement comes about half year after UC Browser secured first place in the local industry.

    Looking back at Indonesia’s mobile browser market in 2015, StatCounter shows that only UC Browser continued a growth trajectory to climb 3 percentage points per month on an average throughout the year. The browser closed out the year 2015 by doubling its market share compared with its share in early 2015 when it took the championship.

    UCWeb Inc. (UCWeb) is a business within Alibaba Group’s mobile business division and a leading provider of mobile internet software and services. Since its inception in 2004, UCWeb’s mission has been to provide better mobile internet experience to people around the world.