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Tag: #internet

  • 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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  • Samsung Internet’s latest release focuses on privacy and security

    Samsung Internet’s latest release focuses on privacy and security

    The 17th iteration of Samsung Internet is finally ready for primetime, the South Korean company confirmed this week. We’ve previously reported about the beta version of Samsung Internet 17.0, but if you missed the news, here is what’s coming in this release.

    As the title says, this release mainly focuses on privacy and security. First off, Samsung Internet 17.0 further improves the AI-powered Smart anti-tracking feature, which is now turned on by default. The privacy function is meant to prevent third parties attempting to track users’ personal information from being successful at that.

    Additionally, Samsung Internet 17.0 offers users an interesting overview of how the browser is protecting their web experience. The updated version of the browser features a visual snapshot of a user’s privacy dashboard via the Quick Access page, which provides a detailed record of weekly activities and settings that can be adjusted.

    The latest version of Samsung Internet now allows users to take advantage of external security or on-device security keys as an alternative for SMS or app-based two-factor authentication.

    Last but not least, Samsung Internet 17.0 comes with several improvements to its overall user experience such as the ability to drag and drop tabs into custom tab groups. Also, the update brings enhanced search experience across bookmarks, history and saved pages. The official version of Samsung Internet 17.0 is now available for download on Google Play and Galaxy Store.

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  • Global broadband less affordable in 2021

    Global broadband less affordable in 2021

    Internet connectivity became less affordable around the world in 2021, according to the latest statistical analysis by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI).

    The share of people’s incomes spent on fixed broadband and mobile Internet services increased globally last year, in parallel with upticks in demand and usage compared to 2020, reveals an ITU-A4AI policy brief, “The affordability of ICT services 2021”.

    Relative prices of fixed broadband services climbed to 3.5% of gross national income (GNI) per capita globally in 2021, up from 2.9% in 2020. The relative prices of mobile broadband services around the world also edged up to 2% of GNI per capita, from 1.9% a year earlier.

    Yet people have sacrificed other goods and services to maintain reliable Internet access during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who can have largely stayed connected, even at relatively higher prices.

    “Broadband services have ceased to be a mere luxury,” said ITU secretary-general Houlin Zhao. “They are a necessity for communication, teleworking, online education, and other essential services. Still, we must urgently address the issue of affordability if we hope to achieve our goal of universal and meaningful connectivity.”

    Affordability gaps have persisted or widened over the past year. Fewer economies now meet the affordable cost target of 2% of monthly GNI per capita for entry-level broadband service, as set out by the United Nations Broadband Commission.

    Consumers in low- and middle-income economies typically paid five to six times more, relative to their income, to use information and communication technology (ICT) services than consumers in high-income economies did in 2021.

    At the regional level, users in Africa paid more than three times the global median price for mobile broadband services, and over five times the global median for fixed broadband.

    “The affordability gap for Internet access between those living in low- and middle-income countries and those living in high income countries is inexcusably high,” said Sonia Jorge, executive director of A4AI. “Moreover, people in rural areas, and women everywhere, are disproportionately affected. A continued failure to address this worsens the situation for those who need help the most. The public and private sectors must work together to connect humanity with affordable and meaningful access.”

    Worldwide, only 96 economies met the UN Broadband Commission target for the prices of data-only mobile broadband prices in 2021, seven fewer than in 2020. At the same time, only 64 economies met the Commission’s target for fixed-broadband prices, down by two from 2020.

    “These findings are a warning sign, and significant improvement is needed as the Broadband Commission’s 2025 target date for achieving global broadband affordability edges ever closer,” said Doreen Bogdan-Martin, director of ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau. “The past few years have proven that connectivity is vital. As we move to post-pandemic recovery, we need to make connectivity affordable for everyone to ensure that we leave no one behind in this digital era.”

    Among the world’s 46 least developed countries, entry-level fixed or mobile broadband Internet costs less than 2% of GNI per capita in only four cases: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, and the Republic of Nepal.

    Fixed broadband services saw the highest jump, with prices increasing by 8% last year (as measured in US dollars, adjusting for inflation).

    This meant fixed broadband became less affordable for many users, with relative prices climbing from 2.9% of GNI per capita in 2020 to 3.5% in 2021. The price of mobile broadband services also increased slightly, from 1.9 to 2.0% of GNI per capita worldwide.

    Historically, global demand for broadband services and their overall affordability have appeared to climb hand in hand, with price drops typically prompting more subscriptions.

    Even with last year’s price rises, both data usage and the number of fixed and mobile broadband subscriptions continued growing globally, suggesting people were cutting other expenses to be able to keep using the Internet.

    To some extent, the relative price increase for broadband services reflects a global economic downturn triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many countries have seen GNI reductions, offsetting gains for consumers even where prices declined.

    On the positive side, broadband operators in many countries increased the data allowance included in their benchmark baskets. Users who could afford those baskets, therefore, received greater value for money.

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  • Google is making changes to the Chrome icon for the first time since 2014

    Google is making changes to the Chrome icon for the first time since 2014

    A tweet from Google Chrome designer Elvin Hu reveals that for the first time in eight years, Google is changing Chrome’s icon. The new look debuted with the update to the Chrome Canary app which is an experimental and unstable version of the browser used by developers and early adopters. Other versions of Chrome that Android users can install are the stable, beta, and Dev versions.

    And not that it has anything to do with the new icon, you still might want to know the difference between each one. As we noted, Chrome Canary offers an untested build of Chrome which might not run at times. Google recommends that only developers and advanced users install it on their handsets since most Canary updates won’t proceed any further.

    Installing the Chrome Dev version of the browser allows you to test out the latest features of the Chrome browser even though, as Google says, they will be “rough around the edges.” Google is hoping that Android users will provide them with early feedback when testing out new features that may never make it to the Beta or stable versions of the app.

    And there is also the Chrome Beta app which is the last step for a new feature before it is added to the stable version. It is not as unstable as the Dev version and features receive their final tweaks on the Chrome Beta app before millions of people use them on the stable version of Chrome.

    Lastly, the stable Chrome app is the safest version of the browser and is the one that you’ll see in the Play Store if you search for Google Chrome. Most of you shouldn’t install Canary or Dev while some of you might have an interest in downloading the Beta version of Chrome on your phone.

    As for the main branding of the Chrome logo, the shadows between the colors (which are easily seen between the red and yellow colors) are being removed. This removes the slight 3D effect that made it appear as though the red area was raised above the yellow. Removing that small shadowy area makes the colors on the newly updated main icon appear flat.

    Chrome’s Hu also noted that “We simplified the main brand icon by removing the shadows, refining the proportions and brightening the colors, to align with Google’s more modern brand expression.” Google found that placing certain shades of Green and Red next to each other created what Hu called “an unpleasant color vibration.” To combat this, Google used a more subtle gradient (so subtle that you might not notice it) in order to prevent the unpleasant vibration from bothering the viewer.

    Interestingly, Google created different variants of the Chrome icon for each operating system. As Elvin said, “We want the icons to feel recognizably Chrome, but also well crafted for each OS. For example, on Windows, the icons take on an obviously gradated look, appearing at home on Windows 10 & 11.”

    On ChromeOS, brighter colors will be used without gradients so that the icon can match the rest of the system icons. On MacOS, a small shadow will soon be employed to give the icon a 3D appearance. On iOS, the Chrome Beta will  show the logo in a blueprint-style background to show that it is a developer-focused app.

    The new Chrome icons are expected to hit your devices soon. Google has been shrinking the size of the Chrome icon going back to 2008 when it had the appearance of a 3D ball. There really is a lot of thought that comes into play even when trying to design a simple app icon.

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  • Vietnam to launch commercial 5G service in 2022

    Vietnam to launch commercial 5G service in 2022

    Vietnam is set to commercially launch 5G mobile services next year as it seeks to increase the number of internet users by reducing the number of 2G smartphones to under 5 percent.

    The Ministry of Information and Communications reported at a meeting Wednesday that the service will be operated with made-in-Vietnam devices. The country aims to have 25 percent of the population using 5G by 2025, it said.

    The government had earlier announced its intention launch 5G commercially last year but the service is still on trial. Some radio frequencies have been dedicated and 5G services are being tested in 16 localities since last year.

    4G services currently cover 99.8 percent of the country.

    State-owned telecom giant Viettel said it has completed research and development work of 5G services. It also said it has successfully run a complete network of 5G services this month.

    The communications ministry has said wants more people to switch to 4G and 5G technology by the end of next year.

    It plans to have 5 percent or less of the population using 2G phones by the end of next year and to shut down 2G services by 2023.

    “This means that by 2023, 100 percent of Vietnamese will be ready to use internet,” the ministry said.

    As of last year, Vietnam had 24 million 2G subscribers.

  • Samsung finally brings one of the most requested features to its Internet browser

    Samsung finally brings one of the most requested features to its Internet browser

    Even though it misses some important features, Samsung’s Internet browser is becoming better with each update. We reported early this month that Samsung is testing a couple of features with the beta version of the browser, but there was no way to tell when exactly these would be made available to everyone.

    It looks like today is the day that Samsung Internet users are getting what we knew it came since the beginning of the month. Spotted an MSPU reader, the update brings one of the most requested features: the ability to move the URL bar at the bottom of the screen.

    Coincidentally, the UI layout strongly resemble that of the Safari in iOS 15, but the important thing that the feature is there, and Samsung users can take advantage of it. But this is not the only change included in the latest update.

    The official changelog also reveals a few other important features that either improve the usability or security of the browser. For example, the Smart Anti-Tracking feature has been enhanced to block tracking by using small pixel images. The same goes for the search experience in URL bar, which now provides search suggestions while you enter search keywords into the URL bar.

    If you own a Samsung smartphone, you should be able to download the latest update via the Galaxy Store, but the app is listed in the Google Play Store as well.

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  • TRAI releases consultation paper on satellite gateway

    TRAI releases consultation paper on satellite gateway

    Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has extended an invitation to industry stakeholders to gather inputs on a framework for satellite gateways in India. This will facilitate the launch of satellite communication services in India.

    Prior to this, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has requested TRAI to furnish recommendations on licensing framework for establishing a satellite gateway. DoT has requested TRAI to address existing limitations in satellite gateway operations as there is no provision regarding the use of gateway by service providers established by a satellite constellation operator.

    The regulator is called to look into factors and make recommendations on entry fee, license fee, bank guarantee, NOCC charges, and other issues which may concern LEO, MEO and HTS systems.

    TRAI has since released a consultation paper to garner inputs by 13 December.

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  • New Samsung Internet Browser beta adds better tabs

    New Samsung Internet Browser beta adds better tabs

    Samsung released Internet Browser 16 beta back in September, which added several important improvements to the Android app. Today, the South Korean company revealed even more new features coming to the mobile app this week.

    Some of the most important changes introduced by Samsung Internet 16 include the updated Chromium engine and the improved user experience. If you haven’t tried Samsung Internet 16 beta, you can find it in the Google Play Store or Galaxy Store, but keep in mind that this is still a work in progress.

    Without further ado, here is what you can expect from the new beta version of Samsung Internet Browser:

    • Results that are pre-loaded domains or answer suggestions
    • Search suggestions related to the user input
    • Bookmarks & history suggestions

    Besides the enhanced search experience, Samsung Internet Browser 16 beta adds Smart Protect against transparent pixels, a type of malicious tracker where tracking sites use a very small image to see what websites a user visits across domains. Also, this beta version of the browser features page zoom support on both phones and tablets.

    Today, Samsung announced it has released another small iteration of its mobile browser, which includes a couple more improvements. The newest Samsung Internet Browser beta 16.0.2 brings some interesting improvements.

    For example, the address bar can now be moved to the bottom of the screen. Also, Samsung has added support for tab groups to make it easier to keep related tasks together. It will allow users to create, edit and delete tab groups.

    More importantly, developers announced that with the new version of Samsung Internet Browser beta users can switch on support for https, which is meant to make connections to websites more secure.

  • 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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  • Samsung Internet gets a bucketload of new features after latest beta update

    Samsung Internet gets a bucketload of new features after latest beta update

    Samsung Internet has become a very decent mobile browser thanks to the many updates Samsung released in the last year or so. Less than a month ago, the South Korean giant released Samsung Internet 14.0, but work on the next version of the browser has already begun.

    Those of you who don’t mind installing beta apps can now download Samsung Internet 14.2 beta, a new version of the browser that brings a wide range of new features and improvements.

    An important new feature involves site permission. This beta version of Samsung Internet lets users customize individual site permission, as they can now activate or deactivate permissions by switching on/off at the sites list. For the time being, permissions are available for Location, Camera, and Mic.

    A Bookmark Bar now shows up in the upper toolbar area in DeX mode and on tablets. You’ll need to enable the “Show bookmark bar” menu so that the bookmark bar is shown. Context menus like “Open in new tab” and “Edit bookmark” are supported too.

    The “Continue Apps on other devices” feature is getting a couple of improvements. For example, you can now use Samsung Internet on a different Samsung device and automatically sync clipboards across devices for copying and pasting text and images. However, for the feature to work, devices will need to be on the same Wi-Fi network with Bluetooth enabled to use Continue Apps.

    Several other features and enhancements have been included in Samsung Internet beta 14.2, such as S Pen Air Action, tab bar GUI enhancement, update popup for new password fill, quick access page at fresh launch, and tip card for desktop view setting.

    The new beta version of Samsung Internet Browser is available for download via Galaxy Store and Google Play Store.

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  • China launches antitrust probe into food delivery giant Meituan

    China launches antitrust probe into food delivery giant Meituan

    China launched an antitrust investigation into food delivery giant Meituan, the market regulator said on Monday, the latest target in a crackdown on the country’s sprawling internet platform economy.

    The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) said in a statement that its investigation was focused on the practice whereby a company forces vendors to use their platform exclusively, known as “choose one from two”.

    Tencent-backed Meituan, which this month raised $10 billion in a stock and convertible bonds sale, said in a statement it would cooperate with the investigation and that its business was operating normally.

    This month, SAMR imposed a record $2.75 billion fine on e-commerce giant Alibaba over the same practice and summoned 34 internet firms including Meituan to tell them to learn from Alibaba’s penalty and not use banned practices.

    Meituan, which competes with Alibaba-backed Ele.me among others, had an estimated 68.2% of China’s food delivery market in the second quarter of 2020, according to Trustdata. Meituan’s businesses also include bike-sharing, community group buying, and restaurant reviews.

    China has in recent months taken measures to rein in its once loosely-regulated internet economy in a clampdown backed by President Xi Jinping that has rattled the industry.

    Zheng Wei, a partner with Beijing-based law firm Anli Partners, said regulators aimed to reduce the impact of dominant internet players on consumers, employees, and smaller firms.

    He said that “regulators aim to prevent internet platforms from using their dominant position to exert influence over governance, including legislative and judicial process.”

    SAMR was adding staff and other resources as China revamps its competition law with proposed amendments including a sharp increase in fines and expanded criteria for judging a company’s control of a market.

    In March, Meituan was among five backers or owners of community group-buying platforms fined by SAMR over “improper pricing behavior” related to subsidies.

  • SpaceX satellite Internet faces regulatory hurdles in Vietnam

    SpaceX satellite Internet faces regulatory hurdles in Vietnam

    U.S. aerospace company SpaceX can only launch its satellite Internet service Starlink in Vietnam if it ties up with a local partner, Vietnam’s Department of Telecommunications said.

    SpaceX, owned by South African-American billionaire Elon Musk, recently announced that Starlink, now in its beta testing phase, would be launched in Vietnam next year and customers could preorder it for $99.

    However, telecommunications and Internet companies are in the list of conditional businesses, which requires the foreign enterprises to partner with a Vietnamese enterprise that is licensed to provide telecom services or establish a joint venture.

    According to the Department of Telecommunications, foreign enterprises are not allowed to independently provide internet and telecommunication services in Vietnam.

    The Department of Telecommunications told VnExpress that the company has yet to apply to launch the service in Vietnam.

    The department said prospective subscribers should consider carefully before making the pre-order since “it is unsure if Starlink can provide satellite Internet services in Vietnam.”

    The pre-order is currently available in 15 countries, according to its website.

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  • Facebook’s First transpacific subsea cable Echo and Bifrost

    Facebook’s First transpacific subsea cable Echo and Bifrost

    Advancing connectivity between the Asia-Pacific and North America regions, Facebook is set to build two new subsea cables — Echo and Bifrost — with leading regional and global partners.

    These subsea cables will connect Singapore, Indonesia, and North America, making it the first transpacific cables through a new diverse route crossing the Java Sea. Moreover, it will increase the overall transpacific capacity by 70 percent and deliver increased internet capacity as well as network redundancy and reliability.

    The demand for 4G, 5G, and broadband access is rapidly increasing within the Asia-Pacific region. Thus, Echo and Bifrost will support further growth by ensuring a widely accessible internet for people and businesses.

    According to Facebook Vice President of Network Investments, Kevin Salvadori, Echo is being built in partnership with Alphabet’s Google and Indonesian telecommunications’ company XL Axiata while Bifrost is being done in collaboration with Telin, a subsidiary of Indonesia’s Telkom, and Singaporean conglomerate Keppel. These two are set to be completed between 2023-2024.

    “These new projects add to our foundational regional investments in infrastructure and partnerships to improve connectivity to help close the digital divide and strengthen economies,” the American technology conglomerate declared on its statement.

    As of the moment, the two new ventures are still subject to regulatory approvals.

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  • IronNet Cybersecurity adds new integrations to Collective Defense Platform

    IronNet Cybersecurity adds new integrations to Collective Defense Platform

    IronNet Cybersecurity, the leader in network detection and response and collective defense, announced new integrations with leading cloud, endpoint, and firewall platforms. These integrations enhance and expand the benefits of IronNet’s Collective Defense Platform for security operations teams.

    New capabilities in this release include integrations with:

    • Amazon Web Services (AWS): Adding new IronNet sensors that enable customers to leverage IronNet’s Collective Defense Platform to secure their AWS deployments.
    • Crowdstrike Falcon EDR: Enabling security analysts to seamlessly investigate threats detected by IronNet from the network to the host, and to contain compromised hosts.
    • Palo Alto Networks Strata Next-Generation Firewalls Native Response: Enabling security teams to generate firewall responses and stop threats detected by IronNet.
    • ZScaler Nanolog Streaming Service (NSS) Analysis: Enabling IronNet customers to apply IronNet’s IronDefenseⓇ NDR behavioral detection to HTTP/HTTPS logs.
    • Microsoft Office 365: Adding IronDefense behavioral detection of malicious login attacks targeting Microsoft’s productivity SaaS suite.

    In addition to these integrations, the new release includes:

    • New User & Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) to detect identity- and authentication-focused attack techniques.
    • Improved lateral movement and port-scanning detection.

    “The ability to correlate cloud, network, endpoint, and other security telemetry data into a richer, more complete picture of a risk-based event helps organizations more effectively evaluate and mitigate a threat. And that is the real value that network intelligence and threat analytics solutions like IronNet offer,” said Christopher Kissel, Research Director, Security & Trust Products, IDC. “IronNet’s additional capability to share information anonymously across a community of peers and enable security analysts to collaborate on threats is a noticeable differentiator in light of the rise of nation-state level cyber-attacks.”

    This expansion of IronNet’s capabilities continues the company’s momentum of growth in both technology and partnerships. David Lathrop, Vice President of the Utility Strategic Business Unit with Unlimited Technology, Inc., said, “IronNet’s latest release is exactly the kind of ecosystem support that helps us provide the unique, comprehensive cyber solutions we offer through the Enterprise Security Program Review.” Unlimited Technology is a founding partner, along with IronNet, DirectDefense, and Exero, of the ESPR, announced in January.

    “Empowering security teams and maximizing the effectiveness of their security investments against cyber threats targeting their enterprise, industry, or region is core to our Collective Defense mission,” said Don Closser, IronNet’s Chief Product Officer. “Together with our security ecosystem partners, IronNet can offer our customers a true, defense-in-depth approach that helps them reduce time to detection and scale up their ability to respond to cyber threats. This is especially important as factors like digital transformation and expanding supply chains are increasing the threat landscape exponentially.”

  • 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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