Browsing

The internet can feel like a full-on assault of the senses at times, with video ads loading up in the corners of the screen or the whole thing being taken over by the latest entreatment from a company that wants to sell you things. It doesn’t have to be this way though, as ad-blockers can quieten the visual cacophony and restore order to your browser once more. There’s also the added bonus that many of them will also protect you against being tracked by the same ad companies in their never-ending quest to get…

With so much content online these days, and a big focus on using phones to access it, there isn’t a lot of focus on good laptops when it comes to things like web browsing. That’s a shame because the bigger screens of laptops mean you get a lot more space to view content and read on; those who often have trouble with smaller letters don’t have to deal with zoomed-in pages on a phone screen. Luckily, there are quite a few options out there when it comes to laptops made for web browsing, and we’ve gone out there and…

Google says it's upgrading the default Safe Browsing mode in Chrome to offer better protection against malicious websites. Until now, this mode has used a locally stored list to check whether a site or file may be dangerous. The list updates every 30-60 minutes but Google says that a malicious website only exists for 10 minutes on average.To combat that, Google is drawing from a feature in Safe Browsing’s Enhanced protection mode to check sites against a server-side list of known unsafe sites in real-time. The Enhanced…

Google Chrome offers users a Safe Browsing feature that checks for malicious URLs before loading web pages, and the search giant has now given it a major upgrade — a privacy-preserving real-time link scanning mechanism that checks an encrypted version of links that a user is visiting via an independently operated server. While the company claims that the 'standard' version of the browser's Safe Browsing feature is much more effective at detecting threats, the 'enhanced' version will still be more effective against…

If you open the Microsoft Edge Settings window, you won't find a Security section because these settings are included in the Privacy, Search, and Services section. But which settings do you change? There are five security settings I would recommend looking into. Here they are:1. Disable Save Payment MethodsAlthough saving your payment methods in a web browser is convenient, it's not something I would ever recommend. To that end, I always disable the saving of payment methods. The problem is that disabling the saving of…

After promising that its software would shield internet users from third-party tracking, Avast allegedly harvested and sold customers' online browsing data, according to the Federal Trade Commission. The maker of antivirus software deceived customers by claiming it would protect their privacy, while not making clear it would collect and sell their "detailed, re-identifiable browsing data," the agency announced Thursday."Avast promised users that its products would protect the privacy of their browsing data but delivered…

HP There are laptop deals that slash the prices of premium machines, but there are also offers that make affordable devices even cheaper. If you’re shopping for the latter, then you should check out HP’s offer for the HP Laptop 15z. From its original price of $500, it’s down to just $250 following a $250 discount. We’re not sure how much time is remaining for you to be able to get this laptop for half-price, so hurry with your purchase if you don’t want to miss out on this bargain. Why you should buy the HP Laptop…

Google is testing a new security feature for Android OS. Called Android Safe Browsing, it helps protect users from malware and phishing attempts. The feature alerts you to harmful links and websites within supported apps. Once rolled out, you will find all supported apps on a dedicated Settings page. Android Safe Browsing will enhance your online security with malware alerts Google offers a wide range of security features for Android devices and apps. Its Chrome browser comes with a built-in Safe Browsing tool that…

Maria Diaz/ZDNETPrivacy-conscious users have yet another reason to ditch Chrome.DuckDuckGo users now can sync their browser bookmarks and passwords securely across multiple devices – all without an account. In the new Sync & Backup feature, data is encrypted locally on the user's device, with end-to-end encryption applied to the sync process.If you're wondering how DuckDuckGo is doing this without requiring users to log into an account, the answer isn't exactly simple, but it requires zero hassle on the user's…

The Arc Library gives you access to some very handy features but stays out of the way when you don't need it. Jack Wallen/ZDNET5. BoostsAlthough Boosts are a part of the Library, they get a spot all their own because of how much fun they can be. Think of Boosts as a way of adding a bit more fun to your browsing experience. For example, there's the Cute Gmail Boost, which adds a bit of color flare to Gmail. There are also Boosts like Twitter Matches Arc Theme, Matte Black, Min GCal, Serious Business Slack, No…