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Tag: Microsoft Edge

  • Microsoft Edge Brings Video Upscaling With to Low-Quality Videos

    Microsoft Edge Brings Video Upscaling With to Low-Quality Videos

    Microsoft Edge users are getting a useful new feature that will allow them to upscale old, low-quality videos

    According to Microsoft, one of out of three internet videos played in Edge are 480p or less. There are a number of possible reasons, including a media provider serving a low-quality version of the video or the original being shot in low-resolution. The company wants to change this and is leveraging the power of AI and machine learning to enhance video quality during playback.

    We are excited to introduce an experimental video enhancement experience, powered by AI technology from Microsoft research called Video Super Resolution. It is a technology that uses machine learning to enhance the quality of any video watched in a browser. It accomplishes this by removing blocky compression artifacts and upscaling video resolution so you can enjoy crisp and clear videos on YouTube, and other streaming platforms that play video content without sacrificing bandwidth no matter the original video resolution.

    Because of the computational requirements, the feature is only available on computers with either an Nvidia RTX 20/30/40 series GPU or an AMD RX5700-RX7800 series.

    The video being upscaled should also be played at less than 720p, should not be taller or wider than 192 pixels, and it cannot be protected by DRM.

    The experimental feature is available to 50% of users in the Canary channel.

  • Microsoft Edge May Soon Have a ‘Split Screen’ Feature

    Microsoft Edge May Soon Have a ‘Split Screen’ Feature

    Microsoft Edge may be adding a major new feature, giving users the ability to display two different websites in a single screen.

    First spotted Reddit user Leopeva64-2, Microsoft is testing an Edge feature that would allow a user to add a “Split Screen” button to the toolbar. Once activated, the feature would move the active website into the left half of the screen, giving the user the ability to open a separate website in the right half.

    The feature will be a welcome option, especially for those times when users need to compare two different sites.

    Microsoft Edge Split Screen – Credit Leopeva64-2

  • Scammers Are Abusing the Microsoft Edge News Feed

    Scammers Are Abusing the Microsoft Edge News Feed

    Scammers are abusing Microsoft Edge’s news feed, running malicious ads in an effort to direct users to tech support scams.

    Edge is Microsoft’s Chromium-based web browser that replaced Internet Explorer. Like many browsers, Edge provides a news feed for users. The feed also contains various advertisements, which scammers have figured out how to abuse.

    Malwarebytes researchers outlined how the scam works:

    When a user clicks on one of the malicious ads, a request to the Taboola ad network is made via an API (api.taboola.com) to honor the click on the ad banner. The server will respond with the next URL to load.

    This scheme is meant to trick innocent users with fake browser locker pages, very well known and used by tech support scammers. What’s worth noticing is the cloud infrastructure that is being leveraged here, making it very difficult to block.

    Malwarebytes said this particular scam is one of the biggest it has seen, and has been active for at least a couple of months. Users should use an ad and malware blocker, and may be better off using another browser until Microsoft addresses the issue.

  • Goodbye and Good Riddance: Internet Explorer Is Officially History

    Goodbye and Good Riddance: Internet Explorer Is Officially History

    Microsoft has officially retired Internet Explorer, ending support for the web browser that was instrumental in helping the company defeat Netscape.

    Internet Explorer has been on the scene for nearly 27 years, and was Microsoft’s answer to Netscape. Netscape helped popularize the web browser and was poised to help the browser become a platform of its own, one that could pose a threat to Windows. Microsoft went on the attack, using Internet Explorer, and ultimately won the first Browser Wars.

    Fast-forward more than two decades and Internet Explorer is barely a footnote, long since replaced with Microsoft Edge and eclipsed by Google Chrome, Apple’s Safari, and Netscape’s successor, Mozilla Firefox. Microsoft has been working to move users toward Edge, and has now ended all support for Internet Explorer.

    Read more: Microsoft Edge Has Worst Default Privacy Settings

    “After 25+ years of helping people use and experience the web, Internet Explorer (IE) is officially retired and out of support as of today, June 15, 2022,” writes Sean Lyndersay, General Manager, Microsoft Edge Enterprise. “To many millions of you, thank you for using Internet Explorer as your gateway to the internet.”

    For those who remember how awful it was to support Internet Explorer when creating websites, trying to make them compatible with the browser’s horrible standards support — goodbye and good riddance. You won’t be missed.

  • Microsoft and Shopify to Display Listings in Microsoft’s Products

    Microsoft and Shopify to Display Listings in Microsoft’s Products

    Microsoft and Shopify are partnering to display merchant listings in Bing, as well as Microsoft Edge and Microsoft Start.

    Shopify is one of the leading e-commerce platforms, with over 1.7 million merchants. Microsoft is looking to bring more products to its users across its Bing, Microsoft Edge and Microsoft Start products.

    The company made the announcement in a blog post.

    For the millions of shoppers using Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Bing, and more recently Microsoft Start, this means a deeper selection of products from more than 1.7 million Shopify merchants. Using the Shopping tab on Microsoft Bing, and Microsoft Edge, you will now see more diverse products, better prices, and improved discovery of deals. You will also be able to simply check out via the Shopping tab on Microsoft Bing quickly and securely.

    The new partnership will also significantly improve visibility and reach for Shopify merchants.

    For Shopify merchants, this partnership will help significantly expand the reach of their brands and products with just a few clicks. Getting started is simple; using the improved Microsoft Channel app, merchants can easily connect with shoppers across the Microsoft network. Shopify merchants’ products will also automatically show on the Shopping tab on Microsoft Bing and the Microsoft Start Shopping tab for free as product listings. Shopify merchants will also find value in creating new ad campaigns and viewing marketing performance through real-time reports in their Shopify store.

    Microsoft says the new partnership is just the beginning of enhancements it has planned for shoppers.

  • Another Week, Another Round of Serious Google Chrome Security Flaws

    Another Week, Another Round of Serious Google Chrome Security Flaws

    In what is becoming a regular occurrence, Google has issued another Chrome update to fix a number of issues, including seven serious security flaws.

    Google Chrome is the most popular desktop browser by a wide margin. Unfortunately, it also seems to have its fair share of security issues, with Google issuing a patch every couple to few weeks to fix critical ones.

    Google has now issued another fix, addressing seven serious security issues. Even the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is recommending users and admins update immediately.

    This version addresses vulnerabilities that an attacker could exploit to take control of an affected system.

    CISA encourages users and administrators to review the Chrome Release Note and apply the necessary updates.

    A recent report showed Firefox has dropped 50 million users in the last couple of years, and is now hovering around 200 million. Google’s ongoing issues show why it’s important to not only have a variety of browsers on the market, but also ones that use different rendering engines.

    Safari uses Webkit, Firefox uses Gecko and Chrome is based on the Chromium codebase, which uses Blink. Many others, such as Brave, Opera, Vivaldi and Microsoft Edge are also based on Chromium, meaning they all use the same engine.

    As a result, with the popularity of Apple’s Safari on mobile, and Chrome-based browsers on the desktop, Firefox’s future as a private, secure third option is more important than ever.

  • Google Releases Chrome Update Addressing Zero-Day Exploit

    Google Releases Chrome Update Addressing Zero-Day Exploit

    Google has released a major updated for its Chrome web browser, addressing a number of security issues, including a zero-day exploit.

    Google Chrome is currently the most popular web browser on the market by a wide margin. In addition to the success it enjoys as a standalone product, a number of companies use Chrome’s rendering engine, Chromium, as the basis of their browsers. Microsoft Edge, Brave, Opera and Vivaldi are just a few of the browsers built on Chromium.

    The latest update addresses a number of security issues, the most important of which is a zero-day exploit. Google has published details on its blog, and will roll the update out to individuals who don’t apply the patch on their own.

    Users of Chromium-based browsers should likewise check to make sure they’re running the latest version of their browsers.

  • Brave Web Browser Passes 20 Million Monthly Users, 7 Million Daily

    Brave Web Browser Passes 20 Million Monthly Users, 7 Million Daily

    Brave web browser is making inroads in the market, announcing it now has 20 million monthly active users and 7 million daily active users.

    Brave is distinguishing itself as a browser that focuses on privacy and security. By default, the browser is considered to be more secure than Firefox. At the same time, thanks to its Chromium engine—the same engine that powers Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge— Brave generally offers top-tier performance, often beating rivals.

    When it comes to monetization, Brave uses a somewhat unique method. The browser aggressively blocks ads, but gives users the option of seeing ads from Brave’s own network that, again, emphasizes privacy. This model seems to be a hit for all parties, as Brave boasts a click-through rate of 9%, well above the industry average of 2%.

    In addition, Brave allows individuals to become verified content creators. Other users can then use Brave’s own cryptocurrency, Basic Attention Tokens, to tip their favorite content creators.

    Brave’s features and performance seem to be gaining traction. The browser’s current 20 million monthly active users is up from 8.7 million a year ago. Similarly, the 7 million daily active users is up from 3 million a year ago. Since Apple began allowing users to set their default iOS browser in iOS 14, Brave’s daily active iOS users has grown 34%.

    At a time when Mozilla is still struggling to break free from its dependance on Google subsidies, and other major browsers are bundled with operating systems, it’s good to see an independent browser succeeding with an innovative approach to monetization and sustainability.

  • Windows 10 Beta Changes Start Menu

    Windows 10 Beta Changes Start Menu

    Microsoft has released the latest beta of Windows 10 and it includes a major change to the Start menu.

    The Start menu is one of the most recognized features of Windows, so any change to it is sure to gain attention. The latest changes involves theme-aware tiles.

    “We are freshening up the Start menu with a more streamlined design that removes the solid color backplates behind the logos in the apps list and applies a uniform, partially transparent background to the tiles,” writes Brandon LeBlanc / Senior Program Manager, Windows Insider Program. “This design creates a beautiful stage for your apps, especially the Fluent Design icons for Office and Microsoft Edge, as well as the redesigned icons for built-in apps like Calculator, Mail, and Calendar that we started rolling out earlier this year.”

    LeBlanc says the new menu looks good in either light or dark theme, and even has accent colors for the dark theme.

    This is a nice update to one of Windows’ most icon features, and will likely be a welcome change for many users.

    Image Credit: Microsoft

  • Microsoft Edge Has Worst Default Privacy Settings

    Microsoft Edge Has Worst Default Privacy Settings

    In a study of major web browsers, Microsoft’s Edge was found to have the worst default privacy settings of the entire bunch.

    Douglas J. Leith, computer scientist with the School of Computer Science & Statistics, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, conducted the research on Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Brave Browser, Microsoft Edge and Yandex Browser. The study evaluated a number of different factors, including the data transmitted by search autocomplete features, data transmitted while the browsers are idle, back-end services the browsers use and more.

    Brave took the top spot, with not evidence of “identifiers allowing tracking of IP address over time, and no sharing of the details of web pages visited with backend servers,” according to Leith. Chrome, Firefox and Safari were in the middle of the pack.

    “From a privacy perspective Microsoft Edge and Yandex are qualitatively different from the other browsers studied,” continued Leith. “Both send persistent identifiers than can be used to link requests (and associated IP address/location) to back end servers. Edge also sends the hardware UUID of the device to Microsoft and Yandex similarly transmits a hashed hardware identifier to back end servers. As far as we can tell this behaviour cannot be disabled by users. In addition to the search autocomplete functionality that shares details of web pages visited, both transmit web page information to servers that appear unrelated to search autocomplete.”

    For individuals and companies concerned with privacy and security, it seems Edge is the one to avoid until Microsoft tightens things up.

  • Microsoft Reportedly Plans to Replace Edge With Chrome-Like Browser

    Microsoft Reportedly Plans to Replace Edge With Chrome-Like Browser

    It appears that Microsoft is ready to raise the white flag. After years of trying, and failing, to make Windows 10 users embrace the merits of the Edge browser, the company is now reportedly set to replace it with a Chromium-based offering.

    According to a report by Windows Central, Microsoft is in the initial stages of developing a new browser that’s powered by Google’s Chromium software. The project has been dubbed “Anaheim” and is set to replace Edge for Windows 10. Microsoft is also finally letting go of its EdgeHTML engine and is reportedly ready to use Chrome’s open source engine, Blink. The engine has the crucial task of interpreting the coding used and displays it on your screen.

    Microsoft has not released any official statement yet. However, an anonymous source confirmed the news. The individual also allegedly told Windows Central that it’s still unknown whether the company will continue to use Edge in terms of branding or if it will also opt for a new name and logo. It’s also anyone’s guess if Anaheim’s user interface will be different from that of Edge.

    While the news that Microsoft is finally burying Edge comes as a shock, a lot of users are happy about the development. Basing the new browser on Chromium will ensure that websites will behave the way they do on Chrome, with the instability and performance issues that plagued Edge finally laid to rest. This is certainly good news to many web designers who used to worry about how their sites will look on Edge. It also means less work for them since they don’t have to test their software on more browsers.

    Unfortunately, it does emphasize that the web is becoming more reliant on whatever Google decides, especially now that independent browsers are dwindling. Opera is already using Chrome technology. As a matter of fact, there are only two browsers that are still independent – Firefox by Mozilla and Apple’s Safari. The former uses the Gecko engine while the latter utilizes WebKit.

  • Google’s Project Zero Team Exposes Microsoft Edge Bug

    Google’s Project Zero Team Exposes Microsoft Edge Bug

    Microsoft has been pretty aggressive in marketing its Edge browser and even launched two commercials earlier this year specifically pointing out its advantages over rival Chrome. After being silent for a while, it appears that Google finally counterattacked by disclosing Edge’s security flaw.

    Google’s Project Zero, which found the vulnerability last November, h released the technical details of their discovery. Due to the existence of the flaw, it is theoretically possible for hackers to bypass Edge’s security features and insert their own malicious code into their target’s computer. While indeed a possibility, it must be noted there has been no reported instance of the problem being successfully taken advantage of by hackers so far.

    Google’s policy gives companies 90 days after its discovery to fix any security flaw before announcing its findings. Since the discovery was made back in November and Microsoft has yet to roll out a patch to address the problem, the Project Zero team decided to make the issue public.

    Apparently, Microsoft is still working on a fix for Edge’s security issue. In a response to Google’s disclosure, Microsoft announced plans to release a patch by mid-March.

    “The fix is more complex than initially anticipated, and it is very likely that we will not be able to meet the February release deadline due to these memory management issues. The team is positive that this will be ready to ship on March 13th.” 

    Microsoft has been trying its best to cut into Google Chrome’s nearly 60 percent worldwide browser market share. Early this year, it released two ads touting the advantages of the Edge browser over its rival.

    In one of the ads, Microsoft boldly claimed that Edge was 48 percent faster than Chrome. In another ad, the company tried to convince internet users that Edge was also more secure, blocking 18 percent more phishing attacks than Chrome.

  • Microsoft Edge Browser Will Soon be Available on Apple iPad

    Microsoft Edge Browser Will Soon be Available on Apple iPad

    Edge, Microsoft’s latest browser that replaced the venerable Internet Explorer, could be coming to iPad soon. According to reports, an iPad version of the browser is in the works and a beta is likely to happen by February.

    The Microsoft Edge browser was already available on Android devices and iPhones since last year. In fact, it is doing quite well on the iOS platform as one of its top 5 utility apps. However, what is notably missing, is the iPad support for the browser. But that gap is about to be remedied soon if reports are correct.

    In a Twitter post, Microsoft Edge product manager Sean Lyndersay revealed that an iPad version of the browser is now in the product testing stage. What’s even more exciting for iPad users is that a beta testing of the app, which anyone with iPad can participate in, will likely happen by February.

    “Shh, don’t tell anyone, but the iPad version is in internal testing and looking great,” Lyndersay wrote. “It’ll take a little longer to bake, so we’re going to roll out it to our TestFlight users early next month and get feedback from them before making it widely available. Thanks for using Edge!”

    Microsoft has been pretty aggressive in marketing the Edge browser. The company recently raised some eyebrows when it released ads early this year touting the superiority of the new browser over its rivals.

    “Microsoft Edge is up to 48 percent faster than Google Chrome,” Microsoft said in a recent 30-second ad highlighting its superiority over the Google Chrome browser in terms of speed. The ad then concluded that it is “the faster way to get things done on the web.”

    In another ad, Microsoft claimed superiority over Chrome in terms of browsing security. “Microsoft Edge blocks 18 percent more phishing sites than Google Chrome,” the ad claimed. It then concluded that using Edge is “the safer way to get things done on the web.”

    It is understandable why Window would specifically target Chrome in its marketing. Google’s browser remains the most popular browser to this day, owning an enviable 50 percent of the market.

    [Featured image via Pixabay]

  • Is Microsoft Edge Better Than Google Chrome?

    Is Microsoft Edge Better Than Google Chrome?

    If you value your internet browser’s speed and security, you might have to ditch your current one. There’s a new kid on the block, one that claims to be even faster and more secure than the world’s leading browser, Google Chrome.

    Currently, the Chrome browser is a lot more popular than its rivals, controlling 58 percent market share. However, Microsoft plans to knock Chrome off its perch with a bold new claim for its Edge browser. The company started its assault on New Year’s Eve by releasing two new ads highlighting Windows 10 Edge’s superiority over Google Chrome in terms of speed, security, and battery efficiency.

    The 30-second ads claimed that “Microsoft Edge is up to 48 percent faster than Google Chrome” and also “The faster way to get things done on the web.”

    Microsoft also claims that its Edge browser is even safer than the Google Chrome. In the ad, the company points out that “Microsoft Edge blocks 18 percent more phishing sites than Google Chrome,” adding that using Edge is  “The safer way to get things done on the web.”

    Apparently, Edge is better on battery life too.

    While Microsoft has not exactly explained how it arrived at these two conclusions, it is possible that it may have based its statements on tests done by cybersecurity firm NSS Labs back in October of 2017. Based on the result of NSS Labs’ tests, Microsoft Edge showed the strongest browsing security by blocking 92.3 percent of phishing sites. Meanwhile, Google Chrome managed to block only 74.5 of the sites while Mozilla Firefox had a 61.1 percent block rate.

    At the moment, Google has not yet released a statement in response to Microsoft claims.

    [Featured image via YouTube]

  • Microsoft Edge Browser To Get Porting Tool For Chrome Extensions

    Microsoft Edge Browser To Get Porting Tool For Chrome Extensions

    Last week, Microsoft announced the first set of browser extensions for Microsoft Edge. They’re now available via the Windows Insider Program.

    The initial extensions include: Microsoft Translator, Mouse Gestures, and Reddit Enhancement Suite.

    Microsoft’s Jacob Rossi took to Twitter (via Windows Central) to say that the company is working on a tool to port Chrome extensions to Edge, so that should open users of Microsoft’s browser up to many more options.

    Microsoft’s own preview extensions are available with build 14291, just released to the Fast ring. To add an extension, download it, select Run from the download notification, select More and then Extensions, and select Load extension. Then, choose the extension folder, and select Select folder.

    Image via Microsoft

  • Microsoft Edge Browser Gets Extensions (In Preview)

    Microsoft Edge Browser Gets Extensions (In Preview)

    Microsoft announced the first set of browser extensions for Microsoft Edge. They’re now availble in preview via the Windows Insider Program.

    Build 14291 was just released to the Fast ring, and the extensions are included. The initial extensions include: Microsoft Translator, Mouse Gestures, and Reddit Enhancement Suite.

    To add an extension, download it, select Run from the download notification, select More and then Extensions, and select Load extension. Then, choose the extension folder, and select Select folder.

    “In keeping with our commitment to an interoperable web, we’re participating in the W3C Browser Extension Community Group’s efforts to define standardized extension APIs based on familiar web technologies,” the Edge team says in a blog post. “Today, we’re previewing our first step towards that goal.”

    “This release supports a selection of preview extensions that have been validated by our team to work with the current set of supported APIs,” it adds. “Some planned APIs are not yet supported, but will be coming in future previews. We’ll share additional examples of extensions with future releases.”

    You can check out the extensions page here.

    Image via YouTube