Google Chrome Update Boosts User Privacy with Do Not Track Feature

Users of the Google Chrome browser now have more privacy options available to them. Access to permissions settings has been eased and Chrome now offers a “do not track” feature.

Permission Denied

In an official blog posting, Google said changes to how users set permissions for web pages will make it “much easier to view and control any website’s permissions for capabilities such as geolocation, pop-ups, and camera/microphone access.”

The new permissions procedure enables Chrome users to click on a “page/lock” icon next to a site’s URL in the browser and then select from a list of settings. Different sites can be given different settings and users no longer have to go to settings pages to customize permissions. 

Follow Me Not

Google Chrome also now offers users the option of sending a “do not track” request to any site or online service to try to stop following and monitoring of user behavior after leaving the site. Google warns “effectiveness of such requests is dependent on how websites and services respond” and says it is working with “others” to create common “do not track” procedure.

Joining the Crowd - Is It Enough?

Chrome was the last major browser not to offer its own proprietary “do not track” feature and users previously had to rely on third-party extensions to maintain privacy settings. As reported by Daily Online Examiner, although users will automatically receive access to the feature, they must still manually turn it on in the advanced settings page.

The article also questions the effectiveness of “do not track” as currently offered by Google Chorme and other major browsers. “The do-not-track request doesn't prevent ad networks from collecting data about Web users or sending them ads,” states the Daily Online Examiner. “Instead, it only signals that users don't want to be ‘tracked’ — a concept that means different things to privacy advocates and ad networks.”

The article concludes by saying the FTC may support legislation to formalize “do not track” rules for online advertisers – perhaps the FTC is one of the unidentified “others” Google says it is working with (see more on Google’s interesting history with the FTC on this topic below).

Google Follows Through

Google is following through on a promise it made earlier this year to include “do not track” functionality in Chrome. What Google’s blog posting on the subject left out is that the promise came in the wake of a US$ 22.5 million settlement with the FTC for mishandling privacy settings in Apple’s Safari browser.

Whatever prompted Google’s move, it brings Chrome in line with its competitors in terms of user privacy, though until “do not track” has more teeth it may not serve as a real deterrent to advertisers surreptitiously monitoring the online activities of private individuals.

 

 

Source : cmswire[dot]com

Google Search Results Page Shifts Navigation Tools, Removes Sidebar

Google has slightly altered its search engine results page, and the company now says its search experience is more consistent across mobile devices and the desktop.

Search options like Web, images, maps and videos are now across the top of the page and the sidebar where they used to live on the left hand side is now gone. That means more room for the Knowledge Graph on the right hand side of the page. It also, however, allows for more room on the right side for advertisements.

Clean Search Design

Search results page changes had already rolled out to tablets and mobile phones this summer, and now desktop users in the US are getting a taste of the new design, Google's search team said in a blog post. The changes will roll out to other languages and other regions 'as soon as we can,' the post reads.

More white space appears on desktop Google searches now.

For those who regularly make use of the search options that used to live on the left hand side, they are now at the top. The Search Tools button reveals a little menu of choices below the search options for refining searches by time, location and related searches or visited pages. 

Drill down into results with the same tools, just moved a bit north. 

Searching for the Ultimate Result

Google will probably never stop tweaking its search features, and as long as it remains on top of the search world, that will continue to be its prerogative. In fact, the company has been adding new search features all summer. Making search more semantic is always welcome, and Google's commitment to natural language search makes finding things a bit easier.

There were a couple of other updates that were a bit more controversial, however. First was adding voice search to iOS before bringing it to Android users. That was obviously just a strategic move, but natural language voice search is certainly a fun tool.

Google also began surfacing gmail, Drive and calender results in relevant search queries. This is only available by field trial, so those interested can opt into the program by signing up. Tell us in the comments if you are used to the shifting search results page design or if you think the most recent change is the best one yet. 

 

 

Source : cmswire[dot]com

Mozilla Firefox Aurora Marketplace Opens For Android Users, Time to Get Testing

As apps become a commonplace with both an increased interest in web apps and smartphone usage, there are more and more options for where users can get them. Mozilla Firefox has joined other companies, like Google, and developed its own web and mobile app marketplace.

Mozilla Lab’s Engineer Manager, Bill Walker, made the announcement in a blog post yesterday. In his statement, Walker said that this pre-beta version of Mozilla's Aurora Marketplace was released as a way for the company to get proper feedback from users before releasing the beta and full versions.

Our goal is to collect as much real-life feedback as possible about the Marketplace’s design, usability, performance, reliability, and content,” he says. “Feedback from early adopters helps us enhance the quality of the Marketplace before it is released to larger audiences.”

With their marketplace, Mozilla aims to bring together not only those who use apps for business and recreational purposes, but aims to give users the opportunity to be a bigger part of the Marketplace and Mozilla community. In his post, Walker mentions that Mozilla is always looking for ways to engage with their users, as they can both browse current apps and submit and develop their own ideas for apps.

Firefox Marketplace also offers APIs for app submission, payments, and app discovery,” he says. “Like everything Mozilla does, this ecosystem is always open — users have choices and developers have control over their content, functionality and distribution.

The site also offers potential developers tutorials, FAQ’s and other material to help with the creation and development processes

What’s Available?

As the marketplace is in development, there are a limited amount of apps available. Even though the choice is limited, all of the apps on the site are available for free. Users can either search an app, or browse categories that range from Games and Lifestyle to Education and Business and News. Some of the current Apps include, The Boston Globe, Twitter, MixCloud and WordWars.

Where to Get it

If this marketplace venture proves to be successful, once it’s finishing beta testing it will become part of the Firefox OS that Mozilla has set up for mobile users.

Mozilla Firefox Aurora is available for download through Mozilla’s website to mobile users who have Android phones (version 2.2 and higher). Users can also choose to scan the QR code on the download page instead of downloading the program. In order to use the apps, users must configure their mobile device to accept non-market apps.

 

 

Source : cmswire[dot]com