Google Chrome continues to be the world’s most popular browser.
Recent figures suggest that over 60 percent of those browsing the web use Chrome.
This software continues to get regular updates with a recent upgrade improving the look and overall performance of Chrome.
Google says the design change is aimed at making website icons easier to see which should help simplify things when navigating across lots of tabs.
However, despite its huge popularity, it’s not the only browser seeing some radical changes.
Mozilla has just announced a big refresh to its Firefox software which improves the overall security when browsing the web.
The new Firefox release gives users the option to block cookies and storage access from third-party trackers.
This is designed to effectively block the most common form of cross-site tracking.
Cookies have been around since almost the beginning of the web.
They were created so that browsers could store small bits of information, like remembering that you’ve already logged into a site.
Like any technology, cookies have many uses, including ones that aren’t so easy to understand.
These include the use of cookies to help track your behaviour across the internet, a technique known as cross-site tracking, mostly without your knowledge.
Speaking about why it’s felt the need to include this blocking feature Mozilla said: “We’ve all had the experience of seeing ads change based on browsing, even across multiple websites.
“These ads are often for things that you have no interest in purchasing, but the economics of the internet make it easy to cast a wide net cheaply.
“Maybe this seems like no big deal, but we think that you should have a say in how this data is used.
“After all, it’s more than just an annoying pair of shoes following you around, its data that can be used to subtly shape the content you consume or even influence your opinions.
“At Firefox, we believe in giving control to the people, and hence giving users the choice to block third-party tracking cookies and the information collected in them.”
If you use Firefox you can find this new setting in Options > Preferences • On the left-hand menu, click on Privacy & Security • Under Content Blocking click the checkbox next to “Third-Party Cookies” and select “Trackers (recommended)”:
Mozilla says that users switching on this update might see some odd behaviour on websites.
If something doesn’t look or work right, you can always disable the protection on a per site basis by clicking on the Shield Icon in the address bar, and then clicking “Disable Blocking For This Site”.
The firm says it will continue to test this feature and hope to release it by default early 2019.
Along with this blocking update, there’s also some more new features coming to Firefox.
These include.
Adapting to your Windows Dark/Light Colour Settings – Firefox will now match the dark or light theme you’ve chosen in your Windows settings to provide the perfect harmony in making you feel right at home.
Siri Shortcuts for Firefox for iOS – Starting with today’s release, people can now open a new tab in Firefox using a voice command. This is the first of several shortcuts that will be added in the coming months.