Tag Archives: Chrome

Brave Browser: Like Chrome with Great Privacy (No Trackers)

After its release in 2008, just 3 percent of people used Chrome for those first few months. It’s been a steady move upwards ever since. Fast-forwarding to today, Chrome browser has obliterated the competition with 80 percent dominance in the market.

The people have voted with their mouse clicks and taps. Chrome is indeed an amazing browser backed by great tech.

So why all this talk about Chrome? Well Brave is a close relative to Chrome. To be more precise it’s built on top of Chromium, which is Google’s open-source web browser project. Most of the code that makes up Chrome can be found in Chromium.

Opposing Views About Trackers

The key difference between Chrome and Brave is philosophy. The founders of Brave believe trackers have overstepped reasonable boundaries.

In short, everything we do online is tracked and saved by corporations. Sometimes that data is sold to other companies too. And no, it isn’t done because they want to get to know us. They want to sell us stuff, and to do so more efficiently than their competitors.

David vs Goliath

Brendan Eich, co-founder and CEO of Brave Software invented the JavaScript programming language and co-founded Mozilla. Eich and company brought us the excellent Firefox browser, and has done it again with Brave.

With established leadership like that, Brave Software has a real shot at converting users to its browser. In fact, it’s already going swimmingly. A website called BATGROWTH is tracking the growth of Brave publishers. This is proving to be a huge year for the browser with no signs of slowing down.

How Brave Gives Back to its Users

Tech companies like Google and Facebook make most of their profit from ads. Traditionally users endure a barrage of advertising messages and in return gain free use of superb web software.

The issue with this model is that we all avoid ads like the plague regardless of the fact that ads are necessary when the service is free. Banner ads were once widely used and are seen less and less due to an effect called “banner blindness.” People learned how to divert their attention away from the noise and focus on the content they came for.

And as advertisers tried harder to grab our attention with videos, texts ads that don’t look like ads, etc., we found new ways to push it all away. Now users have ad blockers to deal with these unwelcome commercial messages.

It’s become an arms race between the user and the publisher.

With no incentive to view and interact with ads, so it’s no wonder the traditional approach is a struggle.

Thus, Brave rewards people with Basic Attention Tokens (BAT) when they opt-in and accept unobtrusive advertising. BAT is a cryptocurrency that can be exchanged for dollars or held if you believe its value will go up. Additionally, Brave has a built-in wallet to store these tokens.

According to Eich, the current internet’s current monetization system is “mature, but troubled,” suggesting that the human attention economy through the Basic Attention Token will eventually replace the need for fund-raising through sites like Patreon or through traditional programmatic digital advertising exchanges.
[NEWSBTC]

Once ads are turned on, by default every two hours a notification item appears at the top right of the browser window. You can choose to view the content or close this notification.

It’s not perfect since people can still tune out the advertiser’s messages. However, since the user is being compensated, the ads are no longer unwelcome. As with Brave’s model, it’s a choice.

Trackers and Ads Get the Heave-Ho

The ads publishers place on their sites are blocked by Brave right out of the gate. So are third-party cookies and trackers used to collect data on your browsing.

It’s pretty amazing to have this built-in to the browser. It works great. Plus, with much less bloat than extensions like Adblock Plus for Chrome. Third-party adblockers are notorious for hogging system resources. It’s good to see Brave addressed this inefficiency as well.

Making the Switch

If privacy is important to you, what are you waiting for?

Download Brave and give it a test run today.

If you’re a Chrome user, you’ll feel right at home. Also, if you like Firefox, it makes sense to check it out as well. Brave carries a lot of the vision over from Mozilla as both were founded by Brendan Eich.

This is a really exciting time for the web. Inspiring new projects that utilize blockchain are reinventing existing tools: in this case the browser. By using Brave you’ll be among the first wave of people to experience the new, improved internet, free of trackers and annoying ads.

Viva la revolución!

5 Hacks to Speed up Streaming

A lot more people are streaming movies today than a year or even a few months ago.

The mass migration from traditional formats to services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video has brought us the gift of convenience but also technical hurdles.

As much as streaming is becoming the way to go, one can only enjoy the experience when they stream without pausing, re-buffering, and other interruptions. Thus, there are two major categories of persons that stream movies: those that enjoy the best speeds and those that struggle with getting decent speed when they stream. This article highlights hacks one can implement to move from the latter category to the former category.

Fix plugins: Current browsers are equipped with plugins for a wide array of different purposes. As much as certain plugins can guarantee a higher streaming speed, other plugins can be a drag when one streams. Here’s how to balance the good and bad effects of plugins.

Plugins still have a cost to performance when not in use. When a plugin is inactive but installed, it could affect the user’s streaming speed. Thus, it is important to uninstall all plugins that are not in use as they can negatively affect streaming speed.

Plugins are best when updated. Thus, to achieve high-speed streaming, it is essential to update plugins. Different bugs are typically fixed with the updated versions of plugins, and this ensures smooth streaming as well as less crashes and time-outs.

Clear caches and temporary files: When a person visits a web page, a lot of activities occur behind the scenes to enable the user to view that page. Such activities include the downloading of temporary files. These files are typically deleted by the browser when the web pages are closed before one exits the browser or shuts down the device in the case of a computer.

However, in some cases, one does not close the web pages properly before exiting the browser, and the files which would have been automatically deleted by the browser are stored. The buildup of these files reduces browser performance, which includes streaming tasks. Thus, to ensure the best streaming speed, one must delete temporary files and clear the browser history. That way, the browser activity is not unnecessarily reduced.

Switch from Wi-Fi to Ethernet: As much as Wi-Fi is the go-to Internet connection for streaming movies, slow or spotty Wi-Fi can cause streaming issues. With Wi-Fi, one makes wireless connections to their router, and this wireless connection does not offer as much speed as is available on the router to the user. When the wireless connection is swapped for a wired connection such as with Ethernet cable, a user gets the best speeds possible. Let’s say one uses a 10Mb/s router. With a wireless connection to that router, they may receive about 50% of that speed. A wired connection such as with Ethernet cables gives the user at least 70% of the speed of the router. So, all you may need to do is to switch Wi-Fi for Ethernet cables. Your device will get better speeds when you make that switch.

Turn off auto-update features: The different operating systems on devices, from Android to Windows, offer auto-update options. With this option enabled, newer versions of applications are downloaded as soon as they are available with special consent from the user. Thus, when the auto-update feature is turned on, apps could check for updates or update in the background when one engages in other activities such as streaming. This background activity can impair streaming performance.

To stream high-quality videos, it is thus advisable to turn off the auto-update feature. Alternatively, one can check for updates regularly and download updated versions of the apps at the most convenient time.

Reduce device load: This hack is somewhat applicable to other settings. The more individuals that share a resource, the lesser the quantity and quality of the resource each participant will get. Here’s how this “principle” is related to the quality of movies one streams. When many devices are connected to a router, the streaming speed reduces because of the device load. For faster streaming, it is advisable to reduce the device load on a router. So if you’re experiencing issues with streaming, make sure others in the home aren’t using the internet heavily at the same time.

Finally, everyone deserves to stream high-quality videos, and with these hacks, you’re sure to enjoy a better movie-watching experience.

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Photo: PresidenciaRD

Privacy Showdown: Firefox vs Chrome

Web Browser Giants

Among many browsers available today, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome are the two most popular and prominent web browsers. This was achieved because they both deliver a fast, seamless user experience, whether you are browsing for business, carrying out research, or binge-watching foodie videos on YouTube.

In 2004, Firefox was launched, four years before the initial release date of Chrome. Mozilla runs Firefox, which is a non-profit organization advocating for a “healthy” internet. Mozilla was spawned to build an internet in an open-source protocol that gives everyone access where security and privacy are factored in. This is unlike Chrome’s privacy policy, which engages in storage of your browsing data locally except when you are signed into your Google account, enabling the browser to send the same information to Google.

Chrome also allows 3rd-party websites to gain access to your IP address and use cookies to access information tracked on the site. So if privacy is a priority for you, be aware of the browsers that support websites that enable other companies to track your online activities. You may want to switch to a browser that does not use your data at all and also will not to sell it to advertisers.

Firefox’s private browsing mode also has a feature called “origin referrer trimming,” where the browser automatically deletes the information about which site you’re coming from when you land on the next page. It is obvious that since Mozilla’s motivations are fundamentally different from Google’s, the Firefox developers have leeway to make these privacy-first decisions

If you are not sure which browser to choose for privacy and other factors, additional points to consider are below:

Protecting Your Privacy

The Firefox privacy policy specifies what kind of data can be collected, and what the data is used for, while on the other hand Google is basically a data collection company. So, if you are concerned about Google knowing every aspect of your browsing habits, then Firefox may be a better option.

Mozilla made a call-to-arms in an effort to promote online privacy for internet users in 2014, which is fighting for greater data privacy — ensuring that people know who has and are accessing their data. Mozilla believes in giving the public the choice to decide where their data goes. This is a plus for Firefox which runs the open-source program, so we don’t have to worry about a corporation trying to monitor our movement and online activities we carry out.

Chrome Extensions That Are Also Firefox Extensions

Firefox supports Chrome extensions. Google Chrome, sometime ago was the leader in extensions. However, with Firefox 48, Mozilla provides stable support for WebExtensions, which now allows developers to create extensions once and have them work in multiple browsers – a cross-browser API. With WebExtensions, Chrome extensions are installed by Firefox after Chrome Store Foxified is installed.

Firefox has several unique extensions that are unavailable to Chrome users but Chrome has a larger collection of extensions. One example is Tree Style Tab. This extension lets you organize tabs into a tree-based hierarchy and turns the tab bar into a sidebar that can be shifted around at will.

Synching Browser Data on Your Devices

On the issue of synchronization, with Firefox, all the content on your PC can also be seen on your mobile phone or other devices. You can also use Google’s extensions to get more out of it.

Personalisation Options

You can download and install completely different themes to change the browser’s appearance. This is in addition to tweaking the general appearance and moving features around. You can even create a mirror image, having a similar feel of other browsers with FXChrome and MX4

Unlike the Chrome browser, every one of them looks closely identical, even while it’s running on different devices and operating systems.

Speed versus Battery Usage

Chrome processes webpages faster than Firefox, hence using more of your system CPU than Firefox. Greater usage of CPU generally results in faster load times and smoother performance. However, this is not without a cost. Slightly quicker processing comes at the expense of battery life. Arguably, Firefox is still pretty snappy and is therefore better with respect to battery life since it consumes less power. From the task manager, you will easily identify that several fields are exclusively dedicated to Google browser; this reduces the performance of other open tabs, whereas Firefox allows about three tabs per process. It’s a subtle difference with light use, but power users with top-notch machines will appreciate Google’s approach. Do you value speed over battery life? The choice is yours.

Cloud Data Storage: Actually Private?

Your data is stored on 3^rd party servers when you use Google Chrome. If you use Firefox Sync features, Firefox stores your private data on its Sync server as well. However, since the data is encrypted locally only your install of Firefox can decrypt and read it.

Tab-Heavy Users: Hungry for RAM

When you do not have many open tabs Chrome uses less RAM than Firefox. Firefox on the other hand scales better than Chrome the moment you reach about eight tabs or more. So, Firefox is more advantageous for heavy users who are likely to regularly have 20 or more tabs open.

When using Chrome, you are not likely to see each one when many tabs are loaded but while using Mozilla, it has a horizontal scroll that allows you see what’s on screen all the time.

The two applications show different RAM usage when tested in opening multiple tabs, with Firefox showing better performance with more tabs open.

The Verdict

While Chrome and Firefox perform the same basic service, the browsers’ developers approach to their design is quite different in some ways because one organization has to serve an end determined by other organizations, and the other doesn’t. That means Firefox’s privacy mission is in conformity with its users interest. The browser is explicitly designed to help people navigate the convenience versus privacy conundrum.

Note that many Firefox browser extensions are basically built for Chrome. Some of these are notorious for causing the browser to crash, although Mozilla also builds extensions you can use exclusively on Firefox. After the Facebook scandal, Firefox released an extension called the Facebook Container, which allows you to browse Facebook or Instagram normally, but prevents tracking from Facebook, to show its transparency policy.

Ultimately, the choice of browser is up to you and whichever one you choose is determined by your preference and interest. That being said, Firefox is technologically inferior to Chrome in some ways but in terms of privacy Mozilla’s browser takes first place.

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Graphic: downloadsource.fr

Best Chrome Extensions that Protect Your Privacy

From ad and tracker blocking, HTTPS, advanced proxy to interfacing with the Tor network, the right extensions can turn Chrome into a dream machine.

It’s time to stop passively allowing corporations, shifty sites and shady third parties to feast on any private data they can manage to grab. Now that you’re on to them, arm yourself with some of the following top privacy-enhancing extensions for your browser.

AdBlock

Browsing history, cookies and other various data is exploited aggressively by Advertisers. So that gas barbeque you showed a fleeting interest in will definitely be showing up again in cube ads – haunting you for days. Changing your privacy settings on the most common offender’s sites makes a difference, but who has the time?

Adblockers are the most popular extensions out there and AdBlock continues to be the dominant force in this arena. Big boys in tech have devised methods to force their ads to display even when AdBlock is enabled. However, it’s still a great way to generally declutter your Web experience.

Ghostery

Almost every major site out there uses cookies and tracking technology, and it builds a profile of you based on your activity. Worse, there are suspicious third parties with malicious agendas far worse then just attempting to sell you the latest widget.

Ghostery finds every instance of trackers embedded on the sites you visit. It then gives you the ability to tailor how you handle these trackers depending on the level of trust you have for the site in question.

HTTPS Everywhere

Major sites have made the switch to beefed-up HTTPS security but many smaller operations haven’t caught up. This means ISPs can easily access your browsing on these sites if laws allow in your country.

Big names in anonymity software EFF and the Tor Project have joined forces to give web users a secure experience on every site. Insecure HTTP sites are automatically converted to secure HTTPS thus preventing surveillance, account hijacking, as well as some varieties of censorship.

Proxy SwitchyOmega

SwitchyOmega provides an alternative to digging though the advanced setting section in Chrome, and the chore of filling and clearing proxies in the config dialog of your OS. This is a powerful, timesaving idea for power users, because just one proxy server will often not get you very far, especially the free variety. Enter all your proxy servers IPs, plus port, protocol, then switch between them quickly with a mere click.

Kronymous

Formerly called KroTor, this extension allows you to access the Tor network. It’s a more advanced alternative to the easy-to-use Tor Browser that requires no configuration and works out of the box. Tinkerers will love the extensive options Kronymous provides, plus the ability to continue using your preferred browser, Chrome.

Cupcake

Cupcake aims to make Tor “the onion router” tastier by giving it a pathway into your web browser. A plain, happy or sad cupcake is displayed depending on the status of the proxy, signifying not in use, in use, or disabled respectively. Chrome users that don’t need the extensive options found in Kronymous may prefer this.

Open in Tor Browser

Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best, not to mention the least likely to break. Open in Tor Browser is perfect for Chrome users that occasionally want to switch to true incognito mode with Tor Browser when viewing sensitive content. The only catch is you’ll need to install a minimal native client for it to open links correctly in Tor Browser.

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Graphic: Sean MacEntee

How to Hide your IP Address in Chrome

In order to hide your IP address you must replace it with another decoy IP. This means you’ll need to use a VPN service to achieve true anonymity in Chrome.

Unlike browsers like Firefox that allow you to enter proxy settings (supplied by a VPN service) natively, Google refers directly to your OS network settings.

Step 1

Locate the options icon to the far right of the Chrome browser window and click on it. A pull down will appear. Select “Settings” near the bottom.

Step 2

The settings page will appear directly in the browser window. Scroll down to the very bottom and click on “Show advanced settings…”

Step 3

Continue scrolling down until you see a heading called “Network.” Click on the “Change proxy settings…” button directly below it.

Step 4

In order to complete the next steps you’ll need an IP address, login and password supplied to you from a VPN service.

Avoid free services for anything other than testing. They’re uniformly unusably slow plus I wouldn’t trust my browsing data with most of the operations offering it.

Recommended services:

Step 5

Windows

The “Internet Properties” window will open with the “Connections” tab selected for you automatically. Click on the “Add VPN…” button to the right.

Enter the Internet address supplied to you by your VPN provider and give it a name in the field below. Click the “Next” button.

A window will appear. Enter the login and password you were given by the VPN company.

Mac OS X

The “Network” window will appear with the “Proxies tab” selected. To use a VPN, check the box next to “Secure Web Proxy (HTTPS)” [preferable] or “Web Proxy (HTTP)” depending on the service.

Check the box next to “Proxy server requires password” and enter the login and password provided to you by the VPN company.

All Done

Congrats! You’re now ready to browse with your true IP hidden from prying eyes. Go back to Google Chrome and surf to your heart’s content.

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Tips for Hiding your Identity Online