My World Thru A Web Browser

March 23, 2024

Is Ungoogled Chromium the BEST Privacy Web Browser?

How to install Ungoogled Chromium

What is Ungoogled Chromium:

In order to understand Ungoogled Chromium, you first need to understand some basic information on the base browser, Chromium.

Chromium is the open-source engine and framework that Google Chrome is derived from; it also functions as the upstream for well-known browsers like the Brave browser.

This does not necessarily mean that Chromium is Google Chrome.

This also does not at all mean that Chromium, as it is, is a private alternative to Google Chrome.

This gap is exactly where Ungoogled Chromium steps in.

Ungoogled Chromium is what its name implies; it is Chromium stripped of its dependencies on Google web services such as "Safe Browsing" and Google Location Service.

This improves your online privacy because it completely eliminates the "phoning home" to Google servers - something that even regular Chromium does.

For example, "Safe Browsing" sends data of the sites you visit to Google to ensure that these sites are "safe." This feature sounds good, but if you follow your standard internet safety checklists, you'll be pretty good at avoiding obviously "unsafe" sites.

The privacy issue with a "Safe Browsing" web search is that Google you're feeding the G machine free information. You can bet that they are recording what sites you visit, when you visit them, how often you visit them, and etc.

Ungoogled Chromium also removes the Google (and other Big Data/Big Tech) defaults.

For example, regular Chromium sets your browser's default search engine to Google. Ungoogled Chromium's default is its "No Search" feature.

Forewarning

While Ungoogled Chromium is a solid Chromium-based browser for privacy, you should be aware that it is not without its faults, which could compromise the general user experience, such as:

Maintained by a small group of developers

Patches come out slower than for standard Chromium (NOTE: Despite this, the developers are very good at being speedy in applying released security updates to the source code)

Binaries are created by volunteers. (This is also a warning that can be found on Ungoogled Chromium's GitHub download page.)

How to install on Linux

Most Linux users also have a couple of different ways to install Ungoogled Chromium. By far the easiest method to accomplish this would be to use Flatpak.

As previously explained, Flatpak has broad support for many different Linux flavors out there. Some distros, such as Linux Mint, have Flatpak installed by default. For those that don't have Flatpak already installed, you will need to install it prior to using this method to install Ungoogled Chromium.

Once Flatpak is installed on your system, you must add the Flathub repo (assuming it has not already been added) using this command: flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

1-Now we're ready for our system to install Ungoogled Chromium: flatpak install flathub com.github.Eloston.UngoogledChromium

Linux users who do not wish to use Flatpak (depending on the distro) can use the source to build their own Ungoogled Chromium package here .

Alternatively, Linux users can also make use of the volunteer binaries for their particular distro.

When using the binaries, if your distro doesn't have a graphical interface to handle the installation for you, then you can always use the terminal to install everything.

Source: https://avoidthehack.com/how-to-install-configure-ungoogled-chromium#linux

2-Download the Google Web Store CRX file:
https://github.com/NeverDecaf/chromium-web-store/releases

3- Set chrome://flags/#extension-mime-request-handling to Always prompt for install and relaunch.

Alternate How to get it:

For those that want to try running an Ungoogled (Google tracking removed) version of Chromium, you can download it from the Snap Store or head here for a direct download. Enjoy.

https://flathub.org/apps/com.github.Eloston.UngoogledChromium

https://ungoogled-software.github.io/ungoogled-chromium-binaries/

February 2, 2024

Installing Extensions on Ungoogled Chromium

February 1, 2024

Microsoft Edge has better features than Chrome

December 14, 2023

How to remove the top left arrow in Chrome

Many folks are not enjoying the latest webui appearance changes to Chrome which adds a drop down arrow on the top left corner. Below is a way to remove this.

On a new tab, enter: chrome://flags and disable this one:

After, restarting Chrome the left arrow will be removed. Enjoy.

Source:
https://superuser.com/questions/1813266/how-to-remove-the-chromes-arrow-pointing-down-button-on-upper-left-that-was-add

Updating the Theme:

Also for anyone not enjoying the new retro light blue color theme, try the following theme from the Chrome Web Store: Classic with white Omnibox (shown above)

Here is the link to find it:

https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/classic-with-white-omnibo/lfjbdknljkihdgnabcdofiabofedjjkh?pli=1

Enjoy.

December 13, 2023

How to disable immersive reader mode in MS-Edge browser

Navigating to websites in the MS-Edge browser and having its immersive reader mode automatically enabled is frustrating to many. Here is how to disable this feature.

Navigate to: edge://flags

Search on "immersive" and set the flags to "default" as shown below. Enjoy.

November 9, 2023

The Top 10 Internet Browsers for 2023

Get peace of mind and ease of use with our list of the safest, fastest, and most-secure web browsers for PC, Mac, and mobile users. By Brad Stephenson, Updated on October 24, 2023, Reviewed by Christine Baker

While most devices come with an internet browser, a variety of free browsers offer a more secure user experience, better function, and increased privacy than standard issue browsers.

Here's our ultimate web browser list featuring 10 of the best internet browsers for all platforms, including Windows 11, Windows 10, Mac, and Linux computers to Android devices and iPhones.

01 of 10

Best All-Around Web Browser: Firefox

Source: https://www.lifewire.com/top-internet-browsers-4589106

June 17, 2023

6 Chrome Extensions to Boost Your Productivity Online

By Sandra Dindi
Published Jun 6, 2023

Looking to supercharge your online productivity? Check out these game-changing Chrome extensions that will simplify your workflow.

Readers like you help support MUO. When you make a purchase using links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Read More.

Productivity does not come naturally to everyone. Many people struggle with time management and concentration while online. While many productivity tools are available, choosing one to fit your workflow can be hard.

If you use Google Chrome, it has efficient extensions that you can add to your browser. These extensions add functionality to the browser and accelerate your productivity online. Here are some extensions that will boost your search, writing, and editing online.
1. tl;dv

The tl;dv Chrome extension is a great assistant for Google Meet and Zoom meetings. It can record and transcribe online meetings capturing calls and presentations with quality audio and video. Once installed, you can use a keyboard shortcut to open it on the browser.

The recordings come with transcribed scripts that are available right after the meetings. With tl;dv, you can transcribe up to 20+ languages. It processes and compacts the recordings, so you can share them with others in your favorite communication tool.

tl;dv's powerful AI-powered note-taking tool collects notes you can edit. You can also earmark important meeting moments with a timestamp during the call. After the meeting, you can search through the notes using keywords.

2. Monica

Monica should be your favorite browsing assistant if it's not already. This AI-powered Chrome extension helps to answer complex questions, read, and search through online documentation.

You can use Monica anywhere on the web. You simply open its prompts on the page you want to use it on. Then, if you want to translate a paragraph, select it and click the translate icon on Monica. This versatile extension finds simpler versions of words to help you understand complex words on a page. It can also rephrase sentences for you.

Monica has over 80 templates you can use as marketing copy. It quickly generates concise social media, email, and documentation prompts. You'll improve your copywriting capabilities with Monica's writing capabilities.

3. Grammarly

Grammarly is one of the best Chrome extensions for writers. Its AI-powered features can spellcheck documents, and correct grammar & punctuation. You can also use it to check for plagiarism of any written copy, including documents and books.

Like other Chrome extensions, once you install Grammarly, you can access it on any web page. It gives real-time suggestions you can use to paraphrase sentences for better understanding. It will also tell you when a sentence is too wordy.

Adding Grammarly to your list of browser extensions will boost your writing confidence. You will learn to express yourself and communicate better on documents, social media, and emails.

Grammarly has both free and paid premium versions. So access to the above-named features depends on which plan you are on. The premium has more advanced checks for text that go beyond proofreading.

4. QuillBot

QuillBot is an excellent Grammarly substitute. Its AI-powered capabilities can help you improve grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure in the documentation. It has a great re-wording feature that will help you communicate better in a few words. To use this feature, highlight the text, and Quillbot will give you several suggestions.

QuillBot is a writing and editing tool that allows you to write more quickly and clearly. It has a grammar checker that highlights grammar and punctuation errors on documents. Its auto-generated spell-checker identifies misspelled words and makes suggestions for the correct ones.

If you are learning English as a new language, Quillbot has a summarizing tool. You can use this tool to compare manual copies to AI-generated ones. This helps to test your English comprehension and summarizing skills. You can add it to a list of extensions that assist you to learn a new language.

This extension can collect important information from news articles, emails, and academic papers. Then you can compile this information into a single document. You can also use it to highlight key points in a manuscript and find simpler alternatives to complex words.

One of its best features is that you can apply it whenever you write. This can be documents or content management websites such as Notion or Confluence. You can also use it to write better email copies and apply it to social media apps like WhatsApp. Like Grammarly, Quillbot has both free and paid premium versions. The premium version gives you access to more advanced features.

5. Text Blaze

Tired of everyday repetitive typing? Try Text Blaze. It's one of the best AI-powered tools online that create text templates for you. It handles routine duties like greetings, responses, images, signatures, and links. Templates save hours of typing, allowing you to focus on other tasks while increasing your productivity.

Text Blaze allows you to build keyboard shortcuts for inserting text templates anywhere. The text templates are simple to edit, and you can tailor them to your specific requirements. You can customize them with form fields, do computations, and insert dynamic dates.

You can also copy and add parts from other web pages to the templates. Sharing the templates with colleagues is easy. You can share business logic with others accelerating your teams' productivity. Text Blaze has pricing plans for both individuals and teams. They have a free trial version, pro, business, and enterprise plans.

6. Visbug

Visbug is a web design tool built with JavaScript. It's a great tool for designers with features that can point, select and resize templates. With this extension, you can use any web page as a design canvas.

Visbug includes embedded styles and alignment tools for formatting designs. You can update the text and add or replace images using its dynamic template. Visbug will be simple to use if you are familiar with Adobe Creative Suite or Sketch.

You can access production-ready design templates to modify to create unique designs quickly. Visbug incorporates design simulations like media queries and screen sizes. These assist in making sure your design is responsive on a number of displays.

Thanks to Visbug's Chrome plugin, you can design and produce high-quality content on your browser. This extension is currently available without charge to all users. Bring your A-game and put your design abilities to the test.

By any chance you do not like any of the above-named tools, you can simply disable the extensions, so they do not interfere with your workflow.

Boost Your Productivity With the Right Tools

Picking the right tools to work with can optimize your workflow. Adding Chrome extensions to your browser will help you accelerate tasks, reduce fatigue, and increase productivity.

You may access hundreds of extensions for Google Chrome directly from your browser. Your task is to choose the best ones for your use case.

Source: https://www.makeuseof.com/chrome-extensions-to-boost-productivity

April 27, 2023

It’s Time to Stop Using Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge now leaks the address of every web page you visit straight to Microsoft Bing. This appears to be a bug with one of the many extra features Microsoft has been cramming into Edge over the past few years. We’ve had enough.

Microsoft Edge Is Sloppily Leaking Your Browsing Traffic

As of April 25, 2023, Microsoft Edge is sending the address of nearly every web page you visit to Microsoft’s Bing servers. We’re not getting conspiratorial here—this seems like a bug. We believe it’s a bug.

That’s the problem.

The bug is part of a new feature in Edge that lets you follow “creators.” It’s enabled by default. It seems like the feature was intended to send web page addresses only from certain domains, like YouTube. But it’s not working as designed. Instead, it’s leaking much more of your browsing traffic than intended—nearly everything!

The problem hasn’t been fixed as of the time we published this article—Microsoft is looking into it. Microsoft will probably fix it soon.

The problem is that Microsoft is cramming unnecessary features into Edge so quickly that the company clearly doesn’t have time to bug-check them or ensure they’re working correctly. Privacy and security are critical for browsers.

Sure, you can disable the “Show suggestions to follow creators in Microsoft Edge” feature right now.

But what happens when the next weird feature shows up in Edge, and it’s also enabled by default?

More Edge Junk: Loans, Registry Edits, and MSN Games

Edge has been getting worse for years. In 2021, we wrote that Microsoft was making it hard to recommend Edge. That’s only gotten worse. In 2022, we wrote that Edge was now more bloated than Google Chrome. In 2023, we want to be clear that we can no longer recommend Edge like we did a few years ago. It’s not a clean browser that just gets out of your way anymore.

Here’s a list of some of our other problems with Microsoft Edge, aside from the egregious leaking-all-your-browsing-history problem:

Edge now offers you loans while you shop online. Call us old-fashioned, but we really don’t like the idea of a web browser offering people loans. Many people recommend caution with “Buy now, pay later” loans.
Microsoft crammed a huge Bing Chat “Discover” button onto Edge’s toolbar. It works awkwardly—opening the sidebar when you mouse over it rather than clicking. For weeks, Microsoft forced people to edit the Windows Registry to disable it before finally relenting and adding an easy option to turn it off. (Bing Chat is pretty cool, but please don’t force it on us, Microsoft.)
That annoying Edge sidebar isn’t new and is designed to push other Microsoft web properties. We don’t need a button that opens a web-based version of Solitaire on the MSN website in our browser’s sidebar.
Edge is also packed with online shopping features. Do you need a coupon? Want to do price comparisons? No thanks, please keep this out of the browser’s interface—can’t this just be a browser extension?
Microsoft is working on adding a cryptocurrency wallet to Edge. We’re not huge fans of this. Again, why can’t it be an extension for people who want it?

Who knows what Edge will get next. At this point, the big problem isn’t even the features themselves—it’s that Microsoft is adding so many things so quickly that we just don’t feel comfortable trusting Edge anymore.

But the features themselves aren’t that great, as they add a lot of clutter and just get in the way of a clean browser that gets out of your way so you can use the web.

What Should You Use Instead of Edge?

So if it’s time to stop using Edge, what should you use instead?

Google Chrome is pretty good and is still the most popular browser—it might send data to Google, but presumably, Google isn’t being as sloppy as Microsoft is. More importantly, Google has had a lot more restraint when it comes to cluttering up Chrome’s interface. Here at How-To Geek, Tim Brookes just wrote a compelling argument on why you should stop using Google Chrome. If you’re concerned about privacy issues around Google, it clearly isn’t the best pick. If you just want a clean browser experience and you’re comparing Chrome to Edge, however, we’d go with Chrome.

Mozilla Firefox is still out there, though. A lot of us— myself included—were upset about some of the decisions Firefox made years ago. In 2017, I wrote that Mozilla had lost its way with Firefox after the company forced a cryptically named add-on that looked like malware into users’ browsers as a promotional tie-in with the TV show Mr. Robot.

It’s hard not to see some parallels with Edge here—browser developers cramming in questionable features that users don’t want rather than slowing down and proceeding methodically.

Still, Mozilla Firefox has had a good run since 2017, and we haven’t seen as many red flags from Mozilla. Mozilla seems to have course-corrected. We hope Microsoft does the same thing one day.

If you use a Mac, you might consider Safari—you should seriously consider using Safari on a Mac—but there’s no Safari for Windows anymore.

There are other browsers, of course. For example, Brave Browser has a following, but it’s also full of cryptocurrency-related features you will have to disable if you’re not into that sort of thing. Brave has also had its own scandals—Brave was once caught rewriting affiliate links but relented after criticism.

I’m Saying Goodbye to Edge, Too

This article is actually personal to me. I’m writing this article in Microsoft Edge right now. I’ve been using Microsoft’s browser as my main work browser (I use multiple browsers) for years. Microsoft keeps making Edge worse with user-hostile changes, and I’ve been meaning to stop using it—but this time, the problem is so egregious and clear that I can’t keep going with Edge.

I’ll give Mozilla Firefox a go as my main browser later today.

Goodbye, Edge. You were solid and reliable for a while. But I’ve given you enough second chances.

Source: https://www.howtogeek.com/888506/stop-using-microsoft-edge/

February 28, 2023

How to enable Memory Saver Mode in Chrome

In this post, we will show you how to enable or disable Memory Saver in Chrome. Google Chrome has recently rolled out two new performance features in its latest version. Known as the Energy Saver Mode and Memory Saver Mode, these features have been introduced to optimize the browser for consuming less battery and RAM on battery-operated devices. We have recently reviewed the Energy Saver Mode in Chrome in one of our blog posts. In this post, we will talk specifically about the Memory Saver mode, and explain how to enable and disable this feature in Google Chrome.

When you browse the web using Google Chrome, you may open many tabs. All these tabs, including those you’re not using actively, eat up a chunk of RAM. Memory Saver is a unique feature that frees up memory and system resources by deactivating idle Chrome tabs, so that other tabs (tabs you’re using actively) may access more RAM and provide you with a smooth running experience. This comes in handy while running complex applications that require more RAM, such as video streaming, video editing, online gaming, etc. Inactive tabs get reloaded automatically when you return to them.

Why is Chrome using all my RAM?

Chrome has been titled as the fastest browser, and this title comes at the cost of ‘RAM’. Chrome uses more RAM than other modern browsers because it puts each tab in a separate RAM process, which results in a heavy load on the CPU. Other reasons are plugins and extensions. The more plugins and extensions you install in Chrome, the more system resources it required to run all of them.

Memory Saver is one of the RAM-saving features introduced by Chrome. It is an experimental feature that may or may not be rolled out to your device. If you can’t find it in Chrome, you need to enable it explicitly through Chrome’s flags page. Once enabled, it shows up under the Performance settings in Chrome. You may then activate the feature as and when required. Let us see in detail how to enable and activate Memory Saver in Google Chrome.

Enable or Turn on Memory Saver Mode in Google Chrome

Open a new tab in the Google Chrome browser.
Type chrome://flags/ in the address bar and press the Enter key.
Type ‘efficiency’ in the Search flags search box.
Select Enabled from the dropdown next to the ‘Enable the high-efficiency mode feature in the settings’ option.
Click on the Relaunch button that appears in the bottom-right corner.

Please bear in mind that the experimental features may risk your browser’s privacy or security, or you may lose browser data by enabling these flags.

Enabling Memory Saver in Google Chrome

Once enabled, you can click on the menu icon (three vertical dots) in the top-right corner of your Chrome browser and select More tools > Performance.

On the Performance settings page, you will see a toggle button next to the Memory Saver option. Turn it on to activate the Memory Saver feature in Chrome.

Upon activation, Memory Saver starts monitoring all open tabs in Chrome. When a tab remains inactive for a certain period, Memory Saver frees up RAM from that tab and makes it available for other active tabs. When the user returns to the tab, a Memory Saver icon appears in the address bar of the tab as shown in the above screenshot. On mouse hover, the icon says ‘Tab active again’, which signifies that Memory Saver was working in the background and has now reassigned RAM to the tab.

Read: Not enough memory to open this page – Google Chrome error.

Restrict Memory Saver Mode from deactivating Specific Websites in Chrome

Chrome allows you to restrict Memory Saver from deactivating websites that are important to you. To do so, click on the Add button next to the ‘Always keep these sites active‘ option. Enter the URL of the website in the window that appears and then click on the Add button.

The site gets listed on the page. You can remove it anytime from the listing by clicking on the More actions icon and choosing the Remove option.

How to disable Memory Mode Saver in Google Chrome

To disable Memory Saver, follow these steps:

Click on the menu icon in the top-left corner of the Chrome browser.
Click on the More tools menu.
Select Performance.
Click on the toggle button next to the Memory Saver option to turn it off.

Hope you find this useful.

Source: https://www.thewindowsclub.com/disable-memory-saver-in-chrome

February 16, 2023

How to Sign Up to Try the New AI-Powered Bing Search Engine

By JOY OKUMOKO

Microsoft is just starting to roll out its new AI-powered version of Bing. Here's how you can sign up to try the upgraded search engine already.

Microsoft has announced a new update to Microsoft Edge and Bing that will use AI power to improve search. While things are still rolling out, you can actually experience the new Bing search already.

Here, we'll show you how to join the new Bing waitlist, and how to try out its upgraded AI-powered search.
Bing Is Adding AI Power to Search

Microsoft's new AI-powered Bing search engine looks set to change search as we know it. The jury's still out on whether it can beat Google at search, but things certainly look promising.

As you no doubt already know, a typical Google search returns hundreds or millions of possible results. Prometheus, the new Bing AI-powered search engine, uses OpenAI's language model and works differently.

For every query you submit, it will scour the internet for relevant answers. But it doesn't stop there. The search engine will further summarize its findings into more straightforward and articulate responses that you can use immediately. Plus, it'll equally cite sources as references.

How to Try Bing’s New AI-Powered Search Engine

In order to try out the new Bing AI-powered search, you’ll need to first join the waitlist. To do so:Go to the new Bing page.

Click on Sign in (in the top-right corner) to log in to your Microsoft Account.
Click on the Join the waitlist button, and you’ll be automatically enrolled.
Want to get ahead on the line? Click on Access the new Bing faster.

This will require you to set Microsoft defaults on your PC and to download and install the Microsoft Bing App.

To see the new Bing search in action:Either click on See Examples or scroll down to the Ask anything section.
Hover your mouse over any card on the page and click on Try it on Bing.

You’ll be directed to a new page with normal Bing search results on the left and the new Bing AI-powered search result on a card to your right.
You can see it populating an answer in real time. If you’re not satisfied with the final answer, click on See more.

From the drop-down, you’ll be able to end your search or refine your search using suggested queries similar to your original search query.
If you want to get more conversational, you can enter chat mode by clicking on Let’s chat.

Chat mode will only be available when you have access to the new Bing.

What to Expect from Bing’s New AI-Powered Search Engine

With the new Bing AI-powered search, you can expect to enjoy a faster and improved search experience than you would get from a regular Google search. You can also expect to get citations as well as conversational chat results.

What’s more, Google will definitely respond with something similar or even better than the new Bing, just like Bard, its ChatGPT competitor. At the end of the day, users will get a better and much more improved search experience either with Bing or Google.

Source: https://www.makeuseof.com/try-bing-ai-powered-search-engine/

January 3, 2023

How to Use Google Chrome’s Hidden Reader Mode

Most web browsers have a built-in “Reader Mode” that converts web pages into a more reader-friendly view. Strangely, Google Chrome does not have this feature—unless you know how to find it. We’ll show you where it is.

Google Chrome has included a hidden Reader Mode since all the way back to version 75. However, it’s never been upgraded to a stable, standard feature. Even Microsoft Edge—which is also based on Chromium—has a Reader Mode. So let’s enable it in Chrome.

First, we’ll need to enable a Chrome feature flag. Open the Chrome browser on your computer, type chrome://flags in the address bar, and hit Enter.

go the the chrome flags page

Search for “Reader Mode” in the text box at the top and enable the flag titled “Enable Reader Mode.”

Enable the Reading Mode flag.

After enabling the flag, click the “Relaunch” button at the bottom of the screen to apply the changes.

relaunch chrome

Now, when you visit a webpage that has a lot of text, you’ll see a little book icon on the right side of the address bar. Click it to switch to Reader Mode.

You can also click menu > Enter Reader Mode to activate it.

You’re now looking at a much simpler, less cluttered view of the webpage. Images still appear, but ads and some other items are removed. To adjust the view, click the “A” icon in the top right.

Adjust the Reading Mode theme.

From here you can change the font, text size, and background color.

Reading Mode theme options.

That’s all there is to it! You can now minimize distractions while reading long articles in Chrome. It’s strange that Google has kept this a hidden feature for years, but at least you know how to enable it yourself.

Source: https://www.howtogeek.com/423643/how-to-use-google-chromes-hidden-reader-mode/

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