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May 21, 2020

Top web browsers 2020: Firefox stays afloat, Chrome hits 69% for first time

Even as Chrome hit a new record for browser usage in April, Firefox managed to actually grow just a bit.

By Gregg Keizer Senior Reporter, Computerworld |
Firefox staved off another ruinous month by remaining stable in April, while Chrome raised its share to a level last seen more than a decade ago by Microsoft's now largely irrelevant Internet Explorer (IE).

According to data posted Friday by analytics vendor Net Applications, Firefox's share in April rose very slightly — by less than one-tenth of a percentage point — to 7.3%. It was the first month in the last four in which the browser added share — and more importantly — kept it from dropping below the 7% bar, the milestone not seen since 2005, when Firefox was scratching share from Microsoft's IE and Google was more than three years away from introducing Chrome.
Firefox remained behind Edge for the second month in a row after ceding second place to Microsoft's newest browser in March. The gap between them expanded in April by one-tenth of a percentage point to half a point.
Because Firefox remained more or less flat rather than decline as anticipated, Computerworld's new forecast — based on the browser's 12-month average — puts it right at 7% rather than under it at this month's end. The losses could resume, of course, in which case if they matched the last year's average, would drop Firefox under 6% by October and leave it at a very dismal 5.3% by year's end.

Chrome sets record

Chrome climbed by seven-tenths of a percentage point in April, about half what it gained the month before, but it established a record for Google by reaching 69.2%. It was the first time the browser had topped 68% — as it did in March — without slumping the very next month to fall below that level.
In the last 12 months, Chrome has added 3.5 percentage points to its total, the largest change, positive or negative, of any browser during the stretch.
The boost improved Chrome's 12-month forecast yet again, putting the browser on a linear path of significant growth, considering its dominance of the space. Computerworld's prediction now pegs Chrome at above 70% by July and over 71% by November. Only two browsers have accounted for 70% or more of all browser activity since the web's start: Netscape Navigator (an ancestor of Firefox) and IE. Chrome would join a very selective club.
The last time a browser controlled as much share as Chrome did in April was February 2009, when IE had 69.2%. (The most popular version of IE at the time? IE7, although its lead over IE6 was slim, just a couple of points.)
But can Chrome keep it up? Possibly.
Unlike in 2009, when IE faced a significant rival — Firefox, with approximately 22% of the space — as well as a trio of smaller competitors (Chrome, Apple's Safari and Opera Software's Opera), today Chrome's adversaries are individually weak, none with more than 8%. The way Firefox seems to be headed and the continued inevitable decline and ultimate demise of IE, leaves open more percentage points Chrome may scoop up down the line.
Realistically, the only danger to Chrome anytime soon will be Microsoft's Edge, ironically a near-clone of Google's browser.

Edge up, IE down

Microsoft's browsers, the aged IE and rebuilt Edge, combined to lose three-tenths of a percentage point in April, ending the month at 13.2%.
Edge, though, remained the second-most-used browser last month by gaining two-tenths of a point, reaching 7.8%. Meanwhile, IE gave up four-tenths of a percentage point, sliding to 5.5%. Edge's number was a record high; IE's was a record low for the 15 years Computerworld has records from Net Applications.
The Edge-up, IE-down trend has been well established. Though IE's downhill run has been rapid — it's lost three percentage points in the last 12 months — that may not reflect the old browser's residual strength: Browser metrics vendors have a hard time collecting accurate data from enterprise networks, which may mask multiple internal IP addresses by showing a single address externally.
Edge's April addition was the fifth consecutive month of gains, the most since the first 15 months after the browser's mid-2015 kick-off when it grew because of Windows 10's free-upgrade-fueled adoption. Computerworld remained reluctant to call the "Chromiumization" of Edge a success — more data's required — but the seven-tenths of a point in the last three months, the period since Microsoft released a stable build of the browser, certainly puts it on the path toward the major milestone of 10%.
Ultimately, the only way for Edge to grow beyond that will be at Chrome's expense. That's a lot to ask of a browser which is, after all, Chrome at its roots.
Elsewhere in Net Application's numbers, Safari retrieved the three-tenths of a point it lost the month before, getting back to 3.9%, and Opera Software's Opera lost less than a tenth of a point to stay, with rounding, at 1.1%.
Net Applications calculates share by detecting the agent strings of the browsers used to reach the websites of Net Applications' clients. The firm counts visitor sessions to measure browser activity.

Source: https://www.computerworld.com/article/3199425/top-web-browsers-2020-firefox-stays-afloat-chrome-hits-69-for-first-time.html



May 14, 2020

How to use Google Meet

By Jon Martindale May 9, 2020

Google Meet is Google’s videoconferencing service, which allows for up to 100 individuals to chat at a time (or up to 250 individuals on select business plans). The best part about the service is that it is free to use, and all video meetings are encrypted in transit to help prevent anyone from snooping in on your conversations. Follow this guide to learn exactly how to use Google Meet and get started connecting to your friends, family, and co-workers.

Start a Google Meet video meeting

If you are starting the Google Meet conference, you can follow these steps to get started. Note, you will need a Google account or G Suite account to begin. If you are using a G Suite business account, your administrator must enable the service before you can start using it. At this time, Google Meet supports the Chrome web browser, as well as Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Apple Safari. Additionally, Google Meet can be used on iOS and Android devices.

Mac or PC

If you are on a Mac or Windows PC, you can follow these instructions to start a Google Meet video meeting. Be sure to use one of the compatible web browsers, as mentioned above.
  1. Visit the Google Meet website.
  2. Click either Join or Start a Meeting.
  3. If prompted, enter a meeting nickname (for G Suite users).
  4. Click the Join Now button.
To invite individuals to your Google Meet video meeting, you can click the Meeting Details button in the lower-left corner. Then copy the link and share it with anyone you wish to join. Alternatively, you can click the Add People button (shown as a person with a plus symbol) in the top-right corner, then select Invite and enter the person’s email address.

Android or iOS

If you are using a mobile device running Android or iOS, you can follow these instructions to start a Google Meet video meeting. Before beginning, make sure you download the official Google Meet app from either the Android Play Store or iOS AppStore.
  1. Open the Meet app.
  2. Tap the New Meeting button (shown as a plus symbol).
  3. If prompted, enter a meeting nickname (for G Suite users).
  4. Tap Join Meeting.
To invite individuals to your Google Meet video meeting, tap the Info button (i), then select the Share option. Choose how you wish to share the meeting information with your friends, family, or co-workers.

Joining a Google Meet video meeting

Riley Young/Digital Trends
There are quite a few different ways that you can join a Google Meet video meeting. We will be reviewing the most popular options, including from inside Gmail, from Google Calendar, using a meeting link URL, and using a telephone. Follow the steps below based on how you wish to join a Google Meet video meeting.

From Gmail

  1. Visit the Gmail website.
  2. On the left side, click Join a Meeting.
  3. Enter the meeting code or nickname you received.
  4. Click the Join button.

From Google Calendar

  1. Open your Google calendar.
  2. Locate the event and click on it.
  3. Select the Join with Google Meet option.
  4. Click, Join Now.

From a meeting link (URL)

  1. Locate the meeting link URL sent to you.
  2. Click on the Google Meet URL.
  3. Wait for approval to be admitted to the meeting if required.

From a telephone

  1. Locate the phone number provided for your Google Meet.
  2. Dial the phone number on your telephone.
  3. When prompted, enter the PIN provided, tap the # button.

Settings to alter during a meeting

Google Meet
Google allows you to alter certain settings during a Google Meet video call, such as the layout, provided captions, and control over your microphone and camera. These are the most common actions.

Change meeting view

While on a PC or Mac, click the More button (three vertical dots), then click Change Layout. Here you can select from a collection of views — automatic, tiled, spotlight, and sidebar.

Viewing closed captions

On a PC, Mac, Android, or iOS device, click the [CC] captions button to turn on or off English captions; this button may be hidden under the More button (three vertical dots) section.

Send a chat message

On a PC, Mac, Android, or iOS device, click the Chat button (sometimes shown as a tiny text bubble). Enter the message you wish to send to the room, and click the Send button (shown as a small paper airplane).

Present your screen

On a PC, Mac, Android, or iOS device, click the More button (three vertical dots), then click the Present Screen option and click Start Broadcast to begin. To stop presenting, return to Google Meet, and click Stop Broadcast.

Record a meeting

On a PC or Mac, click the More button (three vertical dots), then click Record Meeting. To stop, repeat the steps, and click Stop Recording. Note that participants will be notified when anyone begins recording the meeting. Additionally, the video recording will be saved to your Google Drive for later retrieval.

Stop your webcam or mute your microphone

On a PC, Mac, Android, or iOS device, click the round microphone button to mute or unmute your microphone. Similarly, click the round camera icon (shown as a box with a triangle on the right side) to turn on or turn off your webcam.

Is Zoom better than Google Meet?

Both Google Meet and Zoom are video conferencing solutions that provide similar features. The biggest standout features are pricing. Google Meet is entirely free for up to 100 participants at a time for up to 60 minutes. For Zoom, a free option is also available, allowing for up to 100 participants at a time for up to 40 minutes. Times can be extended on both services but will require a monthly or yearly subscription. Additionally, Zoom has incurred privacy issues in the past, which will make some feel more comfortable trusting their video moments to Google.

Editors' Recommendations

May 1, 2020

Google Meet Is Now Free For Everyone

Google announced that it’s making its video meeting tool for G Suite customers available for free to everyone. Starting next week, Google is opening up access to Meet everyone gradually.

The free meetings can be scheduled up to 100 people that can last any amount of time. After September, free accounts will be limited to meetings that don’t run longer than 60 minutes. Google Meet also provides cross-app integration, making it easy to create and join meetings from the Meet, Google Calendar, and Gmail web pages and Android/iOS apps. Additionally, users need a Google account to use Google Meet, which may add a bit of friction while the competitor product, Zoom, makes it with just a link.

Google puts options for groups within organizations as well. “For organizations that aren’t already G Suite customers, today we’re announcing G Suite Essentials,” it states. “G Suite Essentials is perfect for teams that need access to Meet’s more advanced features, such as dial-in phone numbers, larger meetings, and meeting recording.” Google is providing G Suite Essentials and all of these features free of charge through September 30.

The obvious reason behind this move is to compete against the recent rise of Zoom and increasing video meeting traffic after the start of COVID-19. Another reason may be a desire to enhance the Google Hangouts. But there’s a fact that Google’s new move will change the dynamics of the video conferencing market in the coming term.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ilkerkoksal/2020/04/30/google-meet-is-now-free-for-everyone/#1dfdce904a0a

Free Google Meet accounts for individuals

You can use Meet to schedule, join or start secure video meetings with anyone—for a virtual yoga class, weekly book club, neighborhood meeting, or happy hour with friends. Until now, Meet has only been available as part of G Suite, our collaboration and productivity solution for businesses, organizations and schools. Going forward, Meet will be available to anyone for free on the web at meet.google.com and via mobile apps for iOS or Android. And if you use Gmail or Google Calendar, you’ll be able to easily start or join from there, too.
Google Meet - Create-New-Meeting_gb.gif
Use your existing Google Account to start a secure meeting in Google Meet
If you have an existing Google Account (for example, if you’re a @gmail.com user), sign in at meet.google.com to get started. If you don’t have a free Google Account, it only takes a minute to create one using your work or personal email address of choice (we require this step as a security measure, and you’ll only need to do this once).
Meetings are limited to 60 minutes for the free product, though we won’t enforce this time limit until after Sept. 30. Creating a trusted meeting space is important, and being mindful when sharing meeting links in public forums can help create a safe experience for all attendees. For more tips on how to use Meet securely and effectively, visit our Help Center.

Source: https://meet.google.com/