Latest news with #Chromium-based
Time of India
22-07-2025
- Time of India
WhatsApp is dropping its native Windows app that Microsoft exec called 'exemplary modern Windows app'
Meta has quietly rolled back WhatsApp's native Windows 11 application, replacing it with a Chromium-based web wrapper that sacrifices performance for development convenience. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The change, currently available in beta, marks a disappointing retreat from the company's previous commitment to platform-specific optimization. The new version essentially packages into a desktop container using Microsoft's WebView2 technology , creating multiple subprocesses that consume approximately 30% more RAM than the original native app. Windows Latest first identified the transition by examining Task Manager, which now shows several WebView2 helper processes handling graphics, networking, and storage operations. Why WhatsApp is changing its app on Windows The shift represents a stark departure from WhatsApp's previous UWP/WinUI implementation, which operated as a lightweight, single-process application using Windows' native UI toolkit. The original app was celebrated by Microsoft executives, including former Windows chief Panos Panay, as an exemplary modern Windows application. Meta's own support documentation ironically contradicts this decision, stating that native apps "provide increased performance and reliability" along with superior notification experiences, calling capabilities, and screen sharing functionality. The web-based replacement offers a more basic settings interface and altered notification behavior that feels disconnected from Windows 11's design language. What's new with the WhatsApp web wrapper app on Windows 11 The beta version include some advantage over the previous app, bringing WhatsApp Channels and enhanced Status and Communities features that were previously available only through the web interface. However, these additions come at the cost of the streamlined, integrated experience that made the native Windows app distinctive. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The transition also allows Meta to maintain a single codebase across all platforms rather than developing platform-specific applications. Meta has not announced when the web-based version will replace the current native app for all users.
Tom's Guide
11-07-2025
- Business
- Tom's Guide
OpenAI's new AI browser could rival Perplexity — here's what I hope it gets right
OpenAI is building a brand-new web browser, and it could completely change how we search, browse and get things done online. According to recent leaks and an exclusive report from Reuters, the company behind ChatGPT is working on a Chromium-based browser that integrates AI agents directly into your browsing experience. Internally codenamed 'Operator,' this new browser is expected to go far beyond search to offer smart, memory-equipped agents that can summarize pages, complete actions (like booking travel) and eventually handle full web-based tasks for this sounds like Perplexity's Comet, you're right. The recently launched AI-powered browser integrates search and sidebar answers directly into the page. OpenAI's browser will likely compete with Chrome and Comet, but hasn't launched yet. It's rumored to be rolling out first to ChatGPT Plus subscribers in the U.S. as part of an early beta, possibly later this summer. As someone who tests AI tools for a living, I've tried nearly every smart assistant and search engine on the market. And while Perplexity's Comet offers a solid first look at the future of AI browsing, here's what I'm most excited for from OpenAI's take, and what I hope it gets right. Perplexity is great at answering questions. But what I want from OpenAI's browser is something more autonomous; an assistant that doesn't just wait for a prompt but actively enhances the page I'm on. Imagine browsing Amazon and having the assistant automatically suggest product comparisons or pull in real reviews from Reddit. Or reading a news article and instantly seeing a timeline, source context and differing viewpoints, but with zero prompting. That level of proactive help could turn passive browsing into intelligent discovery and I'm totally here for it. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. OpenAI's 'Operator' agents are rumored to handle full tasks beyond search or summarization. For instance, filling out forms, booking tickets or handling customer service chats will all be done for you. If that's true, it's a major leap forward. While Perplexity's Comet is great for pulling in answers, OpenAI's approach may introduce a new category of browser-based automation powered by memory, context and reasoning. Let's be honest: search engines today are filled with AI-generated slop, vague product listicles, SEO junk and misleading clickbait. Perplexity tries to solve this by pulling answers from verified sources and citing them in real time. OpenAI could go even further, drawing from its own training data and web browsing capabilities to offer cleaner, more nuanced summaries with source-level transparency. If they can combine the conversational intelligence of ChatGPT with web accuracy, it could help reverse the search spam crisis. If OpenAI's browser integrates with ChatGPT's existing multimodal tools, including everything from image generation to spreadsheet analysis and file uploads, it could become the first true all-in-one productivity browser. That would give creators, students and professionals a seamless way to write, code, search, design and automate within one interface. Perplexity's Comet browser is a strong first step toward smarter web browsing. But OpenAI's rumored browser has the potential to go further by offering a more intelligent, personalized and action-ready browsing experience. I'll be watching closely for the beta invite to drop. And if it delivers on the promise of proactive agents, real web automation and a cleaner, more useful internet, this could be the most exciting browser launch since Chrome.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Windows 11 22H2 and 23H2 Are Getting New Features
Microsoft is releasing updates for Windows 11 versions 23H2 and 22H2 to keep users up to date. The updates include shortcuts like Win + C and a new FAQs section within the OS settings menu. It's still best to update to 24H2 now for more features and security, with 25H2 on the way. When Microsoft releases a new major update to Windows 11, the company wants you to update your computer, and therefore quickly deprecates the previous versions. In a relatively rare move, Microsoft is rolling out a few updates to Windows 11 23H2 and 22H2. Microsoft has released a non-security update for Windows 11 23H2 and Windows 11 22H2. These updates first came out in late 2023 and late 2022, respectively. 22H2 was deprecated last year, in October 2024, while 23H2 is scheduled to reach end-of-life on November 11 this year. So it's pretty surprising to see Microsoft release updates for these two versions in the first place, and the fact that they're feature updates rather than just security updates adds to the weirdness. So what's exactly in this update? For one, Microsoft is adding the Win + C shortcut, which fires up Copilot, to these two older versions. Because your operating system might be deprecated, but Microsoft doesn't want you to miss out on easier ways to access Copilot. I wouldn't be surprised if this is the reason Microsoft wanted to roll out this particular update to older versions. When the company wants to push something to users, it goes all the way. In case you don't remember, back when Microsoft released the Chromium-based version of Microsoft Edge, the company famously pushed the update to Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 users, despite the fact Windows 7 was not receiving updates anymore. It's not the only addition, at least. Microsoft has added a new FAQs section directly within the OS' settings menu. By going under System and then on the About page, this section can give you a few quick answers to commonly asked questions regarding your PC and the Windows 11 operating system itself. Another user-facing improvement focuses on file sharing. When you drag a local file from File Explorer or the desktop, a new tray interface will now appear at the top of the screen. This will display suggested applications for quickly sharing or opening the file. If the app you're looking for isn't immediately suggested, you can select a "More" option, which will then open the standard Windows share window to give you more options for sharing or opening. Your best course of action is to take the 24H2 update now. It's free, it will give you a lot more features, and it will keep your PC safe for another year. 25H2 is also getting close. This is a preview update, and a more finalized version should roll out to your computer within the next few weeks if you have one of these versions. Source: Microsoft
Tom's Guide
15-05-2025
- Tom's Guide
Google just fixed a high-severity Chrome flaw that can be used to take over your account — update right now
If you've been holding off on updating your browser, now is the time to do so as a new set of emergency security updates for Chrome include fixes for a high-severity vulnerability that can be used by hackers to take over your Google account. As reported by BleepingComputer, these new security updates patch a total of 4 flaws, though one is particularly worrying due to the fact that it has been actively exploited by hackers in the wild. The vulnerability in question (tracked as CVE-2025-4664) was discovered by a security researcher at Solidlab that described it as an insufficient policy enforcement in Chrome's Loader component. If exploited, it could allow remote attackers to leak cross-origin data by leading potential victims to malicious sites. In a post on X, Solidlab's Vsevolod Kokorin explained that the flaw can be used to gain access to query parameters which can contain sensitive data. For instance, if someone is using the OAuth authorization framework, the data in a query parameter can be stolen and used to perform an account takeover. According to a security advisory from Google, the search giant is aware that an exploit for this flaw exists in the wild. This means that hackers could already be using it in their attacks. Fortunately though, it has now been patched in a series of Chrome security updates that will roll out to all users in the coming days and weeks. Just like with the best phones, the easiest way to keep Google Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers like Microsoft Edge, Opera, Brave and Vivaldi safe from hackers is to ensure that you install updates as soon as they become available. Chrome makes it very simple to know when an update is available as Google uses a color-coded warning system. If you take a look at your profile picture, a bubble will appear next to it when there's an update for the browser. This bubble will be green for a 2-day-old update, orange for a 4-day-old update and red when an update was released a week ago. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. If you don't want to wait for an update to appear, you can also manually update Chrome by clicking on the three-dot menu in the upper right-hand corner of your browser. From there, you need to open Settings and then go to About Chrome. If an update is ready to be installed, Chrome will automatically begin downloading it, and it will be applied the next time you restart your browser. Besides keeping your browser updated regularly, you also want to be careful when installing new extensions. Malicious browser extensions are one of the main tools that hackers use to steal sensitive browser data like passwords. For this reason, you want to avoid installing unnecessary extensions and audit the extensions you do have installed from time to time. If you haven't used an extension recently, it's best to uninstall it because just like the apps on your phone, good browsers extensions can turn bad when injected with malicious code. As for keeping your computer safe from malware and other cyberattacks, you want to make sure that you're using the best antivirus software on your Windows PC or the best Mac antivirus software on your Apple computer. For even more protection though, you might also want to consider signing up for one of the best identity theft protection services since they can help you recover your identity if it's stolen as well as get back any funds lost to fraud. Google frequently updates Chrome to fix security flaws like the one described above. However, it's up to you to keep your browser updated when patches do become available. If you regularly update your browser and avoid clicking on links in messages and emails from unknown senders, you should be able to stay safe online.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Perplexity Would Also Consider Buying Google's Chrome, Raises Concerns About OpenAI's Bid
On the second day of Google's landmark antitrust search trial, AI startup Perplexity told the court it would consider buying Chrome-but would rather Google retain the open-source browser over seeing it fall into the hands of a company like OpenAI. Although it's unclear how Perplexity would be able to afford the browser. When asked whether Perplexity believes any company other than Google could run Chrome at scale-without sacrificing quality or charging people, Perplexity's chief business officer Dmitry Shevelenko said "I think we could do it."Shevelenko raised red flags about the future of Chromium, Google's open-source browser base, if OpenAI were to snap up Chrome in a court-ordered divestiture, (OpenAI exec Nick Turnely, who testified earlier in the week, said the company would be interested in Chrome in the event of a spin off). In the event of a forced sell off, Perplexity is working on its own workaround. The company plans to launch Comet, a Chromium-based browser it's building in-house. Shevelenko said that Google makes strong products that others can iterate on, and Perplexity doesn't want a remedy that "cripples Google's ability to keep doing that." However, he also didn't hold back on sharing his complaints of the tech giant having exclusive agreements with mobile carriers. "There's all the self-serving incentive to be here today and shout about how evil Google is, and I think we want to be reasonable," Shevelenko said, per The Verge. DOJ Accuses Google of Using Search Monopoly Tactics To Push AI Product Gemini This isn't the first time Perplexity has thrown its hat in the ring for a big tech castoff. The AI startup has also floated the idea of buying TikTok, the social giant currently staring down a potential U.S. ban over its ties to China-based ByteDance. Perplexity isn't just worrying about Chrome. Shevelenko testified that Google's ironclad distribution deals with phone makers and carriers have boxed his company out of similar partnerships. Meanwhile, The Justice Department is urging the court to unwind those deals as part of its remedies to break up Google's illegal search monopoly. Perplexity's Next Bet? An AI-Driven Browser Called Comet Shevelenko-who had initially hesitated to testify due to concerns about potential repercussions from Google-didn't shy away from detailing his complaints. He walked the court through the cumbersome process of setting Perplexity as the default AI assistant on Android, admitting he even needed help from a colleague. He added that even after completing the process, Perplexity's assistant still doesn't operate on equal footing with Google's-requiring people to manually activate it, per The Verge. Shevelenko also said that Perplexity had engaged with a list of anonymized phone makers in an attempt to strike a deal to have its AI search preloaded as the default in the U.S. However, he said, the company was unable to reach any agreements. The phone makers, he explained, were wary of jeopardizing their share of Google's revenue by breaking existing deals. Apple's Search Deal Is Critical to Google. The Courts May Rule It Illegal
