Latest news with #browsing
Fast Company
28-05-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
This new browser could change everything you know about bookmarks
I can tell you the exact moment when a new browser called Deta Surf clicked for me. I was getting a demo from Deta cofounder Max Eusterbrock, and he showed me how Surf can take screenshots of web pages and add them to a digital pinboard. But unlike a standard screenshot, this one contained a link to jump back to the web page it came from, and its content was searchable from Surf's menu system. Aha, I thought. Too often, I'll open dozens of tabs on a certain topic, only to forget which page had the quote or chart I was looking for. Surf solves that problem by making it easier to revisit what you've researched. It's as if a browser was built around the idea of bookmarking, instead of the other way around. It's still early days for Deta Surf, which is launching a public alpha today after months of being invite-only. The software has all kinds of rough edges and can feel like it's trying to do too much, and there's also no mobile app and no business model yet. I'd caution against getting too invested in it. But as a tool for short-term research that involves wrangling a lot of web page content, it's one of the most interest concepts I've seen. Beyond basic bookmarks On the surface, Deta Surf borrows some ideas from other power user browsers such as Vivaldi, Arc, and SigmaOS. It supports both vertical or horizontal tabs, and you can arrange tabs into separate workspaces, which Surf calls 'Contexts.' But Surf also lets you save web pages to a 'My Stuff' menu, which is a powerful spin on the standard browser bookmarks folder. Every tab has a button for saving the page to My Stuff, but you can also use Surf's screenshot tool ((nvoked with Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+1) to save snippets of web pages with your own annotations. The My Stuff menu supports more than just web page content. You can also import images and PDF files from your computer, and there's a built-in notepad for adding freeform thoughts. Everything you save to My Stuff is searchable, and not just by title. Surf also indexes the full content of web pages along with the text of screenshots and PDF files, so you find specific words or phrases. The result is a feeling of finally being able to close inactive browser tabs, because Surf provides an easier way to reference them later. My favorite organizational feature, though, is the 'Desktop' view, where you can rearrange and resize any the items you've saved to My Stuff alongside any number of sticky text notes. It's a neat way to visualize all the different things you've been researching on a single canvas. Yes, of course there's also AI Like lots of other startups, Deta is finding ways to bring AI into its browser as well. Some AI features are similar to those of other AI-powered browsers. There's an 'Ask this Tab' button that can summarize and answer questions about the current page (including YouTube videos), and you can highlight text on web pages to translate, rephase, or ask follow-up questions. The more interesting use of AI involves interacting with what you've saved in My Stuff. By clicking the 'Ask Context' button, you can ask Surf to summarize details from across your documents or ask for supplemental information. These AI queries then feed back into Surf's notepad feature, essentially helping to organize or build upon your research. It's kind of like what Google is doing with NotebookLM, but built around what you're already looking up in your browser. Eusterbrock also showed me a more ambitious 'Surflets' feature, which can turn data from webpages into interactive visuals. If you were comparing web browsers, for instance, you could open up a bunch of pages that explain various browser features, then ask Surf to create an interactive chart comparing them. Expect things to break—a lot While Deta Surf is brimming with smart ideas about what a desktop browser could do, I wouldn't say it all comes together the way it should. For one thing, it's just a lot to take in. Between the My Stuff menu, the Desktop, and all your open browser tabs, you've essentially got three different organizational surfaces to work with, and they multiply each time you create a new 'Context.' My gut feeling is that the Desktop and My Stuff features should be streamlined into a single menu system for organizing and managing your research. Surf's AI features can be cumbersome to use as well. Deta has stuck AI buttons into seemingly every corner of its interface, but they all flow back to a notepad that opens in a sidebar menu. I've continually run into issues clicking the correct button to generate an AI response, and the latest build seems to have hidden the option to switch between large language models. The biggest issue, though, is that a lot of things just don't work properly. In my time with Surf, I've dealt with disappearing bookmarks, information that appears in the wrong Context, and web searches that get truncated after typing them in the address bar. Surf's AI answers are even less reliable. For instance, I asked the browser to provide links to YouTube backing tracks for a list of sheet music in a Google Drive folder, and none of its generated links worked. I've also had responses that don't accurately reflect what's in my notes and appear to be hallucinated, and I've yet to successfully generate a single 'Surflet' on my own. Meanwhile, I can't bring in my workflow from other browsers, because Surf doesn't work with most browser extensions (password managers are the exception) and doesn't support bookmarklets. The lack of a mobile app means I can't send pages into Surf from my phone, either. Deta is clearly moving fast and breaking things in search of what sticks, and that's totally understandable for an alpha product, but it makes for rough sailing if you're trying to use it as an everyday browser. What to expect Eusterbrock acknowledges that a lot of what comprises Surf today is subject to change. Eventually the company wants to charge for things like cross-platform sync and collaboration, but it plans to spend the rest of the year nailing down the core product. Deta had already shifted gears a couple of times before developing Surf. The Berlin-based startup began as a free web app deployment platform for indie developers, then tried spinning that product into a wildly ambitious online operating system with its own set of interconnected apps, called Deta Space, which raised around $3 million, according to Pitchbook. It was a neat idea, but its parallel universe of apps lacked immediate appeal to end-users, so Deta pivoted to building a browser instead. The core idea is still that you should be able to search and contextualize across your entire online workflow, but the browser allows Deta to work with existing web apps and sites instead of trying to build its own. (Deta killed off Space and deleted users' data last year.) The resulting product is more immediately compelling than Deta's previous efforts, but it comes with the same risk of getting shut down if things don't work out, and there are few examples of startups turning wildly ambitious browser into thriving businesses. The most notable startup in the space, The Browser Company, gave up on developing its ambitious Arc browser for desktops and is now pivoting to something much simpler. Still, I hope Deta Surf proves the exception to the rule. As a way to actually make sense of your browser tabs and the research you do around them, there's nothing else like it.
TechCrunch
20-05-2025
- Business
- TechCrunch
Google is launching a Gemini integration in Chrome
Google announced at Google I/O 2025 on Tuesday that it's launching a Gemini integration in Chrome. The tech giant says the new integration will give users access to a new AI browsing assistant that will help them quickly understand the context of a page and get tasks done. Gemini in Chrome will be accessible through typing or talking with Gemini Live. You can start chatting with the AI assistant by clicking the Gemini icon in the top right corner of your Chrome window. At launch, the integration will allow users to ask Gemini to clarify complex information on a page that they're visiting. It will also be able to summarize information. Image Credits:Google For example, you could open up a page that features a banana bread recipe and ask Gemini to make the recipe gluten free. Or, you could use Gemini to help you pick out the perfect plan for your bedroom depending on the lighting conditions. Another use case could be asking Gemini to create a pop quiz based on the topics covered in the webpage you're visiting. Starting Wednesday, Gemini in Chrome will begin rolling out on desktop to Google AI Pro and Google AI Ultra subscribers in the U.S. who use English as their Chrome language on Windows and macOS. It will also be available to Chrome Beta, Dev, and Canary users. The idea behind the feature is to give users easy access to Gemini right in Chrome, since Google is likely looking for ways to get people to use Gemini instead of OpenAI's ChatGPT for these kinds of questions, inquiries, and summaries. Image Credits:Google In the future, Gemini in Chrome will be able to work across multiple tabs at once. This means that you could get Gemini to do things like compare two different sleeping bags that you have open on separate tabs. Gemini in Chrome will also be able to navigate websites on your behalf. For example, you could ask Gemini to scroll to a specific portion of a recipe with a single command. Techcrunch event Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot for our leading AI industry event with speakers from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Cohere. For a limited time, tickets are just $292 for an entire day of expert talks, workshops, and potent networking. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | REGISTER NOW Google says users can imagine Gemini in Chrome helping to automate more of their least favorite online tasks in the future, noting that it believes users will be able to turn 30-minute tasks into three-click journeys.
CNET
17-05-2025
- CNET
iPhone Acting Up? Seriously, Clear Your Cache
How many times have you been surfing the web on your iPhone and the loading times of a particular page take forever? Yes, sometimes it can be the website, but if loading times are unusually longer and your internet connection is fine, most likely that's your sign to clear your cache. If you were honest, when was the last time you reset your phone's web cache? Many of us don't think about cleaning the cache until our browsing experience becomes laggy or unbearably slow. Clearing your cache does more than just speed things up, it will also reset the data stored on any of the sites you visit often. So, don't be shocked if you're treated like a guest on your next visit, the site just needs a chance to relearn you. It's a good rule of thumb to clear your web cache every month or two, no matter what browser you use (Chrome, Safari, etc). Trust us, your iPhone will reward you in the long run. If you would also like tips to make your phone run faster, try managing your iPhone's storage. What happens when you clear your cache? Clearing your cache usually involves clearing website cookies, too. Cookies work similarly to browser caches, except they store information about user data, rather than data on the website itself. Clearing your cookies gives you a chance to reset those preferences, which could improve your browsing experience. Note that clearing your cache and cookies will log you out of sites, which means you'll have to log into them again and reset any preferences. The up-front investment of that time can lead to a smoother experience down the road, and it can be a useful fix if you've recently changed settings that aren't being applied properly. Here are step-by-step guides on how to clear your iPhone's cache, depending on the browser you prefer. Make Your iPhone Faster by Clearing the Cache Make Your iPhone Faster by Clearing the Cache Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 5:02 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 5:02 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Make Your iPhone Faster by Clearing the Cache How to clear your iPhone cache in Safari Safari is the default browser on iPhones, and you can clear your Safari cache in a few short steps. Starting with iOS 11, following this process will affect all devices signed in to your iCloud account. As a result, all your devices' caches will be cleared, and you'll need to sign in to everything the next time you use them. Here's what to do. 1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone. 2. Select Apps > Safari. 3. Scroll down to History and Website Data and choose Clear History and Website Data. 4. Choose Clear History and Data in the pop-up box -- you can choose anywhere from the last hour to all history. Then you're set! How to clear your iPhone cache in Chrome It's easy to clear your iPhone cache in Chrome. James Martin/CNET Chrome is another popular browser for iPhone users. Google has simplified the process for clearing your Chrome cache, making it much faster to clear your data. 1. Open the Chrome app. 2. Select the three dots in the bottom right to open more options. 3. Swipe over to Settings in the top menu bar. 4. Scroll down and tap Privacy and security. 5. Tap Delete browsing data to open up another menu. Select the intended time range at the top of the menu (anywhere from Last 15 minutes to All time). Make sure that Cookies and Site Data are checked, along with Cached Images and Files. Finally, hit Delete data at the bottom of the screen. How to clear your iPhone cache in Firefox If you're a Firefox devotee, don't worry. Clearing the cache on your iPhone is straightforward. Just follow these steps. 1. Press the hamburger menu in the bottom right corner to open up options. 2. Choose Settings at the bottom of the menu. 3. Select Data Management in the Privacy section. 4. To clear everything, choose Web Site Data at the top of the menu and then Clear All Web Site Data. Alternatively, you can choose to clear just your browsing history, cache, cookies, offline web data, tracking protection or offline files. What happens when you clear the cache? Clearing your cache removes the website data your phone stored locally to prevent having to download that data upon each new visit. The data in your cache builds over time and can end up being an issue if that data winds up out of date. (My phone had about 150MB of data stored in Chrome when I checked.) Clearing that data gives sites a fresh start, which may fix some loading errors. But clearing your cache also signs you out of pages, so be prepared to sign in to everything again. How often do I need to clear my cache? Most people only need to clear their caches once every month or two. That's generally the point when your browser will build up a cache large enough to start slowing things down. If you frequent a large number of sites, you should err on the side of clearing your cache more often.
Geeky Gadgets
16-05-2025
- Geeky Gadgets
Privacy Please Browser Extension : Stop Surveillance and Protects Your Online Privacy
What if every click you made online was being watched, recorded, and sold? This isn't the plot of a dystopian novel—it's the reality of modern internet use. From social media platforms to shopping websites, nearly every corner of the web is designed to track your behavior, often without your knowledge or consent. The result? Detailed digital profiles that fuel targeted ads, manipulate your choices, and erode your sense of privacy. But here's the good news: you don't have to accept this as the cost of being online. With tools like the 'Privacy Please' browser extension, you can take back control, block invasive trackers, and enjoy a cleaner, more secure browsing experience. In a world where surveillance feels inevitable, this tool offers a way to fight back. When you navigate to sites like YouTube, Reddit, Twitter/X, or Google, the extension intercepts the request and redirects you to an open-source frontend. Same content, zero tracking. In the video Sam Bent introduces you to the fantastic power of privacy-focused browsing. You'll discover how Privacy Please created by Sam automates the process of redirecting you to privacy-respecting front ends, like Nitter for Twitter and Libreddit for Reddit, making it effortless to shield your activity from prying eyes. Beyond convenience, the extension also blocks trackers, eliminates ads, and simplifies web pages, creating a faster and less cluttered experience. But there's more to this story than just features—this tool is open source, meaning its code is transparent and verifiable, fostering trust in an era of hidden agendas. By the end, you'll see how small steps, like installing a browser extension, can have a profound impact on your digital autonomy. After all, protecting your privacy isn't just about safeguarding data—it's about reclaiming your freedom online. Protect Your Online Privacy Privacy Front Ends: A Smarter Way to Browse Privacy-respecting front ends, such as Invidious for YouTube, Nitter for Twitter, and Libreddit for Reddit, offer a more secure way to interact with popular platforms. These tools strip away intrusive ads, trackers, and forced logins, allowing you to access content without exposing your identity or browsing habits. By prioritizing user privacy, these front ends deliver a cleaner and distraction-free browsing experience. Despite their benefits, using these front ends manually can be cumbersome. Each time you encounter a link, you must locate and switch to the corresponding private front end, which can be time-consuming and inconvenient. This additional effort often discourages consistent use, leaving users vulnerable to the very tracking systems they aim to avoid. A more seamless solution is needed to make privacy protection both effective and effortless. How 'Privacy Please' Streamlines Privacy Protection The Privacy Please browser extension addresses the challenges of manual switching by automating the process. Once installed, it automatically redirects links from mainstream platforms to their privacy-respecting alternatives. For instance: – Clicking a YouTube link seamlessly redirects you to Invidious. – A Twitter link takes you to Nitter. – Reddit links open directly in Libreddit. This automation eliminates the need for manual intervention, allowing you to maintain your privacy without disrupting your browsing habits. By handling the redirection process in the background, Privacy Please ensures that you can enjoy a secure and private online experience with minimal effort. This convenience makes it easier to consistently use privacy-focused tools, reducing your exposure to invasive tracking systems. Browser Extension to stop Surveillance Watch this video on YouTube. Unlock more knowledge about online privacy by reading previous articles we have written. Key Features of 'Privacy Please' Beyond link redirection, Privacy Please offers a suite of features designed to enhance your browsing experience while protecting your data. These include: Tracker Blocking: Prevents intrusive trackers from monitoring your online behavior, making sure that your activity remains private. Prevents intrusive trackers from monitoring your online behavior, making sure that your activity remains private. Ad Removal: Eliminates ads, creating a cleaner and faster browsing experience free from distractions. Eliminates ads, creating a cleaner and faster browsing experience free from distractions. Content Simplification: Strips away unnecessary scripts and clutter, improving page load times and usability. These features not only safeguard your privacy but also make your online interactions smoother and more efficient. By combining privacy protection with usability enhancements, Privacy Please offers a comprehensive solution for modern internet users. Why Open source Matters Transparency is a cornerstone of trust in privacy-focused tools, and Privacy Please exemplifies this principle by being open source. Open source software allows anyone to inspect its code, making sure that the tool operates as promised. This transparency offers several key benefits: Verification: Users and developers can confirm that the extension functions as intended without hidden agendas. Users and developers can confirm that the extension functions as intended without hidden agendas. Security: Potential vulnerabilities can be identified and addressed by the community, enhancing the tool's reliability. Potential vulnerabilities can be identified and addressed by the community, enhancing the tool's reliability. Collaboration: Open source projects encourage contributions from developers worldwide, fostering innovation and continuous improvement. By embracing open source principles, Privacy Please not only builds trust but also ensures long-term accountability and adaptability. This collaborative approach enables users to take an active role in shaping the tools they rely on. How to Get Started Getting started with Privacy Please is straightforward. The extension is available on major platforms, including Firefox Add-ons and the Chrome Web Store. For those who prefer greater control or wish to verify the code's integrity, the source code is hosted on GitHub. This accessibility ensures that anyone can install and use the tool while maintaining full transparency. By following a few simple steps, you can integrate 'Privacy Please' into your browser and begin protecting your online activity immediately. Empowering Yourself Against Online Surveillance Adopting tools like Privacy Please is a proactive step toward reclaiming your digital privacy. By incorporating privacy-focused solutions into your daily routine, you can: Minimize your digital footprint: Reduce the amount of data collected about you online. Reduce the amount of data collected about you online. Challenge exploitative systems: Limit your reliance on platforms that profit from invasive tracking. Limit your reliance on platforms that profit from invasive tracking. Support a more equitable internet: Contribute to a broader movement advocating for user privacy and autonomy. While no single tool can guarantee complete anonymity, Privacy Please simplifies the process of protecting your online activity. Its combination of automatic redirection, tracker blocking, and open source transparency makes it an effective and accessible choice for anyone concerned about privacy. By taking action today, you can regain control over your digital life and set an example for a more privacy-conscious future. Media Credit: Sam Bent Filed Under: Top News Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.
TTG
08-05-2025
- General
- TTG
'We have a real link with LA' – how Virgin Atlantic is helping drive success in the City of Angels
We use cookies so we can provide you with the best online experience. By continuing to browse this site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Click on the banner to find out more.
