WTF?! There's still a lot of pushback against generative AI from most of the public. Not only are there concerns about the technology taking jobs and plagiarising, but many worry about control being taken out of humans' hands. Google and other companies' solution, it seems, is to create AI agents that can take over your PC, moving the mouse cursor, browsing the web, and entering text.
Chrome now supports passkeys not only on Android but also on Windows, macOS, and Linux desktops. Additionally, you can set up a PIN for easy access to your passkeys on the go.
Bottom line: After years of delaying the adoption of Manifest V3, Google is now moving forward and accelerating the process. Soon, users will have to choose between accepting Chrome's inferior ad-blocking technology or switching to a different browser.
Critics say the new platform is focused on benefitting advertisers
The big picture: Google claims that the new version of its Chrome extension platform will mean a safer and more efficient browser experience for users. While there are some features in Manifest V3 that will facilitate this, critics claim that the new controls are more helpful to advertisers. This has raised questions about Google's motivations, given that a significant portion of its revenue comes from advertising.
In brief: Chrome is gaining three new AI features powered by Google's latest language models. There's a new Google Lens integration for visually searching any on-screen images and text, a Tab Compare feature that automatically generates product comparison overviews, and enhanced history search using natural language queries.
Until now, Chrome has used the Data Protection API (DPAPI) to protect sensitive data on Windows. However, with Chrome 127, they are introducing app-bound encryption, similar to how the Keychain operates on macOS.
The Year of Firefox: Google initially announced the Manifest V3 API in 2018, but the new extension technology was delayed several times because of the intrinsic limitations it imposed on ad blockers and security add-ons. Now that it is ready for release, Mountain View will begin phasing out Manifest V2 extensions in Chrome next month.
Google has become aware of an exploit for CVE-2024-4671 that exists in the wild. This "use after free" vulnerability in the Visuals component of the browser has been patched on Mac, Windows, and Linux.