Google Chrome For Mac Lacks Bookmarks Tool, OS X Integration

December 8, 2009

Google co-founder Sergey Brin must be a happy man today; after several months of waiting, his company finally released yesterday Chrome for the Mac.

But so far, my experience with Google’s Internet  browser is a mixed bag. Overall, I prefer its user interface from Safari (clicking on the address bar highlights it, opening new Web apps in new tabs really works, the address bar *is* the search box, feels faster…), despite using Apple’s browser for years.

Chrome for Mac lacks proper bookmarks management, Mac OS integration, email page function and extensions

However, Google Chrome for Mac doesn’t offer the same level of integration than Safari, especially with iPhoto: I’m so used to copy a photo from a Web page right into iPhoto with a click of a mouse. I just can’t do that anymore with Chrome.

Most frustrating with Chrome is its poor bookmarks management, or the lack thereof. For example, you can’t delete a bookmark inside a bookmark folder, or get rid of the “Other Bookmarks” folder. Also, it’s not possible to email a Web page. This function is also a no-show on Chrome’s Windows version.

Google also said that “extensions” for Chrome’s Mac version are coming soon. It’s still very early for me to know what these extensions will bring to my overall experience, but despite some missing features, Chrome is now my default browser on all my Macs and Windows machines, and my Android phone of course! Now, if Google could synchronise all of them – like Opera can with the version 10 of its browser – that’ll be bliss!

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Posted by TechPulse 360

Microsoft Says No To WebKit For Internet Explorer; ActiveX Still Matters

March 19, 2009

Dean Hachamovitch, the general manager of the Internet Explorer team at Microsoft is not yet worried about the recent security breaches in IE8

Dean Hachamovitch, the general manager of the Internet Explorer team at Microsoft is not yet worried about the recent security breaches in IE8

After his keynote at the MIX09 conference, I chat with Dean Hachamovitch, the general manager of the Internet Explorer team at Microsoft about the future of Internet Explorer.

First off, Hachamovitch quickly brushed off the idea of adopting the WebKit engine – used in Apple Safari and Google Chrome – to replace the homegrown Trident engine.

The Microsoft executive also touched on the company’s Research Lab Gazelle engine “that is not a replacement for Internet Explorer’s engine but is actually using it.”

Second, despite pushing for smaller “add-ons” for its Accelerator, Web Slices or Visual Search suggestions, Microsoft is not abandoning ActiveX. “ActiveX is still going to be used for super rich applications,” confirms Hachamovitch.

On the latest security issue affecting IE8, Microsoft is still evaluating how the hackers breached the browser’s security and if the hackers made any “assumptions” for their brute force attacks. “I also want to remind you that all the browsers were taken down. It was not just IE8. But also Safari and Firefox,” adds Hachamovitch.

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Microsoft Internet Explorer Continues Market Share Slide

February 2, 2009

Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser now commands 67.55 percent of global browser market share, according to data released by Web metrics company Net Applications today.

Most of the other major browsers like Mozilla’s Firefox (21.53 percent), Apple Safari (8.29 percent) or even Google Chrome (1.12 percent) are gaining shares, except perhaps for Opera’s (0.7 percent).

Looking closer, Internet Explorer 6 share was cut almost by half to 19.21 percent, while Internet Explorer 7 rose slightly to 47.32 percent.

Internet Explorer 8 that just launched last week is faster than its predecessors and has some compatibility enhancements to make loading difficult-to-view sites easier.

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Browser Wars: Internet Explorer Usage Drop Benefits Firefox, Safari

January 2, 2009
Despite loosing market share, Microsoft Internet Explorer is by far the dominent window to the Net

Despite loosing market share, Microsoft Internet Explorer is by far the dominant window to the Net

For the first time in about 10 years, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser market share fell below 70 per cent, ending 2008 with 68 per cent compare to almost 80 per cent 2-years ago.

At the same time, Firefox’s market share rapidly rose from 13.7 per cent to 21.3 per cent while Apple’s Safari browser jumped to almost 8 per cent from 4.7 per cent, according to data collected by Net Applications.

Although Internet Explorer 7 is the current version of Microsoft’s net browser – and IE8 is expected to come out this year – IE6 is still the dominant browser in business environments.

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Google Takes Chrome Browser Out Of Beta And Turns Up Heat On New Browser War

December 11, 2008

Google said Thursday it has taken the beta test label off its Chrome browser, which now has 10 million active users around the world.

Googles Chrome browser claims 10 million users

Google's Chrome browser claims 10 million users

In just 100 days, 14 updates to the browser were released improving the product’s stability and performance, Google said in a blog entry. “With today’s fifteenth release, we are taking off the ‘beta’ label,” said Vice President Sundar Pichai.

The announcement is likely to turn up the heat on this latest skirmish in the long running browser wars that first broke out a decade ago between Microsoft and Netscape.

While Google Chrome’s has attracted attention, it has a long way to go. In a recent market survey, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer retained 71 percent share and up-and-coming Mozilla Firefox claimed 20 percent.

Safari had climbed to nearly 7 percent with Opera and Netscape holding onto less that 1 percent. Chrome’s share was 0.7%.

Still, on the technical front, Google claimed progress. Video and audio glitches common in early version of Chrome has been ironed out, and the browser’s speed continues to increase.

Users also can now import bookmarks from other browsers and key RSS and autofill features are on the way.

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Posted by Mark Boslet

Memo To Former Engineers At Google, Yahoo, Palm, etc: Opera Software Is Hiring, Expanding In Silicon Valley

November 26, 2008

 

Opera's small Silicon Valley office accommodates a pinball and a sofa. But no ping-pong!

Opera's small Silicon Valley office accommodates a pinball and a sofa (IKEA?). But no ping-pong yet!

Here are some bright news for the folks here in Silicon Valley who have just been laid off from Yahoo, Google, Palm and others.

 

The small Norwegian company, whose Internet browser competes with Microsoft Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Firefox and Safari – on the desktop and the mobile market – is expanding its U.S. headquarters in Mountain View, Calif.

Opera Software’s local chief, Rod Hamlin is looking for new offices in the Bay Area to accommodate the new hires; he expects to nearly double the size of the Silicon Valley office to about 40 people.

“We’re looking to hire talented engineers and/or to acquire technology companies to help us work on a sleuth of projects we have,” said Hamlin in a conversation late last week.

Time to brush up those résumés. Anyone else hiring?

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Posted by TechPulse 360

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