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Google Chrome 32 Is Out: Noisy Tabs Indicators, Supervised Users
An anonymous reader writes "Google today released Chrome version 32 for Windows, Mac, and Linux. The new version includes tab noise indicators, a new look for Windows 8 Metro mode, and automatic blocking of malware downloads. You can update to the latest release now using the browser's built-in silent updater, or download it directly from google.com/chrome."
I'd like it to block noisy tabs, block metro 8 and block malware. Maybe I should just go back to lynx.
If you are not allowed to question your government then the government has answered your question.
How long until the 64-bit version is released?
Besides an indicator, I'd expect a per-tab _mute_ button.
If Pandora's box is destined to be opened, *I* want to be the one to open it.
Why just identify the noisy background tab? Is there a setting to say "only play audio from the visible tab"?
And if you want evil: the "block malware" is presumably done by sending the name/location of the file you want to download to a google server, where it can be preserved forever and delivered to the government on request.... nice.
You know those little arrow buttons at each end of the scroll bar? The ones that scroll the content one line at a time? Gone as of Chrome 32. Anyone else think this is a terrible idea? Bug report here.
And if you want evil: the "block malware" is presumably done by sending the name/location of the file you want to download to a google server,
Thats not even a remotely safe assumption. For years now Chrome has created temporary files called "Safe Browsing Bloom" under the profile, which are presumably databases of malicious URLs. They could easily do something similar for malicious files. Either way, its something you can easily turn of with one click of a checkbox, and its something that all browsers do-- but apparently Google is the only one who gets flak for it. Nice.
where it can be preserved forever and delivered to the government on request.... nice.
I get that some people dont like Google's core business (info gathering / advertising), but this is about the stupidest reason to be anti-google ever.
They are the ONLY major search provider who fought against China's requests for data on dissident bloggers
They are the ONLY ones who arent ambiguous about their own privacy policy (Im looking at you, Bing)
And unlike almost any of the other major tech companies out there, they very frequently go to bat for user privacy and rights-- for example, refusing to provide US authorities user information without court-orders or warrants, providing info through the EFF's chilling effects pages on takedowns, and fighting lawsuits to indemnify users against patent trolls.
If this isnt "biting the hand that feeds you", I dont know what is. Have fun with Bing, just hope you arent a dissident in some authoritarian country.
Id imagine they download the file into "C:\Users\[USER]\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Safe Browsing Download" like theyve done with the rest of their safe-browsing features for the last 5 years.
But hey-- why be informed when you can complain about issues that dont exist?
I just did some research; No, they do not submit it to Google. From their docs:
https://developers.google.com/safe-browsing/
The Safe Browsing API is an experimental API that enables applications to download an encrypted table for local, client-side lookups of URLs that you would like to check. ...
The Safe Browsing API v2 has the following advantages:
* Better privacy: API users exchange data with the server using hashed URLs so the server never knows the actual URLs queried by the clients.
And of course, you can actually see said database tables under your profile as files beginning,..
"C:\Users\[USER]\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Safe Browsing*"
And if you were truly paranoid and / or wanted to stop spreading FUD, you could wireshark your connections to confirm that they do not, in fact, send those URLs to google to block malware.
They are the ONLY major search provider who fought against China's requests for data on dissident bloggers
How about Google's close relationship with the NSA ?
As a Googler, I'd say the best description is of Google's relationship with the NSA is "antagonistic". The news that the NSA had been tapping fiber between Google's data centers really pissed people off.
Google has publicly denied providing the NSA with any access, and there's no evidence that the denials are false. From my internal point of view (working on security infrastructure stuff), I also see zero evidence, and I think I would see it if it existed.
Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
Background sound is a big thing for online radio and music players. What would be nice is an option to disallow sites from playing music until they're approved, kind of like Chrome does with webcam access.