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Chrome 45 Launches, Automatically Pauses Less Important Flash Content, Like Ads

Posted by Soulskill on from the hip-hip-hooray dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Google today launched Chrome 45 for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android with some expected changes and new developer tools. First and foremost, Chrome now automatically pauses less important Flash content (rolling out gradually, so be patient). This has been a longtime coming from both Google and Adobe, with the goal to make Flash content more power-efficient in Chrome: In March, a setting was introduced to play less Flash content on the page, but it wasn't turned on by default, and in June, the option was enabled in the browser's beta channel. Now it's being turned on for everyone.

92 comments

  1. How does it know by phantomfive · · Score: 5, Interesting

    How does it know what is "important" Flash content, and what isn't?
    Fortunately, there's an option to not play any Flash content (unless started by user). That is a more useful feature, if you ask me.

    --
    "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    1. Re:How does it know by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      How does it know what is "important" Flash content, and what isn't?

      That's easy: Those that have paid Google and those that have not...

    2. Re:How does it know by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      How does it know what is "important" Flash content, and what isn't?

      Our algorithms are able to determine that with very high accuracy. We have a large data set to work with.

    3. Re:How does it know by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      After first largest SWF (so SECOND largest flash element) if you're under 298x(forgot dimension) and a swf, you're paused.

      It's not a complicated algorithm, it's just not been released through public channels yet.

    4. Re:How does it know by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 1

      How does it know what is "important" Flash content, and what isn't?

      Based on the width and height that you set.

      --

      "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

    5. Re:How does it know by taustin · · Score: 3, Insightful

      So this is an incentive to make the most annoying ad the largest Flash crap on the screen, then.

    6. Re:How does it know by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If it's served by a competitor, it's bad.

    7. Re:How does it know by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm guessing the "important" Flash content will have an odd tendency to come from ad companies with a lot of bribe money to throw around.

    8. Re:How does it know by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      In my opinion, Firefox is the best browser for protecting your privacy.

      Chrome and IE/Edge are both made by Big Data companies, so you can't trust either of them.

      I don't have an opinion about Safari, Opera, or others.

    9. Re:How does it know by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      See plugin_power_saver_helper.cc.

      Same-origin content is important, as is whitelisted content and content that is either smaller than 5x5 pixels or ‘big’. The whitelist at the moment only seems to be used for whitelisting the content origin.

    10. Re:How does it know by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why only Flash? This would be a sensible approach for *all* animated content, "important" or otherwise.

    11. Re:How does it know by phantomfive · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Why only Flash? This would be a sensible approach for *all* animated content, "important" or otherwise.

      Because Google isn't trying to get rid of animated content, they are trying to get rid of Flash.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    12. Re:How does it know by Trax3001BBS · · Score: 1

      How does it know what is "important" Flash content, and what isn't?

      That's easy: Those that have paid Google and those that have not...

      While your right, the site in question is Flurry.com. All those free games you play sale your info to them (Google) who in turn combines it with info they have, selling it to advertisers for personal ads.

    13. Re:How does it know by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      And the really funny part is that HTML5 can be just as much as a battery drain, and more. There's nothing especially draining about Flash. Try rotating and tweeting 50 standard DOM elements each with box-shadows, CSS Transforms and HTML5 filters and see how much improvement over Flash your battery sees.

      Of course, the security risks are far better, but the primary reason for Apple's anti-Flash stance and Google's a Flash demotion aren't security -- it's battery and CPU issues (supposedly).

      So let's see how that works out.

    14. Re:How does it know by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      *tweening

    15. Re:How does it know by Anonymous+Brave+Guy · · Score: 1

      Why only Flash?

      They've already gone further with Java, Silverlight, and anything else that relied on NPAPI. As of this update, these technologies will no longer work, even if they worked just fine a few months ago on some site or app you find useful and they still worked last week if you flicked a hidden option back on. Yay for mandatory updates, I guess.

      --
      If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.
    16. Re:How does it know by plover · · Score: 1

      That's what Flashblock, Privacy Badger, NoScript, and AdBlock are for.

      But it turns out it doesn't take much of an algorithm to determine which flash is important:

      if (content==flash) { unimportant = true; }

      So far, it's infallible.

      --
      John
    17. Re:How does it know by popo · · Score: 2

      Not true. It's much more sophisticated than that. I've tested the "smart" blocking vs the "block all plugins" settings and it definitely allows more than just the biggest element through, but it does block the ads.

      On sites where there are Flash navigation elements, or smaller Flash applications -- they are still apparently unblocked but auto play videos are blocked.

      There's more to this than meets the eye. And it's not just as simple as allowing the biggest Flash element to load.

      --
      ------ The best brain training is now totally free : )
    18. Re:How does it know by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2

      This. HTML5 is often no faster than Flash.

      Jobs said it was and no one questioned him, but CPU tests say otherwise. (We all know Jobs really just hated on Flash to protect his precious AppStore revenue -- as security concerns weren't issues for iOS devices anyway.)

      Flash is a security disaster, yes. But slower than HTML5? No. Not really. And Flash is far easier to block than HTML5 which can be tough to separate from the rest of the page.

      Be careful what you wish for. What we are likely to end up with is slow, bloated HTML5 sites that can't easily be streamlined by simply stopping a plugin.

    19. Re:How does it know by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I think about this a lot. One reason that HTML5 seemed faster at first is that the complexity of HTML5 animations tended to be far lower. Because there wasn't a good IDE for HTML5, the number of complex games with hundreds of moving elements was limited. But now that HTML5 content is approaching what could be done in a Flash, we're not really any better off than we were with Flash from a CPU standpoint. HTML5 animations can be just as much of a CPU hog as their Flash cousins. (Security issues aside of course). What this really comes down to is, do we even want a graphically rich, animated web at all? Loads of people would say no. Loads would say yes. But the notion that a Flash is evil from any perspective OTHER than a security issue is definitely misplaced. Client side animation is a CPU hog / battery-drain be it a Flash *or* HTML5.

    20. Re:How does it know by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A sensible simple method would be to block any flash file that is not hosted on the same IP as the web page you are looking at.

      Actually, that would be a simple and sensible method for blocking everything more programmatic than an image file. Yet I have never seen a "block off-site resources" checkbox in any browser.

    21. Re:How does it know by danmoran · · Score: 2

      How does it know what is "important" Flash content, and what isn't?

      That's easy: Those that have paid Google and those that have not...

      And are we only talking about flash advertising? What about the charts in Google Finance, for example? When will those be "updated" to HTML5?

  2. uh oh. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    more bad news for homestawunner.

  3. Oh, so thats why my two Debian 8 installs dies by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Got two Jessie boxes that suddenly freezes whenever theres Flash. This worked two days ago, and had worked for months.

    DAE?

  4. Sound for ads by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I don't know who's fault it is but for about the past year I consistently have ads in background tabs start playing sound.

    When I end up finding which tab is causing the issue I look at the ads sound icon and its still in the default mode of muted. I don't know if this is a Chrome issue or what but its extremely annoying to all the sudden out of nowhere have some commercial start blaring sound.

    I've been using Chrome on Linux for quiet some time now and thus haven't dug around to see if other browsers have the same issue. I do seem to recall it not happening much at my last job in which I was using Chrome on Windows.

    BTW I get this issue a lot with ads on Slashdot no less :(

    1. Re:Sound for ads by KGIII · · Score: 3, Funny

      There comes a time in a young man's life when he must, in order to grow, rebel against the system. Today, young man, I'd like to introduce you to AdBlock Plus.

      --
      "So long and thanks for all the fish."
  5. Flash is soooo bad... by pubwvj · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Flash is so bad that I run with it turned off by default. Anyone trying to Flash me must get my attention with the little FLASHED BLOCKED grey area which I then decide if it is worth it to trust them. Almost never.

    What Google is doing is a good thing.

    First they're demoting Flash and by inference saying it like GMOs is just plain bad.

    Second they can use known bad sources, patterns and crowd voting to find the offenders and just kill their content.

    Flash ads are awful. Perhaps this sort of vote against Flash will help kill Flash advertising while still allowing it for some useful content.

    1. Re:Flash is soooo bad... by KGIII · · Score: 2

      I suspect they're doing this to get more adoption of HTML5 which will make ad blocking much more difficult assuming web developers are even a little sneaky. I don't have the faith to assume they're doing this for good reason.

      --
      "So long and thanks for all the fish."
    2. Re:Flash is soooo bad... by ThatsNotPudding · · Score: 2

      Flash ads are awful.

      Until un-blockable HTML5 animated ads with audio become the norm - and I suspect the Google advertising agency will have no problem with this.

  6. Gee thanks by ShieldW0lf · · Score: 1

    The worlds largest advertising company is going to protect me from the psychological assault that is advertising.

    Except their own ads, of course.

    Fuck you, Doubleclick. You're like a slaver, who doesn't allow anyone but himself to beat his animals.

    --
    -1 Uncomfortable Truth
    1. Re:Gee thanks by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      They aren't going to protect you from anything. They are encouraging their customers to switch from Flash to HTML5 (and you are not their customer unless you pay them money).

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    2. Re:Gee thanks by KGIII · · Score: 0

      You're like a slaver, who doesn't allow anyone but himself to beat his animals.

      While slavery is a bad idea in general it occurs to me to ask... Would you allow somebody to dent your car with a hammer? If not then why would you expect someone to let you beat their slave? Why would you want to beat someone else's property? Why should you be allowed to?

      As an aside, that might actually be begging the question but those rules have been twisted almost as bad as those strange definitions for irony so I am just gonna wait for someone to tell me why I'm wrong and believe them.

      --
      "So long and thanks for all the fish."
    3. Re:Gee thanks by myowntrueself · · Score: 1

      The worlds largest advertising company is going to protect me from the psychological assault that is advertising.

      Except their own ads, of course.

      Fuck you, Doubleclick. You're like a slaver, who doesn't allow anyone but himself to beat his animals.

      Master! If you gonna beat me then beat me, if you gonna preach me then preach me! But please master don't beat me AND preach me!

      --
      In the free world the media isn't government run; the government is media run.
  7. Who cares about Flash now that HTML5 is here? by Gadget_Guy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I actually liked Flash being used for advertising on the Web, because I never installed Flash in the first place. It used to be my poor-man's ad-blocker long before that was a thing. But now that Flash is dying off, and with ubiquitous ad blockers, I now get confronted with the kind of flashy, power draining ads that I have always hated because everyone uses HTML5 video or canvas animations instead. I can tell when one loads because I can hear my poor little notebook's fan start chugging away as soon as the CPU-heavy ads start playing.

    I want to support my free web services by allowing reasonable advertising on websites, but not when they take over the resources on my computer.

    1. Re:Who cares about Flash now that HTML5 is here? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I want to support my free web services by allowing reasonable advertising on websites, but not when they take over the resources on my computer.

      Adblock Plus has a setting which allows unobtrusive through. It's their business model.

    2. Re:Who cares about Flash now that HTML5 is here? by Billly+Gates · · Score: 2

      You know 2012 was an exciting year for web developers.

      We just started learning 1998 CSS 2.1 and HTML 4.01. Why??? IE 6 prevented us from not being behind 10 years. It killed standards and we had to wait until it hit 1% and corporations who pay for the web developers who ran IE 6 saw a scrambled mess and said HEY WHO THEY HELL DID WE HIRE etc not realizing it was their poor 10 year old browser.

      My point?

      Grandma on XP uses IE 8 her internets won't work unless you do flash. THat client who pays you has IE 8 from 2009 because Oracle won't update their peoplesoft app without millions of dollars.

      So we have to wait until CHina too who still uses XP with updates disabled so they are all on IE 6 to upgrade too by 2020.

      In 2020 we can start to learn 2010 technology while the rest of us update every 6 weeks. Sigh and face palm. Flash will be here for a very very very long time short of making a law requiring TO STOP USING ANCIENT IE

      --
      http://saveie6.com/
    3. Re:Who cares about Flash now that HTML5 is here? by spauldo · · Score: 1

      There's a lot of content out there that's flash only.

      If flash goes away, all that will be gone - unless someone ports it to HTML5. Things like gnash will still be around, but in my experience flash alternatives rarely work very well.

      Anecdote time: there used to be a comic, a long, long time ago, about the computer industry. I can't even remember the name of it. The premise was the Y2K hit and all microprocessors stopped working. The main characters were all computer industry people (except one or two generic characters) who rebuilt the computing world on abacuses.

      The author of the comic used Shockwave (not Shockwave Flash) for many of her animations, which hasn't been updated in over a decade and never ran on Linux. It disappeared into obscurity, and few people today remember it at all, but at one time it was important to the free software movement.

      If flash dies, we'll lose a lot of history. A lot of websites will cease to work, and their older content will just disappear. I'd rather not see that happen.

      --
      Those who can't do, teach. Those who can't teach either, do tech support.
    4. Re:Who cares about Flash now that HTML5 is here? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      >> If flash dies, we'll lose a lot of history.

      Not really, I'm correcting that for you :
      "When flash died, we lost a lot of malware and ads"
      Now flash blocking is really going mainstream, even if google is still shy to block 100%.

    5. Re:Who cares about Flash now that HTML5 is here? by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      The company I work for produces industrial software, and we specify Chrome, mobile Chrome, mobile Safari and Firefox compatibility. Nothing else, no IE. Doesn't seem to be a problem for our clients, at worst they simply view installing Chrome or Firefox like installing any other bit of software they need to do their jobs. Their IT departments must support it because they need all kinds of other apps.

      I really don't think compatibility with old browsers is a huge problem for most web developers. For some it is, but the companies that are stuck with IE6 have bigger problems to worry about like endless daily infections and phishing scams that look legit in Outlook 2000.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    6. Re:Who cares about Flash now that HTML5 is here? by Billly+Gates · · Score: 1

      So you have no problem telling 1 out of 3 users to fword to your customers?? That is what it is as Grandma will go to a competitor.

        Remember the customer is hiring you for maximum reach of customer base. Web developmemt is different as we can't tell a cuatomer which browser to run like yours. If it aint working right on their desktop then your product is unaccwptable. Now yes you sell expensive equipment then that is different. HTML 5 is next decade technology

      --
      http://saveie6.com/
    7. Re:Who cares about Flash now that HTML5 is here? by PingSpike · · Score: 1

      I always just installed flash control or flash block. Then if I wanted to see the element I could just click on it. Since 98% of the stuff was auto load ads, auto play videos or other garbage it made way more sense to allow the tiny amount as it requires almost no user effort. Conversely, allowing all flash often required a large amount of effort to work around and typically loaded the page slower.

      FlashControl works for HTML5 video as well.

    8. Re:Who cares about Flash now that HTML5 is here? by Merk42 · · Score: 1

      There's a lot of content out there that's flash only.

      If flash goes away, all that will be gone - unless someone ports it to HTML5. Things like gnash will still be around, but in my experience flash alternatives rarely work very well.

      Anecdote time: there used to be a comic, a long, long time ago, about the computer industry. I can't even remember the name of it. The premise was the Y2K hit and all microprocessors stopped working. The main characters were all computer industry people (except one or two generic characters) who rebuilt the computing world on abacuses.

      The author of the comic used Shockwave (not Shockwave Flash) for many of her animations, which hasn't been updated in over a decade and never ran on Linux. It disappeared into obscurity, and few people today remember it at all, but at one time it was important to the free software movement.

      If flash dies, we'll lose a lot of history. A lot of websites will cease to work, and their older content will just disappear. I'd rather not see that happen.

      If the author was so into the free software movement, why did she make her comic rely on a proprietary plugin?

    9. Re:Who cares about Flash now that HTML5 is here? by spauldo · · Score: 1

      She did a lot of animations and whatnot, and there wasn't any real alternative at the time.

      Flash and Shockwave were both pretty revolutionary for their time. That's why Flash became so popular in the first place - nothing else had the same functionality. When it comes to animated vector graphics, I'm not sure anything today has the same functionality; SVG+HTML5 does some of it, but I doubt there's editing software that has the complete package that Flash does.

      Video streaming came much later. It's funny, but people today seem to think Flash is just video streaming and ads; it's way, way more than that.

      --
      Those who can't do, teach. Those who can't teach either, do tech support.
  8. I use alternate browser with Flash twice yearly by raymorris · · Score: 2

    Yep. I don't have Flash installed at all for my main browser. I haven't for a long time. Once or twice per year I find some Flash I want to see, so I open Opera, which does have Flash.

    Some sites will use Flash IF it's installed, but if not they'll generally "fall back" to HTML or some other method. People used to ask me "don't you watch YouTube"? Sure, and for a long time it has worked fine if Flash isn't detected at all. Apparently if Flash was detected but disabled, YouTube wouldn't work.

    1. Re:I use alternate browser with Flash twice yearly by popo · · Score: 1

      Agreed. Flash for video is absolutely non-essential.

      For games though, there are still far more (and better) web games for Flash than there are for noFlash.

      That will of course eventually change.

      --
      ------ The best brain training is now totally free : )
    2. Re:I use alternate browser with Flash twice yearly by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      For games though, there are still far more (and better) web games for Flash than there are for noFlash.

      I'd agree with more but not better. What's an example of a Flash game that's better than HTML5 games like DeadTrigger 2 or AngryBots or HexGL or Bejeweled or Browser Quest or the GA.ME games. I don't think Flash games have any technical edge over HTML5 games these days.

      The PS4's user interface is implemented in WebGL. Don Olmstead gave a talk on its development and optimization.

  9. FF Add-ons - Flash Plugin = "Ask to Activate" by TheDarkener · · Score: 2

    is pretty nice as well.

    --
    It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
    1. Re:FF Add-ons - Flash Plugin = "Ask to Activate" by antdude · · Score: 1

      Try that with HTML5 videos. :P

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
  10. Likes ads by m2shariy · · Score: 1

    The title is quite clear: chrome likes ads and disables less important content

  11. What defines "less important"? by mark-t · · Score: 1

    Is it, by any chance, something like "someone who just hasn't bribed us to not pause their content"?

    --
    File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
    1. Re:What defines "less important"? by KGIII · · Score: 1

      As I mentioned above. I suspect their push is because ads in HTML5 will be more difficult to block. It's almost time to go back to the hosts file - don't say it APK... ;-)

      I just really hate the idea of having to manage a hosts file well. A hosts file should be an individually curated thing and tailored to your own needs. I don't have the gumption for all that. I don't even know of an "easy" way to do that on Linux and I haven't booted to a Windows OS in a while now. (I'm kind of sort of forgetting how Windows works, to be honest.) I am not even going to renew my MSDN subscription this year.

      Gonna party like it's 1999 and have to manage my hosts file with gedit. Damn it... Damn it all to hell. Why, why did we have to let people on our network? It was never a "good" place but there was a time when I think it may have been better if, well, the Wild West is better. I'm still blaming AOL.

      --
      "So long and thanks for all the fish."
    2. Re:What defines "less important"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What APK won't admit is that hosts files will always target yesterday's ads. Tomorrow, the ad companies will change to new hostnames (or just serves everything up straight from http://1.2.3.4/) and the whack-a-mole game starts over.

  12. Easy Fix by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Block all ads anyway like any end user should. Ads are a blight on the Internet and, despite them paying for some content, the largest vector for malware. I've been blocking ads since 1999. I will never not block ads, even if doing so is illegal.

    1. Re:Easy Fix by Trax3001BBS · · Score: 2

      Block all ads anyway like any end user should. Ads are a blight on the Internet and, despite them paying for some content, the largest vector for malware. I've been blocking ads since 1999. I will never not block ads, even if doing so is illegal.

      Did you catch the article yesterday on /. "Microsoft intensifies data collection on Windows 7 and 8" they are hard coding sites, bypassing the HOSTS file.

    2. Re:Easy Fix by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      LOL, I don't use a HOSTS file. HOSTS files are APKs nonsense. I use a number of tools, both HW and SW to never see ads, beacons, 1pixel spies, you name it. Don't forget, Windows is not the only OS on the planet. I have not used Windows as my personal desktop since last century. Literally. For me it's BSD or Linux, preferably BSD.

    3. Re:Easy Fix by plover · · Score: 1

      Did you catch the article yesterday on /. "Microsoft intensifies data collection on Windows 7 and 8" they are hard coding sites, bypassing the HOSTS file.

      The application firewall still works, though. You can shut off much of that traffic; it just takes a ridiculous amount of time and effort.

      --
      John
    4. Re:Easy Fix by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Did you catch the article yesterday on /. "Microsoft intensifies data collection on Windows 7 and 8" they are hard coding sites, bypassing the HOSTS file.

      But that does not stop blocking in the router firewall. Even home routers have firewalls.

    5. Re:Easy Fix by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Block all ads anyway like any end user should. Ads are a blight on the Internet and, despite them paying for some content, the largest vector for malware. I've been blocking ads since 1999. I will never not block ads, even if doing so is illegal.

      Yeah screw people wanting to be paid for their work, or at the very least cover hosting costs! Everything should be free because I'm a self-entitled millennial!

    6. Re:Easy Fix by karniv0re · · Score: 1

      Nobody loves ads, but they keep content free. If you want to pay for Netflix, Hulu+, HBO Go, Showtime whatever, Slashdot Premium, Facebook PRO, LinkedIn LOL j/k, nobody wants that, or whatever else, then fine. But if you're not paying for it, you're being a bad internet citizen by blocking ads. Block Flash, sure. But the rest? Just let it do its thing and remember that it's keeping your beloved content alive and free. As a caveat, I do long for the days when a website (let's go with CNN here) doesn't need 150 MB to load fucking home page content. Everything is so bloated. I'm fine with ads, but can we work on tuning some of these pages? I don't even want to visit some sites because of the toll they take on my system resources. And to your point, I'm sure half of that is ads.

  13. Re:AdBlock+ = inferior & 'souled-out' vs. host by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    APK Hosts File Engine has a bug in it where it keeps spamming Slashdot's comment section with ads for itself. Please fix this bug.

  14. Re:AdBlock+ = inferior & 'souled-out' vs. host by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Warning! I clicked on that link and WORMS CAME OUT MY BUTTHOLE! I don't think this software is safe!

  15. No more NPAPI by SpamSlapper · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This release also permanently removes support for NPAPI plugins.
    This was disabled by default in the last few releases, but could be turned back on. Now it is gone for good, along with support for a large number of plugins, including Microsoft Silverlight, some SharePoint features and some games like Battlefield 4 Battleblog
    Ouch.

    1. Re:No more NPAPI by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you're old enough to know what NPAPI stands for, yet young enough to actually able to remember what Netscape was, then you know this day had to come sometimes. If relatively new stuff like Battlefield 4 still relies on it, it's their fault, and EA would never change it without pressure, so the Ouch is on them, not Google...

    2. Re:No more NPAPI by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      I'm glad they are getting rid of NPAPI. At some point you have to say "this is broken, can't be fixed, kill it." The only stuff it was ever used for was crapware.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    3. Re:No more NPAPI by perlith · · Score: 2

      The only stuff it was ever used for was crapware.

      Actually, several enterprise web applications use it. Parent mentioned SharePoint, there are more than a few applications on J2EE servers which utilize it as well. One of the areas of the product I work on just released a new application to replace an older application which was dependent on NPAPI.

      Customers have 1 of 3 choices at this point:
      1) Downgrade Chrome - IT Security won't allow that, too risky
      2) Upgrade the server code / install new application - IT Management won't allow that, too risky
      3) Use something other than Chrome until #2 can happen - most likely choice in the short term

      However I am in agreement the NPAPI needed to die. Google gave more than enough warning this was coming - TWO YEARS - so companies were given the opportunity to fix their code. Those that haven't - shame on you.

    4. Re:No more NPAPI by JonSarik · · Score: 2

      Unfortunately, as one of those people who still depends on sites using Java, I had to switch to Firefox as of Chrome 45. Shame they wouldn't allow us to enable NPAPI, but I guess this is probably the only way to force those sites' hands. In the meantime, I have no choice but to switch. Makes me a sad panda.

    5. Re:No more NPAPI by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We've got a scanner plugin that allows us to scan and upload PDFs directly to the webserver without having to scan them onto the local computer, browse for the scan511259251.pdf (amidst the other 9999999999 scans) and upload the file using a regular file form. I know dynamsoft has an "HTML5" version of the plugin (from looking at the trial version, it installs a local service on the computer to interact with the scanner, then a bit of javascript to create a UI and use websockets to communicate with the server) but the boss's answer is "well, tell them to use firefox, it still works there, right?" I think eventually we'll have to get him to pay for the new plugin.

  16. In other news by jbmartin6 · · Score: 3, Informative

    Amazon banned Flash on their ad networks.

    --
    This posting is provided 'AS IS' without warranty of any kind, implied or otherwise.
  17. Re: Google blocks their own Flash content by CmdrPorno · · Score: 1

    I got the latest Chrome update (45.0.2454.85). The default new tab page shows a Google search box at the top and my frequently viewed sites at the bottom. The Google search box at the top is partially opaque and you have to click a "play" button to show the cute little Google search animation. I can only conclude that Google Chrome has blocked Google's own content.

    --
    Sent from my iPhone
  18. Google using monopoly position to crush competit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Google is using its monopoly position to crush a competitor. News at 11

  19. Re:AdBlock+ = inferior & 'souled-out' vs. host by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hay APK, why don't you reply to this guy? Is it because the guy that replied to him is right?

  20. SPH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I didn't read your post. You didn't take my advice yet? You really should

  21. Re:Google using monopoly position to crush competi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Google has Flash as a competitor how exactly?

  22. Re:AdBlock+ = inferior & 'souled-out' vs. host by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    APK is all talk, that vdnet software is worthless.

  23. AdBlock+ = inferior & 'souled-out' vs. hosts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Can adblock+ do 16 things hosts do for speed, security, & reliability:

    1.) Protect vs. malicious sites/servers (past ads)
    2.) Protect vs. fastflux botnets + stop C&C communique
    3.) Protect vs. dynamic dns botnets + stop C&C communique
    4.) Protect vs. DGA botnets + stop C&C communique
    5.) Protect vs. downed DNS (adds reliability)
    6.) Protect vs. DNS redirect poisoned dns
    7.) Protect vs. trackers
    8.) Protect vs. spam
    9.) Protect vs. phish
    10.) Protect vs. caps
    11.) Get you past a dnsbl
    12.) Keep you off dns request logs
    13.) Speed up surfing by adblocks & hardcoded fav. sites
    14.) Work on anything webbound (ie email programs) multiplatform.
    15.) Give you easily controlled data
    16.) Do all that & block ads better than addons more efficiently in cpu cycles + memory usage

    * ANSWER ="NO" to each above on ab+ doing it as well or @ ALL + hosts = already on every device natively.

    APK

    P.S.=> Ab+ does less than hosts & less efficiently - hosts do MORE w/ less + Hosts start w/ the IP stack before REDUNDANT inefficient addons BEGIN to operate (as 1st resolver queried):

    Ab+'s 128mb memory inefficiency http://cdn.ghacks.net/wp-conte... (hosts consume 3-11mb using my program initially).

    +

    ClarityRay defeats it by dumping addons in use in a browser via native browser methods!

    +

    Ab+'s paid to not do its job http://www.businessinsider.com...

    Ab+ adds complexity from a slower mode of operations (usermode = more messagepassing overheads vs. hosts in kernelmode).

    What's best?

    APK Hosts File Engine 9.0++ SR-2 32/64-bit http://start64.com/index.php?o...

    MalwareBytes' hpHosts Admin (MalwareBytes employee) hosts & recommends it http://hosts-file.net/?s=Downl... & MalwareBytes = BEST antivirus http://www.av-test.org/en/news...

    &

    It's GUARANTEED safe & clean per it being checked by 57 antivirus programs recently in BOTH its 64-bit model https://www.virustotal.com/en/...

    +

    In its 32-bit model too https://www.virustotal.com/en/...

    ... apk

  24. Re:AdBlock+ = inferior & 'souled-out' vs. host by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Apk correctly answered with something his program does (reverse dns ping) http://yro.slashdot.org/commen... + on dig later if he uses *NIX and actually trusts ip addys not in DNS which could just be late dns propogation that can take up to 24 hours time.

  25. Take your own advice... apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Seek Professional Help: You need a miracle to prove my points on hosts adding more speed, security, reliability, & anonymity VALIDLY TECHNICALLY wrong...

    * ... And, you KNOW it - hence your off-topic illogical failing ad hominem attacks directed my way...

    APK

    P.S.=> Above all else? GROW UP, weasel... apk

  26. Correct talk though... apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See subject, & here -> http://yro.slashdot.org/commen...

    * NOW - IF my software's worthless (& if you meant ZDNet, I haven't sent them my files in decades to display)?

    Then why can't you validly technically prove my points on hosts files adding more speed, security, reliability, & anonymity wrong then?

    APK

    P.S.=> That question's ALL I ever need to ask illogical off-topic failing ad hominem attacks directed my way using trolls like yourself... you can never EVER live up to it, & you'd need a miracle to do so!

    ... apk

  27. You can't validly prove me technically wrong by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See subject: That's the only "bug" that BUGS YOU to no end & it's impossible to do, thus, your illogical immature off-topic trolling...

    * Apparently? That's about ALL you'll EVER be capable of... & you KNOW it!

    APK

    P.S.=> People like you are a serious WASTE of life... apk

  28. You can't validly prove me technically wrong by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See subject: Thus, you're incapable of judging wares I wrote, period...

    APK

    P.S.=> Grow up troll - living your miserable life out wasting it the way you do is NO way to live a normal life... apk

  29. Thanks! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I am delighted that you are now conditioned to reflexively understand the meaning of "SPH". Perhaps as you continue to see the acronym and mentally translate it, you will have a growing awareness that this is no laughing matter, but genuine advice offered in all sincerity, for your own well-being.

    Also, a suggestion : not keeping tabs on every post to which you have responded will free up lots of your time. Even using tools for that, it must be a real burden to compulsively respond to so many posts. Maybe you could even use that time freed up to SPH?

    ~CF

  30. Again - take your own advice... apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See subject: You need it more than I do, without question...

    * I will do as I please, & don't need the advice of "lesser mortals" like yourself...

    (Got that? Good...)

    APK

    P.S.=> Do "drink in & digest that" as you need it instead of trying to live out your delusions of grandeur that you're the "SiDeWaLk-ShRiNk of /." who obviously has "kept track" of this as I have & do vs. trolling off topic scum such as yourself that have nothing better to do, than be pests online, like you... apk

    1. Re:Again - take your own advice... apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I didn't read your post. See you soon. Remember : SPH

  31. Flash Must Die! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It seems to be more trouble than it's worth.
    " Time for you to leave. "
    -- Master Kan to Kwai Chang Cain, "Kung Fu", 1972

  32. So you're illiterate! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See subject: & yet you try play Dr. Quack "SiDeWaLk-ShRiNk of /." minus a license or degree in the psychiatric sciences as well as no formal examination of my alleged mental state according to you, Dr. Quack!

    * Please - grow up, & get on topic!

    (Do everyone a favor, including yourself, & do that - & while you're @ it, Seek Professional Help for your illiteracy - a good start would be to get remedial reading lessons such as "hooked on phonics" in your case... lol!)

    APK

    P.S.=> I wonder just how badly I must've spanked you for your puny off topic illogical failing ad hominem attacks directed my way that you keep resorting to the "last resort" of trolls everywhere - the offtopic illogical ad hominem attack... apk

  33. I didnt read your post by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    SPH ~CF

    1. Re:I didnt read your post by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Take your own advice: Get professional help for your illiteracy.

    2. Re:I didnt read your post by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ess Pee Aitch

      --

      ~CF

  34. "Rinse, Lather, & Repeat"... apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See subject & this link again -> http://tech.slashdot.org/comme...

    APK

    P.S.=> Take your own advice & get help with your illiteracy, troll (& do get on topic)... apk