Microsoft's Collaboration On Google's Chromium Brings a New Feature To Chrome (mspoweruser.com)

Remember when Microsoft announced they'd be switching to Google's open source Chromium browser for developing their own Edge browser? At the time Google announced "We look forward to working with Microsoft and the web standards community to advance the open web, support user choice, and deliver great browsing experiences."

Now MSPoweruser reports Microsoft has indeed started collaborating on Chromium -- making suggestions like caret browsing and a native high-contrast mode -- and at least one of Microsoft's suggestions is already coming to Chrome. it looks like there is one feature that Chromium approved which will be making its way to Chrome soon. According to a new bug (via Techdows) filing on Chromium, Google is working on bringing text suggestions for hardware keyboard to Chrome soon. The feature will allow users to get suggestions as they type which is currently available on Windows 10 and on Microsoft Edge.

Google has just started working on the feature and has set the priority to 2 which suggests that the feature should be available sooner than later.

Comments

Firefox, it is

[DogDude]

It's Firefox for me, then. The last remaining browser that doesn't track and spy on me...?

Re: Firefox, it is

[DogDude]

No, dipshit AC. I knew Chrome was tracking. I didn't know Edge was Chrome until recently.

Re:Firefox, it is

[yodleboy]

You might as well get off the internet then. Even if your browser isn't tracking you, everyone else is.

Re:Firefox, it is

[x_t0ken_407]

I REALLY need Vivaldi to come with their mobile browser (or an easy way for me to sync things with any browser that's available on iOS). For now, Firefox is top-notch when it comes to sync, and Chrome/Chromium isn't bad at it either. It's very nice, must-have for me.

Original Opera Presto fan, and Vivaldi Snapshot user since 2015, but just can't use it as my primary browser until I get the above :/

Re:Firefox, it is

[e432776]

I hear you. Somehow Microsoft and Google working together on a browser does not inspire confidence for me. Wonder if they have entered into a "data sharing" agreement (scary thought!)

Re:Firefox, it is

[x_t0ken_407]

I'd heard of Brave before (in face, I have it installed on my phone) however, I didn't know they made a desktop counterpart. Checking it out now, thanks!

This is, of course, only until Vivaldi finally produces their mobile counterpart. I LOVE the customization ability of it, brings me back to my Opera (Presto) days.

Re:Firefox, it is

[sydbarrett74]

Found this on the Vivaldi blog. Sync was in beta as of November of 2017. Don't know if it's an official feature yet... https://vivaldi.com/blog/snapshots/help-test-sync/

Translation...

[b0s0z0ku]

Everything you type will be (at least by default) sent to Microshaft or Scroogle so that their clown servers can generate "suggestions." Fuck that idea.

Caret Browsing Definition From the Article

[Anonymous Coward]

FTA: For those who don’t know, Caret navigation basically means using a text cursor to move around a page. With Caret browsing, users will be able to add a cursor to any webpage and use keyboard shortcuts like Shift+Arrow Keys to select text without using the mouse. The feature is already available in Edge and can be activated using F7 key on the keyboard.

Re:Caret Browsing Definition From the Article

[Anonymous Coward]

I didn't even know about this feature. Apparently, Firefox has it too. Same shortcut F7 to enable it.

Firefox and Brave browsers

[SirAstral]

I use them both interchangeably depending on my needs.

Firefox with NoScript is my default, searching browser.
I use Brave for a few other things when I get tired of dealing with the alphabet script soup I deal with on some websites and it had a built in AD block, tracker block, anti-phish, anti fingerprinting, and HTTPS anywhere stuff.

Google Chrome is spyware and its not even a secret.

Re:Firefox and Brave browsers

[Luckyo]

NoScript for Firefox was castrated after XUL was dropped from Firefox. Current version is close to Chromium version when it comes to features, as limitations of the add-on models are almost identical. It is nothing like the XUL version of Firefox NoScript.

Which is why in spite of the purported "official support" of Firefox team for NoScript's developer's effort to transition from XUL to Webextensions and long and well funded effort, he had to admit failure in the end.

Re: What comes next?

[Anonymous Coward]

Envelop!

While extinguish would normally be the term, this is presumably to isolate all other browsers. It seems MS, despite its coffers, is wholly inept at adequate browser software development. Baffling, but here we are.

No, this is to create a 2 class browser field. Chrome and Edge, and then everyone else. The latter of which will be 'persecuted', for lack of a better term, due to the following features, becoming unsupported by the mainstream:
- media streaming: dropped due to partnership deals
- corporate implementation: due to security and functionality limitations

Once Opera, Firefox, Vivaldi, etc... start getting kicked out of general use beyond individual users, out of business and corporate environments, it will be difficult to maintain the browsers on par with where MS and Google decide to take the browser space. Because unfortunately, they will take the lead if they haven't already.

Extend

[fibonacci8]

This is traditionally referred to as the "Extend" phase of Embrace, Extend, Extinguish.

Re:Extend

[Gregg M]

This is traditionally referred to as the "Extend" phase of Embrace, Extend, Extinguish.

Yea.. but this time they're competing with someone who is as fast and as nimble as they are.

Google will say

"Hey! Thanks for the suggestion" it'll be in the next update for chrome.

Re: Extend

[cyber-vandal]

Let's party like it's 1999.

Re: Extend

[cyber-vandal]

So an excellent match for Google then

Re:Extend

[exomondo]

This is traditionally referred to as the "Extend" phase of Embrace, Extend, Extinguish.

Well no, it isn't. That would require it to be a feature tying it specifically to some Microsoft product or platform. The "Extend" that you refer to is creating proprietary, non-portable extensions that don't work on other vendors' platforms.

Re: What comes next?

[cyber-vandal]

I think Apple might have something to say about that.

Firefox is getting so far behind..

[newbie_fantod]

...I mean it still hasn't got a decent key-logger.

Re: What comes next?

[DontBeAMoran]

The day they stopped making Safari for Windows is the day they gave up their power to do anything about it.

Re: What comes next?

[cyber-vandal]

They haven't stopped making Safari for iOS.

Re: What comes next?

[DontBeAMoran]

https://www.w3counter.com/glob...
Chrome 62.5%
Safari 13.8%
IE+Edge 7.0%
Firefox 6.3%
Opera 3.0%

But if all IE/Edge users switched to this new "Microsoft Chrome" browser, the new stats would be:
Chrome 69.5%
Safari 13.8%
Firefox 6.3%
Opera 3.0%

And if you look at the monthly trends, Safari is just barely keeping its relative numbers while Chrome keeps going up, eating both Microsoft's and Mozilla's shares. But since Microsoft is basically becoming Chrome, the IE/Edge marketshare becomes irrelevant and simply pushes Chrome even higher.

I, for one, welcome our new Googlesoft overlords. ... sent from my Mac.

Open web? User choice?

[markdavis]

>"We look forward to working with Microsoft and the web standards community to advance the open web, support user choice, and deliver great browsing experiences."

Really? Standards? User choice? My translation this marketing speak is this:

"We look forward to getting Microsoft to use our browser so we can better force whatever we want as web standards to advance our control over the web, reduce user choice, and deliver a great browser-supplier experience"

If you want something actually based on open standards, is actually open source, is actually about user choice, is actually driven by the community (and performs well and runs on all platforms, too); well, at least there is still one choice left. Firefox.

ActiveX for Chrome?

[bussdriver]

ActiveX for Chrome?
Microsoft OFFICE integration?
Clippy?

Re: What comes next?

[markdavis]

>"The day they stopped making Safari for Windows is the day they gave up their power to do anything about it."

Nor is it available for Linux or Android. And it is not open source, either. So anyone pointing to Safari as a "choice" has to put a lot of qualifications in front of that example.

There are really only two "all major platform" browsers- Google Chrome and Firefox. And there are really only two "all major platform" and open source browsers- Google Chromium and Firefox. If Firefox is pushed into obscurity by Google (which is already happening), ALL users will lose... and badly, but many just don't quite realize it yet.

When your choice is one choice, there is no choice.

Re: What comes next?

[cyber-vandal]

So web devs are just going to ignore iPhone / iPad users? I think that's pretty unlikely.

More encrypted ads

[AHuxley]

That can get past more of the user installed ad blocking products.
Two ad brands working together to push more ads onto users.
More tracking.

Use your software freedom with Firefox

[jbn-o]

As I've said multiple times before, Firefox's saving grace is that it is free software—software we're free to run, inspect, share, and modify. If you don't trust Firefox you can make it trustworthy by examining what it does, changing it to meet your needs, and share improved copies to help your community. These freedoms are a clear difference from proprietary (user-subjugating) software such as Microsoft's browsers, Google Chrome, Apple Safari, and Opera. These freedoms are why Firefox is the basis of so many other browsers such as Tor Browser (making it easier to web browse on Tor) and LibreFox (which aims to "enforc[e] privacy and security of Firefox without forking the project").