Which browser is right for you!!!
With so many free browsers,
the choice is difficult. What makes Chrome better than Firefox? Which one will
best protect your privacy? What's this new "browser for power users"
that everyone is talking about? Mihir Patkar takes a look at the gateways to
the internet to help you figure out...
GOOGLE CHROME
According
to Browser Stats, which tracks browser usage worldwide, Chrome is now used on
over 50% of computers. And there's good reason for that.
In
almost every test for browser speed, Chrome comes out on top. It has the
fastest Javascript and HTML5 performance, which are two of the most common web
languages. Chrome also has a vast array of extensions available. Plus, Google
regularly updates the browser with security patches and new features.
On
the down side, Chrome hasn't yet gained the trust of enterprises in India. So
you might find that your office's IT department does not allow you to use it.
From
a regular user's perspective, Chrome's biggest flaw is how resourcehungry it
is. The browser hogs processing power and RAM, often slowing the whole system
down to a crawl. On laptops, it also guzzles battery faster than other
browsers.Available for | Windows, Mac, Linux Best for | Those who want speed,
the convenience that comes from add-ons, and support for the latest web apps
and extensions.
IE & EDGE
With
the launch of Win dows 10, Microsoft introduced a new browser called Edge.
Microsoft says Internet Explorer (IE) is the legacy browser of the past, while
Edge is built for the next 20 years.
Several
Indian corporate and government web sites support only IE, and it also enjoys
the trust of system administrators.However, it has almost no extensions and
uses outdated tech like ActiveX which has major vulnerabilities.
There
is really no reason to use IE now, apart from browsing those exclusive sites.Thankfully
, Windows 10 lets you shift to Edge, which is faster at loading JavaScript or
HTML5 pages.
Unfortunately
, Edge also has limited extension support--only about 10 so far.Even then, it
is a better browser than IE.
Since
you don't have to install either, just let them stay on the Windows system and
use them when you need to.Available for | Windows Best for | Those who don't
want to install anything new and are happy to browse the internet without any
frills or fuss.
MOZILLA FIREFOX
Firefox
is known for its deep customizability.
When
coupled with its large extension gallery , you can change every single aspect
of the browser.From the look of its address bar to launching sites in a
sidebar, it's your call. A big bonus is that Firefox is the only browser to
allow multi-line tabs. No more compressing
Going Mobile
Chrome,
Firefox and Opera also have mobile browsers for Android and iOS.
And
you can create accounts to sync your desktop and mobile browsers, especially
for data like passwords and bookmarks.
Edge
is available on Windows Phone 10, but no other mobile platform. Again, you can
use your Microsoft Outlook account to sync the two.
Vivaldi
and Epic Browser are only for PCs at the moment. Unfortunately, there is no
“power user's browser“ for mobiles yet.
But
if privacy and tracking is your concern, then try the Orbot browser for Android
or the VPN Browser by Art Fusion for iOS.
Firefox
is the only mobile web browser to have extensions. browser tabs into tiny
little icons at the top of the window! Despite all these great features, there
is one big security flaw in Firefox. It is the only major modern browser
without a sandbox mechanism. Sandboxing isolates the browser from the operating
system, thus stopping online malware from reaching your files. It's an
important security measure, and while Firefox has said it's working on it, it's
not available at the moment. So, unless you know your way around the internet
and have the proper security extensions and programs installed, it might be
advisable to avoid Firefox till it adopts sandboxing.Available for | Windows,
Mac, Linux Best for | Those who want to tweak their browser to behave exactly
the way they want it to.
OPERA
Opera
has been around for a long time, but its recent changes and addi tions are brilliant.
It's the most ready-to-go browser among all, as it comes with several built-in
features that are important for the modern Web user.
For
starters, Opera comes with its own ad-blocking system, so you won't see
annoying ads popping up on pages. There is a neat “popout video player“, which
turns any YouTube or other video into a floating tab. Turbo Mode compresses
pages and load them faster. Plus, it's built on Chromium, the same open-source
technology as Chrome, so you get similar speed and security.
The
beta version, a.k.a Opera Developer, has added a free and unlimited virtual
Secure Your Browsing
HTTP
(Hypertext Transfer Protocol) isn't inherently safe and can lead to dangers
like phishing attacks. That's why the internet has a more secure version of the
protocol called HTTPS.
The
Electronic Frontier Foundation, a non-profit group dedicated to digital privacy
of users, built an extension called HTTPS Everywhere. It forces the websites
you visit to use an
HTTPS connection instead of the simple HTTP. The extension
is completely free, and available for Chrome, Firefox and Opera.
The
EFF does not have an HTTPS Everywhere extension for Internet Explorer or Edge,
but a third party named ZScaler has built one based on EFF's norms.
http:www.eff.orghttps-everywhere
private network (VPN) to access regionblocked videos and protect your identity
online. A built-in “Power Saver“ mode saves battery when you're unplugged.
Opera's
official extension store isn't as well-populated as Chrome's or Firefox's.But
don't worry , you can easily install most Chrome extensions in Opera. So don't
let extensions be the reason for skipping it.Available for | Windows, Mac,
Linux Best for | Those who want important features like ad-blocking and VPNs
built into the browser, or are looking for a good Chrome alternative.
EPIC BROWSER
Made
in India, Epic's priority is protecting your privacy and data from internet
companies.
Epic
is vigilant against all the usual methods cookies, IP address, fingerprinting,
etc that companies use to track you online. For example, did you know Google
tracks any innocent search and links it to your profile? Epic stops this by
routing all search engine traffic through a proxy, so they can't see your IP
address. Similarly , it shows a universally-accepted “Do Not Track“ message to
websites like Facebook so they don't try to follow which portals you are
visiting. Epic also comes with builtin ad blocking, one-click IP masking, and
auto-deletion of your session's data once you close the browser.
The
cost of these protections is that Epic can often seem inconvenient. It won't
store your passwords, so you need to enter them each time. It won't remember
your preferences or how you like certain exten sions to behave, so you'll have
to set that up every time. There's no computer-tophone sync for seamless
transitions between your browsers.
In
short, Epic is robust and prepared to protect you. If privacy is important,
it's the best. But you'll forego ease of use.Available for | Windows, Mac Best
for | Those who want privacy and security to be paramount, and everything else
comes second.
VIVALDI
Vivaldi
is a new browser that's aimed squarely at power users who want more than what
Chrome or Firefox offer. For example, it employs a left panel of tools, where
you can organize and access bookmarks, write quick notes, or check your
downloads. The Tab Stacking and Tab Tiling features can group similar tabs or
compare them in a split view. Keyboard-friendly “Quick Commands“ search through
open tabs, launch your favourite sites, quickly access cloud files, and more.
Much
like Opera, Vivaldi is built on Chromium, so you can use Chrome extensions.
However, unlike Opera, Vivaldi is also resource hungry and takes up more RAM
and CPU power than Chrome. Users who want this power browser need to have a
powerful machine as well.Available for | Windows, Mac, Linux Best for | Those
who want a browser that matches their “power user“ needs of using keyboard
shortcuts, writing notes, managing plenty of open tabs, and more.
Disable Auto-Playing Adobe Flash
Player
Adobe's
Flash is an integral part of the Web experience for many years. But its plug-in
has several vulnerabilities. Couple this with the fact that most browsers will
auto-play Flash files, and you have a security issue on your hand. So it's good
practice to disable auto-playing Flash files.
You
can find instructions on how to do this for Windows, Mac, or any browser on
Adobe's help page at helpx.adobe.com flash-player.html Just remember that while
Flash has its problems, it is still dominant in some web elements. For example,
if you are streaming high-resolution videos or playing games in your browser,
chances are that Flash will be required to play it. So disable it, but don't
uninstall it just yet.
Source | Times of India | 4 June 2016
Regards
Pralhad
Jadhav
Senior
Manager @ Library
Khaitan
& Co
Best
Paper Award | Received the Best Paper Award at TIFR-BOSLA National Conference on
Future Librarianship: Innovation for Excellence (NCFL 2016) on April 23,
2016. The title of the paper is “Removing
Barriers to Literacy: Marrakesh VIP Treaty”
Note | If anybody use these post for forwarding in any social media coverage
or covering in the Newsletter please give due credit to those who are taking
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