firefox

WoT (Web of Trust) Firefox extension spies and selling user data

November 3, 2016 by computerera

WOT (Web of Trust) is the popular extension among Firefox users which ensures the security of the sites we browse through the Firefox browser.

But the hard truth is, the most downloaded extension is selling the personal user data to the third-party companies for money. The extension saves all the vital information of an individual as a separate profile. All the details of the web pages you visited online and the date, time, location are saved in that particular profile. Then the extension sells the data to others for money.

Web of Trust (WOT) gained popularity with the increased security risks associated with the sites we are browsing. The extension checks each URL we visit, checks whether the URL is listed in the risky websites database they are maintaining and finally alerts the user before he navigates to the web page.

The extension is very useful to avoid phishing attacks, web pages with malware and trojans. That’s why a majority of the Firefox users using the extension without fear. But the latest privacy concerns makes the extension not worthy.

Before installing any third-party extension for your Firefox, Google Chrome browser get ready for the risks associated with the extension. Web browsers are not responsible for the damage extensions do to the users.

Firefox will be up to 400-700% responsive soon while loading websites

September 3, 2016 by computerera

Before Google Chrome arrival Firefox enjoyed the top position after Internet Explorer’s down trend. But Google Chrome won the web browser market by integrating more features & performance orientated tweaks time to time.

Firefox, on the other hand, still struggling with low responsiveness, frequent hangs and other issues.

Mozilla is testing multi-process architecture named Electrolysis to the Firefox browser. In the initial tests the company already rolled out the feature to approx. 1 percent of its user base and got positive feedback from the users.

Mozilla says Electrolysis multi-process architecture can improve your web browser responsiveness in between 400 to 700 percent while browsing the larger websites.

Google Chrome treats each tab, extension as an individual process and allocates RAM to those processes accordingly to their requirements. So if there has been any bug in any particular extension, it won’t affect other tabs or extensions.

By introducing the similar mechanism with more research Mozilla is planning to win the user’s hearts. Day by day Firefox is losing a significant portion of browser market share. The open source firm already financially depending on Google by integrating Google Search engine as the primary search option in the Firefox browser.

If it failed to tweak the browser remaining segment of the users who are diehard fans of Firefox will also slowly migrated into other browsers.

Failure Story – How Internet Explorer disappeared from PC users mind?

May 2, 2016 by computerera

Microsoft wrote its own fate by taking immature decisions for Internet Explorer. I have used IE since its beginning, and discontinued later when the browser became a target for malicious third-party ActiveX controls and other security issues.

Once upon a time, Internet Explorer was the primary browser for Windows users. It has a long history before the present Web 2.0 revolution, but it miserably failed to cope with the current pace.

As per my analysis, here are the few reasons for Internet Explorer’s loss of market share.

1. Security concerns

Hackers targeted Internet Explorer more aggressively than any other browser. PC users accidentally install ActiveX controls while browsing pirated and pornographic content websites through Internet Explorer and become victims of various malware infections. From time to time Microsoft tried to introduce more secure versions of Internet Explorer, but the user base Microsoft has already doesn’t willing to migrate to newer versions.

2. Extensions support

PC users are expecting more functionality from the browsers. Browsing the websites is not sufficient for them. In this segment also Microsoft failed to provide additional functionality to its browser. Initially Opera, Firefox, and later Google Chrome exploited PC uses hearts by offering third-party plug-in support.

If you spend a few hours for Firefox plug-ins or Google Chrome extensions you will come across thousands of scripts which perform virtually any possible tasks for the PC user. That’s why Internet Explorer lost interest in PC users’ mind.

3. Update process

90% of the PC users don’t have proper technical knowledge on the browser and operating system upgradations. In this context painless upgradation process is the key success to any web browser. I am using Google Chrome as my primary browser for five years; it never prompted me to upgrade the browser at any point in time.

Not only Google Chrome but the Firefox browser also silently downloads the latest update and install it on the next browser restart.

But on the other hand, Internet Explorer always nags the user to install the latest version. Giving choice to the user is always a bad idea, particularly applications like browsers which always struggles with dangerous security loopholes.

4. Microsoft Edge became rival to its own Browser

Already Internet Explorer situation is very pathetic, in such a condition Microsoft made a daring move and announced Microsoft Edge browser. Personally, I treat it as the half boiled product from Microsoft. It doesn’t provide web history, there was no extension support until a few days back, and a lot of limitations restricted the PC users to grab the latest browser.

Literally Windows users stuck up with confusion on which browser to use right now. People who are still using Windows 7 and Windows 8 are restricted to use Internet Explorer, at the same time Windows 10 users were completely migrated to Google Chrome by leaving Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge.

Microsoft has to rethink about its future strategies. Otherwise, it will completely disappear from the minds of computer users.