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Maxthon browser reportedly collects sensitive data without asking
Moving to an alternative web browser is no guarantee that you'll be less susceptible to privacy and security issues. Researchers at Exatel have published a report claiming that Maxthon's browser transmits sensitive user information, whether or not you enroll in the software's User Experience Improvement Program. The data includes not only things you'd expect for support, such as software versions and whether or not ad blocking is turned on, but also your entire web history -- including Google searches. The info is encrypted (the ZIP file that stores it is even disguised as an image file), but Exatel's discovery clearly shows that it wasn't too difficult to crack with some reverse engineering.
Maxthon heads to Windows Phone with multi-device cloud syncing in tow
If you're a Windows Phone user who yearns for a browser other than plain ol' Internet Explorer, you have one more option starting today. Maxthon, which has already released versions of its mobile browser for Android and iOS, has announced an iteration specifically made for Microsoft's mobile operating system. As with the other variants, one of Maxthon's key features is that if you sign up for a free Maxthon Passport account, you can sync bookmarks online and across devices. Other goodies include forward and backward browser navigation by swiping up and down, touch-optimized bookmarking, Quick Access live tiles and a pop-up address bar. We'll let you peruse the press release after the break for more info, or simply hit the source to download an alternative to the browser behemoth.
Maxthon updates iOS browser with 'shake-and-send' cloud push and more
It's been a long while since Maxthon updated its iOS app, and hot on the heels of iOS 7, it finally has. Not only does it offer the usual speed and performance enhancements, the latest update to the mobile browser also reveals easier access to social media, a unique "shake-and-send" feature that lets you send content to the cloud by shaking the phone, localization in 15 more languages and a new "Push Away Menu" that supposedly helps you navigate the web one-handed. Seeing as Safari didn't get a ton of updates with iOS 7, it might prove useful to hit the source and seek out a possible alternative.
Maxthon browser to be preloaded in at least 100 million smartphones thanks to MediaTek partnership
Though Maxthon launched its Android browser three years ago, it might not be the go-to app most users have when they get their brand new smartphone. That might change soon however, thanks to a recently announced partnership between the software company and RollTech, the value-added services arm of MediaTek, one of the world's largest mobile chipset suppliers. As a result of the collaboration, the Maxthon mobile browser will be pre-installed in more than 100 million MediaTek-based smartphones in 2014. Though we don't know yet just which devices will have the software on board, a partially released list does include manufacturers like LG, ZTE and Lenovo. It appears that the phones will likely be targeted at emerging markets, with a focus on those in Brazil, Russia, China, India and Indonesia. Combine that with features like cloud syncing and LAN file transfer, and Maxthon might just gain marketshare over that other popular Android browser.
Maxthon Cloud Browser adds local network file transfers for Android and Windows
While many browsers sync through the cloud, few know how to cope with the local network -- what if we just want to push a file to another device nearby? Maxthon doesn't think we should have to resort to an online service or a dedicated app for the purpose, so it's rolling a LAN Transfer feature into its Cloud Browser. Starting with Android and Windows versions available today, the web client lets users shuttle files directly to others on the same network, with nothing but the browser in between. Both iOS and Mac users should join the party soon, which could turn Maxthon into a rare (and very unconventional) cross-platform file manager.
Maxthon web browser arrives in bite-sized form for iPhone
Maxthon has long since escaped the days when it was chiefly a customized version of Internet Explorer on the desktop, and nowhere is that more apparent than its just-launched version of the normally WebKit-based browser for the iPhone and iPod touch. All the core features of the app carry over from earlier Android and iPad versions, such as an Opera-like grid of favorite pages, a download manager and a unified address bar, but it's arguably more useful than the iPad edition: conventional browser tabs aren't coming to smaller-screened iOS devices in a future mobile Safari build anytime soon. Bookmark syncing and an optimized reading mode also persist to reduce the chance that Maxthon users drift back towards the official Apple browser, even after iOS 6 rolls around. With that all-important "free" price tag, there's every reason to give it a try -- let others know in the comments if Maxthon is enough to take precedence over comparable iOS alternatives like Chrome.
