extensions
Latest
Chrome's controversial new extension platform is coming in 2023
Chrome's controversial new Manifest V3 extension platform is coming in 2023.
Apple, Google, Microsoft and Mozilla team up for a 'common vision' on extensions
Collaboration by Apple, Google, Microsoft and Mozilla should make it easier for extension developers to create tools that work across multiple browsers.
Firefox extensions are now easier to install on Android devices
Mozilla has simplified the process of finding and installing add-ons for Firefox on Android. At the moment, you have to go to Add-ons Manager to install the extensions you want — a process Mozilla says could be a bit confusing if you’re used to the desktop installation flow. Mozilla hasn’t expanded the list that much since it launched the new browser experience, which is based on its own GeckoView engine, in August 2020.
Chrome users will get more control over extension access to website data
Google will implement new Chrome policies in 2021 will give you more control over how much data extensions can collect.
Google's 2020 web developer summit puts security at the top of the agenda
It may not be in person this year, but Google is holding its annual Chrome Dev Summit, starting a 12:30PM ET keynote that kicks off two days of virtual sessions and workshops. Just before things kick off, Google has dropped a preview of what it’ll be focusing on the next two days. For those not familiar with the Chrome Dev Summit, it’s not specifically about the Chrome browser or Chrome OS — it’s about the web as a broad platform, regardless of what browser you use.
Google may ban IAC's Chrome extensions over 'deceptive' practices
Google is considering a ban or other penalties for IAC's Chrome extensions over claims they're deceptive.
Chrome extensions will have to show how they use your data
Google's new Chrome extension policies not only put limits on data use, but require that extensions show how they use your data.
Apple's new tools can help developers port Chrome extensions to Safari
With Big Sur, Apple will ship a converter to help developers port their existing Chrome, Firefox and Edge extensions to Safari.
Ray tracing comes to more games thanks to new software tools
You haven't seen much ray tracing in games due in part to the limited frameworks for it. Outside of Microsoft's DirectX, creators have usually had to lean on proprietary approaches. Soon, though, it might be relatively ubiquitous. The Khronos Group has released "provisional" ray tracing extensions for Vulkan, the open graphics standard effectively replacing OpenGL on multiple platforms. You should see sophisticated reflections, fewer light artifacts and otherwise more natural-looking lighting in titles that support the technology.
Dropbox adds Extensions for Gmail, WhatsApp, Vimeo and more
Dropbox introduced Extensions last year to help mitigate the fuss of switching between apps -- the new function let users take action directly on files stored within Dropbox. Now, the company has announced it's doubling the number of Extensions with 13 new and updated partner apps.
Google unveils new privacy rules for Chrome extensions and Drive
Google announced new rules that will restrict access to user data for third-party add-ons in Chrome and Drive. From now on, Chrome extension developers must request the least amount of user data their app requires to function. Apps that connect with Google Drive -- such as Pixlr and many popular document signing apps -- will be barred from accessing the entirety of the user's files. The changes are a result of Project Strobe, an audit Google launched in October to study how third-party services handle user data.
85 percent of Chrome apps and extensions lack a privacy policy
There's a good chance you use or have used Chrome, so there's good reason for you to be disturbed by new data from Duo Security that shows just how vulnerable the 180,000-plus Chrome apps and extensions are. For starters, 85 percent of them don't have a privacy policy, meaning developers can essentially handle your data however they want.
Twitch allows everyone to customize streams with multiple tools
Twitch's work on Extensions -- video overlays and visual embellishments for streams -- keeps plugging along. Today the broadcasting service announced that now every user can turn on up to three different video overlays and a trio of below-player Extensions for their channel. It all sounds pretty easy to use, too. Just head over to the Extensions Manager on your channel dashboard and activate the six add-ons you want. To celebrate, there are even a handful of new Extensions available from developers, some explicitly made to be combined with one another.
Twitch's custom extensions can now ask for Bits
You didn't think Twitch would offer streamer extensions without finding a way to generate money from them, did you? Sure enough, the customization feature now accepts Bits (the microtransactions you normally use to tip streamers) for on-page games and other features. Chip in a few cents and you can participate in games with broadcasters (such as arcade or trivia titles), predict who's likely to win and mess with the streamer by voting in polls that decide what they do next.
Twitch brings polls, leaderboards and other Extensions to mobile
Since launching six months ago, Twitch Extensions have seen more than 1.5 billion interactions on desktop. From today, they're available on mobile, so viewers can enjoy leader boards, polls, match histories and more, wherever you watch your streams. Not every Extension is mobile-ready just yet -- it's up to developers to decide whether to make theirs mobile-compatible, but you can bet most of them will. However, some Extensions that are already good to go include all-in-one Streamlabs Loyalty, Music, Polls and Games, plus Schedule and World of Warcraft Armory. Make sure your Twitch app is at version 6.0 or higher to take advantage of the update.
Twitch extensions are live and ready to customize your page
Your favorite Twitch stream might look a bit busier and more colorful than usual now that the platform has switched on the extensions it announced at PAX West. Streamers can now customize their pages with interactive experiences they can display over their live videos, including Hearthstone match tickers, virtual pets, the channel's top cheerers, various overlays, live trackers, in-game statistics and the like.
Chrome has at least two new extensions built to fight fake news
After serious anxieties that fake news proliferated on social media unchecked during the election cycle, internet titans have stepped up, with Google and Facebook both blocking ad money from going to hoax story sites. But to protect the people, individuals have released two Chrome extensions this week that warn users that they're visiting sites known to peddle fake news.
AdBlock and AdBlock Plus are available for Microsoft Edge
Back in March, Microsoft started testing a version of its new Edge browser on Windows 10 with support for extensions. Now, one of the most-requested features is covered with the introduction of AdBlock and AdBlock Plus extensions for Edge. The feature list appears to be mostly intact from its Chrome and Firefox iterations, with the ability to block varying levels of ads or whitelist certain sites (like... Engadget.com for example).
Microsoft's Edge browser gets a handful of new extensions
Microsoft has announced some important new extensions for its Edge browser at the annual Build developer conference. Major services like Pinterest, Amazon, Evernote, LastPass, Reddit, Adblock and Adblock Plus can now plug into Microsoft's newest browser. This comes a few weeks after an updated version of Edge rolled out that supported a paltry three extensions; those announced at Build bring the number up a little bit, but Edge still lags far behind Chrome, Firefox or even Safari in this department.
Microsoft is trying to make Chrome extensions work on Edge
Microsoft's very first batch of Edge browser extensions is small, but it seems the company's taking steps to make sure Windows users get more in the future. According to Microsoft Senior Program Manager Jacob Rossi, the tech titan is developing a "porting tool to run Chrome extensions in Edge." It will presumably make things even easier for developers to create Edge versions of their extensions, though Rossi clarified that it doesn't support all APIs. The tool isn't finished yet, as well, but it's not like most users can start installing plug-ins on their browsers anyway. Redmond has just begun testing the feature, and for now, only Windows Insiders in the Fast ring can enjoy it.
