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TiVo's leaked Edge DVR touts Dolby HDR and Atmos audio
TiVo is apparently renewing its efforts to serve cord-cutters. Zatz Not Funny has obtained snapshots of an Arris-made TiVo Edge DVR that would cater to both the streaming crowd and cable TV diehards in equal measure. It wouldn't be as flamboyant as the oddly-shaped Bolt (you can finally stack things on top!), but it would be loaded with 4K, Dolby Atmos audio and Dolby Vision HDR to stream services like Netflix and Prime Video in maximum quality.
Microsoft's Chromium Edge browser is ready for beta testing
After testing its next-generation Chromium Edge browser for several months, Microsoft announced that it's now ready for a slightly more stable beta release. Windows 10 and MacOS users can now snag the beta, which is more suited to regular users than the experimental Canary and Developer Edge builds. It'll be updated every six weeks, compared to the daily and weekly refreshes for the other releases. Still, you can expect to see all of the major features we've been expecting in the new Edge, including a dark mode, online tracking prevention, and of course, the speed boost from Chromium. The company says this will be the last test version of the browser before its official release -- unfortunately, we still don't know when that will be.
Microsoft starts testing Internet Explorer mode for Edge
Microsoft's ever-expanding tests for its Chromium-based Edge browser have reached the corporate crowd. The software firm has started enabling enterprise features in Edge's Dev builds, most notably the vaunted Internet Explorer mode. If a company absolutely needs IE 11 to visit a legacy site, you can try the option without having to switch browsers or give up the creature comforts of the modern web. IT managers can even create a site list that automatically flips to the legacy mode.
Microsoft brings tracking prevention to its Edge browser
Recently Mozilla has updated Firefox with features that block companies from tracking you across different websites, and now Microsoft is testing similar tech in its Chromium-based Edge browser. Insider beta testers with the latest Canary release on Windows can try it by enabling a browser flag (enter - "edge://flags#edge-tracking-prevention" in the address bar) then restarting.
Microsoft's reworked Edge browser is available to try on Windows 7
Microsoft has expanded the reach of its Chromium-based Edge browser to one of its most important audiences: namely, people who have to (or want to) use older versions of Windows. The company has released Canary channel preview builds of Edge for Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 users. They're rough around the edges like most pre-release software. The feature set will be "largely the same" as you'd get on Windows 10, however, including the upcoming Internet Explorer mode to satisfy business users who need compatibility.
Microsoft releases first test version of its Edge browser for Mac
Last month, Microsoft released a preview of its new, Chromium-powered Edge browser for Windows 10. Now, you can test drive the browser with macOS, too. For the most part, the macOS Canary build comes with the same features you'll find in the Windows 10 preview, but Microsoft promises subtle changes to "make it feel at home on a Mac."
Microsoft is evolving by focusing on people
The Microsoft of today would have been unrecognizable just a few years ago. That was clearer than ever at this week's Build conference, where the company once again did its best to court developers. Azure, AI, Edge and Office 365 were all hot topics -- but, surprisingly, the running theme throughout the show wasn't about tech, it was about people. Practically everything Microsoft announced, from adding a complete Linux kernel in Windows to simply bringing Internet Explorer into Edge, was meant to make the lives of both developers and consumers easier.
Microsoft Edge is getting an Internet Explorer mode
There are some big changes ahead for Microsoft's Edge browser. In December, the company announced that it'll be moving over to Chromium, the open source project that powers Google's Chrome. But that's not all: Microsoft announced today that the next version of Edge will come with an Internet Explorer mode, allowing you to run older websites that don't support modern browser tech. That probably won't mean much to most consumers, but it's a boon for corporate users and their IT departments, as they're often stuck using aging web apps.
Google users can sign into Firefox and Edge with a security key
Until now, you've had to use Chrome to sign into your Google account with a security key. You won't have to be quite so choosy going forward, though. Google has transitioned to using the new Web Authentication standard for hardware-based sign-ins, making your key useful in Firefox, Edge and other browsers that rely on the format. That could be particularly helpful if you want to check your Gmail on an unfamiliar PC and would rather not install Chrome or punch in a password.
The web just got an official password-free login standard
Web Authentication (aka WebAuthn) has been a de facto standard for no-password web sign-ins for a while given that many tech giants are already using it, but now it's official. The World Wide Web Consortium and the FIDO Alliance have finalized the Web Authentication format, making it the go-to option for logging into accounts with potentially greater security and convenience than typing in your credentials. If a site supports it, you can get in using biometrics (such as fingerprints or facial recognition), USB security keys, or nearby mobile devices like phones and smartwatches.
Windows 10 Timeline now works with Chrome
A new Windows 10 extension for Google Chrome allows users to access Windows 10's Timeline feature with Chrome. Timeline displays recent activity -- across Windows 10 PCs, enabled apps, the Edge browser for iPhone and Android devices and Office 365 apps -- in a visual catalogue that makes it easier to view and navigate.
Microsoft's new Edge browser will support Chrome extensions
Microsoft's upcoming Chromium-based Edge browser will support Chrome's vast collection of extensions. The software's project manager, Kyle Alden, revealed the answer to the question on everyone's lips on the Windows 10 subreddit, reports Thurrotts. "It's our intention to support existing Chrome extensions," he said in reply to a query about how the new browser will function.
Mozilla's CEO isn't happy with Microsoft's switch to Chromium
Mozilla CEO Chris Beard isn't fond of Microsoft's decision to overhaul its Edge browser using Google's open source Chromium project, which is the basis of Chrome. "By adopting Chromium, Microsoft hands over control of even more of online life to Google," he writes in a blog post.
Microsoft rumor points to a Chromium replacement for Edge
Three years after arriving along with Windows 10, Microsoft's Edge browser has added features and showed some good statistical results, but it hasn't pulled many users away from the competition. Now, Windows Central reports that Microsoft could start over with a new browser built on Chromium, the open source base behind Google Chrome and other browsers like Brave, Amazon Silk and Opera. The rumored codename for the project is Anaheim, and this news pops up after a recent post by 9to5Google pointing out a number of code commits to the Chromium project by Microsoft developers. At the time, the news centered around the possibility of a Windows 10 on ARM-compatible version of Chrome, but this would represent an even larger step. So why would they make this move, perhaps as early as the first half of next year? Windows Central speculates that it could keep rendering consistent with Chrome while using the default browser to keep web developers happy, Microsoft watcher "Walking Cat" notes Edge supports multiple rendering engines already, and Swift on Security points to the popularity of ElectronJS in apps requiring native optimizations to improve performance.
You can sign into your Microsoft account without a password
Now that the Windows 10 October update (aka 1809) is back, Microsoft is taking advantage of it to continue its fight against passwords. You now have the option of signing into your personal Microsoft account using the Edge browser and either Windows Hello or a FIDO2-based security device like Yubico's YubiKey 5. You won't have to remember your password every time you want to check mail in Outlook or buy a game for your Xbox.
Intel's 'neural network on a stick' brings AI training to you
Ahead of its first AI developers conference in Beijing, Intel has announced it's making the process of imparting intelligence into smart home gadgets and other network edge devices faster and easier thanks to the company's latest invention: the Neural Compute Stick 2.
The Ford Edge 2019 gets better tech and minor facelift
Ford sells a lot of Edge SUVs. It unloaded 142,603 in 2017 alone. The reason is that it's a solid sport utility vehicle with ample storage space. It's a big vehicle so it's not particularly fast or agile, but it gets the job done. With the 2019 refresh (starting at $29,995), the automaker sticks with what works while creating a slightly more aggressive-looking vehicle and updating its driver-assistance features.
Microsoft merges search across Windows 10, Office, Edge and Bing
Amid hardware updates and other announcements at Ignite 2018 Monday, Microsoft said it's releasing a string of new features to boost productivity, including one major change that will affect how you find what you're looking for. The company is unifying search across Windows 10, Office, Edge and Bing in Microsoft Search. The search box will live in a "consistent, prominent place" across the apps, the company said.
Windows 10 test 'warns' users against installing Chrome or Firefox
Edge has a reputation as "the browser you use to download Chrome," and Microsoft clearly doesn't like that... to the point where it's using some not-so-kind tactics to drive people away from the competition. Users have discovered that a recent Windows 10 Insider preview pops up a "warning" when you try to run the Chrome or Firefox installers. The dialog box tells you that you don't need to install the competition when "you already have Microsoft Edge." You can choose to install regardless and disable the pop-up in the future, but it's clearly trying to hinder the installation in hopes you'll have second thoughts and give Edge a try.
Microsoft Edge now supports passwordless sign-ins
Edge users will soon be able to securely sign into websites without having to remember their passwords. Microsoft has today announced support for the Web Authentication specification in the browser, which will let you log on using Windows Hello hardware (so that's IR cameras and fingerprint readers), as well as PINs or external FIDO2 security keys, like the one launched by Google last week.
