Safari

Why the mobile browser bookmark is dead to me

After using mobile bookmark sync tools for years in the early smartphone days, I’ve completely abandoned such bookmarks without even realizing it. Mobile apps and improvements in mobile browsers are the main reasons why.

No harm, no foul: Google wins case over browser tracking

Google landed in hot water in 2012 when a researcher found it was tricking Safari and Internet Explorer browsers into accepting cookies. A judge, however, threw out a class action lawsuit on the grounds that the advertising tactic did not actually harm consumers.

Planet broadband, like the US Internet, is getting faster

Second quarter of 2012 represented three good months for planet broadband, particularly for the US which saw big gains in higher broadband speeds. In addition, Japan got faster and more countries are offering more broadband to more people. But there is some bad news as well.

Why Mountain Lion could blunt Android’s momentum

After running OS X 10.8, or Mountain Lion, for the past few days, I am reaching more for my iPhone than my Galaxy Nexus. The “grand unified user experience” approach of Apple has everything to do with that, and it could blunt Android’s momentum.

Chrome browser finally comes to Android

Google’s Chrome browser and Android mobile operating system went public in the same year but they haven’t converged until now. Google is finally introducing Chrome for Android, a robust beta with a lot of slick features which is limited to Android 4.0 devices.

Quick tip: Create FaceTime URL shortcuts

On both iOS and OS X, there exists an URL scheme that Safari supports that will launch FaceTime directly. It’s a great way to let you provide others with a quick and easy way to get in touch via video chat, or to manage FaceTime contacts.

Quick tip: Tame your mouse on OS X Lion

You may have found that since upgrading to OS X Lion, your browsing experience with Safari has changed slightly. Your web page could be jumping out at you for no obvious reason due to increased touch sensitivity. Here are some possible fixes.

Dolphin Browser on iOS is solid, but will you use it?

Boasting 9 million users, one the most popular third-party browsers for Google Android devices, Dolphin Browser, is now available for Apple iOS devices. My hands-on shows many nice features: tabbed browsing, gestures, and a Webzine view. But there’s one huge sticking point for Dolphin on iOS.

Guess who is WebKit’s new best friend

WebKit technology is what powers some of the top browsers (especially mobile) today. While Apple and Google are its most visible champions, the support for WebKit and ancillary technologies is coming from unlikely quarters such as Amazon and Boxee. Here’s its new BFF.

Is Adobe Flash 10.2 Right for You?

Flash Player 10.2 is beta no more, and the general release promises better performance and less CPU usage through Stage Video. Stage Video provides for “a full hardware accelerated video pipeline,” reducing CPU utilization by as much as 85 percent.

A Safari User’s Switch to Chrome

I’ve used Safari as my default browser since 2008, but lately I’ve decided to give Google Chrome a shot at becoming my new standby. I made the switch owing to Chrome’s reported performance advantages. Would they prove convincing enough to make the change permanent?

7 Safari Extensions to Install Now

With the newly released Safari 5.0.1, extensions have now gone public. Here’s a list of seven extensions you should install right away. Have you been playing around with Safari extensions? What are your favorites so far?

Apple Opens Safari Extension Gallery Submissions

Apple (s aapl) has opened up the Safari extensions gallery for third-party submissions in preparation of opening the gallery to the public. While you can install extensions now, you need to first know where to download them.

Chrome Overtakes Safari in U.S. Browser Wars

Google Chrome is now used more than the Apple Safari browser in the U.S. for the first time on record with an 8.97 percent share, according to StatCounter. But both browsers are built on WebKit, which is becoming more important on desktops and the mobile web.

Let’s Get Serious: Safari Reader Is Not the Death of Media

Cries of outrage — and conspiracy theories — have erupted over a new feature in Apple’s latest version of the Safari browser. The “Reader” setting extracts just the text from a page, excluding advertising. But claims that this will destroy ad-based content online are absurd.

25 Safari Extensions You Can Install Now

Apple’s new Safari 5 brings support for browser extensions, which the company plans to showcase on its own gallery in a few months. In the meantime, we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorites.

Safari 5 Brings Speed, Reader and Extensions

Apple quietly released a major upgrade to Safari, bringing the browser up to version 5.0 for both Mac and Windows. Safari 5 brings several welcome improvements, including a new “Reader” mode, improved HTML 5 support and a new extensions architecture.

Tips and Tricks: Safari

Welcome to the first installment of ‘Tips and Tricks.” These articles will aim to teach you some handy things you didn’t know about common things on your Apple stuff. So, let’s start our series with Safari.

Social CRM on the Cheap

Mac (s aapl) users are missing out on cheap (read: free), social customer relationship management. Windows users have xobni, a simple tool…

Safari 4.0.4 Update Released

Safari version 4.0.4 is now available, the 30MB update promising improvements to “performance, stability, and security.” Regarding security, the update addresses several…

Safari 4.0.3 Released

Just over a month since Safari 4.0.2 made its way into Software Update, Safari 4.0.3 has arrived for Mac and Windows. The…

Report

Could Skype in Your Pocket Beat the iPod Touch?

VoIP is a hot form of communications for the savvy mobile consumer. Skype has millions of users, which shows how important VoIP has become to folks. While many mobile phones are capable of VoIP communications, many handset makers don’t promote that fact because of concerns about crossing the mobile carriers. The recent Google/Apple tussle over the banning of Google Voice from the iTunes App Store was reported to be instigated by AT&T.

The premiere iPod in Apple’s line of media players, the iPod touch has been described as an iPhone without the phone bits, and that’s pretty accurate — but it is capable of placing VoIP calls. The ability to have voice calls over the Internet for low cost or even free is easily done with the iPod touch due to the Wi-Fi functionality, but you don’t hear Apple selling that function. Doing so would raise the hackles of AT&T and Apple’s other carrier partners who, as a rule, don’t like the competition VoIP provides for their voice networks.

But do callers really need a carrier? If a company stepped in with a gadget similar to the iPod touch, equipped with heavily-promoted VoIP capabilities, such a device could be well received by the mobile crowd. A handset that trumpeted its ability to put “Skype in your pocket” (or a similar promotion) could be an instant hit with today’s cord-cutting consumers.

What Will Apple Borrow Next?

Apple has a history of either buying apps or boldly copying features from developers and including them in OSX. So what borrowed features could we see in OSX next?

Create a 3D Wall With Your Photos

iPhoto is perfectly capable of displaying your photos as a slideshow or one at a time. But you’re limited to a flat display that doesn’t exactly “wow” anyone. With one simple download, you can view your iPhoto collection on a visually stunning 3D wall, right in your Web browser.

Slow Uptake for IE8 in Early Days

Rahul Sood, co-founder of Voodoo PC, which was acquired by Hewlett-Packard back in 2006, sent me his Macbook Air competitor PC yesterday.…

Safari 4 Beta Released

Safari has come an awfully long way since its conception, and today marks the beta release of the fourth major incarnation of…

Yahoo Acquires Inquisitor

Today, Davaid Wantanabe announced that Yahoo has acquired the rights to his popular Inquisitor for Safari. Congrats to David, and a big…

Create Snazzy WebClip Icons

The iPhone 1.1.3 firmware update added some great stuff, including Safari WebClips. I’ve literally added a dozen or more to my home…

Safari losing your cookies?

Since upgrading to Leopard (and thus upgrading to the newest version of Safari), I’ve had the unfortunate problem of Safari throwing all…

Save time in Safari

Single Click Downloading I was cruising around looking to spruce up my desktop and got to a page that offered many wallpapers…

iPhoney

Mac software maker Market Circle has released iPhoney, an open-source iPhone simulator for web developers. See how your websites look on the…