Mozilla Firefox 88.0 is now available to download and is also rolling out to computers over the next few days. As we write this, we don’t have it on our computers just yet but we do know of the new features regardless. The article will be updated with Firefox 88 screenshot and official changelog (also […]
News
ConsumingTech routinely writes summaries of the latest news for web browsers and operating systems. Our unique ability to combine our expert understanding of computer software with our own screenshots of dozens of browsers and OSes we use daily means we can add unique value to news that other sites lack.
Here you will find news for Microsoft Windows, Apple macOS, various Linux distros; and web browser brands such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Opera, Vivaldi, and more. Much of the news we cover is related to new features becoming available for your software.
Mozilla Firefox 87 is Now Available to Download
Mozilla Firefox 87.0 is now available to download and will also begin rolling out to computers automatically. Firefox 87 comes with SmartBlock for private browsing and several more noteworthy features. SmartBlock for private browsing means Firefox will mean automatically attempt to fix webpages that are broken by Firefox’s tracking mechanisms, meaning you should still have […]
Vivaldi Updated to Version 3.8.2254.3 to Coincide with Chromium 90.0.4430.58; Also Brings Fixes
A new Vivaldi snapshot version, Vivaldi 3.8.2254.3, is now available. This update includes changes to the address bar, changes to bookmarks, changes to menus, changes to translations, becomes compatible with Chromium version 90.0.4430.58 and more. Vivaldi 3.8.2254.3 is most useful for its update to be compatible with Chromium version 90.0.4430.58 which has been noted as […]
KB4023057 Update for Windows 10 Update Service Components (Mar 17)
The KB4023057 update includes reliability improvements to Windows Update Service components in consumer Windows 10, versions 1507, 1511, 1607, 1703, 1709, 1803, 1809, 1903, 1909, and 2004. It may take steps to free up disk space on your device if you do not have enough disk space to install Windows updates. This update includes files […]
Microsoft Edge Dev 90.0.782.0 Offers New ‘Collections’ and ‘Downloads’ Icons
Microsoft Edge Dev 90.0.782.0 is released and it comes with a new Downloads and Collections experience which can be accessed from the right side of the address bar. The new Downloads icon is similar to what other browsers to date have offered; even the symbol itself is common for downloading. The Collections on the other […]
Microsoft Edge Dev 91.0.838.3 Released with Microsoft Account Sign-in on Linux
Microsoft Edge Dev 91.0.838.3 has been released with the ability to sync a Microsoft account with data including favourites, passwords, extensions, and more to Linux distributions. The new option to sync a Microsoft account with Linux is turned off by default. You have to head to edge://flags and browse for the MSA sign in flag […]
Mobile Office Apps Add Micro-Tasking Shortcuts, Conversational AI Capability, and More
Microsoft Office apps are being updated with conversational AI capability to better understand your natural language instead of specific commands. This means when you request something from Office apps, less skill will be required to get what you want in return. Microsoft Teams is being updated to include Cortana for English in Australia, Canada, U.K., […]
Microsoft Edge Stable Available for Mac M1 Users
Microsoft Edge has now been updated to a new stable build that is optimized for both Intel and Mac CPUs. Newer Mac computers had made the switch over to ARM processors, which Apple claims to be their own, under the Apple M1 chip name. Since there are considerable differences between Intel and ARM CPUs, some […]
Microsoft Edge Build 89.0.774.68: Brings Latest Security Updates of Chromium
Microsoft has released the latest Microsoft Edge Stable Channel (Version 89.0.774.68 ), which incorporates the latest Security Updates of the Chromium project. For more information, see the Security Update Guide. The vulnerability assigned to this CVE is in Chromium Open Source Software (OSS) which is consumed by Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based). It is being documented in the Security […]
Brave Browser Updated to Version 1.22.71 to Coincide with Chromium 89.0.4389.114
The Brave browser has been updated to version 1.22.71 to coincide with the Chromium upgrade to 89.0.4389.114. You can view Chromium’s full release notes for version 89.0.4389.114 on GitHub: Upgrade from Chromium 89.0.4389.105 to Chromium 89.0.4389.114 #15030 Brave is a free and open-source web browser developed by Brave Software, Inc. based on the Chromium web […]
Google Chrome Version 89.0.4389.114: Stable Channel Update for Desktop
The Stable channel has been updated to 89.0.4389.114 for Windows, Mac and Linux which will roll out over the coming days/weeks. A full list of changes in this build is available in the log. Interested in switching release channels? Find out how here. If you find a new issue, please let us know by filing […]
Fewer Links in Context Menus Appear for Microsoft Edge Insiders
Microsoft Edge is testing new context menus for PDF files in new Edge Insider builds. You can also test these out via PDF files that have written text in them. The new simplified menu appears after you have selected some text within the PDF document. As long as you’re running the latest Edge Canary build, […]
Custom Image Allows for Windows 10x to Be Installed on Any PC
Independent developer who goes by “Albacore” has made it possible to install Windows 10X images on PCs that were not necessarily designed for this iteration of operating system. Windows enthusiasts have been able to subscribe to Windows Insider channels to get the most recent Windows 10 builds. When Windows 10X was announced as a standalone […]
Windows Package Manager Now Allows Uninstalling of Apps
You can now use the Windows Package Manager (winget) to uninstall applications. The ability to import, export, and uninstall are all features rolling out in the next preview update. The Windows Package Manager (also known as winget) is a free and open-source package manager designed for Microsoft Windows 10. It consists of a command-line utility and […]
iCloud Passwords Extension Makes iPhone Syncing on Windows PCs Easy
You can now install an iCloud passwords extension on Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and other lesser-known yet still high-quality web browsers such as Vivaldi which are still based on Chromium, to sync iCloud Keychain passwords on Windows computers. The iCloud Passwords extension marks an interesting offering from Apple who doesn’t usually oblige much when it […]
Windows 10 Sun Valley Context Menu Designs Can Now Be Seen
Microsoft has been working on the biggest Windows 10 update of the year which is soon to be released codenamed the Sun Valley project. This is the one update of 2021 where you can expect to find significant visual changes and new features. What we can tell you already is that Windows 10 is about […]
Windows Terminal Preview 1.6 Comes with Own Settings Menu
Windows Terminal Preview release 6.1 is now out. This release comes with the new Settings interface which steals its design from the modern Windows 10 Settings app. While the new Windows Terminal Settings UI is still in its alpha stages, the full Settings experience is available. The part that makes this an alpha release is […]
Microsoft Edge Developer Build Has a New Extensions Icon and Menu
Microsoft Edge has a new style for its extensions menu. The new menu is very similar to Google Chrome’s extension menu. Recently Google Chrome users will have noticed a new extensions icon appearing to the right side of the address bar at the top of the browser window. This happened because Google developers decided to […]
Vivaldi 3.6 Brings Innovative Two-Level Tab Stacks
Vivaldi 3.6 is now available. It brings an innovative new way to deal with the problem of having too many tabs in your windows. Dubbed two-level tab stacks, Vivaldi 3.6 allows you to click and drag tabs on top of other tabs to create tab groups (known as tab stacks). When enabled from the Vivaldi […]
Windows Package Manager Getting Import, Export, and Uninstall Options in Next Preview
The Windows Package Manager (also known as winget) is a free and open-source package manager designed for Microsoft Windows 10. It consists of a command-line utility and a set of services for installing applications. ISVs can use it as a distribution channel for their software packages. Winget is getting updated to include import, export, and […]
YouTube is Now Available as a PWA from Most Browsers
YouTube is now available as a progressive web application. This means in order to get YouTube opening in its own window, you no longer need to create a shortcut. Progressive web apps are becoming increasingly popular to use because they also allow deeper integration with the operating system which has also meant more features become […]
Download: Vivaldi 3.6.2165.40 (Update for Desktop and Android) [Links]
Vivaldi is a freeware, cross-platform web browser developed by Vivaldi Technologies, a company founded by Tatsuki Tomita and Jon Stephenson von Tetzchner, who was the co-founder and CEO of Opera Software. Vivaldi was officially launched on April 6, 2016. Although intended for general users, it is first and foremost targeted towards technically-inclined users as well as former Opera users disgruntled by its transition from the Presto layout engine to a Chromium-based […]
Download: Opera 74.0.3911.218 (Update for Desktop) [Links]
Opera is a multi-platform web browser developed by Opera Software. Opera is a Chromium-based browser. It distinguishes itself from other browsers through its user interface, functionality, and other features. Opera was initially released in April 1995, making it one of the oldest desktop web browsers still actively developed today. It was a commercial software for the […]
Download: Opera Beta 75.0.3969.50 (Update for Desktop) [Links]
Opera is a multi-platform web browser developed by Opera Software. Opera is a Chromium-based browser. It distinguishes itself from other browsers through its user interface, functionality, and other features. Opera was initially released in April 1995, making it one of the oldest desktop web browsers still actively developed today. It was a commercial software for […]
Download: Microsoft Edge 89.0.774.54 (Update for Desktop) [Links]
Feature updates Kiosk mode enables additional lockdown capabilities. Starting with Microsoft Edge version 89, we have added additional lockdown capabilities within kiosk mode to enable customers to get the job done in a productive and more secure experience. The Enterprise Mode Site List Manager tool will be available in the browser through the edge://compat page. You can […]
Download: Google Chrome 89.0.4389.90 (Stable Channel Update for Desktop) [Links]
The Google Chrome 89.0.4389.90 update patches five vulnerabilities. Three of those five vulnerabilities are given a high severity rating. One of those vulnerabilities (CVE-2021-21193) was found in Google Chrome’s browser engine Blink. The CVE-2021-211193 exploit was discovered by an anonymous security researcher on March 9 and because of its severity, this new Chrome version (89.0.4389.90) […]
You Can Now Start Contributing My Voice Clips to Help Make Online Speech Recognition Better
The latest Windows 10 update, version 20H2, shows a new notification in the Action Center for helping make online speech recognition better. If you like, you can click on the button to navigate through to the online speech recognition part of the Settings app where you can choose to opt-in and “Start contributing to my […]
Google Chrome Updated to 88.0.4324.182: Stable Channel Update for Desktop
The Stable channel has been updated to 88.0.4324.182 for Windows, Mac and Linux which will roll out over the coming days/weeks. A full list of changes in this build is available in the log. Interested in switching release channels? Find out how here. If you find a new issue, please let us know by filing […]
Voice Typing with Native Dictation Comes to Microsoft Edge Insiders
Microsoft Edge Insiders are now starting to find a new voice typing feature that comes with dictation for native languages integrated into the context menu for some areas when browsing websites, namely from the address bar as well as the comment section. For years now Microsoft has been confident voice searching would eventually gain traction […]
New Icons on Navigation Bar for ‘Your Phone’ App to Manage Phone Settings
Your Phone version 1.21012.195.0, which is out for Windows 10 PC, brings with it new icons to the navigation bar for controlling your smartphone’s settings. The new icons available from the navigation bar allow you to control the Do Not Disturb, Bluetooth, volume, and audio player settings. The same update also brings with it the […]