All posts tagged: browsers

Mozilla Used Anthropic’s Mythos to Find and Fix 151 Bugs in Firefox

Mozilla Used Anthropic’s Mythos to Find and Fix 151 Bugs in Firefox

Published by skeptic

Amid a raging debate over the impact that new AI models will have on cybersecurity, Mozilla said on Tuesday that its Firefox 150 browser release this week includes protections for 271 vulnerabilities identified using early access to Anthropic’s Mythos Preview. The Firefox team says that it has taken resources and discipline to adjust to the firehose of bugs that new AI tools can uncover, but that this big lift is necessary for the security of Mozilla’s users, given that the capabilities will inevitably be in attackers’ hands soon. Both Anthropic and OpenAI have announced new AI models in recent weeks that the companies say have advanced cybersecurity capabilities that could represent a turning point in how defenders—and, crucially, attackers—find vulnerabilities and misconfigurations in software systems. With this in mind, the companies have so far only done limited private releases of their new models, and both have also convened industry working groups meant to assess the advances and strategize. In practice, though, cybersecurity experts have a range of views on how consequential the new capabilities will …

Mozilla Used Anthropic’s Mythos to Find and Fix 151 Bugs in Firefox

Mozilla Used Anthropic’s Mythos to Find and Fix 271 Bugs in Firefox

Published by skeptic

Amid a raging debate over the impact that new AI models will have on cybersecurity, Mozilla said on Tuesday that its Firefox 150 browser release this week includes protections for 271 vulnerabilities identified using early access to Anthropic’s Mythos Preview. The Firefox team says that it has taken resources and discipline to adjust to the firehose of bugs that new AI tools can uncover, but that this big lift is necessary for the security of Mozilla’s users, given that the capabilities will inevitably be in attackers’ hands soon. Both Anthropic and OpenAI have announced new AI models in recent weeks that the companies say have advanced cybersecurity capabilities that could represent a turning point in how defenders—and, crucially, attackers—find vulnerabilities and misconfigurations in software systems. With this in mind, the companies have so far only done limited private releases of their new models, and both have also convened industry working groups meant to assess the advances and strategize. In practice, though, cybersecurity experts have a range of views on how consequential the new capabilities will …

Opera Adds Browser Connector Feature to Integrate AI Chatbots Into Browsers

Opera Adds Browser Connector Feature to Integrate AI Chatbots Into Browsers

Published by skeptic

Opera announced Thursday the launch of a new tool that allows users of its browsers to include more AI chatbots in their browsing experience. Browser Connector is a free feature for Opera One and Opera GX browsers that allows users to integrate AI tools such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude into their live browsing sessions via Model Context Protocol. MCP is an open standard developed by Anthropic that allows for a secure two-way connection between AI models, external data sources and tools such as search engines. (Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET’s parent company, in 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)   Last month, Opera introduced MCP compatibility to Opera Neon, its subscription-based agentic AI browser. Opera says the new feature will allow a user’s AI of choice to provide real-time context of open tabs and active content. “With Browser Connector, Opera ensures users aren’t bound to a single company’s ecosystem, but are instead free to combine the best tools for their specific …

Google’s AI Mode Update Tries to Kill Tab Hopping in Chrome

Google’s AI Mode Update Tries to Kill Tab Hopping in Chrome

Published by skeptic

You’ll never have to worry about the dozens of tabs open on your desktop again. In fact, you’ll never even have to leave AI Mode, Google’s chatbot-style search tool, at all. That’s the idea behind Google Chrome’s latest update. Starting today in the US, if you click a hyperlink in AI Mode on the desktop version of Chrome, the link opens right there—with Google’s search chatbot still present as a sidebar on the left side of the screen. Previously, when you clicked on a hyperlink in one of Google Search’s AI Mode outputs, it opened a new browser tab in the same window. You clicking on that link effectively ended the search journey, and AI Mode stayed behind, right where it was, in the old tab. This update to AI Mode means that once you begin a search using that tool in Chrome, the search tool essentially becomes an always-on aspect of your user experience. In an example interaction that Google shared, a user enters a long query into the AI Mode search bar. They …

How to Use Google Chrome’s New AI-Powered ‘Skills’

How to Use Google Chrome’s New AI-Powered ‘Skills’

Published by skeptic

Google Chrome just got another generative AI feature: Skills. Skills are repeatable AI prompts you can run in Chrome with a keyboard shortcut. Add it to the laundry list of AI tools Google has been injecting into all of its software. You can set up your own Skill using Gemini, Google’s chatbot, through the Chrome browser, or you can choose from the premade Skills Google released alongside this feature. The more than 50 presets in the Skills library cover a range of prompts that instruct Gemini to summarize YouTube videos, maximize your protein intake via recipe substitutions, or evaluate job listings. If you want to try out Skills, open up the Gemini in Chrome sidebar by clicking on the “Ask Gemini” sparkle icon in the upper-right corner of the screen. Then, type a forward slash in the prompt box to pick which Skill you would like to run. After you select one, Gemini analyzes the information from the browser tabs you’ve shared, within the parameters of the details laid out in the Skill. Here’s the …

Make the Most of Chrome’s Toolbar by Customizing It to Your Liking

Make the Most of Chrome’s Toolbar by Customizing It to Your Liking

Published by skeptic

The main job of Google Chrome is to give you a window to the web. With so much engaging content out there on the internet, you may not have given much thought to the browser framework that serves as the container for the sites you visit. You’d be forgiven for still using the default toolbar configuration that was in place when you first installed Chrome. But if you take a few minutes to customize it, it can make a significant difference to your browsing. You can get quicker access to the key features you need, and you may even discover features you didn’t know about. If you’re reading this in Chrome on the desktop, you can experiment with a few customizations right now—all it takes is a few clicks. Here’s how the toolbar in Chrome is put together, and all the different changes you can make. The Default Layout Extensions are always easily accessible in Chrome. Photograph: David Nield Take a look up at the top right corner of your Chrome browser tab and you’ll …

5 Android browsers I prefer over Chrome – and why they’re worth trying

5 Android browsers I prefer over Chrome – and why they’re worth trying

Published by skeptic

Jack Wallen / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET I make no bones about not being a fan of the Chrome browser. I do not use it on my desktops, laptops, or phones — because Chrome is not all that concerned about user privacy. To make matters worse, Chrome is one of the most targeted browsers on the market. Although Chrome is one of the fastest browsers on the market, I feel better placing my security and privacy in the hands of more capable browsers. Also: How to clear your Google Search cache on Android (and why it’s a must for me) But what are the Android browsers I prefer over Chrome? There are five, and I am going to show the ones I prefer (and why). 1. Opera Besides a level of privacy Chrome cannot match, there are two reasons why Opera on Android tends to be my go-to.  The first is that the UI is highly customizable. One of my favorite customizations is the ability to move the search bar to the bottom of the …

Gear News of the Week: Samsung’s TriFold Sells Out in Minutes, and a Leak Teases Google’s New OS

Gear News of the Week: Samsung’s TriFold Sells Out in Minutes, and a Leak Teases Google’s New OS

Published by skeptic

Samsung’s first-ever Galaxy Z TriFold went on sale this past Friday, but it sold out in minutes. This folding phone differs from the 7th-generation Galaxy Z Fold7 in that its screen can expand to a whopping 10 inches, turning it into a proper tablet. That also means it commands an incredibly high price of $2,899. It’s the first device of its kind here in the West, though Huawei has its own version in China. You’ll have to sign up at Samsung.com to receive notifications of when the next batch of Galaxy Z TriFolds will be available. The company says it has limited units at select Samsung Experience Stores across the US in states such as New York, Texas, California, and Minnesota. Leak Gives Us a Glimpse at Google’s Aluminium OS Google hasn’t been quiet about hinting at its future plans of converging Android and Chromebooks into a single operating system, reportedly known as Aluminium OS internally. But now we may have our first peek at what it’ll look like, as picked up by 9to5 Google. Admittedly, the …

I Let Google’s ‘Auto Browse’ AI Agent Take Over Chrome. It Didn’t Quite Click

I Let Google’s ‘Auto Browse’ AI Agent Take Over Chrome. It Didn’t Quite Click

Published by skeptic

When I was finally able to experiment with Auto Browse (for real this time) I took Google’s suggestions of digital chores as my starting point and picked online tasks that could be helpful in my own life. Whenever interacting with generative AI tools, a healthy sense of skepticism—and caution—is critical. Google even includes a disclaimer baked into its Gemini chatbot reminding users that it makes mistakes. The Auto Browse tool goes a step further. “Use Gemini carefully and take control if needed,” reads persistent text that shows in the chatbot sidebar every time Auto Browse is running. “You are responsible for Gemini’s actions during tasks.” Before you try it out, you also need to think about the security risks associated with this kind of automation. Generative AI tools are vulnerable to being compromised through prompt injection attacks on malicious websites. These attacks attempt to divert the bot from its task. The potential vulnerabilities in Google’s Auto Browse have not been fully examined by outside researchers, but the risks may be similar to other AI tools …

Google’s New Chrome ‘Auto Browse’ Agent Attempts to Roam the Web Without You

Google’s New Chrome ‘Auto Browse’ Agent Attempts to Roam the Web Without You

Published by skeptic

Google debuted a new “Auto Browse” feature for Chrome on Wednesday. The tool, powered by Google’s current Gemini 3 generative AI model, is an AI agent designed to take over your Chrome browser to help complete online tasks like booking flights, finding apartments, and filing expenses. The release of Auto Browse is part of Google’s continued integration of AI features into Chrome. Last year, Google dropped the “Gemini in Chrome” mode to answer questions about what’s on web pages and synthesize details from multiple open tabs. Auto Browse, which users can access by launching the Gemini sidebar in Chrome, will only be available today in the US to subscribers of Google’s monthly AI Pro and AI Ultra plans. It’s unclear when Auto Browse will become available to nonpaying users and additional countries. Google’s rollout squares with Silicon Valley’s vision for the future of web browsing, which includes a whole lot more AI and a whole lot less of you. Whether it’s a browser designed from inception around generative AI, like OpenAI’s Atlas, or one that’s …