Someone found the extensions function hidden in Windows Edge, and even managed to pull up the Extensions pane. It’s not working yet.
Extensions were supposed to come to Edge in November, but Microsoft has since pushed delivery back to 2016. It’s not clear precisely when that will be, and users really want to find out. At least, Twitter user @h0x0d does.
That’s the same user who found the webpage that seemed to be the Windows Insider landing page for testing the extensions function. Now he’s taken a look at the Edge code included in the most recent updates and found reference to the extension system.
“The Edge app in 11082 actually contains code that supports extensions, he wrote. “Lets see if we can enable it …”.
And, with a little tweaking, he got the the extensions pane to show up.
well, got this Extensions pane show up with some dirty hack, still broken pic.twitter.com/H8Kvaubt40
— WalkingCat (@h0x0d) December 17, 2015
Nothing here works, but the fact that it exists at all means Microsoft is actively working on bringing browser extensions to Edge.
Edge, Microsoft’s replacement for Internet Explorer, has been well received by users and critics, but the lack of extensions is a sore spot for many — and probably a key reason people end up installing other browsers. For many, ad blockers and other browser tweaks are essential for day-to-day workflow.
What we do know is that it’s going to be relatively easy for developers to port over extensions designed for Google Chrome, which is good news: Chrome hosts the most active browser extension ecosystem on the market today. If a chunk of Chrome developers opt to port, Edge could soon have an active extension store.
How soon, however, is something that can only be guessed at — at least, until @h0x0d does some more digging and finds something else. Hopefully it’s a bunch of extensions that are working right now.
Mozilla is giving Firefox’s Smart Window two new tricks. If you haven’t tried it yet, Smart Window is an optional AI mode in Firefox with a built-in chat that helps you get things done while you browse. With this update, it can fill out online forms using details from your tabs and keep an eye on websites for you.
Tired of typing the same details into every form?
The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.
The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.