There are probably hundreds of thousands of Google Chrome extensions out there, and with so many options to choose from, it can be hard to know whether the plugin you want to install is hiding malware nasties.
That could become a thing of the past, though, as Google is testing a feature that will warn you if an extension you installed has been removed from its Chrome Web Store.
Yanking an extension from the store usually means Google has discovered it contains malware or is otherwise harmful, so getting a warning this way could prompt you to remove it from your computer before it’s too late.
The issue of browser extensions that pose a threat to users has become something of a problem for Google, with one estimate saying up to half of all Chrome extensions could be violating user privacy. Given its popularity and the large number of people who consider it to be one of the best browsers out there, Chrome is a large and tempting target for hackers.
Malware extensions are often promoted through scam ads, bringing them to a large audience of potential victims. They can be (and often are) produced very quickly, and new ones pop up all the time. As fast as Google removes harmful extensions from its store, others appear in their place.
And while the new security feature would warn you about extensions that have been removed from the Chrome Web Store, it won’t actually remove them from your machine. That means users could simply ignore the warnings and leave the hazardous software in place.
Still, it’s better to have a warning than nothing at all. Google is apparently planning to roll out the new feature in Chrome 117, but it can be tested in Chrome 116 if you enable its Extensions Module in Safety Check feature. To do so, paste ‘chrome://flags/#safety-check-extensions’ into the Chrome address bar and press Enter. Enable the Extensions Module in Safety Check feature and restart your browser.
Once the new tool is enabled, it will appear in Chrome’s settings under the Privacy and Security section. Under a “Safety check” heading, Chrome will prompt you to review any extensions that have been removed from its store.
Clicking the prompt will take you to a page listing the extensions in question. Helpfully, it will also explain why each extension was removed, including whether they contain malware.
Aside from being potentially dangerous, extensions can be removed because their developer unpublished them or because they violated Google’s policies. Even if they are free from malware, you should still uninstall removed extensions because they could quickly become outdated and ripe for exploitation by hackers.
Because of that, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on this settings page and keep track of any extensions you have installed. You never know, it could spare you the headache of a virus infection or data loss.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Google DeepMind's AI world model Genie 4 can now build interactive worlds that you can explore and reshape as they run. It also generates ambient sounds, music, and dialogue that respond to your actions.
The new world model builds on Genie 3 with improved realism, more natural human movement, and better simulations of real-world physics. It could eventually help with everything from game development to training robots.
Apple has an incredible talent for making me admire its products while simultaneously questioning what on earth it's thinking with the pricing. This isn't even something as bizarre as a monitor stand, but the audacity for starting a new laptop lineup from $2,000 doesn't surprise me.
The newly announced 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 is just the latest to showcase this. The funny thing is, I already know that it's going to be a reliable workstation. You get a powerful new 2nm M6 processor, a gorgeous Liquid Retina XDR display, and up to 24 hours of battery life. We were impressed by the M5 MacBook Air, so the high-end M6 powered MacBook Pro definitely won't let us down.