Eliana Willis

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Bird Buddy Smart Hummingbird Feeder Pro has an intuitive app experience, and the 2K camera takes high-quality images and video. With the solar roof add-on, you rarely have to charge the camera. It’s a bit expensive at $189, but it’s worth the price for hobbyists like myself. –> I never […] More

ZDNETGoogle has officially implemented a new platform for Chrome extensions, and it brings both good and bad news. On the positive side, Manifest V3 promises greater safety and security within Chrome. On the negative side, extensions that are unsupported are now being actively disabled or blocked.Also: The best secure browsers for privacyIn development for the past several years, Google’s Manifest V3 extension platform replaces version 2 with tighter controls over the behavior of extensions. Malicious or suspicious extensions are a problem for any browser, including Chrome. To address this issue, Google claims the new platform will better ensure that extensions offered in the Chrome Web Store are safe and reliable. If you’ve ever installed a buggy or even malicious extension in Chrome, Manifest V3 sounds like a positive step. We all want safe and secure extensions that run properly in the browser. But because many extensions can’t or won’t support the new platform, the burden is now on Chrome users to figure out what to do. uBlock Origin’s Chrome warningLet’s start with uBlock Origin, a popular ad blocker that’s been available as a Chrome extension for years. Head to its page at the Chrome Web Store, and you’ll now be blocked from installing it with a message that reads: “This extension is no longer available because it doesn’t follow best practices for Chrome extensions.” If you had previously installed uBlock Origin, the next time you open Chrome, you’ll be informed that the extension has been turned off. Check out the Manage Extensions screen, and Google will tell you that the extension was turned off because it’s no longer supported. Also: 5 ways to improve your Chrome browser’s security”Starting with Google Chrome 127, there will be a warning for uBlock Origin (uBO) in your Chrome extensions page,” the developer said last November on GitHub. “This is the result of Manifest V2 support being deprecated in favor of Manifest V3. uBO is a Manifest V2 extension, hence the warning in your Google Chrome browser. There is no Manifest V3 version of uBO, hence the browser will suggest alternative extensions as a replacement for uBO.” For people who want to keep using uBlock Origin, the only option in Chrome is to use uBO Lite (uBOL), a pared-down version that’s compliant with Manifest V3 but lacks all the unsupported features found in the full program. More extensions disabledOf course, this clean sweep affects many more extensions than just uBlock Origin. ZDNET editor Aly Windsor discovered that three of her Chrome extensions — Image Downloader, Publisher Extension, and Word Counter Plus — have been disabled and will no longer work. On my end, I relied on an extension called XBrowserSync for syncing bookmarks across different browsers. That’s been disabled and is no longer accessible in the Chrome Web Store. Also: 3 ways Google just supercharged your Chrome browser with AIScouring the Web Store, I found a host of other disabled extensions, including the following: 360 Ads BlockerAdblock FastAwesome Bookmarks ButtonBlock AdsBookmark AllBookmark ItBookmark LockBookmark Manager Speed DialBookmark My TabsComodo Ad BlockerComodo Online Security ProContent BlockerDelicious Bookmark Bar SyncDomain BlockerEthical AdBlock — Ad BlockerFast BookmarkGhostery Private Search for ChromeGoogle Ad BlockerGoogle Privacy ShadeHover Zoom+Little Bookmark BoxLocation GuardMalwareAI Browser SecurityPinboard Bookmark Bar SyncPopup FixerPrivacy CleanerPrivacy ExtensionPrivate BookmarkerPrivate BookmarksSimple Site BlockerTouch VPNTrump BlockerTunnelBear BlockerWebsite BlockerWikipedia PopupYouTube Anywhere RemoteSome of these extensions may be legitimately unsafe. In that case, Google is doing Chrome users a favor by blocking or disabling them. But I’d wager that many are still safe and usable; they just don’t fit the guidelines that Google has dictated with Manifest V3. Is Google stifling ad blockers?With the rollout of the new platform, critics have complained that Manifest V3 is a way for Google to stifle ad blockers. This is because certain extensions depend on remotely hosted code that wouldn’t be supported in V3. Both the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Mozilla have charged that Google’s move to Manifest V3 helps advertisers more than users. But ad blockers are only a small part of the picture. Many other types of extensions are now blocked because they don’t work with the new platform. Like some ad blockers, most of these use remotely hosted code, which Google has forbidden because such code is unreviewed and presents a potential security risk. More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways A premium quality pocket tool with a good selection of tools for under $30. All the tools are nice and sharp when new, and retain their sharpness even after extended use. Because this is a pocket tool, don’t expect pliers or a lifetime warranty. more buying choices I’ve been a big […] More

Kerry Wan/ZDNETIs your smart TV feeling a little sluggish? If it’s lagging between scenes or responding slowly to your remote, you’re not alone. Many users deal with frustrating screen judder and unresponsive controls — but there are ways to fix it. Also: I tested the LG G5 OLED beside the industry’s best TVs – and it made the G4 look outdatedModern TVs have plenty of features and apps (and services that run in the background) that can slow them down over time. Fortunately, some simple actions can rectify your flatscreen’s sketchy performance. More

ZDNETIs your Chromecast device having issues? You’re not alone.Second-generation Chromecast and Chromecast Audio devices are facing a problem that prevents them from casting content. If you try to use an affected device, you’ll see one of two errors — either, “Untrusted device: [name] couldn’t be verified. This could be caused by outdated device firmware,” or “We couldn’t authenticate your Chromecast.” Also: Your TV’s USB port is seriously underrated: 5 benefits you’re not taking advantage ofBoth error messages link to separate Google support pages, but those pages don’t address this issue. The only other option is to close the dialogue box. Older Chromecast devices affectedThe issue seems limited to older Chromecast devices, as no third-generation or Chromecast Ultra users have reported the problem. Frustration is mounting on Reddit, where users have reportedly tried a number of fixes, including restarting the device, reinstalling Google Home, removing the device from Google Home and adding it again, restoring the device to factory settings, clearing cache data, and changing networks, but nothing works. Also: Is your live TV streaming service still worth it? I review the options for every budgetSome users have even wondered if Google has quietly ended support for the older Chromecasts, but that doesn’t seem to be the case, as the company says a fix is on the way. More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The JBL Charge 6 will be available for purchase on April 6 for $199 in Black, Blue, White, Red, Camo, and Purple. The Charge 6 offers great sound, durability, battery life, and in-app features. However, its waterproof rating doesn’t account for exposure to salt or chlorinated water, so exposing it to […] More

Artie Beaty/ZDNETPhysical media will never go away, right? Turns out that’s not entirely true. If you own a Warner Bros. DVD from a certain three-year period, there’s a good chance the disc no longer works — but the company is doing something about it.Here’s what’s happening. Also: How to download YouTube videos for free – 2 waysA few months ago, Chris Bumbray from joblo.com discovered that an old DVD was no longer working. He chalked it up to a problem with the player until the same thing happened a few days later. A quick online search led him to discover that almost every Warner Bros. DVD made between 2006 and 2008 is no longer playable because of disc rot.The problem appears to be limited to DVDs and not Blu-Ray discs. More