Google launched the first version of its Chrome web browser in 2008 and it has taken the world in storm shortly thereafter. The browser was initially only available for Windows and limited in comparison to Firefox, Opera or even Internet Explorer. This changed over the course of the first year when versions for Mac and Linux were made available.
Features were added to Chrome by Google, and one of the most important additions was the extensions engine that copied Firefox’s successful add-ons feature. While not as powerful as the Firefox counterpart, it added to the success of Chrome as developers started to add features to the browser using the extensions engine.
Extensions are an integral part of Google Chrome these days and thousands are available for download at the Chrome web store. They still are limited in terms of what they are allowed to manipulate in the browser. It is for instance not possible to change the design of the browser using extensions.
Below is a selection of top extensions for Chrome that we have reviewed in the past and the list of all extensions that we have reviewed.
Canvas Defender is a free add-on for Firefox and Chrome that manipulates the canvas fingerprint to protect against canvas fingerprinting. Canvas Fingerprinting uses the HTML5 Canvas element. The Canvas element may be used to draw graphics on a web page, and it is supported by all major web browsers. The fingerprinting makes use of the […]
Center Image is a free browser extension for the Google Chrome web browser that changes the design of the browser's image viewer to that of the Firefox web browser. The default image viewer of Google Chrome displays images in the top left corner of the screen on a white background. While functional, the layout and […]
Context is a browser extension for the Google Chrome web browser that enables you to create extension groups that you can switch between easily. If you run a certain number of extensions in Chrome, chance is quite high that you don't make use of them all the time. Maybe you are running extensions that modify […]
While Google is ignoring Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system largely when it comes to company applications, Microsoft's change in business strategy has seen the release of several non-Windows applications in the recent past. The latest addition to the growing number of applications is Office Online, a browser extension for Google Chrome to improve how Office […]
Nifty is a brand new extension for the Google Chrome browser -- and compatible browsers -- that provides you with options to look up words or phrases found on any websites using select Internet services. Even if you are proficient in a language, you may stumble upon words from time to time that you don't […]
Most Internet users know that they are tracked when they are online. Common forms include scripts that run on sites, social buttons, or analytic software. Users interested in tracking, for instance to protect themselves better, know of other tracking methods such as fingerprinting. While those tracking methods are still widely used, research has been underway […]
Hovercard is a new extension for the Google Chrome browser that reveals information about links in a small overlay on the screen on hover. It works in this regard similar to Imagus but focuses on social links instead of pictures. The browser extension works in new tabs right after you have installed it in Google […]
It is often a good idea to scan downloads using online virus scanners as a first line of defense before the download is canned by local antivirus solutions. Online scanners offer several advantages over local scanners, for instance that several support dozens of antivirus engines or that it is not necessary to download and install […]
Google Chrome offers barely any management features when it comes to tabs and windows that are open in the browser. While it is fairly easy to create new windows and tabs, keeping an overview of everything that is open is quite tedious due to a lack of management options. Spaces is a Google Chrome extensions […]
The video portal YouTube keeps track of watched videos automatically and indicates those with a watched flag so that they are easier to differentiate. The core issue that many users have with it is that the watched flag is not shown at all times and not indefinitely on certain pages. While all watched videos show […]
I have lots of ideas and plans. I want to write a book, create an Android application for Ghacks that rocks, create other Android apps for various ideas that I have, create a boardgame and finally find the time to read all five Game of Throne novels which have been sitting on the desk for […]
Even if you take good care of your privacy on Facebook information about you may still leak. A friend may post a photo that you are in without asking your permission, or someone else may tag you in a photo which may become available in public searches. That's a problem as you cannot do much […]
As a webmaster, you have to manage, test and take care of a lot of things. One core area is accessibility of the website. Accessibility covers a broad range of different topics, from making sure that the site displays fine regardless of device screen size over over backwards compatibility with older browsers and devices to […]
If you visit websites like Reddit, Hacker News, Product Hunt or other news type of sites regularly, you may have noticed that it is difficult on some to keep up with the flow of news. While that is not really a problem on your first visit, you may find it difficult to continue where you […]
If you hang out on Reddit regularly you may have stumbled upon some of the site's NSFW (Not Safe For Work) groups. These groups offer content that is not suitable for minors but the only protection offered on Reddit is a warning the first time you try to access one of those groups or a […]
Chrome's system of displaying tabs in a single row without horizontal scrolling works well up to a point. Eventually though you will notice that tabs cannot be identified anymore as they don't show any information whatsoever. That's when tab switching can become problematic as it may happen that you will click around until you find […]
