Day: December 3, 2016

Slowly, but surely, Flash is dying!

Google Chrome Slowly Ditching Adobe Flash By Defaulting To HTML5 On Most Websites

Tech Times – By Vamien McKalin – “The slow but sure death of Adobe Flash continues as Google has updated Chrome to make sure the popular web browser prioritizes HTML5 over Flash on most websites. The new update is available for Windows, Linux, and MacOS computers.

The new update, known only as Chrome 55, was in testing via the beta channel for quite some time. Google is feeling confident about the new feature, so it has been pushed out to the public and stable channel for all users. The idea to block Flash on most websites is a great one because the media software is known for causing system vulnerabilities on a regular basis.

‘The Chrome team is delighted to announce the promotion of Chrome 55 to the stable channel for Windows, Mac and Linux. This will roll out over the coming days/weeks,’ according to Google.

‘Chrome 55.0.2883.75 contains a number of fixes and improvements — a list of changes is available in the log.’

It should be noted that blocking Flash was always a possibility in Google Chrome for a number of years now. Users had the option to visit the settings area where they could decide whether or not they wanted to block the Flash plugin from automatically loading videos.

Should users wish to view a blocked video, they had to click on the video’s placeholder to activate it. However, with this new update, there’s no need to block Flash anymore. After taking the updated Google Chrome for a spin, it’s clear that the browser will load Flash on websites that do not yet support HTML5.

This move could push webmasters to abandon Flash in favor of HTML5 faster. As time goes by, internet users should eventually be free from the Adobe software and be fully adopted to what’s perceived as a much safer, and more power efficient, HTML5.

How To Upgrade To Chrome 55

It’s quite easy to upgrade to the newest version of Chrome. Just click on the three vertical dots button, then click on About. You’ll need to wait for the web browser to download the update if it hasn’t already, then after that, click on Relaunch to restart Chrome.

Once the browser is up and running again, you can rest assured that Chrome 55 has been installed.

Google is not only working to make its Chrome web browser better for everyone. The company has not too long ago worked directly with Microsoft to bring Office 365 to Chromebooks. There’s a catch, however, as the software won’t be free on all Chromebook laptop computers.”

Now your Plex Media Server has even more talents!

Plex can pull media from Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive

Engadget – By: Steve Dent – “Plex has added support for Google Drive, OneDrive and DropBox to its Plex Cloud service. The original idea with the service, which debuted in beta this September, was to void the need for a dedicated media server or network attached storage (NAS) drives. That way, assuming you have a decently fast internet connection, you can stream your movies or songs wherever you are via files that are parked securely in the cloud.

When Plex Cloud first launched, it only offered support for Amazon Cloud Drive. However, the company acknowledged on Reddit that ‘we have run into technical challenges with the Amazon Drive integration,’ adding that it’s ‘working hard to resolve the issues.’ According to comments on the Plex forums, the problem seems to be that Plex Media devices suddenly won’t sync with Amazon’s Web Services after working before. Users who paid for a $60 yearly Amazon Cloud subscription just for Plex Cloud are concerned that the retail giant is limiting Plex access, possibly over excessive uploading.

Users now have a lot more options, however, and many who’ve already tried Google Drive say it’s working fine. Plex streaming is available on most devices including PCs, smartphones, consoles, smart TVs and dedicated streaming boxes. If you decide to try the Plex Cloud service in beta (you have to score an invitation), you’ll need a $5 per month ($40 per year) Plex Pass. Also, beware that all of those services prohibit pirated content and you may even have issues if you legally rip and upload DVDs or other media.”