Windows 10 Build 14986 adds support for Brotli compression to the Edge browser (but, somewhat surprisingly, not IE11). So at the end of 2016, we now have support for this improved compression algorithm in Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera, Brave, Vivaldi, and the long tail of browsers based on Chromium. Of modern browsers, only Apple isContinue reading “2016 Brotli Update”
Yearly Archives: 2016
Do Not Lie to Users
Multiple people working on Outlook.com thought this was a reasonable design. After a user deletes an email, then manually goes into the Deleted Items folder, then clicks Delete again, then acknowledges that they wish to Permanently Delete the deleted item: … the item is still not deleted. You can “Recover deleted items” from your Deleted items folder:Continue reading “Do Not Lie to Users”
Useful Resources when Developing Chrome Extensions
I’ve built a handful of Chrome extensions this year, and I wrote up some of what I learned in a post back in March. Since then, I’ve found two more tricks that have proved useful. First, the Chrome Canary channel includes a handy extension error console to quickly expose extension errors. Update: This feature is nowContinue reading “Useful Resources when Developing Chrome Extensions”
Email Tracking Links are the Worst
Use HTTPS for all inbound links, especially those sent in email.
Troubleshooting Windows 10 Bluescreens
I recently bought a Dell XPS 8900 desktop system with Windows 10. It ran okay for a while, but after enabling Hyper-V, every few minutes the system would freeze for a few seconds and then reboot with no explanation. Looking at the Event Viewer’s Windows Logs > System revealed that the system had bugchecked (blueContinue reading “Troubleshooting Windows 10 Bluescreens”
WordPress.com bug post
This post demonstrates a bug in WordPress. Ignore it. This isn’t a real domain. Don’t hyperlink it because I explicitly did not use an A tag here https://eric-lawrence-wrote-this.com okay This isn’t a real domain. Don’t hyperlink it because I explicitly did not use an A tag here https://eric–lawrence-wrote-this.com okay
File the Bug
Two experiences this week reminded me of a very important principle for improving the quality of software… if you see something, say something. And the best way to do that is to file a bug. Something Weird? File a bug! The first case was last Thursday, when a user filed a bug in Chrome’s trackerContinue reading “File the Bug”
Using Fiddler With iOS 10 and Android 7
If you’ve tried to use Fiddler with iOS10 beta or Android 7 Nougat, you have probably found that HTTPS decryption isn’t working, even if you use the latest Fiddler and the Fiddler Certificate Maker add-on. Unfortunately, at the moment both platforms are broken, but for different reasons. In both cases, the client will fail toContinue reading “Using Fiddler With iOS 10 and Android 7”
Test post
Here’s an image from a server with a LetsEncrypt certificate.
Cheating Authenticode, Redux
Back in 2014, I explained two techniques that have been used by developers to store information in Authenticode-signed executables without breaking the signature. Recently, Kevin Jones pointed out that Chrome’s signed installer differs on each download, as you can see in this file comparison of two copies of the Chrome installer, one downloaded from IEContinue reading “Cheating Authenticode, Redux”
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