Category Archives: browsers

Q: Why do tabs sometimes show an orange dot?

Sometimes, you’ll notice that a background tab has an orange dot on it in Edge (or a blue dot in Chrome). If you click on the tab, the dot disappears. Why? The dot indicates that the tab wants “attention” — more specifically, that there’s a dialog in the tab asking for your attention. This mightContinue reading “Q: Why do tabs sometimes show an orange dot?”

Capturing Logs for Debugging SmartScreen

The Microsoft Edge browser makes use of a service called Microsoft Defender SmartScreen to help protect users from phishing websites and malicious downloads. The SmartScreen service integrates with a Microsoft threat intelligence service running in the cloud to quickly block discovered threats. As I explained last year, the SmartScreen service also helps reduce spurious securityContinue reading “Capturing Logs for Debugging SmartScreen”

HTTPS Goofs: Forgetting the Bare Domain

As I mentioned, the top failure of HTTPS is failing to use it, and that’s particularly common in in-bound links sent via email, in newsletters, and the like. Unfortunately, there’s another common case, whereby the user simply types your bare domain name (example.com) in the browser’s address bar without specifying https:// first. For decades, manyContinue reading “HTTPS Goofs: Forgetting the Bare Domain”

Attack Techniques: Notification Spam

A colleague recently saw the following popups when using their computer: Because they seemed to come from nowhere in particular, they seemed credible– either Windows itself had detected a virus, or perhaps their computer was infected with malware and it caused the popups? The reality is more mundane and more much more common. These areContinue reading “Attack Techniques: Notification Spam”

Edge’s Super-Res Image Enhancement

One interesting feature that the Edge team is experimenting with this summer is called “SuperRes” or “Enhance Images.” This feature allows Microsoft Edge to use a Microsoft-built AI/ML service to enhance the quality of images shown within the browser. You can learn more about how the images are enhanced (and see some examples) in theContinue reading “Edge’s Super-Res Image Enhancement”

Understanding Browser Channels

Microsoft Edge (and upstream Chrome) is available in four different Channels: Stable, Beta, Dev, and Canary. The vast majority of Edge users run on the Stable Channel, but the three pre-Stable channels can be downloaded easily from microsoftedgeinsider.com. You can keep them around for testing if you like, or join the cool kids and setContinue reading “Understanding Browser Channels”

Certificate Revocation in Microsoft Edge

When you visit a HTTPS site, the server must present a certificate, signed by a trusted third-party (a Certificate Authority, aka CA), vouching for the identity of the bearer. The certificate contains an expiration date, and is considered valid until that date arrives. But what if the CA later realizes that it issued the certificateContinue reading “Certificate Revocation in Microsoft Edge”

New Recipes for 3rd Party Cookies

Last Updated: 11 April 2025 For privacy reasons, the web platform is moving away from supporting 3rd-party cookies, first with lockdowns, and eventually with removal of support starting at 1% in Q1 2024 (was late 2023) and slated for completion in the third quarter of 2024. UPDATE: In Summer 2024, Chrome announced a new plan:Continue reading “New Recipes for 3rd Party Cookies”

Edge URL Schemes

The microsoft-edge: Application Protocol Microsoft Edge implements an Application Protocol with the scheme microsoft-edge: that is designed to launch Microsoft Edge and pass along a web-schemed URL and/or additional arguments. A basic invocation might be as simple as: microsoft-edge:http://example.com/ However, as is often the case with things I choose to write about, there’s a bitContinue reading “Edge URL Schemes”