Google Chrome 79 Brings Enhanced Security and Anti-Phishing Features

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Google has released Chrome 79 with a number of enhanced security features and improvements for lower CPU usage.

On the security front, when you type your credentials into a website, Chrome will now warn you if your username and password have been compromised in a data breach, and suggest that you change them everywhere they were used.

Google first introduced this technology earlier this year as the Password Checkup extension. In October it became a part of the Password Checkup in Google Account settings, and now it has evolved to offer warnings as you browse the web in Chrome.

In addition to password warnings, Chrome has brought its anti-phishing protections to desktop. Google's Safe Browsing maintains a list of unsafe sites on the web that refreshes every 30 minutes, but Google found that some phishing sites were slipping through that 30-minute window, either by quickly switching domains or by hiding from Google's crawlers.

To counter this, the desktop phishing protection is real-time, and should warn users when visiting malicious sites in 30 percent more cases. Google is rolling out this protection to everyone with the "Make searches and browsing better" setting enabled in Chrome.

Chrome 79 also introduces automatic tab freezing, which aims to reduce the browser's CPU usage, especially when lots of tabs are open. With automatic tab freezing, Chrome pauses any tabs that have been in the background for a while so that they don't load content or do anything else that could tax the system.

Users will still be able to play audio in a backgrounded tab, but if there's no interaction with a tab for a while then Chrome will freeze it until the user returns to it.

Google Chrome for Mac is a free download available directly from Google's servers. Google Chrome for iOS is a free download for iPhone and iPad available on the App Store. [Direct Link]


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Initial Reports Suggest macOS Catalina 10.15.2 May Fix 16-Inch MacBook Pro Popping Sound Bug for Some Users

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Early reports from 16-inch MacBook Pro owners who have installed the macOS Catalina 10.15.2 update suggest that the new software fixes some of the speaker popping issues that were plaguing these machines.

According to a reddit user, after installing the update, the popping issue is no longer occurring, even after attempts to trigger it in VLC, Safari, Chrome, Netflix, YouTube, Premiere Pro, and Amazon Prime Video, all apps 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ owners previously complained were affected.


There are similar reports from 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ owners on the MacRumors forums. MacRumors readers Dextera, donawalt, and Lobwedgephil say their popping problems are entirely solved.

Just installed it over 10.15.1, ran about 6-7 different loud Youtube songs, tried the skip ahead/right arrow, and stopping songs, NADA! FIXED!

Reports from other 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ owners are more mixed, though. Some users say that the update improves the popping problem, but does not eliminate it entirely.

Some users are hearing lighter and more muted popping sounds in apps like Chrome and Safari, and some report that the popping has stopped for some apps like Spotify, but not for others. From MacRumors reader Ries:

10.15.2, occasional pops still happen for me in all scenarios. Thou a lot less frequent and at lower volume than they used to be.

From MacRumors reader covedrop:

Just installed 10.15.2 and can confirm that although the popping has been significantly reduced (more often it sounds like a minor crackle as I would expect when signal is cut), it is still there. I'm inclined to think that since the issue has been reduced as it has, if you're not hearing it you may just not be hearing the old sound, as it now sounds different. It's about 50% of the max it was previously (the loudest I experienced).

I also had to skip pretty aggressively in YouTube to really get a good pop - better, but certainly not fixed. I also had my volume up quite loud, but not full.

16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ owners have been complaining of popping sounds since the machine was first released in October. Apple in a memo to Apple Authorized Service Providers confirmed the popping issue and said that a fix would be implemented in the near future.

When using Final Cut Pro X, Logic Pro X, QuickTime Player, Music, Movies, or other applications to play audio, users may hear a pop come from the speakers after playback has ended. Apple is investigating the issue. A fix is planned in future software updates. Do not set up service, or replace the user's computer, as this is a software-related issue.

Apple in its note to service providers said that the fix would require updates plural, not a single update, which may explain the mixed reports that we're hearing from 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ owners. The macOS Catalina 10.15.2 software appears to partially address the problem, but further software updates may be required to stamp it out entirely.

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A Maxed Out Mac Pro Will Cost Over $52,000

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With Mac Pro orders now live, pricing for all of the build to order options for the machine are available, giving us an idea of what it's going to cost to get the top of the line upgrades.

Apple lets ‌Mac Pro‌ buyers upgrade the processor, RAM, GPU, and SSD, as well as add an Apple Afterburner card, wheels, and accessories, all of which add to the cost.


Starting with the base ‌Mac Pro‌ with a 3.5GHz Xeon W processor, 32GB RAM, a Radeon Pro 580X with 8GB memory, and 256GB SSD, choosing all available internal hardware upgrades will net you a price of $52,199.

Add to that the $400 wheels, and the price goes up to $52,599. From there, if you tack on the Magic Mouse 2 and Magic Trackpad 2 combo, you can get a maximum price of $52,748.

If you want a maxed out rack mounted ‌Mac Pro‌, expect to pay an additional $500 when that option becomes available, for a total price of $52,848.

If you want to add a Pro Display XDR to your ‌Mac Pro‌, expect to pay $4,999 for the display itself, plus an additional $999 for the stand. Add on an extra $1,000 if you want Apple's special nano-texture glass, for a total display price of $6,998. You can, however, save some cash if you go with a VESA mount, which is priced at just $200.

That means a maxed out ‌Mac Pro‌ with Apple's top of the line specs (minus the rack mount, since that's a niche option) and the best Pro Display XDR will cost just shy of $60,000 at $59,748.

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Apple Says Rack-Mounted Version of New Mac Pro is Coming Soon, Pricing Starts at $6,499

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Apple's new Mac Pro is now available to order, but the rack-mounted version of the computer remains listed as "coming soon" on Apple's online store, with pricing set to start at $6,499 in the United States.


The rack-mounted ‌Mac Pro‌ has repositioned handles and carries a $500 premium compared to the regular new ‌Mac Pro‌ tower, which starts at $5,999. As the description implies, this version of the ‌Mac Pro‌ is designed for rack deployment in edit bays, machine rooms, and other professional settings.

In a press release, Apple previously said the rack-mounted ‌Mac Pro‌ would be available this fall, which ends December 21. However, given the ambiguity of "coming soon," it is unknown if Apple will still meet that timeframe.

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