Browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Edge or Safari are some of the most frequently used programs. But big changes are coming. Chrome 100 will be released at the end of March, Firefox will follow soon after. This is not only a milestone in version numbers, but also puts a strain on many websites. At the same time, the integration of cryptography is hotly debated.
Many users have long stopped counting the version number of Chrome and Firefox browsers. Every four weeks, a new release increases the release counter by 1. There are often no new features worth mentioning in the browser, but people always rely on them.
But overall, the browser market remains dynamic. While Chrome and Firefox are rapidly approaching version 100, there are still a few things to prepare over the next few weeks. With future technologies such as Web 3.0 and Metaverse, there are other interesting things in the browser environment.
Does Chrome 100 crash the internet?
Bugs are also common in browsers, but when Firefox refuses to work, as it has recently, many users have a real problem. The problem is likely to be even greater if the market leader, Chrome, for example, no longer displays certain websites.
This could be a threat when upgrading to Chrome 100 because the user agent string then suddenly sends a three-digit version number, but some websites only evaluate to two digits. Chrome 100 could suddenly become Chrome 10, an older browser. Websites could then block users who come with the latest Chrome.
Now, this scenario is not really a surprise to browser makers, as the same issue occurred when upgrading from v9 to v10. So both Chrome and Firefox have been testing user agents for v100 since a while back and the current canary version of Chrome has now also flipped the switch and is now available in version 100.
Crypto browser a good idea?
Regarding the topic of “browsers of the future”, Opera has recently dared to come out and together with Opera Crypto Browser has already launched a beta version of a browser of the future. Above all, Opera sees blockchain integration as central. The desktop browser has a built-in crypto wallet which is designed to help manage Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies and also provide easy access to NFT exchanges.
Opera talks about a Web3 project and understands it mainly to support decentralized applications. The content should then be distributed on the users’ systems and not on the central platforms of the service providers.
But not everyone likes the idea of integrating crypto wallets by any means. Vivaldi CEO Jon von Tetzchner denounces the hype in a blog post: “We refuse to portray these scams as opportunities. Instead, we encourage you to treat them with the skepticism they deserve. For some curious crypto investors and wealthy speculators, it can be a game, but for those unlucky enough to get caught up in the Ponzi scheme, it could be devastating.“.
Web 3.0 and Metaverse
Web 3.0 is mainly understood as the idea of decentralization, which must be based on blockchain technology. Through the use of AI, algorithms must also understand data in context, which is summarized under the term “semantic web”. As for a P2P-based Internet, there are other projects that have been exploring what’s possible here for some time, such as Beaker Browser.
Ever since Facebook changed its name to Meta last year and announced a Metaverse as a major project for the next few years, that too has been seen as the future of the web. Anyone who still remembers Second Life at least knows roughly where the journey is headed. The Metaverse is intended to be a 3D Internet that you can interactively immerse yourself in using VR technology.