Microsoft’s Edge development team has announced a couple of new extensions for the browser. The two new Edge extensions are making their way from rival browsers Chrome, Firefox, and Opera. This shows that developers are seeing the value in porting their extensions to Edge.
Edge extensions were rolled out with the Windows 10 Anniversary Update last month. Through the spring and early summer, Microsoft developed a number of extensions through the Insider Program. However, the number of available tools is still limited, but will undoubtedly grow in the future.
Indeed, Microsoft fully expects Edge to be as well stocked as rivals in terms of web extensions. The feature is seen as an important factor in the company increasing its web browser market share.
We’re happy to announce that we're working with uBlock Origin, Ghostery, & Turn Off the Lights to bring their extensions to Microsoft Edge!
— Microsoft Edge Dev (@MSEdgeDev) September 23, 2016
The two new extensions are Ghostery and uBlock. They were announced by the Edge team via Twitter. Both are already available on other browsers and follow the likes of Turn off the Lights by jumping to Edge.
uBlock Origin has been available on Chrome, Firefox, and Opera for some time. The service is an ad blocking service that comes with added read filters:
The news comes via the Microsoft Edge Dev Twitter account:
uBlock Origin is an extension for Chrome, Firefox, and Opera that acts as an ad blocker that can also read filters from host files. Here are some of the features as listed in Google Chrome:
- An efficient blocker: easy on memory and CPU footprint, and yet can load and enforce thousands more filters than other popular blockers out there.
- Illustrated overview of its efficiency: https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/wiki/uBlock-vs.-ABP:-efficiency-compared
- Usage: The big power button in the popup is to permanently disable/enable uBlock Origin for the current web site. It applies to the current web site only, it is not a global power button.
- Flexible, it’s more than an “ad blocker”: it can also read and create filters from hosts files.
Ghostery
Ghostery is also a cross-browser offering that has been on Chrome, Firefox, Opera, and Safari. The extension gives users tools to protect their privacy online. This includes giving information on which websites track data. Again, these are the details from Chrome:
- Protect your privacy. See who’s tracking your web browsing with Ghostery.
- Enjoy a faster, safer and cleaner browsing experience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sizpi553pZc
We live in a connected world. When you browse the web, your data leaves a digital footprint. This footprint, connected by tracking technologies (called trackers), helps companies build a profile about you and how you interact with their sites and their competitors, allowing them to optimize their communications and site experience to reach you – and others like you – at the right place, at the right time.
Ghostery gives you the control to make informed decisions about the personal data you share with the trackers on the sites you visit.
