Microsoft Edge is getting price change alerts, easy password changes, and an 'efficiency...

[Polycount]

In brief: Microsoft's Edge browser is already a compelling alternative to the likes of Google Chrome and Firefox, but it's getting even better now with a few key upgrades, one of which could help out quite a bit during the holiday shopping season. New features include price change alerts, an "efficiency mode," and a tool to help you swiftly change your compromised passwords.

Each of these features would be wonderful additions to the Edge experience on their own, but together, they make for quite a meaty package. First, efficiency mode -- there's nothing terribly complex here. If you're using Edge on a laptop that's a little low on power, the browser will automatically re-calibrate its RAM and CPU usage to extend your battery life. This feature can be toggled on or off in Edge's "System and Performance" Settings menu, above the "Sleeping tabs" option.

Next on Microsoft's list of Edge upgrades is easy update; an unassuming name for a fairly useful feature. If any of the passwords Edge has saved for you happen to get compromised or leaked in a third-party data breach (a regular occurrence these days), the browser will try to give you the option to navigate directly to the "Change Password" page on the website.

If that step works, Edge will show you a popup that, when clicked, will auto-fill both the Current and New password fields for you. Only a "limited number" of sites are supported by easy update for now, but Microsoft says it will expand the list over the coming months.

The final notable change coming to Edge is an enhanced price tracker. Currently, Edge is able to show you the price history for products when you're shopping on compatible websites, but soon, it will also be able to alert you in real-time of any price changes.

Many browser extensions already offer this functionality, but typically, they require you to actually be on the appropriate store page before they will display alerts. With Edge's implementation, you'll receive price adjustment notifications for recently-viewed items no matter what website you're on. You'll find them by clicking a dedicated blue price tag button to the right of the browser address bar. This feature isn't available yet, but Microsoft says it's "coming soon."

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https://www.techspot.com/news/92292-microsoft-edge-getting-price-change-alerts-easy-password.html

 

[VitalyT]

Microsoft's Edge browser is already a compelling alternative to the likes of Google Chrome and Firefox

That's pure Microsoft propaganda, boosted by dishonest monopolistic tactics.

 

[trparky]

If Microsoft keeps doing what people want with Edge, then they deserve to take over the market. Face it, the market is all about survival of the fittest. If Microsoft is the fittest, they deserve to win.

 

[Uncle Al]

Interesting ... every IT technician I have ever known have said unanimously to get rid of Edge and so far their advice has worked for the better ... at least for me. Judging from my many years of experience with Microsoft I just don't think I would entrust them to care for a dead cat ..... (apologies the the feline's of the world)

 

[trparky]

Interesting ... every IT technician I have ever known have said unanimously to get rid of Edge and so far their advice has worked for the better ... at least for me. Judging from my many years of experience with Microsoft I just don't think I would entrust them to care for a dead cat ..... (apologies to the feline's of the world)

And yet I use Microsoft Edge all the time. It's become my browser of choice. Firefox is a RAM pig and Google is... well, you get the idea. I already hand enough of my data over to Google because I use GMail, I don't need them to know every web site I go to.

 

[ZedRM]

Dear Microsoft,
The feature we want most is the ability to EASILY remove Edge from our systems. See to that and be snappy about it!

Thank You!

 

[Geralt]

Sorry MS, but your browser has been eliminated from my computer.

 

[sorten]

I've been using Edge as my daily driver and my web development browser since they built on top of Chromium. I figured it was the same engine as Chrome, but with slightly better ethics (Microsoft vs. Google).

It seems like a few other comments here reflect older attitudes about Microsoft.

 

[trparky]

For those of you who claim to have removed Edge from their systems, what browser do you use? Google Chrome? They're worse than Microsoft!

 

[Plutoisaplanet]

I've been using Edge as my daily driver and my web development browser since they built on top of Chromium. I figured it was the same engine as Chrome, but with slightly better ethics (Microsoft vs. Google).

It seems like a few other comments here reflect older attitudes about Microsoft.

This is almost the same exact story as me, and again only for web development. Specifically because I often develop on a laptop for hours at a time on battery power, and it seems that Edge is the most battery efficient option.

Conversely, Visual Studio 2022 wastes mounds of resources given that it moved completely to 64-bit. So what's interesting is that while Microsoft advertises it as "no more out-of-memory exceptions" due to eliminating the 4GB limitation, I literally never experienced that until VS 2022 because it uses up so much memory that my browser tabs crash with out of memory errors. The minimum requirements for it say 4GB of RAM, but even the 8GB I have is not enough.

Yesterday I increased my virtual memory and applied some of these tips to help. We'll see if that works, but I cannot downgrade since .NET 6 is only compatible with the latest version of Visual Studio.

 

[Geralt]

For those of you who claim to have removed Edge from their systems, what browser do you use? Google Chrome? They're worse than Microsoft!

Google Chrome and Firefox.

 

[Geralt]

This is almost the same exact story as me, and again only for web development. Specifically because I often develop on a laptop for hours at a time on battery power, and it seems that Edge is the most battery efficient option.

Conversely, Visual Studio 2022 wastes mounds of resources given that it moved completely to 64-bit. So what's interesting is that while Microsoft advertises it as "no more out-of-memory exceptions" due to eliminating the 4GB limitation, I literally never experienced that until VS 2022 because it uses up so much memory that my browser tabs crash with out of memory errors. The minimum requirements for it say 4GB of RAM, but even the 8GB I have is not enough.

Yesterday I increased my virtual memory and applied some of these tips to help. We'll see if that works, but I cannot downgrade since .NET 6 is only compatible with the latest version of Visual Studio.

There is a cable coming with laptops. It's for you to plug it into an outlet.

 

[Plutoisaplanet]

There is a cable coming with laptops. It's for you to plug it into an outlet.

Considering I can develop for over 6 hours at a time on battery, I fail to see what the charger has to do with my actual problem of memory over-utilization.

 

[Geralt]

Considering I can develop for over 6 hours at a time on battery, I fail to see what the charger has to do with my actual problem of memory over-utilization.

So you don't need to use crappy Edge to save battery.

 

[Plutoisaplanet]

So you don't need to use crappy Edge to save battery.

The long battery life is with Edge—without is a whole other story. It’s interesting how you seem to have a problem with my choices that affect no one but myself. It seems like the only one who needs me to not use Edge is you. Edge is working great for me. Just don’t use it if you think it’s crappy.

 

[Geralt]

The long battery life is with Edge—without is a whole other story. It’s interesting how you seem to have a problem with my choices that affect no one but myself. It seems like the only one who needs me to not use Edge is you. Edge is working great for me. Just don’t use it if you think it’s crappy.

You have no sense of humor. And Pluto is a planetoid, by the way.