Dolphins, foxes – Using non-standard smartphone browsers

It’s no longer unusual to install an alternative browser onto a notebook or PC. Now it’s the turn of smartphone users to stray a bit off the reservation. Whereas desktop and laptop users have long since discovered Safari and Chrome as alternatives to Internet Explorer and Firefox, most smartphone users have, so far, stuck with their preinstalled browser, which means whatever came with their iPhone or Android phone. But there’s no reason for smartphone users to stay stuck in that rut, when options like Dolphin, Firefox and Opera are also available for mobile device surfing and are easy to install. “It’s definitely worth it,” says Rainer Hattenhauer, who has written multiple books about Android smartphones and tablets. “A lot of browsers come with little tricks to ease operations that make surfing more comfortable.” Firefox for Android, for example, supports tabs on its browser, as is common with many alternative browsers. That lets users switch between multiple pages, just like they would do on their desktop. “You can do it with a simple swipe of the finger on Firefox,” says Hattenhauer. “This way I go through the tabs like they were a stack of cards.” Opera for Android also employs tabs, as well as a customizable startup page that should be familiar to the Norwegian software maker’s desktop clients. Every time it’s called up, users are presented with a choice of nine favourite sites, all accessible with the touch of a finger. Opera Mini, also available for the iPhone, promises easy surfing and quick connections since accessed websites are first compacted on Opera servers before being sent to the mobile. Dolphin, available for both systems, is also catching on. Copying many desktop browsers, it can be expanded with add-ons that can alter the graphic interface or allow the browser to take screenshots or view PDF files. Dolphin also comes with the ability to take voice commands. Chrome, also for both Android and iOS, can synchronize with the PC browser of the same name. By submitting the password for a Google account, a user can quickly access all bookmarks and stored data. However, there are differences between the mobile and desktop versions. Extra security is one good argument for opting for an alternative browser. Matthias Ritscher of the Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technology in Darmstadt, Germany, says security gaps in the main browsers are often overlooked or only spotted too late, mainly because updates require bringing the whole operating system up to the most recent settings. “Mobile device manufacturers rarely make updates or security fixes available,” he says. Things go faster with alternative services, since they can retool their services as easily as an app gets updated. Browsers for Apple products have the advantage that they’re all based upon Safari. Most of the alternative services are available for free in the iTunes App Store or in Google’s Play Store. Once downloaded, follow the instructions for setting which browser should be the default and which programmes should open automatically. Hattenhauer advises relying upon individual preferences for desktop browsers when choosing one for your smartphone. “There aren’t that many differences between the interfaces,” he says. Ritscher says people should make sure any downloaded browser comes from a reputable source. More care is needed when picking a browser than any other app, he notes, since, after all, most people use browsers to enter all manner of confidential data. From : Kuwait times.