Chrome

Google Now is arguably the single best feature found in Android Jelly Bean, and soon, it seems, it may be coming to iOS, Windows 8 and Chromebooks everywhere.

The results from the annual Pwn2Own hacking contest are in, and the score is as follows: hackers one, software zero.

The new year is barely two months old and it's already been a brutal one for the disclosure of new vulnerabilities. Java, Adobe Reader, Flash, Google Chrome and a number of other widely deployed applications have all been hit with a slew of serious bugs in just the last few weeks. And that's likely to get worse this week as researchers convene in Vancouver for the Pwn2Own and Pwnium hacking contests.

The browser market share figures are in for February 2013, and Internet Explorer has risen once again at the expense of Chrome, while Firefox, Safari and Opera also managed to gain users. Last month Internet Explorer managed to pass 55% global market share, according to Net Applications, and this month the most popular browser rose again to 55.82% (up 0.68% from 55.14%) to keep its commanding lead in check.

Google has helped lower the blood pressure of internet users across the world with an experimental Chrome feature that makes it easy to identify which of your open tabs is blaring out noise.

The feature, which is available in Chromium and the bleeding edge "this might crash horribly" Canary build of Chrome, puts a little visual indicator in tabs that are playing noise.

A total of 22 vulnerabilities, two of which only affect Mac or Linux versions, have been fixed by Google with the release of Chrome 25.

The high-severity security holes include a memory corruption with web audio note identified by Atte Kettunen of OUSPG, a use-after-free in database handling discovered by Chamal de Silva, and a bad memory access with excessive SVG parameters found by Renata Hodovan.

Google has announced the target for its third Pwnium hacking contest, to be held at this year's CanSecWest security conference, with $3.14159m in prize money for the researchers who can successfully crack its Chrome OS operating system.

And yes, that figure is derived from the first six digits of π.

Google has taken two steps to prevent its Chrome browser becoming an attack vector for malware that runs as extensions to the browser.

Like many other browsers, Chrome allows users to install “extensions”, apps that add functionality. Google even runs the “Chrome Web Store” to promote extensions.

Security outfit Webroot recently pointed out that some of the extensions in the store are illegitimate, data-sucking privacy invaders that trick users with offers to do things like change the colour of Facebook and then suck out all their data.

Google's Santa Tracker can help you keep track of the Big Man on his deliveries on Christmas Eve, and don't forget to use Google's cool Santa Call service, too.

Google Maps' Santa Tracker is ready to be used by Santa Claus fans around the world as they track his Christmas Eve trip that has him delivering toys and gifts to good children and to well-behaved techies.

L33tdawg: Video of Chris Evan's talk at #HITB2012KUL on Element 31337 in the Periodic Table: Pwnium,  is available on YouTube and covers details of Pinkie Pie's epic $60k exploit from the event and details of past winners and submissions. Well worth watching.