Technology
Every Google Chrome, Firefox and Microsoft Edge user given serious warning
FAVOURITE websites may crash and fail to load because of a massive update coming to the most popular web browsers.
Chrome, Firefox and Edge are all planning to enter their 100th version very soon but the extra digit could confuse some sites.
GettyProblem could affect billions of users across the world[/caption]
That’s because they ask your computer or phone for the browser you’re using with each visit, and the version.
But the code on many can only fit two digits, meaning they’ll read version 10 instead of version 100 and go haywire.
And the clock is rapidly ticking down for site nerds to act.
Chrome is currently at version 98 and usually updates to the next level every month or so.
Edge is also at version 98, while Firefox is not far behind at 97.
So version 100 could be a mere couple of months away.
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Part of the reason the tech giants are pressing on is to pressure site owners to update their systems.
Many have rushed to sort it out, but some big names have apparently still not acted, including Yahoo, game maker Bethesda and streaming platform HBO Go.
The problem has been likened to the infamous “Year 2000 problem” – aka Y2K bug – where computers couldn’t handle the change to a 2 digit at the front for the first time.
According to Forbes, web browser makers have emergency backup plans incase all goes wrong.
Google will apparently freeze Chrome’s version number name to 99, and Mozilla will try something similar as well as putting out hotfixes for individual sites.
But with billions of sites on the internet, the true scale of the problem won’t be clear until version 100 comes out, so hopefully developers will get working on a fix before then.
SOPA Images/LightRocket via GettGoogle has an emergency plan if things do go terribly wrong[/caption]
In other news, the naughtiest emoji combinations have been revealed.
Tinder has revived the classic ‘blind date’ experience with a virtual twist.
And TikTok has announced new rules, banning users who deadname or misgender others.
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