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Vivaldi for Android Masquerades As Microsoft Edge to Unlock Bing Chat
The developers of Vivaldi, the web browser for power users, have made a change aimed at helping users access Bing Chat.
Web browsers identify themselves to websites via User Agent or Client Hints features. With the majority of browsers based on the engines used by Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Apple Safari — all of which are standards-compliant — all websites should work with all browsers.
Unfortunately, many web developers take the lazy way out and code their website to only work if it detects the browser of their choice. Other companies take such action specifically to promote the browser of their choice at the expense of the overall health of the web and web browser markets.
Vivaldi has already had to change its user agent to masquerade as Google Chrome since some websites would not work with it otherwise — despite it using the exact same engine that Google Chrome uses.
According to co-founder and CEO Jon von Tetzchner, the company is once again making an adjustment to its user agent, this time to help users access Bing Chat.
There are people who would like to try Bing Chat but have been unable to do so as they would need to use Microsoft Edge for that. Now, we have taken additional steps to ensure that you get to use Bing Chat.
Vivaldi masquerades as Microsoft Edge when visiting Bing. This means that you can access Bing Chat on your phone when using Vivaldi.
Read More: Welcome to 2001 As Microsoft Returns to Old Habits to Push Edge
To be clear, Microsoft Edge uses the same engine as Google Chrome, just as Vivaldi does. As a result, there is absolutely no excuse or valid technical reason for Bing Chat not to work with Vivaldi by default. The fact that configuring Vivaldi to simply masquerade as Edge allows it to work is proof of this.
Unfortunately, this is simply the latest example of how the web is increasingly returning to the bad practices that defined the browser wars between Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator. In those early days of the web, before web standards created a level playing field, web developers would code their websites to take advantage of special features offered by the browser of their choice, locking users into using that specific browser if they wanted access to all of the site’s features.
Today’s modern web standards are designed to eliminate this issue, ensuring all browsers are able to provide the same fundamental features and abilities. Unfortunately, companies like Microsoft are trying to artificially create customer lock-in by “requiring” their browser be used, even when it’s not really necessary.
This is simply the latest example of Microsoft returning to its roots, resorting to strong-arm tactics to push its own software. Kudos to Vivaldi for putting its customers first, taking a step that should not be necessary to give its customers the experience they want.
Vivaldi for Android Masquerades As Microsoft Edge to Unlock Bing Chat
Matt Milano
from WebProNews https://ift.tt/Oru1iqs
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