After both StatCounter and Net Applications placed Google’s Chrome on the podium at the third spot worldwide, StatCounter has launched results for the US market.

Here, too, Chrome has captured the third spot overtaking Apple’s Safari. Internet Explorer remains the favourite amongst American users with 52% and FireFox with 28.5%. Chrome and Safari have 8.97 and 8.88 market share, respectively.

However, worldwide the gap between Chrome and Safari is wider with them having the market share of  9.4% and 4%, respectively. Internet Explorer has 53% and Firefox has 31%.

Google Chrome’s achievement is worth applauding as it is a new comer in the browser market.

Maybe promoting it on the site with most traffic (google.com) and second highest (Facebook.com) as shown in the above pic has done the trick.

As you know HTTPS sites are secure sites and your transaction with them is safe from eavesdropping. Google recently launched Google ssl for this purpose hwre your search is secure.

Now Electronic Search Frontier has developed an add on for firefox browser that will help you surf the web in HTTPS.  Sites like the New York Times, Washington Post, Twitter and Facebook,  Google services and a good many popular and semi-obscure sites are covered.

On installation, your browser automatically goes for the HTTPS/SSL connection option, or uses TOR’s resources to make it encrypted.

However , remember that unless Firefox displays a colored address bar and a complete lock in the status bar the  connection is not secure. This is because the webpage may contain third-party elements like advertisements which can be exploited.

Please note that surfing the web in HTTPS is comparatively slower than surfing without it.

Download the addon at EFF

Google in its Chrome Blog has announced rewards to developers who discover and report the bugs to Google. This is in line with Mozilla’s Security Bug Bounty Program where you can earn US$ 500 for reporting a new bug in the latest version of FireFox , ThunderBird and other software.

Google’s cash reward like Mozilla’s starts from US$ 500 and can go up to US$ 1337.  You must be the first to report that bug. Depending upon the severity of the security hole, you will get a suitable reward.

However, in both Mozilla and Chrome, the bug must be in the core browser. Vulnerabilities due to third party software and OS will not be rewarded.

So, there you go; one more reasons to learn hacking.

The latest version of these software can be found here ->Mozilla and Chrome