A new user interface for Browserling!

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Exciting news at Browserling! My team and I just launched a brand new product interface for Browserling. The new interface lets you access all browsers on all platforms and all features through a single neat menu.

You can try the new user interface right now by following this quick browsing link:

browserling.com/chrome/110/catonmat.net/new-browserling-ui

This link will open this same blog post in the latest version of Chrome.

The menu

The new menu contains everything you need to work with Browserling browsers. The top part of the menu focuses on the platform, the browser, and the website that you want to test, and the bottom part lets you quickly access the most popular features.

The features include display options (allows zooming the browser and changing resolutions), screen capture (allows capturing browser screenshots and quickly annotate them), local testing (allows opening an ssh tunnel to localhost or local network to test local websites), on-screen keyboard (allows using an English keyboard on non-English computers, and allows using a keyboard on mobile devices), share a browser (allows sending a quick link to the current browser and website you're viewing), and send feedback (we love feedback!)

Operating system and browser selection

The operating system and browser selection lets you quickly access all available platforms and browsers. With a click or two you quickly load the browser version you need.

URL navigation

The URL navigation field lets you quickly navigate to the website you need. Just enter the address of the website, click the go button, and a browser will open and load the website.

Display options

The display options feature lets you zoom the browser in and out (especially useful if you're on a 4k screen) and change the resolution to a bigger one or a smaller one. Also, this feature lets you do responsive web testing as you can see how your website looks on various screen sizes.

Capture screen

The screen capture feature lets you quickly capture screenshots of your browsing sessions. Once you select the browser region you want to capture, it opens a screenshot of this region and you can use the editing tools, such as a pen, rectangle, text annotation, and eraser tool to make modifications to the screenshot.

I'll be writing another more detailed article about this feature in one of the next posts as it has many other amazing features that let you quickly copy screenshots to clipboard, share bug reports with your co-workers by emailing them, uploading to Imgur, downloading, or saving to your account for later viewing.

Also, coming soon, you'll be able to record your browsing session to a GIF (we call it a GIFcast) or a video.

Local testing

The local testing feature lets you test your local websites that run on the localhost or any local network machine through ssh tunnels. The initial dialog lets you enter the hostname and port of your local web server.

Then, once you run the ssh command and establish a connection between your local computer and our tunneling service, it changes to connected state and you can start testing.

If the connection drops at any time, you'll instantly be notified through a yellow warning message.

I'll be writing another article about local testing as there's a lot to explain.

Onscreen keyboard

The virtual keyboard lets you easily send keypresses to the browser even if you're using a device that doesn't have a physical keyboard, like a tablet. Also, it's very useful if you're using a non-English keyboard, such as German or French keyboards as they have keys for "at" and "slash" symbols in different places.

The keyboard window can be resized to any size, made more compact if you're on a smaller screen or expanded if you're on a bigger screen.

Share a browser

The browser sharing feature lets you quickly share a link to the current platform, browser, and URL that you're viewing with your co-workers and friends.

Also, coming soon, we're launching a collaborative browsing feature that will let you and your team share the same browser.

Send feedback

We love getting feedback, so we also added a quick way to share your thoughts. Let us know what you think about the new UI! My entire team gets all feedback messages.

Technical details

We built our user interface using plain HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and the if statement. We started with an empty text file and finished with a fully working self-contained application that we deployed to production in 0.1 second. There are no frameworks, no dependencies, no node modules, no bundlers, no rust, and no modern web crap. There's just code that runs the user interface that lets us keep our focus 100% on the product and 0% on resolving node module issues.

What's next?

Next, we're launching a new browser streaming algorithm. The new streaming algorithm will offer near-native experience when using remote browsers. Then, we're adding a collaborative browsing feature that lets two or more people use the same browser at the same time. After this, we're adding a screen recorder that lets you capture your browser sessions to gifs and mp4 videos. And then! More awesome things!

What's Browserling?

Browserling is the world's first online cross-browser testing platform. It offers web developers, web testers, and qa teams quick access to all browsers on all platforms. To make really great web apps and websites, you need to make sure your code and design looks and functions the same on as many platforms, browsers, and screen sizes as possible. You could maintain a bunch of virtual machines and devices or you can simply use Browserling that offers quick cloud access to all the browsers.

Browserling's customers include L'Oreal, T-Mobile, Dolby, Accenture, Payoneer, Wegmans, Library of Congress, House of Representatives, City of New York, State of Texas, UK Home Office, and Government of Australia.

What are other common Browserling use-cases?

Besides being a useful cross-browser testing service, Browserling is also used by security professionals to get a sandboxed browser for testing suspicious links and casual Internet users who want to browse the Internet in an online browser without being tracked.

Thanks everyone for following along my adventure and see you all next time!

Browserling is now a top 15k website in the world!

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According to Alexa, Browserling is now a top 15k (actually now top 13k while I was writing this blog post) website in the world. 5k positions up from 20k a year ago. It's yet another small step for a ling and a giant leap for ling-kind.

alexa.com/siteinfo/browserling.com

My goal is to make Browserling a top 10k website and beyond. Thanks for following along my adventure and see you next time! I'm still just getting started here.

Browserling Coupon Code (Spring 2024)

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As the flowers start to bloom, it's time to refresh your browsing experience with Browserling!

I'm excited to offer you an exclusive spring deal: use the coupon code BLOOMLING24 at the checkout to get a special discount on my service.

Welcome the spring season with Browserling by your side – your web testing companion for the cyber blossom.

PS. Today is the last day this coupon is valid.

If you build it, they will come

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TLDR: We built it and they came.

At Browserling, over the last couple of years we built a network of online tools websites. Each website focuses on one category of tools and each tool does one and only one thing. We made all tools free, without ads, and with the simplest possible interface that uses a <textarea> or a <canvas> for the user input and output. We let Google decide the fate of the project and it was a huge success – people loved our free tools, sent us backlink love, we started ranking at the top, and now, all tools are used by millions of people every month. All tools followed the same growth curve – it took on average 2 to 3 years for each site in the network to became popular. The success formula was very simple: building things that people search for + patience = success. Now that we have captured the market, we're merging all these sites into a single ultimate get things done site OnlineTools.com and adding paid plans to make it a huge financial success.

Update: Executed.

Here's what we built.

We built Image tools and they came:

We built Hex tools and they came:

We built Ascii tools and they came:

We built Gif tools and they came:

We built String tools and they came:

We built Number tools and they came:

We built JSON tools and they came:

We built XML tools and they came:

We built YAML tools and they came:

We built Unicode tools and they came:

Build too and see you next time! Just remember – if you don't build it, they won't come.

Announcing OnlineTools.com

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Team Browserling keeps shipping!

We just bought the premium domain OnlineTools.com and launched Online Tools. Online Tools offers thousands of utilities for getting things done quickly and it's used by millions of people every month.

From technical perspective, Online Tools is powered by the <textarea> and <canvas> HTML tags and it's running on a $5 micro instance in a detached screen session. Checkmate, front-end developers and devops engineers.

See you next time!

Online Tools Coupon Code (Spring 2024)

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Spring into action with Online Tools and my vast collection of utilities, perfect for all your image, text, and data editing needs!

I'm excited to offer you an exclusive spring offer: use the coupon code BLOOMTOOLS24 at the checkout to get a special discount on my service.

As the flowers blossom, so should your projects. Stay ahead and stay efficient this season with my quick and effective tools.

PS. Today is the last day this coupon is valid.

What is a VNC Browser? (And How To Get One)

TLDR: You can instantly access a VNC browser via browserling.com/browse. Developed by me and my team, we installed all versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and other browsers in the cloud, together with VNC server software, and we stream just the browser windows to you, ensuring secure and private web browsing experience.

VNC Browser – What Is It?

A VNC browser is a web browser that is hosted on a remote server and is accessed over the Internet through the VNC protocol. This setup allows users to interact with the remote browser in real-time, offering a secure and isolated browsing experience that runs independently of the user's local environment.

VNC Browser – How Does It Work?

A VNC browser operates by starting a web browser on a cloud server, alongside with VNC server software to allow remote access. Users connect to this setup using a browser-based implementation of the VNC protocol, written in JavaScript and WebSockets to transmit mouse, keyboard, and screen updates in real-time. This architecture enables secure, remote browsing experiences from any device capable of running a web browser.

What's the Difference Between a Regular Browser and a VNC Browser?

A regular browser operates directly on a user's device, processing and rendering web content locally, while a VNC browser is hosted on a remote server and accessed over the web, with interactions transmitted via the VNC protocol. The key difference lies in where the browsing activity takes place: locally for a regular browser, and remotely in a secure, isolated environment for a VNC browser. Using a VNC browser enhances security and privacy by separating the user's local environment from web interactions.

Is My IP Hidden When Using a VNC Browser?

Yes, when using a VNC browser, your IP is hidden because the web browsing originates from the cloud server on which the VNC browser is running, not your local device. This server always has a different IP address, which may change with each session, thus masking your actual IP address from websites and services accessed over the Internet, enhancing your privacy and security.

Which Encoding Algorithm Does a VNC Browser Use?

A VNC browser uses the Tight encoding algorithm for transmitting screen updates. This encoding is efficient for low-bandwidth connections, as it compresses screen updates dynamically, adapting to network conditions to optimize performance and reduce latency in remote browsing sessions.

What Are VNC Browser Use Cases?

Secure Remote Access

A VNC browser allows users to securely access the web from untrusted networks by routing traffic through a remote server, minimizing exposure to network-based threats.

Privacy Protection

When using a VNC browser, your Internet activity and IP address are hidden from third parties, enhancing privacy by preventing tracking and identification.

Anonymous Browsing

Users can employ a VNC browser for anonymous Internet exploration, as it masks their local IP address with the server's IP, complicating efforts to trace online activity back to them.

Bypassing Geo-restrictions

A VNC browser enables access to geo-restricted content by connecting through servers located in different regions, allowing you to view websites and services unavailable in your area.

Safe Public Wi-Fi Use

By using a VNC browser, you can safely browse the Internet over public Wi-Fi networks, as the encrypted connection to the remote server protects against snooping and data theft.

Remote Web Testing

Web developers and testers utilize VNC browsers to remotely test websites and applications from various locations and under different network conditions, ensuring compatibility and performance.

Cross Browser Testing

With a VNC browser, programmers can test web applications across different browser versions and operating systems without the need for multiple devices or setups.

Educational Purposes

Educational institutions can use VNC browsers to provide students with access to a controlled browsing environment, ensuring safe and focused online research and learning.

Training and Onboarding

A VNC browser is employed in training sessions, enabling IT support staff to demonstrate software use and troubleshooting techniques in a secure, controlled environment accessible to trainees from any location.

Threat Intelligence Analysis

Cybersecurity professionals use VNC browsers to safely investigate malicious websites and online resources, minimizing direct exposure to threats while gathering critical intelligence on cyber threats.

What Is Browserling?

Browserling is a VNC browser platform that provides users with virtual browsers running on cloud servers for secure and isolated Internet browsing. It supports various use cases such as cross-platform compatibility testing, privacy protection, and access to geo-restricted content by allowing users to interact with web applications and websites from different browser versions and operating systems without local installation risks or constraints.

Who Uses Browserling?

Browserling has now become the VNC browser platform of choice for web developers, IT administartors, and cybersecurity experts, and it's used by hundreds of thousands of users around the world every month. Browserling's customers include governments, states, cities, banks, stock exchanges, universities, newspapers, Fortune 100, Fortune 500 companies, and private multi-billion dollar companies.

Happy browsing!

How to Open Links in a Sandbox

TLDR: Simply visit browserling.com/browse and you'll get an online link sandbox. My team and I run virtualized browsers in the cloud, providing you with a safe, isolated environment to test and interact with websites or examine potentially dangerous links without risking your own system's security.

What Is a Link Sandbox?

A link sandbox is a cybersecurity mechanism designed to safely inspect web links, documents, files, and other potentially unsafe content without risking the integrity of the primary system or network. It operates by creating an isolated environment, often referred to as a "sandbox" where the accessed links can be closely monitored and analyzed without allowing any malicious activities to affect the user's system or data. A link sandbox is particularly valuable for examining short links (such as "bit.ly" or "t.co"), downloads, PDFs, Word documents, and attachments that could be disguised as benign but harbor malicious intent, such as malware, ransomware, or phishing attempts. By viewing them in a constrained environment, the link sandbox provides a protective layer that prevents direct interaction with the user's operating system, personal files, and local network, thus mitigating the risk of cybersecurity threats.

Why Is It Important To Open Links in a Sandbox?

Using a sandbox to open links is a vital cybersecurity strategy, as it provides a protective barrier against malware, phishing, and other malicious activities by isolating potentially harmful content from a user's primary operating system. This approach ensures safe interaction with untrusted or unknown links on the Internet, mitigating the risk of security breaches and protecting sensitive information. Adopting sandbox technology is a key preventive measure in safeguarding against cyber threats.

What Is Browserling?

Browserling is a link sandbox platform that provides users with access to sandboxed browsers for securely testing and interacting with websites across different operating systems and browser versions. It enables users to safely examine potentially harmful links and online content by isolating the browser session from the user's main system, thus protecting against malicious software and threats from the Internet. This tool is particularly valuable for web developers, QA professionals, and cybersecurity experts who require a secure environment to test browser compatibility and website security.

Who Uses Browserling?

Browserling has now become the link sandbox platform of choice for security professionals, and it's used by hundreds of thousands of users around the world every month. Browserling's customers include governments, states, cities, banks, stock exchanges, universities, newspapers, Fortune 100, Fortune 500 companies, and private multi-billion dollar companies.

Browse safe!

St. Patrick's Day Sale

At Browserling and Online Tools, we love sales.

We just created a new automated St. Patrick's Day sales campaign.

Now each year on St. Patrick's Day, we show a 50% discount offer to all users who visit our site.

Run automated sales too and see you next time!

We've Added 20 More New PNG Tools

Team Browserling keeps shipping!

Last week we added 20 new png tools and today we just added another 20 new tools to our Online PNG Tools collection.

We've done our job and now it's Google's job to index them and rank them well.

Here are the new PNG tools:

Next week we'll add even more tools. See you then!

Announcing Paid Plans for Integer Tools

Team Browserling keeps shipping!

Last month we launched paid plans for Binary Tools and today we're launching paid plans for our next most popular tool category – Integer Tools. Integer tools are used by 10,000 people every month and they let you generate integer sequences, find symmetric integers, increment and decrement integers, rewrite integers as sums, and much more.

Next, we're adding paid plans to all other online tools categories that we built and joining them into a single ultimate get things done website called OnlineTools.com, making it the top 100 website on the Internet.

From technical standpoint, we used HTML templates, Google SEO, and a $5 Linode instance to launch the paid plans. Checkmate, front-end developers and devops engineers.

You can still use all tools for free for a limited time but if you really like them, then you can get a subscription to support my team's work. See the pricing page for more information.

See you next time!

We've Added 20 New PNG Tools

Team Browserling keeps shipping!

Last week we added 10 new image tools and today we just added another 20 new tools to our Online PNG Tools collection.

We've done our job and now it's Google's job to index them and rank them well.

Here are the new PNG tools:

Next week we'll add even more tools. See you then!

Presidents' Day Sale

At Browserling and Online Tools, we love sales.

We just created a new automated President's Day sales campaign.

Now each year on President's Day, we show a 50% discount offer to all users who visit our site.

Run automated sales too and see you next time!

We've Added Another 10 New Image Tools

Team Browserling keeps shipping!

Last week we added 20 new image tools and today we just added another 10 new tools to our Image Tools collection.

We've done our job and now it's Google's job to index them and rank them well.

Here are the new image tools:

Total image tools added: 100.

Customers added: 1,000.

Users added: 10,000.

SEO traffic captured: 100,000.

Business value created: $1,000,000.

Node modules written: 0.

Rust syntax errors fixed: 0.

Projects open sourced: 0.

Tutorials written: 0.

Frameworks used: 0.

Docker builds: 0.

Vagrant installs: 0.

Windows 10 reboots: 0.

Discussions about emacs vs vim: 0.

Stack overflow questions: 0.

Stack overflow answers: 0.

Reddit comments: 0.

Hacker News comments: 0.

Tweets: 0.

Books read: 0.

Zoom calls: 0.

Phone calls: 0.

Emails sent: 0.

Emails read: 0.

DMs read: 0.

DMs answered: 0.

Meetings: 0.

Podcasts listened: 0.

Youtube videos watched: 0.

Shits given about ChatGPT: 0.

Shits given about AI: 0.

Shits given about anything else than my users and customers: 0.

Build too and see you next time!

Valentine's Day Sale

At Browserling and Online Tools, we love sales.

We just created a new automated Valentine's Day sales campaign.

Now each year on Valentine's Day, we show a 50% discount offer to all users who visit our site.

Run automated sales too and see you next time!

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