Chrome

72 'Chrome' stories November 2012 - October 2015

Chrome for iPad adds Split View, Slide Over, & Picture in Picture multitasking on iOS 9

Zac Hall Oct 22 2015 - 10:41 am PT

Google has updated its Chrome web browser for iPad on iOS 9 to support each of the new operating system’s new multitasking features on the latest models. Chrome (version 46.0.2490.73 to be specific) now supports Split View for running the browser next to other updated apps, Slide Over for referencing it over any app, and Picture in Picture for minimizing videos playing within Chrome to view from other apps including Split View mode. The release notes also highlight “improved handling” for RTL, or right-to-left, languages.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Review: Chromecast Audio brings new life to dated speakers for just $35

Zac Hall Oct 5 2015 - 11:06 am PT

16 Comments

I’m an Apple guy. I have enough Apple hardware around my house to serve as a mini-museum and I use Apple’s software and services every single day. But when Google makes something interesting like Chromecast Audio, I can’t help but want to try out the new toy.

Sold for just $35 (Google Store, Best Buy), Chromecast Audio lets you stream audio over the Internet from services like Spotify and NPR to old speakers. This varies from Apple’s AirPlay in that audio streams directly to the Chromecast Audio rather than from device to device, using your iPhone or iPad only as the remote. In practice, Chromecast Audio is most similar to Sonos, but with Google’s accessory selling at a much lower, irresistible price as it relies on your existing speakers rather than all-in-one units.

So what exactly is Chromecast Audio and what can it do for iPhone owners? Read on for details…
Expand
Expanding
Close

Google wants Apple Music to play on Chromecast Audio … but Apple is silent for now

Stephen Hall Sep 30 2015 - 8:54 am PT

17 Comments

During the announcement of Google’s Chromecast Audio yesterday, the company made sure to mention that music subscription leader Spotify will soon be one of the many music streaming services supported by the platform. With many Apple Music subscriptions renewing (or not renewing) and Google unveiling a $35 dongle that retrofits our existing home speakers with Wi-Fi, some are rightfully wondering: What about Apple Music?

According to statements from one Googler (via TrustedReviews), Google has no bar on any platform joining in on supporting Chromecast, and the Mountain View company has already directly asked Apple to play along…
Expand
Expanding
Close

Leak: Chromecast continues Apple TV assault w/ new hardware, Spotify, ‘What’s On’ content curation, more

Stephen Hall Sep 18 2015 - 9:01 am PT

18 Comments

According to internal Google documents that 9to5Google has obtained, huge updates to the Chromecast platform — in almost every respect — are just around the corner. The long-rumored 2nd generation Chromecast hardware is set to debut at Google’s event later this month with several brand new features, including “Chromecast Audio,” Spotify support (finally!), a brand new Chromecast companion app, and more. Here’s a roundup of everything we’ve learned so far…
Expand
Expanding
Close

Flash’s demise continues as Amazon stops accepting Flash ads due to browser settings

Zac Hall Aug 20 2015 - 8:31 am PT

7 Comments

Amazon may have been Apple’s target when it unveiled its iBooks Store alongside the iPad in 2010, but the digital retail giant’s latest move is helping fulfill Steve Jobs’ vision of a web without Flash. Amazon Advertising issued an update to its technical guidelines today declaring that it will stop accepting Flash-based ads starting next month. Adobe cited “recent browser setting updates from Google Chrome, and existing browser settings from Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari” that interfere with displaying Flash ads.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Chrome 44 for iOS brings beacon-powered Physical Web closer to reality, new gestures

Tom Maxwell Jul 22 2015 - 12:02 pm PT

3 Comments

The Physical Web is an open source web specification from Google released last year with the aim to make interacting with smart devices in the real world as easy as clicking a link, just as we do on the web. Now with the company having released its Eddystone beacon technology and APIs for making this communication between devices in the same proximity easier, it’s integrating Physical Web directly into Chrome for iOS.

The latest version of Chrome for iOS, version 44 available now in the App Store, brings Physical Web content to the “Today” view. The Today view, for those who don’t know, is a section within the iOS Notification Center panel, accessed by dragging down from the top of the screen, which contains quick glance information that you may want to access often, such as weather information, calendar events, etc. But developers can also make their own widgets for this section which could include this same sort of quick glance information pulled from their own apps, as well as action buttons to perform quick tasks – like checking into a location on Swarm, for example.

What this means for Physical Web is better visibility and increased potential for adoption. While beacons have yet to heavily saturate the world, they face a chicken and egg problem: without a way for end-users to actually receive information from devices they pass by in the physical world, developers and manufacturers don’t have the same kind of incentive to design, manufacturer, and sell, and invest in beacons, and vice-versa. Physical Web, though, takes advantage of Eddystone-URL, a language that Google’s Eddystone beacon technology can send information to end-user devices in. Now that the company has a full end-to-end beacon solution – the beacon software that device manufacturers can use in their beacon hardware, as well as deeper integration into end-user devices – it will be possible for web developers to get more native-like proximity functionality out of their apps.

In addition to support for Physical Web, today’s Chrome for iOS update also adds new swipe gestures for making navigation throughout the app easier. The app is available now in the App Store.

Google Chrome aims to improve laptop battery life by intelligently pausing Flash content

Jordan Kahn Jun 4 2015 - 1:00 pm PT

21 Comments

Google has been working with Adobe to improve battery life drain caused by Flash and today flipped the switch on a new Chrome feature that does exactly that. The new feature aims to detect Flash on a webpage that is actually important to the main content and “intelligently pause content” that isn’t as important. The result is to hopefully make the web experience with Flash more power efficient to improve battery life on your laptop. Here’s how it works:
Expand
Expanding
Close

Chrome for Mac will soon require Chrome Web Store distribution for extensions to prevent malware

Jordan Kahn May 13 2015 - 9:11 am PT

5 Comments

Back in May of last year, Google started enforcing a policy that requires Chrome extensions be hosted on its Chrome Web Store, but only on Windows. The goal was to prevent malware hidden in extensions installable from outside its store, and it even started disabling extensions already installed on users’ systems that weren’t hosted on the Chrome Web Store. Now, Google says it will bring that requirement to Mac Chrome users over the coming months, as well as the Chrome developer channel for Windows that wasn’t previously enforcing the policy:
Expand
Expanding
Close

Chrome for iOS adds 1Password & LastPass extension support, new widget with voice search, more

Zac Hall Apr 16 2015 - 12:01 pm PT

9 Comments

After just releasing a new version of Chrome for the desktop, Google is out today with an updated version of Chrome for iPhone and iPad. Version 42 includes a new widget in the Today section of Notification Center, support for 1Password and LastPass and other app extensions, plus more.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Google brings smooth Safari-like zoom to Chrome Canary for Mac

Stephen Hall Feb 11 2015 - 9:28 am PT

19 Comments

The latest build of Chrome Canary for Mac packs a great new feature that’s likely familiar to those who use Safari on a daily basis. While current stable builds of Chrome have a jaggedy pinch-to-zoom functionality that only zooms in 10% increments, the latest build of Chrome Canary provides a smooth buttery zoom experience like Apple’s browser.

As of right now, it looks like the feature works a little bit less fluidly than Apple’s offering, but that’s to expected in the most experimental public release version of Chrome. Zooming works the same way that it does in Safari and current versions of Chrome, so all it takes is pinching two fingers on the Trackpad.

If you’re sticking with Safari on your Mac for this reason or others (battery life, anyone?), it looks like this feature—once it makes its way to the stable release—will give you one more reason to switch over to Google’s browser. If you want to give it a try, head over and download the latest build of Chrome Canary.

Google releases Chrome Remote Desktop for iOS to access your computer from your iPhone/iPad

Jordan Kahn Jan 12 2015 - 1:27 pm PT

17 Comments

Google today released its Chrome Remote Desktop app for iOS after a release on Android devices last year.

The app, available for both iPhone and iPad, allows users to remotely access their computer via the Chrome Remote Desktop app available in the Chrome Web Store.
Expand
Expanding
Close

AirParrot 2 brings Mac & Windows screen mirroring to Chromecast, drag and drop media streaming

Jordan Kahn Nov 21 2014 - 8:54 am PT

7 Comments

AirParrot, the app that lets you send your desktop display to an Apple TV-connected TV, is today releasing version 2 with Chromecast support and number of other new features. Sure, you can mirror your Mac’s display to an Apple TV using Apple’s built-in AirPlay feature, but AirParrot provides features beyond what Apple offers and also support for screen mirroring from Chromebooks and Windows. Today’s release makes it the first to enable full screen mirroring support to Chromecast with audio support and more.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Google Chrome for Mac goes 64-bit in latest update, gains new APIs and other enhancements

Mike Beasley Nov 18 2014 - 3:39 pm PT

5 Comments

As promised in September, Google has launched the 64-bit of the Chrome browser for Mac to the public after a few months in beta. According to Google’s original announcement, the update drops support for 32-bit extensions, requiring all developers to update with 64-bit support.

The update also fixes over 40 security flaws and adds many new APIs for extension developers. Chrome uses a silent update mechanism that will automatically download and install the latest update, but if you find that you’re still on version 38 in the “About Chrome” window, you can manually download and install the update from Google.

Talking Schmidt: Google’s executive chairman challenges Tim Cook on privacy citing Chrome’s ‘incognito mode’

Zac Hall Sep 23 2014 - 10:46 am PT

38 Comments

In his letter on privacy shared last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook contrasted the business model of Apple against that of its competitors while strongly taking a shot at Google, Gmail, and Android without actually naming the company and services. The infinitely entertaining executive chairman of Google and former Apple board member Eric Schmidt was recently asked by ABC News about Cook’s open letter on the company and privacy.

In short, Schmidt, who is making the media rounds to promote his upcoming book How Google Works, said Cook’s description of Google and privacy is incorrect, which you would expect from the Google chairman. But his first shot at debunking Cook’s claim was sort of out of left field (okay, as you also might expect):
Expand
Expanding
Close

Chrome iOS update enables third-party app extensions, iOS 8 support

Jordan Kahn Sep 22 2014 - 8:32 am PT

4 Comments

Google today updated its Chrome browser for iPhone and iPad with support for iOS 8’s new third-party App Extensions feature. That means that Chrome’s sharing menu will now show additional sharing options from apps you have installed supporting the new App Extensions feature. We previously put together a roundup of some of the best apps offering App Extensions when iOS 8 launched.

Google says the update, version 37.0.2062.60, also includes iOS 8 compatibility, stability improvements, and bug fixes.

The updated Chrome app for iPhone and iPad is available on the App Store now.

What’s New in Version 37.0.2062.60

• Supports using 3rd party App Extensions to post and share content.
• iOS 8 Compatibility.
• Stability improvements and bug fixes.

Public version of Google Chrome for Mac will go exclusively 64-bit in November

Mike Beasley Sep 12 2014 - 10:42 pm PT

31 Comments

Last month Google released a 64-bit version of the Chrome browser for OS X on its developer channel. However, this version of the app has not yet been made available to the general public. Google announced today in a blog post (via iMore) that the browser would be updated in version 39 not only to add 64-bit support, but to remove 32-bit support.

That means that any 32-bit plugins built on the Netscape Plugin API will no longer function until they are updated for 64-bit systems. This update will be released in November, though an exact release date hasn’t been given yet. Because Chrome uses a silent auto-update mechanism, users won’t have to do anything special to get the update.

Google updates 2D physics engine LiquidFun with Chrome extension and iOS support

9to5 Staff Jul 17 2014 - 11:08 am PT

0 Comments

Google today announced the release of LiquidFun 1.1, an update to the open-sourced 2D physics engine originally released last December. New in today’s release is browser support and this allows games using the engine only found on Android devices to be ported over as Chrome extensions. Also new in the update is iOS support. Google says previous versions of the engine could be modified to work on iOS, but today’s update brings native support to the platform. The release notes are below:

LiquidFun now runs in your browser! Using Emscripten, we’ve translated LiquidFun into JavaScript. You can see LiquidFun’s Testbed application, rewritten in JavaScript, running on our landing page.

We’ve added iOS support for LiquidFun’s internal Testbed and EyeCandy applications. Earlier versions of LiquidFun could be made to run on iOS, but iOS is now officially supported.

We’ve optimized LiquidFun’s particle simulation. In particular, we’ve written NEON (a.k.a., Advanced SIMD) code to improve performance on ARM processors.

We’ve stabilized the simulation, fixed bugs, and added some cool new functions, including one that automatically splits a particle group into multiple, disjoint particle groups.

We’ve clarified and improved the documentation, thanks to questions from the LiquidFun community.

iOS 8 WebKit changes finally allow all apps to have the same performance as Safari

Mike Beasley Jun 3 2014 - 3:52 pm PT

29 Comments

When iOS 7 launched, developers discovered that their apps with built-in web browsers were unable to achieve the same level of JavaScript performance as the stock Safari app. This was because Apple restricted use of its improved Nitro JavaScript engine to its own app, leaving third-parties with a slower version.

[tweet https://twitter.com/vickimurley/status/473955064629829632 align=’center’]

As of iOS 8, however, it seems that decision has been reversed. All apps will now be able to use the same improved JavaScript engine that powers Safari. That means Google’s Chrome browser on iOS will now be just as quick as Safari, as will the pop-up browsers embedded in apps like Twitter and Facebook.

Rdio, Crackle, & Vudu updated with Chromecast streaming support

Zac Hall Mar 31 2014 - 10:05 am PT

0 Comments

Adding to the catalog of Chromecast-supported content, Rdio and Crackle are both adding the ability to play more content from your smartphone, tablet, or browser to your TV today.

Crackle has refreshed its Android and iOS apps with support for Chromecast streaming. The Sony-backed content provider serves up a number of movies and TV shows for free including comedian Jerry Seinfield’s “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” original.

Video streaming service Vudu has also added Chromecast support in the latest versions of its Android and iOS apps. The Walmart-owned service includes HD movies and TV shows with no subscription.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Google Now notifications now available in Chrome for Mac

Benjamin Mayo Mar 24 2014 - 11:03 am PT

6 Comments

After spending about a month and a half in the beta channel, Chrome is rolling out Google Now notifications to all users. To activate the feature, Google says to sign in with the same Google account used on iOS.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Google’s new Photowall app turns your Chromecast-connected TV into an interactive photo frame

Zac Hall Mar 24 2014 - 6:46 am PT

9 Comments

Adding to the capabilities of the Chromecast HDMI streaming stick, Google is out with a new app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users called Photowall that lets you turn your Chromecast-connected TV into a live, interactive photo frame.

Google’s Photowall app allows you alone or a group of Photowall users to beam not just one photo, but an entire collage of images to your TV through your Chromecast. The app includes the ability to doodle or annotate images before beaming to your big display as well.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple patched a major SSL bug in iOS yesterday, but OS X is still at risk

Jordan Kahn Feb 22 2014 - 8:01 am PT

16 Comments

Update: Apple says an OS X fix is coming soon.

Yesterday Apple released iOS update 7.0.6 alongside new builds for iOS 6 and Apple TV that it said provided “a fix for SSL connection verification.” While Apple didn’t provide much specific information on the bug, it wasn’t long before the answer was at the top of Hacker News. It turns out that minor security fix was actually a major flaw that could in theory allow attackers to intercept communications between affected browsers and just about any SSL-protected site. Not only that, but the bug is also present in current builds of OS X that Apple has yet to release a security patch for.

Researchers from CrowdStrike described the bug in a report:

“To pull off the attack an adversary has to be able to Man-in-The-Middle (MitM) network connections, which can be done if they are present on the same wired or wireless network as the victim. Due to a flaw in authentication logic on iOS and OS X platforms, an attacker can bypass SSL/TLS verification routines upon the initial connection handshake. This enables an adversary to masquerade as coming from a trusted remote endpoint, such as your favorite webmail provider and perform full interception of encrypted traffic between you and the destination server, as well as give them a capability to modify the data in flight (such as deliver exploits to take control of your system),”

Adam Langley, a senior software engineer at Google, also wrote about the flaw on his blog ImperialViolet and created a test site to check if you have the bug (pictured above):
Expand
Expanding
Close

Google releases tool to let devs bring Chrome apps to iOS & Android

Jordan Kahn Jan 28 2014 - 10:04 am PT

6 Comments

After letting us know last month that it was getting ready to release a toolkit to let developers easily bring their Chrome web apps to iOS and Android, today Google released a developer preview of the tool. In its blog post, Google explains the tool is based on open-source framework Apache Cordova, which allows devs to build native apps for iOS and Android using CSS, HTML, and Javascript. It’s also making a lot of its own core Chrome APIs available to developers through the preview. It essentially means devs will be able to bring their Chrome web apps to the App Store and Google Play, but it will also let them build new cross platform apps in CSS, HTML, and Javascript. Google explained how it works:
Expand
Expanding
Close

Google developing “Chromoting” remote desktop management app for iOS

Mike Beasley Jan 16 2014 - 8:27 pm PT

0 Comments

Google has been working on a remote desktop management app for Android devices called “Chromoting” since last year, but today an entry in the Chromium issue tracker has revealed that an iOS version is also under developement. The issue, which was opened on Wednesday, indicates that the iOS version is still very much in the design stage, while its counterpart on Android is much further along in its development.

According to the post, the iOS version is is expected to be released much later than the Android client. The features of the app have mostly been kept under wraps, but it looks like a fairly straightforward piece of software that allows you to access and manipulate remote machines using Chrome as a condiut for the connection. The biggest advantage Chromoting would have over similiar solutions would be the low, low price of $0.00.