Four Nice Features in Latest Chrome 12 Beta
Windows, Mac OS X and Linux users can now get Chrome 12.0.742.30 from the Beta channel. Google, and I’m saying this as a quick reminder, rolls out Chrome versions on three channels: the dev, the Beta and the stable channel. The nice thing about Chrome 12 Beta is that it comes with four nice features. I’ve listed them below.
Improved graphics
The development team behind Chrome has finished implementing support for hardware-accelerated 3D CSS. What this means is that web developers can use CSS to apply cool 3D effects to web page content.
Enhanced security
Safe Browsing, which already protects against malware and phishing websites, issues warnings when the user attempts to download malicious files. As a little side note, this feature was announced back in April – check out this article. Nice to see it implemented!
Enhanced privacy
In the past if you wanted to remove Flash Local Shared Objects (LSOs), you had to go to Adobe’s website and use an online settings application. With Chrome 12 Beta LSOs can be deleted from the browser’s settings. Numerous websites store information on your computer using LSOs; from a privacy point of view, you may want to remove them.
Enhanced user friendliness
Visually impaired and blind people also use Google Chrome; with them in mind, the Chrome team has improved screen reader support in Chrome 12 Beta. Preliminary support for many popular screen readers has been implemented in Chrome 12 Beta. Screen readers are software applications that describe the contents of the screen using synthesized speech or Braille. By using these application visually impaired and blind people can “see” what’s displayed on the screen.
These are the main four nice features available in Chrome 12 Beta. There are a few other changes in Chrome 12 Beta that deserve mentioning: launch apps by name from the Omnibox, integrated Sync into new settings pages, new warning when hitting Command + Q on Mac, the Google Gears plug-in has been removed.
If you would like to get Chrome 12 Beta, you can grab it from the Beta channel here.
Improved graphics
The development team behind Chrome has finished implementing support for hardware-accelerated 3D CSS. What this means is that web developers can use CSS to apply cool 3D effects to web page content.
Enhanced security
Safe Browsing, which already protects against malware and phishing websites, issues warnings when the user attempts to download malicious files. As a little side note, this feature was announced back in April – check out this article. Nice to see it implemented!
Enhanced privacy
In the past if you wanted to remove Flash Local Shared Objects (LSOs), you had to go to Adobe’s website and use an online settings application. With Chrome 12 Beta LSOs can be deleted from the browser’s settings. Numerous websites store information on your computer using LSOs; from a privacy point of view, you may want to remove them.
Enhanced user friendliness
Visually impaired and blind people also use Google Chrome; with them in mind, the Chrome team has improved screen reader support in Chrome 12 Beta. Preliminary support for many popular screen readers has been implemented in Chrome 12 Beta. Screen readers are software applications that describe the contents of the screen using synthesized speech or Braille. By using these application visually impaired and blind people can “see” what’s displayed on the screen.
These are the main four nice features available in Chrome 12 Beta. There are a few other changes in Chrome 12 Beta that deserve mentioning: launch apps by name from the Omnibox, integrated Sync into new settings pages, new warning when hitting Command + Q on Mac, the Google Gears plug-in has been removed.
If you would like to get Chrome 12 Beta, you can grab it from the Beta channel here.
