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Google Chrome claims one-third of global browser share, according to StatCounter
Google's Senior Vice President of Chrome & Apps Sundar Pichai confirmed to the crowd back at D10 that Chrome browser use was soaring -- particularly in the consumer space -- and StatCounter's latest data most definitely backs that up. The newest report, ending July 2012, shows the Chrome creeping up to 33.8 percent worldwide from 32.8 percent in June. Internet Explorer is sitting at 32 percent, while Firefox is seen slipping a bit to 23.7 percent; meanwhile, Apple's Safari picks up the Participation Award with 7.1 percent. As The Next Web points out, it's also worth nothing that Chrome is doing particularly well in Europe, South America and Asia, while IE is still charging in the UK, US and Down Under. Granted, StatCounter is hardly the end-all when it comes to browser usage; that said, it's definitely useful to get a general idea of which browsers are moving in which direction, and it's certainly astonishing to see a piece of software that didn't exist four years ago already claiming such a significant piece of the pie.
Google Chrome 21 stable release adds Retina MacBook Pro support, webcam use without plugins
Some Retina MacBook Pro owners have been waiting for this day for six weeks: that promised Retina support in Google Chrome is now part of a finished, stable release. Chrome 21 is now crisp and clear for those who took the plunge on Apple's new laptop but would rather not cling to Safari for the web. No matter what hardware you're using, Google has rolled in its promised WebRTC support to let webcams and microphones have their way without Flash or other plugins. Other notable tweaks like wider support for Cloud Print and gamepads tag along in the update as well. If you're at all intrigued by the expanded hardware support in Chrome, Google has an abundance of details (and downloads) at the links below.
Google API hopes to help iOS app links open in Chrome
Google's Chrome browser for iOS has a lot of features to love, but unfortunately for most of us who use it, we still find that clicking a link in another app only opens that link in Safari. Google is hoping to rectify this issue by providing developers with sample code that checks whether or not Chrome is installed on an iOS device, and then adds an option to open links with it when it is installed. The Verge notes that this is similar to adding an "open in Dropbox" option to a Word or PDF document in an app. Hopefully a lot of iOS devs will choose to add the necessary code to their apps so that doing something as simple as tapping a link in Twitter gives users the option of opening that link in Chrome.
Google drops OS X Leopard support for Chrome 22 dev release
Just as we catch wind that Apple's released the Gold Master version of Mountain Lion, the latest version of Chrome to hit the browser's developer channel -- that's version 22.0.1201.0, for the record -- isn't so supportive of OSX 10.5 and lower. Perhaps Leopard enthusiasts should take this as a friendly nudge toward to wild, snowy world of 10.6.
New Google Chrome beta lets webcams go plugin-free, video chat gets a lot less Flashy
Google has been talking up the prospects of integrating WebRTC into Chrome for the past several months. It's now ready to put theory into practice with a fresh beta of the web browser. The upgrade uses WebRTC to let typical microphones and webcams talk to the browser without using a plugin like Flash or something otherwise so very 2011. Just to embrace this future of direct hardware support ever the more tightly, Google is also building in a gamepad programming interface that lets controllers tap into Chrome without having to rely on Native Client's magic. There's more waiting at the source link, including more direct tie-ins with Cloud Print, so the more adventurous among us can get to chatting (and playing) right away.
Chrome Web Store offers app recommendations from your Google+ mates, allows you to return the favor
Looking to your online pals for some Chrome Web Store suggestions? If so, the folks at Google have just made accessing said list of recommendations much easier. The outfit unveiled a new feature for the app repository that allows you to see all of the add-ons that your Google+ mates are raving about. You'll also be able to provide some tips of your own thanks to the addition of the trusty +1 button on the detail page of each offering. Just in case you forget to hit the "From Your Circles" link before browsing, each application will bear a stamp of approval -- should it be deemed worthy of the extra clicks. If you're short on acquaintances or are still new to the social network, the Chrome dev team's lists will appear for you as well.
Google Chrome searches redirecting to blank.html (Update: fixed!)
There's no word yet on what exactly is causing it, but various Google Chrome users are reporting that searches from the omnibox / address bar that go nowhere. While the instant results appear properly, once the user hits enter they're sent to a blank.html page that's just that, blank. There's a Google Groups thread 116 posts long of people noticing the issue going back a few hours and we're seeing it on our end also. In the thread, users suggest going into the settings menu, selecting "Manage Search Engines", adding a new search engine with the url http://www.google.com/search?q=%s (it can be named anything) and then making it the default as shown above. That did the trick for us, let us know if you're seeing the same in the comments below. Update: Google has responded, telling us the issue should be resolved for "most users." If you changed your default search, this would seem to be as good a time as any to switch it back, check after the break for a statement from a Google spokesperson. [Thanks, Dustin]
Chrome for iOS: A quick hands-on look at Google's mobile browser
Many iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad users know of only one browser -- Apple's Mobile Safari. But the recent introduction of Google Chrome for iOS (free) brings a new and powerful web browser to the platform that provides some compelling functionality not found in Safari. Let's take a look. Chrome is a 12.8 MB universal app that runs on any device running iOS 4.3 or later. Once loaded, you'll be asked to log into your Google account to synchronize Chrome between your desktop, laptop, and mobile devices. You don't have to do this, but when you do, the synchronization feature not only makes sure that your bookmarks are synced between devices, but also your open browser tabs, passwords, and "omnibus data." Synchronization is very powerful! When it's set up by logging into a Google account from all of your devices, an "Other Devices" button appears at the bottom of the Mac OS X and Windows browsers. With a click, you see all of the open tabs on all of your other devices, and if you wish to pick up browsing on one device that you started on another, it's just a click or tap away. %Gallery-159594% A perfect example of this was when I was doing some research for a book yesterday. I had three open tabs in Chrome on my iMac; when I went outside to eat dinner, I brought along my iPad. Tapping the new tab button at the top of the screen, I was greeted by a window showing the most visited websites in Chrome on the iPad, my bookmarks (which are the same between devices), and a list of other devices. With a tap I was able bring up the tabs from the iMac on the iPad and continue reading. One of the features I like the most on the iOS app is the ability to search by voice. Chrome, of course, doesn't have a separate search bar -- you simply type your search terms into the "omnibox" of the browser, and the results appear. The iOS version of the app has a small microphone icon -- with a tap, you are prompted to speak your search term and results appear in seconds. While voice search isn't perfect (i.e., a search for Canadian hockey legend Guy Lafleur camera returned "keep looking or"), it's surprisingly accurate. I didn't find Chrome to be any faster in terms of response, not surprising since both are built on the iOS WebKit. Jacqui Cheng over at Ars Technica noted that Safari is "almost four times faster than Chrome in JavaScript," mainly due to the fact that Safari uses its own Nitro JavaScript engine which isn't available to outside apps. I did see a few bugs in this first version of iOS Chrome. For example, one of Chrome's new features is "Incognito*" mode. This is Google's implementation of private browsing, where pages viewed don't appear in your browser or search history and don't leave cookies. When I opened a new Incognito* tab on the iPad, the browser locked up. This was a repeatable error, although it didn't happen every time I used Incognito* mode. You're reminded, by the way, that you're in Incognito mode by a little "spy" icon that appears in the upper left corner of the browser window. I like the way that Chrome handles tabs on the mobile devices. On the iPhone, tapping a "tab" icon shows all open tabs stacked vertically. To delete one, you can either tap the close box or swipe the tab in either direction. Tapping on any of of the tabs brings that window to the front for viewing. On the iPad, tabs are added by pressing a small parallelogram button, and they appear across the top of the browser as they would on an OS X machine. On both devices, tapping a small icon emblazoned with three lines brings up a quick way to add a bookmark, reload a page, create a new tab (or Incognito tab), look at bookmarks, see what tabs were last opened on your other devices, email a URL to a page, find something on a page, request a desktop site (rather than a mobile site), change settings, or pull up a Chrome help site. I find myself using Chrome on my Macs more and more often. Some web pages simply won't run properly in Safari, a bank site that I frequent being the most annoying example. It works perfectly in Chrome, on any of the devices. That's not only surprising, but what I expect to see with a mobile browser. Chrome for iOS is just in its infancy, but so far I'm impressed with what Google has managed to develop. If you've loaded and used the new browser, let us know what your impressions have been so far by leaving a comment.
Chrome 20 browser released: exclusive 64-bit Linux Flash, fewer MacBook crashes
If your new MacBook is having kernel panics, or you're forced to run a 32-bit browser in Linux because you need Flash, Google's brought relief with version 20 of Chrome. While acting sheepish about "yet another release," the Chrome Blog said "hundreds of bugs" were fixed, including a MacBook resource leak issue which was temporarily patched by disabling some GPU features. Also, Linux users will finally get full 64-bit support for Flash with Adobe's PPAPI "Pepper" version, but since it was made exclusively for Chrome, Penguin users will be stuck with that browser if they want the feature. To get it, check the source after the br... oh, right, background update. Nevermind.
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light gets Chrome'd out this fall
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light continues its long and storied tradition of being ported to unexpected platforms this fall, when the Crystal Dynamics XBLA adventure makes its way to Google's Chrome browser.Previously, LCATGOL has made its way to PSN, Steam, iOS, OnLive and the Blackberry Playbook; a list that makes less sense the longer you read it. The game will be powered by Google's open source Native Client framework and will run in-browser, similar to other XBLA-to-Chrome converts like Bastion and From Dust. No word yet on pricing or availability beyond the fall release window.
Google Chrome for iPhone hands-on
Today's Google I/O keynote was, as expected, all about the Chrome. Easily one of the biggest among the company's laundry list of announcements surrounding the browser-turned-operating-system has to be its arrival on iOS, bringing the functionality that an ever-growing number of users have come to know and love to the iPhone and iPad. The list includes, perhaps most notably, its cross-device syncing, ensuring that you can pick up where you left off on the desktop version of the program, taking your pages and tabs with you on the go. So, is Google's fancy mobile browser enough to get us off mobile Safari altogether? Check out some impressions of the iPhone version of the app after the break.
Google sends Chromebooks to some Best Buy and Dixons stores, starting today
Google is getting serious about spreading the reach of Chromebooks. At its day two I/O keynote, it just revealed that the Chrome OS laptops are in 100 Best Buy retail stores across the US, effective today. British stores are getting a similar amount of care with a Chromebook presence in Dixons stores throughout the UK. We're still waiting on more details, such as which models will grace shelves, but there's good reason to suspect that Samsung's Series 5 550 will be front and center. If you haven't had the chance to make it out to a library or a cross-country flight to try a Chromebook for yourself, all you'll have to do now is swing by the local electronics shop to give that cloud computer a real shakedown. Check out our full coverage of Google I/O 2012's developer conference at our event hub!
Google puts Chrome on iPhone and iPad (update 2: it's out!)
Google just did what many thought wasn't possible -- it just put mobile Chrome on iOS. Both iPad and iPhone users will get the app, either with incognito browsing, syncing and that unique tabbed browsing interface intact. The company hasn't said what's changed versus the Android build, but it's likely the main differences are matters of integration -- Apple's app rules won't let Google bring in its own WebKit rendering engine tweaks or change the default browser. Whether or not that switch is a dealbreaker, Chrome should be available later today in the App Store for those who want a break from the Safari norm. Check out our full coverage of Google I/O 2012's developer conference at our event hub! Update: No download just yet, but Google is teasing us with a video that you can find after the break. The iOS port shows up at the 43-second mark. Update 2: It's available! Hit the source link to get your copy.
Chrome tops 310 million users, almost 100% growth over last year
Last year at Google IO, the company was bragging that it had racked up 160 million Chrome users. Since then, that number has nearly doubled, with the company claiming 310 million active users. Those consumers download roughly 1TB of data per day and type about 60 billion words according to Mountain View's crack team of analysts. The company even claims that 13 years of time have been saved thanks to the magic of Chrome's speedy rendering engine. Check out our full coverage of Google I/O 2012's developer conference at our event hub!
Google teases Web Lab beta, an intersection of art, technology and the internet?
In case you didn't get enough Google I/O news today, the Chrome team has just let loose a video teasing the launch of Web Lab beta. We aren't exactly sure what the Mountain View crew is up to, but apparently, the Web Lab will be revealed through a series of experiments set to be launched later this summer. Apparently, the installations will make their debut at the London Science Museum, and from the video snippets we've seen, they'll leverage the web and some custom machinery to create works of art. You don't have to take our word for it, however, jus take a minute to see for yourself in the video after the break.
Google Chrome for Android comes out of beta, hits Play today
Sick of hearing about Google yet? Perhaps you're not. The search giant has unleashed one final bit, quietly announcing that Chrome for Android has finally emerged from its beta stage as a stable release. Version 18.0.1025123 has officially arrived in Google Play and is available for download now for devices running Ice Cream Sandwich. Updates from the beta appear to be modest, and include some minor user interface tweaks, along with stability and performance fixes -- the big news here is the official nod from Mountain View. If you've been holding out for a final release, the time has come to hit up Play -- get where you need to go by clicking through to our source link below.
Go Home Dinosaurs open beta live on Chrome Store
Go Home Dinosaurs entered open beta this week for Google Chrome users. The BBQ tower defense game has players fending off hungry dinos with their gopher troops, all within the comfort of their browser.Better yet, developer Fire Hose Games launched the beta for free. After all, free BBQ is the best kind of BBQ.
Firefox shows its curvy Australis tabs for upcoming unified version
Mozilla is busy sprucing up and unifying Firefox, and an oven-fresh test build will see how users feel about ditching square tabs. The new curved element will be part of a future multi-platform version codenamed Australis, and Mozilla threw the build up on the designer's blog, asking downloaders to comment on the new look. Active tabs will get the rounded corners, and those not in use will have no background, appearing as just text against the titlebar. If you've been eyeing Chrome's sleek chamfers enviously and want to scope the Fox's new curves, check the source for the link.
Forthcoming Chrome browser update to support Retina display on MacBook Pro
It might be a while before most apps are rewritten to take advantage of the new Retina display MacBook Pro, but Google isn't waiting. According to Anandtech, the nightly-build channel of Google's Chrome browser -- Chrome Canary -- already includes basic support for the 2880 x 1800 pixel display, rendering text and images much more sharply. Canary isn't "the next version" of Chrome, as some reports have it; it's the bleeding-edge development version that trades stability for new features. Of course, those lucky few who will be receiving their new MacBook Pros early next week have other options for apps that aren't Retina-happy. Apple's provided a number of scaling options that will allow users to view a variety of apps and sites in the best possible light. The regular build of Chrome will be Retina-happy pretty soon, though. Writing on the Google Chrome Blog, "Chief Apple Polisher" Nico Weber says that "We have further to go over the next few weeks, but we're off to the races to make Chrome as beautiful as it can be." There's a reason for that; despite the escalation in tensions between Apple and Google, a lot of Google employees use MacBooks. [via Electronista]
Google shows off high-res Chrome browser for Retina MacBooks, hitting Canary channel first
As we noted in our review, the downside of the super high DPI displays Apple is shipping in its latest MacBook Pro is that non-retina display friendly apps don't look so good, but Google's already working on changing that for its Chrome browser. In a blog post the team showed off the image above with a comparison on what the high res edition will look like compared to its current counterpart based on "early results." Users on the bleeding-edge Canary channel should see the upgrades first, with more rolling out over the next few weeks and eventually reaching wider audiences as they go along. Of course, if you couldn't wait to pre-order the absolute latest Mac hardware after it hit the stage at WWDC (and aren't diving headlong into the refreshed world of Safari), we're figuring jumping on a somewhat untested version of this popular browser is hardly out of the question.
