Google releases version 49 to its popular web browser Chrome. The update marks a very different treatment if compared to its previous updates, mainly because the changes that were being worked out since October 2015, were only approved recently.
The most striking change for Chrome in the version 49 is straightly visible. When users fire up the browser, the right-hand side of the browser places extensions changes dramatically. On previous versions, what was once placed inside the URL bar has now been shifted to the toolbar instead. This is for Chrome to place a big string of icons in the upper-right corner of the browser.
At first, this gives the new looks a clunky appeal. The more the number of extensions a user has installed on the browser, the more congested it looks.
This notable change is to Google's announcement that emphasis security. Chrome's new look on the right-hand top bar allows users to know about all the extensions they've had installed. This is in order to protect users from PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs) which can hide their presence while performing some malicious tasks behind the scene.
"The reason for this is to protect our users. We've heard too frequently that many users are unaware of the extensions they have installed, whether this is due to sideloading, installation by phishing, or simply the user forgetting how many and which are installed," said Google's Devlin Cronin. "Unfortunately, extensions consume computing resources, and may have significant security, privacy, and performance impacts. Because of this, we've decided we need to increase user visibility."
The change allows users to pay good attention to their toolbar, and to see which extensions they have has impact to the page their on. Like for example a YouTube extension should be grayed out when they're browsing on pictures on the web, but will light back up when the user visits YouTube.
At first, the lack of space in the URL bar didn't permit users to display all of their extensions. But with the new update, Google allows them to do so. If a user dislikes the new look, they can simply right-click the extension to choose "Hide in Chrome Menu", to put it out of sight.
"Displaying the action persistently, even in the cases of a previously hidden page action or an extension with no action, is necessary because the presence of an action doesn't always correlate with the extension acting," Cronin continued. "We also can't show the action conditionally on, e.g., a per-tab basis, because there are many actions that are not correlated with any tab. In order to ensure users are aware of the extensions they have installed that could be affecting their browser, we need to ensure each extension is visible."
Bug Fixes And More
Google's Chrome 49 is rolling out to Mac, Windows, and Linux. And beside the new looks, it also contains the usual bug and security fixes. On this version, it includes 26 security fixes contributed by external researches and internal teams.
Version 49 also fixed vulnerabilities issues in the V8 engine. Moreover, the update also adds more developer APIs than user facing features, and made a 91 percent support for a major update for JavaScript to allow them to write code that is more powerful and memory efficient. A new MediaRecorder API also allows sites to record audio and video without the need of another plugin, like Flash.
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While how the browser works is similar to its previous versions, version 49 allows websites to send a lighter version of a web page by checking if the user has turned on the new Save-Data header. The new Background Sync API allows sites to schedule a sync the next time an internet connection is available, even if the user has closed the page.
Google also has added smooth scrolling. While this may not be noticeable to new users, Chrome fans should. The new feature that is enabled by default, will give a smoother scrolling experience when using the mouse wheel.
Historically, Chrome has smooth scrolling enabled in some places. But somehow this feature is not pleasing users using the mouse wheel. The jittery feel of the scrolling behavior was not aesthetically pleasing. In version 49, Google added the solution as a native.
Previously, to initiate smooth scroll behavior on websites, many developers have to use libraries. On websites that aren't having smooth scrolling, users can also have that pleasing visual by using both libraries and extensions. But up to this time, the feel isn't the same from one page to another.
The reason for this is much to many. One website may have smooth scroll behavior while others may not, so users can end up with a disoriented feeling. Then the library's smoothness physics may not be same, and compatible to the system or the platform the user is using.
As an added problem for users, visiting smooth scroll enabled websites won't be pleasing if the pages have too much scripts running. These scripts will put heavier load on both the browser and the users' system. As for developers, the more script they have to install to enable such feature, the more they need to maintain them and update them. While this could be a chore, the website itself will also becomes more heavier to load.
Websites that have other libraries which depend on scroll behavior such as parallax-enabled websites and other scroll-coupled animations, will also occasionally trigger that jittery effect that can damage user experience.
Because scrolling is one of the core interaction of the web, Chrome 49 by default is eliminating this "stepped" scrolling feeling without having developers to change their website's code or users to install any additional extensions to permit such experience.