Category: Chrome

Chrome Labs : Chrome Instant

Chrome Version 7.0.529.0 canary build has the Labs feature “Instant” which Makes the address bar load urls as you type.

Update: about:labs has moved to about:flags in Chrome

image

After Google Instant, Youtube Instant, iTunes instant, now Chrome Instant is ready.

image

For the sites, that you have visited already, you will see the sites directly loading, before you press enter (after typing the url).

image

If you want to try this, Download and install Chrome’s Canary build (auto updated every week).

Disclaimer: Google Chrome Labs is a testing ground for experimental features that aren’t quite ready for primetime. They may change, break or disappear at any time.

Chrome Labs : Browser options in a tab

Google Chrome has a labs tab (about:labs), where Chrome developers test few Labs features. One of those is Side tabs. I don’t prefer to use Side tabs. Not sure if this will be promoted in Chrome.

image

The newest labs feature is Tabbed options (chrome://options), which is available now in Canary Build (Download), that brings the Browser options in a tab and makes it easier to configure the browser. (By default, Chrome opens a popup window with the options, just like any other browser).

image

If you want to try this, Download and install Chrome’s Canary build (auto updated every week). You can install this version of Chrome in addition to the version you are already using. Once you install, type about:labs in the address bar, to choose the labs features you want to use. Labs feature is also available on Chrome Version 7 and above.

Chrome asks you to choose a Search engine

In the latest version of Chrome (6.0.472.0), just after the installation completes, you will be asked to Choose the search engine to be used in the Omnibox.

ie, Google / Yahoo / Bing ?

Remember, even the very old versions of Chrome, had an option to change the default Search engine for the Omnibox, but in this version, you will be asked in the very first time of using Chrome. Only that is the difference.

Choose a Search engine

I am stilling facing problems with Chrome in Windows Vista. It is often crashing. Whoa !!

Google Chrome’s improved popup blocker

I noticed something new in the Google Chrome’s address bar, which is the new pop-up blocker icon.

Chrome pop up blocker

Just click on the icon in the address bar (window with a red X) to see the popups blocked, and to control the pop-up blocking for the particular site.

I believe this version is now available only in Chrome’s dev channel.

Opera 10.5 is the most reliable browser – says Google

Sputnik is a new tool from Google labs, a JavaScript conformance test suite, a comprehensive set of more than 5000 tests. (from Chromium Blog).

It can test your browser and will let you know the number of failures (among 5000 test cases).

Opera 10.5 wins the test with just 78 failures (in 5000 test cases).
Safari 4 comes next with 159 failures, Chrome 4 : 218, Firefox 3.6: 259 failures and Internet Explorer 8: 463 failures.

Learn more:
Sputnik project
Sputnik test runner – test your browser yourself
Official announcement

Google Chrome comes with Google Translate by default

If you are using Google Chrome browser, you need not look for a translate option in the website you are trying to read.

You don’t even need to use Google Translate extension for Chrome.

Chrome comes with an In-Build translation feature which automatically identifies the language of the webpage, and offers translation.

Try translating, and let me know how this works for you.

Learn more