If you're into getting the latest, greatest, most-untested updates to Google's Chrome Browser, the developer channel is the place for you. New updates to Chrome on all platforms just hit the dev channel, with a bug fix that should solve some problems with HTML5 audio and video. The big news is just for Mac users, though: Chrome Extension support is here!

That means OS X users now can share in the epic winningness of Download Squad's 10 must-have Chrome extensions, compiled by our own Sebastian, and a collection of 15+ extensions put together by Lee. Or, if you prefer to find extensions on your own, head over to Google's Chrome Extensions Gallery and start browsing. 

Sure, Chrome OS has been all over the headlines since early December. But it might not run on your hardware and you're going to have to wait at least a year for the final version. Why bother waiting?

Linux enthusiasts have been working on projects like this for years - fast booting, stripped-down distributions which offer the core functionality most users are looking for in a pinch: web browsing, music and video playback, photo management, and some basic games. 

Here are 11 options you can take for a spin right now...And since the Google Chrome beta version is available for Linux you can even run the browser that "is the OS" in most of these if you want!

 

The Mac version of Google's Chrome browser, although not yet officially released by Google, is getting nightly builds in the form of Chromium. As Chromium adds more features that are already available in the Windows version of the Chrome, it makes that it would also get its own portable version. Like Portable Google Chrome for Windows, which we've reported on in the past, Portable Google Chrome for Mac is a version of the browser that you can load up from a USB key.

The portable version of Chromium loads from a ChromeLoader app that makes sure your settings save on your portable media, so you can take them with you anywhere. It's a good time to try Chromium, since important features like Flash, popup blocking and full screen mode have been implemented over the past couple of weeks. The developer's blog is in German, so you may find it helpful to try this version, via Google Translate.