So innovative…

Well, there is not much to say here, really, other than the fact that Google has published the very first screenshot of its Google Chrome Metro web browser and boy does it look bland.

According to Google, they started working on a Metro browser since March and the very first build (coming soon) will support some of the Windows 8 features, such as: charms and snap view.

In addition to that, the search giant will continue working on a user interface, so don’t lose your hopes yet.

If you are running the Windows 8 Release Preview, you will be able to give it a try shortly.

More fuel to the rumor’s fire.

It looks like Facebook management decided not to bother with the Google Chrome anymore as their latest “unsupported web browsers” page has since then removed the search giant’s web browser.

If you haven’t been living under a rock for the last few days, chances are, you’ve heard about the social giant’s plans to acquire Opera.

Well, guess what, Facebook now recommends Opera over the Google Chrome and yes, let the speculations begin.

Cached Google Page Shows Interesting Changes

Ultimately, it’s just an exciting number.

This is it, after months and months of waiting, the search giant has finally released the very first Beta build of the Google Chrome 20 web browser.

Although it is yet to include any new features, the earlier Google Chrome 20 Dev (Alpha) builds had a slightly wider new tab button, making it easier to users click on as well as other UI refinements, nothing too ground breaking so far.

If you are keen to test this build, please note that some users have reported performance issues with the 1080p videos while playing in a full screen mode, so be aware of that.

It looks like a fresh batch of the Internet Explorer TV ads and videos targeted at hipsters were not enough to accelerate the growth of Microsoft’s web browser, at least in a short term.

According to the latest report from StatCounter, Google Chrome has recently surpassed the IE and became the most popular web browser.

However, earlier this year, Microsoft has stated that they prefer HitsLink over the StatCounter, which, of course, still shows IE dominating the market with 50% vs. 17.41% respectively. Personally, we find it strange that there is such a difference between statistics.

Example:

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Still, with the launch of Windows 8, Windows RT and Windows Phone 8, we expect to see the Internet Explorer trend reversing in the near feature. Do you?

Chrome: Our favorite alternative search engine, DuckDuckGo, has a cool feature called "zero click info" that gives you Wikipedia articles, Yelp pages, and more at the top of relevant searches. Now, their Zero-Click Info Chrome extension will put those relevant links at the top of your Google search results, so you don't have to sift through results to find what you're looking for. More »

Chrome: One of the best features in the search engine DuckDuckGo is the instant answers shown at the top of the results page. If you find yourself more attached to Google for web searches, but want the instant answer feature, DuckDuckGo Zero-Click Info is a Chrome extension that stuffs those results right in your Google searches.More »

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Brings tab syncing and bug fixes.

After the six week release cycle of Firefox, it looks like Google has decided to slow down a bit and has announced the stable build Google Chrome 19 seven weeks after the previous release.

Keeping new features to a minimal level, the following version includes a one nice feature, which will allow you so synchronize tabs across a variety of different devices, from your PC to a cell phone.

In addition to that, Google Chrome 19 includes a healthy amount of security related fixes and that’s about it.

Google Chrome 19 Stable Changelog

What timing. I posted my iPad for sale on Craigslist over the weekend -- and two people are jockeying to get ahead of the other to buy it today. But I'm suddenly unsure about selling, after seeing a Macquarie Capital report claiming that Chrome will come to iOS as early as this quarter. Hot damn!

I rarely make decisions based on rumors, nor should you. Besides, the "timing is unclear, but it could be as soon as Q2 and is very likely to be a 2012 event", according to Macquarie Capital. "Could" be this quarter and "likely" this year stink of pure speculation -- or big back door should there be no Chrome for iOS this year. In the end, I'll likely sell the iPad, but must convey this: Chrome would be a very good reason to buy an iOS device but be akin to Google cutting off one limb to save another.

Shine That Tablet's Chrome

Yesterday, Ian Betteridge and I bantered back and forth about Chrome and iOS on Google Plus. He called Google services on Apple devices a "pretty good experience", to which I responded: "I would agree about the Google ecosystem with iPhone (and iPad) if Chrome was option. That's the deal breaker for me, sadly. I'm seriously thinking about selling my iPad, for that reason -- and another: Galaxy Nexus is tablet enough for me, so far".

As expressed last week, "You can have iPhone 4S, I'll take Galaxy Nexus". But there's more. I find the Google and Samsung branded smartphone good enough replacement for my iPad, too. Chrome for Android is one reason, Galaxy Nexus' super sharp, 4.65-inch, 1280 x 800 resolution screen is the other. Repeating a sentiment from my Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ review: I'd by the phone just for Chrome, which currently is only available for Android 4 "Ice Cream Sandwich", in beta.

Presumably, Chrome would be available for the newest iOS version, which means broader distribution than Android, since Apple doesn't have the same fragmentation problem. Based on number of devices accessing Google Play during the previous 14 days, Ice Cream Sandwich accounted for just 4.9 percent of the Android install base on May 1. Chrome has limited reach at best on Android, while distribution could be enormous on iOS, assuming people using the browser on the desktop go mobile, too. There, Chrome is third-most used browser and closes on Firefox, according to Net Applications.

Chrome is a huge improvement over the stock Android browser. It's fast and flows, but sync capabilities, which include active tabs on the desktop, really stand out. Last week's huge Google+ for iPhone update shows that the search and information giant can deliver exceptional user experiences on iOS. Why shouldn't Chrome be same?

A TACtical Decision

The problem: Chrome for iOS, particularly iPad, removes an important reason to choose Android tablets over Apple's. Google gains in one area, while giving up somewhere else. If Google offered Chrome for iOS right now, I'd keep my iPad. How many other people considering Apple's tablet would choose it over an Android because of Chrome? You can help answer that question by taking our poll.

In April, with considerably smaller install base, iPad took decisive mobile browser usage share lead from iPhone, according to NetApps. More broadly, in the mobile device category, Safari has 63.84 percent usage share, compared to 18.87 percent for Chrome. Google's browser could make usage share leaps competing alongside Safari on iOS devices. The cloud-connected device era is all about mobile. Google should want Chrome on market-leading devices like iPad.

Then there are traffic acquisitions costs, which eat into Google search margins. Macquarie Capital: "If GOOG gains market share, it could reduce our estimate for Google.com TAC meaningfully". Google pays Apple to compete with Android -- and Chrome, for that matter -- via Safari's search bar. Google's TAC goes down when people use Chrome.

Something else: Google services have a cloudy future on Apple devices. There already are rumors Apple will ditch Google Maps for a home-grown option in iOS 6. I expect to see a Siri search service someday replace Google. Chrome for iOS would be an important anchor for Google services as Apple offers more of its own from the cloud.

Even then, Chrome faces hurdles placed by Apple. Based on the browsers currently available for iOS, Safari is default for mail and other services. So Chrome would be at disadvantage, as long as Apple only allows Safari to be default. However, surely Chrome could be default for Google services -- gulp, right?

From that viewpoint, Chrome will always be better on Android. That said, Chrome on iOS ought to be pretty good, and if Google is going to feed the hand that bites it, better to extend existing services rather than pay TAC to Apple.

My question for you: Would you use Chrome over Safari on iPad or iPhone? Please answer the question below and take our poll above.

Gmail is Google's golden child, but it isn't perfect. It's full of numerous user interface elements you don't necessarily want or need and there's no way to turn them off. Gmelius offers you a way out of ads, the people bar, and more while also making Gmail easier to navigate. It's a great extension, it's free, and can dramatically improve your experience in less than a minute. More »

Chrome: Most of you use RSS regularly, but also note it's pretty annoying to stumble on an RSS feed that truncates the article for the sole purpose of getting you to click the link and leave your RSS reader. We feel your pain, and Google Reader Inline is a Chrome Extension that lets you read the full article without leaving Google Reader to do it. More »

Continuing battle across a variety of different fronts, the search giant has issued an update for its Google Chrome web browser.

Still available for the Android Ice Cream Sandwich users only, the following Beta release brings a couple of welcome changes, including:

- Ability to view the desktop version of a website
- Ability to add bookmarks as shortcuts to the home screen for a quick and easy access

In addition to that, Google Chrome Beta for Android is now available in 31 more languages, which is a welcome change for those, who are eager to try it.

Soon to release Google Chrome 20.

With the recent announcement of Google Chrome 18 Stable, the search giant has also revealed its plans for the upcoming build. Turns out, Google Chrome 19 will allow users to access their tabs from a variety of different devices.

How does it work?

Once you sign in to Chrome with your email address, click on the “Other devices” menu and you should see something like this, which is self-explanatory:

It’s hard to say how popular Chrome OS, Google’s browser-centric operating system, really is. There can be little doubt, though, that Google is quite serious about this initiative. Today, Google launched the latest developer version of Chrome OS and this update sports the first major redesign of the operation system’s interface since its launch in late 2010.

In this new version, Chrome OS almost looks like a traditional OS, with a full-blown desktop and window manager instead of just a browser and tabs. Aura, as this hardware-accelerated window manager is known, is Chrome’s next generation user interface framework and it is making its public debut in this new developer version of Chrome OS.

This update is quite a departure from Chrome OS’s origins. Until now, Chrome OS basically just gave users access to a single browser window at a time (you could already have multiple browser windows open on separate virtual screens) and launching new apps meant you first had to open a new tab and then look for the app you wanted to start. Now, Chrome OS features a Launchpad-like app launcher, as well as a Windows-like taskbar (Google calls it a “shelf”). Apps, it is worth noting, still start in a browser tab and not as stand-alone windows, though.

In short, Chrome OS now looks and behaves a lot more like the desktop operating systems it set out to challenge.

In a way, this almost feels as if Google is admitting defeat here. When Chrome OS launched, Google’s Sergey Brin argued that traditional PC operating systems were “torturing users.” Chrome OS was supposed to be all about “speed, simplicity and security” and Google wanted to use it to “re-think what operating systems should be.” This new version, however, does away with a bit of this simplicity in favor of greater functionality. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though, and may just help Chrome OS gain more mainstream acceptance as new users will surely find it to be a more familiar experience.

While Aura is obviously the star of this update, it’s worth noting that the latest version also introduces support for files compressed in the tar, gz and bzip2 formats, as well as better support for multi-monitor setups.

Your dreams come true with Google Chrome.

If you always wanted to use a stylus or even a joystick to steer your web experience, now you can as the latest Google Chrome release includes a support for two mice or any other devices that can be plugged to your computer.

Thanks to a new multitasking feature, two users can surf the web at the same time and on the same computer. If that doesn’t sound too exciting, you can always play a video game while pretending to do something productive.

You can download Google Chrome Multitask Mode from the following web site and yes, it was April fools joke, the most useless day in all year.

The latest stable build of Google Chrome is here.

Continuing its release cycle, the search giant has pushed the version 18 to its stable channel. While there is nothing too exciting in terms of features, Google Chrome 18 does include some performance improvements.

Thanks to GPU accelerated Canvas2D, gaming and various web applications will be smoother than ever while users with older PCs will now be able to the basic 3D content due to a software backed WebGL implementation.

As always, for even more details, security and other fixes, check the following posts.

It’s no secret that Google has been aggressively pushing its Google Chrome web browser across a variety of its services and partner’s web sites.

Now, Neowin reports that the search giant has decided to spice the things up and advertise on Microsoft’s search engine as well.

Once user types phrases to download different web browsers, such as, “get firefox”, the following ad will appear:

While it’s nothing spectacular, once you combine all the advertising campaigns, one can only wonder how many millions of dollars Google is actually putting into the Google Chrome promotion, but hey, at least its working.

Although there are tons of awesome Chrome themes available in the Chrome Web Store, perhaps you want a more personalized look for your browser. My Chrome Theme is one of the simplest tools to customize Chrome's appearance, such as the background image and tab colors. More »

For one day only.

Just after Microsoft’s post about the inaccurate market share reports from StatCounter, the company behind one of the most popular monitoring sites has published a report of their own.

However, it has nothing to do with the HitsLink vs. StatCounter, in fact what they did is revealed that Microsoft’s Internet Explorer has been overtaken by Google Chrome for the first time in history on Sunday 18 March.

While IE remains the number one web browser as of today, Aodhan Cullen, CEO of web Statcounter said that Google Chrome usage peaks over the weekends when people don’t work and can freely choose what web browser to use.

With the upcoming release of Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 and Xbox Next, which might have IE pre-installed, it will be interesting to see how IE’s market share changes over the course of next year.

Chrome: Select Search is a Chrome Extension that pops up a ballon with a number of search engines when you select a block of text. When you double-click on a word or phrase you can quickly pop open a search in Google, YouTube, Wikipedia, Binsearch, and others.More »