GoogleChrome10
Chrome updated with faster JavaScript engine, tabbed settings and password sync
Last month's beta version of Chrome has become the new stable build, bringing a large JavaScript performance improvement to hundreds of millions of Chrome users. While it's a bit meaningless at this stage, this means the stable channel is now version 10, which first appeared at the end of 2010.
The main addition to this version is Crankshaft, a new version of the V8 JavaScript engine that results in 66% faster JavaScript performance -- as measured by Google's own V8 benchmark, anyway. Amongst other changes is the new-look tabbed settings page, sandboxed Adobe Flash for better security, and passwords are now synced with Chrome Sync. For complete release notes, check the Google Chrome Releases blog.
To update to the latest stable version of Chrome, simply close your browser and re-open it -- the update should be applied automatically. Alternatively, click the wrench icon and then About Google Chrome, which will check for the the latest update.
Google Chrome 10 comes bundled with HTML5 games
The two games are Poppit and Entanglement, and if you're running the Dev channel, by now you should have noticed them in your New Tab page. They just showed up there, without any prior notice or you having to do anything. What's next Google, a McAfee trial version with Chrome 11? Although unlike pesky anti-virus trials, the two games can easily be uninstalled if you so wish.
But since they're there, perhaps you should give them a try. They are supposedly HTML5-heavy, so besides being worthy time-wasters, they might also serve as useful showcases of what can be accomplished with the next generation of Web technologies. Or not. Your call.