Google includes “lots of under the hood changes for stability and performance”

Feb 28, 2014 08:07 GMT  ·  By

A brand new Beta version of the Chrome web browser is available from Google today, featuring the exciting hands-free Google Voice Search and a number of other improvements and new features that make this release truly exciting for all users on Mac, Windows, and Linux.

The announcement is made by Daniel Xie, one of Google’s Chrome Release announcers who writes, “The Chrome Team is happy to announce the promotion of Chrome 34 to the beta channel.”

Windows and Mac OS X customers are getting version 34.0.1847.11, whereas Linux users are being handed build 34.0.1847.14, all labeled as Beta.

Chrome 34.0 Beta is a truly exciting release. Promoted to the new channel just hours ago, the web browser used by tens of millions worldwide contains many new features and improvements, including hands-free Google Voice Search.

Ji Adam Dou, software engineer and search whisperer, explains the feature on Google’s official Chrome Blog.

“If you've ever tried to cook and search at the same time—say, when your hands are covered in flour and you need to know how many ounces are in a cup—you know it can be tricky.”

“With the latest Chrome Beta, you can search by voice on Google—no typing, clicking or hand-washing required. Simply open a new tab or visit Google.com in Chrome, say ‘Ok Google,’ and then start speaking your search.”

How Voice Search looks in Chrome
How Voice Search looks in Chrome

Dou gives users a few examples to get everyone started. To perform a simple search, you can say something like “Ok Google, how many ounces are in a cup?” To set a timer for your stove, tell the browser “Ok Google, set a timer for 30 minutes.”

Dou also shows you how to create a reminder for Google Now, and other cool stuff.

The Voice Search feature is rolling out to English (U.S.) users on Windows, Mac, and Linux “over the next few days,” according to the announcement, so don’t expect it to work instantly. Support for additional languages and Chrome OS is coming soon.

To learn more about Voice Search in Chrome, including how to enable it, customers are directed to the Help Center.

Chrome 34 beta includes additional changes and tweaks, such as responsive Images and Unprefixed Web Audio, the ability to import supervised users onto new computers, new apps/extension APIs, and “lots of under the hood changes for stability and performance,” according to the search giant.

Download Google Chrome 34.0.1847.11 Beta for Mac OS X

Download Google Chrome 34.0.1847.11 Beta for Windows

Download Google Chrome 34.0.1847.11 Beta for Linux

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How to use Voice Search
How Voice Search looks in Chrome
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