14 DAY TRIAL // This week's Google Chrome dev channel update includes numerous bug fixes, according to the team of developers behind the browser. Version 4.0.222.5 is immediately available for free download and includes fixes for bookmark bar-resize issues, support for OS X's url handlers, and making the content area a drop target for dragging images, to name a few changes.
According to the release notes, Mac OS X-specific changes also include: enable "Edit Search Engines" in Omnibox context menu; make cmd-left/right and backspace/shift-backspace navigate history if the focus is not in a text box; fix for numerous theming bugs; status bubble now fades in and out after a delay; key equivalents sent to renderer: Cmd-s etc. should now work on e.g. google docs; Chrome's and Safari's ideas of "default browser" now agree.
A few known issues are listed for the Mac version of the web browser, including: trackpad scroll events are passed to windows behind the chrome window; Cmd-` doesn't work when tab contents are focused; Chrome for Mac thinks its name is Google Chrome Helper; cannot "edit" or "add" bookmarks via bookmark contextual menu.
In addition to developing the Chrome web browser, Google is also working hard on an operating system bearing the Chrome label. Chrome OS will feature key aspects like speed, simplicity and security, according to Sundar Pichai, vice president of product management at Google.
"We're designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds. The user interface is minimal to stay out of your way, and most of the user experience takes place on the web. And as we did for the Google Chrome browser, we are going back to the basics and completely redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don't have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates. It should just work," Pichai says in a statement.
WARNING: This release is not appropriate for general-consumer use. Several features, such as bookmarks, password import and certain privacy features, are unavailable at this time. DOWNLOAD THIS only if you are a developer or take great pleasure in incomplete, unpredictable, and potentially crashing software.