The Chrome Dev Channel has been updated with a new version of Chrome for Mac OS X. Orit Mazor, Google Chrome technical program manager, reveals that version 4.0.229.1 is Mac OS X-only and includes a number of UI improvements.

Although labeled as a Mac-specific release, the blog update does mention a couple of all-platform changes, which include the “use [of] new renderer process for cross-site links with rel=noreferrer and target=_blank”, and the fact that video/audio tags now support data:// protocol. The complete list of Mac-only changes is available below.

- Show “Loading” bubble while loading a theme;
- Various keyboard handling fixes;
- Do not send some keyboard shortcuts to the renderers; e.g. cmd-w, cmd-t, ctrl-tab;
- “Copy image” now works;
- Cmd-clicking back button now opens history page in new background tab;
- If auto-update happens, About box now says “update is available” and “restart needed for latest version;”
- Form resubmission warning dialog implemented;
- Use Helvetica rather than Arial for several things.

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 said in a statement.

Download Google Chrome for Mac OS X (Free)