14 DAY TRIAL // The Google Chrome team has updated the dev channel with a new release of Google Chrome for Mac and Linux. The dev channel is now focused on bug fixes as well as a new defense for cross-site scripting attacks, according to the Google Chrome blog.
Chrome version 4.0.207.0 for Mac and Linux brings the following changes to the table, as far as all platforms are concerned: reflective XSS filter for better security against a common attack (“see the mailing list post for more information,” the development team says); fixed extraneous horizontal scrollbars in Gmail.
Mac-specific changes include tweaks to the Omnibox look; fix zoom (green maximize) button; adjust color spaces so that Mac Chrome renders colors properly; don't show favicons or throbbers for the New Tab page on the Mac; fix for an issue where uploading images with “Hide extension” set didn’t work.
On the Linux side, the team has added external protocol dialog and the ability to handle external protocols, e.g. mailto: links. Chrome 4.0.207.0 also fixes a crash when switching to a tab containing audio/video elements.
As far as extensions are concerned, developers have added an auto-update now button to the chrome://extensions page, while fixing a crash on Mac OS X when pressing “load unpacked extension” in the chrome://extensions page.
In related news, Softpedia has recently reported that Google is frustrated with the lack of awareness among those browsing the web on a regular basis. A Neowin report revealed last week that, by pre-installing future computers with Chrome, the search engine giant hoped that Internet users would begin to enjoy using its features and, implicitly, embrace it.
“Awareness is shockingly low,” Brain Rakowski told the Financial Times. “It's absolutely a problem that people don't know what a browser is, or how to evaluate one,” the Product Management Director for Chrome added. However, “It's not so important everyone uses Google Chrome, it's more important browser technology evolves as fast as it can.” Rakowski said.