14 DAY TRIAL // Google has just released Chrome 81 on all supported platforms, including Linux, Windows, and Mac.
The new version is 81.0.4044.92, and it includes several notable improvements, including support for the Web NFC API, which means that web apps can finally use the built-in NFC.
In other words, if your device is bundled with an NFC, web apps can use it though Google Chrome, either for data transfer or for other implementations.
Google says it has resolves a total of 32 security vulnerabilities with this release, with the company once again paying thousands of dollars in bounties to researchers who reported the flaws.
There are three security vulnerabilities flagged with a high severity rating: two use after free (one in extensions and another one in audio) and out of bounds read bug in WebSQL.
Google Chrome 82 to be skipped
Chrome 81 is the first new version that arrives as part of Google’s update scheduled during the coronavirus pandemic, with the search giant planning to skip version 82 completely.
Google announced recently that it would move to Chrome 83 directly, with the release to take place in mid-May, some two weeks earlier that originally planned.
“M83 will be released three weeks earlier than previously planned and will include all M82 work as we cancelled the M82 release (all channels). Our Canary, Dev and Beta channels have or will resume this week, with M83 moving to Dev, and M81 continuing in Beta,” Google said.
Other Chromium-based browser developers have also aligned with this schedule, including Microsoft. A new stable version of Microsoft Edge is expected any day now, while the next major release will be skipped, with Edge 83 then projected to land in mid-May just after Google releases Chrome 83 for all platforms.