The New Google Chrome

[Soultrader 12]

Anyone try the new Google Chrome web browser?

 

Download it here: http://www.google.com/chrome/index.html?hl=en&brand=CHMG&utm_source=en-hpp&utm_medium=hpp&utm_campaign=en

 

The browser is fast and simple. I prefer it over IE but may take some time before I drop Firefox.

[Kiwi 16]

Its faster. Pleasingly so.

 

But.

 

Less minimalist that Firefox with Tiny Menu.

All those ugly adverts without Adblock Plus.

And where are removetabs and my British English Dictionary?

 

 

An interesting addition to the browsers but I'll never switch without Adblock Plus.

[Soultrader 12]

Hi Kiwi,

 

There is a paper image at the top right of the browser. This allows a browser to be set in secret mode. I find this pretty cool especially for the office lurkers

[Kiwi 16]

I think IE 8 has something very similar --- I'd want to keep it away from my kids!

 

Interesting how both IE and GE have moved to help people conceal their actions from others but neither (yet) has anything as good as Adblock Plus. I might just be cynical of course. I am looking forward to Chrome's open source development if it starts to pick up the following of FF though - good to have some non-ie competition.

 

I thought I'd research it:

 

From adblockplus.org

 

"Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 7:28 pm Post subject: Porting request: Google Chrome

Hi,

 

Today Google has released great browser - Google Chrome. But when I've tried to surf the web, I saw lots of ads! Just because there's no adBlockPlus for Chrome.

 

My suggestion is to port adBlockPlus to Google Chrome. Lots of users all over the world will be very grateful when it will be done."

 

"Chrome is based on webkit, so this isn't going to happen easily just like that.

 

Sorry for being an a--hole but I have to disagree. I hope wladimir sticks to gecko browsers and dedicate his valuable/limited time for those only."

 

"I feel that looking to port an adblocker that blocks ads and tracking to a web browser made by a company that serves ads and tracks people may not be possible

 

Google's tracking will be totally unstoppable as you will have given them 'the key to the door' by installing a piece of software that you will use to browse the entire web. Also consider your online business and purchases .. and any other webmail you may use .... etc, etc

 

Can anyone say "Goodbye privacy"?

 

No thanks. I'll stick with Firefox."

 

"If this won't happen in the next few months, looks like I will have to spend my valuable/limited time to port it"

 

and then from the guy who offered to port it:

 

"Currently Chrome cannot be extended by 3rd parties:

 

Quote:

mbelshe@chromium.org

 

Right now, there is no extensions mechanism. This is obviously a

Chrome weakness, but one which will be addressed soon.

Mike

 

 

Quote from http://groups.google.com/group/chromium-dev/browse_thread/thread/e19faa5eb095f737

 

So until Google will publish new extendable version of Chrome we can't do anything about it."

 

 

 

and "Just as I thought ... be sure to read Chrome's fine print"

 

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10030522-2.html

 

"By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any content which you submit, post or display on or through, the services. This license is for the sole purpose of enabling Google to display, distribute and promote the services and may be revoked for certain services as defined in the additional terms of those services."

 

 

"Some of the services are supported by advertising revenue and may display advertisements and promotions. These advertisements may be targeted to the content of information stored on the services, queries made through the services or other information.

The manner, mode and extent of advertising by Google on the services are subject to change without specific notice to you."

 

 

Damn! I guess I am a Firefox lover for good.

Edited September 3, 2008 by Kiwi

[Soultrader 12]

Damn... thanks for the info Kiwi. There are some good points there. Google browser does concern me a bit regarding privacy (I have been using it all day!)

 

Better stick to Firefox till further notice? :hmmmm:

[BlowFish 10]

Firefox 3 is great I love the 'awesome bar' and the 'tagging' of bookmarks. (that might change the way I think about bookmarks).

 

FF3 is less resource hungry than 2 but I probably still have have room in my box of tricks for a quick lite browser. I tried K-Meleon and to be honest hardly use it. Might be worth giving this ago, maybe I don't really have a need for a lite browser after all.

[Kiwi 16]

It was pointed out on another board that you can download the compiled OS browser without some of googles stuff ... so maybe the security stuff risks of big google can be overcome by using an open compilation:

 

http://www.winmatrix.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=19868

[Kiwi 16]

It also seems that Google are now aware that their wording is unacceptable and suspicious:

 

 

The security "draconian rights" issue with chrome may be about to disappear:

 

“In order to keep things simple for our users, we try to use the same set of legal terms (our Universal Terms of Service) for many of our products. Sometimes, as in the case of Google Chrome, this means that the legal terms for a specific product may include terms that don’t apply well to the use of that product. We are working quickly to remove language from Section 11 of the current Google Chrome terms of service. This change will apply retroactively to all users who have downloaded Google Chrome.”

 

So, assuming boilerplate 2 is ok its only a matter of an Adblock plus port and this could be an excellent browser.

[BlowFish 10]

I seem to have it in my head they (google) had a similar (but less draconian clause) with Gmail. I also seem to remember you could opt out if you could find the appropriate page. I don't think there is anything sinister going on, its all about targeted advertising.

 

In the UK BT have just conducted a trial with a company whose name escapes me, that monitors all browsing at the ISP level with a view to targeting advertising.

 

Personally I don't mind well targeted advertising too much provided its simple to ignore.

[micro 10]

In the UK BT have just conducted a trial with a company whose name escapes me, that monitors all browsing at the ISP level with a view to targeting advertising.

 

http://www.phorm.com/

[Kiwi 16]

An interesting change (perhaps promoted by Chrome) is that Firefox has really sped up its javascript handling in the latest betas.

 

I'm using the nightly releases (live dangerously) and they have become really fast to render complex javascript containing pages. Surprisingly so. The reason is apparently something called TraceMonkey:

 

" About TraceMonkey

 

TraceMonkey adds native code compilation to Mozilla’s JavaScript engine (known as SpiderMonkey). It is based on a technique developed at UC Irvine called “trace trees“, and building on code and ideas shared with the Tamarin Tracing project. The net result is a massive speed increase both in the browser chrome and web page content.

 

Playing with TraceMonkey

 

TraceMonkey is currently available and enabled by default for testing in nightly builds. If you want to modify the types of JavaScript that are executed using TraceMonkey: "

Edited November 1, 2008 by Kiwi