If it isn’t a word, it ought to be. Google has announced yet another Googlevention!
Finally, Google wants to get into the browser business. They’ve grown tired of Internet Explorer and Mozilla FireFox dominating the browser market and want a piece of the action and more of the electronic universe. Enter Chrome.
Chrome, in beta version, was released to the public for download this past Tuesday. Already, the browser has caused quite a stir, both good and bad. The open source browser is very simplistic, with a browser window that is clean and straightforward. Under the hood, the browser is quite different from its competitors. The tab-based browser keeps each tab isolated as a separate process, preventing one tab from crashing another. Chrome can also import a user’s settings from Internet Explorer or FireFox. This makes migration to the new browser less painful.
On the other side, Chrome has its problems and its detractors. Only a few hours after its release, a number of security vulnerabilities were discovered. For you propeller heads, the Chrome user-agent identifies itself as Webkit 525.13 (Safari 3.1), which is an older and vulnerable version. Additionally, Chrome is currently only available for Windows-based systems, with Mac and Linux versions in development. Also, there appears to be an issue with the License Agreement and that the data Chrome collects may not be “private” and may be made “available to other companies, organizations or individuals with whom Google has relationships,” just like Google Search. This should raise a red flag for attorneys, especially if you use your Internet browser to create privileged materials. Google has hardly been a champion in the privacy arena.
Keep in mind when “surfing with the Chrome”, that the browser is in beta. It’s in beta (a) to determine the demand for the browser and (b) to identify and resolve any bugs. The final product should be much better as feedback rolls in. Google made it big with GoogleDocs, Gmail and Google Search. It looks like Google feels it has a “manifest destiny.” And so the empire expands.
To download Google Chrome visit the web site at www.google.com/chrome, but perhaps you should wait for the patched version first.
- John and Mike
(703) 359-0700
digitalsamurai@senseient.com
www.senseient.com
