Google Chrome to get 3D graphics boost

Google has started work on integrating its O3D plug-in for hardware accelerated 3D graphics support into its Chrome web browser. According to a post on the Chromium developer mailing list by Senior Software Engineer Greg Spencer, the O3D developers are currently working on building the plug-in into the latest build of Chromium, the open source base on which Google's WebKit-based Chrome web browser is built. The addition of the 3D hardware acceleration plug-in will allow developers to create more advanced, full-featured web-based games and applications.

The news is even more compelling considering that Google recently announced that it would be launching a Chrome Operating System later this year. It will reportedly be a simple, lightweight architecture based around a Linux kernel running the Chrome web browser. With 3D hardware support, Google is positioning its browser to handle more robust and desktop-like applications, allowing it to replace conventional programs, such as Microsoft Office.

See also:

• Courgette algorithm reduces Chrome update size, a report from The H.
• Mozilla CEO: The browser has a long way to go, a feature from The H.
• Google Chrome 2.0 released, a report from The H.

(crve)