Google releases first Chrome 7 beta

The Google Chrome development team has released Chrome 7.0.517.24, the first beta of version 7 of the company's WebKit-based web browser. Formerly only available in the Chrome developer channel (a.k.a. the Dev channel), the first Chrome 7 beta resolves a number of bugs that lead to crashes in the Dev channel release and introduces several changes and new features.

Aimed at developers and early adopters, version 7.0.517.24 of Chrome features default support for WebGL 3D graphics technology and built-in support for Google Instant, the company's new search enhancement that provides live updated search results as users input their queries. Other changes include web apps being enabled by default and hardware acceleration support for some CSS transformations.

Discussing the announcement, Chrome Program Manager Anthony Laforge said, "A lot of the work that's being done in 7.0 is largely not user facing and in some cases is a legitimate work in progress," adding that, "With our new release cycle ...... I'd suggest you stay tuned, things are going to start moving quite fast."

As with all development releases, use in production environments and on mission critical systems is not advised. Users testing the release are encouraged to provide feedback and report any bugs that they encounter.

Chrome 7.0.517.24 is available to download for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. Current beta channel users can use the built-in update function by clicking Tools, selecting About Google Chrome and clicking the Update button.

See also:

• Google Chrome turns version 6 on its second birthday, a report from The H.

(crve)