Google adds extensions, APIs to Chrome


26 Jan 2010

Google has released a “stable” version of its Chrome web browser with extensions including a news reader and Gmail checker, as well as more resources for Chrome developers.

Extensions

The new release brings extensions, which was previously only available to those testing Google Chrome for Windows on the beta channel, to all users. While this is still in Labs it has several plug-ins, including a feed reader, a ‘share by email’ function and Mappy, that will bring up a map for the first address on any web page.

For a full list of Chrome extensions, including ones for Facebook, Flickr and Bit.ly, go here.

Developer resources

For developers, the stable channel update of Google Chrome brings with it new HTML and JavaScript APIs (application programmer interface).

“For instance, we now support the Web SQL Database API, which allows you to store data in a structured manner on the user’s computer,” said Ian Fette, product manager, on the Chromium blog.

Various other APIs were made available, including the notification API that allows developers to add things like event reminders or status updates in a discrete panel in the status bar rather than interrupting the user’s workflow of cursor, tab or window.

Google Chrome extras

Chrome has also added some extras besides extension and new developer resources: bookmark sync has now moved from beta to stable for those wishing to synchronise bookmarks between computers, and performance has been beefed up.

This latest release has 42pc better performance than the last stable release and 400pc better than the first stable release last year.

By Marie Boran

Photo: Google has released a “stable” version of its Chrome web browser, with extensions