Google confirms Chrome 6 features and misses

Google today confirmed the features that should make it into its Chrome 6 browser as well as those that won't be ready in time. It should be the first release to sync both extensions and the site history; it had previously only synced bookmarks. The release should also make better use of multi-core processors as it will resample non-native image sizes in the background while continuing to render the rest of the page.

Several features have been pushed back, CNET notes. An option for tabs on the side remains in experimental builds but won't be in the stable, official releases until Chrome 7. Native Client mode, a significant promised feature that would have let true native apps run safely within the browser, will be an option with a command-line code but won't be publicly available until 7. Mac testing is cited as a concern, as Google has to guarantee Native Client's security sandboxing will work on Mac OS X 10.5 as well as on the more recent OS.

Full-screen HTML5 video and a print preview for Linux and Mac users also won't make the initial cut. A simpler menu button and faster SVG images have made the update.

Google doesn't have a definitive release for Chrome 6, but it recently halted the addition of new features and is focused on polishing code to reach a stable level. Releases for Chrome have been frequent in the nearly two years since launch and could see 6 arrive within weeks.

By Electronista Staff