As for security, Chrome has upped the ante in helping protect you against malicious downloads. Chrome now checks downloads against a list of known malicious files, especially for executables like .exe and .msi file types. For files that are not on the whitelist, Chrome then checks Google’s database to determine whether or not the file originates from a high threat website.

Chrome OS updates are on the way as well, with an image editor in the works that will allow users to quickly view and edit photos directly on the web.

If you want to try the latest version of Chrome, you can download it here. If you currently have Chrome installed, you don’t have to do anything as Chrome will auto-update for you. Let us know what you think about these new features in the comments!

The long wait for Android users is over, with Google making Chrome for Android beta available to download today. The only caveat of this is that the browser is only available Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0) devices. The browser offers accelerated page loading, scrolling and zooming, as well as a host of other features, including:

• Search and navigate directly from the omnibox
• Open and switch between unlimited tabs in an easy-to-view stack
• Sign in to Chrome to sync your bookmarks between your computer
• Send pages directly to your smartphone to read them on the go
• Incognito mode

While Chromebooks haven’t taken off in the mainstream market, Google has announced that they are popular with school administrators. Schools are deploying 1-to1 programs with the Chromebooks, where each student receives one of the laptops. While this is certainly not the majority of schools, the fact that they seem to be a great way for educators to help our children is just one more reason these little laptops are great.

[via PandoDaily]

Yesterday we reported on the controversy surrounding Google for hiring an advertising agency to promote its Chrome browser, which broke Google’s own Terms of Service. Today, Google has announced that it has demoted itself for violating these rules.

The company agreed to lower the page ranking for Google Chrome for 60 days as punishment for taking part in the viral marketing campaign that saw more than 400 pages tagged with “This post is sponsored by Google.” The company acknowledged that the posts violate its paid link policy. A spokesperson for Google had this to say:

“We strive to enforce Google’s webmaster guidelines consistently in order to provide better search results for users. While Google did not authorize this campaign, and we can find no remaining violations of our webmaster guidelines, we believe Google should be held to a higher standard, so we have taken stricter action than we would against a typical site.”

While Google was never expected to blacklist its own browser from the search engine, it should be noted that often this is the penalty for sites that are caught engaging in paid links. I think it’s admirable that Google took the high road and instituted this punishment for breaking its own ToS, as it shows that even Google are not above their own rules.

[via Fox News]

We reported a few days ago that Bastion was one of the first major retail releases to take advantage of Google’s Native Client (NaCl) in order become available for play directly in the browser. Now a port of the Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator, or MAME is available. By utilizing the Native Client, developers can sandbox their software so that it can be run on any computer directly within the browser. This means access to games without needing to install them first.

If you’re interested in giving it a go, Robby Roto is available to play for free from the Chrome Web Store. Robby Roto is a 1981 game from Midway that is in the public domain, so you don’t have to worry about any legal grey areas. For those who want to try other games, the Chrome version of MAME does allow for uploading your own ROM files, though only some work. You can find plenty on the MAME website.

[via PCWorld]

A few days ago we reported on the new search deal orchestrated by Google and Mozilla that would see Google remaining the default search engine for Mozilla’s Firefox for another three years. Media sites have been giving the deal a lashing, mainly for Google seemingly supporting a competitor to its own Chrome browser. Both Chrome and Firefox engineers have been very vocal about defending the deal, maintaining that it is necessary for Firefox to continue as it is today.

The financial terms of the deal were never disclosed publicly, but as we reported, AllThingsDigital estimates that the deal is worth $900 million over the three year period. If this sum is true, then the newly  negotiated contract is worth more than three times the original that was negotiated before Google released its own browser.

It’s very clear that Google paid such a high premium in order to keep Bing and Yahoo out of Firefox, but just how lucrative the deal will be over the course of three years is in speculation. Google’s own Chrome browser has gained marketshare in leaps and bounds, with some firms reporting Chrome as the new king of browser marketshare. In the converse, Firefox has fallen a whopping 22 percent, with no signs that the open source browser will be able to reclaim its crown as the IE killer.

Many journalists have called into question Google’s motives for the deal, which has lead many key engineers from both projects to speak up about why it’s important to both companies. Peter Kasting of Google said that the company is funding an open-source partner in order to help advance the web so all browsers will get better.

“It’s completely irrelevant to this goal whether Chrome actually gains tons of users or whether, instead, the Web advances because the other browser vendors step up their game and produce far better browsers. Either way, the Web gets better. Job done. The end.”

So what do you think about the deal between Google and Mozilla? Do you think Google’s intentions are as altruistic as Kasting would like them to seem? Obviously if Google is the main search provider for two major browsers, it stifles all competition from Bing. Let me know what you think in the comments.

[via eWeek]

Uh oh. Looks like Google has been caught violating the very rules it has set forth for its search engine regarding paid links. Recently a set of blog posts have been running with the byline, “sponsored by Google”, which had lead many people to cry foul on Google’s own paid links policy and whether or not the company is adhering to it. The post in question featured a link to download Google Chrome, along with a video advertising the browser. The stink that’s been raised over the campaign is that these particular links didn’t include the “nofollow” tag that Google requires all paid links to use.

Of course, Google denies any responsibility here and lays the blame squarely on the marketing company they used to promote the browser, Unruly Media. In a statement to the Verge, a Google spokesperson said, “Google never agreed to anything more than online ads. We have consistently avoided paid sponsorships, including paying bloggers to promote our products.” When the Verge asked Unruly Media about the blunder, CEO Scott Button confirmed the campaign and said it was a mistake and nothing more. “We don’t ask bloggers to link to the advertiser’s sites. As far as I’m aware, there was one link in one post that was not marked no follow. This was corrected as soon as we became aware of it.”

Google has been known to be pretty harsh on sites that are caught buying and selling links and even going so far as to blacklist them from the search engine. Now the fact that Google has been caught in a similar scheme, whether it was a mistake or not brings into question what the search giant will do to rectify the situation. Will it penalize itself for the mistake or sweep the whole incident under a rug?

While the ramifications of how this is handled by the company might create a precedent for how purchased links are handled in the future, I’m inclined to say this is more a mistake on the marketer’s partners than by Google itself. Google might hesitate to use any more third parties to advertise its products, especially those that work closely with bloggers who may not have any regard for follow/nofollow rules when it comes to links.

The new tab page for Chrome is an essential part of interacting with the browser. Not only does it remember the sites you’ve most frequently visited and display those for you, but it also can display your web apps that you have installed from the Chrome Web Store. The problem with the setup that Google has chosen is that you can either see your frequently visited pages or your web apps, but not both on the same screen. If you need to see a web app, you’ll have to click to the right.

This isn’t really a design flaw per se, since it helps keep the page organized, but there is a much better way to organize the information for people like me who use both. Speed Dial 2 is a total customization extension that will allow you to tailor your new tab page the way you want, including design, layout, and colors. The above photo is just one example of what can be achieved using the extension.

If you’re a frequent user of both web apps and your frequently visited speed dial sites, then definitely check out Speed Dial 2. The options available are pretty easy to understand so you can set up a layout that you enjoy. You can download it from the Chrome Web Store here.

If you’re a fan of Google eBooks, we’ve got good news for you. Offline support for all of their eBooks have been added to Chrome and Chrome OS so you can continue reading your favorites even if you don’t have an Internet connection.

Google announced the launch of offline support for Google eBooks for those using Chrome or Chrome OS, so they can continue reading books even when they’re not actually connected to the Internet.

“We’ve all been there: the Internet is suddenly down, and you can’t keep on reading your ebook to see what the character decides to do next,” says Google Books Product Manager Xinxing Gu. “Or you’re about to head to the airport and want to be able to dive into a newly-purchased ebook during a long flight. Whether you are flying through the air, backpacking through the European countryside, or simply facing intermittent network connections, you can always read your Google eBooks in your Chrome browser or on your Chromebook,”

In order to take advantage of this new feature, you’ll need to download the Google Books app that is available in the Chrome Web Store. Once installed, simply mouse over the cover of the book and tick “Make available offline”. Currently this feature is only possible for eBooks in the EPUB and PDF formats.

[via Web Pro News]

No matter which side of the browser war you stand on, you can’t deny the contributions Google has made to helping the world break free of an Internet Explorer dominated landscape. When Firefox began taking its first baby steps to becoming a serious contender in the realm of browsers, it had Google by its side providing the essential red pill in breaking away from Microsoft’s stranglehold on browsers and search offerings. In November it seemed as though things between Mozilla and Google might be terse, as the company let their search agreement lapse.

The deal was renewed just yesterday, probably much more to Mozilla’s relief than Google’s. Within the few short years that it took Mozilla to become a serious contender in the browser wars, Google introduced its own product. Initially the launch for Chrome was rocky with no addon support, so many people considered the browser to be one of Google’s many flops. However, just over three years later, Chrome is doing well enough that it has edged out IE8 as the world’s most popular browser.

So what does Google’s success mean for Firefox? As a search provider, the fact that Chrome is growing daily means that at the end of the new three-year deal in 2014, when it comes time to renew contracts between Mozilla and Google, Google may be less willing to play ball. The company has undoubtedly made millions by serving up Firefox users as the default search engine, but with the direction the browser is going as of late, by 2014, Firefox’s marketshare may be inconsequential to the search giant.

This leaves the question open as to whether or not Mozilla would consider partnering with once bitter rival Microsoft in order to incorporate Bing as the default search engine for the browser. If so, this could signal the end of the browser wars, as such a clear cut divide between Mozilla and Google could leave many users jumping ship to go with Chrome as their default offering, as Bing as seen as something of a red-headed step child in the world of search.