Today’s web brings beautiful, rich experiences right into your browser. With Chrome’s most recent Stable channel release, we’ve sped up graphics and drawing performance for users on capable hardware, and enabled fancier 3D content for other users on older computers. Give Chrome a spin to see just how good the modern web can look. And if the nuts and bolts of graphics make your heart flutter, check out more technical details over on the Chromium blog.
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
Thursday, 15 March 2012
Pwnium: great exploits, fast patches
Last week we debuted Pwnium, a contest based on our Chromium Security Rewards program. Both of these initiatives reward well intentioned researchers who help make the web a safer place by reporting security vulnerabilities. Our total payout to researchers for these programs is now well over half a million dollars.
We weren’t sure what kinds of reports we would get from Pwnium, but by the end of the week we were thrilled to have awarded $120,000 for two excellent submissions. Thanks to Chrome’s rapid auto-update functionality, we were able to update Chrome twice, in both cases protecting users less than 24 hours after the respective bugs were reported. While these vulnerabilities were reported directly and privately to us, this kind of speed is especially important if bugs were ever being actively abused to harm users.
Since the full exploits were disclosed, we were able to study them and add a range of additional defensive measures based on what we saw. These measures will make Chrome more secure from any similar hacks in the future. We’ll publish write-ups to honor these two highly creative works in the coming weeks.
Also last week, a separate exploit for Chrome was demonstrated at the Pwn2Own competition. We’ve since learned that the bug exploited a vulnerability in the Flash Player plug-in -- affecting all browsers. The contest organizers have reported the vulnerability details directly and privately to Adobe, and Adobe will be providing a fix as part of its forthcoming Flash Player update. When that happens, Chrome users will enjoy the advantage of an auto-update and quick protection. Looking forward, Adobe and Google are collaborating on a version of Flash Player which will run inside the primary Chrome sandbox. Chrome OS devices already ship with this next-generation sandbox for Flash Player.
Engaging the wider security community is one of our core security principles, and Pwnium is a great example of the benefits of this type of collaboration. Our special thanks to the contestants for their exceptional contributions to security on the web.
We weren’t sure what kinds of reports we would get from Pwnium, but by the end of the week we were thrilled to have awarded $120,000 for two excellent submissions. Thanks to Chrome’s rapid auto-update functionality, we were able to update Chrome twice, in both cases protecting users less than 24 hours after the respective bugs were reported. While these vulnerabilities were reported directly and privately to us, this kind of speed is especially important if bugs were ever being actively abused to harm users.
Since the full exploits were disclosed, we were able to study them and add a range of additional defensive measures based on what we saw. These measures will make Chrome more secure from any similar hacks in the future. We’ll publish write-ups to honor these two highly creative works in the coming weeks.
Also last week, a separate exploit for Chrome was demonstrated at the Pwn2Own competition. We’ve since learned that the bug exploited a vulnerability in the Flash Player plug-in -- affecting all browsers. The contest organizers have reported the vulnerability details directly and privately to Adobe, and Adobe will be providing a fix as part of its forthcoming Flash Player update. When that happens, Chrome users will enjoy the advantage of an auto-update and quick protection. Looking forward, Adobe and Google are collaborating on a version of Flash Player which will run inside the primary Chrome sandbox. Chrome OS devices already ship with this next-generation sandbox for Flash Player.
Engaging the wider security community is one of our core security principles, and Pwnium is a great example of the benefits of this type of collaboration. Our special thanks to the contestants for their exceptional contributions to security on the web.
Friday, 2 March 2012
Chrome dons a suit and heads to Washington
For the same reasons you might choose Chrome for your home or work computer -- speed, simplicity, security -- businesses and organizations are choosing to give Chrome to their employees. Just over a year ago we announced that Chrome would get a special set of tools for IT admins at organizations, giving them controls to easily set up, push out and manage the browser in a professional environment. Now guess what? The US Department of State made Chrome available to all employees, and just two weeks later, more than 58,000 of their employees have Chrome installed.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announces Chrome for employees at 35:10.
Read more from our guest blogger Chris Bronk from the US Department of State on the Google Enterprise blog, and check out the Chrome for Business website.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announces Chrome for employees at 35:10.
Read more from our guest blogger Chris Bronk from the US Department of State on the Google Enterprise blog, and check out the Chrome for Business website.
Thursday, 9 February 2012
Snazzier graphics for more users
Every day the web becomes more powerful, allowing developers to create the next generation of beautiful, immersive experiences online. In our latest Chrome Beta release, we’ve made a few enhancements to ensure users have a smooth ride in these graphics-intensive applications. If you want to dig into the details, clip on your pocket protector and head over to the Chromium blog.
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
Faster browsing, safer downloading
When I visit my favorite sandwich shop, I always order the same thing: a chicken cashew salad sandwich on whole wheat (it’s awesome). Now, the owners know what I want as soon as I walk in the door. Which means they can start making it before I say a word. Which means I get my sandwich faster.
With today’s Stable release, Chrome now does the same thing. Except not with sandwiches. When you start typing in the omnibox and the URL autocompletes to a site you’re very likely to visit, Chrome will prerender the page, so it will appear faster--sometimes, even instantly--as soon as you hit Enter. To learn more, check out the post from our latest Beta release.
On the security front, Chrome now does even more to help protect you from malicious downloads. In addition to checking a list of known bad files, Chrome also does checks on executable files (like ".exe" and ".msi" files). If the executable doesn't match a whitelist, Chrome checks with Google for more information, such as whether the website you're accessing hosts a high number of malicious downloads.
In the near future, we will also begin rolling out updates to Chrome OS to further simplify the Chromebook experience. With a new image editor, Chromebook users will be able to quickly view, edit and share photos on the web. Users will also see an improved Verizon 3G activation portal, which includes the ability to set up a recurring purchase of mobile data.
If you don’t have Chrome, download it now to check out the latest features!
With today’s Stable release, Chrome now does the same thing. Except not with sandwiches. When you start typing in the omnibox and the URL autocompletes to a site you’re very likely to visit, Chrome will prerender the page, so it will appear faster--sometimes, even instantly--as soon as you hit Enter. To learn more, check out the post from our latest Beta release.
On the security front, Chrome now does even more to help protect you from malicious downloads. In addition to checking a list of known bad files, Chrome also does checks on executable files (like ".exe" and ".msi" files). If the executable doesn't match a whitelist, Chrome checks with Google for more information, such as whether the website you're accessing hosts a high number of malicious downloads.
In the near future, we will also begin rolling out updates to Chrome OS to further simplify the Chromebook experience. With a new image editor, Chromebook users will be able to quickly view, edit and share photos on the web. Users will also see an improved Verizon 3G activation portal, which includes the ability to set up a recurring purchase of mobile data.
If you don’t have Chrome, download it now to check out the latest features!
Tuesday, 7 February 2012
Introducing Chrome for Android
In 2008, we launched Google Chrome to help make the web better. We’re excited that millions of people around the world use Chrome as their primary browser and we want to keep improving that experience. Today, we're introducing Chrome for Android Beta, which brings many of the things you’ve come to love about Chrome to your Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich phone or tablet. Like the desktop version, Chrome for Android Beta is focused on speed and simplicity, but it also features seamless sign-in and sync so you can take your personalized web browsing experience with you wherever you go, across devices.
Speed
With Chrome for Android, you can search, navigate and browse fast—Chrome fast. You can scroll through web pages as quickly as you can flick your finger. When searching, your top search results are loaded in the background as you type so pages appear instantly. And of course, both search and navigation can all be done quickly from the Chrome omnibox.
Simplicity
Chrome for Android is designed from the ground up for mobile devices. We reimagined tabs so they fit just as naturally on a small-screen phone as they do on a larger screen tablet. You can flip or swipe between an unlimited number of tabs using intuitive gestures, as if you’re holding a deck of cards in the palm of your hands, each one a new window to the web.
One of the biggest pains of mobile browsing is selecting the correct link out of several on a small-screen device. Link Preview does away with hunting and pecking for links on a web page by automatically zooming in on links to make selecting the precise one easier.
And as with Chrome on desktop, we built Chrome for Android with privacy in mind from the beginning, including incognito mode for private browsing and fine-grained privacy options (tap menu icon, ‘Settings,’ and then ‘Privacy’).
Sign in
You can now bring your personalized Chrome experience with you to your Android phone or tablet. If you sign in to Chrome on your Android device, you can:
Chrome is now available in Beta from Android Market, in select countries and languages for phones and tablets with Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich. We’re eager to hear your feedback. Finally, we look forward to working closely with the developer community to create a better web on a platform that defines mobile.
Speed
With Chrome for Android, you can search, navigate and browse fast—Chrome fast. You can scroll through web pages as quickly as you can flick your finger. When searching, your top search results are loaded in the background as you type so pages appear instantly. And of course, both search and navigation can all be done quickly from the Chrome omnibox.
Simplicity
Chrome for Android is designed from the ground up for mobile devices. We reimagined tabs so they fit just as naturally on a small-screen phone as they do on a larger screen tablet. You can flip or swipe between an unlimited number of tabs using intuitive gestures, as if you’re holding a deck of cards in the palm of your hands, each one a new window to the web.
One of the biggest pains of mobile browsing is selecting the correct link out of several on a small-screen device. Link Preview does away with hunting and pecking for links on a web page by automatically zooming in on links to make selecting the precise one easier.
And as with Chrome on desktop, we built Chrome for Android with privacy in mind from the beginning, including incognito mode for private browsing and fine-grained privacy options (tap menu icon, ‘Settings,’ and then ‘Privacy’).
Sign in
You can now bring your personalized Chrome experience with you to your Android phone or tablet. If you sign in to Chrome on your Android device, you can:
- View open tabs: Access the tabs you left open on your computer (also signed into Chrome)—picking up exactly where you left off.
- Get smarter suggestions: If you visit a site often on your computer, you'll also get an autocomplete suggestion for it on your mobile device, so you can spend less time typing.
- Sync bookmarks: Conveniently access your favorite sites no matter where you are or which device you’re using.
Chrome is now available in Beta from Android Market, in select countries and languages for phones and tablets with Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich. We’re eager to hear your feedback. Finally, we look forward to working closely with the developer community to create a better web on a platform that defines mobile.
Friday, 3 February 2012
German Federal Office of Information Security recommends Chrome
Today the BSI, Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security, released a best practice guide for Windows users as part of their overall guidelines and recommendations for Cyber Security. Security has always been a core focus of Chrome, so we’re particularly honored to see several of its security benefits recognized in the report:
The browser is the central component for using any online service on the Web and therefore is the most critical attack surface for cyber attacks. Therefore, if possible, you should use a browser with sandbox technology. The browser that currently most consistently implements this protection is Google Chrome (https://www.google.com/chrome). Comparable mechanisms implemented in other browsers are either weaker, or non-existent. By using Google Chrome, in addition to the other mechanisms we mentioned, you can significantly reduce the risk of a successful IT attack.
In addition to Chrome’s sandbox, the guide also highlights the importance of Chrome’s auto-update feature:
Equally positive is the auto-update functionality of Google Chrome, which includes a bundled version of the Adobe Flash Player. By bundling it with Chrome, the Adobe Flash Player will also always be kept up to date.
On the eve of Safer Internet Day, security on the web still faces a variety of challenges. We hope our efforts to improve the security and privacy of our users continue to help make the web a better place.
The browser is the central component for using any online service on the Web and therefore is the most critical attack surface for cyber attacks. Therefore, if possible, you should use a browser with sandbox technology. The browser that currently most consistently implements this protection is Google Chrome (https://www.google.com/chrome). Comparable mechanisms implemented in other browsers are either weaker, or non-existent. By using Google Chrome, in addition to the other mechanisms we mentioned, you can significantly reduce the risk of a successful IT attack.
In addition to Chrome’s sandbox, the guide also highlights the importance of Chrome’s auto-update feature:
Equally positive is the auto-update functionality of Google Chrome, which includes a bundled version of the Adobe Flash Player. By bundling it with Chrome, the Adobe Flash Player will also always be kept up to date.
On the eve of Safer Internet Day, security on the web still faces a variety of challenges. We hope our efforts to improve the security and privacy of our users continue to help make the web a better place.
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