Google will not release new features to Chrome, Chrome OS to maintain stability

With millions of people adjusting to working from home, including Google's own employees, the company decided it won't be releasing new features to both Chrome and Chrome OS to make sure the software will run without any issues. Chrome's development team also acknowledged in a tweet that its "adjusted work schedules" also influenced the decision to stop releasing upcoming versions of both the browser and its operating system.

The tweet also said, "Our goal is to ensure they continue to be stable, secure, and reliable for anyone who depends on them." They also emphasized that they will prioritize security updates. It makes sense to pause upcoming releases because unforeseen bugs might cause problems that might not be easy to resolve. Users don't need the additional stress these problems might cause.

New Chrome beta brings web-based AR & NFC to more users

The next version of Google Chrome will bring augmented reality and NFC to more web users. The Chrome 81 beta version for Android, Linux, Mac, and Windows adds WebXR support for browser-based AR. It will be a straightforward way to bring AR to users on different platforms without resorting to native apps.

The update also brings with it a new Web NFC framework that will allow mobile devices to interact with tappable objects without needing a native app or system-level features. These features, however, won't be useful until site developers make use of them.

Source: Engadget

Google tests out feature that recommends you which old tabs to close

Google wants to help keep our browsers clutter-free. The company is testing out a way to remind you to close old tabs. It has been working since August, but now it's showing up more prominently. The "Suggest to close Tabs" feature is hidden behind a flag in chrome://flags, but some versions of Chrome (like the Canary build) have it enabled by default.

If enabled, the feature will analyze your usage and check which tabs are unused or "stale." It isn't clear how Google determines what constitutes a stale tab beyond general activity or interaction with it. The feature won't automatically close the tab for you. Instead, it will open a window and let you determine which tabs it should close. Google hasn't announced if or when it will release this feature to the general public.

Source: 9to5Google

Google updates timeline for when it'll end Chrome apps’ support

Google has updated its timeline for when it will stop supporting Chrome apps on all platforms. The official end will be June 2022, but some platforms might lose it earlier than that.

Back in 2016, Google announced it would stop support for Chrome apps on Windows, macOS, and Linux, because of the lack of users. Only one percent of its users actively used Chrome apps at that time. So, in 2017, it took out the web apps from the Chrome 2017. In 2018, the tech giant was supposed to take it out from those three platforms, but it didn't happen.

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