Right in line with its typical update cycle, Google today rolled out version 29 of its Chrome browser for Chrome Frame, Linux, Mac, Windows, and Android. There are no actual astonishments here, but just like most updates to the steady channel, Chrome 29 does present some minor updates. The new version brings enhanced Omnibox suggestions and profile resetting option along with the introduction of new extensions, applications, and APIs.
The major modification is unquestionably nearby how Omnibox suggestions functions on the desktop. This means Chrome’s mutual URL and search bar, now also centers its recommendations according to the web pages you have visited recently.
This new Omnibox algorithm, Google says, should result “in more timely and contextually relevant suggestions.” Mac users will be happy to hear that Chrome 29 now supports Google’s rich notifications, “so you can keep up with what’s happening within your apps and extensions.”
If you have been using Chrome browser for a very long time, omnibox will modify its recommendations more to what you have used it for in last few days and weeks rather than tailoring its results based on months and years. If you have installed Chrome on your desktop recently, then you would not observe a major difference.
Next is the addition of the ability to reorganize your browser settings. As Google notes, this should come in convenient when you “got overenthusiastic with amusing extensions,” for example. The reset will permit you to keep your apps, themes and bookmarks, themes in place, but it will remove all of your installed add-ons and extensions.
To use the new feature, follow these instructions:
- Click on the three-hotdogs menu icon and choose Settings.
- Click Show advanced settings.
- Click on the “Reset browser settings” button
WebRTC on Android
The most significant update in this roll out is truly for Android. Chrome 29 for android has received WebRTC support which will empower real-time interactions through video conferencing without installing any plugins. With this update, mobile WebRTC is something which Developers soon going to take it for granted, and would help the WebRTC technology in adoption in the short period of time. WebRTC comprises of three autonomous modules: getUserMedia (offers access to the user’s webcam and microphone), PeerConnection (sets up calls with the skill to pass through NATs and firewalls), and DataChannels (begins peer-to-peer data communication among browsers). All three modules have been available with Chrome 25 Beta version and now finally Google bringing the three modules to Android.
Last but not the least, Chrome 29 also addresses 25 security issues, out of which Google decided to highlight the following:
- $1337] [181617] High CVE-2013-2900: Incomplete path sanitization in file handling. Credit to Krystian Bigaj.
- [$500] [254159] Low CVE-2013-2905: Information leak via overly broad permissions on shared memory files. Credit to Christian Jaeger.
- [$1337] [257363] High CVE-2013-2901: Integer overflow in ANGLE. Credit to Alex Chapman.
- [$1000] [260105] High CVE-2013-2902: Use after free in XSLT. Credit to cloudfuzzer.
- [$1000] [260156] High CVE-2013-2903: Use after free in media element. Credit to cloudfuzzer.
- [$1000] [260428] High CVE-2013-2904: Use after free in document parsing. Credit to cloudfuzzer.
- [274602] CVE-2013-2887: Various fixes from internal audits, fuzzing and other initiatives (Chrome 29).
Google has spent around $6174 in the bug bounties this roll out and plugged 9 more security issues compared to the previous Chrome version roll out.
