back to article Google updates Chrome for Android

Google has upgraded Chrome for Android. The browser is now available in 31 languages, all of which lack Flash support. The may be because the browser is still in Beta, but it nonetheless has new features that allow users to : Request the desktop version of a website if the mobile version isn't what you want to see; Add …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Worlds biggest Ad Agency

    Updates data slurping spyware

    Fixed the head line for you

    1. P Zero
      Joke

      Re: Worlds biggest Ad Agency

      What do you use? Safari?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Worlds biggest Ad Agency

        No Firefox. Google didn't ignore the user settings on that because they give Mozilla a pile of cash.

        They were happy to do it to IE and Safari. They're happy to do it with any of their services that someone might use as well.

        I'm sure it was just a mistake or a 'rogue engineer' and it won't happen again though

  2. Drefsab

    meh

    No flash suck, I have an ICS android phone and tried this its a decent browser and id use it if it wasnt for flash, google say its because adobe wont support it but do they really need to? Other 3rd party browsers have flash support (Dolphin HD for example).

    Until it supports flash (or every site that uses flash switchs to HTML5) I wont be using it as a main browser.

    1. Turtle_Fan

      Re: meh

      If you think lack of flash is meh, then what about the inability of text reflow/rearrangement on such staple sites as wikipedia?

      And that's before we mention the lack of sync between logins/passwords on the desktop and on the mobile version.

      Ok, ok, we all know it's beta but it's too half-baked by far to even merit a beta.

      Opera is great. My only complaint is that all its searches are returned on the mobile google page as opposed to the classic, even when desktop UA is chosen.

      Oh and flash sucks donkey balls on ICS and won't be improved either....

    2. P. Lee
      Terminator

      Re: meh

      The lack of flash is inconvenient, but flash (mostly used for video playback) insulates the hardware from the video codec. That's good for cross-platform compatibility but bad for power consumption as it makes the content author care less about the format being used and less likely to think about picking an optimal codec which can reduce power consumption.

      On the other hand, hardware acceleration prevents advances in codecs as no-one wants to use a codec which isn't supported in hardware. On the desktop is probably isn't a problem, as the main cpu will probably be enough to decode anything. On a pad, the main cpu probably won't cut it, so you have to stick with a particular codec.

      So flash must die, but I'm not to sure that straight h264 is that much better in the long term and I'm glad my tablet handles flash ok!

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    and Opera Mobile already does all these,

    plus it has full flash support, and tends to be faster.

  4. Lloyd
    Thumb Down

    Stock ICS browser

    Is utter cr@p, in fact stock ICS is utter cr@p, Google have managed to take everything decent they've added since v3.0 and remove it, either that or I'm now so indentured to using Cyanogenmod that I've forgotten how piss poor the standard google rom's are.

  5. gav_taylor
    Meh

    "The update brings with it a new user agent specification which website builders will find handy""

    I hope they dont find it handy... website developers should be using feature detection not browser sniffing

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Firefox Nightly

    While the current Firefox production versions are a bit naff, the Nightly betas, currently 14.0a1, are very nice, fast and of course do have flash, adblocker etc. They are also, for me, 100% stable.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Firefox Nightly

      One more vote for the Nightlies as they're great.

      1. Turtle_Fan

        Re: Firefox Nightly

        I'm getting the Aurora nightlies as well but flash is very haphazard and point-blank not working in full screen on my asus tf under ICS.

        Well, at least twitch.tv decided to finally make an app so it's some consolation.

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