IT NEWS: INTERNET: Google Chrome 12 now in dev

From the 'Firefox 4? IE 9 ? Our Browser is a 12!' files:

True to form, Google is upping the version number for its browser - with a new dev-channel release for Chrome 12 (technically 12.0.712.0).

This is the first Chrome 12 in the dev-channel, though the number of changes are few -- that are user visible at least. Sure there is a new V8 JavaScript engine, then again Google revs V8 multiple times inside of a Chrome release cycle.

There is also a new Tab Multi-Select feature which according to Google, provides,"the ability to select multiple tabs, using the ctrl key, and applying actions (e.g. reload) to them all."

Then of course there is the stuff that we can't see.

"This release contains lots of behind the scenes work (code cleanup and refactorings) in addition to numerous crash and regression fixes," the Chrome 12.0.712.0 release notes state.

Now this doesn't mean that some neat new feature will emerge in the Chrome 12 cycle. The first dev release isn't a feature freeze. For Google, versioning of the browser if more about time than anything else.

Minor version updates however are another issue. Google has proven to be one of the fastest browser vendors -- if not THE fastest, when it comes to patching security issues.

There is actually a new Chrome 10.0.648.204 update now out, patching at least 6 high impact vulnerabilities. As is usually the case lately in all browser vendor security updates, the security flaw list is dominated by use-after-free and stale pointer issues. In total, Google is paying out $8,500 in bug bounties to security researchers for the flaws.

I expect that we'll see Chrome 11 in the stable channel in the next 2 to 3 weeks, bringing with it, more performance and voice to text capabilities.