Google has just launched its beta version of Google Chrome 5, the latest edition of the search giant’s popular web browser, with new and improved features.
Google Chrome 5 Beta includes now HTML 5 highlights such as drag-and-drop and geolocation, expanded cloud sync capabilities, flash integration and JavaScript engine speed boosts, this according to PC World.
Firstly, Chrome 5 Beta is retrofitted for the yet unavailable HTML 5, introducing geolocation, offline application caching and file drag-and-drop.
The browser’s cloud sync capabilities have been extended to store more than Chrome’s bookmarks, including visual themes, homepage and startup settings, Web content settings and languages. This can be stored in the cloud and accessed from any computer running Chrome. All settings are saved to Google Docs.
The new chrome version also allows for “incognito” web browsing and extensions running, making it easier to surf the web without recording any search history. The feature blocks cookies and allows extensions to run in the incognito mode, however re-enabling them is a manual process.
Another new feature is the Adobe Flash integration, which will run just by opening the browser and search for videos, with automatic upgrades and downloads delivered through Chrome’s automatic update feature
Google Chrome 5 Beta also improves the browser’s speed and the JavaScript Engine. According to the company, Chrome 5 is said to be faster by up to 35% compared to the previous Chrome version and up to 305% faster than the initial Chrome release.
Google Chrome 5 Beta is available for Windows, Mac and Linux. Try it at http://www.google.com/landing/chrome/beta/.
Incognito mode has been available in previous versions.