In case you missed it, Google has begun rolling out version 49 of Chrome to Mac, Windows, and Linux users. The update brings multiple bug and security fixes along with a few features like Smooth Scrolling on by default and more developer APIs.
When users scroll a web page using a mouse wheel in Chrome 49, the experience will be much smoother and less choppy, as with some browsers one turn of a mouse wheel will result in a somewhat aged experience. With smooth scrolling, Chrome feels more modern. Of course it’s always been there (users have been able to access it by typing in chrome://flags into their address bars in Chrome as the feature was still in beta) but now that it’s made it’s commercial debut, it’s much more appealing.
Also found in this new build is an updated Chrome V8 engine, which this time around features 91% support for a new major JavaScript update that will definitely be appreciated by a lot of people as it’s to allow developers to write code that is more powerful and memory efficient.
The MediaRecorder API is also present in version 49 of the popular web browser which will allow users to record audio and video inside Chrome (say on a website like Hangouts or something) without a third party plugin like the accursed Adobe Flash.
A new Save-Data header in Chrome 49 will allow sites to send lighter versions of webpages to users for viewing if it’s on, while a new Background Sync API will let sites schedule an automatic sync to the device it was viewed on the next time there’s an active internet connection even if the page is closed.
All of these new features will surely be coming in handy and will definitely improve the experience of Chrome overall.
Google Chrome 49 is available now to Mac, Windows, and Linux users, with Android, iOS, and Chrome OS updates to come shortly.
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