Google Chrome Dev update brings Instant, WebGL, App support tweaks

Intrepid users of Google Chrome's Dev channel received an update yesterday, and it wasn't just another string of security patches and bugfixes -- though there were plenty of those, too.

So what's new? For starters, support for WebGL 3D is now enabled by default and hardware acceleration for certain CSS bits (like transforms) has also been turned on. Chrome's Google Instant integration is now available via about:labs rather than via a command line switch. It's a big improvement over the first iteration, and you can see the new Instant in action in my brief video demo.

The revision log also lists numerous changes to Chrome's App-related code. While the changes aren't visible, they're a sign that Google is getting App support shined up for its first real test -- the opening of the Chrome Web Store, which should be happening some time in the very near future.
Google's Anthony Laforge also offered a bit of a teaser for users who think Chrome 7 is a bit of a weak upgrade from v6 so far, saying "With our new release cycle and about:labs, I'd suggest you stay tuned, things are going to start moving quite fast."

Tags: chrome, dev channel, DevChannel, google