This article was published on April 14, 2015

Latest Chrome update touts push notifications and security improvements


Latest Chrome update touts push notifications and security improvements

Chrome 42 has now arrived on the scene. The trans-platform update applies to Mac, Windows and Linux browsers and can be accessed via Chrome’s download page.

The Chrome Blog announcing the update cites major improvements for the new version including new apps, extension, and Web Platform APIs, including the Push API.

As reported by VentureBeat, these let sites push notifications to users even after they close the page — but only with specific permission.

With such permission, developers can use Google Cloud Messaging to contact a service worker (a script run by the browser in the background, separate from a Web page) to implement the notifications.

In this release, notifications must be visible to users and each one includes a Site Settings button, allowing users to disable them for particular sites.

In addition, the Chrome team has improved the browser’s stability and performance with 45 security fixes, including those contributed by outside users.

➤ Chrome 42

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