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Chrome 42 can push notifications from web pages you have closed

by Mark Tyson on 15 April 2015, 12:05

Tags: Google (NASDAQ:GOOG), Chrome

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The Google Chrome Team has released Chrome 42 to the stable channel for Windows, Mac and Linux. The most interesting thing about this browser update is that it enables support for native push notifications. This allows sites to send you notifications even if you have closed the associated browser window. The update also brings along 45 security fixes.

If you want to keep your Chrome browser current it will probably silently update the next time you run it, if it hasn't done so already. Alternatively you can download it directly from the Chrome homepage.

Two new APIs, called Push API and Notifications API, facilitate the headlining new push notification features. Thanks to these APIs users can still get notifications from pages even if the associated page tab has been closed or been navigated away from. To some this will set alarm bells ringing as the functionality could easily cross the line from useful to obtrusive. However Google requires web page developers to get user consent to use the Push API.

If you do grant permission for a site to send you push notifications developers can use the Google Cloud Messaging service to send you pertinent updates. For instance you might be watching something on eBay but have navigated away from the page. With the new APIs in play you can get a pop-up message reminding you that you have a limited time remaining to bid or someone has outbid you, for example.

Another big change to Chrome 42 is Google removal of Netscape Plugin Application Programming Interface (NPAPI) plugins from the browser. This has been done in the hope of improving browser security, stability and speed. Since Chrome 40 the NPAPI plugins have been 'click to enable' on a per-site basis, now that option has been removed. Advanced users can still enable such plugins using the 'enable-npapi' flag, though this workaround option will be removed from September onwards.

As mentioned in the intro Google has also implemented 45 security fixes with many of the bugs being detected by developers using AddressSanitizer or MemorySanitizer.

If you use the Chrome browser why not let us know how you are getting along with the updated features and bug fixes?



HEXUS Forums :: 27 Comments

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So if Hexus.net posts something I will be notified?
first response…. oh joy another thing to fatten up chrome and annoy me with pop ups (I've disabled this). Not to mention additional avenues of data mining for Google (waits for Saracen :p)

Now if only there was a built in notification service already built into windows 8 and above.. oh wait..

I don't use chrome but need to have it installed to test website designs from time to time and it's arguably the most annoying program I have…. it opens on it's own after an update, it takes up resources because it feels it needs to load with windows (haven't found a way to disable this bit) and well it doesn't render as nicely as firefox or ie, not to mention it's a battery hog…
Cool, I can get spammed with ads even after I've closed a page. Who'd have thought Google would create something like this… ;)
I only have it because I refuse to install Flash on my desktop (and Chrome has built in flash), although ie11 has built in flash, so perhaps it's time to uninstall chrome
Privacy alarm bells are ringing in my head. I don't use Google Chrome anyway :P