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Google just released several security and stability fixes for its Chrome Web browser Version 27 and for its Chrome OS 27 operating system for Chromebooks and other devices.
The Chrome 27 browser Stable Channel has been updated to 27.0.1453.116 for Windows, Macintosh and Chrome Frame platforms, according to a June 18 post by Karen Grunberg of the Chrome team on the Chrome Releases Blog.
One medium severity fix is included in the update, which corrects issues with “click-jacking” in the Flash plug-in, wrote Grunberg. Also included are fixes for multiple Flash movies not playing on the same page, an arc rendering bug in Canvas and an issue when a user selects a box with multiple options.
In a related announcement, the Stable Channel for the Linux version of Chrome has been updated to Version 28.0.1500.45, according to a June 17 post on the Chrome Releases Blog by Anthony Laforge of the Chrome team. The minimum requirements for Linux have also been updated to Ubuntu 12.04+, Debian 7+, OpenSuSE 12.2+ and Fedora Linux 17+.
With the new stable versions being released, that means the next versions are now moved up to the Developer or Dev Channel, according to a June 18 post by Jason Kersey of the Chrome team. The Dev Channel version is now at 29.0.1541.0 for Windows, Mac and Chrome Frame, and version 29.0.1541.2 for Linux.
The new Dev Channel version also brings a corresponding change in the Beta Channel version, which now moves up to Version 28.0.1500.52 for Windows, Mac and Chrome Frame, and Linux, according to a June 19 post by Laforge.
In the Chrome OS operating system world, the Stable Channel has been updated to 27.0.1453.116 (Platform version: 3912.101.0) for all Chrome OS devices, according to a June 18 post by Josafat Garcia of the Chrome team. The new version includes stability fixes and security improvements that will be automatically sent out to affected devices.
Chrome OS also received a corresponding change for its Beta Channel with an update to Version 28.0.1500.47 (Platform version: 4100.44.0) for Samsung Chromebooks, according to a June 17 post by Danielle Drew of the Chrome team. The new beta version includes bug fixes, security updates and feature enhancements.
The updates and fixes are part of Google’s regularly scheduled updates for its products.
Earlier in June, Google updated the Chrome 27 browser to fix a critical security issue, 10 high-priority issues and a medium-priority problem, according to an eWEEK report.
An earlier stable release of Chrome 27 was unveiled in late May, which showcased innovative speech-to-search capabilities and increased speed. That release, Version 27.0.1453.93, included Web pages that loaded 5 percent faster on average than previous versions as well as a chrome.syncFileSystem API that allows the saving and synchronization of data on Google Drive.
The conversational search feature was showcased earlier in May at the Google I/O 2013 Developers Conference, where it was announced as an upcoming capability in Chrome. Google apparently wasted no time bringing the feature to Chrome.
Also earlier in June, Google released an updated Chrome for iOS Version 27 for iPads and iPhones, featuring improved voice search, faster page reloading, and assorted stability and security improvements and bug fixes.
The latest Chrome desktop browser can be downloaded for free from Google.
Chrome 27 updates and replaces Chrome 26, which was released in April, with many stability improvements and a new version of Adobe Flash.
In April, Google announced that it is working to boost business adoption of the Chrome browser by improving enterprise management tools in the application.
In March, Google announced faster Chrome browser performance and improved search on Android and iOS tablets and smartphones, as well as new capabilities that allow users to share pages with friends on social media sites. The new Android version of the Chrome browser was updated with the latest V8 JavaScript engine, which was optimized for mobile and dramatically improved performance.