Tag Archives: Chrome Experiments
Chromium Hits Version 14, Preload Instant Search in “About:Flags”
Posted on 02. Jun, 2011 by Daniel Cawrey. 
1 Comments
The latest Chromium open source builds are now at version 14, proving that perhaps version numbers in the Chrome ecosystem are indeed irrelevant. I would love to say that is the case, but it seems that with every new version we see a new feature or tweak that necessitates having numbers to keep track of everything that is going on.
One new feature we’re seeing in these Chromium builds is something called Preload Instant Search under the “about:flags” experimental section that appears when you type into the Omnibox. There is a continued effort to make searching even faster than ever before within the Omnibox with this new setting.
According to the Chromium projects site, Preload Instant Search allows the search page to preload even before a user starts to type a query. This reduces latency by making sure that the page is ready to go well before the intention to search has even been initiated – it starts the process whenever the Omnibox is clicked on.
Does that sound fast enough for you?
How to Activate the Frames Per Second Counter in Google Chrome
Posted on 01. Jun, 2011 by Daniel Cawrey. 0 Comments
You always have known that Chrome is fast, but have you ever considered that you might be able to always know your frame rate per second within the browser? Sure, you might not be interested in a high level of frame speed in your browser, but it looks like Google might be looking towards a future where that might be useful.
If you’re using Chrome 13, you can turn the FPS gauge on by typing in “about:flags” in the Omnibox, and turning on the FPS counter.
You’ll also need to turn on hardware acceleration. You can do this by enabling GPU compositing on all pages. Mind you, this may be a bit glitchy so this is best left off in normal browsing situations.
I decided to fire up Microsoft’s FishIE browser test to see what the FPS counter would do, and it certainly did jack up the frame rate. It’s quite noticeable; however, that there is a difference between what the browser is counting versus FishIE.
By disabling GPU VSync in “about:flags” I was able to get even higher frames per second because the 60 hertz threshold was removed, but my laptop’s lack of a graphics card still displayed a poor showing when compared to other tests I have seen conducted out there.
So, in the end, the FPS counter is a nice way to represent the fact that the web is becoming more of an active place in terms of graphical capabilities. Normally one would associate FPS with video games, but we may see a future where the web is also measured that way.
So, try out the FPS counter and do your own experimentation. What do you find?
via ConceivablyTech
IndexedDB use LevelDB Appears in Chrome Experiments
Posted on 31. May, 2011 by Daniel Cawrey. 2 Comments
Looking at the newest builds of Chromium one can find a new feature that is in the “about:flags” section. For those uninitiated, that’s the experimental section within Chromium where developers add in features so that they can be toggled on and off more easily than having to use command line flags. Now we are seeing the IndexedDB use LevelDB feature that can be turned on and off.
You’re probably asking yourself, “what is IndexedDB?” or maybe, “what is LevelDB?”. Those are both great questions.
LevelDB is a fast and lightweight key/value database library. According to the Google Code profile on the subject, it appears that good performance is one of the reasons why it is used. As for IndexedDB, it is an API that is part of the WC3. I would suspect that this experimental feature is yet another way to improve overall web speed since LevelDB is being enabled as a back-end for IndexedDB.
What many probably don’t realize is that all of the information on your screen comes from databases, which are huge stores of data that are accessed whenever someone requests a web page. This is one of many factors that can cause delays on the internet since access performance lends itself to how quickly we as users can get around.
If any of our esteemed developers who read this would like to chime in, feel free to comment more about how IndexedDB or LevelDB impacts us as users.
Google Adds WebGL Section to Chrome Experiments Site
Posted on 15. Feb, 2011 by Daniel Cawrey. 5 Comments
Google’s Chrome Experiments site has been a display of leading-edge technology demos for the browser. Now that WebGL has been implemented into Chrome 9 stable, the site now has a dedicated WebGL section where you can look at demos from Google (such as the Body Browser) as well as outside developers.
These are only experiments, but they give you a peek into what is possible with rich web applications that can use the hardware resources that are right on your PC.
Composited Render Layer Borders Appears in About:Flags
Posted on 14. Feb, 2011 by Daniel Cawrey. 6 Comments
The newest builds of Chromium feature a Chrome Experiment via “about:flags” that I have not seen before: composited render layer borders. When I first looked at this, I assumed it must have something to do with the increased use of graphical capabilities being added into Chrome, and I was right.
According to the Chromium documentation regarding WebKit rendering basics, a RenderObject is associated with a RenderLayer. The purpose of these layers is to allow content to overlap each other as they are composited. The problem, however, is that oftentimes these layers are either semi-transparent or not visible at all.
Disable HTML5 Interactive Form Validation Appears in Chrome Experiments
Posted on 20. Jan, 2011 by Daniel Cawrey. 8 Comments
The latest builds of Chromium feature an experimental option not seen before: the ability to disable HTML5 interactive form validation. This is likely something that has been put in place to allow developers to test what appears to be a bug in Chrome that causes problems with form validation capabilities.
Specifically, there is an issue with the old manual-by-developers form validation and the new automatic HTML5 form validation in which they collide. Many form validations that you see on the web are powered by JavaScript.
Instant Autocomplete Immediately Appears in Chrome Experiements
Posted on 11. Jan, 2011 by Daniel Cawrey. 4 Comments
The lock down of features for Chrome’s event in December combined with the holiday season really slowed down the speed with which Chrome and Chromium was being developed. But things appear to be picking up, and 2011 looks to be an exciting time to be following Chrome. Indeed, Chrome and Chrome OS VP Sundar Pichai recently posted on Twitter that we are in store for “an exciting next few months ahead” and I certainly believe it.
Looking at the newest Chromium builds, I’ve found a new experimental feature called Instant Autocomplete Immediately.
Google Shows Off HTML5 with “20 Things”
Posted on 18. Nov, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 9 Comments
The road to a world with more webapps is going to lead through HTML5. Google realizes this, and they are trying to promote the standard with offerings like Chrome Experiments, the Arcade Fire project “The Wilderness Downtown” and now with an interactive book called “20 Things I Learned About Browsers and the Web”.
Developer Advocates Keep the Google Machine Running
Posted on 08. Nov, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 0 Comments
Want to develop something using one of Google’s APIs? There’s likely a developer advocate for that. In fact, Google employs over 75 advocates for the many different offerings in Google Code, which you can take a look at here.
I was surprised to see the sheer amount of people Google has devoted to making sure there is a person that represents particular APIs, but it makes sense. As I have opined in the past, the company realizes that it is outside developers that really help to bring out innovative ideas that are related to their Code services.
One example of this is Chrome Experiments, which is a site that showcases developers outside of Google making interesting web-based experiments.
And of that large contingent of advocates indicated above, the Chrome product line has sixteen of their own. That’s got to be more than any other browser platform available, right?
via GigaOM
Infobar Refresh Comes to Chromium for Better Security
Posted on 22. Oct, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 3 Comments
Looking at the newest version of Chromium that I downloaded from the most recent builds there is a new “about:flags” option available today: Infobar Refresh.
If you’re not familiar with what the infobar does, that’s understandable. Basically, whenever a website wants to do something like track your geolocation a blue bar hovers down from just below the Omnibox. It’s also used for password management, Google Translate and for certain web applications.
Video: Chrome Experiments Compilation
Posted on 02. Sep, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 0 Comments
Here’s a look at some of the best Chrome Experiments that have been in the directory. It’s great to see that all of this is done within the browser.
This video has been out for a while so if you’re interested in more Chrome Experiments to try out you can see some of the ones that I have profiled in the past.
“The Wilderness Downtown” Chrome Experiment Featuring Arcade Fire
Posted on 30. Aug, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 4 Comments
In what is easily the most original Chrome Experiment yet, the folks at Google have teamed up with director Chris Milk and the band Arcade Fire to launch “The Wilderness Downtown”. It is a HTML5 browser based experience, and one you should check out.
When you go to the site, it will ask you for your hometown address. Depending on your broadband speed, it may take some time to load. At this screen, if you hover your cursor over the flocks of birds they will fly away.
