Surfing Just got Sweeter with Kit Kat

The Almighty Google has announced a sweet new update for Chrome for Android and Chrome beta: (Android 4.4) Kit Kat. Chrome embodies a new paradigm of browser design that’s highly efficient, and makes switching between pages even easier. Simultaneously, Google is also adding a mass of security features into Chrome, likely in an attempt to take Android back from OEM control. While many of the changes are more helpful for desktop versions of the browser, such as banning external extensions, its effects have an impact on mobile devices as well, mostly as far as efficiency is concerned.

The developers at Google explain,

“The new WebView includes an updated version of the V8 JavaScript engine and support for modern web standards that were missing in the old WebView. It also shares the same Blink rendering engine as Chrome for Android, so rendering should be much more consistent between the WebView and Chrome.” (developers.google.com)

One of the most buzz-worthy bonuses is the Android 4.4’s built-in Cloud, which allows remote printing, so you may print web pages or photos straight from your mobile device. Additionally, Google has improved their auto-fill function in Chrome, which allows for better surfability than ever before. The new voice-command function, “OK Google” allows users to access the search-engine through voice controls, making things a bit easier and quicker for users. Google brags, “You don’t need to touch the screen to get things done. When on your home screen* or in Google Now, just say “Ok Google” to launch voice search, send a text, get directions or even play a song.” Kit Kat also features a new function, called immersive mode, which allows any application you are viewing (book, music, movie, etc.) to be the sole object on your screen, hiding everything else, allowing users to “immerse themselves” in the moment. Lastly, from a visual standpoint, the new update for Android features a translucent text home screen, for better visibility.

The new Android 4.4 Kit Kat Update’s use of Google Chrome as its default browser makes web developers’ necessity for chrome compatibility of the utmost importance. 32-46% of Internet users are siding with Chrome, in the United States. That means that they are being used more than any browser out there. Chrome is taking over! Sorry Internet Explorer, your days are numbered as ruler of the world wide web-there’s a new King: Chrome.

So, what does this mean?

Google clarifies,

“Evergreen browsers (like Chrome and Firefox) auto-update and keep their users up to date so they can view the web through a modern feature set. As a developer, this ensures your choices aren’t limited to a lowest-common denominator browser from years ago, but rather are keeping pace with the modern web.”

This means, Android developers may build applications (social networking tools, news and blogs, games, advertisements, etc.) that use the many features now available with the Chromium and Chrome browser. If Google keeps working at this rate, and puts in even half as much effort into WebView as it does to Chrome, developers will have a wonderful blank canvas platform for building bigger and better applications for the sweetest surfing around.

Surfing Just got Sweeter with Kit Kat was last modified: December 15th, 2014 by
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