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Chrome Beta Now Automatically Pauses Less Important Flash Content

Posted by Soulskill on from the let's-hope-they-mean-ads dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Google today detailed a very interesting initiative in partnership with Adobe: The two have been working to make Flash content more power-efficient in Chrome. Available now in the browser's beta channel, Chrome will use less power by simply choosing to play less Flash content on the page. Here's how the feature works: Chrome beta will automatically pause Flash content that isn't "central to the webpage" while keeping central content playing without interruption. The company offers an obvious example: Animations on the side will be paused while the video you're trying to watch will be unaffected.

16 of 98 comments (clear)

  1. Uninstalled Flash last week. by danceswithtrees · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Can't say that I miss it.

    1. Re:Uninstalled Flash last week. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      I have had long periods without Flash but somehow it always finds its way into my life. Even after my current 3 year break I still often have cravings. One day at a time, I guess. Keeping myself occupied on positive things helps.

    2. Re:Uninstalled Flash last week. by LifesABeach · · Score: 2

      I liked Flash when it was ported to Linux. Then Adobe closed the door. I stopped telling people to use it; HTML5 could do the job just a well. Now I use OpenGL and Java/C++. So I should use Flash again because?

  2. Variation of a theme by fustakrakich · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Tabs don't pre-load until I click on them. It would just be better if we can just turn off autoplay. But, advertisers... they make the rules

    --
    “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    1. Re:Variation of a theme by ron_ivi · · Score: 2

      Tabs don't pre-load until I click on them.

      That sounds like a uniquely bad idea.

      The single most important reason I use tabs is to pre-load pages while I'm reading a different page.

  3. We need this why? by pla · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Wait - Does anyone not have click-to-play set as their default?

    Guess what, Google - you don't get to pick what I consider "important" content. I do.

    1. Re:We need this why? by cjjjer · · Score: 2

      This is my thought exactly it's up to the content creator to define what is important and the user to agree or disagree not the browser. Seems that Google just wants to make sure that it's content loads and works first...

    2. Re:We need this why? by JimMcc · · Score: 2

      My guess is that this is intended for people who have no idea what preferences are, where to set them, or what they do. I don't think the average Slashdot user is the intended audience.

  4. Re:Latest Chrome and Firefox betas break websites by mwvdlee · · Score: 2

    Please don't spread FUD.
    Security weaknesses are pretty bad as it is.
    Obvious overexaggeration just makes people think it's less bad.

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  5. news site will redesign... by tekrat · · Score: 3, Interesting

    So now the flash Ads will be centered on the webpage, and the story you're trying to read will be a sidebar. Not that that's not already happening. Every damn news website is now nothing but a crapfest with a paragraph of story.

    --
    If telephones are outlawed, then only outlaws will have telephones.
  6. Re:Throw Flash Under the Bus by Alwin+Henseler · · Score: 2

    If aliens ever attack mankind, we should upload a copy of Flash to their mothership. That'll teach them!

  7. Adsense by JimDarkmagic · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Adsense and Doubleclick must not use flash ads...or they will make an exception for their ad platforms.

  8. HTML5 Adverts by tomxor · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I actually quite like that most of the highly animated CPU hogging adverts are written in flash, because i can easily disable all of them.

    What concerns me is when those advertisers are finally forced to start writing them in javascript + Canvas / SVG / WebGL... yes it's possible to write efficient animated HTML5 content, request animation frame etc... but that's not forced, you think advertisers give a shit about that stuff? they will use everything at their disposal once flash is considered completely obsolete. Look forward to unsandboxed memory leaks and poorly optimised animation directly in your page... yay

  9. half the effort. by Jazoray · · Score: 2

    >2015 >still not making click-to-play the default for all elements of all plugins Every browser is still exactly like IE6

  10. I had this for ages by penguinoid · · Score: 3, Insightful

    AdBlock permanantly pauses Flash content that isn't "central to the webpage" while keeping central content playing without interruption.

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    Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
  11. HTML5 + Canvas + your JS library by tepples · · Score: 2

    In theory, HTML5 + Canvas + your own vector animation playback library written in JavaScript handles vector animation. This is supposed to be what Adobe's Edge Animate does. Then the problem becomes one of playing legacy Flash objects created prior to Edge Animate, such as those seen on Dagobah and Albino Blacksheep.