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Chrome 61 Arrives With JavaScript Modules, WebUSB Support (venturebeat.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the latest-and-greatest dept.

The latest version of Google Chrome has launched, bringing a host of new developer features like JavaScript modules and WebUSB support. An anonymous Slashdot reader shares a report from VentureBeat: Google has launched Chrome 61 for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Additions in this release include JavaScript modules and WebUSB support, among other developer features. You can update to the latest version now using the browser's built-in silent updater or download it directly from google.com/chrome. Google also released Chrome 61 for Android today. In addition to performance and stability fixes, you can expect two new features: Translate pages with a more compact toolbar and pick images with an improved image picker.

Chrome now supports JavaScript modules natively via the new element, letting developers declare a script's dependencies. Modules are already popular in third-party build tools, which use them to bundle only the required scripts. Native support means the browser can fetch granular dependencies in parallel, taking advantage of caching, avoiding duplications across the page, and ensuring the script executes in the correct order, all without a build step. Google recommends these two blog posts for more information: ECMAScript modules in browsers and ES6 Modules in Depth. Speaking of JavaScript, Chrome 61 also upgrades the browser's V8 JavaScript engine to version 6.1. Developers can expect performance improvements and a binary size reduction. The WebUSB API meanwhile allows web apps to access user-permitted USB devices. This enables all the functionality provided by hardware peripherals such as keyboards, mice, printers, and gamepads, while still preserving the security guarantees of the web.

15 of 115 comments (clear)

  1. I wish this was at the beginning of the summary by epyT-R · · Score: 4, Insightful

    while still preserving the security guarantees of the web.

    I would've stopped reading right there.

  2. security guarantees by zlives · · Score: 4, Funny

    you mean a zero day to follow ?!!
    you mean unintentional (wink) programming flaws that leak user info?

    i guess me and the other 5 people on the planet still worried about security will not be installing it. good luck the world.

    1. Re:security guarantees by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Nope. I also don't inspect and sniff every bit of food i put in my mouth for pathogens. Just the food that looks 'off' in some way or another.

      This gives Chrome a delightful green hue that smells faintly of almonds and gym socks.

  3. Nope. by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This JavaScript bullshit has gone too far. It's features are already abused too much, this will just make things worse.

    --
    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
    1. Re:Nope. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      This JavaScript bullshit has gone too far. It's features are already abused too much, this will just make things worse.

      Maybe you will abuse it, as you're doing it with apostrophes.

  4. WHAT THE FUCK?! I DO NOT WANT THIS SHIT! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    HOLY FUCK! I've read one of the articles, and it mentions some stuff that I find really, really, really fucking creepy.

    The Network Information API is now available on desktop as well as Android, enabling sites to access the underlying connection information of a device.

    HOLY FUCK! I don't want my browser to be able to give web sites access to that info!

    The Device RAM API is now available, exposing the amount of RAM on a user’s device to sites to optimize overall performance of a web application.

    HOLY FUCK! I don't want my browser to be able to give web sites access to that info!

    Sites can now access an estimate for the disk space used by a given origin and quota in bytes via the Storage API’s new navigator.storage.estimate() function.

    HOLY FUCK! I don't want my browser to be able to give web sites access to that info!

    Sites can now use the Clear-Site-Data header to delete their own client-side data, such as cookies, service workers, storage, and cache entries.

    HOLY FUCK! I don't want my browser to be able to give web sites access to do that!

    HOLY FUCK! I don't want this stuff!

    1. Re:WHAT THE FUCK?! I DO NOT WANT THIS SHIT! by blindseer · · Score: 4, Funny

      Wait until the next version, added features will allow Chrome to:
      - Erase the presets on your car stereo
      - Leave the toilet seat up
      - Drop cigarette butts on your front stoop
      - Spit in your orange juice
      - Fart in the elevator
      - Put sugar in your gas tank
      - Mismatch your socks
      - Implement the blink tag

      --
      I am armed because I am free. I am free because I am armed.
    2. Re:WHAT THE FUCK?! I DO NOT WANT THIS SHIT! by Billly+Gates · · Score: 2

      Now just give it a decent editor and init boot config and you have a full SystemD competitor and OS as well.

      --
      http://saveie6.com/
  5. But I need WebBIOS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm hoping that the next version of Chrome will allow web pages to automatically update my BIOS. It would be really useful for sysadmins and OEMs!

    /sarcasm/

  6. Just click No by tepples · · Score: 4, Informative

    HOLY FUCK! I don't want my browser to be able to give web sites access to that info!

    Then click No when the browser asks you if a particular origin should be able to use a particular API. Depending on localization decisions made before launch, the No button may be labeled Deny or Block or Don't Allow.

    1. Re:Just click No by AmiMoJo · · Score: 4, Informative

      I just tried the Network Information API sample on Chrome for Android (https://googlechrome.github.io/samples/network-information/).

      No permission request, it was enabled by default and there does not seem to be a way to disable it. It knew I was on cellular and that the downlink speed was 3.6Mb/sec (optimistic but basically correct).

      As the AC said, HOLY FUCK.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  7. Re:"security guarantees of the web" by Fly+Swatter · · Score: 2

    I think they are just being honest. "We have as much security as the wide open internet." Hopefully systemd has a method for blocking USB device access to a specific application, in this case chrome.

    Had to block chrome from using dbus because it kept the computer from sleeping even with a blank page open. Chrome is bad at cleaning up it's dbus power manager locks.

  8. A new vector by fibonacci8 · · Score: 2

    Counting down to the first malware strain that sends advertisements to a 3D printer via WebUSB without users intervention...

    --
    Inheritance is the sincerest form of nepotism.
  9. Re:It has a deny button by fibonacci8 · · Score: 2

    Somewhere in an event log "shadyadnetworked wanted access to your 3D printer" - "auto-granted via WebUSB settings"

    --
    Inheritance is the sincerest form of nepotism.
  10. WTF, VentureBeat? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    issue 1) this was already available as of Chrome 60 (behind a flag)

    issue 2) as of Chrome 62 (Canary), the modules were not (as yet) loading in the correct order.
    The module loader still gets confused if the nesting is too deep (I have to manually order part of the loading).

    issue 3) it's not a "new element". It is new attributes on the same old element.

    Seriously, don't go with what VentureBeat says about anything technical. As if they would even have a clue.