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Chrome 73 Arrives With Support For Hardware Media Keys, PWAs and Dark Mode On Mac (venturebeat.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the new-and-improved dept.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from VentureBeat: Google today launched Chrome 73 for Windows, Mac, and Linux. The release includes support for hardware media keys, PWAs and dark mode on Mac, and the usual slew of developer features. You can update to the latest version now using Chrome's built-in updater or download it directly from google.com/chrome. Chrome 73 supports Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) on macOS. These apps install and behave like native apps (they don't show the address bar or tabs). Google killed off Chrome apps last year and has been focusing on PWAs ever since. Adding Mac support means Chrome now supports PWAs on all desktop and mobile platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, Chrome OS, Android, and iOS. Chrome now also supports dark mode on Apple's macOS; dark mode for Windows is on the way, the team promises.

The VentureBeat report includes a long list of developer features included in this release, as well as all the security fixes found by external researchers. Chrome 73 implements a total of 60 security fixes.

25 comments

  1. Didn't chrome already support PWAs? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What exactly was the chrome web app store if not for PWAs?

    1. Re:Didn't chrome already support PWAs? by acroyear · · Score: 1

      This is being able to install apps 1) with open APIs rather than proprietary - real localStorage support rather than their hack-job callback crap, for example - and 2) no need to actually submit to a web store for acceptance.

      Yeah, eventually somebody need to make a "PWA Store" that catalogs these apps by feature set, but Google's current approach to that is garbage, as it still requires a lot of unnecessary signing and packaging, going against the entire grain of how PWAs were supposed to make deployment and installation easier.

      --
      "But remember, most lynch mobs aren't this nice." (H.Simpson)
      -- Joe
  2. The PWA support is pretty good. by acroyear · · Score: 3, Informative

    Basically, you hit the 3-dot menu and if all the features are right (manifest, icons, https, and service worker), you'll see the option "Install ...". Doing so will add it to your Apps collection, and then when you open it, it'll open in its own window, with its own Dock icon that you can pin.

    Instant 'app', just add water.

    --
    "But remember, most lynch mobs aren't this nice." (H.Simpson)
    -- Joe
    1. Re:The PWA support is pretty good. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Personally, I blame Tim Apple.

    2. Re:The PWA support is pretty good. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But slower, more resource heavy, closer link to browser exploits, and a new set of UI/UX problems

    3. Re:The PWA support is pretty good. by acroyear · · Score: 1

      mind you, it would be nice if it worked. the beta flag had been working perfectly fine at home. here in the office where i'd not turned it on? not so much. my app freezes up on startup.

      --
      "But remember, most lynch mobs aren't this nice." (H.Simpson)
      -- Joe
  3. Now with more by AHuxley · · Score: 3, Informative

    ad support.

    --
    Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  4. How do you enable dark mode in Chrome 73? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Okay, so there's a dark mode. How do you enable it?

    1. Re:How do you enable dark mode in Chrome 73? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dark mode? In the url bar type "about:config" then search for negro.enable true

  5. Dark Mode by ben_kelley · · Score: 2

    ... is a fad. Someone needed to say it.

    1. Re:Dark Mode by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sorry, but you misspelled "fag": Correction: Dark mode is a fag.. Hope this helps!

    2. Re:Dark Mode by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm confused.

      In what way is dark mode a cigarette?

  6. Shortcut add/remove in new tab broken? by SurenEnfiajyan · · Score: 1

    Am I the only one who's new tab page shortcut add/remove is broken?

  7. they need to undo the last "feature" update by slashmydots · · Score: 1

    HOPEFULLY it gets rid of this awful webp garbage they've been pushing. It doesn't work with facebook, discord, Windows 10, Photoshop, Skype, and I could go on. It's utterly useless and it's driving me away from websites. Go back to JPGs!

  8. Chrome supports PWA on iOS by Merk42 · · Score: 1

    ...at least as best they can what with iOS's shitty support of PWAs. Steve Jobs was ahead of his time, now Tim Apple just cares about that sweet sweet App Store revenue.

  9. Still missing the one feature I really want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The ability to permanently remove and disable their shady, shitty "Software Reporter Tool" - I've removed it, disabled it, even assigned a bogus execution option to prevent it from running. What does Chrome do, downloads another copy, names it a random string and runs that!

    I quit using Chrome and refuse to use it unless I get the option to turn that shit off and keep it off. You're not running something that looks at every file on my hard disk whose functionality you describe in the vaguest of terms, refuse to tell me why it runs, refuse to let me see what it's actually doing, and refuse to let me stop. Sorry, Google, I don't trust you that much.

  10. modes by fluffernutter · · Score: 1

    Do people really bother to change the mode? How does this change my overall experience?

    --
    Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
  11. dark mode by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    why is dark mode on Windows taking so long? it's the only reason I read any of these updates