updates Meet the browser: Chrome Next

[derkim]

Feature since Chrome 29. It allows that now Chrome omnibox will be more easy to use and hit suggestion with a touch.

thanks! But looks strange for me.

[+Zlip792 MVC]

thanks! But looks strange for me.

My Chromium 31 snapshot install looks same.. Don't worry.

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Chrome dev has been updated to version 31. Two things I'm noticing:

 

1. It uses its own scrollbars rather than native ones now.

2. What does the a on the top left of the 'Hamburger menu' mean? Any idea?

 

See screenshot:

 

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Note: The above only applies to the Windows version. The Mac version is still using native scrollbars, and doesn't show the 'a'.

[night_stalker_z]

Chrome dev has been updated to version 31. Two things I'm noticing:

1. It uses its own scrollbars rather than native ones now.

2. What does the a on the top left of the 'Hamburger menu' mean? Any idea?

See screenshot:

Capture.PNG

The 'a' means it's an aura build. It's basically another window manager.

https://sites.google.com/a/chromium.org/dev/developers/design-documents/aura-desktop-window-manager

[+Zlip792 MVC]

Chrome dev has been updated to version 31. Two things I'm noticing:

 

1. It uses its own scrollbars rather than native ones now.

2. What does the a on the top left of the 'Hamburger menu' mean? Any idea?

 

See screenshot:

 

Capture.PNG

 

During early snapshots I do get some build which changed scrollbar to like this one but it changed after a while, I think their Aura desktop is in field trail phase, and you are lucky to get it. LOL!

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

The 'a' means it's an aura build. It's basically another window manager.

https://sites.google.com/a/chromium.org/dev/developers/design-documents/aura-desktop-window-manager

 

 

During early snapshots I do get some build which changed scrollbar to like this one but it changed after a while, I think their Aura desktop is in field trail phase, and you are lucky to get it. LOL!

 

That explains it then. Thanks.

[Anibal P]

Aura has some nice yet not too glaring or obvious animation tweaks, they look nice, and possibly just the placebo effect, but things seem smoother with it

[+KibosJ Subscriber²]

Aura has some nice yet not too glaring or obvious animation tweaks, they look nice, and possibly just the placebo effect, but things seem smoother with it

 

I must admit I do like the new fancy animations.

 

The "Aura" thing has completely broken metro mode though :(

 

It looks and works great, apart from one thing.... you can't type anywhere :p

 

I also wish google would follow the guidelines for a windows 8 app, but no, they do as they please as usual.

 

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

And in the latest build (31.0.1612.2) Aura is gone again. Wasn't ready for prime time yet I suppose.

[yowanvista]

Anyone knows when the Angle D3D11 backend will be re-implemented? The 'enable-d3d11' flag is no longer present since version 30. I'm using 31.0.1613.1 canary Aura btw.

[+Zlip792 MVC]

Anyone knows when the Angle D3D11 backend will be re-implemented? The 'enable-d3d11' flag is no longer present since version 30. I'm using 31.0.1613.1 canary Aura btw.

If I open about:gpu in my Chromium snapshot, it shows me that due to some driver workarounds d3d11 is disabled. So it will come back once these will be fixed.

[+KibosJ Subscriber²]

And in the latest build (31.0.1612.2) Aura is gone again. Wasn't ready for prime time yet I suppose.

 

Hope they get it fixed up soon, looks quite interesting :)

[+Zlip792 MVC]

Hope they get it fixed up soon, looks quite interesting :)

Using Version 31.0.1615.0 (220210) and here No Aura...

[+KibosJ Subscriber²]

Using Version 31.0.1615.0 (220210) and here No Aura...

 

Yeah, just updated and it's gone here too. Did look quite interesting though :)

[+Zlip792 MVC]

Yeah, just updated and it's gone here too. Did look quite interesting though :)

 

It will be back surely... We have to keep our hopes up.... :D

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

It will be back surely... We have to keep our hopes up.... :D

Aura is back on the Windows dev build as of today. Version 31.0.1622.7 dev-m Aura

[+Zlip792 MVC]

Is it something to do with WebRTC to control Mic or Camera or something else?

[+Zlip792 MVC]

I thinking now Aura is sticking ON with M31:

Read this commit message:

 

Because we've been shipping Aura to canary for a while. And because force compositor landed 40 hours ago and things seem ok. See https://codereview.chromium.org/23874016/ This also allows to see perf numbers for Aura. This has happened before see for example r204698, r211007 and 214056 as an experiment but this time it might stick.

 

https://codereview.chromium.org/24164002

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

The latest dev build (31.0.1632.7) is still using Aura. It also introduces a new styling for menus:

 

[+Zlip792 MVC]

The latest dev build (31.0.1632.7) is still using Aura. It also introduces a new styling for menus:

 

Chrome menus.png

 

They enabled it by default for M31. So I think even official release will also have it unless big performance regression or something not shows up.

[djdanster]

What is Aura? Is it the "a" on the settings button?

[Anibal P]

What is Aura? Is it the "a" on the settings button?

 

Yes the a is part of it, if I remember correctly it's Google's homebrewed compositing engine, like to better enhance graphic capabilities, especially in ChromeOS

[+Zlip792 MVC]

What is Aura? Is it the "a" on the settings button?

Yes, it indicates that.

It is more like hardware accelerated  UI and it replace all Windows native styling on radio button etc and add its on.

[LittleNeutrino Veteran]

Yes, it indicates that.

It is more like hardware accelerated  UI and it replace all Windows native styling on radio button etc and add its on.

 

that would explain why since the a showed up the fans go wild when i have chrome open, it also uses a tonne of system resources now (about 300Mb per service running)