StatCounter: Chrome now the world’s most popular browser, beating out Internet Explorer

Jake Smith

Google Chrome is considered by many to be the essential tool driving their daily work. All of us at 9to5 swear by it and that seems to be the status quo among most of our readers. Despite its popularity, Chrome has always been overshadowed by Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, which comes pre-installed on all Windows computers shipped. However, times are changing. According to StatCounter, Chrome passed Internet Explorer during the week of May 14 to May 20 to become the most popular browser in the world. It looks like the Chrome team will be celebrating today.

The Verge pointed out that Internet Explorer still has a commanding lead in the United States, with a 37 percent to 26 percent lead. So where is all the growth coming from? Other regions like South America, India, and Europe are starting to rank up even more Chrome downloads, where as countries like China, Japan, and South Korea are still being lead by Internet Explorer. Read more

Microsoft restricting Chrome on Windows 8 for ARM devices, Google responds

Jordan Kahn

Following announcements from Microsoft that it will restrict third-party browsers in its upcoming Windows 8 release for ARM devices, Google has weighed in and expressed concerns by claiming the decision restricts “user choice, and innovation.” Mozilla, makers of the Firefox browser, recently expressed similar concerns in several blogs posts (here and here). Mozilla project manager Asa Dotzler, who is leading development of Firefox for Windows 8, claimed, “Microsoft is trying to lock out competing browsers,” and he called it a “direct violation of the promises they made to developers, users, and OEMs.” Today, Google provided the following statement to CNET mirroring Mozilla’s complaints:

 
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Learn a new language with Google’s Language Immersion Chrome extension

Jordan Kahn

There are more than a few tools online to help you learn a new language, but none are as effective as immersing yourself in another country’s language by actually traveling there. Since we all do not have the time to do so, Google’s Creative Lab is providing a similar immersive experience through a new Chrome extension that employs the Google Translate API for translating certain text on any given webpage.

Available through the Google Chrome store, Google teamed up Use All Five to create the “Language Immersion for Chrome” extension and to currently provide options for translating a page into a mix of “Frenglish, Spanglish or even Tagaloglish.” However, all 64 languages supported by Google Translate are available. You can also roll over words to hear them pronounced, or click them to translate to English.

Within the extension, you will be able to filter the level of immersion with a sliding scale going from “Novice” to “Fluent” as you become more comfortable with any given language. A video demo of the extension in action is above.
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Google slides indicate Oracle is bitter over Java’s failed mobile attempts; court battle is a tantrum (photos)

E. Betters

So, everyone is aware that Java platform maker Oracle is amid a courtroom grapple with Google over whether Java patents were infringed in the search engine’s mobile operating system Android, but not everyone is clued in to the defendant’s intriguing side of the story.

According to Google’s money slides (via ZDNet), the heart of Google’s defense is summarized in three clear-cut points: Java code was free and openly available to the public; Google did not violate any patents or copyrights when developing Android; and, Oracle is disgruntled due to its and Sun’s failed attempts to market a Java-based platform for smartphones.

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‘Chrome for Android Beta’ updated with features, languages, and countries

Jordan Kahn

Google announced on the Google Chrome Blog today an updated version of the “Chrome for Android Beta” app that includes support for 31 additional languages and a few new features highly requested by users. The beta is now available to users in all countries with access to Google Play.

Among the new features is the ability to view the desktop version of a website, add bookmarks to your home screen as shortcuts, select default apps for opening links, and use Chrome with the system proxy for Wi-Fi.

As always, “Chrome for Android Beta“ is available free through the Google Play store for Android 4.0 devices. Google also released a change log of fixes, changes, and known issues:

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Sony to join the Chromebook party according to leaked images

Jordan Kahn

Last month, we heard from Google’s Senior Vice President of Chrome Sundar Pichai who told Cnet that new, faster Chromebooks are on the way. Today, we might be getting our first look at a new Sony VAIO Chromebook thanks to a Federal Communications Commission filing for the “Sony VAIO VCC111 Series” that references the ability to “start Chrome OS” (via Laptop Reviews). Adding more proof that this is a Chromebook —and not a Windows machine— is the lack of a Windows key and chrome accents on the back cover. However, the VAIO Chromebook does feature an 11.6-inch Samsung display, HDMI port, microphone and headphone jacks, SD card slot, and two USB 2.0 ports. The filing also mentioned a “T25″ CPU. Laptop Reviews speculated the CPU could be NVidia’s Tegra 250 T25 ARM-based processor, which would mean it is the first non-Intel processor in a Chromebook.

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