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Chrome 49 Beta improves background sync, introduces new APIs, more

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While Chrome 50 is expected to bring Material Design by default to desktop browsers and Chrome OS, version 49 will introduce more low laying features for developers. Notably, improved background sync, better JavaScript performance, a new API for recording audio and video, and a host of other features…

The new Background Sync API improves reliability by allowing sites to schedule a sync the next time an Internet connection is available, even if the user is no longer on the page. Currently, if a user closes a tab before a task is finished, it would be lost. Sites often prevent this by showing a pop-up advising that closing the page would cancel whatever is happening. With the new API, the message would be sent regardless without the need of a warning.

The latest version of Chrome’s V8 engine now has 91% support for a major update to JavaScript that allows developers to write code that is more powerful and memory efficient. A new MediaRecorder API allows sites to record audio and video without the need of another plugin, like Flash for example.

Sites can send a lighter version of a webpage by checking if a user has a Save-Data header active. Additionally, users can also expect a smoother experience when scrolling with devices like a mouse wheel. All these features and more apply to the newest Chrome Beta on all platforms. Otherwise, they should be available in version 49 of Chrome in approximately six weeks.

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