It seems remarkable to think that Google is only 10 years old, because the web search giant seems to have been around forever. But in a decade, Google has shaped the way we spend time online—from the way we search, use email (GMail) and now, even the way we collaborate with documents thanks to Google Docs. But until now, every time you accessed Google or used a Google product, you used a browser not made by Google. With Chrome, the Mountain View, California-based company plans to change all that, and to celebrate the browser’s launch, it commissioned a comic book by Scott McCloud. You can download Chrome and read the comic at www.google.com/chrome.
But...
Chrome has raised huge privacy concerns. While Google’s explanation for Chrome is that it was essential to redesign the browser from the ground-up to take advantage of new services provided over the web—invariably by Google itself. Services such as “cloud” computing, where applications are hosted online and the browser becomes the consumers’ way of accessing them—are exactly what Google Docs does. Google already has access to a whole host of information about the average web consumer—from search, mail, video streaming and Docs. Google says it is not “evil” and in a sign of magnanimity will “only” keep nine months worth of user data. That is still nine months too much, argue privacy advocates.
And more
Every time you open a new tab on Chrome, the screen shows your most visited sites (this speed dial feature is lifted from Opera). It also stores your most recent Google searches and also logs your closed tabs. If you enter a term on the address bar, it can suggest a website or conduct a search for the term.
