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Chrome 69 was a massive update because it brought a whole new interface for both desktop and mobile. Now that the v69 version is stable, the beta channel has been updated to version 70. This update is not as important as the previous version, but it does bring some important improvements, especially for the security.
Improvements in Web Authentication
Chrome 67 has added an initial support for the Web Authentication API, which allows sites to use something other than usernames and passwords to log on. For example, you can use a fingerprint or Bluetooth key However, the feature was limited to Chrome on desktop platforms.
In Chrome 70, the API is enabled by default on Android. When you visit a site that supports Web authentication, Chrome prompts you to use a security key. Google claims that fingerprinting will also work (on Android and Mac with Touch ID), but I have not been able to test it.
Shape detection API
Web applications can already read barcodes or identify faces in several ways, usually using automatic learning JavaScript libraries, but those that can affect performance. To make this feature more accessible and improve performance, Google adds its own form detection feature to Chrome.
The form detection API is in Chrome 70 as an "original test", which means that it is not ready for widespread use. The API can detect three types of objects in images – faces, barcodes and text. At the present time, compatibility varies from one platform to another because the host operating system must have the appropriate object detection APIs. Android and macOS support all three objects, but Windows 10 supports only face and text detection.
You can try a demo of the Shape Detection API here.
TLS 1.3
Transport Layer Security, or TLS, is the protocol that allows the secure transfer of data over the Internet. When you are on an HTTPS site, the data is probably sent via TLS. Chrome 70 supports TLS version 1.3, which was finalized last month.
A list of changes can be found here, but in summary, it improves both efficiency and safety. To establish a secure connection, you need fewer round trips. You may see a slight improvement in loading times (if the site you are visiting supports TLS 1.3). Here is a graphical representation of the CloudFlare modification:
TLS 1.3 also supports some legacy features, such as SHA1 and MD5 support. Google said this on the Chrome Platform Status page:
TLS 1.3 was a multi-year project covering contributions across the industry, academic research groups and other participants in the standardization process. We have already experimented with previous versions of the standard and, with the final standard made, we are now excited to run it in Chrome.
Firefox v60 added support for TLS 1.3 (version 23), which was released in May this year. CloudFlare has also been supporting the standard since May.
Other features
As always, Chrome 70 includes changes for users and developers. Here are some smaller features provided with this update:
- The decoder for AV1 video is now enabled by default on all platforms.
- The speech synthesis API will no longer work unless the page has already been interacted. This is commonly used by spamware popups on mobile because it was not included in the new Chrome 66 autoplay policy.
- If a page is in full screen mode and displays a pop-up window, the page now exits full screen mode.
- AppCache no longer works on non-HTTPS pages.
- On Android devices, the operating system version number (for example, "NJH47F") no longer appears in the user agent string to prevent fingerprints. Chrome on iOS will freeze the build number at "15E148" instead of removing it completely, to track the implementation of Safari.
- Opus audio is now supported in MP4, Ogg and WebM container files.
- WebUSB now uses dedicated work contexts, which should improve performance.
- Web Bluetooth now works under Windows 10.
- There is a new sync dialog on desktop platforms (thanks Edric).
APK Download
The APK is signed by Google and upgrades your existing application. The cryptographic signature ensures that the file is safe to install and has not been tampered with. Rather than waiting for Google to download this download to your devices, which can take days, download it and install it as any other APK.
Version: 70.0.3538.17
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