Google has just released a new beta of the Google Chrome web browser that improves the speed dramatically. It's up a full 66% since the latest stable release of Chrome 9 and has nearly doubled since Chrome 7. This is thanks to the new JavaScript engine they called Crankshaft, which was actually previewed in December. In addition to speed, Google is adding what they are calling a "preliminary implementation" of GPU-accelerated video, which according to them can increase battery life on a laptop while watching video by up to 80%.

Another great feature is the new Options (and other settings) menus found in Chrome 10 beta that have been completely rethought. Instead of opening in a new dialog box, these settings can now be accessed in a new tab. The handy new search bar on the left lets you search for any particular setting to change it immediately without having to hunt through the sections. Finally, each category in the Options menu now has its own link. This is useful if you need to help someone using Chrome to edit their settings. Just send the link and the receiver is automatically taken to that specific section in the Options menu. You can learn more about this in the video below.

As you may or may not know, Google Chrome is in fact my browser of choice. There are several instances when one contemplates switching to a different browser (in my case, Safari) but Google has stabilized my decision to stick with Google Chrome with the release of this Chrome 10 beta.