Google Chrome 23 is now available, and will bring such features as Do Not Track, as well as promises such as lower power demands (hence better battery life for laptop users) due to increased use of hardware accelerated video decoding.
For Chrome users, the update should roll-out automatically soon. New users can download the new version already. As we mentioned Chrome 23 now features the option of sending a “do not track” request to websites and web services, a feature that was a glaring omission with most other major browsers having already adopting it a while back.
According to the Google Chrome blog, the “effectiveness of [do no track] requests is dependent on how websites and services respond,” and the Chrome team says it is working with other browser makers to develop a better DNT protocol, for an easier, common way for websites to respond to these requests in the future.
Chrome 23 also makes it easier for users to view and control any website’s permissions for capabilities, from geolocation to pop-ups and camera/microphone access. The website-specific options can be found on the page/lock icon in the omnibox, and toggled from there directly (see below).
As for better battery life or lowered power consumption, the Chrome team says that in their tests, they experience 25% longer battery life than average. The feature is for Chrome on Windows, where GPU-accelerated video decoding has been enabled.
