Google Chrome 17 released with more speed and security

Almost a month after releasing Google Chrome 16 Final, Google has finally pushed Google Chrome Beta to version 17. This latest build concentrates on delivering speed and security enhancements with background preloading of web pages and downloading screening functionality added.

A number of other, more minor changes and the usual slew of bug fixes are also included, including adjustable margins in Print Preview and a prompt to confirm the cancellation of incomplete downloads when the user closes the last window of an incognito profile.

The headline features with the beta release, are however, firmly focused on speed and security. Some web pages are now preloaded in the background as web users type the address into the Omnibox – if Chrome is confident it knows where the user is going, the web page is preloaded so it appears more quickly or even – according to Google – instantaneously in certain cases.

Chrome 17 Beta also introduces an extension to its Safe Browsing technology that automatically screens all downloaded executable files (such as EXE and MSI in Windows) for known malware, alerting the user if any are found. It’ll also alert the user if a file is downloaded from a website with a poor reputation for hosting malware-infected files.

At the present time, the database of known malware is relatively small, but is expected to grow rapidly as the feature moves into the next major stable release. It mirrors similar functionality already found in Internet Explorer 9 as well as a host of security tools including Norton Internet Security 2012. As always, however, the user should not rely solely on this feature to protect them from malicious downloads.