Google releases mysterious update for Google Chrome 106
Google announced on Wednesday that it has released updates for the company's Google Chrome web browser. The updates for Chrome Stable and Chrome Extended Stable are already available.
What makes the update rather mysterious is that Google provides little information on the nature of the updates. The official Chrome Releases blog posts reveal no information on the nature of the updates.
In fact, the only information that is provided is that the version of Chrome is updated to 106.0.5249.103 on the Stable and the Extended Stable channel.
Users who click on the "log" link that Google provides may parse the official Chromium changelog to find out more about the updates. The parsing returns confirmation that Google fixed a potential deadlock issue in CacheStorageManager and corrected an issue in AT actions API, which could cause "serious regressions with JAWS".
JAWS, which stands for Job Access With Speech, is a screen reader "developed for computer users whose vision loss prevents them from seeing screen content or navigating with the mouse".
It is unclear if the listed issues are the only ones fixed in the new Chrome release. Google does not report security issues that it discovers internally in the release notes or in the Chromium log, to prevent misuse by bad actors. It is possible that the company fixed security issues in Chrome found by internal teams.
Either way, it is recommended that Chrome users update the browser as soon as possible to avoid the deadlock issue. The best way to do so is to load chrome://settings/help in the browser's address bar. Alternatively, selecting Menu > Help > About Google Chrome displays the current version and runs a check for updates. Any update that Chrome finds is downloaded and installed automatically at this point.
The update is the third for Chrome Stable and Extended Stable that Google released recently. Both the update to Chrome 106 and the point update that followed afterward were security related.
Closing Words
Google is tight lipped when it comes to Chromium and Chrome updates. Some say that this is by design, others that the company is indifferent.
Now You: what is your take? Should Google provide more details in release notes?
“Google does not report security issues that it discovers internally in the release notes or in the Chromium log, to prevent misuse by bad actors.”
Isn’t Chromium free software ? Wouldn’t anyone, especially bad actors, be able to find out what was changed in the code ? But maybe that in itself wouldn’t be enough to guess what the issue was ? Strange.
Pointless updates after pointless updates and no real new features, thanks no thanks.
There don’t need to be new features every time there is an update. Look at Vivaldi and Edge – most people are complaining about how bloated the browsers have become since almost every update ads new features.
Updates can fix problems too, if there are no updates, the problems won’t be fixed as there is no other way to deliver those fixes.
Personally, I think it’s possible for a piece of software to become feature-complete and updates to only release fixes.
For example a program may have reached a level of feature-completion around 2002 around the time Windows XP was released. Then the program doesn’t need anything new, the only updates that come are every few years to add official support for new versions of Windows.
While at the same time, the software is being sold, employees are being paid and the company continues existing.
Well the update has broken all our computers with slow slow access and some cannot even open Gmail from Chrome or Edge now; however, other browsers work.
In Android most of the time there are no changelogs for updates. This is the same. Anything Google does outside of Android, it has been doing for years inside it.
“In Android (all) of the time there are no (relevant) changelogs for updates.”
Disable “Auto update apps” and then check for updates manually every two-three days… The google app itself gets about a dozen, or more, every month along with an overwhelming slew of the other google apps.
Depending how much one has stuffed a google device (aka “phone) with google store stuff, one might expect 75-100 updates a month.
In the lisitng of updates, there is a changelog in a pull-down caret for each app which usually reads something like, “You can now use you tube while scratching your nose.”
The “Auto update apps” setting is buried in the google store network settings, the location of which depends on which version of Android is running on any of the 85,426¾ SoCs out there on one’s google device (aka “phone”).
Thanks man but I don’t use Play Store, hence no auto updates for me. F-Droid + Aurora Store is the way to go. Most of Google apps are also disabled in my Android phone except Maps, System Webview and Play Services.
What I wrote above is true regarding Google Apps update changelogs. Most of the time they’re blank or not updated in years.
The guy who puts the notes up was on vacation, and the backup forgot–so much else to do.
They should release a changelog, or at least indicate the changes.
It’s like a good cheese production process – they stirred milk for a while (coding coding coding), pasteurized it (added some safety measures), added milk bacteria on the way and now these bacteria are working their assess out producing lots and lots of holes in that cheese during the process. And while you can see holes when you cut it in the middle, you can’t see holes in other places. Ch(oles)rome it is, bon appetit!