Google Chrome's updated 'new tab' is more app-friendly

An updated “New Tab" page has made the latest version of Google’s Chrome browser “friendlier" to Web apps, making it easier for users to access existing apps and discover new ones. Product manager Shannon Guymon said the “New Tab" page is now more streamlined and allows users to organize their apps in different sections. “From sharing photos, to collaborating on documents, to enjoying online games, web apps make the web fun, useful and entertaining. Since the beginning, Chrome has been designed to allow apps to do more, faster. Today, changes in Chrome make it even easier to access your favorite apps and discover new favorites," Guymon said in a blog post. Guymon said a user can add more apps to the “New Tab" page by clicking the Chrome Web Store. The Web Store itself also has a new look, she added. She also said apps and extensions are now presented in a wall of images that’s updated every time a Chrome user visits the store. “We hope this will help you quickly scan the store and find interesting things to try out. In addition, apps and extensions are easier to install—just hover over an image on the grid and click ‘Add to Chrome,’" Guymon said. On the other hand, Guymon said getting additional information about an app or an extension is just a click away. Clicking on an app, extension or theme will reveal a panel featuring screenshots, videos and other relevant information neatly organized into separate tabs. The store also includes a new reviews interface that links to the Google+ profile of each reviewer. “To protect your privacy, we made sure to anonymize any reviews that you previously submitted," she said. New apps Meanwhile, Guymon said new apps have joined the store, including “My Robot Nation," an app that lets one design a robot and bring it to life with a 3D printer. She also said there are new games to play, and even a new eBay shopping app. A separate article on The Next Web said the new “New Tab" page had been on the pre-release version of Chrome and Canary, although the feature is new for the latest stable release of Chrome. — TJD, GMA News