Google releases Chrome 90 and makes https by default

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Google has rolled out version 90 of the Chrome browser. Starting with this version, Chrome will try to establish an https connection with every website by default. Google is also adding encoder for the av1 codec and has fixed 37 vulnerabilities with this update.

The development team behind the browser has chosen to use https as standard from version 90 instead of the old http protocol. Any user can still manually activate the http protocol by typing in a supporting web address with http. The team also reportedly resolved 37 vulnerabilities of which it identified six vulnerabilities as high risk.

Chrome version 90 also introduces an av1 encoder. This encoder makes it possible for Chrome to encode outgoing video streams with the av1 codec. One of the applications that Google is aiming for is video calling and screen sharing. Both applications will be able to use the av1 codec via Chrome and then run more efficiently. As of October 2018 , Chrome already includes an encoder that enabled the playback of av1 content.

AV1 codec was developed from 2015 by the Alliance for Open Media, a nonprofit consortium of Google, Microsoft, Netflix, Mozilla, Cisco, Intel and Amazon alternatives should develop standard codes such as MPEG4 encoding which often royalties on must be paid. This is not the case with the av1 codec.

Netflix started implementing the av1 codec in its service last year. According to the American streaming service Netflix , av1 is twenty percent more efficient compared to the vp9 codec. Google states that the codec is more than thirty percent more efficient compared to vp9.

The update will be available for Chrome on Windows, Mac, Linux and Android over the next few days, according to Google. The update for iOS devices will follow later.

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