Mar 03, 2021 09:35:00

Google Chrome 89 stable release, with API that allows you to connect to external hardware from your browser

Version 89.0.4389.72, the latest stable version of the web browser ' Google Chrome', has been released.

In addition to an API that allows you to access external hardware such as Joy-Con of Nintendo Switch from the website, a new function that allows you to easily share data from the website to another app on your PC is installed. ..

New in Chrome 89 --Chrome Developers
https://developer.chrome.com/blog/new-in-chrome-89/

New in Chrome 89: Web Serial, HID, NFC, PWA installability changes, and more! --YouTube


◆ WebHID / WebNFC / Web Serial will be introduced
With the introduction of WebHID, websites will be able to connect to human-operated devices such as gamepads and Joy-Con. A demo page that connects to StreamDeck has been released, and the actual operation is summarized in the following demo movie.

Daft Punk Sound Board with Elgato Stream Deck using WebHID --YouTube


As the name implies, WebNFC is a function for reading and writing NFC tags from websites. In order to use this function, an NFC tag reader must be connected to the device, but as of 2021, many mainstream smartphones already have an NFC tag reader, so use it from a smartphone. In the case of a website, it seems that users can use it without any special preparation.

Web Serial is a function that makes the serial port available from the website, and it will be possible to connect with a

microcontroller or 3D printer.

◆ Warning to PWA that page cannot be displayed offline
Google has developed a tool called Lighthouse that audits websites, and this Lighthouse will now display a warning on 'PWA that can not display the page while offline'. In Chrome 89, it is only a warning, but from Chrome 93 it will be caught in the audit. It is also stated that it is okay to provide a simple fallback page to avoid this warning.

◆ A new sharing function has been added, making it possible to send data to another app.
Introduced 'Web Share', a function that allows you to send files created or edited on a website directly to another application. This feature has been available on smartphones for some time, but Chrome 89 now works on Windows and Chrome OS.


◆ Other updates
・ Top-level await is now available in JavaScript module
-Changed the PWA installation icon to make it easier to understand

-It is now possible to take a 'screenshot of the entire node' with the developer tools.
Previously, screenshots were taken with the off-screen part cut off, but since Chrome 89, screenshots of the entire node including the off-screen part will be saved.

-Objects can be copied from the console and source screen

Chrome 89 also contains 47 security bug fixes .