Google speeds up Chrome for iOS with new data compression feature

Google's Chrome Web browser for iOS devices has been updated to include several enhanced features, including data compression designed to speed up page loading.
Reducing data consumption and improving the speed of Web performance on mobile devices is something Google has been working toward in recent months. At the company's I/O developers conference in May, new file compression formats for images and video were announced for Android-powered mobile devices, drawing partly from capabilities already present in Chrome for the desktop.
The latest Chrome update, released Wednesday, brings some of those concepts over to devices powered by Apple's iOS.
The data cost savings, the company said, will reduce data usage and speed up page load times. Users can view their data savings in the app's bandwidth management settings. These data-reduction features will be available to all users over time, Google said.
The update also builds in interoperability with other Google apps, giving users the option to open links for YouTube, Maps, Google+ and Google Drive in the app instead of in the browser. In the update, there are also voice search enhancements to provide text-to-speech for all variations of English, Spanish, German and several other languages. Users can also now access their full browser history to view a list of websites the person has visited while using Chrome in standard mode.
On the whole, the new features are not groundbreaking, but the more interesting development is the expansion of the bandwidth management features, said Brian Blau, an analyst with Gartner. "Google is working to make the Web experience better even as it promotes its own app store," he said.
"Web tends to get left behind on mobile, but it's an important platform for communication and information," he said.
"Anything the operating system or distribution platform owners can do to curtail data traffic, while preserving the integrity of mobile data experiences, is a good thing," agreed John Jackson, an IDC analyst. That's especially true as mobile devices move toward becoming the mainstream, if not dominant, platform for consuming content.
"There's a case to be made that Google has an interest in Web-ifying apps, or app-ifying the Internet," he said.
Google's Chrome browser has seen a steady rise in usage rates over the past couple of years, Google executives said at the I/O conference. At the time of last year's show, there were 450 million monthly active users, and as of this past May there were more than 750 million users, according to the company.
"Our goal is to make the Web better, both on the desktop and mobile," said Linus Upson, VP of engineering for Chrome, at the conference.
The Chrome software is overseen by Sundar Pichai, who also heads Google's Android mobile operating system. The executive is meeting with members of the press next week at an event in San Francisco, but it is not clear whether any new Chrome product will be announced then.

EE confirms July date for doubling 4G speeds

Mobile operator EE has confirmed it will double the speed of its 4G network in 12 cities from 4 July 2013 as it continues to try to attract new customers.

EE first announced the boost in April, but has now listed the first locations to get the improved connectivity, which could see speeds reach as high as 150Mbps – although an average of between 24Mbps and 30Mbps is more realistic.

The cities announced were Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Derby, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Nottingham and Sheffield.

There is still no firm date for when the rest of the network will be upgraded to this level. A spokeswoman from EE said the date would depend on a number of factors, such as the readiness of masts and the population/customer base in other locations. However, the operator said the goal was in line with its promise of giving coverage to 98% of the UK by the end of 2014.

“As well as continuing to launch in new towns and cities, the next phase of EE’s 4G roll-out will focus on high-population consumer and business hubs such as airports, shopping centres and commuter belts that have seen average data usage triple since the launch of 4G, ensuring that EE powers consumers and business in the areas that are most important to them,” she added.

Olaf Swantee, CEO of EE, claimed the announcement showed his company was staying one step ahead of competitors as other mobile operators prepared to launch their 4G services later this summer.

“Our new double-speed 4G technology means that we have the biggest, fastest and best network in the UK, and now the equal fastest in the world,” he said.

“With our superfast network, we have a unique opportunity to introduce a new era of customer-friendly pricing models based on speed and we’ll be revealing further details of this later this year.”

On 17 July 2013, EE will launch a number of new offerings to the market, such as shared 4G plans to enable customers to connect up to five devices on one tariff; and the first pay-as-you-go options for mobile broadband.

Users who sign up to 24-month 4G contracts before 30 September 2013 will receive the doubled speeds and larger data allowances for the same price as a standard contract.

EE confirmed a new partnership with MasterCard, enabling NFC payments from mobiles. The "Cash on Tap" service will enable users to top up their phones with money and use it like a pre-pay contactless card in the 23,000 outlets that accept the method, such as Boots and McDonald’s. EE is offering £10 as an incentive for users to sign up to the service, which will also go live on 17 July.