Cool Stuff in Google Chrome

OK, so if you've been on the Internet for longer than a month, you're probably aware that Google recently released it's own browser called Google Chrome. It's a pretty slick browser with some nice features.

Of course it has tabs, and processes flash files for YouTube, but one of the coolest features is the element inspector. If you're a geek, like me, you like to see what's going on under the hood and the element inspector gives you that information at a glance.

To access it, simply right click on a blank space within your web page and select... (wait for it...) Inspect element (difficult, I know). You're presented with a sort of "debug" screen that shows you the different code elements behind the page you're loading.

Still another cool feature is the Task Manager. In the upper right hand corner you'll find a sheet icon with a down arrow. Click the down arrow and go to Developer then select Task Manager (or, for you keyboard people, just press shift+esc). This brings up a task manager specific to the Chrome browser and comes in VERY handy when you have a web page that craps out on you.

Just launch the Task Manager (in Chrome), select the offending page, then press "frapee", (or End Task, to all you non-geeks). It kills the offending page/site, without crashing your entire session, something Microsoft hasn't quite figured out yet.

Lastly, under this same window, there's the Stats for Nerds. A cool little page that shows you statistics on memory usage and processes, as they relate to your web browsing. Wanna see how much pork is in that home made sausage video you're watching on YouTube? This is where you can find out.

So, I'd higly recommend giving Chrome a try. It's not quite ready for prime time, with a few minor bugs that still need to be ironed out, but it us a fun browser and I think it's going to have a dramatic impact on Microsoft and Firefox's future designs.