Google Chrome 31 Beta Packs Web Payments, Application Shortcuts For Android

Google Chrome is on a roll. After debuting a smarter Omnibox with Chrome 29 and baking Search By Image into the browser, the Chrome 31 Beta has even more new features in store, including a new e-payment system as well as mobile website shortcuts on Android.

The current technology that automatically fills up forms on sites using the browser’s autocomplete information — requestAutocomplete() — is now also being used to work for online payments. On sites with requestAutocomplete(), users will be able to use payment data such as Google Wallet.

Meanwhile, if you are using Chrome for Android beta, you can now turn certain websites into app-like icons, much like shortcuts on a Windows desktop. Tap one such icon and it will open the website in a new tab in Chrome, unless the website has the ‘mobile-web-app-capable’ meta tag. Sites with that tag will function like an app, where the Chrome window they open in is without tabs, buttons, menus or the Omnibox.

Another neat feature called ‘URL handlers for apps’ lets developers specify certain links to be opened with a Chrome app. “For example, a document link on a website could open a document editor Chrome App. This gives users more seamless entry points into their favourite Chrome Apps,” said Google in a blog post.