Skip to main content

Google Chrome 4.1 Beta Speaks in Tongues, Privately

Opera 10.5 may challenge Google Chrome’s claim to perkiest Windows browser out there, but the latest version of Chrome includes a clever new feature yet unmatched in the browser wars: automatic site translation, plus beefed up privacy controls.

Much like the “translate this page” feature Google already offers when foreign-language pages show up in search results, Chrome will now automatically detect which language a page is in and offer to translate it for you. The main benefit: you won’t have to make a trip to Google Translate to copy and paste in a URL whenever you stumble upon a jumble of Cyrillic characters anymore, and you can ditch the annoying top frame that accompanies translated sites.

Recommended Videos

Chrome Beta 4.1 also introduces a new Privacy control panel under Chrome’s options, allowing users to set specific options for how Chrome should handle cookies, images, JavaScript, plug-ins, and pop-ups, all on a granular site-by-site basis. These features join the existing “incognito mode,” which prevents downloads and history from being recorded as you browse.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Google Chrome 4.1 download is available as a free download immediately.


Nick Mokey
As Digital Trends’ Editor in Chief, Nick Mokey oversees an editorial team covering every gadget under the sun, along with…
5 web browsers you should use instead of Google Chrome or Edge
Google Drive in Chrome on a MacBook.

Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge dominate the world of web browsers, but they’re not for everyone. Whether you want a browser that better respects your privacy or need an app that does things a little bit differently, you don’t have to stick to the usual suspects.

There’s a world of alternative web browsers out there if you want to give something new a try. Here, we’ve put together five excellent options, with each one bringing fresh new ideas to the table. So, if you’re looking for alternative browsers to Chrome and Edge, take one of these browsers for a spin.
Arc
Easels let you pin live websites snippets, which can update themselves and be interacted with. Alex Blake / Digital Trends

Read more
How to delete Google Chrome on Windows and Mac
Google Chrome with pinned tabs on a MacBook on a table.

Google Chrome is one of the best web browsers around, packed with user-friendly features and controls. It’s also the default browser for pretty much any Chrome-branded product you purchase. Even if you prefer Safari or Firefox, we bet Chrome has one or two things you would dig. But what if you've added Google Chrome to your Windows or macOS machine, and you’ve decided you don’t like the dang thing?

Read more
Google may build Gemini AI directly into Chrome
The Google Gemini AI logo.

Google is now fleshing out its newly unified Gemini AI system in its browser with its first attempt at implementing Chat with Gemini into the Chrome Omnibox.

This latest effort will update Google Chrome with a Chat with Gemini shortcut in the Chrome Omnibox, allowing users to access the AI chatbot feature without having to go to the Gemini website, according to WindowsReport. The Omnibox serves as an address bar and search bar, and it adds multiple other tasks to a browser. Now with a simple @ prompt, you can also access Google's AI chatbot to answer questions, create images, and generate summaries, among other tasks.

Read more