Google Chrome Frame for Internet Explorer

Google released something cool today called the Google Chome Frame. According to Google, “an early-stage open source plug-in that seamlessly brings Google Chrome’s open web technologies and speedy JavaScript engine to Internet Explorer.”

It helps make the Microsoft browser better in two respects:

• Start using open web technologies - like the HTML5 canvas tag - right away, even technologies that aren’t yet supported in Internet Explorer 6, 7, or 8.
• Take advantage of JavaScript performance improvements to make your apps faster and more responsive.

In short, Chrome Frame is a plug-in for Internet Explorer 6, 7, and 8 (to those still using IE 6, shame on you or your IT department) that makes Internet Explorer a better browser.

The caveat is that the web developers have to embed a special tag in their HTML code to switch to rendering using Google Chrome Frame instead of IE. Still a good move nonetheless. Hopefully if the takeup rate is high enough, IE6 can finally die.

Here's a video introduction of what Google Frame is about.