Google has announced a new update for its Chrome desktop browser, adding a couple of new features that should be well-received. The first is expanded pre-loading — Chrome already pre-fetches certain web pages it guesses you're going to click on next in the background so they will render "instantly" when you click a link. Now Chrome is adding that same feature to web pages you're about to visit by dint of typing the URL into the main address / search "omnibox." Google says it will pre-load sites that are autocompleted as you type if "you're very likely to visit" them.

Google also added some expanded security measures to Chrome. It will automatically check downloads against a database of known malware and sketchy source sites to warn you before you download. The checks only apply to executable files (apps and programs, essentially) and Google is quick to warn that there's no guarantees here. The company is just as quick to note that it is planning more security features and even Chromebook improvements in the future.