The most exciting new features support for OpenType variable fonts, the full statement of the Network Quality Estimator API, the capacity to capture and stream DOM elements, and HTTP warnings for the browser’s Natural and Incognito mode.
While for most users this wouldn’t seem like a big opportunity, the most important new feature attached in Chrome 62 is support for OpenType variable fonts.
Until now, web developers had to load many font families whenever they needed variations on a font family. For instance, if a developer was using the Open Sans font family on a site, if he needed a font modification such as Regular, Bold, Black, Normal, Condensed, Expanded, Highlight, Slab, Heavy, Dashed, or another, he’d have to load another font file for each.
OpenType variable fonts allow font creators to merge all these font family changes in one file that developers can use on their site and restraint via CSS. This results in fewer files loaded on a website, saving bandwidth and increasing page load times.
Announced beginning in April, starting with Chrome 62, Google will add a “Not secure” marker below certain conditions in Chrome’s Normal and Incognito modes. Google’s plan involves two major changes.
The first is how Chrome marks HTTP pages in the default browsing mode. Until now, Chrome specified HTTP pages as “Not secure” when there was a form field today on the page for entering payment card or password information. This addition was added in Chrome in January, with the announcement of version 56.
Starting today, Chrome 62 will mark any HTTP page as “Not secure” if the user is penetrating data in any kind of field, may it be a search field or a simple numeric input.
The second major difference is in Incognito mode. Google says that all HTTP pages will be considered as “Not Secure” starting with Chrome 62. This labeling will result regardless if there’s a form field on the page or not.
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