Flash Facing Death as Google Launches Chrome 55

By Dane Lorica, | December 04, 2016

Google has launched Chrome 55 which will not support Adobe Flash. (YouTube)

Google has launched Chrome 55 which will not support Adobe Flash. (YouTube)

Google's introduction of Chrome 55 could signal the death of Flash.

To support HTML5, the internet giant finally launched an update for Chrome 55 which makes Flash obsolete in many websites except to those that only support Adobe's multimedia software platform. These exempted websites include Facebook, Youtube, VK, Yahoo, Yandex, OK.ru, Twitch.tv, Amazon, and Mail.ru.

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Despite being exempted from the termination of Flash, the mentioned websites will only enjoy the privilege for one year. After the said period, these sites are expected to support HTML5. Other websites can still show content through Flash with the approval of the Chrome user.

The shift from Adobe's product to HTML5 is part of Google's plan to speed up webpage loading time and ensure the security of users. Google also claims that Flash's replacement reduces consumption of power. In the mobile industry, many providers prefer HTML5 because of the advantages it brings to battery life. In a test conducted for mobile devices, it was found out that Flash video resulted in a "17 percent rise in current draw (reduction in battery life) on the laptop, and a 12 percent rise on the tablet."

Many websites today are using the platform for their ads and videos due to its lighter loading feature. Sites that have already switched to Google's mark-up language are Microsoft Edge, Firefox, and Twitch. An Elstel report said that the different versions of Adobe's player "make life hard for the user as newly converted videos do not run on older Flash versions. Adobe Flash may often be installed but not in the right version which is often overlooked by web admins."

Chrome 55 was launched on Saturday for Mac, PC, and Linux. Updates for Chrome OS and Android will be released shortly. The latest web browser is also reported to reduce RAM usage by 50 percent due to its Javascript V8 engine.

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