Chrome 12 is official

 This week, we saw a major update in browsing as Google pushed Chrome 12 out to its stable browser channel. While Chrome 12 doesn't contain any surprises from its beta release a month ago, it does bring more hardware acceleration support and better browsing security. It also marks the end of public support for Google Gears, the offline Web app tool.

If you like your digital life in the browser, then the Chrome OS could be a clarion siren that's hard to resist. It's fast, it's geared for an Internet tether yet able to function on its own, and it's a bold step into the future of how operating systems work. The Chrome OS will be available to the public on June 15, and Google and Samsung gave CNET an early look at the coming Samsung Chromebook.
In Mobile news, Microsoft has unveiled a tool designed to help Android developers port their apps over to Windows Phone. While it's by no means a magic wand, the Android to Windows Phone API mapping tool can take some of the pain out of the porting process. Also, be sure to check out our roundup of notepad apps for iOS.