Google has updated its Chrome OS to plug some security holes and fix bugs affecting the operating system’s ability to play some video content.
This upgrade will be applied to all devices running in the “stable channel,” which is the official, fully tested version of the operating system. Users also have the option of receiving fixes earlier if they move to the beta or development channels.
This new version—25.0.1364.173—updates Flash to resolve a bug that prevented playback of some video content protected by DRM (digital rights management) technology, including video from Amazon’s Prime service.
Fix for Chromebook video playback freezes
The Chrome OS upgrade also fixes an issue that caused video playback to freeze on the new Google Chromebook Pixel computers and on Acer C7 Chromebooks.
Security fixes include a GPU process overflow, rated “high” by Google.
Last week, Google announced that Sundar Pichai, who leads the Chrome OS, Chrome browser and Apps product teams, is also taking on the direction of the Android mobile OS from Andy Rubin.
This has led to speculation that the two operating systems may be integrated or unified at some point. While Android is optimized for smartphones and tablets, Chrome OS was built for Internet-connected devices, primarily low-cost, lightweight laptops commonly referred to as Chromebooks.