Get WebGL working on the Android Chrome Beta

[UPDATE: This whole process just got a lot easier! With the newest update you can now visit about:flags (or chrome://flags, take your pick) and click the link that says "Enable WebGL". Then restart the browser and you're done! Best of all? No root required!]

Today a new Chrome Beta was released to the Google Play store. While the current stable Chrome release is based on the relatively old and crusty Chrome 18, the beta is based on the Chrome 25 code base. It's a big step forward in a lot of aspects, but there's one very specific capability that was added that's of interest to readers of this blog: WebGL support!

Now don't get too excited, because it's not turned on out of the box and not everyone will be able to enable it, but if you're interested in doing some early testing of your WebGL app(s) it's now possible with a little bit of tinkering.

glMatrix 2.0 Released!

Hey, did you hear that it's a 2013 now? New years usually inspire resolutions, and one of mine is simple: Finish more of the projects that I start! To get off on the right foot in that regard, lets start off the year with a brand shiny new glMatrix 2.0!

So what's new in version 2?

• The entire API has been reworked with an eye towards consistency and speed. This means that while it looks similar to the previous revision the new library is NOT backwards compatible with glMatrix 1.3.7. That's an unfortunate casualty of progress, but a necessary one to make sure the library isn't held back by mistakes made early on.
• A much expanded suite of unit tests. We don't have full test coverage yet, but the new tests should at least help to ensure that we catch obvious regressions before they make it into the wild, and it can be expanded to cover new bugs as we find them
• A new library structure and build process that integrates the new tests and will eventually make new releases a one-click operation.
• More optimizations!
• New functions at the request of the community!
• A higher version number!

This new version has been in the works for a little while, and there's still some more updates that I'm planning on around the documentation and landing page, but I'm pretty happy with where the code is at, and the new version should allow the library to evolve more smoothly as feature requests and bug fixes roll in moving forward.

Of course, the new release isn't something that I can take credit for alone. There's plenty of thanks to go around to everyone that's contributed code, ideas, or even just opinions to get the library where it is now. In particular, thank you to:

• Nicholas Kinsey
• Samuel Williams
• gero3
• jagenjo
• Juriy
• Kevin Reid
• Sam Howie
• Won Chun
• Ben Vanik
• Warren Hunt (who really needs some sort of linkable page!)

And of course, glMatrix's co-author, who has been an invaluable source of support, feedback, and code: Colin MacKenzie IV (Otherwise known as sinisterchipmunk, which is the most awesome username ever!)

Happy new year, everyone, and happy coding!