Google dropping support for older browsers

SAN FRANCISCO, June 3 (UPI) -- Google says it is phasing out support for older Web browsers running the company's Web applications like Gmail, Google Calendar, Talk, Docs and Sites.

After ending support Aug. 1, those Web services could eventually stop working for those sticking with older browsers like IE7, Safari 3, Firefox 3.5 and their predecessors, the company said.

Google said it's making the change because newer technologies like HTML5 are required for new features in Google Apps, and that older browsers just "don't have the chops," the San Francisco Chronicle reported Wednesday.

Google will support only the current and one-prior "major" release of each browser, the company said, and won't guarantee new features will work correctly in older browsers.

About 17 percent of computer users might need to upgrade their Web browser in the light of Google's decision, the BBC reported.

Google's move is seen as part of a trend by the makers of browser programs to stop the use of older versions, which can be insecure and not powerful enough to handle the latest web technologies, the BBC said.