This violates Google's own Software Principles: http://www.google.com/about/corporate/company/software_princ...

"""

Upfront disclosure

When an application is installed or enabled, it should inform you of its principal and significant functions. And if the application makes money by showing you advertising, it should clearly and conspicuously explain this. This information should be presented in a way that a typical user will see and understand – not buried in small print that requires you to scroll. For example, if the application is paid for by serving pop-up ads or sending your personal data to a third party, that should be made clear to you.

"""

I'm not so sure. I mean, you could read it that way if you were determined to do so, but I don't think that's the only reasonable way to read it. This isn't an application making money by showing us advertising — it's Google announcing their new Chromebooks to Chrome fans. That is, it's just a note about something new with Chrome. This doesn't look like the start of in-browser ads as a major monetization strategy for Chrome.

The first Chromebook was advertised the same way in the Canary builds. The one that shipped to my zip code did not end up at my house. :)

The ad doesn't show up during apps - at least not that I ever saw, but, only on the app selection page or bookmark page.

It has been used very sparingly and I'm not sure I've seen it more than a handful of times since switching to Canary as my primary browser ages ago.

I'm using version 15.0.874.121 on Windows (the "up to date" version as of two minutes ago), it doesn't show anything.

So to add insult to injury, is it possible that this ad is somehow contextual or targeted?

Yes, it seems to be targeted. We don't see it from Russia

I might be totally lying here but I think I remember seeing something like that promoting Angry Birds for Chrome. My memory's not great so it might've been somewhere else.

I remember a similar styled ad notification about a year ago for the cr-48 test in chrome & chromium dev channels.