thechromesource – Google Chrome and Chrome OS News and Resources

thechromesource Daily: Links for 7/29/10

Posted on 29. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

Internet Explorer 9 is sure starting to look a lot like Chrome browser.

An analysis by Business Insider on whether Google is still a growth company.

Does Google’s investment in Recorded Future actually have U.S. national security implications?

How many hundreds of million dollars is Google willing to spend battling Facebook?

Google is allowing designers to have more control over typography customizations.

No More Google Search in China

Posted on 29. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

ReadWriteWeb is reporting that the Google Search function in mainland China is no longer working, and a quick look at Google’s China availability page is showing the same thing.

It looks as if there have been problems for some Google services in China for weeks; it’s amazing that users would even be trying to use some of these features after a solid week at this point.

This really brings to question how Google is going to go forward with its China strategy. They might as well expect intermittent usage of their services going forward, but from a business perspective that’s really hard to gauge numbers on.

One thing is for certain: Android and Chrome OS popularity is high in China. Google Analytics shows me that China is one of the top ten countries that visit this site.

Logitech Begins Showing Off Google TV Ads

Posted on 29. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

Well, its clear that summer is coming to a close because Logitech is ramping up its marketing efforts for the Revue, a set top box that will offer Google TV to those who subscribe to DISH Network this fall in the United States. The Revue is decidedly netbook-like internally, loaded with a Intel Atom processor.

Although traditionally a television would most likely destroy itself in spectacular fashion by doing this; I guess the idea of television being “reinvented” here is the main point.

thechromesource Daily: Links for 7/28/10

Posted on 28. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

One billion devices are a legitimate possibility for Android; at least that’s what Google CEO Eric Schmidt believes.

The dev channel of Chrome browser has been updated; the release includes some UI tweaks and stability fixes.

Apple has released an extensions gallery for its Safari browser creatively called – Safari extensions.

You can’t just throw out an OS like Windows because people are connected to the local applications says GigOM’s Sam Dean.

Is Facebook Questions a legitimate contender in the search market or will it just simply be an annoyance?

Speed is a Big Deal, Measuring it is in Chrome 6

Posted on 28. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

The Chromium blog today has a post up about the importance of load times for a web page. In fact, it is so important that Chrome 6 will offer developers the ability to test load times on the fly while they are doing their thing. It’s actually a standard being worked out across all browsers called Web Timing. Developers can see it under window.webkitPerformance.  Not a bad idea, since Google has made it clear in the past that speed is a big factor in search rankings.

Consider the case in point by the Google Research blog that points to “more usage, as measured by number of searches, reflects more satisfied users”, meaning that controlled tests on this very subject prove the point that speed makes people happy. This continues to reiterate their insistence on emphasizing a fast-loading web, and for good reason. It’s what the people want out of their user experience.

That explains why I’m always unhappy when I’ve got to use this Windows 7 machine.

Content Farming: Bad For Cloud Computing

Posted on 28. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

I’ve been reading recently a surge of reports about “content farming” – an insistent creation of cheap and quick content in order to drive traffic and gain revenue from Google’s ad programs. For that end, the content itself lacks a certain degree of quality as the writers are not required to have any knowledge of a subject that they are writing about.

Its purpose is to fill a known informational gap and thus reap profit from content that does not exist about a certain niche. I’d never really put much thought into what companies like Demand Studios and AOL really do. I mean, they have names that appear to some degree respectable.

But in an age where the average college student trusts whatever top query result that comes from a search engine, it’s very real the information that comes from content farms is going to really start plugging up the web. Demand Studios, which has received hundreds of millions in funding, is capable of pouring almost four thousand articles a day onto the web, and using hundreds of social media accounts to promote this content.

You’ve seen this type of content before, although you may not have realized it. It was likely a search result from a generic-looking site with an answer that is never complete enough. You know what I’m talking about.

This is not good for search engines, particularly Google themselves. While users of Android are on the rise, a cloud computing operating system like Chrome OS could reap more benefits from search results. This is based on the notion that people will use a device like that entirely on the web in full-screen mode. One problem, however, is the increased amount of information on the internet coming from more dubious sources because of content farming.

thechromesource Daily: Links for 7/27/10

Posted on 27. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

Google Alarm is a new extension that allows you to be notified every time your data is sent to Google servers, which is a lot of notifies.

Cloud Music is an iPhone app that allows you to stream music from your Google Docs account to your mobile device.

Translation features and the ability to undo “smartquotes” are a part of a new Google Docs update.

Firefox’s new operating system-like user interface may have a leg up on that of Chrome browser according to TechRepublic.

Lee Matthews from DownloadSquad has deftly discovered that a new download manager is coming soon to Chrome.

$150 Tablet, $99 Netbook Arrive with Android – What’s Next?

Posted on 27. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

Yesterday, Lilliputing reported that KMart was now carrying a $150 tablet loaded with Android. Today there’s another report that the retailer is also carrying a $99 netbook as well with the popular mobile operating system.

It’s hard to fathom what you would be able to do with such cheap devices, since they are not subsidized by a two year wireless plan the specifications for devices as these prices must be pretty bare compared with the ultra-powerful smartphones with Android 2.1 on the market today. Nevertheless, Engagdget reports that the $99 netbook came with a web browser, Gmail and Google Apps. Sounds like a nice little mobile device between a laptop and a smartphone.

Despite this, we’ll keep reporting about super cheap devices coming on the market, as this can only help the case for Chrome OS products, which are coming very soon. Although those devices are expected to be priced in the $300-$500 market.

Google Snags Mouse-Watching Patent

Posted on 27. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

Slashdot is reporting via a blog called Techeye that Google has secured a patent for displaying search results based on the way a user moves their cursor. Called System and Method for Modulating Search Relevancy Using Pointer Activity Monitoring, this process allows Google to display an advertisement based on when someone hovers their cursor over a link, and not neccessarily clicks on it.

We all know that Google makes the lion’s share of money from its ads. I know that other companies do mouse-over style advertising, but this system may be more intricate that those since the patent describes “a client assistant residing in a client computer monitors movements of a user controlled pointer in a web browser”, meaning there is software monitoring mouse movements on a device.

Hey, we’ll see where this one ends up. I better be able to turn this option off in Chrome OS. Just as long as Google doesn’t start making decisions for me. Hm, maybe they already do…

Will Chrome OS Have FISMA Certification?

Posted on 27. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

In yesterday’s Technologizer post about Google Apps getting FISMA certification, Harry McCracken was at the press event for the government-clearing certification allowing the Google enterprise suite to be used for sensitive data. McCracken asked CEO Eric Schmidt about a version of Chrome OS that is FISMA certified.

“That’s like a ‘yes, absolutely,’” Schmidt said. “Let’s ship it first…All the apps we’re talking about will run incredibly well and incredibly securely on Chrome OS.”

That’s good to hear. But I think it goes without saying that apps should all run securely in Chrome OS, and they should be secure in whatever environment they are run in. While FISMA apparently doesn’t allow for classified information, it does allow for sensitive material. I would say that anything I deem private data would be “sensitive” as well, don’t you?

thechromesource Daily: Links for 7/26/10

Posted on 26. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

Google Punch is likely a new feature for Apps collaboration, at least according to compiled reports by TechCrunch.

Chrome 5 stable has been updated; the version is now 5.0.375.125 and has been patched with security fixes.

Here’s a look at what Google is doing to address IPv6 – including slowly making its services compatible.

Google is struggling to rebuild its business since it took a stand on self-censorship against the Chinese government.

Google engineer Rob Pike is frustrated by the complexities he faces using the C++ and Java programming languages.

Why Aren’t All Google Apps Made Equally Secure?

Posted on 26. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

Google is proudly letting everyone know in an Enterprise Blog post today that Apps is the first set of cloud applications to be certified under the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA), a requirement needed in order for government entities to use data that is stored in the cloud.

I think it’s a great idea, I wonder why all Google Apps are not made equal to this type of standard. I’m sure that to protect its own proprietary data that the internal operations within Google are running under the auspices of FISMA, why can’t everyone else as well?

I’m concerned about my privacy in the cloud, but there continues to be nothing I can do about it. The United States government, on the other hand, demanded that Google provide proper data security for its business applications. If Google was not going to be providing it, then the government simply was not going to use it. Interestingly, I’m sure that those with high security clearances were using Google Search prior to this point, a service that may have even more security implications for secure data.

Everything is going to be in the cloud whether we like it or not. Witness email, Skype conversations and other web-based services. There truly are benefits to this, but having some sort of standard compliance for all users, and not just for the federal government, could go far in protecting our private information.

thechromesource Weekend: Links for 7/25/10

Posted on 25. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

Does Google need to buy Zygna in order to have leverage against Facebook?

ReadWriteWeb reports that users and developers alike will be the engine driving Google’s enterprise growth.

The new YouTube embed format checks your browser to see if it is HTML5 capable, otherwise it will play the clip in Flash.

Mashable has posted 10 behind-the-scene videos that are all about Google.

Although the cover design looks a bit Windows-like, “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Google Chrome and Chrome OS” will be out Aug. 3.

Is Dell Scrapping PCs with Ubuntu?

Posted on 25. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

I was alerted via Slashdot an article by PCPro UK that Dell is no longer making a push to offer Ubuntu-based laptops and netbooks through their website. This was reported for the Dell UK site, which right now is only returning printers when one searches the term “Ubuntu”. When I went to the USA version of the site a search brought back a slew of desktops, laptops and netbooks offering Ubuntu version 8.04.

With that being said, we wouldn’t be surprised to hear that Dell may attempt to scale back the options for devices loaded with Ubuntu. Despite no concrete evidence of Dell working on a Chrome OS product, their Linux team has been releasing builds that work with the Mini 10 netbook. Last month, a Dell executive that is based in South Asia told Reuters that the company wants to be “on the forefront” of innovations in the computer industry such as Chrome OS.

So, we’ll chalk up the sudden disappearance of Ubuntu products from Dell’s UK site as an experiment in consumers’ tastes. If someone in the UK wants to buy an Ubuntu-loaded device from Dell, they can still call and ask for one. The debate still is part of a Dell web page on the topic as well.

The $35 Tablet

Posted on 24. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

Have you heard about the tablet that has been developed in India for educational purposes that costs $35? Kapil Sabil, who works for the Indian government’s human resource ministry, showed off a prototype recently and even speculated that the device could cost $10 in a short time as hardware costs decline.

News organizations are reporting this as a laptop; the reality is that this device looks like a tablet. It has no keyboard, doesn’t fold and has a touchscreen. How can that be described as a laptop?

More and more, cloud computing makes hardware a commodity that will matter less than the platform that a device runs on. This comes as Intel recently posted its best quarter ever as companies purchase more expensive servers to handle increased processing that is done remotely now more than ever.

Witness the increasingly short lifespan of the mini-computers that we all carry around called smartphones. Indeed, it almost seems surprising to me that phones are given one-word names: at some point this convention for naming is going to run out of creative ideas there are so many products coming out.

Nevertheless, this Indian device has one purpose: to increase education and literacy rates in India. Would you be surprised to hear that this gadget runs Linux, has a web browser and can allow users to read PDF files?

Sounds like a Chrome OS computer to me.

thechromesource Daily: Links for 7/23/10

Posted on 23. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

A new version of Chrome will be coming every six weeks from here on out.

Our pal Charbax has the inside scoop on Microsoft’s new ARM license.

This will make your day I swear; it’s about the LAPD’s concern over moving to Google Apps.

Is Google really all that threatening? CNN says “they’re no product killer”.

One of the many Wired blogs seems to realize that Chrome version 6 is right around the corner.

thechromesource Daily: Links for 7/22/10

Posted on 22. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

Chrome OS implications are involved with Google’s Nexus One Exit - the company’s strength is not in support for devices.

The dev build of Chrome browser has been updated; the release fixes a nagging download issue among other updates.

The Chrome Web Store icon has been added to the newest dev builds of Chrome.

YouTube has launched a music discovery site, paving the way for a potential Google Music service.

Google’s Chinese search rival, Baidu, is planning to create its own mobile operating system to compete with Android.

Google Plans to Accelerate Chrome Releases

Posted on 22. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

The Chromium blog has a post talking about their plan to begin releasing new stable versions of Chrome every six weeks. It’s a hurried pace, but the fact of the matter is that Google is ramping up Chrome to be used for a platform for technology in many different areas of the company’s strategy.

One of the reasons to increase the frequency of version updates is to make sure that the Chromium team is not putting out stable features just because there is a deadline to get a new release out. There are so many features being added or changed in the development build that it is hard to keep track of what is actually going to go into the stable build. Indeed, it seems the build is update almost every week as it is.

Chrome is going to be a central part of Chrome OS, of course, but it will also be a component of Google TV, arriving this fall on DISH Network. Technology such as the V8 JavaScript engine has also been ported over to Android’s browser as well. There are probably some other features of Chrome that are going to springboard other Google initiatives that we don’t even know of yet.

I guess I better finish up my Inside Chrome 6 series, the new stable release may be coming a lot sooner than I had anticipated.

Best Buy VP: Content Important to Putting Tablets on Shelves

Posted on 22. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

Best Buy’s Vice President of computing Jason Bonfig recently spoke with Laptop Magazine about what it’s going to take for him to put tablet that compete with the iPad in stores. Yes, things like form factor are important, but the real driving factor will be content for the device. Not just applications, but the ability to use a tablet as a portal for all sorts of things: music, movies and the web along with apps.

It’s true. We’ve seen some tablets come out running Android, and at Computex there were a ton of Windows tablets on display. But people don’t want another computer, one that doesn’t have a keyboard. They want a new experience, one that is different from possibly even the iPad. Although Bonfig didn’t talk about Chrome OS specifically (he name dropped MeeGo instead) the reality is that an interesting new device that takes advantage of the web’s potential is the future of tablet computing.

Bonfig doesn’t even see that great of a future for netbooks, either. The way he looks at it, netbooks all seem the same to him. They do all seem to have the same specifications, and if they aren’t using ARM or something like that, why bother? Netbooks are going to have to innovate to keep their place in the gadget world.