thechromesource – Google Chrome and Chrome OS News and Resources

Nexus One’s Faults Just Mean Better Strategy for Chrome OS

Posted on 23. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

Lilliputing’s Brad Linder has a piece posted today talking about what happens for Google devices in the aftermath of the Nexus One. GigaOM’s Ostatic blog also had an article on this topic as well, so we’re going to write our take on the whole situation.

Suffice to say, the Nexus One did not exactly take off as planned but that doesn’t mean immediate failure for any impending Chrome OS devices.

Let’s face it: Google tried an experiment whereby another manufacturer built the phone, but it was up to Google to support it. In hindsight that may not seem like the best idea, but it was worth a shot. Now Google knows that they need to work with hardware partners and let those with the expertise design and build the devices under certain specifications.

There’s a whole list of companies that are working with Google on this, and this way of putting a Chrome OS product on the market will be successful: by letting Google provide the platform and the manufacturers developing great products based on the hardware requirements.

Bottom line: we will see Chrome OS tablets and laptops before the end of this year. It may take some time for the products to gain traction, but judging by people’s desire for something between a smartphone and a full-fledged computer, it will be successful.

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.

Inside Chrome 6: Video

Posted on 19. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

This article on video is part of a series of posts discussing the new features and technology that will come with the official newest release of Chrome browser – Version 6.

The rise of video on the internet is going to really change the web – although that has been said for years, it’s taking advances in broadband and browser technology for it to happen. We’re getting close, and the fact that Google TV is coming later this year with a version of Android and the Chrome browser on top, new technology in Chrome 6 will propel web-based video even further.

Chrome 6 will support the WebM standard, which runs on the recently opened-up video codec called VP8. WebM is supported by Mozilla, Opera and Google among other technology companies. The early beta of Firefox 4 is the first browser to support WebM.

Earlier this year, Google bought On2 Technologies, which owned the patent to VP8. Once the acquisition was made, several open source groups such as the Free Software Foundation asked Google to open up VP8, and they did. The On2 acquisition was big for the development of HTML5 video in newer generation browsers. With WebM, HTML5 video is run through an open standard, a process that in the past has been handled by Flash and a video technology called H.264, which is not open.

So what does this all mean? Improved quality of video as well as overall performance, no matter where you are. Plus, we’ll see more capability to mash-up, modify and generally edit videos in ways we probably have not yet even though of.

Need some proof? Consider this Chrome Experiment called “Destructive Video” by Sean Christmann. Although it uses the Ogg video codec instead (WebM just came out), you are able to break up a clip into pieces whilst the video is play. Also, check out the YouTube mobile site, which is HTML5-based and very snappy. Although the codec used here is H.264, the WebM format will be introduced as mobile devices get WebM, which Android is expected have implemented later on this year.

thechromesource Weekend: Links for 7/18/10

Posted on 18. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

A Google press event for “few new things” is scheduled for July 20th in San Francisco with VP of Search Products Marissa Meyer.

In partnership with Ford and General Motors, Google’s Send-To-Car service will send map data directly to vehicles.

Cheap gadgets with Android may become very popular in China, with an impact on other devices around the world.

The Nexus One is nearing the end of its life cycle according to an official Google blog post.

It appears that Google CEO Eric Schmidt is very familiar with the inner workings of Washington, according to Politico.com.

Google Was Interested in Palm – Because of Apple

Posted on 17. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

Business Insider wrote an article recently about the talks that led to HP ultimately buying Palm. Apparently, Google was a part of these talks, mostly because they thought Apple was in the bidding – even though Google wasn’t sure if that was the case or not. Surprised Apple was interested? They likely were because of their desire to compete with RIM’s more business-attuned customers.

Although Palm was struggling financially at the hands of both Android and the iOS, they have some interesting technology to offer the market. Now that HP owns them, I would expect to see some innovative products come from the Palm brand, since the acquisition was structured so that Palm is a division of HP.

Just don’t expect a Chrome OS or Android tablet anytime soon from HP, it looks like they have their hands full trying to make some money off of Palm’s own cloud-oriented operating system called WebOS.

thechromesource Daily: Links for 7/16/10

Posted on 16. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

LG is mulling over whether to join the Google TV initiative, which will launch this fall.

How is Microsoft going to compete against Linux operating systems for share of the tablet market?

It’s possible that Google’s smartphone app strategy is actually holding Android back.

The Gmail Notes Chrome extension is too buggy and unpredictable to help organize your email, according to CNET.

Google has gone to the FCC requesting that the video market be switched to an open standard.

Most Popular App on Android? The Browser

Posted on 15. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

Senior Vice President of Product Management Jonathan Rosenberg said on Google’s Q2 conference call today something that certainly bodes well for webapps, and maybe a different way of looking at mobile technology. The most popular application on the Android platform is, of course, the browser.

Is that true on Apple’s platform? Maybe, maybe not, I don’t know the answer (I did look), but without Flash, it makes one wonder how Apple plans on moving forward with apps. Do they want it to be the browser, or is it more profitable for them to keep all content (apps, music and movies) in their own Store?

Android’s browser shares some of Chrome’s elements, like the V8 JavaScript engine. How much more of Chrome will be lent over to the Android browser in the coming years? When will Chrome be the browser for Chrome?

Here is a graph provided by Business Insider from Nielsen, showing the top downloaded apps by smartphone. Where do you think the browser fits in on this graph for these phones? Is it the browser, as it is on Android? Also, note the amount of Google services (Maps, YouTube, Search) that comprises this graph.

Tablets to Replace Low-End Laptops, Netbooks

Posted on 12. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

Recently it was reported that Barclays analysts have concluded that the tablet will be a device that replaces gadgets like netbooks and low tier laptops. This can be attributed to the fact that the pricing for these types of products are similar, plus the fact that Apple has captivated a market of early adopters with their iPad and its easy to use interface.

Does that mean in the future that people will carry and smartphone with them and keep a tablet for lounging around at home? While the whole typing experience still seems troublesome, that may be the case. If this is indeed true, then it makes sense for Google to develop two distinct operating systems bases on very specific needs. While we have seen Android-based tablets like the 5″ Dell Streak, it’s likely that tablets with larger screens would be more popular rather than something that just looks like a smartphone but cannot make traditional wireless calls.

Of course, the intention for Chrome OS initially was not for tablets. In fact, all evidence up to this point leads one to believe that right now a commercial product will actually be a netboook or larger laptop-like device. That’s probably not the ideal product anymore, at least at this point. No one has really stepped up to Apple to compete in this very new tablet space.  At least, not yet. But with this market doubling in size very quickly according to predictions, there is room for several rivals.

And that’s going to include Microsoft, as they are planning to work with manufacturers to release a good number of Windows tablets this year.

WebOS May Now be the Focal Point of HP’s Tablet

Posted on 07. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

One of the official Google hardware partners for Chrome OS has been known to be computer behemoth HP. We’ve been very interested in seeing what HP would be able to offer Google’s forthcoming computer OS since they really are one of the only computer manufacturers that has been able to create and produce designs that are, shall we say, less utilitarian and more eye-pleasing than the rest of the PC market.

But recently HP bought the financially struggling Palm, possibly to boost its position in the ever-growing mobile market. Palm has been able to design and launch smartphone products that have been critically praised of late, however because of the growing dominance of Android phones it has not been successful in boosting its flagging market share. This, in a nutshell, is why Palm desperately needed HP in order to survive.

But the fact of the matter is that now with Palm in the fold, it’s quite possible that HP will focus on developing a tablet that runs Palm’s WebOS rather than Chrome OS as might have been originally planned. WebOS sounds surprisingly similar to Chrome OS as a cloud operating system based on the Linux kernel, although WebOS may be more focused upon social media aspects, so there may be a niche edge there for Palm in that space.

So, we’re not saying that the new Palm-HP relationship (Palm is now a subsidiary) means that HP will not release its own version of a Chrome OS device this year. It does, however, leave one curious how much in terms of resources will be spent on WebOS versus Chrome when the former is something built specifically for Palm devices and could be more successfully branded for long-term opportunity in HP’s eyes.

We shall see, as it will be dependent on either device’s success, that being a laptop device or tablet. This will be HP hedging its bets on both operating systems in the end.

thechromesource Daily: Links for 7/5/10

Posted on 05. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

You want Chrome Apps right now, complete with App tabs? Lee Matthews from DownloadSquad has the dish.

We’ll all soon leave the credit cards at home since the Chrome Checkout extension will allow for mobile payments on Android.

Being able to use Google services outside of just Apps for those specific user accounts is expected to come fairly soon.

Both the dev channel as well as the stable were updated near the end of last week.

Logitech’s Revue box, which will be launched this fall in the U.S. for Google TV, has been submitted to the FCC for review.

Schmidt on Chrome OS: The PC Industry is not Like the Phone Industry

Posted on 05. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

Everybody’s working for the weekend, so it kind of flew under the radar last week a quote by Google CEO Eric Schmidt about the reluctance to try another Nexus One-type branded phone, or say, Chrome OS device for that matter.

Speaking to the Telegraph, Schmidt said, ”we have a reference spec for Chrome OS, we have a couple of hardware partners all lined up and the open source is all out there. It’s on schedule and it will happen later this year. Let’s see how well those partners do first. My guess is we won’t need to. The PC industry is different from the phone industry. The PC industry is used to working with Microsoft, whereas the mobile industry was not used to working with software.”

Now the mobile industry is working with software, and that software called Android sure is working out well.

What Schmidt said is really the same thing that we’ve been hearing since Computex. Acer, HP and (although not listed as an official partner) Dell are the three most likely companies at this point to put out Chrome OS devices in Q4.

Back to the topic of software. Because the fact that we’re hearing that Google is ramping up its music and news services only seems to solidify how important user experience is going to need to be to make these Chrome OS machines an ultimate success. We’ve seen a bit already of Picasa adding some cloud computing functions, and there will be no surprise that we will see more of this as we move along the third quarter.

So, in its continued fight against Apple’s massive dominance in apps, Google keeps those Chrome Apps in an ever-evolving state.

Will Developers For Google Platforms Make Any Money?

Posted on 25. Jun, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

It was brought to my attention recently an article talking about overall dollar amounts that developers make for their applications that are sold in top mobile marketplaces. Basically, a huge amount of money has been paid out to developers for Apple’s iOS, while Android has seen very little in revenues to those who create for that platform.

The fact that so little apps have been sold in the marketplace, coupled with the fact that there are more Android phones now being outsold by iPhones, brings up a few thoughts.

One is a recent report that says developers are indeed interested in making apps for Android tablets and smartphones; the problem is that this may be true, interest is not turning into solid numbers for the Android Market. For whatever reason, the overall amount of money that is going to app developers for Android is still small despite the interest. That’s a problem. Is it possible that Android users expect all of their apps to be available for free? That is indeed a possibility.

That brings the Chrome Web Store into the picture here. Expected to be the way that users will be able to buy apps when Chrome OS comes to market, one has to wonder whether it will be a boon for developers or not.

One way to prevent the same problems that Android is now experiencing is to launch an incentive-laden paid advertising model for the Chrome Web Store, one perhaps not unlike AdSense for websites. This way, developers can see that they need to create applications that captivate a large audience. This way, popular apps are created for the mass market, and creators make money for doing so.

It may not work for all applications, but it is a great way to launch an app market until there is a diverse set of people using the platform, which may be the underlying problem that currently plagues the Android Market. Too many people with the same interests, and for whatever reason not willing to pay up for apps like those who use the iPhone do.

Who’s Going to Compete With Apple’s Tablet?

Posted on 22. Jun, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

The current state of the tablet market is pretty stale. And let’s not even go into the JooJoo.

I say this because when I was at Taiwan’s Computex 2010 conference less than a month ago there were some formidable competitors in terms of hardware, but the leading manufactures for these devices didn’t really offer a whole lot in terms of software.

Sure, the Acer tablet that allows one to flip the netbook-style form factor over to a table was impressive, but the touch functionality of Windows 7 for it was quite lackluster: I asked a product rep to reboot the device because there seemed to be a problem with the touch software, only to have the same problems crop up again once it started up.

Asus offered up a beautiful tablet design that had potential to compete with Apple, but they kept a product manager closely hovering over the device running a new version of Windows CE that looked surprisingly Android-like, but because of the people and Asus employees holding a close grip on the tablet, no one was really able to test the paces of Microsoft’s UI.

MSI had a winged version of a tablet running Android that seemed surprisingly comfortable in my hands, but we all know that Google’s smartphone operating system isn’t really meant for tablets – it just seemed like a supersized stock version of the OS. An MSI product manager also told me that the MSI Wind tablet was just a concept for now.

This is problematic. The reason why I say this is because since Apple has taken the world by storm plugging an already existing operating system with the iOS to a tablet form factor, that have essentially beaten the entire computer manufacturing market with the iPad. There is no one else that has an operating system that is fully compatible with touch on a tablet.

That’s not to say Android is far behind Apple’s touch-based operating system, but it is clear that unlike the iOS, there was no plan for tablets in its future. We’ve seen early on Google’s Chrome OS tablet concept, and we can only hope that Chrome OS will offer a stylishly-designed slate from the likes of HP, Dell or Acer in the coming months, hopefully something that is just as functional, open source for app developers and creatively designed mobile gadget that can compete with the iPad.

I hold out hope on this, because only one successful tablet in the market does not bode well for innovation. What do you think? Which one of these PC manufacturers has the best chance of offering a tablet running Chrome OS that can compete with Apple?

Those Repository Files Must Mean Something

Posted on 21. Jun, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

Last week, DownloadSquad’s Lee Matthews discovered some public repository files that referenced three hardware manufacturers: Dell, Acer and HP. A few days later, those files were then replaced by a different listing that included some legacy hardware such as Amiga, Atari and Commodore, among others.

This has got to mean something. One thing that jumped out in my mind when Matthews first reported this story was that Dell is not on the official list of hardware partners. When I contacted a source who is working closely with some official partners on hardware about Dell, I was told that there are no new announcements for the time being.

It seems the three manufacturers and there repository files on the Chromium site point to the logical conclusion that they will be the first companies associated with official Chrome OS products. It’s a different move than the route that was taken for Android where a more upstart company, HTC, took the first leap into the mobile OS and rode that platform to the success that it is today. I really don’t see HTC having the same spotlight it now holds with smartphones if it had continued down the Windows Mobile path it was on a few years ago.

Regardless, I have a great deal of respect for Dell, Acer and HP as longstanding companies producing computer hardware. The fact that they are getting behind this project further validates to me that Chrome OS will be a strong competitor in the consumer computing market over the coming years.

thechromesource Daily: Links for 6/16/10

Posted on 16. Jun, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

Remember the Chromium repository files that listed Dell, Acer and HP? They’ve been replaced by different ones now.

While Google has not launched its own storage service, it has given Memeo permission to use the “GDrive” name for Google Docs.

Social networking-focused browser Flock has replaced its Mozilla underpinnings with those of the Chromium browser.

The next version of Android will be focused on the user interface, hoping to avoid having manufactures put their own UI on devices.

Here’s a video of the the Logitech Revue, which will be a companion device for Google TV.

thechromesource Daily: Links for 6/14/10

Posted on 14. Jun, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

Asus is working on an ARM tablet that will run either Android or Chrome OS and will be released by its AGAiT subsidiary.

A Google Executive has thrown in his opinion on the AT&T limits on data the company is imposing.

It appears that a Google Music service could be coming this fall, with some exciting features to compete with Apple.

Mobile devices that blur the line between smartphone and computer heat up the competition between Qualcomm and Intel.

Google sure does have a lot of money in its coffers to invest in or acquire companies with.

Google Depends on Official Partners For Chrome OS

Posted on 07. Jun, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

One of the things I have been thinking about after looking at the video I shot from the recent Computex press conference held by Google is that despite the confusion held by many in regard to how Chrome OS and Android will fit in with each other is that it is going to depend on the partners for each particular project.

It’s likely we are not going to see the same type of fragmentation that has surfaced with Android. Although some of these devices being made are not smartphones and thus cannot get on the current application market legitimately, some of the gadgets we’ve seen are giving us different ways to think about using Android.

Instead of a gadget free-for-all with Android that has happened, Google is officially partnering with a small group of companies to launch Chrome OS for a release in the fourth quarter. It remains to be seen whether the list of companies will at some point be expanded, but if the market is ready for a cloud-based operating system at the end of 2010, then there may be a ton of companies interested in Chrome OS. The question is, what will be required to officially release Chrome on a device? While it has been said hardware specifications, could that include the form factor as well?

All we know right now is that a 10-12″ laptop/netbook is in the works for the initial launch. That may perhaps be because touch functionality has not been completely figured out in term of user interface interaction, but I’m just assuming this point.

Anyways, it’s a different model than Microsoft, whereby they support so many different devices I can only assume that this sometimes drives them mad. Google would be keen to set certain standards for products that are released with Chrome OS. At the same time, being a platform that is going to be on open source software there will be innovative ways for the market to grow that could n0t happen with a Microsoft operating system.

thechromesource Daily: Links for 6/6/10

Posted on 06. Jun, 2010 by Greg Farnum.

Google axes Windows, saves millions.

Extension tips: Syncing notes across multiple computers with Chrome Notepad.

iPad rivals at Computex favor Android. 

Chrome extension opens PDFs and PowerPoint with Google Docs.

Microsoft Dominates at Computex

Posted on 01. Jun, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey.

So the first day of the Computex computer trade show has come and gone, and I’ve been confronted with a startling revelation: Microsoft really has command of this conference.

I spent a good amount of time today going from manufacturer to manufacturer asking about Chrome OS. While most of them are open to using it, there really seems to be an “in the future” mentality to using any operating system from Google. That also includes Android as well, with the sheer majority of tablets that I saw sporting a touch-enabled Windows 7.

Here is some of the reasons that Microsoft is such a force at Computex.

The Show is for Procurement

People come to Computex to make purchasing decisions for their companies on products that mostly come from Taiwanese manufacturers. As such, they want to see what they are going to be buying over the balance of 2010 and into 2011. Because of this, purchasers are looking at getting devices that run Windows 7 since it is here and now, ready for deployment and/or selling.

Windows 7

Windows 7 was launched not too long ago, and as such Microsoft is making a big push to sell its new operating system. Despite the software climate these days, Redmond still makes a ton of money on selling operating systems that are shipped on new computers. That would partially explain the reasoning behind so many tablets having a Microsoft OS instead of Android. With that being said, there was an open source booth that had some different commercial versions of Linux. I also got a chance to try MeeGo, and I have to say I was impressed with it.

The Microsoft-Manufacturer Connection

One product manager I talked to for a leading manufacturer told me that there are some financial incentives to help them put a display on at Computex if they follow certain standards for showing off Microsoft products. I was a bit surprised by this fact initially, but it makes sense. The relationship between Microsoft and Taiwan manufacturers is very tight-knit whereby Microsoft offers a platform that works with an array of hardware that the manufacturers design and produce for a good price.

Bottom Line

The most intriguing dynamic to all of this is the fact that it was reported by CNET today that new Google employees can no longer choose a Windows solution for their workstations. Future Microsoft implementations at Google will only be for testing purposes, or specially approved. This report, which was rumored but not confirmed until now, comes at the same time we are seeing a boatload of Microsoft-loaded products at Computex.

It will be interesting to see how this may change over the course of the next year, with Google exerting more dominance in the market. This is a telling sign that IT purchasers do not have Google platforms in their sights as of yet.