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Chrome 19 Official Stable Release Arrived! Is iOS Version Coming?

May 16th, 2012 Posted in Cloud News
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Google just announced the release of Chrome 19 stable version for Windows, Mac, Linux and Chrome Frame.  Apart from bug and security fixes, the most important new featue is tab sync, which I have briefly introduced in my previous post.

Chrome for Android is here, will there be Chrome for iOS?

And according to Macquarie Group’s research, Chrome browser may land on iPhone and iPad before end of Q2.  One of the reasons is that Google is paying Apple a small fee for people accessing Google’s services via Safari on iOS devices.  Besides, the success of Chrome on computers and positive feedback received for the Android version makes Chrome for iOS more probable than not to appear.

However, we shouldn’t be to optimistic because Apple may not easily allow Google to launch its famous browser on the mobile platform (Opera did it after trials).  Besides, unless the device is jailbroken we could hardly believe that Apple would allow users to change the default browser to Chrome.  It may be unjustified to publish Chrome on iOS.

What do you think about Chrome for iOS?  Do you want to use Chrome on iPad/iPhone?

(Image and info source: CNET)

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Chrome OS New Interface – Now With A Desktop and Launcher

April 11th, 2012 Posted in Cloud News
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Google on 9 April released a new Dev Channel release of the Chrome OS.  Apart from security and stability fixes, a significant change is the inclusion of a “desktop”.  In the past Chrome OS is simply a Chrome browser that occupies the whole screen.  The new user interface, called “Aura”, brings a desktop environment similar to Windows.

(Video by chromiumosforge.com)

In this new user interface, you can move windows around, resize as you wish and minimize/maximize windows.  There is a launcher bar down the screen, which works in a way similar to that of Windows.  You can see currently opened windows.  This bar minimizes when you maximize a window.

Chrome OS R19 Aura Desktop User Interface

(Image via Wired)

As we mentioned in an earlier post, this new R19 release of Chrome OS would not be available to Cr48 Chromebooks.  This version is only for Samsung Series 5 and Acer Chromebooks.  Cr-48 will come back to the update schedules after R19.

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Google April Fools (2) – Really Advanced Search, Inter-planet Analytics, Voice for Pets

April 2nd, 2012 Posted in Cloud News, Webapp News
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The second round of Google’s April Fools!  This time we have a “really” advanced search, Google Analytics that shows traffic from the universe and Google Voice for your pets.

 

Really Advanced Search

This version of Advanced Search allows users to search for:

  • “words almost, but not quite entirely unlike” your phrase
  • “rhyming slang for” your phrase
  • exact word or phrase, whose sum of unicode code points is a mersenne prime
  • “subtext or innuendo for” your phrase
and some more… you can also narrow the search results by “font”, “textured background”, “looping midi music” etc.  I wish this “Really Advanced Search” comes true someday.  If Google is really this intelligent, we could get much more accurate search results that suit our particular needs.

Google Really Advanced Search

http://www.google.com/js/reallyadvanced.html

 

Google Voice for Pets

This new product features “technology originally developed for NASA spacesuits”.  A LED emitter could project a virtual keyboard on the ground for your pet to type messages (if you pet knows how to tap).  By putting a collar on your pet’s neck, what is “said” by it wuold be collected and uploaded to your Google Voice account.  The voicemail transcription engine will translate your pet’s messages into English.  There is even an Android app to make voice call to your pet!

Google Voice for Pets

What would happen if you “Call” your pet?  Will the system translate your voice into cat meows?

http://googlevoiceblog.blogspot.ca/2012/04/google-voice-expands-to-new-markets.html

 

Interplanetary Reports by Google Analytics

My final pick is Google Analytics.  For the first time we can track the visits by our extraterrestrial friends!  This new function shows the visitor number from Mars,Venus, Jupiter…  The following screenshot shows a web site with around 200 hundred visitors from some planets:

Interplanetary Google Analytics Reports

If this could happen, I want to see friend from Mars landing on my site too!

 

Read more: http://analytics.blogspot.com/2012/04/interplanetary-reporting-comes-to.html

 

There are lots and lots more April fools by Google and other tech companies such as Google Fiber Bars, Google Street Views by kangaroos, super miniature Ultrabook by Sony, Reddit timeline, etc.  Find out more from these April Fool Round-ups:

http://www.slashgear.com/april-fools-in-the-tech-world-2012-round-up-01221002/

http://searchengineland.com/googles-gags-go-worldwide-for-april-fools-day-2012-117046

http://www.pcworld.com/article/252985/20_april_fools_mustsee_websites_from_google_to_sony_to_youtube.html

 

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Google April Fools – YouTube, Google Maps, Chrome…

April 1st, 2012 Posted in Cloud News, Webapp News
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Hi guy, today (1 April) is the April Fool Day, our naughty little brother Google has prepared many funny things for you.

 

Chrome Multitasking Mode

The first came to my attention is the “Chrome multitask mode” video in YouTube.  In this video, the “Google employee” claims that you can use more than 1 mice at a time on the same screen.  I don’t have two mice to test it, but I bet if you really try to follow these instructions, you get… nothing.

 

8-bit Google Maps

Is this April Fool?  Or a permanent feature?  I hope it is the latter one because it’s so funny.  Today if you go to Google Maps, you will see a box telling you the 8-bit version is released.

Google Maps 8-bit April Fool

You can find the 8-bit rendering of some landmarks.

Google Maps 8-bit Statue of Liberty

UFO at Area 51:

Google Maps 8-bit Area 51 UFO

And there are hidden monsters, like this:

Google Maps 8-bit Monster

People have been crazily sharing the landmarks and monsters they found, probably you already seen some on your Facebook, Twitter or Google+ statuses!

Google even released a video introducing 8-bit Google Maps like a serious product launch!

 

YouTube Collection

The final amazing product is YouTube Collection.  You can order YouTube videos in DVDs delivered to your home!  A vast variety of collections with different themes are available, check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/TheYouTubeCollection

 

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Chrome 18 Stable Release Arrived, Brings Faster and Better Graphics, Even on Old Computers

March 29th, 2012 Posted in Cloud News
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Google just released Chrome version 18 stable release for Mac, Linux, Windows and Chrome Frame (a plug-in that brings Chrome technology to Intenet Explorer).  Apart from bug and security fixes, this version of Chrome brings faster and better graphics rendering.

For computers with compatible hardware, Chrome will now by default enable Canvas2D that supports hardware acceleration.  This means that the graphics on web pages could be rendered and displayed faster.

For old computers, Chrome can render 3D graphics using WebGL even if there is no hardware support, because Chrome will use a technology called SwiftShader to simulate the hardware.  In other words, even if you use old computers you can enjoy using 3D applications and games (certainly the results depends on how good/poor the hardware spec is).  This is how Google described these new features:

“We’ve enabled GPU-accelerated Canvas2D on capable Windows and Mac computers, which should make web applications like games perform even better than a pure software implementation. GPU-accelerated Canvas2D has previously been enabled in the Beta channel for quite some time, so hopefully developers have had a chance to try it out…

WebGL enables compelling 3D content on the web, so we want to ensure that as many users as possible have access to this technology. That’s why we’ve enabled SwiftShader, a software rasterizer licensed from our friends at TransGaming, for users with older configurations.”

Chrome 18 Release - 3D Rendering - WebGL Globe

If you want to test the 3D performance of your old computer in Chrome, try the following web site:

http://workshop.chromeexperiments.com/globe-search

 

Source: Google Chrome Releases Blog, Chromium Blog

 

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Cr-48 Chromebooks Will Skip Chrome OS R19

March 6th, 2012 Posted in Cloud News, Hardware News
1 Comment »

I’m a proud user of Cr-48 Chromebook, this news today made me surprised.  The coming stable update of Chrome OS, Release 19, will not appear on Cr-48s.  This is the full announcement by Melissa Daniels, Google Chrome Community Manager:

We’ll be skipping the Chrome 19 update for CR-48 users due to platform considerations. To be clear, we’re still committed to supporting CR-48 devices. Samsung Series 5 and Acer AC700 Chromebooks will receive R19 and we’ll bring CR-48 devices back onto the release train after R19. In the meantime, CR-48s will continue to receive security and critical updates as necessary.

If you are on Stable on your CR-48, when the update for R18 hits stable, you will receive this and transition from R17 to R18. However, if you are currently on R18 (Beta or Dev on a CR-48) you will not see an update until we bring the CR-48s back onto the release train after R19.


Keyboard of Cr-48 Chrome notebook, caps lock replaced by search

I believe some new features of Chrome OS would be absent on Cr-48 due to its hardware limitations.  I would say it is an expected result because Cr-48 is not a commercial product.  However, what surprised me is the fact that Google will “bring CR-48 devices back onto the release train after R19“.  What is the reason that R19 would not supported by Cr-48s while R20 would?  Or does it mean that from this point onward Cr-48 will have its custom Chrome OS?

 

Source: Chrome Story, Chromebook Central

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Chrome for Android Beta Released, Use Your Favorite Browser in Moble Devices!

February 8th, 2012 Posted in Cloud News
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Google just released Chrome for Android beta (requires Android 4.0), which brings the popular web browser to the mobile platform.

Chrome for Android beta

Download here: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.android.chrome

 

So what does it bring to users?  Here is a brief list of features according to the download page:

  • Browse fast with accelerated page loading, scrolling, and zooming
  • Search and navigate directly from the omnibox
  • Open and switch between unlimited tabs in an easy-to-view stack
  • Sign in to Chrome to sync your bookmarks and view tabs you have open on your computer
  • Send pages from desktop Chrome to your smartphone or tablet with one click and read them on the go, even if you’re offline
  • Browse privately in Incognito mode

 

Basically you can treat Chrome for Android beta as a copy of the desktop browser to the Android platform.  Many of the killer features of Chrome are included in the Android version.

What I liked the most is the simplicity of this browser.  Besides, the bookmark synchronization and send to phone features makes uninterrupted web experience between desktop computer and mobile devices possible.  By using Chrome to Mobile extension for Chrome (requires Android 4.0), you can send the current URL you are viewing to your Android device instantly and directly.

Currently Chrome for Android is only available for users in the following countries according to this page:

  • United States
  • Canada
  • United Kingdom
  • France
  • Germany
  • Spain
  • Australia
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Mexico
  • Argentina
  • Brazil

 

Learn more from the official page of Chrome for Android here: http://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/android/

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Firefox 9 Officially Released, 30% Faster Javascript, Finger Swipe Support for Mac

December 22nd, 2011 Posted in Cloud News
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Firefox 9 is officially released!  This new version brings Type Inference to enhance Javascript performance by 20% to 30%.  Mac users can enjoy theme integration and two-finger swipe navigation (on Mac OS X Lion).  A summary changes is here, according to Mozilla:

Browsing Javascript intensive web sites, such as Google+, Gmail and Facebook, should now be faster in Firefox.  You can find a full (and long) list of changes here.

Firefox 9 released, faster Javascript and Mac integration

Grab the new Firefox from the official site: http://www.mozilla.org/firefox/new/

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