I’ve spent the last two weeks wandering around London, Paris, and Istanbul (not Constantinople.) As an experiment, I left my trusty MacBook Pro behind and brought only the $199 Chromebook on which I type this. And to my considerable surprise it has served admirably. So admirably, in fact, that I believe ChromeOS is only one or two iterations away from being the right choice for many-if not most… → Read More
At last year’s I/O, Google launched its Cloud Messaging push notification service for Android. This week, it extended this service to Chrome and Chrome OS, which, Google says, allows Chrome apps and extension developers to wake up their apps remotely and/or send alerts to users. → Read More
A few months ago, Google announced the Windows Start button-like app launcher for Chrome on Windows, and with it, a way to easily launch Chrome packaged apps, a new way to write apps that are based on Chrome and web technologies but behave like native apps. These packaged apps for Chrome are based on HTML5, CSS and JavaScript, but they behave like native apps and have access to Chrome APIs and… → Read More
Google’s operating system Chrome OS survived all attempts to hack it at this year’s Pwnium 3 competition, which took place at the CanSecWest security conference in Vancouver, BC this week. Google, which was offering up $3.14159 million in prize money (get it, Pi money?), said that there was no winning entry, but it was in the process of evaluating some exploits for partial credit. → Read More
According to a new report from ad network Chitika, Chrome OS usage continues to increase, but it still trails the PlayStation and the various flavors of Linux that the company sees on its network. Since last June, Chrome OS’s share of traffic on Chitika’s network increased by 700 percent. Even so, Chromebooks still just account for 0.07 percent of desktop- and laptop-based traffic to… → Read More
At the CSUN International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference this week, Google announced that it has added a number of accessibility to Chrome, Chrome OS, Gmail and Google Drive that should make using Google suites of web apps a bit easier to use for blind and low-vision users. In addition, Google also launched a new sign language interpreter app and keyboard shortcuts for… → Read More
When talking about Apple’s rise from near-bankruptcy to become the most valuable company in the world, people often credit the amazing string of products from the iMac to the iPod to the iPhone to the iPad. And rightfully so. But just as important was another piece of the puzzle that ensured said products would find mainstream appeal and acted as an accelerant for Apple’s success: the Apple… → Read More
When Google launched its Linux-based Chrome OS in early 2010 and its Chromebook pilot program later that year, most pundits didn’t quite agree with our own MG Siegler’s premise that Google had dropped a “nuclear bomb on Microsoft.” A few years later, it sure doesn’t look like Microsoft has much to fear from Chrome OS. But despite its slow start, it looks as if the Chrome OS momentum is slowly… → Read More
There are hundreds of devices to choose from when you’re considering a new desktop computer, laptop or mobile device. We’re overwhelmed by all of the choices we have, but choice is good. When it comes to computing, as far as operating systems, there are three huge players: Microsoft, Apple and Google. Yes, Google.
A curious thing happened during Chrome browser’s rise to being the most-used… → Read More
The latest version of Google’s ChromeOS now features a Camera app. That by itself wouldn’t be all that interesting, given that operating systems like OS X have long included built-in camera apps, but Google’s app for its web-centric OS, of course, only uses HTML5, JavaScript and CSS to deliver a Photo Booth-like experience. → Read More
It’s hard to say how popular Chrome OS, Google’s browser-centric operating system, really is. There can be little doubt, though, that Google is quite serious about this initiative. Today, Google launched the latest developer version of Chrome OS and this update sports the first major redesign of the operation system’s interface since its launch in late 2010.
In this new version, Chrome OS… → Read More
Microsoft has signed a patent licensing agreement with LG, maker of tablets, phones and other consumer electronics devices running Android or Chrome OS.
This marks the 11th deal with a device manufacturer leveraging Google’s operating system software; other major agreements were struck with the likes of HTC, Samsung and Acer, among others. → Read More
There’s something weird going on with Chromebooks – the Google-branded laptop computers powered by the company’s web-based operating system Chrome OS. They’re not saving the password changes you make to your Google account. Basically, if you change your password, shut down your machine, then reboot, the Chromebook will ask you for your old password instead of the new one.
The problem has to do… → Read More
It’s not always easy to tell when Chrome has been updated, and at any rate the changes aren’t always significant enough to even wonder about it. But a pair of features worth caring about are user-bound come early 2012, according to Google developer advocate Paul Kinlan, who spoke recently at the Develop conference in Liverpool.
The conference is focused on game development, so it’s no surprise… → Read More
Google announced today that its business and educational customers now have a second option for purchasing its new Chrome OS-powered laptops: upfront pricing, sans subscription. Previously, Chromebooks were only available to these institutions by way of a 3-year commitment. That plan didn’t fit in well with some organization’s yearly budget cycle, says Google.
Now, those customers can choose… → Read More
While Samsung’s sexy little Series 5 Chromebook is already shipping, a lot of people (“the people” meaning “people interested in Chrome OS,” which probably isn’t that many people right now) are probably waiting for the cheaper AC700 from Acer. You can pre-order one now, of course, but shipping date was pretty much a mystery… until now. → Read More
This is kind of a strange match. Samsung’s new Chromebook has hit Gilt two weeks early, according to an email sent to members of the luxury shopping site. No pricing was mentioned, but buying also gets you a special laptop sleeve from Rickshaw. → Read More
Although we recently heard tell of a touchscreen-based test platform called Seaboard running Chrome OS, Google isn’t in a hurry to acknowledge that its browser OS is coming to tablets. I can’t blame them, either — with Android numbers increasing and Chrome OS unproven, it’d be foolish to dilute the market with a second tablet ecosystem. So they’re officially limiting it to Chromebooks for… → Read More
Over the past couple of years covering Google, there’s one seemingly simple question that comes up again and again, that Google just can’t seem to answer. Why isn’t Chrome a part of Android?
Read the wrong way, that could seem like a deep question. But it almost never means “why isn’t Chrome OS simply merged with Android?” or the like. Most of the time, it’s simply a question wondering why… → Read More
Last week, just prior to day one of Google I/O, we noted that some updates in the Chrome OS code and forums indicated that a formal unveiling was likely very close. Sure enough, on day two of I/O, Google unveiled the first Chromebooks, the first shipping products running Chrome OS. But Google also noted that the first orders wouldn’t start until June 15, about a month away. One reason: Chrome OS… → Read More
Google has finally made good on their promise to deliver Chrome OS to the world this summer. Or they will, on June 15 when the first Chromebooks are available. Considering that I’m potentially the perfect type of user for such a machine — that is, nearly everything I do these days is in the browser — I’ve been very interested in the OS/product development. Last week, I got my hands on one of… → Read More
Today at Google I/O there was a fireside chat with a number of Chrome team members. Their goal was simply to answer questions — both from the web and from the audience. Among those, there was a common theme: what’s next?
One question asked each panelist what features they were most excited about going forward? Some answers were general — excitement about pushing HTML and CSS work forward. But… → Read More
The Google Chromebook is here — for real, this time. Google first announced the nondescript Cr-48 Chrome OS Notebook back in December of 2010 but the production version, now called Chromebook, was just announced at Google I/O 2011. The idea is the same as the original in that it’s basically a barebones computer that runs Google Chrome OS. In many ways the philosophy is a lot like… → Read More
Google is approaching a watershed moment in its internal platform wars. The time is nearly at hand when they will have to decide once and for all what Android is, what Chrome OS is, and where they are both going. This is not to say it has not been internally decided and even worked out to the decimal for some years ahead — but they’re going to have to break it to the world sooner or later… → Read More
We’re just a few hours away from the kick off of Google I/O — the search giant’s huge annual conference for all things Google. Well, most things. The social stuff isn’t being talked about. Google TV probably won’t be getting much love either. But everything else appears to be on the table. And naturally, that includes Chrome OS.
Chrome OS has always been an interesting project for Google. For… → Read More
It’s just about that time again. Google I/O is happening next week and just as in year’s past, the company is expected to announce some big things on stage during their two keynotes on Tuesday and Wednesday morning. But what will those things be? Jason and I delve into some predictions for the event, which we’ll both be covering.
But first we take some time to look back at last year’s I/O which… → Read More
Recent bug reports within the Chromium testing community have turned up a couple new devices running Chrome OS. There’s the expected netbook from Acer, different from the ZGA we saw a while back, and a mystery device referred to as Seaboard that may or may not be a Chrome OS tablet. → Read More
The last thing the tablet world needs right now is yet another platform, but that appears to be where Google is heading — or at the very least, they’re bracing for the inevitable by making Chrome OS a bit more touch-friendly. → Read More
The netbook market has more or less dried up; the little things might still be useful for light computing, but they’ve been clobbered by tablets as the go-to device for quick email and web browsing. Could it be that they’re just not cheap enough? Asustek might be looking to fix that. → Read More
A couple weeks ago, Google rolled out the beta of Chrome 10, the latest version of their web browser. Today they’re bringing it to Chrome OS too — and it contains more goodies. Most importantly, Google is touting trackpad fixes, presumably for the Cr-48 device that people have been testing the OS with. Finally!
I haven’t had the chance to test out the trackpad fixes yet, but the fact that… → Read More
Austin, TX
Seattle, WA
San Diego, CA
Menlo Park, CA
Boston, MA
Disrupt Europe: Berlin Hackathon
Berlin, Germany
