Section: Computers, Netbooks, Software / Applications, Web, Web Apps, Web Browsers, Google, Features, Originals
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In an earlier article about the Google I/O Conference, I talked about the new Chrome Web Store and how I wasn’t really sure what they had meant by web application. So I did a bit of research, watched the Keynote address, and realized how powerful this could truly become.
So, if you didn’t read that article, Google announced its Chrome Web Store Thursday, May 19th. Basically, its an app store for web applications. There is no screening process for which apps need to go through to be submitted. Basically CWS is just a centralized location for developers to put there apps to get more press. It allows for ratings, rankings, reviews, localization, and convenience for developer apps. Instead of searching for an application in a Google search and having to looking at all the individual apps on all their individual websites, you get one location that allows for an easy comparison between multiple apps.
Google isn’t restricting the store to just Chrome users, though. It is open for use in any browser. But their are advantages to using Chrome and this is where it gets good for Chromium OS. Since Chromium is essentially just a glorified Chrome browser, really everything that applies to one, applies to the other; in this case. So when you install a web application in Chrome (or Chromium), it will place an icon right in your “New Tab” bar. Then, you can launch that application and use it right in the web browser. This turns Chromium into a much more immersible operating system than before when it was basically just a browser.
What excited me the most is just the quality of apps you are able to run in your browser. In the keynote, they demo a game called Lego Star Wars: The Quest for R2-D2. It is a full, 3D game, run inside the Chrome browser. It was just amazing watching that game run and thinking about the possibilities Chromium has with this. I think no longer does Apple have the simplest OS out there.
So now, where Chromium was looking like the typical Netbook OS, it now looks like a fully functional operating system. Granted developers make the apps, this device can do anything. And the iPhone proves that developers are fully willing to make the apps.
Check out the keynote video about this here!
Images via [Google Keynote Address Video]
Full Story » | Written by Greg Billetdeaux for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
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Haven’t caught all of the Gadgetell news this week? Here's your chance to catch up on this week’s top 10 articles!
- “No reason” Verizon can’t have iPad; birth of a 4G iPad?
“While it won’t beat Sprint, Verizon announced it will offer it’s first 4G wireless experience in May of 2010. Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam said the company will have five 4G phones from the likes of Motorola, HTC, and Apple. Oops, my bad, not Apple, but Apple was…” MORE » - Gadgetell Hands On: HTC Droid Incredible
” I was able to spend a few days so far with the latest Android phone on the Verizon network, the HTC Droid Incredible. Thus far, I’ve been pretty impressed with the overall touch and appearance of the smartphone. It is a…” MORE » - BlackBerry Bold 9650 now available with Sprint, $199.99 on a two-year agreement
” This one comes as little surprise, but still its nice to know. Well, nice to know if you were looking for a new BlackBerry on Sprint. In short, Sprint has…” MORE » - Palm Pre Plus now available with AT&T, $149.99 on a two-year agreement
” Just like the Bold 9650 coming to Sprint, this phone release also comes as little surprise. But given all of the rumors in the lead up for this release, its nice…” MORE » - We’re quitting Facebook
” So apparently this whole “I’m gonna quit Facebook” thing is a lot more serious than I had initially thought. I know what you’re thinking, “how am I supposed to quit Facebook when it’s such a great outlet for honing my…” MORE » - What is Google TV?
“Google TV is rumored to shot itself at the world tomorrow at Google I/O. The event, which is expected to be a celebration party for Google Android and the launching point for Android 2.2, might also get an Apple, “one more thing.” Reportedly, Google’s got a prototype of…” MORE » - The end of a medium? [Opinion]
”. image courtesy of flickr Radio, possibly one of the most powerful means of communication, is on its last leg. For decades DJ’s and talkshows have long been great to listen to in the car on the way to work, school,…” MORE » - Universal admits that music piracy is unstoppable
” Q: You wouldn’t steal a car would you? A: I would if I could. This type of reasoning seems to be common amongst the teen and twenty-something crowd these days and for obvious reasons. The mere fact that we’re…” MORE » - Acer will not be launching Chrome OS device at Computex 2010 [Official Press Release]
” Its not often we see a company offer up a press release for something they are not launching. That said, there is always that case, and it has just happened with Acer and the rumored Chrome OS device.…” MORE » - Sprint HTC Hero Android 2.1 update officially available
” And just like that, the official Android 2.1 update for the Sprint branded HTC Hero is here. Certainly good news for any Hero users as they can finally leave behind Android 1.5 and in turn pick up a few new apps such as Maps Navigation and…” MORE »
Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
Section: Video, Accessories, Content, HDTV, Computers, Mobile Computers, Hardware, Netbooks
Yesterday’s big news was Google’s intro of a mashup of Android and Chrome for TV sets. Google wants users to have it all, in one screen in your living instead of several different screens dividing attention. The result could be the reduction of sales for the Apple iPad.
Many users will admit to using their new iPad most often in front of the television. Whether it is to confirm a fact (stirred up by the TV) like, “is Alan Alda still alive?” or to check email while the game is on, devices like the iPad and smartphones are often found close by users while watching TV. Google wants them gone or to function as solely an input device to get your content on the big TV.
To date, users have had a hard time bringing a keyboard into the living room and attempts to bring the net to your TV screen have been small in scale. Google’s ambitious approach looks like it might do better as it aims to become a new defacto standard. It will depend on the users experience.
However, it is unclear how easy or cumbersome it will be to navigate the net. Simply looking at websites is rather easy while reading and responding to mail might not be so simple.
Google was very clear in their ambitions: the company wants to turn your TV into the gadget you use most often around the home. It will be interesting to see if that has an effect on other gadgets in the house.
Read: [Gadgetell]
Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
Section: Audio, Portable Audio, Video, Portable Video, Communications, Smartphones, Computers, Mobile Computers, Features, Originals, Columns, Who's On Crack
Welcome to another edition of Who’s on Crack, the Internets only weekly(ish) blog that is brave enough to point out the moves in the tech world that are clearly fueled by illegal drugs. That's right, we are talking about bazooka, cat's pee, apple jacks, baby T., bolo, cloud 9, eastside player, jelly beans and red caps. Funny, lots of words for crack, but like pornography, you know it when you see it. Let's get to todays accused:
- Archos, keep on keeping on
- Smartphone dead? Your doing it wrong
- iPod touch has a new camera
- Sprint laments over the Palm Pre
Archos Tablets: ready for primetime?
Archos at it again, this time with the Archos 7” tablet. Archos has been at the tablet game for years and has to be asking themselves what they’ve done so wrong to gain so little mindshare in the US now that Apple has seemingly blown the tablet doors open. I played with an Archos tablet way back when and it was OK but didn’t grab me.
In a way that is very similar to the Windows Mobile vs iPhone mobile OS, the Archos player just wasn’t fun, whereas the iPad is fun to use. Why is the Archos this way? I am sure they would love to know.
The Archos is pleasant to look at, is compatible with just about every codec out there, accepts all kinds of media input, yet languishes on shelves and not lighting fires under consumers to change that. Is it the app store? Probably. The ability to turn a smart machine into something else without being a Swiss Army Knife itself, seems to the defining factor here. What might work for Archos? Give HP a call about licensing webOS. Now we are talking!
Is your smartphone battery dead? You’re doing it wrong.
Our Shawn Ingram reports: “According to Page, the problem lies in resource heavy apps. Here's the direct quote from Page: “I have noticed there are a few people who have phones where there is software running in the background that just sort of exhausts the battery quickly. If you are not getting a day, there is something wrong”...Eric Schmidt goes on to say that receiving and transmitting data in the background can be a problem as well. Twitter apps would likely be the main cause of background data usage”
That’s right punks, you are doing it wrong. Page"s look at me” comment followed up by Schmidts seems to suggest we are all doing it wrong if our battery dies before the day is out. Or maybe we are just using them? A good 2 hour chunk of time, tapping on the little screen is enough to get any phone hot and flustered, but to suggest that we are using them too much seems, counterintuitive.
I mean, contrast those quotes with these stupid statements:
“If you run out of food at the end of the day, you’re eating too much.”
“If your car runs out of gas before the week runs out, your driving wrong”
“If the booze runs out before you’ve found a hottie to go home with, you’ve done it wrong.”
OK, except for that last one, they don’t make sense at all. What are you saying Google, Android phones are immune to the usage+time=dead battery paradigm? Sure, sure and you also reinvented TV.
Apple iPod touch images show a new camera
Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, the saying goes, screw you. Or something like that. We are back following the saga of a new camera for the iPod touch (aka the small iPad). We’ve heard this one before and saw cases leaked for it back last holiday season and everything. I am not falling for it again. Are you?
Our Jake Gaecke is, “this rumor makes sense, because the iPod touch has really been begging for a camera since it was first released.” Apple guys fall all over themselves believing this one. Don’t do it.
And why should we care? Who’s getting a touch now? Wouldn’t an iPad make more sense for 87% of iPod touch buyers anyhow? If the answer is no, and you use the well the iPad won’t fit in your pocket routine, perhaps you should seek bigger pants - iPad pocket pants. Taking the fashion world by storm, they are.
Sprint weeps over Palm Pre
Our Robert Nelson writes, “It looks like Sprint is ready to admit that the Palm Pre launch was not all they had hoped for. Or at the very least, the words are coming from the mouth of Sprint CFO Robert Brust who most recently stated that:"the Pre didn't work out as well as we hoped." Referring to lackluster sales.
Oh really Mr. Brust. Just how did it work out for Palm?
It killed them. Kinda, sorta. Certainly was the deciding factor in being bought out from their untenable position of mediocre hardware containing awesome software. And it was all bad news for Sprint, the network we kinda, sorta forgot about before Palm came to town with it’s Palm Pre. Now maybe that isn’t fair, they are out there trying, but this whole 4G thing looks like it might be problematic as Sprint goes for the battery-thirsty 4G instead of LTE, where everyone else is headed.
Either way, Sprint shouldn’t cry to loud over Palm.
Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
Section: Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Broadband Cards, Mobile
Verizon Motorola Droid owners, get ready for Android 2.2, (Froyo). The update brings a lot of new features that are all but guaranteed to make you fall in love with your smartphone all over again. The update is said to be available first to the Droid and Nexus One first, next month.
Android 2.2 brings faster performance, WiFi hotspot capabilities, Flash support, and tethering. Early tests have pointed out that while many sites work great with the Flash player, some sites were very slow to playback. And forget watching Hulu on your mobile device for now as it seems they don’t have the license for mobile playback (which sounds fishy to me).
We’ll keep the lookout for 2.2 updates for Droid. Stay tuned.
Read: [PC World]
Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
Section: Video, Content, Video Providers
Despite recent rumors that Netflix was working towards offering HTML5 support on their Watch Instantly video playback titles, it looks like that will not be happening. In short, as of now it looks like there are no current plans for HTML5 support with Netflix, not to mention, according to Adrian Cockcroft;
“the basic HTML5 Video doesn’t have a viable DRM solution at this point.”
And given that last statement I think just about anyone can understand why Netflix is not considering HTML5 (at least yet).
Read [Adrian Cockcroft] Via [NewTeeVee]
Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
Section: Communications, Smartphones, Mobile, Computers, Mobile Computers, Netbooks
HP has recently confirmed that we could see a webOS powered Slate as well as a printer later this year. However more recently, they have also confirmed that they would not be releasing a webOS powered netbook. The reasoning behind that is because, according to Monty Wong who is the vice president of personal computing systems group at HP Taiwan, netbooks are similar to a traditional computer.
And with that, it looks like we are going to be waiting until July before we begin to see some official plans.
HP will announce more details after the completion of the Palm acquisition at the end of July, Wong said.
Read [DigiTimes] Via [SlashGear]
Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
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