Google chrome OS

A look at some of Chrome OS's latest bits of polish

2010-06-25T09:54:00.001-07:00

The release of Chrome OS looms ever closer, but still there are a number of enhancements and changes being rolled in that should make for a somewhat nicer experience, and TechCrunch has highlighted a few. Perhaps most major among those changes is the ability to browse the internet without signing in, but if you want to update your bookmarks or save any form data you'll still need a Google account. There's a new side bar that appears to give access to other apps, replacing tabs on top, and it also adds in battery and WiFi strength indicators. There's also something of a debate going on regarding whether Chrome OS should have support for compressed archives (.zip and .rar files and the like). Right now the OS has no support for those files, which, as one contributor points out, is rather unfortunate given that Gmail itself generates zip files when you click "download all attachments." Let's hope someone at the Googs finds time to add that in so that future users aren't locked out of the joys of extraction.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/25/a-look-at-some-of-chrome-oss-latest-bits-of-polish/

Will Chrome OS Run Mac, Windows Apps ?

2010-06-22T02:35:00.000-07:00

We all recall Steve Ballmer’s famed ‘Monkeyboy’ chant as he ran round a stage yelling, “Developers, developers, developers,” and despite leaving himself open for a lifetime of ridicule with the move, he was right.

A platform is nothing without a strong developer community. And that’s why Google’s Chrome OS will let you run your old Windows and Mac desktop apps from your shiny new Chrome laptop, at least, that’s what people are saying…

These rumors began with The Register. That august journal first told us about a process called Chromoting, citing an email from Google software engineer Gary Kacmarcík.

In a posting on a third party Chrome OS-dedicated mailing list, the engineer promised that the new capability means “Chrome OS will not only be [a] great platform for running modern web apps, but will also enable you to access legacy PC applications right within the browser.”

The engineer described Chromoting as working a little like Remote Desktop Connection, a Microsoft solution which lets you access and use PCs remotely via the internet. He didn’t confirm any Mac support, but it is no great stretch to imagine Google may take such a step.

Why this makes absolute sense, of course, is that when the Chrome OS does eventually ship, even a company as big as Google won’t be able to deliver every application users need, nor will it be able to guarantee those applications it does provide will fully service user needs.

Google will also need time to build a developer community, though we can expect next year’s Google I/O event to be an even bigger party than it was this year.

So what’s a search engine giant gonna do when trying to get into an all-new market and blow apart the existing OS trifecta (Mac, Windows, Linux)?

Why, invent a way to run applications built on other operating systems, of course! After all, applications like LogMeIn and GoToMyPC have offered this sort of thing for years.

Chrome OS is essentially Google’s Chrome web browser running on top of a version of Linux. Applications are accessed from within the browser. The OS is expected to appear at the end of 2010, making its debut on netbooks.

What is interesting is the Google engineer’s use of the phrase “legacy PC applications” — especially in light of Apple CEO Steve Jobs recent comments that,

“The times they are a changing, and some traditional PC folks feel like their world is slipping away. It is.”

A move from traditional desktop computing toward a truly mobile solution makes a lot of sense — after all, this is what we’re seeing in the iPhone (now iOS) ecosystem…

Could Google’s new Chrome feature be part of this prevailing change?

http://www.techi.com/2010/06/will-google’s-chrome-os-run-mac-windows-apps-maybe/

Dell Is Working On Google Chrome OS

2010-06-22T02:32:00.000-07:00

A Dell executive all but came out today and confirmed that the company is in the process of developing netbooks based off Google’s cloud centric Chrome OS.

Dell’s president for Greater China and South Asia, Amit Midha spoke with Reuters and said:

“with Chrome or Android or anything like that we want to be one of the leaders.”

It’s safe to say that in order to be a leader you need to already be working with Google in the area of Chrome OS as various other companies are already doing.

Midha continued:

“There are going to be unique innovations coming up in the marketplace in two, three years, with a new form of computing,” adding “[and] we want to be on that forefront.”

With Dell already offering the Dell Mini 3 (AT&T Aero) with Google Android, it makes sense that they would take this next logical step.

The price for Google Chrome OS netbooks are expected to sit around $300 to $400 and release this fall, no word yet if Dell will be part of that initial launch, but I’m pointing to yes.

http://www.inquisitr.com/76499/dell-is-working-on-google-chrome-os-netbooks-almost-confirmed/

Google Chrome beta review

2010-01-17T04:13:00.001-08:00

Google Chrome beta review

by Richard Ibbotson

Google recently set loose a working version of its new Chrome operating system, due for public release in late 2010. Already there is much interest from a large crowd of international developers. Much is promised from Google, which feels sure that it has the right marketing strategy for its network-based operating system. We take a look at Chrome OS to find out what it offers…

What is Google Chrome? It’s really only a web browser that downloads web applications over the internet. Using Google Chrome you can connect to and use YouTube or an online email application. Google docs or similar online office suites can be accessed. Online calendars and photo albums can also be used. Most things that you can do with a real operating system can be done. In an operating system such as Ubuntu or openSUSE, your data is stored on your hard disk, in the Google operating system, everything is stored somewhere out there on the internet. Chrome is not like other operating systems and is being aimed at netbooks. The early netbooks, such as the Eee PC 701, did not arrive with a great deal of RAM or disk space, however, more recent netbooks have something like 64GB or 160GB of disk space and at least 1 or 2GB of RAM. You can install a full version of GNU/Linux into any of these.
Some design goals for the Google Chrome OS user interface include using minimal screen space by combining applications and standard webpages into a single tab rather than separating the two. Google Chrome will follow the Chrome browser’s practice of pushing forward the HTML5 web standard in offline mode.

So how does it work? On top of the GNU/Linux kernel, which is used in so many places around the world in the present day, sit the X-windows and graphics libraries
(see Fig 1, on page 90). Alongside these are the system libraries. Above this there is the Chrome OS and the GNU/Linux window manager that Google has introduced to make things look pretty. There is a strong reliance on GNOME or GTK+ libraries and themes here, and signs of the IceWM or XFCE or LXDE in places. This is a good thing because the present GNOME 2.xx desktop is very stable and reliable. Above this sit the web apps, website and extensions for various functional uses as well as cosmetic effect. The firmware helps to maintain a fast boot time by not probing for hardware. A complete lack of floppy drives on the netbook speed this process along the way and the firmware adds to security by verifying each step in the boot process, and system recovery if it is required. The Linux kernel has been patched to improve boot performance. Userland software has been trimmed to essentials with the inclusion of upstart which can launch services in parallel and re-spawn crashed jobs and defer services in the interests of a shorter boot time. The window manager handles user interaction with multiple client windows, much like other X clients do.

http://www.linuxuser.co.uk/opinion/google-chrome-beta-review/

Open Source Eee PCs in October, Chrome OS Netbooks Coming

2009-08-08T11:12:00.000-07:00

Awesome news from Engadget about the open source future of the next generation of Eee PCs. Their 'spies' have uncovered information that the first Moblin-running Eee netbooks will be in stores come October. Asus, the Eee PC manufacturer, is apparently considering making open source OSes an option for all their netbooks in the future
Read more: http://www.i4u.com/article26266.html

Google Chrome gets skins and JavaScript performance boost

2009-08-08T11:11:00.000-07:00

Google has released a new Chrome beta that includes a theming engine, faster JavaScript performance, several usability improvements, and support for HTML5 video.

Google has announced the availability of a new beta release of its Chrome Web browser. This version introduces several new features and user interface improvements, including support for a theming system that allows users to customize the browser's look.

Chrome was first released last year and hit 1.0 on Windows in December. Although the product was somewhat feature-anemic at launch, Google has been fleshing it out and adding a lot of useful features. The browser is attracting a growing number of users and is said to have overtaken Opera based on marketshare statistics published by several analytics firms. Google is building an entire operating system around the browser and is planning to thrust it into the fragmented netbook market later next year.
Read more: http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2009/08/googles-chrome-gets-skins-and-javascript-performance-boost.ars

Why the cloud operating system is a myth

2009-08-08T11:10:00.000-07:00

There is no such thing as a cloud operating system — and we're some way off even needing one, says Lori MacVittie.

Google's foray into the operating-system business was barely public before it was being hailed as the latest cloud operating system, with some industry watchers saying this product could be pivotal in the cloud revolution.

To be fair, Google's Chrome OS is not the only operating system to which the cloud handle has been attached. It is merely the latest in a long line of attempts to capitalise on the growing interest and hype surrounding cloud computing.

Novell, Dell, Microsoft — in fact, anyone who is anyone with a stake in operating systems has been mentioned at least once in conjunction with a cloud operating system.

There is no such thing. It is a myth existing entirely in the minds of those who cannot seem to get enough cloud in their daily technology diets. And the problem in perpetuating that myth is that it continues to confuse an already confused market.
Read More: http://resources.zdnet.co.uk/articles/comment/0,1000002985,39706538,00.htm

In The Pre-Chrome OS World, Google Optimizes Gmail For Netbooks

2009-08-08T11:09:00.002-07:00

Google is clearly enamored with the netbook space. We already know that it’s serving as an entry point for the new Chrome OS, but Google isn’t just going to sit around and wait for that, it’s starting to optimize its experience for netbooks already.

Tonight, Google has just released a small new feature in Gmail Labs so that users can optimize their email service for viewing on netbooks. It’s a small, but noteworthy setting as netbooks have become popular, yet most still run sites just as full-sized laptops would. Gmail’s engineers apparently had a problem with that, so they launched the new “Remove Labels from Subjects” feature.

Basically, this does exactly what it says, removes the labels that are normally in front of subject lines in Gmail. The idea is that this will save a lot of screen real estate, especially on netbooks.
Read more: http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/08/05/in-the-pre-chrome-os-world-google-optimizes-gmail-for-netbooks/

Chrome OS: The Next Windows?

2009-08-08T11:09:00.001-07:00

Google vs. Microsoft and Apple; the ultimate cage match.

Google is a site that is almost impossible to miss. Millions of people around the world use Google almost every day. In fact, people don’t say,”look it up online”, they say,”just Google it”.
Google is a huge name in the search marketing industry. But soon, it might just become the next operating system that everyone has. Soon, the huge companies Microsoft and Apple will have a new competitor in their market. In about a few months, Google will give it’s best to become the next Windows. At least for netbooks.

However, will Google be able to handle it’s huge competitors? Apple and Microsoft have made a name for themselves over the years. From the beginning of home computers, Apple and Microsoft have been existing. But Google is a newbie in the OS business. Yet with all the buzz about it, it should get a lot downloads.
Read more: http://webupon.com/web-talk/chrome-os-the-next-windows/

Google Chrome Gets Data Sync Features

2009-08-08T11:08:00.003-07:00

To further its quest for world (or at least could computing) domination, Google is adding new features to Google Chrome that will synchronize user data using a Google Account. The first feature that will use this framework is bookmark synchronization. Tim Steele released details on the Chromium developers group.

I know, tools for synchronizing bookmarks on Firefox, like Xmarks, and Weave have existed for some time, but for those of us who prefer Chrome, this is a nice addition. Since so many of us already have Google accounts, it’s nice to not have to deal with yet another Internet account. Unlike competing products, synchronization changes will be immediate.
Read more: http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/169550/google_chrome_gets_data_sync_features.html

Will Chrome OS collapse under the weight of its own Web browser?

2009-08-08T11:08:00.001-07:00

InfoWorld Home / Windows / Enterprise Desktop / Will Chrome OS collapse under the weight of its...
August 04, 2009
Will Chrome OS collapse under the weight of its own Web browser?
The latest Chrome beta release shows Google returning to its piggish ways
Share or Email
| Print | 10 comments|
65 Recommendations

What are they thinking? That's the question that ran through my mind as I pored over the latest Chrome 3.0 beta test data from the exo.performance.network site. It seems that the folks from Mountain View aren't content with securing a privileged spot on your desktop. They want to steal all of your PC's RAM, too.

At least that's how I'm interpreting these latest numbers. In a follow-up to an earlier post documenting the RAM footprint of the second Internet Explorer 8 beta, the xpnet.com research staff has re-created its original test scenario in an effort to revalidate their data points against the shipping versions of IE 8.0, Chrome 2.0, and Firefox 3.5.

[ Track your Windows PCs' performance with the free InfoWorld Windows Sentinel tool -- and contribute your performance data anonymously to the exo.performance network. ]

But while the data for these shipping browsers is interesting -- IE 8.0 is still a bloated pig, while Chrome 2.0 is better behaved and Firefox is as skinny as ever -- the really juicy stuff involves the current beta release of Chrome 3.0. It seems that Google's browser-cum-OS project is getting hungrier. The latest build gobbles up over a half-gigabyte of RAM while rendering a selection of popular media and technology Web sites.
Read more: http://www.infoworld.com/d/windows/will-chrome-os-collapse-under-weight-its-own-web-browser-050

Chrome OS - A Lightweight Contender

2009-08-08T11:06:00.002-07:00

Google Chrome OS

Google’s foray into web browsing with Chrome in late 2008 didn’t exactly whip the internet into a manic frenzy. Firing up the compact browser for the first time may have left many users wondering what was so special about it. With its compact, clean, and sleek design, the no-frills Chrome had the upside of balancing complex web applications and faster browsing without compromising user experience.

And with that in mind, Google most recently announced what they call a natural extenson of Chrome — a lightweight, open source operating system targeted specifically at netbooks. Google refers to Chrome OS as their “attempt to re-think what operating systems should be.” Perhaps having taken a long look at netbooks and their sudden and recent rise in popularity just this past year, Google saw the perfect opportunity make a certain kind of a splash in the operating system as they did with the web browser.

With a line as slick as calling current operating systems built “at a time when there was no web,” Google’s attempt to complement and improve netbooks that currently run on the rather under-powered Intel Atom processor (with either Linux or Windows XP as the only oeprating systems available) is an admirable one, if nothing more than to capitalize on an uncompetitive niche. So what does Chrome OS mean to the average buyer looking to get their hands on a netbook?
Read More:http://www.pixelfame.com/2009/08/chrome-os-a-lightweight-contender/

Google Chrome OS Could Be Pivotal in the Cloud Revolution

2009-08-08T11:06:00.001-07:00

Google Chrome OS is arriving just in time to take advantage of the perfect storm of cloud services, cheap hardware, and a new generation of platform-agnostic users. Unlike other Linux-based OSs, Chrome has brand recognition that even the biggest neophyte could get comfortable with.

Larry Ellison of Oracle was touting the benefits of the network computer back in 1996. He was ahead of his time. People weren't ready for the network computer, and the network certainly wasn't ready for the people.

Fast forward to 2009, when many people view computers as mere tools to connect to the Net. Typical uses for computers involve streaming media, social networking, managing photos and information consumption. When the typical home user uses a PC predominantly for communication and entertainment, the offline computer is nearly useless.
Read More:http://www.pcworld.ca/news/column/c82b7787c0a800060021a44e68c1a8d4/pg0.htm

Google Chrome to Get Bookmark Sync

2009-08-08T11:05:00.000-07:00

Within the next two weeks, Google will release a new development version of Google Chrome that will include the ability to sync bookmarks between different computers. As Tim Steele, a software engineer on the Chrome team explained in a message to the Chrome developer group, the synchronization will be managed through a Google account. Changes in one install will be reflected in another Chrome instance in real time thanks to the Chrome team's use of the Google Talk servers as the messaging backend for this service.

For now, Google will only sync bookmarks. In the long run, the Chrome team also plans to sync other data types, including browser history. In the announcement, the Chrome team did not specify if passwords will be synced as well.
Read More: http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/google_chrome_to_get_sync.php

Google Chrome Sync coming

2009-08-08T11:04:00.000-07:00

From the 'Chrome OS's browser' files:

Google Chrome 3.0.196.2 is now out, but trying to figure out what's new in it is more difficult that previous releases. Up until version 3.0.195.1 Google provided release notes for most Chrome updates - that's not the case with the 3.0.196.x series (yet).

Instead Google points users to the build notes, which actually provide more specific detail than the release notes - but do not provide the total macro-view summary. I don't know why Google didn't put out release notes, but one thing is for sure, they have been busy.

The volume of changes on all platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux) is large, with the Extensions system getting a whole lot of attention.

One thing that isn't in the build notes - but will likely show up there soon - is a new feature for Browser synchronization.

"A bunch of us have been working on a feature to sync user data in Chromium with a Google account. (Surprise! :)) ," Google developers wrote in a mailing list posting. "The great news is that we'll be starting to work directly in the Chromium project this week."
Read More: http://blog.internetnews.com/skerner/2009/08/google-chrome-loses-release-no.html

Why Google's Chrome OS will lose its shine

2009-08-08T10:59:00.000-07:00

The conventional wisdom has it that Microsoft should be afraid – very afraid – of Google's Chrome OS. After all, how can the high-priced Windows compete against a free operating system released by what has arguably become the most successful technology company on the planet?

The conventional wisdom is wrong, though. The development of Chrome OS could be the worst mistake Google has ever made and one of the best things to happen to Microsoft in a long time.

To understand why, we need to first take a look at the problems Microsoft has had with Windows. Chief among Windows' woes are hardware problems. Unlike Apple's Mac OS, Windows isn't tied directly to hardware. Windows has to work with countless computers, CPUs, graphics cards and other components that make up the core of a computer – you name it, and Windows has to work with it.
Read More: http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/tech/FDD5730CFF955F59CC25760400067B07

Google CEO says Chrome OS May Make Money (GOOG,MSFT,AAPL)

2009-07-18T11:43:00.000-07:00

Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) recently announced Chrome operating system will be released under an open-source license in 2010, but CEO Eric Schmidt says that there "may be other ways to make money from it," according to an eWeek report. Schmidt said that the company hasn't exactly figured out how the company will make money from the browser, but indicated that a few options include ad-supported services or subscription-based micropayments. While not talking specifically about Chrome, he added that "people" are experimenting with serving ads directly within applications. Chrome will be a lightweight, quick and free alternative to Microsoft's (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows 7 and Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) Mac OS.
Read More

Google's Chrome OS May Fail Even as It Changes Computing Forever

2009-07-18T11:41:00.000-07:00

The Google Chrome OS is destined to redefine the desktop operating system, but it might just fall flat on its face as it does so.
Tom Spring, PC World
Google says it is working on an operating system designed for netbooks that boots in seconds, is impervious to viruses, and is designed to run Web-based applications really well. What's not to like? Plenty--if you're the number one software maker, Microsoft. Expect a showdown. Google faces an uphill battle rolling out its operating system, Chrome OS. The irony is, Google may not care if Chrome OS succeeds or fails. Here's why.

Don't Tell Eric Schmidt Google Won't Make Money from Chrome OS

2009-07-17T06:57:00.000-07:00

Google CEO Eric Schmidt doesn't rule out ad-supported and subscription services for applications built on Chrome OS, the search engine giant's forthcoming operating system. The CEO handled several questions about Chrome OS, designed for cloud computing, during the second quarter earnings conference call. Chrome OS is an alternative to Windows and Apple operating systems.

Google's Chrome Operating System, the forthcoming Linux-based platform for netbooks, will be released under an open-source license in 2010, but don't tell Google CEO Eric Schmidt that the company won't make any money off it.

"We do not plan to charge for it, in an open-source form," Schmidt told financial analysts during the second-quarter earnings conference call July 16. "There may be other ways we can make money from it."

For Q2, Google reported a 19 percent profit growth from the year-ago quarter.

Schmidt indicated that while Google hasn't figured out exactly how Chrome OS will make money, some form of ad-supported services or subscription-based micropayments are two options for Google, the bulk of whose $20 billion in annual revenues comes from search advertising.

Read More

You Can Bet Chrome OS Is Coming to Smartphones

2009-07-16T23:34:00.000-07:00

At today's Mobilebeat 2009 Conference, Google VP of Engineering Vic Gundotra said that web app development is the future of successful mobile platforms. Sounds a lot like Chrome OS on smartphones.

Gundotra reiterated a lot of what we already know. Google believes the future of the computers lies in the browser, with apps coded according to web standards and data existing in the cloud. However, what stood out as interesting was that Gundotra, who isn't directly part of the Android team, referenced all this in the same breath as the rapid evolution of mobile browsers and mobile data plans. While he never explicitly referenced Chrome OS, it seemed evident that the upcoming, browser-based platform was in his head as he spoke.
Read More

Video: Google Chrome OS Isn't Challenge To Microsoft

2009-07-16T23:31:00.000-07:00

he significance of Google (NSDQ: GOOG)'s Chrome OS announcement is not the OS itself -- remember, it's not an actual product yet. Rather, it spotlights the shift away from laptops to netbooks and smartphones. Laptops are still corporate tools. But once applications and data are in the cloud, enterprises will ditch the costlier computers and get with true lightweight platforms.

In short, my point is that Google's Chrome OS isn't a challenge to Microsoft -- netbooks are. Or, to mine another vein, Chrome OS isn't a challenge to Microsoft -- Google Apps are. (Is?) This is because the cloud is the last piece of the puzzle which will make lightweight mobile computing a reality.

I explored some of this in my InformationWeek cover story last October, Is The Smartphone Your Next Computer? Assessing that question today, it's more likely that the netbook is your next computer and a smartphone is the one after that.

One wonders, given that fact that netbooks and smartphones do almost all of what one needs, why enterprises persist in outfitting their workforces with expensive to buy and expensive to support laptops. The answer is, it's a legacy thing. Also, no one likes to be first.

While consumers and mobile road warriors love netbooks -- less to lug onto the plane -- companies continue to equip their workers with full-function laptops largely because they run self-hosted apps and host their own data too. This they need the full functionality to run those apps, and they also have (legit) security concerns.

I'd argue, though, that compliance issues aside (a big aside, I admit), mostly those that stick with the laptop paradigm do so because because they believe they need to do so. Once applications and data have moved into the cloud, you'll see netbooks cross over from being cool consumer curiosities into being mainstream platforms for mobile workers.

And why wouldn't enterprises want them, given their lower acquisition costs? As well, there's the carrot of avoiding the "Windows tax"; that is, if netbooks are equipped with Linux (or Chrome OS).

It should be pointed out that most existing netbooks run Windows XP, but I think we'd all agree this is only the case because netbooks are seen as mini-laptops. In the future, when apps are in the cloud, a netbook can really function as a netbook -- a lightweight device whose sole purpose is accessing the 'Net, and the apps residing thereupon. (Your data, too.)

Which is where Chrome OS comes in, with Google attempting to position it as the lightweight OS of choice. However, I think technology monoliths are dead, and when apps are fully in the cloud, there's not going to be, nor will there be a need for, a single OS (lightweight or otherwise) which everybody runs.

Which leads us to Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT)'s own base-covering move, where it's planning to offer a Web-based version of Office 2010, as a back-at-you at Google Apps.

The idea that this is all a game of stalking horses and parries was argued nicely by the pseudonymous Robert X. Cringely in his recent New York Times Op-Ed piece. Hey, I'm cynical, but I'm not that cynical. I get what Cringely's saying, but personally I believe these aren't parries, they're deadly serious strategic positioning moves by Google and Microsoft.

OK, here's a video hosted by Fritz Nelson where we discuss this stuff.

Read More

Dell Favors Moblin Over Chrome OS, For Now

2009-07-16T10:26:00.000-07:00

Dell appears to be leaning toward Moblin as its next-generation operating system for netbooks, rather than Google's Chrome OS, Android, or even Windows 7.

Dell was not one of the companies named by Google as one of its hardware partners for the Chrome OS; a spokeswoman said at the time that it was "constantly assessing new technologies". Dell had no comment at the time. Instead, the Web giant said it was working with nearly all of Dell's competitors: Acer, Asus, HP, Lenovo, and Toshiba were the PC OEMs named.

In a blog post, Dell said it will continue to evaluate the Chrome OS.

"As with most new technology, Dell plans to evaluate the Chrome OS and other alternative operating environments, like we've done in the past," Doug A. wrote. "Luckily (for me!), Dell enjoys a great relationship with Google."

Doug A. wrote that Dell remains very interested in so-called "alternative operating systems," such as Ubuntu's Netbook Remix, which create experience targeted platforms that do away with the traditional Windows operating environment. "This can be seen as a disadvantage," he wrote. "However, these alternative operating environments attempt to address this shortcoming by focusing their feature set with a self-directed experience: entice and direct the user to its strengths."
Read More

Twitter Leak Illustrates Google Chrome OS Security Hazards

2009-07-16T10:25:00.000-07:00

Recently leaked Twitter documents that were stored on Google Apps highlight a deeper issue - namely, when everything you do is stored online, how will you protect your personal data? As Google revs up its new Chrome OS, phishing and hacker attempts will be exacerbated. How, exactly, will you deal with your data security in this brave new world of data portability?

This week, Twitter had sensitive documents leaked in a roundabout method that involved a Twitter employee being phished and their Google password used to access sensitive data stored online in Google Apps. TechCrunch, the final recipient of these documents, vigorously defended their position on republishing the found Twitter documents citing leaks (in whatever form) have always existed and served as an information source. While true in a journalistic sense, it opens the door to a greater question of data security in a world where all your information is stored online in some fashion. Protecting your personal information on the Internet has been an ongoing struggle. Every time you interact, whether it’s a post to a blog, comment in a forum or just “tweet,” you are growing the hacker target on your back. Take this example:

I am on Twitter and micro-blog regularly to my account. From just my Twitter account, you can get my full name and location. Now, within a few clicks you can probably trace down my e-mail address from some previous post to a forum, newsgroup or even comments on an article in certain instances. At that point, even a semi-dense hacker has enough information to launch a targeted phishing attempt against me. Granted, I triple check any links I get in e-mail to ensure it takes me where I am supposedly going, but I am someone who works in the trenches of the online industry and have been trained from DNA up to be careful of any kind of attacks.
Read More

Google Chrome OS – Boon or Bust?

2009-07-16T07:16:00.000-07:00

Google recently announced their intentions for launching Google Chrome OS (Operating System). According to their blog release, the Google Chrome Operating System will first be targetted at Netbook users. Google plans to release their code to Open Source later this year, and make it available commericially in 2010.

On their official blog, Google asks for help from the open source community to accomplish their vision for a lightweight and easy to use Operating System that does not ‘get in the way’ of users.

Pundits will debate the significance of this ambitious release and its timing to coincide with Microsoft’s new Windows 7 OS. As the established Search Engine leader, Google in recent years has competed for the desktop user on many other fronts.

Google Talk was released in 2005 as an instant messenger client and was tightly integrated with their email service GMail. According to Comscore reports, Google Talk is still in distant 4th place behind MSN Messenger, Yahoo, and AOL-AIM.

Their Gmail service, although widely regarded as a superior online email tool, is in 3rd place in usage behind Microsoft’s Hotmail, and Yahoo Mail.

Google’s internet browser, Google Chrome, sits in 4th place with a meager 1.8% market share behind the venerable Microsoft Internet Explorer (65%), Firefox (22%), and Apple’s Safari (8%).

Read More

Google Chrome OS. Round-Up, Podcasts, Thoughts.

2009-07-16T07:14:00.000-07:00

On the 7th July, Google announced that they are developing an operating system called ‘Google Chrome OS.’

“Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks. Later this year we will open-source its code, and netbooks running Google Chrome OS will be available for consumers in the second half of 2010.”

“…redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don’t have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates”

“..Google Chrome running within a new windowing system”

“…Google Chrome OS will run on both x86 as well as ARM chips.

Read More