GigaOM » Chrome

The Chrome Show: In-store invasion, exploit controls your camera and VP9

Kevin C. Tofel — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:00:52 +0000

Not even a much-needed vacation can stop the GigaOM Chrome Show from reaching you each week. On today’s show, we take a break from the Blackjack table in Vegas to talk about Google’s upcoming Chromebook push into retail stores, give you a few updates on some Chromebook hardware, discuss a Flash exploit that takes over your computer’s camera, and how VP9 could potentially make mobile video much better.

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SHOW NOTES:
Hosts: Kevin Tofel and Chris Albrecht

Google making a big retail Chromebook push

Acer drops the hard drive from its $199 C7 Chromebook

HP’s $329 Pavilion Chromebook is generally panned by Engadget’s review

Smile: You may be on camera

Are you ready for VP9? Chromium is!

Chrome team is working on a Packaged App for Remote Desktop access

Extension of the week: Hover Zoom

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GigaOM Chrome Show 9: iTunes access, longer battery life and a possible ChromeKey

Kevin C. Tofel — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 10:15:08 +0000

Did you tune into the two special Google Chrome events? So did we, but it was all about browser technology; no new Chrome features or hardware. That’s OK though because at Apple’s WWDC event we got a hint of what Intel’s Haswell chips could bring to a next-generation Chromebook: Lots more battery life!

We’ve got not one, but two great extensions to share on this week’s show and also discuss a potential new product that would allow for Chrome mirroring to HDTV sets without using any wires. And we expect more Chromebook choices in the near future now that AMD is getting in on the growing Chrome market.

Show notes

Hosts: Chris Albrecht and Kevin C. Tofel

So about those Mobile Chrome events…
Chrome will be able to access iTunes files, which could bring some interesting new apps and extensions
Apple’s new MacBook Air gives hope for better Chromebooks with much improved battery life
Extension of the week: X New Tab
Could Google we working on a low-cost “ChromeKey”?
BONUS extension of the week: Service Pages
Welcome AMD to the Chrome party!

Got questions, tips or tricks for an upcoming GigaOM Chrome Show? Find Kevin on Google+, Twitter (@kevinctofel) or via e-mail (kevin@gigaom.com)

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Rock on! Google Chrome browser is gaining access to iTunes music

Kevin C. Tofel — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 17:58:46 +0000

Google’s Chrome browser can already access local media files and soon that will include your iTunes library. Google’s François Beaufort, who keeps an eye on the Chromium project, noted the change on Monday. The support would allow browser-based access to local iTunes music and possibly spur some Chrome browser extensions for music playback.

Chrome currently accesses local media, which includes video, music and still images, through its mediaGalleries API. By sifting through the latest Chromium code, Beaufort caught mention of iTunes being added to the default destinations that the API has access to.

In addition to the Chrome browser, Chrome apps could take advantage of the app, so a standalone music player for an iTunes library can be built. That won’t help on Chrome OS devices as iTunes can’t be installed on them but Windows and Mac owners that have Chrome installed could take advantage of the new feature.

Not everyone likes to keep their music files in iTunes, however, even if the songs are purchased from Apple’s store. I routinely make duplicate copies of my music files, for example, using both Google Music and Amazon’s MP3 service. Not only do I then have backup copies, but I can listen to the music on a wide variety of smartphones and tablets, regardless of platform. It would be great to see a developer take the new Chrome mediaGalleries API one step further and create a browser based service to move the files through the cloud. Currently, uploading music to Google or Amazon requires a software installation.

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Sorry Microsoft: AMD cheats on Windows, plans a fling with Chrome and Android

Kevin C. Tofel — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 20:42:11 +0000

AMD is making quite a name for itself outside of the Windows world all of a sudden. Long a provider of processors specifically for PCs, the company will now be powering the next-generation game consoles from Microsoft and Sony. But the long-term Windows relationship is fraying even more: AMD is expanding options to include support for Google Android and Chrome devices.

Speaking to PC World at the Computex event in Taipei on Wednesday, Lisa Su, senior vice president and general manager of global business units at AMD said, “We are very committed to Windows 8; we think it’s a great operating system, but we also see a market for Android and Chrome developing as well.” I’m not sure what took AMD so long to see this market developing: Android is used on more mobile devices than any other platform and Google’s Chrome browser is used the most on desktops and laptops.

Alluding to tablets and Chromebooks, Su said Android and Chrome ”tend to be in the entry form factors—the tablets, the low-end clamshells.” That suggests AMD-powered Android tablets, likely with and without keyboard docks, as well as the potential for relatively low-cost Chromebooks.

AMD has a much smaller market share than Intel in processors so I wouldn’t expect the company to see a huge revenue or share boost from this development. Intel only this week got its silicon in Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 3, mainly because Android devices have long run on ARM-based chips. AMD will face the same struggle. And it will have a battle in the Chromebook market as well, since Intel powers most of those devices.

Regardless of the tangible impact to AMD, there’s an intangible theme here that suggests Google is continuing to make strides in ousting Microsoft as the computing thought leader. Simply put: Every Chromebook or Android tablet sold is one less Windows or Windows RT license fee that Microsoft gets. And adoption of these mobile devices from Google is up while traditional PC sales are stagnant at best. The times, they are a-changing…. just ask AMD.

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GigaOM Chrome Show 8: Mysterious Chrome Mobile news and better iOS voice search

Kevin C. Tofel — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 18:12:58 +0000

Google has two Chrome events planned but no indication of what might be announced. On this week’s show we speculate the possibilities and share what we’d like to see come from the pair of presentations.

Chrome continues to evolve, now gaining support for NFC, or Near Field Communications, functionality. We also try to answer the most common Chrome OS question of all: “Is now a good time to buy a Chromebook?” Our answer may surprise you.

Meanwhile, Chris gets some Google goodness on his iPhone, now that the improved voice search has arrived in the Chrome browser. And don’t forget our extension of the week: This one is perfect for those who don’t have a Google Voice number — and for some that do.

Show notes

Hosts: Chris Albrecht and Kevin C. Tofel

What is Google planning to announce at the Chrome Mobile and Mobile Chromespecial events?
Chrome is getting NFC support
Is now a good time to buy a Chromebook? YES! (and maybe no)
iPhones get a nice voice search upgrade in the Chrome browser
Yay! Netflix is working on Chromebooks in developer mode
Extension of the week: Mighty Text
Help us help you with our short survey here. Thanks!

Got questions, tips or tricks for an upcoming GigaOM Chrome Show? Find Kevin on Google+, Twitter (@kevinctofel) or via e-mail (kevin@gigaom.com)

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Opera brings privacy mode to basic mobile browser

David Meyer — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 07:09:02 +0000

As is becoming increasingly apparent, the gap between smartphones and featurephones is narrowing for many users, who might just be after enhanced communications capabilities and streamlined surfing, rather than raw horsepower. Opera’s Mini browser caters to these customers, who are generally found in emerging markets, and it’s worth keeping an eye on the functionality this lightweight browser gains over time.

On Wednesday morning, the Norwegian software firm brought out a new version of the browser’s low-end iteration, Opera Mini 4.5. This is intended for basic Java-capable phones – those with beefier phones that still fall short of “smartphone” status can download a more functional version, Opera Mini 7.5.

One of the standout features of Mini 4.5 is a new privacy mode – bear in mind that it’s little over a year since Google brought Chrome to Android, incognito mode and all. In keeping with the intended markets, Opera is pitching this as ideal for sharing your phone with friends who can then check their Facebook without any logins or data being saved.

The browser now features a download manager that allows the user to pause, resume and manage downloads (this was previously available on Opera Mini 7.1, but not on the basic version). It has also been given a general refresh, both visually and in terms of footprint (it is now lighter), and boasts new touch enhancements such as kinetic scrolling for touch-capable phones.

As Opera Mini product manager Christian Uribe noted in a statement, we’re seeing features gradually trickle down from the recently overhauled smartphone version of Opera down to the lightest-weight version.

“Having an excellent download manager is just as important for the students downloading class work to their phones as it is for business people with more advanced phones,” Uribe said.

Add to this the fact that (as with all Opera browsers) Mini 4.5 users get to use data compression technology that can cut costs by up to 90 percent, and it becomes clear that the low end of the mobile business is nowhere near as dumb as it used to be. Which is just as well — for many of the intended users, these basic phones are effectively their personal computers.

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ICYMI podcasts: Chrome gaming, IoT security and a D11 recap

Kevin C. Tofel — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 14:00:16 +0000

On the weekly GigaOM Chrome Show, Chris Albrecht wirelessly pairs his iPhone with the Chrome browser to play a virtual game of Skee ball. Google created the fun experiment to show how web apps are maturing and how they can take advantage of phone sensors: In this game, the iPhone acts like the ball; you swing your arm to “toss” it. Ever the workaholic (not really!), Kevin talks through the latest features found in the Chrome OS beta channel.

This week’s Internet of Things podcast finds host Stacey Higginbotham chatting with Woody Bensen, a general partner with Prism VentureWorks and a managing director of IoTWorks about connected device security. Standards for this may not come through traditional tech channels as vertical markets may have a say. And on the GigaOM Weekly Wrapup show, Tom Krazit recaps his multi-day experience at the D11 event while the team shares their list of cloud computing trailblazers. Oh, and there’s little show called Arrested Development that garners some discussion too!

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Why you want the new Chrome OS Beta update: Immersive mode and more

Kevin C. Tofel — Tue, 28 May 2013 18:49:06 +0000

Even though I need my Chromebook Pixel for work, I still risk living on the bleeding edge. Instead of running the most stable version of Chrome OS, I took the plunge a few weeks ago to install the Chrome developer channel. That’s cutting edge, particularly for a work computer. Now Chrome OS device owners can enjoy the same new features but with some added stability: Google updated the Chrome OS Beta channel on Tuesday.

That means most, if not all, of the nifty new features I’ve been using lately can be had without worrying too much about system crashes and glitches. To be honest, I haven’t seen too many on the dev channel, but beta is surely a safer place to be. So what’s new in Chrome OS 28.0.1500.20 (Platform version: 4100.17.0)

Immersive mode is one of my favorite new additions. Think of it as a full-screen mode that’s even better than the standard full-screen feature. In immersive mode, everything above a web page’s content is pushed off the top the screen; like an auto-hide feature for the URL bar, bookmarks, etc….

The Chrome OS launcher also autohides on the bottom of the display. The end result: You get a a true full-screen mode and gain a bit of working screen space. (Note: On the dev channel, I had to enable the feature in chrome://flags; you may need to do the same in beta.) Here’s a look at Techmeme in immersive mode, for example:

If you look closely, you can see small indicators at the top and bottom of the screenshot; these show the open tabs and apps. You can mouse over these to un-hide the full information bars. I tend to skip that though: Using a three-finger trackpad gesture in dev, I scrub through my tabs quickly.

Here are a few of the other goodies in the new beta version:

The Files app — your Finder or File Explorer — gains new ways to view files. Files are grouped in new category additions: Shared with me, Offline and Recent.
When taking a screenshot, you’ll get a notification of success. Tap it to view or edit the screenshot, or ignore it and the notification panel will disappear.
Touch link higlighting isn’t something I use, but if you want some visual indication of where you’re tapping on a Chromebook Pixel, you can see it with this function.
Although the use cases are still relatively limited, screen rotation is also supported in this version.

Unless there are major issues with this beta build, I’d expect all Chrome OS users to see the new features in the stable channel within 4 to 6 weeks. Google is generally on a six-week schedule for Chrome OS updates, keeping the platform maturing on a refreshingly predictable basis.

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Now desktop users can find out what’s next for Opera, too

David Meyer — Tue, 28 May 2013 08:01:34 +0000

In February of this year, Opera announced a major revamp of its browser portfolio that involved ripping out and replacing some key components – in a nutshell, the innards of Opera’s new browser now resemble Google Chrome a heck of a lot more than they previously did. The first version of the browser to make an appearance was that for Android: it came out in beta in March, and arrived in full a week ago.

Now it’s time for Windows and OS X users. Again, this is a beta we’re talking about (although Opera calls it a “Next version”), but it does show off what is to be expected in the full release of Opera 15.

Those features should mostly be familiar from the Android version, but here’s a quick run-down anyway:

Speed Dial – For those unfamiliar with Opera, this pretty much refers to bookmarks. And, like bookmarks, they can now be organized into folders. Speed Dial also seems to give Opera a chance to earn some cash from partners such as Twitter and Facebook — this feature puts those services front-and-center.
Discover — This feature is a bit like Google Currents, in that it brings up articles according to the user’s tastes.
Stash — This one’s new: a read-later facility designed to reduce the need to keep tons of tabs open at once. Just click on the heart button to “stash” a page.
Search — You can now search from the address bar in Opera, same as in Chrome and co.

The look of the browser has also been refreshed to make it more platform-appropriate and, of course, there are big changes under the hood. Opera 15 uses the Chromium engine and its “Off-Road” data-squeezing mode – previously known as Turbo – now supports Google’s SPDY protocol.

The only other major thing to bear in mind for existing Opera desktop users is that the new version doesn’t have an integrated mail service. The M2 mail application has now been hived off into a standalone version, the first release candidate for which can be downloaded here.

In a blog post on the new features, Opera web evangelist Bruce Lawson said the decision to split off M2 was made to reduce the footprint of the main program, and also because “not all current Opera customers use M2″.

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ICYMI Podcasts: Google’s Chrome strategy, IoT design, and the Xbox One debut

Kevin C. Tofel — Sun, 26 May 2013 13:45:33 +0000

Another week full of tech news means another week of GigaOM podcasts filled with analysis and commentary. Here’s a summary of what you might have missed, along with links to our audio episodes.

This week on the GigaOM Chrome Show, we explain why all of the services Google is introducing will help it rule the world. OK, maybe not the world, but Google is prepping an app store disruption through Chrome. We also share an extension to help you manage the new Google Play Music All Access subscription.

Product designer Carla Diana is a guest on this week’s Internet of Things podcast. She and Stacey Higginbotham chat about how design will play a key role in connected devices in the home and what the recipe for IoT success really is.

As always, we recap the biggest events of the week on the GigaOM Weekly Wrapup show. Chris Albrecht, Tom Krazit, Janko Roettgers, Kevin Tofel and special guest, Peter Kafka, analyze stories around the new Xbox One, Yahoo purchasing Tumblr (Tumbl-hoo!) and how HTC got itself in the mess it’s in. What will it take for HTC to stage an Android rebound?

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