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Offline Google Mail hands-on
One of the things that made Google apps the web-based productivity suite to beat was the ability to access your information offline using Gears. When that experiment was killed, many of us let loose a single tear as we contemplated returning to our desktop apps. Well, as promised, HTML5 is finally returning Gmail to its former offline glory. Docs and Calendar will follow in the coming days, but anyone can get access to their Gmail accounts offline now by installing the Offline Google Mail app for Chrome. Before we had even finished spreading the wonderful news we already had it installed and fired up. So, how's it work? Well, you'll just have to keep reading after the break to find out. %Gallery-132197%
WebKit turns 10, celebrates a decade of speedy, standards-compliant browsing
It's hard to believe but WebKit, the rendering engine inside Safari and Chrome, is now ten years old. The forked child of KDE's KHTML received its first commit of code from Apple back on August 24th of 2001. It would be well over a year before the debut of Safari in 2003, and another two years before it was fully open sourced. Since then it's begun to replace Gecko (Mozilla) as the rendering engine du jour and even spawned a sequel in Webkit2. So, happy birthday to Apple's greatest contribution to the open source community.
Citrix app opens Windows for Chromebook owners
Google hasn't made any bones about its desire to position Chrome OS as a presence in the business space. But for plenty of users, the relatively limited functionality of Chromebooks doesn't quite get the job done when it comes to doing serious work. The latest offering from Citrix could change that for a number of Chromebook-sporting business-types, offering access to Windows applications and desktops. Citrix Receiver Tech Preview is free from the Chrome Web Store (but requires a MyCitrix login). So now there's no excuse for not getting any work done -- except maybe a bad connection.
Chromium's experimental touch UI demoed on video, made for meaty fingers
Google was pretty adamant at I/O that Chrome OS would not be coming tablets, but that hasn't stopped its open-source cousin from adding some touch friendly features. Chromium (the browser, not the OS) got its first tablet tweaks back in June, but this is the first time we're seeing them on video. While the larger icons, widgets, and virtual keyboard, may eventually make their way onto the rumored Seaboard, there's no guarantee these (obviously still early) experiments will ever debut as part of Chrome OS or even the browser. Check out the video after the break for a brief glimpse of this work in progress and, if you're feeling adventurous, hit up the more coverage link to download the latest source code -- just make sure to compile with 'export GYP_DEFINES="touchui=1"' to unlock the finger-friendly face of Chromium.
WhiteHat Security hacks into Chrome OS, exposes extension vulnerability at Black Hat
It's been a rough Black Hat conference for Google. First, FusionX used the company's homepage to pry into a host of SCADA systems, and now, a pair of experts have discovered a way to hack into Chrome OS. According to WhiteHat security researchers Matt Johansen and Kyle Osborn, one major issue is Google's vet-free app approval process, which leaves its Chrome Web Store susceptible to malicious extensions. But there are also vulnerabilities within native extensions, like ScratchPad -- a note-taking extension that stores data in Google Docs. Using a cross-site scripting injection, Johansen and Osborn were able to steal a user's contacts and cookies, which could give hackers access to other accounts, including Gmail. Big G quickly patched the hole after WhiteHat uncovered it earlier this year, but researchers told Black Hat's attendees that they've discovered similar vulnerabilities in other extensions, as well. In a statement, a Google spokesperson said, "This conversation is about the Web, not Chrome OS. Chromebooks raise security protections on computing hardware to new levels." The company went on to say that its laptops can ward off attacks better than most, thanks to "a carefully designed extensions model and the advanced security available through Chrome that many users and experts have embraced."
Google's Chrome 13 brings 'Instant Pages' to the masses, saves precious seconds of your life
Google just wouldn't be Google if it wasn't wringing out every last iota of performance from its products. The latest Chrome release is no different, ushering Instant Pages out of the dev channel and into the hands of the proletariat. The headline feature uses an algorithm to "guess" where you'll click next, pre-fetching and pre-rendering the result if it's confident enough. Mountain View says it's the only "high-profile" site to support the tech, but interested web masters can can partake of the instantaneous Google goodies by peeping the more coverage link below. Tweaks to the Omnibox -- which now returns URL and title history results based on partial queries -- and the addition of print previews for Windows and Linux round out the 13th version of the popular browser. Video of the über-swift search in action's below.
Google says goodbye to browser toolbar, drops support for Firefox 5
Google Labs isn't the only thing winding down in Mountain View, it seems Google's Firefox toolbar is also kaput. Citing exponential growth in the browser space, the outfit declared that the Google toolbar for Firefox is no longer necessary -- modern browsers are just too darn capable. Support will continue for older versions of the browser, but Firefox 5 will have to stand on its own. Still, El Goog admits that dropping the toolbar kills more than a few features, and is offering a list of similarly featured add-ons to users via the defunct toolbar's help page. Not enough? Head on over to the announcement's comment page and join the peanut gallery, a few clever legumes seem to have uncovered a FF5 workaround. As for the rest of us, it's not like we didn't know Google had its own browser (and interests) to take care of, right?
Baidu Browser tips hat to old Steve Jobs quote, copies Chrome's special sauce
Could this be a case of Baidu's browser in Chrome's clothing? The Wall Street Journal seems to think so and the Chinese company isn't exactly dismissing the KIRF claims. Announced back in April, the recently beta-released Baidu Browser brings a "sleek, stripped-down interface" eerily reminiscent of Google's web-surfing entry (or a likely fork of Chromium). The copycat similarities don't just end in the looks department: there's also an app store, fast-tab functionality and familiar menu icon placement. In its defense, the company claims its 30,000 plus free app offerings, in addition to China-specific entertainment features are enough to set it apart. Sure, this may seem like a case of the Asian search giant that doth protest too much, but it's the company's desire to drive traffic to its own engine that has us seeing Google. [Thanks, Hardy]
Chromebook boards Virgin America, checks-in at Ace Hotel for summer vacation
How do you solve a consumer education problem like the Chromebook? You put it into the idle hands of urbanite travelers -- that's how. The fast-booting neither laptop, nor netbook entity with negligible storage and not-yet-defined purpose will find a temporary summer home at select Virgin America gates and New York's Ace Hotel starting Friday. Jet-setters flying between San Francisco and either Chicago O'Hare, Dallas / Fort Worth, or Boston Logan can get an on-the-fly, marketing-fortified crash course in Chrome OS computing by visiting special 'Chrome zones' located near departure gates. Virgin's also thrown in some free in-flight WiFi to ensure you test drive Google's Cloud-dependent lap-dweller . And if you're one of the millions of tourists planning on seeing the Big Apple in all its humid splendor, the Ace Hotel's got an on-the-house stash that lobby lizards can use, but only guests can take out. But the promotional push doesn't just stop there: all partners involved have bundled specialized travel-planning apps into the experience -- sure to be ripe with cooler-than-thou recommendations. It's a noble attempt by our search giant overlord to make a name for its portable computing entrant, and a helpful distraction from that armrest hog next to you.
Google working on video chat for Chrome, Skype cowers in fear
Watch out Skype, Google Chrome is comin' for ya. Not long after releasing WebRTC audio and video chat software as open-source, Google has started to integrate these capabilities into its prized browser. Looking to move past the played out features of Gmail and Google Voice, the company is planning for WebRTC to be a frontrunner for video conferencing and online chatting. The software was introduced as royalty-free, too, even promising to work with other browsers devs (namely Mozilla and Opera) to flesh out the project. This means that anyone building a site can make use of the new tech, and in theory, construct their own personal Skype battering ram. With the company being pro-web apps on all fronts, this is another step forward in its quest to bring the aforementioned technology up to par with native apps. Is this one of many dominoes to fall in the web-based app takeover, at least in terms of Chrome OS? It very well could be, especially if companies would rather see the traffic in-browser vs. within a native app. Now, if only Instagram could make use of that dusty webcam...
Google Chrome 12 offers safer downloads, hardware acceleration, more
Google has updated its Chrome browser to version 12. Perhaps the coolest feature of Chrome 12 is the support for hardware-accelerated 3D CSS. Any websites (like this one) and web apps that use 3D CSS effects will now have those effects rendered on your page with the help of your computer's graphics card, which should allow for faster and smoother 3D effects. Chrome 12 also adds a host of privacy and security features. Chrome will now warn users before they download some types of malicious files. Chrome 12 also gives you more control over the data websites store on your computer, including Adobe Flash's Local Shared Objects. Chrome 12 is a free download.
Kogan Agora is world's first Google Chromium OS laptop, ships next week
Kogan, the Aussie company behind such gadgets as the fist-sized Bluetooth GPS watch and gesture-controlled IPTV, is adding a Chromium OS laptop to its family of Google-powered Agora products. The 11.6-inch computer has a spec list rivaling the midrange notebooks of 2006, including a 1.3 GHz Celeron processor, 1GB of RAM, and a 30GB SSD. That's not a lot of oomph, but with cloud-based storage and Google's open source Chromium running the show, this thin client laptop should be in decent shape. There's also a 3.5-hour battery, SD card reader, webcam, Bluetooth, and an HDMI output. Like all Kogan products, the Agora is only available in Australia (AUD 349, about $372) and the UK (£269, about $440), so if you live down under or across the pond and don't want to install the open-source (free) OS yourself, look for the laptop to hit Kogan's online stores tomorrow.
Xi3 modular PC reborn as Chrome OS desktop, promises independence from local storage
Chromebooks a tad too mobile for you? Sensing the market is at last ready for Google's web-based OS, Xi3 decided to ship the ChromiumPC, an updated version of the modular, Chrome OS-based desktop it trotted out as a concept last year. The computer (also known as the 5 Series) has a processor module and two I/O ones -- a design whose promise is that installing a different operating system should be as easy as swapping out that first board. And, cheekily, the company expects it to go on sale July 4th, a day when Chromium OS owners can "declare their independence from the built-in obsolescence of other computers." Got that, folks? Your mature operating system and local storage are useless. No word yet on pricing, so here's hoping Chrome OS isn't a moot point or anything by the time we find out. Full PR after the break.
Lady Gaga uses Chrome, and here's the 91-second film to prove it
One of the world's most (in)famous names has picked a side in the browser battles -- last night saw the debut of a new Google Chrome commercial, starring Lady Gaga and her "little monsters." Spanning a minute and a half of Gaga and her fans singing and gyrating their way through her latest single, the ad is intended to illustrate the power of the web and its creative new modes of interaction. To be fair, said interaction is mostly Lady Gaga saying "jump" and a crowd of YouTubers doing it without bothering to ask how high, but hey, the result is fun to watch. You just need to disable your sense of shame for all humanity and click past the break. [Thanks, Daryl]
Removing Flash from your Mac
Back in October, Apple shipped its first MacBook Air models without the Adobe Flash plug-in pre-installed. In the ensuing brouhaha, Ars Technica discovered Flash cut battery life by up to 33 percent on the MacBook Air and possibly other MacBook models. Personally, my MacBook often sounds like it's preparing for space flight when I visit pages that use Adobe's plug-in. Whether you wish to conserve electricity, silence overactive cooling fans, boost the security of your browsing experience or protest against the use of media plug-ins, you can easily remove Adobe Flash from your Mac. Most often, the Flash plug-in can be found in the "Internet Plug-Ins" folder on your system's hard drive. To get there, switch to the Finder and select "Go to Folder..." from the "Go" menu. When prompted, enter "/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/" and click "Go" to switch to the appropriate location on your system. Once you are in the "Internet Plug-Ins" directory, make a new folder called "Disabled Plug-Ins." Move the "Flash Player.plugin," "flashplayer.xpt" and "NP-PPC-Dir-Shockwave" files into your new "Disabled Plug-Ins" folder. Or if you really want to kill Flash, toss these files into the Trash. (Note: if you don't find these three files in "/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/" they may be hiding in "~/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/".) The next time you relaunch Safari or Firefox, Flash will no longer be enabled. If you need to view a Flash-enabled page in a pinch, you can install and launch Chrome. This Safari-alternative ships with a Flash plug-in embedded in the browser. You can also install OmniWeb or iCab and copy the Flash plug-in into the browser's plug-in folder. For OmniWeb, right-click on the OmniWeb application and choose "Show Package Contents" to reveal the PlugIns folder. Copy the Flash plug-in to the folder, and you should be good to go. iCab does not contain a PlugIns folder, but you can create one yourself and copy over the Flash plug-in manually.
Google unveils Acer Chromebook: $349, 11.6-inches with 6.5-hour battery
Google just showed off a new 11.6-inch Chromebook from Acer at Google I/O promising an eight second boot time with an Intel Atom N570 CPU, 16GB SDD, instant-on, two USB ports, webcam, HDMI and 6.5 hour battery life. It's cheaper than the Samsung Series 5 also announced, starting at $349 with optional world-mode 3G available for more cash and will be available for preorder on the same day -- June 15th from Amazon and Best Buy. Check more details at the source link below, with pics in the gallery and specs are after the break. %Gallery-123372%
Angry Birds gets a web version, coming to Chrome Web Store
Yet another platform has been conquered by the affronted fowl: the web! Angry Birds' web client is built in WebGL, so presumably browsers other than Google's Chrome should be able to run it as well, and even if you can't handle WebGL, there's Canvas support too. 60fps are promised on most modern PCs, and we've spotted SD and HD labels, suggesting there'll be a choice of quality to match your computer's performance. Offline gaming will also be available. Chrome will get some exclusive content, such as "Chrome bombs" and other cutesy bits. Rovio just noted it's "really, really happy about the 5 percent," referring to Google's pricing model of charging a flat fee of 5 percent to developers on in-app purchases in the Chrome Web Store. Yes, the Mighty Eagle will be a purchasable option for the impatient among you. The game will be available in the Store immediately after Google's I/O 2011 keynote, so look out for it shortly. Update: And the Angry Birds have landed. Hit up the source link below to obtain the free app. %Gallery-123364%
Chrome Canary comes to Macs for fearless browser enthusiasts
Until now, Mac users who like to live their digital lives on the edge have had to make do with Chrome's dev channel while their Windows counterparts were flying by the seat of their pants with the Canary build. Well, be jealous so more OS X fans -- you can now run your own untested, pre-developer build of Google's web browser. The Canary release is updated at an almost alarming rate and frequently adds and drops features without warning. Sure, you could opt for the open-source Chromium, but then you'd miss out on niceties like built-in Flash and PDF support. Don't get too freaked out though: Canary can run alongside your existing (and more stable) Chrome install. So, throw caution to the wind, embrace the crashes, report those bugs, and hit up the source link to download.
April Fools' Day roundup: Google overload edition
Ah, April 1st. It's that time of the year again when the internet is rife with odd news and pranks. As before, news sites like us end up with a healthy stream of tips throughout April Fools' Day (thanks, by the way), so let us round up some of the best findings for your comedic appetite. Contenders include the usual suspects like Google and ThinkGeek, the former of which dominating the gigglesphere this year with some new "features." We also have some interesting submissions from Hulu, a font company, and probably plenty more to come as the day progresses, so keep watching this space as we add new entries to this post. Right, let the fun commence after the break.
Google patches Flash vulnerability in Chrome, leaves other browsers hanging
Remember that massive security vulnerability that Adobe identified in its Flash Player, Acrobat and Reader software? Well, shockingly enough, it hasn't yet taken over the internet and ground productivity to a halt, but Google's been proactive about it and patched the flaw by itself. Of course, the fix applies only to its own Chrome web browser, Firefoxes and Internet Explorer types will have to wait for Adobe's fix, which is expected any minute now. Still, it's good to know someone's looking out for the security of our data, even if that someone already has access to most of it anyway.
