Google has taken a major step towards becoming a social network - and thereby firing a cannon salvo against both Facebook and Twitter.
Google has a brand new service is called Google Buzz that was presented Tuesday at a press conference in Mountain View, California. Buzz combines Google's own Gmail mail system with status updates and the ability to share links, images and video with friends.
While we're talking about social network services, I should mention that a few days ago a huge pile of updates for the "Social from the start" initiative landed in the daily build of Ubuntu 10.04 - Lucid Lynx. The "Social from the start" plan is not just about having Twitter and Facebook applications installed by default, but rather how to leverage and integrate these with the desktop and the users workflow. Below is a screenshot of the new MeMenu.
Social network services like Twitter, identi.ca and Facebook are becoming an increasingly common medium in which people communicate and I'm exited to see what will come of this new initiative from Google. I'm a Gmail user myself and would love to see Google Buzz integrated in future version of Ubuntu.
Recently Apple launched the Ipad (could you possibly have missed this?) and now rumors says that Google is working on a tablet PC too. On the Google site The Chromium Projects you can see visual explorations of how a Chrome OS tablet UI might look on actual hardware. The site has a strip of photos of the concept which is a lot similar to an Ipad.
Google's Tablet PC will naturally run its own operating system, Chrome, which implies that the web browser is in focus, and that all applications available from the web. The video below demonstrates how Google envisions that this new gadget will work.
Softpedia just posted a nice article about Google Chrome OS. Sundar Pichai, vice president of product management at Google, announced on November 19th the immediate availability of the source code for their upcoming Chrome Operating System, under the name of Chromium OS. The actual Chrome OS, as Google said, will be released sometime at the end of 2010, one year from now, and it will be available at first for netbooks and, later on, high-end machines.
With this source code freely available for download, various developers can get involved in the project, by creating applications, patches, etc. In other words, from now on, the development of the upcoming Chrome OS will be done transparently.
"There is still a lot of work to do, and we're excited to work with the open source community. We have benefited hugely from projects like GNU, the Linux Kernel, Moblin, Ubuntu, WebKit and many more. We will be contributing our code upstream and engaging closely with these and other open source efforts." - was stated in the official release annoucement.
OK, so please enjoy the official, 1 hour and 20 minutes long "Google Chrome OS Open Source Project Announcement" video, in high-definition!
So, here's what we've learned about the Google Chrome OS until now. Under the hood, it will be powered by the Linux kernel (version 2.6.30 in the current source code archive) and a customized firmware, it will have an Ubuntu base (yes, Karmic Koala actually), EXT4 file system and the revolutionary Google Chrome web browser. But the best part is that Google's Chrome operating system will be so optimized, that it will start in no more than 3 or 4 seconds (depending on the hardware specs of the machine).
"Unlike traditional operating systems, Chrome OS doesn't trust the applications you run. Each app is contained within a security sandbox making it harder for malware and viruses to infect your computer. Furthermore, Chrome OS barely trusts itself. Every time you restart your computer the operating system verifies the integrity of its code. If your system has been compromised, it is designed to fix itself with a reboot. While no computer can be made completely secure, we're going to make life much harder (and less profitable) for the bad guys."
YouTube is already filled with video to help us understand how Google Chrome OS will work.
Until the Chrome OS will be available for download or deployed on your netbook, you can grab the Chromium OS sources right now from Softpedia.
There has been much speculation whether Google would come up with their own operating system, but now we can stop speculating. Sundar Pichai of Google wrote on their blog that they will have it ready for next year.
The upcoming operating system be called Google Chrome OS and will initially be aimed Netbook. Focus is on speed, security and ease of use, three points that Google does not think always has top priority among other operating systems. Google Chrome OS will be a lightweight OS that can boot and get online in seconds. Security against malware and viruses are designed in from the outset and should eliminate these threats.
The OS is based on Linux and will be running on both x86 and ARM processors. As with Chrome will be open source, but the code will only be released a little later this year. On the blog notes Pichai, that there is no close connection with Android as they go after two different markets. However, there will be areas where the two operating systems will overlap.
Unlike the Android project, Google has some important partners from the beginning. Lenovo, Acer, ASUS, Hewlett-Packard is the most well-known partners. In addition, Qualcomm, Adobe, Freescale and Texas Instruments will also team up with Google.
Android seems to be a very hot topic these days...
What is Android? Android is a software platform for mobile devices, powered by the Linux kernel, initially developed by Google and later the Open Handset Alliance. It allows developers to write managed code in the Java language, controlling the device via Google-developed Java libraries.
Google says 18 Android phones are coming this year, possibly more! 18 Android phones, possibly 20 on the market this year or even more (if you count all the rogue, Google App-free Android deployments that Google's not aware of) says Andy Rubin. Seeing as how we're already nearly half-way through the year with just a pair of Android handsets on the market (the T-Mobile G1, HTC Magic) and just another -- the Samsung i7500 Galaxy -- officially in the chute, we're going to see a flood of product before year's end. Android goes up against a coming-soon new version of Microsoft’s mobile version of Windows, Apple’s proprietary iPhone system, the Blackberry platform, a new Palm OS for its Pre called WebOS, Symbian (mostly proferred by Nokia) and a host of Linux-based systems.
Canonical developers aim to make Android apps run on Ubuntu At the Ubuntu Developer Summit in Barcelona, Canonical has unveiled a prototype Android execution environment that could make it possible for Android applications to run on Ubuntu desktops in Xorg alongside regular Linux applications. The execution environment would function like a simulator, providing the infrastructure that is needed to make the applications run.
Although Google also is marked by the economic crisis, the company follows the long-standing tradition of bringing new ideas and continuing to issue new experimental products. This week introduces two new ways to use Google's search engine - Similar Images and Google News Timeline.
I can't believe that I've written over one hundred posts on this blog. I guess it just goes to show that there's a lot going on in the open-source, Linux and Ubuntu world. Today I did a Google search for Ubuntu cover and to my surprise my Hardy Heron DVD cover came up as one of the top results! Although I got some great feedback, I never would have expected something like that.
So, what has this got to do with the contest? Well, I've decided to give away a copy of Ubuntu 8.04.2 LTS with my Hardy Heron DVD cover artwork.
How can I win? All you have to do, is send me an email describing what you like, dislike, love or hate about AnotherUbuntu.Blogspot.Com. Don't be afraid to give criticism as the winner will be randomly chosen (and not based on what he or she actually has written). The end on this competition will be announced on this blog.
I'm looking forward to some great feedback. Game on...
