Streaming movie and TV show service Netflix now runs on non-Intel Chromebooks thanks to Google and Microsoft working with the company to get HTML5 video streaming working on ARM processors … Read more
Google is about to stick a Chrome Apps link in your Bookmarks bar
Some new stuff from Canary build this morning above on left (compared to stable on right). Notice the Apps shortcut icon which can be removed by unchecking the “Show Apps shortcut” icon (below) in the dropdown menu.
This is interesting especially as Google appears to be ready to push an Apps button to its iconic search page. Will Chrome apps finally get their day in the sun? Read more
Oh, the places you’ll go
Someone at Teehan+Lax may have grown up reading Dr. Seuss as they’ve just created a web service called Hyperlapse, allowing you to create a high-speed Street View animation of any Google Maps route.
Google Chrome/OS to use new rendering engine ‘Blink’ based on predecessor Webkit
In a surprise announcement made at the Chromium Blog today, Google announced that Chrome OS, Chrome, and Opera will use a new rendering engine titled ‘Blink’. Blink is based of the current rendering engine WebKit. Google states the change is “not an easy decision,” but the change is necessary due to a ‘slow down of innovation.”
Google seems quite apologetic in the blog post, noting it understands the change may have significant implications for the web, but hopefully, in the long run, it will improve the health of the open web ecosystem.
It noted that the change will have little impact in the short-term to developers and Internet users, but Google hopes that the removal of the “multi-process architecture” will simplify the engine’s code and ease the difficulty required to develop for Chrome and Chrome OS. Ultimately, Google also hopes the new engine will speed up Internet load times.
The full press release via the Chromium Blog is available below.
Google launches four short Chrome ads — but maybe shouldn’t have
Google has launched four new 15-second ads for Chrome that seem incredibly mundane compared to the high quality, inspirational fare we’ve grown accustom to. They are such a stark contrast to some of the better ads we’ve seen for any technology over the last few years.
It goes downhill from here… Read more
Google brings Chromebooks to Canada, Australia, Germany, Ireland, France, and the Netherlands
Google made an announcement on the Official Chrome Blog to confirm that it is rolling out Chromebooks to new countries starting today. After successful launches in the United States and United Kingdom, Google has partnered with retailers in a handful of other countries to bring the latest Chromebooks from Samsung, HP, and Acer to new parts of the world including: Canada, Australia, Germany, Ireland, France, and the Netherlands.
Google will also expand the number of U.S. outlets offering the devices in the next few weeks to 1,000 Best Buy stores nationwide. The company didn’t mention its own, recently announced Chromebook Pixel model or whether it is available to purchase in the newly added countries.
Many of you around the world have told us you’re eager to get your hands on a Chromebook, so we’ve been working with our partners to make this possible. Today we’re happy to say we’re one step closer to making Chromebooks truly “for everyone” — or rather, pour tout le monde, für alle, and voor iedereen
Canada: In Canada the devices will launch through BestBuy.ca a Futureshop.ca with the Samsung ($269.99) and Acer ($249.99) models, while the $329.99 HP Chromebook will be available through HPshopping.ca.
Australia: Australians get access to the Samsung and Acer Chromebooks elect JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman stores, while the HP Chromebook will be coming soon.
France: Customers in France get access to the 299 euro Samsung Chromebook starting today through “Fnac.com, Ticketmaster, Amazon and Pixmania, as well as 10 Fnac stores in the Paris region.”
Germany: In Germany the Samsung model will sell through”-buyer, Amazon, Cyberport and Saturn on the Internet and in the Saturn store on Hamburg’s Mönckebergstraß.” The Acer model will sell through “Saturn, Cyberport, -buyer and Amazon.”
Netherlands: In the Netherlands the Samsung and Acer models will be available to purchase through “mediamarkt.nl, saturn.nl and laptopshop.nl and in the store at all 41 Mediamarkt and Saturn stores.”
Google also announced that the Chromebooks will be available to businesses and schools in the new countries and explained in detail in a post on its Enterprise blog.
“To help improve computing for organizations, we’re rolling out Chromebooks to businesses and schools in these same countries as well. Learn more on our Enterprise blog.”
