16 May 12 Is Chrome coming to iOS?
Chrome for Android will graduate from beta soon. Could Chrome for iOS be next?
(Credit:
Screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET)
Apple’s iOS will see a version of Google Chrome before the year’s out, and possibly before the end of Q2 — at least according to research firm Macquarie Group.
The equity research group claims that Chrome for iOS is due for several reasons, all of which can be summed up as part of the current “browser wars.” These include Google’s interest in reducing costs. It currently pays Apple for, among other things, each person using Google services in Apple’s default
Safari browser; getting people to use the services through its own browser would potentially offset those costs.
When asked to comment on whether an iOS version of Chrome was in the works, a Google representative said, “We do not comment on rumor or speculation.”
However, other points made by Macquarie’s analysts are harder to take at face value. While it’s true that Chrome for PCs has been an enormous success, as the firm notes, and that early reviews of Chrome for Android have also been positive, iOS is a very different beast from those two environments.
Chrome has been widely available on Windows since 2008, and on
Mac OS X and Linux since 2010. The Google browser gained early adoption because it offered a combination of speed, stability, and features that surpassed others. While Chrome is still a driving force, it’s no longer the far-and-away leader in the field, as Mozilla and Microsoft, respectively, have worked harder to maintain their market share for
Firefox and Internet Explorer.
The Android version of Chrome is a solid, fast browser, even in beta, but it faces a very different problem: platform support. It works only on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, currently running on 1 percent to 2 percent of Android devices, and Google has said it has no plans for making it work on legacy Android versions.
It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Google would be working on Chrome for iPhones and iPads. Both Chrome and Safari are powered by the WebKit rendering engine. But unlike Google does with Android, Apple doesn’t let third-party browser makers change iOS’ default browser from Safari. So even if you use a third-party browser on iOS as your primary browser, all links will still open in Safari, effectively handicapping any efforts to provide a true Safari alternative.
Google has also shown itself to be resistant to pushing the Chrome brand on Android. The default, nameless Android browser is WebKit-powered, but doesn’t bear the Chrome name in large part because it wasn’t based on Chromium, Chrome’s open-source foundation. It is unlikely that Google would contradict itself and submit anything to Apple labeled Chrome that didn’t have that Chromium core.
That doesn’t mean that Chrome on iOS couldn’t be useful to Google. Mozilla has a Firefox Home app so that people with iOS can sync tabs, bookmarks, and passwords from other full iterations of Firefox. The mobile-only Dolphin has a version for iOS and Android that allows cross-platform syncing too. Some people may feel that the limited third-party browsing experience on iOS is worth the hassle to stay with Chrome.
But even if Google is able to replicate the vast majority of the Chrome experience on iOS, the chances of Apple letting Google, of all companies, into its walled garden are extremely small.
(h/t GigaOm)
Article source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-57434950-2/is-chrome-coming-to-ios/
Tags: Credit Screenshot, Firefox Home, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Macquarie Group
16 May 12 Is Chrome coming to iOS?
Chrome for Android will graduate from beta soon. Could Chrome for iOS be next?
(Credit:
Screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET)
Apple’s iOS will see a version of Google Chrome before the year’s out, and possibly before the end of Q2 — at least according to research firm Macquarie Group.
The equity research group claims that Chrome for iOS is due for several reasons, all of which can be summed up as part of the current “browser wars.” These include Google’s interest in reducing costs. It currently pays Apple for, among other things, each person using Google services in Apple’s default
Safari browser; getting people to use the services through its own browser would potentially offset those costs.
When asked to comment on whether an iOS version of Chrome was in the works, a Google representative said, “We do not comment on rumor or speculation.”
However, other points made by Macquarie’s analysts are harder to take at face value. While it’s true that Chrome for PCs has been an enormous success, as the firm notes, and that early reviews of Chrome for Android have also been positive, iOS is a very different beast from those two environments.
Chrome has been widely available on Windows since 2008, and on
Mac OS X and Linux since 2010. The Google browser gained early adoption because it offered a combination of speed, stability, and features that surpassed others. While Chrome is still a driving force, it’s no longer the far-and-away leader in the field, as Mozilla and Microsoft, respectively, have worked harder to maintain their market share for
Firefox and Internet Explorer.
The Android version of Chrome is a solid, fast browser, even in beta, but it faces a very different problem: platform support. It works only on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, currently running on 1 percent to 2 percent of Android devices, and Google has said it has no plans for making it work on legacy Android versions.
It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Google would be working on Chrome for iPhones and iPads. Both Chrome and Safari are powered by the WebKit rendering engine. But unlike Google does with Android, Apple doesn’t let third-party browser makers change iOS’ default browser from Safari. So even if you use a third-party browser on iOS as your primary browser, all links will still open in Safari, effectively handicapping any efforts to provide a true Safari alternative.
Google has also shown itself to be resistant to pushing the Chrome brand on Android. The default, nameless Android browser is WebKit-powered, but doesn’t bear the Chrome name in large part because it wasn’t based on Chromium, Chrome’s open-source foundation. It is unlikely that Google would contradict itself and submit anything to Apple labeled Chrome that didn’t have that Chromium core.
That doesn’t mean that Chrome on iOS couldn’t be useful to Google. Mozilla has a Firefox Home app so that people with iOS can sync tabs, bookmarks, and passwords from other full iterations of Firefox. The mobile-only Dolphin has a version for iOS and Android that allows cross-platform syncing too. Some people may feel that the limited third-party browsing experience on iOS is worth the hassle to stay with Chrome.
But even if Google is able to replicate the vast majority of the Chrome experience on iOS, the chances of Apple letting Google, of all companies, into its walled garden are extremely small.
(h/t GigaOm)
Article source: http://download.cnet.com/8301-2007_4-57434950-12/is-chrome-coming-to-ios/?part=rss&subj=iphoneatlas&tag=title
Tags: Credit Screenshot, Firefox Home, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Macquarie Group
12 May 12 How to schedule Google+ posts in Chrome
(Credit:Google)
If you’re a fan of services like HootSuite which let you schedule tweets, Facebook posts, and even LinkedIn notes, then you’ll probably like Do Share for Google Chrome, as well. Unfortunately, sites like HootSuite haven’t rolled out the ability to schedule posts on Google+ to all of their users. So if you’re interested in scheduling a notice about a product launch, a reminder to a friend, or just your random thoughts, Do Share can help you out.
This browser extension is very simple to install, and even easier to use. Here’s how to get started:
Download a copy of Do Share for your Google Chrome browser.
Note: Chrome has to be running, connected to the Internet and logged into Google for Do Share to send posts to Google+, since they are saved in your browser until the scheduled time — per the notes for the extension.
Step 1: Click then button for the extension on your browser’s toolbar, then click on Create new post and then fill in the details of your message.
(Credit:Screenshot by Nicole Cozma/CNET)
Step 2:To adjust which circles will see your post, click on Add more people.
(Credit:Screenshot by Nicole Cozma/CNET)
Step 3: From here, you can decide to send the post to your drafts, schedule the post, or share it immediately.
(Optional) Step 4: If you choose Schedule, you’ll need to input a date and time for the post to go live.
(Credit:Screenshot by Nicole Cozma/CNET)
(Optional) Step 5: View the drafts and scheduled tweets at the bottom of the page. Simply click on any tweet you need to delete or adjust.
While this method isn’t as easy as scheduling posts in HootSuite, it’s the next closest thing. What types of posts do you schedule in advance?
Also, if you love efficiency while using Chrome, you might want to check out these time-saving extensions.
(Via AddictiveTips)
Article source: http://howto.cnet.com/how-to-schedule-google-posts-in-chrome/8301-11310_39-57432808-285.html
Tags: Credit Screenshot, Google Chrome, Note Chrome, Optional Step
12 May 12 How to schedule Google+ posts in Chrome
(Credit:Google)
If you’re a fan of services like HootSuite which let you schedule tweets, Facebook posts, and even LinkedIn notes, then you’ll probably like Do Share for Google Chrome, as well. Unfortunately, sites like HootSuite haven’t rolled out the ability to schedule posts on Google+ to all of their users. So if you’re interested in scheduling a notice about a product launch, a reminder to a friend, or just your random thoughts, Do Share can help you out.
This browser extension is very simple to install, and even easier to use. Here’s how to get started:
Download a copy of Do Share for your Google Chrome browser.
Note: Chrome has to be running, connected to the Internet and logged into Google for Do Share to send posts to Google+, since they are saved in your browser until the scheduled time — per the notes for the extension.
Step 1: Click then button for the extension on your browser’s toolbar, then click on Create new post and then fill in the details of your message.
(Credit:Screenshot by Nicole Cozma/CNET)
Step 2:To adjust which circles will see your post, click on Add more people.
(Credit:Screenshot by Nicole Cozma/CNET)
Step 3: From here, you can decide to send the post to your drafts, schedule the post, or share it immediately.
(Optional) Step 4: If you choose Schedule, you’ll need to input a date and time for the post to go live.
(Credit:Screenshot by Nicole Cozma/CNET)
(Optional) Step 5: View the drafts and scheduled tweets at the bottom of the page. Simply click on any tweet you need to delete or adjust.
While this method isn’t as easy as scheduling posts in HootSuite, it’s the next closest thing. What types of posts do you schedule in advance?
Also, if you love efficiency while using Chrome, you might want to check out these time-saving extensions.
(Via AddictiveTips)
Article source: http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57432808-285/how-to-schedule-google-posts-in-chrome/?part=rss&subj=software&tag=title
Tags: Credit Screenshot, Google Chrome, Note Chrome, Optional Step
08 May 12 Socialcam for Android is a bust
Notice all of the empty space under the All Videos tab.
(Credit:
Screenshot by Jaymar Cabebe/CNET)
While Socialcam appears to be one of the better video-sharing apps on iPhone, I certainly can’t say the same about its sibling on the
Android platform. See, after taking some time to review Socialcam for Android, I realized that the app is wrought with problems and in dire need of some attention from its developers.
The first problem I encountered was that Socialcam on Android only offers you the option to log in using Facebook, and much of the time even that doesn’t work. I tried logging in using two different accounts on two different devices and found this most basic of actions to be hit-or-miss, with the app force closing or freezing on several occasions. This was not a good start, to say the least.
Once I was finally able to get into Socialcam, the problems continued. The app failed to load any user videos, except for a single promo piece published by Socialcam staff, which means I wasn’t able to browse other users’ content or find anyone interesting to follow. In other words, I wasn’t able to interact with the community at all. And from what I know, that is supposed to be a major part of the Socialcam experience.
Fortunately, Socialcam for Android was capable of shooting and sharing video — but that’s not saying much, considering that’s the very minimum of what it should be able to do. Nevertheless, after all the problems, I was pleased that I could tap the camera icon, record video, and post to Socialcam fairly easily. The app also let me add a title, tag friends, and share to Facebook, Twitter, and more. Sure, it worked, but if that’s the extent of Socialcam’s capabilities on Android, then that’s not a very compelling value proposition. I can shoot and share video with tons of other apps, including my device’s default camera.
With not a single update since August of last year, it’s easy to see that the Android app has become something of an afterthought to Socialcam’s developers. In fact, there isn’t even a Google Play download link on Socialcam’s official site. That said, I’m still optimistic that the app will one day get its update, and will function as it should. Otherwise, they’d be missing out on a potentially huge pool of users. Isn’t that right, Instagram?
Article source: http://download.cnet.com/8301-2007_4-57429506-12/socialcam-for-android-is-a-bust/
Tags: Credit Screenshot, Google Play
05 May 12 Learn a new language while Web surfing in Chrome
Language Immersion for Chrome.
(Credit:
Screenshot by Nicole Cozma/CNET)
You’ve probably heard that immersion is the fastest and most comprehensive way to learn a new language. However, immersion is not an easy task when you don’t live in a country where your target language is natively spoken. To help with this issue there’s an awesome extension called Language Immersion for Chrome.
With this extension you can add as much or as little of a new language to your everyday Web surfing habits as you like. The extension supports most of the languages offered by Google Translate (roughly 64 of them), and can help you learn the target language by translating random words, sentences and even paragraphs. So as you read a Web page on the novice setting you’ll see a word or phrase in your chosen language every 30 to 40 words of your native language. And in case you’re a little more advanced than that, you can turn the difficulty level up to Intermediate or even Fluent so larger chunks of the text will be translated.
Settings for Language Immersion for Chrome.
(Credit:
www.useallfive.com)
First you’ll need to grab a copy of the Language Immersion for Chrome extension. Just click on the blue Add to Chrome button. After that, you’ll want to adjust the difficulty setting and make sure the extension is switched on. This can be done by clicking on the extension’s button in your Chrome toolbar. You may also want to enable “Speak translations” by clicking on the wrench icon and then the check box.
(Credit:Screenshot by Nicole Cozma/CNET)
Now you’re ready to start surfing the Web. If you want an easy start, read something that you’ve read before. This will make piecing together the words or phrases that you are not familiar with much easier. Each time you come across a word translated to the target language, you can click on it to hear it spoken (provided you have this enabled) and to show the translation in your native language. While some slang will get lost in translation, you can still use this extension to build a vocabulary base and learn how to say the words or phrases without too much of a hassle. Plus, turning the extension off can be done with just a few clicks if you need a break from learning.
An example of Language Immersion for Chrome.
(Credit:
Screenshot by Nicole Cozma/CNET)
You may also want to check out Babbel Mobile for Android if you’re looking for something to complement the Chrome extension when you’re away from your computer.
What tools do you use on the Web or your mobile device to start learning new languages?
(Via Lifehacker)
Article source: http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57428023-285/learn-a-new-language-while-web-surfing-in-chrome/?part=rss&subj=software&tag=title
Tags: Credit Screenshot, Google Translate, Language Immersion
28 Apr 12 Add a Facebook status bar to every page in Chrome
(Credit:
Facebook)
If you leave Facebook open in a separate tab or check your smartphone every couple of minutes for notifications, you might be slightly (or seriously) addicted to Facebook. On days where you can’t get enough of the chatter there’s MyStatusBar. This Chrome extension allows you to see new posts and notifications on every page you open, letting you close off that second tab or put down the smartphone.
MyStatusBar integrates itself by adding a blue status bar to the bottom of each page you’re viewing. Think of it as a floating social media bar, but only for Facebook. You can also search or launch Facebook just a few mouse clicks. Here’s how to add it to Chrome:
Step 1: Head to the extension page for MyStatusBar on the Chrome Web Store.
Step 2: Click the blue Add to Chrome button.
(Credit:Screenshot by Nicole Cozma/CNET)
Step 3: On the new tab that opens, press the Login to Facebook button on the bar at the bottom of the page.
(Credit:Screenshot by Nicole Cozma/CNET)
Choose permissions for the MyStatusBar extension.
(Credit:
Screenshot by Nicole Cozma/CNET)
Step 4: When the pop-up loads, click Login again, and then choose the permissions settings you feel comfortable with.
Tip: You may need to close the Facebook bar with the small X that loads near the top right-hand side of it in order to see the Allow button.
(Credit:Screenshot by Nicole Cozma/CNET)
Step 5: Start Web surfing in a new tab, and you’ll see MyStatusBar load at the bottom of each page.
The advertisement that the extension posts on your Facebook Wall.
(Credit:
Screenshot by Nicole Cozma/CNET)
Note: Approving this app will post a message on your Facebook that advertises the extension. You can easily delete it if you don’t like advertisements on your Wall.
Now you can check out Newsfeed posts, friend requests, notifications and messages from MyStatusBar. This will allow you to stay connected to your friends without always getting stuck on the Facebook tab in your browser.
(Via AddictiveTips)
Article source: http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57422875-285/add-a-facebook-status-bar-to-every-page-in-chrome/?part=rss&subj=software&tag=title
Tags: Chrome Step, Chrome Web Store, Credit Screenshot, Facebook Wall, Start Web
27 Apr 12 Control music in Chrome without switching tabs
By midafternoon, I usually have so many tabs open, I can’t keep track of them all. It’s really a nuisance when I have music playing on one of my many tabs and can’t locate it quickly to mute the song that’s playing to answer the phone. Enter Music Controller, a Chrome extension that adds a button to the right of your URL bar. The button, which features a music note, provides access to any song currently playing on any tab in your current Chrome window.
(Credit:
Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET)
Music Controller claims to work with Google Music, Grooveshark, Mog, Rdio, Pandora, and YouTube. Using a
Mac, I could not get it to work with Google Music. And it recognized Rdio but failed to list any tracks played with that service. For the others, however, it worked as advertised. Click on the button to open a small window that lists any song (with artist info) currently playing or paused in any of the above services. Next to each song listed is a pause button and, if you are listening to a playlist, fast-forward and rewind buttons. Thumbs-up and -down buttons are present if the music service has a rating system. A mute button at the top lets you quickly mute any song playing, and if you click on a song, you’ll be taken to the tab where that song is playing.
Music Controller works only with music services accessed via Chrome, so it doesn’t work with apps such as iTunes and Spotify. If you use either of those on a Mac, Skip Tunes will prove useful.
(Via AddictiveTips)
Article source: http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57422249-285/control-music-in-chrome-without-switching-tabs/?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=
Tags: Credit Screenshot, Enter Music Controller, Google Music, Music Controller, Skip Tunes, URL
26 Apr 12 Control music in Chrome without switching tabs
By midafternoon, I usually have so many tabs open, I can’t keep track of them all. It’s really a nuisance when I have music playing on one of my many tabs and can’t locate it quickly to mute the song that’s playing to answer the phone. Enter Music Controller, a Chrome extension that adds a button to the right of your URL bar. The button, which features a music note, provides access to any song currently playing on any tab in your current Chrome window.
(Credit:
Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET)
Music Controller claims to work with Google Music, Grooveshark, Mog, Rdio, Pandora, and YouTube. Using a
Mac, I could not get it to work with Google Music. And it recognized Rdio but failed to list any tracks played with that service. For the others, however, it worked as advertised. Click on the button to open a small window that lists any song (with artist info) currently playing or paused in any of the above services. Next to each song listed is a pause button and, if you are listening to a playlist, fast-forward and rewind buttons. Thumbs-up and -down buttons are present if the music service has a rating system. A mute button at the top lets you quickly mute any song playing, and if you click on a song, you’ll be taken to the tab where that song is playing.
Music Controller works only with music services accessed via Chrome, so it doesn’t work with apps such as iTunes and Spotify. If you use either of those on a Mac, Skip Tunes will prove useful.
(Via AddictiveTips)
Article source: http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57422249-285/control-music-in-chrome-without-switching-tabs/
Tags: Credit Screenshot, Enter Music Controller, Google Music, Music Controller, Skip Tunes, URL
26 Apr 12 Google Drive for Android is a beefier Google Docs app
If you haven’t noticed, Google Docs for
Android has just morphed into Google Drive. Or perhaps more accurately, it has been sucked up by the brand-new file-syncing and file-sharing app. This means that not only does it give you access to all of your old Docs, it also lets you access and store any kind of file in your cloud-enabled Google Drive account.
Similar to the experience on the Web, Google Drive for Android opens up to a main navigation panel, from which you can see a list of all your files (My Drive), files that have been shared with you, starred files, recently modified files, or offline files. There’s also a button at the top of the screen that lets you create new documents or spreadsheets, or upload a file to be stored on your Drive.
(Credit:
Screenshot by Jaymar Cabebe/CNET)
Next to each item in your list, there’s a tiny arrow icon that brings up options like Share, Rename, Delete, and Send. This should feel familiar to anyone who previously used the Google Docs app. There’s also an option to make files available offline, which is a godsend when traveling to areas with questionable data coverage.
Just as it was in Google Docs, file editing with the Google Drive app is pretty basic. The Documents editor offers a few alignment options, lists, Bold, Italic, and Underline, as well as a rudimentary color tool. The Spreadsheets editor isn’t any better, though, as it offers a slightly clunky interface for editing cells. Meanwhile, you can’t edit presentations or drawings through the mobile app, which isn’t much of a loss, since these types of documents are typically better handled with a mouse and full-size monitor.
(Credit:
Screenshot by Jaymar Cabebe/CNET)
On top of all the old Google Docs functionality, Google Drive is really just a simple file storage platform. Like Dropbox, it automatically syncs with the cloud, so that everything is consistent across all of your devices. Also, it lets you share (add collaborators to) any kind of file, including music, images, and videos. Altogether, it is a fantastic option for storing, syncing, sharing, and collaborating.
But as great as as the new Google Docs, er, Google Drive app is, it is still missing a few key features. For one, it’s impossible to move files around within your drive from the app. You can’t transfer files between collections (folders) or even create new collections. This means that all of your housekeeping will need to be done from a desktop.
Also, Google Drive doesn’t let you share files with download links. This is something that Dropbox does exceptionally well. It would be nice to be able to create a download link for any file in my drive, and send it to friends who don’t use Google Drive.
Finally, and this may be nitpicky, I wish the app would let you sort files by type. With so many different types supported, it wouldmake life a lot easier for power users who store massive numbers of files in the cloud.
Regardless of its shortcomings, I still highly recommend downloading the Google Drive app for Android. It nicely integrates all of the Docs functionality, plus it gives you the extra power to access and share other types of files.
Google Drive (download) is available now for free on Google Play. But before downloading, make sure you’ve enabled Drive on your Google account.
Article source: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19736_7-57421518-251/google-drive-for-android-is-a-beefier-google-docs-app/
Tags: Credit Screenshot, Google Docs, Google Drive, Google Play
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