Jeffzilla

After a relatively short "announce to launch" window, Google launched its new, open source web browser, Google Chrome. It was announced over the weekend, and a comic book-style introduction was published yesterday. Unfortunately, it’s only available for Windows just yet - us mac users will have to either wait a bit for Google Chrome for OS X, or give it the ole Boot Camp try and take the dive to load up windows.

Although real world performance and deployment is the ultimate test, I think Google’s idea of making each tab of the browser into is separate, isolated process is a good one. This should allow for more power to be devoted to more robust web apps, isolate bad code and bad webpages, and overall provide a more customized and customizable operating environment for each individual website - I know that during my day, I am often times simultaneously working with sites that use flash, java, ajax, silverlight, embedded media, active x, etc etc etc. Being able to keep each of these isolated to just the page where it’s needed seems like it would be a huge performance and stability boost. Additionally, I’m excited to hear that Google Chrome is built from the ground up to be much better at managing memory. Although Firefox, my current browser of choice, is super fast and relatively stable, after using it continuously for an entire day, it tends to start eating up massive amounts of memory. The precise memory management in Google Chrome will hopefully work well.

That’s all for now - tonight I’ll hopefully find some time to install it in Windows XP pro in bootcamp on my MBP, and give at a real test run.

Sites I plan to test with Google Chrome, for performance and stability -

Gmail.com - web app - made by Google, so it should run perfectly.

Jeffzilla.com - obviously

Meebo.com - another great web app

Hulu.com - streaming video

Wordpress admin - non-Google web app which uses the Google Gears Framework

Potatoland.com - hosts some neat java applets, which create trippy graphics - visually intensive java applet processing

Lively.com - Google’s virtual world, fairly graphics intensive

Flickr.com Organizr - again, intense flash/java web app

Finally, elsewhere in the blogosphere… TechCrunch has some massive video action happening - but luckily if you’re using Chrome, it should be able to load up all those rich media YouTube flash windows with no problem!

Kara Swisher discusses the early comic book leak, and the ongoing re-ignition of the browser war.

Regarding process isolation, check this overview video on the Chrome Task Manager…

Wordpress 1.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch was just released on iTunes. So far, it seems to be working well. I’m composing this post on my 8gb iPod touch. The installed app had no problem interfacing with the XML-rpc of my wordpress 2.6 blog backend. Additionally, it gives me full access to all of my old blog posts… A nice touch.

For version 2.0, I would love to see integrated, optional GPS location posting, comment moderation, and link creation - with URL copy/paste from Safari!

This Photo Safe II from Digital Foci sounds like nifty gadget..especially for traveling. I’d use it to backup pictures on my memory card, and not necessarily to offload the pictures…. ie not deleting memory cards after copying to the it. That way,the camera is lost or stolen while traveling, there’s still a backup of the pictures, and vise versa. I feel like very very quickly, the value of the photos your shooting far outpaces the value of the gear you’re using.. in many many situations.

Also, this could prevent you from having to do the “many smaller cards” scheme of data protection, and instead shoot with that whopper 32b card, and just back it up from time to time in the field.

Thoughts?

From Engadget -

Digital Foci didn’t go out of its way to drastically redesign the original Photo Safe, but we ’spose that’s alright in the grand scheme of things. Essentially, the Photo Safe II picks up where its predecessor left off by including a multicard reader (now with 100% more MS Duo and miniSD support) which automatically transfers photos from your flash card onto the built-in 80GB / 160GB hard drive. The integrated display tells you at a glance how much space is remaining and how much battery life is left, though it won’t show your stored photos in slideshow (or any other) fashion. A touch steep at $139 (80GB) / $189 (160GB), but that’s convenience for you.

Wordpress.org just released, ahead of schedule, the 2.6 version of Wordpress - the backend that runs this blog. Some of the new features are much appreciated - live preview of themes, wordcount, post revision history, and a more robust image control box.

I just did the upgrade, which went smoothly, for the most part. The only hitch I encountered was re-activating plugins. After re-activation, the whole admin backend crashed and started giving code errors. To fix it, I had to re-name the plugins folder (thereby deactivating all), and go through one by one and re-activate plugins, and upgrade them to the latest version.

One of the coolest features in 2.6 is the new usage of Google Gears. Gears is an add on for IE and Firefox, which lets wordpress store core files locally on the computer, instead of needing to load them up from the web for every page. This significantly increases interface responsiveness, especially for new AJAX’y features.

I’m glad to see that Google Gears is starting to gain a little bit more traction. Before this, my only regular usage of gears was with Google Reader, which will let you cache rss feeds for offline viewing. I always use this feature, especially when flying - hop on the web in the airport terminal before I board my flight, sync up with the latest news in reader, piece through it all on the plane, and re-sync when I land.

Why make software for an increasingly dwindling market - the 1st generation (EDGE) iPhone. Instinctiv is a new company that’s making iPhone software that purports to predict what you want to listen to based on a number of factors, and the smartly shuffles your songs accordingly. But it only shuffles your own songs. Only the music you have on your phone at that moment. No network listening.

I can see how this would appeal to iPod Touch and 1st generation (slow EDGE) owners, but, since the 1st Gen iPhone is no longer on sale, that group is starting to dwindle. On the new iPhone 3g, with speedy fast 3G network connectivity, is Instinctiv really necessary? (Or, does it have a viable future?) Why not just listen to real, genuine Pandora radio, if that’s the experience you’re going for? Although it’s not out yet, I’m almost positive a real, native Pandora radio application will be released for the new iPhone 3G, which will (or, should…) use not only the iPhone’s wifi connection, but the 3G cell data connection as well.

Better yet - ever shared with a friend a Pandora station you’ve made? Cool to be able to listen to the same batch of songs, no? How about allowing iPhones running the Pandora radio application to synchronize their stations, so two iPhone listeners can listen to a synchronized Pandora station? Why not push this feature to the standard browser based web player too? It might get dicey for the music licensing, but would be cool nonetheless.

(Seen on TechCrunch)

Google just announced, and will launch tomorrow, Friend Connect. Will this be another building block in the road to the ultimate ubiquitous social network? With any website being able to add a social networking component, and all of those components being able to network together via Open Social, we’re about to be one step closer to all being on the same social network, always. Additionally, OpenID integration will allow us to have just one login name/password to remember for everything. From the press release:

Visitors to any site using Google Friend Connect will be able to see, invite, and interact with new friends, or, using secure authorization APIs, with existing friends from social sites on the web, including Facebook, Google Talk, hi5, orkut, Plaxo, and more.

Read more on Techcrunch, and watch Google’s Campfire One tonight.

Recently at the Beet.TV Executive Summit in Washington, Wall Street Journal writer Walt Mossberg spoke on the convergence of computer and TV entertainment, internet bandwidth, and the importance regulation/deregulation from the top.

I’m with Walt on this. The critical step for converging TV and computer content/entertainment, and allowing us to take the next step in rich content delivery, communication, and integration is bandwidth. Insuring that access to network bandwidth does not become more metered, restricted and taxed, and that it becomes increasingly more plentiful and open is critical.

Also in this talk, Walt foreshadows the release of the 3G iPhone in the next 60 days - I’ll be the first in line when it does come out! As for bandwidth and 3G - I think that when the 3G iPhone does launch, AT&T seriously needs to get their act together with the 3G data network throughput - having all those users able to browse the web, directly download/stream media, and use other data intensive applications (iChat AV?) is going to put a serious strain on the network.

Here’s the video of Walt Mossberg speaking on Beet.TV about broadband speed, rich media, and the iPhone.

It’s finally out, and I’m running on it - Wordpress 2.5. This is first major overhaul to the Wordpress blog software in recent memory, and so far it looks great. I’m liking the more simplified interface, and it seems snappier too. For the complete rundown, take a look at the official Wordpress blog post.

Some first impressions:

• The new write tab is good - cleaner visual style, and the “add media” links are nifty for quickly getting stuff up, novices, etc.
• Editable permalink right at the top of the Write Post tab is great for tuning - both for SEO and usability.
• Timed publish option welcomed.
• I’m not as enthusiastic about having the categories list under the post. My categories list is somewhat long, and scrolling vertically in a horizontally oriented box is a pain. Put the long list back in its vertical box on the sidebar.
• Tagger is good, but I wish the input box was longer.
• Media Library browser is good and much more accessible - although iIm a little confused why they put a post count for individual media items.
• Theme chooser is still missing a theme preview function.
• One-click upgrades for plugins - finally! With plugins being updated so frequently, this is a huge help. Even nicer would be a “check and update all plugins” button.
• Post via Email support is still flimsy. Yes, it works if you set it up correctly. However to invoke Wordpress to check the designated email account, the user still has to manually visit the special mail page in a browser, set up a more techy cron job, or install a cron plugin. If Wordpress is going to offer a post via email feature, I think they should do it right and build in a lightweight cron functionality. It could be as simple as a “check this email account every hour/week/month for new email posts” checkbox next to the settings.
• New pre-made URL structure option is great.
• I’d like to see selectable “skins” for the admin interface. Ideally, in the write tab, to make the write box highlighted, with perhaps a toggle-able grey mask over the rest, to allow for easier focus on writing.

So far, I’m happy with Wordpress 2.5. It’s updated look is pleasing, and the new functionality is welcomed.

Great new Engadget video of Art Lebedev’s Optimus Maximus OLED Keyboard…   

It looks great, even though it’s still using beta software and firmware. I was going to say that I’d like to see this kind of keyboard on laptops (my Macbook Pro, for example).. but now I think that the self-lit OLED displays on each key would be a huge drain on the battery. However.. eInk displays, like what’s used on the Amazon Kindle would be great for a laptop keys… eInk only uses power to refresh, so it would have power requirements. Something to think about.. it would cool, if it were pulled off correctly - both the feel and aesthetic of my MBP’s aluminum, concave, backlit keys are pretty spot-on right now.

Apartment in a Box

A whole (small) apartment’s worth of furniture - crammed into a box transportable by two people. Sounds perfect for NYC. The box includes desk, bookshelves, chairs, even a full sized bed, all packed in there. I think the designers, Marcel Krings and Sebastian Mühlhäuser from Casulo have definitely one-upped and destroyed the “Ikea Flat Pack” with this one. Check it out over at treehuger, or go direct to the video.

Elastico Bookshelf

Pretty nifty - Designer Arianna Vivenzio took two fat metal pegs and a fat rubber band, strung them up on the wall, and created an awesome, minimalist bookshelf. You can put stuff on top of it, or part the two sides of the rubber band and sandwich stuff in between.. perfect for holding a book and some other stuff. I wonder how much it holds before it starts sagging?