Tag Archives: browser

Google ports the Chrome browser to Android

In a not-so-surprising move, Google has brought its desktop Chrome browser to Android mobile devices. Dubbed Chrome for Android Beta, the new mobile browser focuses on speed, simplicity, and seamless sign-in and sync. The Chrome omnibox rests up top and search results are loaded in the background instantly as you type in it. Intuitive tabbed browsing is in tow, as is link preview and incognito mode. When you first launch the browser you are asked to sign-in with your Google account. Connecting your account to the browser allows you to view open tabs you left on your computer on your mobile device, get autocomplete suggestions based on searches you made on your computer, and sync your bookmarks across devices. Chrome for Android is now available to download from the Android Market, but for now it’s only compatible with Android phones and tablets running version 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Hop after the break to watch an introductory demonstration.

[Via Google] Continue reading Google ports the Chrome browser to Android

Google I/O 2011: Music Beta, Android Ice Cream Sandwich, Android@Home, Chrome OS, Chrome Web Store

Yesterday and today Google hosted its renowned developer’s conference dubbed Google I/O 2011. Literally thousands of developers flocked to San Fransisco’s Moscone Center to find out what Google’s been cooking up on their end. This year’s event proved to be leaps and bounds more exciting than last year’s conference. Google introduced their new cloud-based music service called Music Beta; they unveiled Ice Cream Sandwich, the next version of Android that promises to bridge the gap between Gingerbread and Honeycomb; Android is going into the home automation business with Google’s impressive initiative Android@Home; Chrome OS is finally ready for the big leagues–Samsung and Acer are prepping Chromebooks for mass consumption; and Angry Birds has landed in the browser!

So much to discuss–it’s all a hop, skip and a jump after the break. Continue reading Google I/O 2011: Music Beta, Android Ice Cream Sandwich, Android@Home, Chrome OS, Chrome Web Store

RockMelt, a modern browser with a social twist

Sick and tired of the same old desktop browsing experience?  Are you constantly logging into your Facebook and Twitter accounts and checking up on your latest RSS feeds?  If you answered “yes” to one or both of these questions you might want to give RockMelt a spin.  RockMelt, backed up Netscape founder Marc Andreeseen, is a modern browser with a social twist.  First off, it’s fast.  It’s built on Chromium, the open source project behind Google’s Chrome browser; so if you’re used to Chrome browsing speeds, you know what to expect.  Here’s the social aspect.  To use RockMelt you must sign into it with your Facebook account; that’s right–it’s the very first web browser you sign into.  But there’s an upswing to this; you can access your browser information, including social integration, RSS feeds, and more, on any computer that has RockMelt installed.  Social integration, right.  So you log into the browser using your Facebook account.  The left side of the browser populates a list of your Facebook friends and you can chat with them, send and receive messages, and view status updates.  The right side of the browser stores your Twitter followers and their updated tweets, along with a running list of website icons representing individual RSS feeds so you can keep tabs on your most frequently visited sites.  RockMelt boasts “push notifications” meaning that it will keep track of and alert you to updates from Facebook, Twitter, and RSS feeds.  The browser also promotes URL sharing among your connected social networks; there’s a built-in URL shortener that’ll push your favorite sites and posts to friends.  Search is faster, too.  Worried about privacy?  Don’t be.  RockMelt developers promise that login information and settings are encrypted before they are sent over to RockMelt servers for cloud storage.

Want to get in on the RockMelt craze?  The browser is currently in beta (so expect numerous bugs pop up) and the developers are enabling the Internet at large to participate in an early access hands on with it, so along as you’re willing to fork over your Facebook username and password (remember, that’s required to use the browser).  Hop over to the RockMelt homepage to “connect for an invitation.”  It runs on Windows and Mac.  Look after the break for a video demonstration to learn more about RockMelt.  For beta software it runs pretty well, and if you’re a heavy Facebook/Twitter user you’ll surely appreciate the social integration aspect.

[Via RockMelt] Continue reading RockMelt, a modern browser with a social twist

Google celebrates 2 years of Chrome with new spankin’ version

On September 2 Google celebrated Chrome’s second birthday by releasing version 6.0.472.53.  The faster and more streamlined version of Chrome features an even more minimalist and stripped down user interface.  “We combined Chrome’s two menus into one, revisited the location of the buttons, cleaned up the treatment of the URL and the Omnibox, and adjusted the color scheme of the browser to be easier on the eyes,” reads the Google Chrome Blog.

It’s hard to believe that so much has changed since Chrome was introduced in August 2008.  Back then JavaScript was 10 times slower and HTML5 support was pretty much non-existent.  In fact, Chrome’s JavaScript performance is three times faster than what it was in 2008.  Google boasts all of the handy features they’ve introduced over the years:  a more customizable New Tab page, browser themes, side-by-side view, password manager, better privacy controls, built-in Adobe Flash Player, Autofill, automatic translation, HTML5 capabilities and synchronization of various settings such as bookmarks, themes, extensions and browser preferences.

Wow, that was a mouthful.  Go ahead and download the new version of Chrome here.

[Via GoogleChromeBlog]

Customize your home page with Fav4

The concept is simple, really, but the value is great.  Fav4 was created to give you the ability to customize your browser’s home page with the top four websites you visit most often.  The default is Facebook, Flickr, Gmail, and Twitter, but you can easily pick from a long list of other sites.  The setup and interface couldn’t be simpler.  Head over to Fav4.org, choose your top four sites and arrange their order, and click save.  Once that’s done, go to your Internet options and make Fav4.org your start-up home page.  Now every time you open your browser your top four Internet destinations will be waiting for you as large, visually snazzy icons.  You’re welcome.

[Via NYTimes Bits Twitter; Gizmodo]