Google Keep, a New Service for Taking Notes

Carlos Jeurissen found some interesting hints about a new Google Drive app called Keep. There are multiple references to Google Keep in the GDrive code, including some URLs like: https://drive.google.com/keep/?note. In fact, the codename for Google Keep is "memento" and the MIME type for Google Keep files is "application/vnd.google-apps.note". Obviously, Google Keep is a replacement for Google Notebook, a service that has been discontinued back in 2009.

Carlos also found the service's icon and a short URL that redirects to the Play Store page for a non-existent Google Keep app.

Google has a cool Chrome extension called Scratchpad. It's great for taking notes and it syncs with Google Docs. Let's hope that Keep is better than both Scratchpad and Google Notebook.



{ Thanks, Carlos. }

Chrome for Android Shows Update Notifications

One of the greatest Chrome features is that it's always up-to-date. You don't have to worry about checking for updates and installing a new version, at least when it comes to the desktop Chrome.



iOS doesn't update apps automatically. The App Store shows notifications when the apps you've installed are updated and you need to install updates manually. Google's Play Store for Android has an option for updating apps automatically, but it's not enabled by default.



The beta version of Chrome for Android started to display an infobar that informs you there's a new version you can install: "Chrome just gob better! A new version is available. Update". Sterling, a reader of this blog, noticed the notification when visiting the Chrome Releases blog, but that could be a mere coincidence.

Maybe it would be more useful to ask users to enable automatic updates.



{ Thanks, Sterling. }

Redbox Instant Goes Beyond The Kiosk With A New Video-Streaming Service [Updates]

You may know Redbox as your friendly kiosk DVD-dealer, but it’s now yet another fighter in the ring of on-demand video: Redbox Instant is on its way to a media device near you. Announced in February of 2012 as a joint-venture with mobile company Verizon, the brand finally launched its streaming content service to the US public.

Curious users can sign up for a month-long free trial which offers access to unlimited streaming as well as four DVD credits. After the honeymoon period, these offerings will cost $8 a month. However, you have the option of ditching the DVDs for an Instant-only experience for $6.

Redbox Instant’s price may barely undercut Netflix, but does it have the same quality content? As a newcomer to the streaming business, the service is unsurprisingly lacking. The company currently offers 4,600 titles through its content agreement with Epix, a media company that operates with Viacom, Lionsgate, MGM, and more. Compared to Netflix’s vast library of over 100,000 items to watch, the company has quite a bit of work to do.

Similar to Netflix’s accessibility, Redbox Instant users will be able to view all content using virtually any platform. Subscribers can watch their movies and shows on any iOS device, any Android device, an Xbox 360, and some Samsung TVs. The service was released in beta form last December, and as of right now, it remains available solely in the US market. No word has been mentioned as to whether it will eventually become available to a worldwide audience.

Will you make use of Redbox Instant? What do you think of its current offerings?

Source: Redbox via CNET

The post Redbox Instant Goes Beyond The Kiosk With A New Video-Streaming Service [Updates] appeared first on MakeUseOf.

Chromebook Pixel's Raison d'Être

I was still trying to figure out why Google released Chromebook Pixel, when I realized that I wrote a post last year which answered this question "avant la lettre". It's weird to quote an old post, but here it is:

The trouble with Chromebooks is that Google can't come up with a powerful ultrabook that costs $700 or $800 because people would think it's too expensive. Why not get an ultrabook that runs a full-fledged operating system and install Chrome?



To solve this issue, Google could try to change people's perception about Chrome OS and show that it's not just a browser. The latest Chrome OS releases made a lot of important changes: the browser can be minimized and resized, it's easier to open multiple windows, there's a desktop and a taskbar, you can change the wallpaper, there are cool applications like the media player, ScratchPad or Calculator that no longer open inside the browser. By including great applications that work offline (a dictionary, some games, a contact manager, a calendar app) and encouraging developers to build standalone apps that work outside the browser, Google could show that Chrome OS is more than just a browser.

That's what Google did. After buying Quickoffice, Google ported the mobile app to Chrome using Native Client. Right now, it only opens Office file in read-only mode, but it will soon support editing files. It's not exactly Microsoft Office, but it's a pretty good office suite that works offline.



Google also works on a Google+ Photos app powered by Native Client that will let you import photos from your camera or phone and upload them to Google+. The most useful feature: automatic selection of the best shots.

Chrome OS already has many features that live outside of the browser and it will add even more. Powerful Native Client apps that also work offline will allow Chrome OS to compete with full-fledged operating systems like Windows and Mac OS. Chromebook Pixel is Google's way of telling the world to take Chrome OS seriously. Chrome OS is no longer an experiment and a Chromebook is no longer useful just as a second device, it could become your main device.

Google's RSS Subscription Extension, Removed From Chrome Web Store

Three years ago I tried to convince the Chrome team that it makes sense to add native support to feeds. At that time, Google built an extension that showed feed previews and allowed you to subscribe to feeds. The explanation for building an extension instead of implementing the feature in Chrome was simple:



"This decision was made based on our philosophy of trying to limit ourselves to adding only the UI features that a vast majority of users need and allow each user to customize the browsers to fit their needs with Extensions. Given that most people are not familiar with and don't consume RSS feeds, we thought that RSS support would be a better fit as an extension, at least to begin with."



In 5 months, more than 300,000 people installed the extension. More than 1,600 people starred a feature request for implementing RSS detection natively. Chrome still doesn't have this feature and the extension released in 2010 has been removed from the Chrome Web Store a few days ago. The issue is that the extension used Google Reader to preview feeds and Google Reader will be discontinued in July.

"RSS Subscription Extension" had 869,743 users. You can still find at least two extensions based on Google's code.

Chrome Web Store and Unsupported Operating Systems

If you use a phone or a tablet and click a link that sends you to a Chrome Web Store page, you'll see this message: "Sorry, your operating system is not supported just yet. The Chrome Web Store is available on Windows (except RT), Mac and Linux. Why don't you send yourself a reminder to try it later?"

What if you open the same page in Firefox, Internet Explorer or any other desktop browser? The page loads and you only see a short message informing you that "you will need Google Chrome to install most apps, extensions and themes". That's the right thing to do and it's surprising that Google doesn't load a page because "your operating system is not supported just yet".



You can't install extensions if you use any other browser than Chrome (for desktop), but there are other reasons to open a web page. Maybe you want to read the reviews, write a review, check the screenshots. For now, you can install Chrome for Android or iOS and use the "request desktop site" feature to load the offending page.



Google Play does a much better job: it not only loads in almost any browser and operating system, but it also lets you install applications remotely.

Windows 8: A Review From A Linux User’s Perspective

It has been a few months since Windows 8 came out, so a lot of enthusiasts have messed around with it and found out what it’s all about. Many people have feared that Windows 8 would be an entirely new experience, and that our traditional workflow would be disrupted. Some people have even claimed that Windows 8 may cause them to abandon the operating system family and switch to Linux so that they can run up to date code without upgrading Windows. However, is any of this really the case?

I bought a copy of Windows 8 Pro to try for myself to reach some answers on my own. With answers in hand, I give you a review of the new operating system from a Linux user’s perspective.

Interface

One of the biggest complaints about Windows 8 is the new interface, or specifically the Start Screen. It scares a lot of people, but it’s easy to figure out after a bit of fiddling. Windows 8 introduces two different kinds of applications — your legacy programs that you’ve always used, and the new Windows 8 apps, which run full screen. This split allows you to use your computer in two different ways, or mix the two for a custom experience. If you want to remain on the traditional desktop, just avoid the Windows Store and install your applications as usual. You can find all of your applications in the Start Screen, which you can arrange however you want. In my opinion, the functionality of the Start Button is still there. You’ll just need to use the Windows key on your keyboard more often rather than gravitating to where the Start Button used to be. Worst case scenario, you can always get the Start Button back.

The new interface seems pretty different compared to traditional conventions, but I do think that people will grow to like it. People simply need to adjust to the slight changes when it comes to the Start Screen — everything else is essentially the same. It was a similar story for the Unity desktop interface on Ubuntu. After it was improved and bugs were fixed, more and more people started to like it.

Besides the interface and performance changes, there isn’t too much to tout about that immediately affects everyone. Windows 8 packs new multi-monitor support, a new task manager, and some Windows Explorer improvements. These improvements are fine (even if you don’t like those applied to Windows Explorer), but they don’t add any extra value compared to Linux. Multi-monitor support has already been decent (excluding the poorer quality of the graphics drivers), the task manager has always been informative, powerful, and visually appealing, and Nautilus/Dolphin have continuous refinements added to them.

Performance

Performance is another important aspect of the new operating system. It has definitely improved when compared to Windows 7, and the quicker startup times from the hibernated kernel. However, I believe Linux operating systems are still faster. They take the same time or less to boot from an unhibernated kernel, and runtime performance is also noticeably smoother. The only measurable improvements that Windows brings comes from the better graphics drivers while playing games. Linux is still more resource efficient as well, using quite a bit less RAM even with the full, relatively memory-hogging Ubuntu experience.

Storage

Some people may enjoy Windows 8’s new Storage Spaces feature. It allows people to combine multiple hard drives into one drive that appears in My Computer. Windows then uses all of the space that you configured across all hard drives, and you just continue using your system without worries. Linux has been doing this successfully for quite a while with LVM, and the imminent stable release of Btrfs will provide a modern replacement for the technology at a file-system level. Both LVM and Btrfs are easily configurable during installation or via utilities inside the operating system.

Battery Life

Another important factor is battery life. Windows continues to provide strong battery life, but Linux has always been touted as excellent in this category because of its high efficiency. Despite what people have said, my old computer always had a slightly better battery life under Windows, but with my new laptop, the tables have turned. I’ve noticed that Windows 8 keeps my laptop rather busy, so that the fan repeatedly turns on for a few moments to get rid of some hot air, something that doesn’t happen under Linux. I hate trying to give out statistics for something like battery life because it always changes, and depends on the software that you install.

Security

Security is the final issue where Windows 8 has made some strides. It has implemented Windows Defender deep into the operating system, as well as some anti-virus precautions. However, it is still extremely vulnerable and an anti-virus solution is highly advisable. Under Linux, this isn’t the case — there isn’t any threat of viruses, and a tight firewall will keep out any potential hackers.

Conclusion

Overall, I don’t really see a lot of issues with Windows 8. There are improvements all across the board, and the only major complaint, the new interface, is something that only takes an hour of getting used to. Once I played around with it for a while, I felt comfortable using it. Yes, it was new, and people don’t like change, but there really isn’t much of a difference. Just take a deep breath and think logically. When compared to Linux, Windows 8 is showing a lot of similar struggles in the interface department, but otherwise they both have pros and cons. I still prefer Linux over Windows, but for people who wouldn’t dare switch away from Windows or who rely on Windows-only software, I have no problem recommending Windows 8. As for those still considering Linux, here’s some help on making Linux a Windows replacement.

What do you think of Windows 8? How do you think it stacks up to Linux? Are you running it right now? Let us know in the comments!

Image Credits: Jackson Carson

The post Windows 8: A Review From A Linux User’s Perspective appeared first on MakeUseOf.

Windows 8: A Review From A Linux User’s Perspective

It has been a few months since Windows 8 came out, so a lot of enthusiasts have messed around with it and found out what it’s all about. Many people have feared that Windows 8 would be an entirely new experience, and that our traditional workflow would be disrupted. Some people have even claimed that Windows 8 may cause them to abandon the operating system family and switch to Linux so that they can run up to date code without upgrading Windows. However, is any of this really the case?

I bought a copy of Windows 8 Pro to try for myself to reach some answers on my own. With answers in hand, I give you a review of the new operating system from a Linux user’s perspective.

Interface

One of the biggest complaints about Windows 8 is the new interface, or specifically the Start Screen. It scares a lot of people, but it’s easy to figure out after a bit of fiddling. Windows 8 introduces two different kinds of applications — your legacy programs that you’ve always used, and the new Windows 8 apps, which run full screen. This split allows you to use your computer in two different ways, or mix the two for a custom experience. If you want to remain on the traditional desktop, just avoid the Windows Store and install your applications as usual. You can find all of your applications in the Start Screen, which you can arrange however you want. In my opinion, the functionality of the Start Button is still there. You’ll just need to use the Windows key on your keyboard more often rather than gravitating to where the Start Button used to be. Worst case scenario, you can always get the Start Button back.

The new interface seems pretty different compared to traditional conventions, but I do think that people will grow to like it. People simply need to adjust to the slight changes when it comes to the Start Screen — everything else is essentially the same. It was a similar story for the Unity desktop interface on Ubuntu. After it was improved and bugs were fixed, more and more people started to like it.

Besides the interface and performance changes, there isn’t too much to tout about that immediately affects everyone. Windows 8 packs new multi-monitor support, a new task manager, and some Windows Explorer improvements. These improvements are fine (even if you don’t like those applied to Windows Explorer), but they don’t add any extra value compared to Linux. Multi-monitor support has already been decent (excluding the poorer quality of the graphics drivers), the task manager has always been informative, powerful, and visually appealing, and Nautilus/Dolphin have continuous refinements added to them.

Performance

Performance is another important aspect of the new operating system. It has definitely improved when compared to Windows 7, and the quicker startup times from the hibernated kernel. However, I believe Linux operating systems are still faster. They take the same time or less to boot from an unhibernated kernel, and runtime performance is also noticeably smoother. The only measurable improvements that Windows brings comes from the better graphics drivers while playing games. Linux is still more resource efficient as well, using quite a bit less RAM even with the full, relatively memory-hogging Ubuntu experience.

Storage

Some people may enjoy Windows 8’s new Storage Spaces feature. It allows people to combine multiple hard drives into one drive that appears in My Computer. Windows then uses all of the space that you configured across all hard drives, and you just continue using your system without worries. Linux has been doing this successfully for quite a while with LVM, and the imminent stable release of Btrfs will provide a modern replacement for the technology at a file-system level. Both LVM and Btrfs are easily configurable during installation or via utilities inside the operating system.

Battery Life

Another important factor is battery life. Windows continues to provide strong battery life, but Linux has always been touted as excellent in this category because of its high efficiency. Despite what people have said, my old computer always had a slightly better battery life under Windows, but with my new laptop, the tables have turned. I’ve noticed that Windows 8 keeps my laptop rather busy, so that the fan repeatedly turns on for a few moments to get rid of some hot air, something that doesn’t happen under Linux. I hate trying to give out statistics for something like battery life because it always changes, and depends on the software that you install.

Security

Security is the final issue where Windows 8 has made some strides. It has implemented Windows Defender deep into the operating system, as well as some anti-virus precautions. However, it is still extremely vulnerable and an anti-virus solution is highly advisable. Under Linux, this isn’t the case — there isn’t any threat of viruses, and a tight firewall will keep out any potential hackers.

Conclusion

Overall, I don’t really see a lot of issues with Windows 8. There are improvements all across the board, and the only major complaint, the new interface, is something that only takes an hour of getting used to. Once I played around with it for a while, I felt comfortable using it. Yes, it was new, and people don’t like change, but there really isn’t much of a difference. Just take a deep breath and think logically. When compared to Linux, Windows 8 is showing a lot of similar struggles in the interface department, but otherwise they both have pros and cons. I still prefer Linux over Windows, but for people who wouldn’t dare switch away from Windows or who rely on Windows-only software, I have no problem recommending Windows 8. As for those still considering Linux, here’s some help on making Linux a Windows replacement.

What do you think of Windows 8? How do you think it stacks up to Linux? Are you running it right now? Let us know in the comments!

Image Credits: Jackson Carson

The post Windows 8: A Review From A Linux User’s Perspective appeared first on MakeUseOf.