Google

Google Chrome – a new punch in the browser fight

For the last few days, the biggest thing in the technical news is Google Chrome browser (check the comics book, introducing the browser, download beta). Sure, we had our share of browser wars, and we still do, but this is something completely different. Most of today’s browsers started back in the days when the Web was totally different. Since then, some browsers changed more than others. Some new ones appeared. But there was no a big break through. It was mostly an evolutionary approach.

I’m glad to see these big news from Google, that they decided to create a new browser from scratch. They built it with solutions to many of the today’s problems. They’ve put some flexbility for the future. And it seems like they’ve thought a lot about it.

I absolutely support their choice of open source in this matter. Nobody, not even Google can build a browser that will satisfy everyone and everything, and then keep developing and maintaining it. That’s not possible with the current state of the Web affairs. The only way to pull it off is to open source it, so that the Web itself could help them with this mega task. Also, it’s nice to see that they don’t want to reinvent the wheel either – taking both WebKit (open source web rendering engine) and V8 (open source JavaScript implementation) is smart decision.

It’s nice to see some real competition in the browser world. Microsoft’s Internet Explorer has changed a lot in the last few years, and the biggest reason for those changes was Mozilla’s Firefox. Firefox changed a lot too, but it sure could use a push from another open source product. Google’s Chrome could be exactly that product.

Also, for once it would be nice to see a browser built by someone who knows the Web, and not how to build software. Yes, browser is a software, but it’s not on its own. You need to know more and have access to a lot more data to build a good browser. In particular, what, who, and how uses the Web. Neither Microsoft, nor Mozilla, nor Opera Software have these information. Or at least not on the scale that Google has.

And, of course, there always will be downsides to any good initiative. In the case with Google Chrome, my biggest concern is the situation with themes and extensions. Firefox has an excellent community in this regard. This community has built all possible and impossible thems and extensions for practically anyone anywhere. And it still continues to do so. Google Chrome starts from scratch, so there won’t be anything for some time. And since the whole browser thing is new, it’ll need to start with a new set of developers, testers, users, and so on. And so it will take them some time build that all up.

As with anything, there are a billion of other ways to look at Google Chrome, the way the Web is going, the way Google is going, the way software development in general and IT as a whole is going. But I’ll leave that up to you. Here are, however, a few links to get you started.

Slashdot : Google Chrome, the Google Browser
Slashdot : Mozilla’s Thoughts on Google’s Chrome
Linux Weekly News : The Google Chrome comic book
PCWorld : Official Google Chrome Screenshots
Google Blogs Search results for “Google Chrome“

Google Reader recommends

Imagine my surprise when I looked at “Top Recommendations” area of my Google Reader today and found … my own blog over there.

Yes, I know that these recommendations are based on the feeds that I read. But still! Is it the time to celebrate the recommendations technology, which recommended me to me over a gadzillion of other blogs? Or maybe this is a day of Ultimate Technological Silliness, when Google, a search company that forgets nothing, somehow arrived to the conclusion that I might not be reading my own blog? These questions remind me of a “half-empty or half-full glass of water“. I guess a lot depends on the personal perspective…

Android is coming along smoothly

Today is the last day of The Mobile World Congress which takes place in Barcelona.Â Makers of everything mobile (as in phones, not as in real estates opposite) are showing off their stuff at this event.Â Also, there are many announcements, news, and releases tied to the dates of the congress.

It seems like a good time to revisit the Android story.Â Is it moving it all?Â What’s happening there?Â Will we see any of it any time soon?

It appears that the Android is moving along as planned.Â There were a few pre-production prototypes at The Mobile World Congress, and people were pretty much impressed with them.

The biggest surprise of the demos was how well Android runs on slow devices.

In other news, Google released a new version of Android SDK.Â This new version brought a few major changes and improvements, fixed many things that developers complained about.

The upgrade also takes to heart developer complaints about the software and includes several major but less visible upgrades: in addition to easier development of layouts, any app can now translate addresses to map coordinates and back. Audio formats such as MIDI and OGG are now also built-in, according to Google.

The same source suggests that we will indeed see some phones in the second half of 2008, as it was planned and announced last year.

Android’s upgrade brings the Linux-based platform much closer to production quality for its expected release, which should start with handsets in the second half of the year from companies such as HTC, Motorola, LG, and Samsung. Most of these devices are understood to focus heavily on Internet access and are expected to include some models with GPS and touchscreens.

Follow-up on Yahoo and Microsoft

The other day I wrote a post about possible Yahoo acquisition by Microsoft. There have been some developments to the story. If you haven’t followed it elsewhere, here is a brief summary for you:

Microsoft decided to buy Yahoo (again)
Yahoo said “No” (again)
Microsoft insists in very aggressive ways

There are a couple of posts at Mashable (one and two) which tell how the story unfolds in more details.

What Microsoft does this time, is what they have always been doing. This time it’s just on a slighter bigger scale. And if you ever had any fantasies about how Microsoft cares about you as a customer or partner, take a closer look at what happens now. If they don’t give a flying fork about major players on the Web, who are creating an ecosystem, what do they care about you as an end user?

My extremism years are long over, but I still get to hear “Boycott Microsoft!” scream in my head once in a while. Whatever the case, I believe in natural balance and the equilibrium of all things. I think that Microsoft has been rocking the technology boat for far too long and that things are slowly turning to where they should be. It will take a few more years to make them more obvious to general public, but the trend is there.

In regard to this particular situation, there is a slight chance of Yahoo getting away from this acquisition through an alliance with Google. It’s not as good as if they could just be, but it’s by far better than if they get acquired by Microsoft.