Google uncloaks Chrome OS hardware pals

Google has revealed at least some of the hardware manufacturers its working with to design and build devices that run the much-discussed Google Chrome Operating System.

With a post to the official Chrome blog Wednesday afternoon, the Mountain View Chocolate Factory said its hardware partners include Acer, ASUS, Freescale, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, and Toshiba.

via theregister.co.uk

Would you buy this? I might, if the hardware is small and responsive, the operating system is fast and stable and the software has the right set of features. I can see a lightweight Netbook being useful as a laptop replacement on the train but none of the current crop has really caught my eye.

Posted via web from James's posterous

Google polishes Chrome into netbook OS

Google is releasing an operating system for laptops and desktops, in a direct challenge to Microsoft's money-making core business.

via theregister.co.uk

I bet Microsoft are really worried about this... or possibly not. Google might rule the advertising roots, but Chrome and Android haven't made as much of a splash as some people predicted. Breaking the OS market will be even tougher, I think.

Posted via web from James's posterous

Data tariffs and overseas travel

I may have mentioned this before, but every time I travel abroad I find that the usefulness of my iPhone is dramatically reduced by the lack of a reasonably priced data tariff. How much would be reasonable? I think about £0.10 per Mb would be about right; low enough that email and casual web use can continue unimpeded but high enough to deter video streaming and music downloads (although I'm not sure why such a deterrent might be desirable).
 
Why is this important? Unlike most people, I primarily use my phone for Internet access and email, so I am particularly affected by a lack of data access. I could just pay the £3 per Mb they charge but I'm too tight, so I suffer instead and hope for change. Unfortunately, hope sends very few emails.

Posted via email from James's posterous

The weather breaks, a bit

Till yesterday we had had an unbroken run of fine weather with temperatures most days of around 33-36 degrees. Yesterday's thunderstorm, which was pretty impressive, broke the run, although it cleared up later in the day.

Today started grey and humid but is now brightening, hinting at an afternoon of hot and humid. Can't wait. I think, maybe, that I'm not entirely at home with the heat.

Posted via email from Holiday Notes

BBC NEWS - New dinosaurs found in Australia

Australian palaeontologists say they have discovered three new dinosaur species after examining fossils dug up in Queensland.

via news.bbc.co.uk

I'm not sure that "New" is the right word ("Unknown", maybe?) as these things have been lying around in the rocks for the last hundred million years, but apart form that it's all good stuff. I now keenly await Jurassic Park 4 - Banjo's Revenge.

Posted via web from James's posterous

I keep meaning to mention this...

...and it isn't very exciting, but I made it to 3.84km in 20 minutes on the treadmill last time I made it to the gym (19th June). Hurrah.

Posted via email from James's posterous

Is this what's in the next iPhone update?

The iPhone Blog is reporting what's purported to be in the next, and hopefully imminent iPhone update to version 3.1. As we've reported, developers were seeded with the beta Tuesday.

via tuaw.com

Ok, so this is all for iPhone 3G S owners, but it's interesting nonetheless. In fact, over the last week or so, I would say that I've become more keen to acquire a 3G S rather than less, mainly for the extra speed and improved camera. These improvements would also make the video camera a more attractive feature; I've never had a video camera on a phone and I think it might be fun to play with it.

Posted via web from James's posterous

The bike has arrived!

And what a bike it is! A red Gitanes hardtail with the elegance and sophistication of a brick. And probably the speed of a brick. Time will tell, but I strongly suspect that it will prove to be a less than satisfactory ride; should have brought my own, dammit.

Posted via email from James on Bikes

Hot, damn hot. Hotter than a hot thing on an oven

I have no idea where we are (http://maps.google.com/?q=43.2824%2C2.5822) but it's rather warm (and it's been this hot all week).

Posted via email from Holiday Notes

iPhone feature request - edit emails in the outbox

I have been writing blog posts in my phone's email client all week, storing them in the outbox until I stumble across a convenient wifi hotspot. This works well until you decide that you'd like to change something in one of your waiting emails - it can't be done (probably because the phone should be connected to the net and sending emails immediately). The only option is to copy the text to a new message, delete the old and make the edits. This works but it is hardly elegant.

Posted via email from James's posterous