First Review of Google Chrome v.0.2.149.27

I have just installed Google Chrome, and must say, that first impressions (after a minor bug on install) are that it looks good. Neat, very tidy, very minimalist, easy on the eye, and renders pages nicely. But there are bugs already - as expected in Beta. See screenshot. My first problem is simply that I had to close Firefox to install it, and now cannot open Firefox. This is very annoying. Even after clearing the cache, running CCleaner to be sure, I still cannot open Firefox. A system restart is probably required - logging out and back in did not work either. (Update - yep, system restart was required to get my Firefox working again). Second bug, is that I am using the Google Blogger software to write this, and on hitting enter while in Compose mode, it creates a div instead of br. Maybe this is intended, but as I use my own stylesheets and FTP my blog to my own domain, this seems to be a problem. I will check in Firefox as soon as I get that browser open again. - UPDATE - OK, pages are generated correctly, so this is OK! The first slight annoyance was on install, I was requested to close Firefox to allow an import of bookmarks etc. but the message did not fully show on the screen. Anyway, I am using Google Chrome to write this blog, so hope that it publishes quickly. Maybe I am the first person to use Google Chrome to publish a Blogger blog? What I like about Google Chrome The first obvious feature is that on opening a new browser tab, thumbnails on the Most visited pages are available. At the moment there are some useless pages listed, including two "redirecting" pages, but as the browser is used more, your favourite pages will be quickly available. The other feature is recent bookmarks which provides a dynamic list of the last webpages to be bookmarked - this is a simply solution that makes browsing much quicker, as generally new bookmarks are often returned to most frequently. The browser address bar also has a quick bookmark button, a star, to allow faster bookmarking. Currently Chrome's options are limited. Options are in three sections; "basics" which has homepage options, default search engine (not just Google! in fact, all the usual ones available from Firefox) , plus the choice to set Chrome as the default browser; "minor tweaks" which includes chosing the download directory and saving passwords; and "under the hood" which includes web security options, pop-up blocking, phishing alerts, and other security options such as managing certificates, and dealing with cookies. Things that are different with Google Chrome Google Chrome has its own Task Manager, under the Developer menu. One interesting feature it has is "stats for nerds" (that is so Google!) which shows memory and virtual memory used for different tabs / web pages. Also, in addition to simply opening a new window, there is the option to open a new incognito window, which Google define as: You've gone incognito. Pages that you view in this window won't appear in your browser history or search history, and they won't leave other traces, like cookies, on your computer after you close the incognito window. Any files that you download or bookmarks that you create will be preserved, however. This appears to be a good security measure for browsing new sites that could contain malware and spyware etc. However, Google are quick to point out that; Going incognito doesn't affect the behaviour of other people, servers or software. Be wary of: Websites that collect or share information about you Internet service providers or employers that track the pages that you visit Malicious software that tracks your keystrokes in exchange for free smileys Surveillance by secret agents People standing behind you Overall I like Chrome. I am not sure if I will replace Firefox just yet, but as I do use many of Google's web tools, I feel that this will become my browser of choice. Google seem to have allowed a little of their true personality to shine through in Google Chrome. Until now there applications have been serious business tools and web development services, but from what is seen in Chrome, there is some humour and fun included, which we all know to be core to Google's business culture. I really look forward to what comes next in Chrome. I assume like Firefox, there will be a vast array of optional add ons to chose from. I am slightly disappointed that some of Google's applications are not already integrated, such as docs, Blogger, Gmail and Analytics, but I would assume that this is all in the pipeline. One step at a time. Google generally tread carefully with their new applications, and although Google Chrome is classed as Beta, the core functionality is certainly well tested and debugged. The installation problems were minor, and most likely due to a dodgy operating system and unusual monitor. Google are on a winner. Published on Tuesday, September 02, 2008 | First Review of Google Chrome v.0.2.149.27 0 comments so far - Discuss this Article

Google Chrome Internet Browser is Released

Google has today announced that it has been developing, and is about to release, an internet browser. It goes by the name of Google Chrome, and will be rivalling Internet Explorer and Firefox. Much of what Google does is about the web, if not all, so it is only logical that it is producing its own browser. Google have said that the browser will be highly configurable by each user. What We Think Will Be On Google Chrome We know that the browser is designed to be lightweight and fast, and to cope with the next generation of web applications that rely on graphics and multimedia, as Google have announced that this is so. Google's Sundar Pichai stated that "we realised... we needed to completely rethink the browser." Google's browser is built using Webkit, an open source web browser engine which is what Konqueror and Apple Safari use. Google Chrome should be bringing together all of Google's applications and internet tools. Currently the Google toolbar is available with Google Search, Page Rank, Google Maps, Mail etc. The Google browser, Chrome, will make it much easier for Google customers to utilise their webtools while surfing. For example, there will still be the page rank and back links that are available on the toolbar, but in addition to this, Google Analytics can show at a glance that number of visitors, plus where they came from and where they went. Google Adsense will show how much money has been generated by that page and Google Adwords will quickly show how much money you have spent on advertising. If you use Google mail, then this will be available constantly via the browser, and mailto: links will open Gmail rather than your Windows/Mac mail server. Bloggers using Google Blogger software will be able to quick make a new blog post by highlight text a web page and mouse selecting "publish to blog". Google documents will be incorporated into the Chrome browser, to allow easier access. Maybe a briefcase will be available to quickly copy snippets of text, images, save music etc. Google is lacking in media players, so maybe this is in the pipeline too. This is all just speculation, but it could well be the start of a new browser war, this time between Chrome and Firefox, with Internet Explorer, Opera, le's browser is built using Webkit, an open source web browser engine which is what Konqueror and Apple Safari all fighting for third place. John Lilly, chief executive of Mozilla was not surprised of this news: "It should come as no real surprise that Google has done something here - their business is the web, and they’ve got clear opinions on how things should be, and smart people thinking about how to make things better." John Lilly, Mozilla John Tilly was quick to say that he welcomed the competition and said collaboration between Mozilla and Google on certain projects would continue. Microsoft have been a little less optimistic about the news, saying: "The browser landscape is highly competitive, but people will choose Internet Explorer 8 for the way it puts the services they want right at their fingertips, respects their personal choices about how they want to browse and, more than any other browsing technology, puts them in control of their personal data online," Dean Hachamovitch, Microsoft's Internet Explorer. There are rumours that Google is planning to develop its own operating system. Whether or not this is true remains to be seen. Google are certainly looking more likely to totally dominate the internet in years to come. Whereas Microsoft, Yahoo, AOL and Apple are continuing to focus on core strengths, Google is breaking into more territory traditionally held by its competitors. Certainly exciting times for web users, web developers and the internet generally. Chrome is available for download - Download it here! Published on Tuesday, September 02, 2008 | Google Chrome Internet Browser is Released 0 comments so far - Discuss this Article

Gigablast is Back

While we are on the subject of search engines, it is worth briefly reviewing another. Gigablast.com has been around for a while, but has recently undergone a makeover, and has a new "beta" version, which is what we are looking at here. One feature of Gigablast Beta are "Gigabits". On doing a search, results are shown at the top of the page with a value against them. Gigabits are like page rank, in that they give an indication of the relevance of terms. GigaBits represent the key themes and topics that appear within your search results. They can also be used to hone in quickly on specific information that you might be looking for. GigaBits can be used in several ways, such as: The #1 GigaBit might be the answer to your question... The collection of GigaBits might be the gestalt of your query... GigaBits assist you with your search by pointing you in different directions (that you may, or may not, have considered)... The zen of search... Gigablast also includes photo and video search, and a directory. The directory appears to show some of the major players in popular categories. It is not clear however how the directory is populated, there are no "submit URL" buttons on the site, so likely that it is populated manually by the administrators of Gigablast. Search Results Search results are poor in some instances. For example, searching for "Bruce Lee diet" brings up results for dentists, baby blogs, and something that is obviously spam. Also some major players from the health and fitness sector were missing from health related searches. Conclusion Gigablast has had a good makeover, and has done well to keep a clean look with advertising off its pages, but the search results let it down. Maybe its Beta phase is the building of the databases, which could account for some poor SERPs. We will have to keep an eye on Gigablast. Source / Further Information Published on Monday, March 03, 2008 | Gigablast is Back 0 comments so far - Discuss this Article