In July, we launched Chrome Web Lab, a series of 5 interactive experiments that push the boundaries of what is possible in a modern browser and a museum experience that’s fully web-connected.
Web Lab has opened the Science Museum in London to the entire world, and so far we’ve seen more than 2.5 million visitors from 196 countries creating more than 2 million Sketchbot portraits, Universal Orchestra compositions, Teleporter postcards and Data Tracer snapshots.
In the spirit of Chrome Web Lab being an ongoing experiment we’ve continued iterating and refining the experience. For example, using the new getUser Media API, you can now use your webcam to send a picture of your face, with your permission, to the Sketchbots experiment without an additional plug-in. We’ve also added a new backing track to the Universal Orchestra that changes based on a number of factors including how many people are visiting the Experiment at any given time. We’ve been proactively asking for your feedback and based on it we’ve also made a number of tweaks and improvements to both the web and museum experience, including performance, stability and usability updates.
For the technically-inclined who want to get under the hood of how Web Lab was made, we’ll be hosting a series of Google Developer Live videos with the developers who created them to pull back the curtain on how they were made.
We’ll continue to experiment and push the web forward with Web Lab. Check it out for yourself at chromeweblab.com or, if you’re in town, at the Science Museum in London.
Monday 29 October 2012
Controlling your computer from afar
One year ago, we launched Chrome Remote Desktop in beta. From adjusting printer settings on your mom’s computer to finding a lost file on your dad’s laptop, Chrome Remote Desktop has made you the family hero by helping you remotely access other computers -- including your own -- via Chrome. Now, we are taking Chrome Remote Desktop out of beta, by adding some additional features.
New features include the addition of a real time audio feed (on Windows). This can be handy if you want to listen to that MP3 music collection you have stored on a computer at home. Now you can also copy-and-paste between your local and remote computers.
Chrome Remote Desktop is a great companion tool for your new Samsung Chromebook, allowing you to remote into your PC or Mac at home while you bring your portable and easy-to use Chromebook with you on the go.
We have more features in the works that will make Chrome Remote Desktop even more powerful. We’ll post updates here when they’re ready.
New features include the addition of a real time audio feed (on Windows). This can be handy if you want to listen to that MP3 music collection you have stored on a computer at home. Now you can also copy-and-paste between your local and remote computers.
Chrome Remote Desktop is a great companion tool for your new Samsung Chromebook, allowing you to remote into your PC or Mac at home while you bring your portable and easy-to use Chromebook with you on the go.
We have more features in the works that will make Chrome Remote Desktop even more powerful. We’ll post updates here when they’re ready.
Friday 26 October 2012
Get your Google back
[cross-posted from the Official Google Blog]
If you’ve moved to Windows 8 and are getting acquainted with it, you may be looking for a couple of your favorite Google products that you use every day. To help you get the best experience possible on Google and across the web, we’ve designed and built a new Google Search app and Chrome browser for Windows 8 and created a simple site to help you get your Google back.
The Google Search app comes with a clean and recognizable user interface. Our new voice search lets you naturally speak questions. The image search and image previews are built for swiping. And, as usual, you get immediate results as you type with Google Instant. The doodles you enjoy on special occasions will be right there on the homepage and even show up on the Google tile on your start screen.
The Chrome browser is the same Chrome you know and love, with some customizations to optimize for touchscreens, including larger buttons and the ability to keep Chrome open next to your other favorite apps. It delivers the fast, secure web experience you’ve come to expect from Chrome on all your devices.
To get both Google Search and Chrome installed on your Windows 8 machine, head to our site and learn how to get your familiar Google apps back.
If you’ve moved to Windows 8 and are getting acquainted with it, you may be looking for a couple of your favorite Google products that you use every day. To help you get the best experience possible on Google and across the web, we’ve designed and built a new Google Search app and Chrome browser for Windows 8 and created a simple site to help you get your Google back.
The Google Search app comes with a clean and recognizable user interface. Our new voice search lets you naturally speak questions. The image search and image previews are built for swiping. And, as usual, you get immediate results as you type with Google Instant. The doodles you enjoy on special occasions will be right there on the homepage and even show up on the Google tile on your start screen.
The Chrome browser is the same Chrome you know and love, with some customizations to optimize for touchscreens, including larger buttons and the ability to keep Chrome open next to your other favorite apps. It delivers the fast, secure web experience you’ve come to expect from Chrome on all your devices.
To get both Google Search and Chrome installed on your Windows 8 machine, head to our site and learn how to get your familiar Google apps back.
Wednesday 24 October 2012
World, meet your browser
When Chrome first launched back in 2008, we realized that a lot of people didn’t know what a web browser was, much less which version they were using. They also didn’t know that you could choose to use a different browser. To help people learn about the importance of browser choice, we introduced whatbrowser.org, a simple site that answers the question, “What browser am I using, and why does it matter?”
Since we first introduced whatbrowser.org three years ago, the web has changed immensely. The explosion of the mobile web means more and more people are browsing with phones and tablets. In addition, with advances in HTML5 and the Open Web Platform, the web has become much more powerful, enabling rich new experiences. Over the years, browsers have improved to protect you against new security threats, which means it’s as important as ever to be on the latest version of a modern browser.
To reflect the changing browser landscape, we’ve completely revamped whatbrowser.org. The site has been fully rebuilt in HTML5, localized in 43 languages, and now works on mobile, too. The site also highlights why it’s so important to use a modern browser and keep it up to date: doing so saves you time, keeps you safer, and lets you do more online. The browser you choose is up to you; hopefully whatbrowser.org can help.
Since we first introduced whatbrowser.org three years ago, the web has changed immensely. The explosion of the mobile web means more and more people are browsing with phones and tablets. In addition, with advances in HTML5 and the Open Web Platform, the web has become much more powerful, enabling rich new experiences. Over the years, browsers have improved to protect you against new security threats, which means it’s as important as ever to be on the latest version of a modern browser.
Tuesday 23 October 2012
One click to Docs, Sheets, and Slides
Google Drive is a place where you can create, share, collaborate and keep all your stuff. Of course, there are times you want to start a new document right away–say, to take notes in class or prepare a last-minute presentation for your boss.
To make it even easier for you to create stuff quickly, Documents, Spreadsheets, and Presentations–now called Docs, Sheets, and Slides–are now available as apps in the Chrome Web Store. Once installed, shortcuts to these apps will appear when you open a new tab in Chrome.
If you use a Chromebook, you’ll see Docs, Sheets, and Slides in your apps list by default following the next update to Chrome OS in a few weeks.
To make it even easier for you to create stuff quickly, Documents, Spreadsheets, and Presentations–now called Docs, Sheets, and Slides–are now available as apps in the Chrome Web Store. Once installed, shortcuts to these apps will appear when you open a new tab in Chrome.
If you use a Chromebook, you’ll see Docs, Sheets, and Slides in your apps list by default following the next update to Chrome OS in a few weeks.
Thursday 18 October 2012
The new Chromebook, for everyone
As a kid growing up in India, I was fascinated with computers and the endless possibilities they presented. I had to wait until college to finally get my hands on one in the computer lab and since then began dreaming of a world where everyone could have access to one. We’re not quite there yet, but every day we get a bit closer.
A few years ago, we set out on a journey to build a better computer that’s faster, simpler and more secure. When we introduced a few Chromebooks into the market, many of you early adopters joined us on this journey. For folks living entirely in the cloud, the Chromebook is now a primary computer.
Many people use the Chromebook today as the perfect additional computer for their home. For families, it’s easy to use and share: for kids doing homework on the couch, parents catching up on emails at the kitchen counter and grandparents staying connected on video chat. There’s no need to worry about security updates and maintenance is easy; all you need to do is charge the battery. It just works.
This gets to the heart of the Chromebook vision. In order to have one, two or more computers around the house, they need to be easy to use and much more affordable. So together with Samsung, we designed a new laptop—the new Samsung Chromebook for $249—the computer for everyone.
The new Chromebook is a great computer at any price, but it’s an incredible computer at $249. It’s one of the lightest laptops on the market. You can easily carry it around all day—it’s 2.5 pounds, a mere 0.8 inches thick, with more than 6 hours of battery life for the typical user. And with 100 GB of free storage on Google Drive*, you can get to all of your stuff anytime, anywhere.
Even with its compact design, it’s packed with performance—it boots up in less than 10 seconds and resumes instantly. High-resolution videos (in 1080p) are beautiful to watch and when using the touchpad, you’ll notice smooth scrolling due to a hardware-accelerated user interface. And as you‘d expect from a Chromebook, it’s easy to share with others. Everyone—mom, dad, grandparents, tech lovers, tech haters—can have separate accounts where all of their stuff is kept safe. Finally, if you’re an active Google user of products like Gmail, Drive, Search, Maps, YouTube, Play or Google+ Hangouts, everything just works seamlessly.
Starting today, the new Samsung Chromebook is available for pre-order online from Amazon, Best Buy, PC World and other retailers. Next week it will be available for sale from these same online retailers as well as the Google Play store. You can also buy them at over 500 Best Buy stores across the U.S and over 30 PC World and Currys stores in the U.K.
So if you ever felt it was too complicated and too expensive to have an additional computer (or two), we hope you (and the entire family) will give the new Chromebook a try.
Posted by Sundar Pichai, SVP, Chrome & Apps
*You will have 100 GB of free storage for 2 years, starting on the date you redeem the offer on eligible Chrome devices.
A few years ago, we set out on a journey to build a better computer that’s faster, simpler and more secure. When we introduced a few Chromebooks into the market, many of you early adopters joined us on this journey. For folks living entirely in the cloud, the Chromebook is now a primary computer.
Many people use the Chromebook today as the perfect additional computer for their home. For families, it’s easy to use and share: for kids doing homework on the couch, parents catching up on emails at the kitchen counter and grandparents staying connected on video chat. There’s no need to worry about security updates and maintenance is easy; all you need to do is charge the battery. It just works.
This gets to the heart of the Chromebook vision. In order to have one, two or more computers around the house, they need to be easy to use and much more affordable. So together with Samsung, we designed a new laptop—the new Samsung Chromebook for $249—the computer for everyone.
The new Chromebook is a great computer at any price, but it’s an incredible computer at $249. It’s one of the lightest laptops on the market. You can easily carry it around all day—it’s 2.5 pounds, a mere 0.8 inches thick, with more than 6 hours of battery life for the typical user. And with 100 GB of free storage on Google Drive*, you can get to all of your stuff anytime, anywhere.
Even with its compact design, it’s packed with performance—it boots up in less than 10 seconds and resumes instantly. High-resolution videos (in 1080p) are beautiful to watch and when using the touchpad, you’ll notice smooth scrolling due to a hardware-accelerated user interface. And as you‘d expect from a Chromebook, it’s easy to share with others. Everyone—mom, dad, grandparents, tech lovers, tech haters—can have separate accounts where all of their stuff is kept safe. Finally, if you’re an active Google user of products like Gmail, Drive, Search, Maps, YouTube, Play or Google+ Hangouts, everything just works seamlessly.
So if you ever felt it was too complicated and too expensive to have an additional computer (or two), we hope you (and the entire family) will give the new Chromebook a try.
Posted by Sundar Pichai, SVP, Chrome & Apps
*You will have 100 GB of free storage for 2 years, starting on the date you redeem the offer on eligible Chrome devices.
Monday 8 October 2012
It's an awesome world
A few months ago, we heard an awesome story. It was about a dad, named Dallas Clayton, and a little book he wrote for his son about dreaming big, fantastic dreams – called An Awesome Book!
After writing the book, Dallas wanted to share it with more people. But every publisher he took it to turned it down. Instead of giving up, he taught himself how to self-publish, made some copies, and put the book on the web for free. People starting sharing the book online, and the copies he made started selling out. Dallas was able to share the idea of dreaming big with kids and adults all over the world, and he even got published.
We thought Dallas' story was, well, awesome. So we paid him a visit in Los Angeles where we tagged along on a school reading. Here's a glimpse at Dallas' journey so far.
Four years ago, the Chrome team kicked off a mission to make a better web for everyone. For us, helping kids – of all ages – use the web to read and dream is a pretty cool way to bring this mission to life. In that spirit, we wanted to harness the power of the web to get the book into the hands of as many people as possible. With the help of web developers and translators, anyone can now read An Awesome Book! in any one of 17 languages on a computer, tablet or phone – check it out in the Chrome Web Store. In Dallas’ own words, he wrote this book to be shared. “If you enjoy it, please feel free to share it with anyone and everyone you know and maybe that way we can all dream big together!”
Tuesday 2 October 2012
Take your Chrome to work day
Chrome is speedy, simple and secure making it a great browser to use at home, and now it's even better for your IT folks at work. Check out today's post from the enterprise blog and send it to your IT department if you'd like to use Chrome at work.
Another Chrome Beta release out for delivery
Today’s Chrome Beta channel release is hot off the press and ready to go. If technical speak makes your heart throb more than a YouTube star does, you can find more details about this release over at the Chromium blog. For everyone else, enjoy!
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