Hands On With the Samsung Chromebook Series 5

Hang on, folks, because mobile computing has just got a bit more interesting. Google's Chrome OS is finally ready for the wild--two years after its launch?and the Samsung Chromebook Series 5, due out on June 15, will be one of two laptops to showcase Google's Web-based operating system.

When Chrome OS was first announced two years ago, I wondered if we really needed another mobile OS. Many of my questions still stand, especially given the runaway success of Android. But after taking the Samsung Chromebook Series 5 for a spin tonight, I was pleasantly surprised to see how far some aspects of the laptop and its OS have come.

From the outside, the Chromebook looks like any other ultralight laptop, save for the Google Chrome logo on the outside cover. It measures 11.6 by 8.6 by 0.8 inches, compact, but not especially svelte.

Its weight doesn't impress, either. At 3.3 pounds, it's no featherweight like the Apple MacBook Air; however, at least the Chromebook felt deceptively lighter than it is, a phenomenon I'd credit to how well-balanced the laptop felt in hand. I was surprised by how easily I could grip the Chromebook in one hand, actually.

One of the big selling points of Chromebook is its near-instant-on capability. It starts up in under 10 seconds from a cold boot, and it's ready to use as soon as you open the lid to wake it from sleep. The latter mirrors the sense of immediacy one gets with a Google Android 3.0 tablet, but that cold boot time remains an important differentiator. Android continues to have overhead bottlenecks that cause startup and shutdown times to take some time. None of the Android 3.0 tablets I've tested have wowed me with their boot times; and for a couple, I literally was able to grab some iced tea and down half of it before the tablet came to life again.

While some of the Chromebook's startup zippiness has to be credited to the design of Google's Chrome OS, some of it, perhaps, could be due to the components inside. The Series 5 actually runs components that echo today's netbooks: It has a 1.66GHz dual-core Intel Atom N570 processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 16GB mSATA SSD (used for caching data locally). Those specs are meatier than what you'll find in an Android tablet today.

Physical connectivity on the Series 5 Chromebook is minimal. All ports along the sides are tucked away beneath covers, except for a lone USB 2.0 port at the far right rear of the laptop. You get an SDHC card slot at front, another USB 2.0 port beneath a cover at the left, a video-out port, and a full-size SIM card slot (on the 3G-capable white and titanium models). The 3.5mm headphone jack doubles as a microphone input as well; and the Chromebook has a 1-megapixel Webcam for video chat.

The island-style keyboard felt very roomy and comfortable for my touch-typist fingers. I liked the smooth and roomy trackpad as well; it wasn't stiff, as I've found with other touchpads that double as the mouse buttons. The keyboard swaps out the function keys of yore for a row of browser-friendly keys, though the idea of having navigation buttons like page back, page forward, refresh, and new window situated so far up on the keyboard seems like it may be counterproductive (I'd prefer such keys to be more handily situated, but I'll need more time with the laptop to tell how well they work in practice).

I was encouraged at the Google I/O keynote introducing the Chromebook to hear about the file manager that's been added to Chromebook. I've been tracking the challenges of native file handling in mobile operating systems, and was eager to give this feature a try on Chromebook.

My torture test was simple: I pulled out a random USB drive and attached it to the USB port. Chrome OS quickly recognized external storage was attached, and up popped the file manager as another tab in the Chrome browser on-screen. I was able to view my folders and files, select a file, preview the image in a pane at right, or double-click to open the image.

The high-resolution images didn't always automatically resize to fit the screen (as they do when you double-click on a photo in Microsoft Windows Explorer and open it Window Photo Viewer), but they looked good on the 12.1-inch, 1280 by 800 pixel display. Really good. Colors were vibrant and accurately rendered--no small trick, as we've seen from Android 3.0's snafus. The file manager remains limited for now--the version I used lacked the ability to do basic file copy functions--but a Google rep promised that functionality will be in place soon.

While nosing around the Chrome OS interface, I looked at how apps appear in the Chrome browser (see the image above) I also tried replicating my usual Web browsing experience in the Chromebook's Chrome browser. (Hrm. I think I just tested how many times one can put Chrome into a sentence.) The usage I was trying to gauge here was the scenario that sees 30-some-odd tabs open simultaneously--and that's just in one window. While I learned about a couple of interface shortcuts, like jumping to a different tab by pressing the tab number and a key combo, while talking with Google reps about this scenario, I learned that right now, it's not easy to move among scores of open tabs. Those tabs were reduced down to tiny tabs with just "…" as a tab identifier?and that's no way to figure out what's actually on that tab.

Considering these tabs will, in the Chrome OS universe, represent your open documents, media files, applications, and Web pages, this is an interface challenge that Google will need to crack, and soon. Google reps said that several approaches are being considered, but nothing has been nailed down as yet. Of course, this is where Chromebook and Chrome OS's regular updates, currently scheduled for once every six weeks, will come in handy.

I'm not convinced that everyone will want, or even need, a Chromebook. But what I saw so far looks to have promise. And with pricing for Samsung's models starting at $430 for the Wi-Fi version, and $499 for the 3G version, the Chromebok looks set to give standard netbooks and ultralight laptops some new competition.

Apple Could Win the Cloud Music Game Thanks to Google and Amazon

Google announced its new cloud music service Tuesday, May 10, and Amazon.com (AMZN) revealed its own Cloud Player in late March. At this point, Apple (AAPL) is really the last major player to make its move. But judging by the offerings so far, that might work to Apple's advantage.

Both Google (GOOG) and Amazon have decided that seeking special licensing for cloud music playback isn't necessary, and that they're allowed to offer their services without seeking any additional consent or agreements from major record labels. Google has announced that it will take down any music found to be in violation of copyright agreements, in much the same way it does with YouTube content.Amazon, likewise, has taken a similar stance, arguing that they "do not need a license to make Cloud Player available" since saving files to Cloud Drive "is the same as if a customer were to save their music to an external hard drive or even iTunes."

There's definitely a sound logic to that argument, but even so, Amazon seems to be rushing to smooth things over with its music content partners, according to the Wall Street Journal. Which makes sense, because Amazon also wants to control the sales channel for music, as well as the means of its storage and playback.

APPLE'S WAITING ARMS
While Amazon and Google may be trying to make nice with major labels behind the scenes, the "shoot first, ask questions later" approach hasn't won them any allies. And, in fact, it could send those content providers rushing into Apple's arms.

Apple is said to be still in talks with the four major record labels ahead of the launch of its own cloud music service, and in this case, patience may prove to be a virtue. No doubt the labels are reluctant to give up any additional revenue they might be able to garner through cloud-based offerings, but Apple is now in a unique position with regard to negotiating proper licenses, since Google and Amazon have both taken a firm, public stance on the other side of the fence. Simply put, Apple is now the only game in town.

Even if Apple can't reach a favorable agreement with record labels, it can still easily go the route of Amazon and Google before it and declare cloud music services are well within its existing rights. But while that's an option, it's one that Apple shouldn't have to exercise. Instead, it can use its leverage as the music industry's biggest current distribution channel, and the reluctance of Amazon and Google to play nice to force an agreement that would see it be able to offer a label-friendly solution which would ultimately probably benefit consumers. That could take the shape of fewer restrictions on how and when music can be accessed and transferred between devices, and make it possible to purchase a wider variety of music that's immediately available directly from the cloud.

Apple's service will look and work better than that of its competitors, at a minimum. And if it can also launch soon (like at WWDC next month) and with the full backing of the four major record labels, it'll best its rivals in all categories, and continue to dominate mobile music.

Google I/O wrapup: New gadgets and games and tune stuff

Google dominated the technology news Wednesday (what with the Microsoft-Skype deal out of the way), carpet-bombing its Google I/O developer conference in San Francisco with news great and small.

Bottom line: Lots of new gadgets are coming, along with some new services, and some newish Google offerings are getting a little more consumer traction than maybe people realized.

Among the highlights:

Next month, Google will begin selling laptops that run on its browser-based Chrome OS rather than Microsoft Windows. Brett Molina has a lot of the basics on the so-called Chromebook here. The really interesting wrinkle is that Google will offer the computers on a subscription basis -- $28 a month for businesses, $20 a month for the education market -- or for sale at price ranging from tk to tk. If a subscription plan takes off, it has the potential to remake a lot of hardware businesses, but of course that is a huge ``if.'' Critics said prices on the computers for sale are too high for the relatively underpowered machines you get. But USA Today gadget guru Ed Baig gives a preliminary thumbs up.

The really important news: Angry Birds is coming to the PC, via Google's Chrome Web app store.

PHOTOS: Images from Google's developer conference

Google will make Gmail, Calendar and some of its other online services available offline, the better to use with the Chromebook. It makes them more like some of Microsoft's Outlook functions, which of course makes Google and Microsoft more direct competitors.

Google's Chrome browser now has 160 million users, as new versions for Linux and Apple operating systems expanded its potential base outward from Windows users.

Google Music is now available for beta download, by invitation. The cloud-based music storage service got mixed reviews. Critics moaned about how confusing it is to run, and expressed doubt that Apple will cooperate with people who want to use Google to store music bought on iTunes.

Android Market Update: Why It Matters

The Android Market has swollen in recent weeks past the 200,000-application mark. With applications being added every day, standing out in the crowd is becoming more and more difficult. Enter today's Market redesign.
Google announced a significant refresh to the Web interface of the Android Market on Wednesday and plans to push out an update to the Market on Android devices in the coming weeks. The goal of the update is to increase the visibility of the best applications and give developers (more) credit for their hard work.
The Web-based version of the Android Market is receiving five new categories to help sort through applications: Top Apps, Editor's Choice, Top Developers, Related Apps, and Trending Apps. Each presents apps in a different way to make the discovery process more compelling and less annoying. Despite these improvements to the Web interface, the more important story is being told on Android devices directly.
The Android Market application for end-user devices is receiving a major overhaul that makes it look and act more like Apple's App Store does on the iPhone. This is a good thing. The old version of the Android Market isn't nearly as feature rich as it should be, and unless you have tons of time on your hand to browse through apps, it can be difficult to find exactly what you're looking for. Even the search function falls flat at times.
Looking at the new version headed to phones, it appears entirely different. Gone is the three-column view that greets users today; instead there will be colorful panels promoting the top apps and most popular downloads. It looks far more engaging. What's not clear is how Google will allow handset vendors and carriers to customize the appearance of the Market. With the old version, carriers and OEMs can customize the appearance a bit, and that makes for a disjointed experience across devices and carriers. Google couldn't immediately say if the new Market application will also be customizable by the carriers and OEMs.
These changes are sure to make developers happy, but they'll likely enjoy the under-the-hood improvements even more.
The new Android Market will allow developers to selectively target--or not target--devices. They'll be able to block or hide their applications, for example, from all devices running older versions of Android or form factors that aren't optimized for their applications. Developers will also be able to place larger applications in the Market and have the opportunity to upload draft applications and see how they'll perform on different handsets.
Google is also launching operator billing support in an additional 99 countries in the coming weeks, and it said that the first 45 days of in-app purchasing has led to striking earnings power for those applications.
If there's one thing that Google has done this week at I/O, it is to sell its story to the thousands of developers who enhance Google's services. These changes to the market, while seemingly modest, will help developers get the visibility they deserve and make the app discovery process easier for end users. The result will be more apps downloaded by more people, and money in developers' pockets.

As Bill Gates buys Skype for ￡5bn... Is it just hype, or does it mean the end of phone bills?

When transatlantic telephone calls first became available in the Twenties, a three-minute call from London to New York cost close to £10 — almost a month's wages for the average working man.
Today, the same call can be made for nothing. You can stay on the line for a week if you like.
And not only will the sound quality be as good as if the other party was sitting right next to you, but you will be able to see across the ocean as well, in full-colour video — for no cost beyond a penny or two in electricity.
Such endless, free global communication has become possible because of Skype, the oddly-named computer service which software giant Microsoft bought this week for more than £5billion.
Launched in 2003, this free and simple-to-use computer programme turns any broadband-connected computer into a phone for both speech and video calls to hundreds of millions of other Skype users.
It works because even basic broadband internet connections can carry a vast amount of information ('data') and a Skype call (technically known as VOIP — Voice Over Internet Protocol) piggy-backs on broadband.
You must download Skype (free, of course) from www.skype.com to the computer. You then choose a Skype name for yourself — your name or nickname, or a number if you prefer — and you're a Skype user.
Not a penny need change hands. And you're ready to go — simply type in a normal phone number or another Skype user's name and the computer will dial for you. The microphones on your computer should pick up your voice, and the person you're chatting to can be heard through its speakers.
And there is no catch whatsoever; no secret charges; no intrusive advertising; no nasty surprise when you pay your monthly broadband bill.
You can even dial normal phones and mobiles worldwide from Skype — not for free, but for a tiny charge compared with normal phone charges. I pay just under £50 a year for unlimited calls from my laptop to any UK number, from anywhere in the world.
Under new ownership: Skype is known for its simplicity - but will this be ruined as Gates tries to turn it into a profit-making service?
When travelling, which I do a lot, I used to spend £50 a day or more on rip-off hotel phone charges. Today, those calls from hotels cost nothing, as many hotels don't even charge for broadband any more, especially in the Far East, where it is normally included in room charges.
There are now other versions of Skype, like Apple's high definition FaceTime. But, just as the Hoover brand name is synonymous with vacuuming, Skype-ing has become the catch-all word for VOIP calling.
The only complaint anyone has about Skype is that the calls sometimes 'drop out' — jargon for being cut off — and you need to interrupt a conversation to redial. But since you're paying nothing, you can hardly demand your money back.

How to use Google Music Beta for Android

Google Music Beta launched, allowing you to upload your entire music library to the cloud. For now, the service is free, and songs you upload can be accessed on any computer or Android device (actually,it's iOS-compatible, too).
Invitations will roll out over the next few weeks, but the Android app is available for download immediately. Here's how to use it:

Use Google Music for Android
Request a Google Music account. You don't need one to use the Android app, but go to music.google.com/music/ and request an invite so you can upload your music library on to Google's servers for mobile access. You'll be able to populate your library through Google's desktop app, Music Manager.
Get the app. Download the Music app from the Android Market. Once installed, select the Google account you'd like to associate with the app--it should be the same one you used to request an invite. The app will pull songs from your internal storage and any music you've uploaded to your Music Beta account (requires an invite).
Play music. Tap a song to play it, or hit the arrow to the right of any song and select Play. Shuffle and repeat options can be found in the "now playing" screen, while skipping, playing, and pausing are always available in the bottom bar.
Make an Instant Mix. Tap the arrow to the right of any song and select "Make an Instant Mix." Google will automatically create a playlist with similar songs in your library.
Create a playlist. Select the arrow next to a song, artist, or album and select "Add to Playlist." You can add the music to an existing playlist, or create a new one.
Listen when you're offline. In the Artists, Albums, or Playlists tab, press the Android menu button (on your phone) and select "Make available offline." Tap the pushpins next to the items you want to listen to when you're not connected to Wi-Fi or your cellular network. Hit "Done," and the music will be cached onto your phone. You can deselect the pushpins later to remove the songs from your device.
Tip: To monitor the progress of your downloads, go to Settings > Download Queue. The number of songs you can download for offline listening is based on your device storage capacity.