Hasta La Gadget!

The new appearance of a chrome Android statue at Google’s Mountain View campus has prompted speculation that the company is nearing release of Android app support in the Chrome browser, perhaps for launch at Google IO this May. The shiny statue – snapped here by Googler Paul Wilcox – is interesting because it’s not huddling up with the usual Android models, representing each iteration of the smartphone and tablet OS, but in Building 45 across the road.

That has led to suggestions that it’s a hint for some new functionality Google is developing. According to Mobile Geeks‘ sources, the dressed-up ‘droid is intended to represent an Android runtime for Chrome that Google has had in testing for around six months, and which would free Android apps from mobile devices and put them on the desktop.

It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen companies pull Android software from its usual habitat and try to make it palatable for PC and notebook users. BlueStacks, for instance, has been pushing its Android app player system for some time now, allowing titles written for the mobile OS to be run as if native code on Windows and Mac machines.

Google’s approach would apparently be slightly different, so the rumors indicate, relying on a new component of the Chrome browser. That would also presumably have an impact on Chromebooks, the low-cost ultraportables based around the cloud and Chrome, and which would suddenly gain thousands of new apps courtesy of an Android hook-up.

Whether that’s actually the case, or if Google is simply getting more creative with its window furniture, remains to be seen. We’ll know more at Google IO, which begins May 15.

Is Google’s new Chrome Android a tease for Android apps in the browser? is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
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There is a spanking new Android statue on Google’s campus, but this one is a bit of a loner. The reason I said that is because it is not placed alongside the rest of its dessert themed brethren, but rather, looms above those who walk under it, albeit it does look somewhat friendly with an outstretched arm. You can add a new Chrome Android statue to the growing family of other Android statues such as Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, and Jelly Bean.

What do you think is the significance of the latest Chrome covered Bugdroid statue? While it does not sound too plausible at this point in time, perhaps Google is exploring the possibility of merging both Chrome and Android platforms together, but we will just keep our fingers crossed and play the patience game at this point in time, and await for some official information from the folks over at Google themselves in due time.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Microsoft To Officially Launch Surface Pro Tablet On February 8th At Best Buy New York, BlackBerry Link Desktop Software Goes Live,

Did you hop on the new Chrome beta track for Android? There’s a treat waiting under the hood. Google’s Brandon Jones has confirmed that the latest build enables the flags page, letting us toggle hidden elements — including the rather big deal of WebGL support. Anyone with reasonably quick graphics can now experiment with full 3D on their phone without having to hack or use a plugin, whether it’s wild music videos or lovefests. Just remember that the experience won’t be as seamless as it is on the desktop. You’ll likely have to force the desktop version of a page just to see the graphics code, and few if any WebGL developers are optimizing for the performance and screen size of a phone. If you’d still like to get a peek at what could be the future of the mobile web, hit the source to join the beta flock.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Google

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Via: Brandon Jones (Google+), The Next Web

Source: Google Play

Heads up Chrome users! Google has just made its Chrome browser even more secure. Announcing the good news on its blog, the company says that it is now supporting Secure Sockets Layer or SSL for omnibox searches on Chrome without the need to sign into Google. That’s right, you won’t have to sign-in in order to enjoy the security benefits of SSL encryption. The update starts with Chrome 25, which is currently in Google’s dev and beta channels. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Opera Unveils New “Ice” Mobile Web Browser, FCC Chairman Wants Gigabit Internet Across All 50 U.S. States By 2015,

Dell Wyse – the cloud computing company acquired by Dell in May 2012 – may soon be entering its bet on the emerging PC on a stick genre. While the previous examples of these flash drive computers we’ve seen use Android as their primary operating system, Dell’s product will also run on Android, but will give customers the freedom to choose from different OSes to actually use.

Currently known as “Project Ophelia,” the computer is meant to be used mainly as a gateway to Dell Wyse’s cloud services. According to Quartz, “It allows access to Windows, Mac OS, Google’s Chrome OS, Dell’s custom cloud solutions, Citrix cloud software, and even Google’s Chrome OS, using virtual instances of those operating systems running in the cloud.” The PC will plug into (and draw power from) a display via USB. Then it will connect to Dell Wyse’s servers via Wi-Fi and to hardware peripherals via Bluetooth.

Dell’s vice president of cloud operations Tarkan Maner said that they’re planning to sell Ophelia for only $50 (USD) each, though he didn’t mention how much the cloud services would cost. That’s probably where they’ll generate most of their revenue.

From a tech support perspective, this could make it a lot easier to secure and manage a large number of computers. But I wonder if it also poses a risk of data theft, disconnection or lack of access on a massive scale should things go wrong. It also takes away a lot of control from the user in return for the convenience it provides. Either way, it’s too early to see what kind of effect Ophelia may have on the PC industry.

[via Quartz via Boy Genius Report]