Hasta La Gadget!

Google obviously wants Chrome web apps to do better, and it has made a number of changes recently which are geared towards increasing usage of such apps. The Chrome browser received in-app payments support, an app launcher as well as rich notifications and soon the browser might get another feature which would allow users to try Chrome web apps without needing to install them. The Chromium team has been working on “ephemeral” apps, basically apps that can be launched by just clicking on a hyperlink.

The way this feature would work is that the Chrome Web Store results will include a “Launch” button, clicking on which would launch said app without having to install it in the Chrome web browser. A launch prompt will be displayed if the app has any permission warnings, and if it does not, then the app would launch immediately. The links for ephemeral apps will only be shown on Google search results page, and users will be able to launch apps by just clicking on the hyperlinks. New features are initially tested out in the Chromium open source web browser project before they are rolled out in a stable Chrome build, and while its possible that the feature might never make the cut, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if it ultimately does.

Chrome Might Let Users Try Apps Without Having To Install Them original content from Ubergizmo.

Ahead of the holiday weekend, Pinterest has launched its first ever holiday gift guide, making it easier for users to find interesting things that they can gift to whomever they want. The Holiday Giving Guide contains over 100 boards that have ideas which are bound to make it easier to shop for people who are generally quite difficult to shop for. Boards are structured around various themes like roller derby girls, wine lovers, mancave dweller, so on and so forth. These boards contain items based on the themes, so if you know someone who fits the theme and want to buy a gift for them, check out the Holiday Giving Guide boards.

Pinterest has also roped in celebrities like Queen Latifah, Andrew Zimmern and even tech author and investor Guy Kawasaki to create their own gift boards. The site has introduced a new and improved Holiday Gifts Feed as well where users can browse products from various retailers like Epicurious, Target and Anthropologie. To discover the hottest gifts of this holiday season, users can make use of the various filters in the feed that list gifts for him, her and the kids. Moreover, Pinterest will soon be rolling out three more secret boards to help users effectively play Secret Santa.

Pinterest Launches Its Holiday Gift Guide original content from Ubergizmo.

In most countries, using social media as a means to voice your displeasure of the government and/or policies is accepted and considered legal to a certain extent, but it seems that there are countries where it is not allowed, and Vietnam is one of them. This new law was announced this week and will see citizens arrested and fined if they were to post on social media where they criticize the government. While the law itself is fairly vague (perhaps purposely so), it states that it will punish those who use social media to spread propaganda against the state or spread reactionary ideologies.

There are those who oppose this new law, with the US Embassy in Hanoi expressing their deep concern and has reached out the Vietnamese officials, stating, “Fundamental freedoms apply online just as they do offline.” Nonprofit organizations such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation have also spoken out against this on their blog, claiming that “Internet freedom has gone from bad to worse in Vietnam.” We’re not sure if the Vietnamese government will change their mind or stance on this matter even when faced with pressure from the outside, but in the meantime it looks like bloggers and journalists who might not be fans of the current government will have to watch what they say.

Critiquing The Vietnamese Government On Social Media Could Lead To Fines/Arrests original content from Ubergizmo.

The Wikimedia Foundation positions Wikipedia as a hub for unfettered knowledge, but it’s now obligated to police that content in the wake of a newly published German ruling. Stuttgart’s Higher Regional Court has determined that the organization is liable for Wikipedia articles. While Wikimedia won’t have to screen content, it will have to verify any disputed passages and remove them if they’re known to be false. The court isn’t telling Wikimedia how to handle this verification, although the legal presumption of innocence will still apply. We’re not expecting a chilling effect on Wikipedia given that takedowns will only be necessary in a handful of circumstances. However, it gives Wikimedia’s moderators an extra level of responsibility — they’ll now have to pull some content quickly to minimize the chances of lawsuits.

Updated: Wikimedia has clarified the ruling. The court sees Wikimedia as a service provider that, on a basic level, isn’t liable for content. However, the site will only maintain its immunity so long as it pulls any content that allegedly violates German laws. If it declines, it risks opening itself to legal action.

Filed under: Internet

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Via: PCWorld

Source: Juris.de (translated)

Google promised that we’d get hands-free voice search in Chrome back at I/O 2013, and it’s delivering today with the beta of its Voice Search Hotword extension for desktop Chrome 31 users. As long as you’re either sitting at Google’s home page or have a new browser tab open, the add-on lets you start a search by saying “OK Google,” much as you would in Android 4.4 KitKat. Anyone eager to move beyond mouse-and-keyboard queries can grab the extension today from the Chrome Web Store.

Filed under: Internet, Software, Google

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Via: Google (Google+)

Source: Chrome Web Store