Chrome Operating System - It's here!

Google has just released Chrome OS as Open Source and they've got bucketloads of videos out there.

I thought I'd post a very recent demo video (from Google's youtube channel) here - it's a live, working version.




What I find interesting is the absolute reliance upon the cloud. All documents etc are based "in the cloud" - or on a google server.

What I love is that it's not due for release for another year, but it's working and Google is mroe than willing to show it off.

There are more videos on the channel, but I thought I'd start with this one.

An IPT blog - finally.

I've finally bitten the bullet and created Teaching IPT - a blog of all things IPT related. Unlike one of my earlier blogs, this will actually be updated fairly regularly. I'm aiming to use it as an additional resource for my kiddies at school.
I'll have links to interesting things (like BumpTop OS, or GoogleOS) and extra lesson stuff for my classes (like revision sheets). In short, it will be a one stop shop. Plus - one day I might be able to update it and embed a Wave in it... Amanda, Michael et. al.

Sorry my peeps from Year 12. This is a little too late for you, but I hope you'll help contribute as time goes on. Please?

Speaking of Year 12s, there's only 1 week to go. I'm already tearing up and that's not from the stress of trying to make it an enjoyable and memorable last week for them. Hmmm. Maybe I need to drink more coffee. Yep. The answer to all ills. :)

IPT - revision available

Sorry - was at the SU support dinner. Great night!

Anyway, the pdf of the revision sheet is here: http://www.christlife.org.au/images/stories/IPT/2009_IPT OT2 Revision with asnwers.pdf

It's MY info, Google! .. Enter dashboard

We all know that Google can build up a lot of info about you, but most of it comes from yourself. You create a blogger account, set up a gmail, enter in the Wave playground, make your own profile, write some pages, create some documents online, have a calendar - you know, all the regular stuff. All this info, you give to Google because they run all those things. And, until now, it's been kind of hard to check what the world could and couldn't see about you because of it.
This is where the Dashboard comes in.
In short, it allows you to see what Google stuff you've got and what personal information is being given out as well as offering you the opportunity to change settings about what is public and/or private.

I like it. YAGGT! (Yet Another Good Google Tool).

For another view of it, see: http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2009/11/google-dashboard.html (google's own blog - so it's a bit biased)
or: http://blogs.computerworld.com/15054/google_dashboard_triva_tabulator_for_my_google_life?source=rss_blogs (has a more...'trivia centered'... view of it)

BTW: my twitter's going well... and I've hooked it up to my facebook too! Woot. I almost sound Gen Y!

Chirp...

Finally making use of my Twitter account (http://twitter.com/richardschwarz). Don't know that it'll be all that useful, but hey... Gen WhoCares person here.

One day I'll find a way to make it useful.

Chrome Dev Version rocks!

I've taken the plunge and been trying out the Google Chrome dev channel releases.

Chrome 1 gave us speed
Chrome 2 gave us more speed
Chrome 3 gave us themes (kind of like igoogle)
and why am I using Chrome 4?

One reason, and one reason only:
Extensions.

Yep - that's right, extensions. And you know what? While there aren't actually all that many out there, the extensions I'm using don't appear to have slowed Chrome down. Not at startup, not during page rendering and not during shutdown. While Chrome's memory usage is a dog - because it seperates each tab out into seperate processes (really good idea by the way - seriously), the extensions don't seem to add anything.

This is really important, because I'm now going to get rid of Firefox... gasp! I don't really need it anymore - except to play Quake Live. Okay - I'm going to keep Firefox. For now.

Security issues - I'm not sure, but it still appears to be quite secure. I'll let you know if my bank accounts suddenly empty.

Try it or not. Extensions are cool

Windows 7 is out!

I don't suppose that there is anything else to say - the press has said enough today. All day.

Windows 7, by all reviews, appears to be the best version of Windows since Windows XP... which means it's better than Vista.

I've read a range of reviews, all saying it's the OS that Vista should have been - but interestingly, a lot are saying that XP is still faster, and more reliable than the 7 Release Candidate (which is not the one you're purchasing - but should be almost identical).

So, the question I've been asked quite often is - should I upgrade? If you're using Vista and you want a bit more snap, and you can afford it, yes. If you're using XP and you've absolutely no wish to have all the beautiful effects of Windows 7, I'd say no. I'm not anyway. I've got better things to spend my money on, and better things to spend my time on - rather than hours trying to get from XP to 7 (not an easy venture I've been told).

Anyway - you want reviews? Do a google search (I've included one here).
And you can try Microsoft's own site: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/

Have fun!