YouTube introduces HTML5 video
HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language. To put it simply, it’s what makes webpages display the way they do.
HTML5 is, to quote from Wikipedia, “the next major revision of HTML.” This introduces various new capabilities. One of which is media playback.
HTML5 has been available for some time now. One popular application that uses this is Google Wave. However, Google is expanding its line of products utilizing HTML5 to YouTube.
Formerly, YouTube uses Adobe Flash for video playback. With the introduction of HTML5, however, such external plugins will no longer be required. Browsers with HTML5 support will now be able to play those videos as they are.
For most consumers, this wouldn’t make much of a difference. Flash plugins are, in fact, quite problematic, especially on certain systems. For example, Flash support on Linux systems has always had issues. Mobile devices will also likely see a performance improvement.
Power users may also note how focusing on the Flash player in the web-browser will capture all keyboard input. If you don’t know what I mean, try playing a random YouTube video using Flash. Click on the video to focus on it. If you try to use a browser shortcut (i.e. [CTRL + T] (new tab)) , it will fail. This is one of more subtle but still annoying quirks about external plugins.
I feel that this is an interesting display on the convergence of technologies; one technology evolving to encompass the capability of another technology. It isn’t hard to imagine that Flash video will one day be phased out in favor of HTML5, which is more feasible is almost every aspect.
If you’re interested in trying out this new technology, head over to TestTube. HTML5 video playback is an opt-in exercise and is limited to certain browsers for now, namely:
Google Nexus One officially released
Google has officially announced that the Google-branded Nexus One mobile phone will be available. The specifications are up as well.
Some features include:
Android 2.1 mobile operating system.
An 3.7-inch (diagonal, 800×480) widescreen WVGA AMOLED touchscreen.
512MB RAM (the iPhone 3GS has 256MB).
A Qualcomm QSD 8250 1 GHz processor. I honestly have no idea how this stacks up with other mobile processors, but I’m willing to bet it’s pretty speedy)
WiFi (802.11 b/g/n). It has wireless N!
Autofocus-capable 5 megapixel camera with an LED flash.
512 flash memory and a microSD card slot.
Hard volume control and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
For a full specs list, see: http://www.google.com/phone/static/en_US-nexusone_tech_specs.html
Google advertised is as a “superphone“. I suppose it’s meant to indicate its position over the regular smartphones. That’s true, specs-wise. However, I still feel “superphone” is a ridiculous sounding moniker. I wait for the day where other manufacturers try to one-up Google and introduce the revolutionary NEW and IMPROVED megaphone!
Google teases with new Google phone
It’s not officially announced by Google yet, but there are pretty convincing rumors around that Google plans to release their own smartphone. This is further corroborated by how Google are testing an Android-based phone with their employees and various pictures.
While Google has not yet released phone specifications, it can be safe to say that it stands as a very viable contender to the iPhone. We know for sure it’s going to have a camera (5 megapixels?); WiFi capability (802.11n, perhaps?); and a 3-axis accelerometer; similar to the iPhone.
And above all: Unlike the iPhone, the Nexus One will come ‘unlocked’. Meaning, you aren’t tied to a service provider — such as AT&T — to use the phone (excluding jailbreaking, of course).
Now, I’ve not changed my phone even though I’ve been eligible for an upgrade for quite some time now, and I don’t intend to. But the Nexus One may just be the breaking point. Unlocked? 802.11n WiFi? Support for Google products such as Google Goggles? Count me in!
The Nexus One is expected to go on sale as soon as early January ‘10.
ProDigits: World’s first bionic finger
Technology is, understandably, very much part of the lives of the handicapped. You often hear about prosthetic limbs and such, but it’s a challenge to design one that can provide even half the functionality of the real thing. There’s a whole industry around making technological advancements in this area, and Touch Bionics have made a breakthrough.
Unlike regular prosthetics, Touch Bionic’s creation, ProDigits, allow for more delicate motor functions, such as picking up a piece of chocolate (it’s in the video up ahead!). It has been deployed on a limited number of people so far, and the response has been very satisfactory. This gadget lessens the user’s inconvenience and allows them to better go about their daily lives.
I’m not one that follows the world of cybernetics much, but it does make you appreciate how far science and technology has come. Not 20 years ago, amputees didn’t have these high-tech solutions. It’s certainly gratifying to understand how much impact innovations such as this have on the less fortunate; wouldn’t you agree?
Google Chrome OS
You’ve probably heard of Google’s Chrome web-browser. In July this year, Google announced their to-be-released operating system (OS). This is, unsurprisingly, named Google Chrome OS.
On November 19, 2009, Google held a conference that previewed the release of their Chrome OS. The same day, they open-sourced their product’s code.
So what is the Google Chrome OS, anyway? Chrome OS is an operating system targeted at secondary computers, such as netbooks. It is heavily focused on the web-browsing experience of the user, and aims to simplify that process. Essentially, Chrome OS is built around the web-browser. It strives for convenience and security; in the November conference, Google showcased a netbook booting in seven seconds.
What does this mean for you? Well, put it this way: If you aren’t using a netbook, you probably aren’t going to find using Google’s Chrome OS a feasible option. The web-browser is the only application on the OS; all data will be stored on Google servers (known as “cloud-computing“).
However, there’s a catch: Like Apple and their line of operating systems, Chrome OS will only run on Google-approved hardware. This does ensure the stability of the OS, but it also prevents users from simply installing Chrome OS on their existing netbooks, so don’t expect being able to buy a DVD and install it on your netbook.
For a non-technical explanation of what Google Chrome OS is and can do, Google has released a short video:
Dropbox: File synchronization across your computers
If you’re like me, you’ll probably have many forms of external storage: external hard drives, multiple USB flash drives, various memory cards, and several computers. With so many storage devices, sometimes remembering where exactly a particular file is gets a tad troublesome. Wouldn’t it be good if you had those files synchronized automatically with your notebook? That would mean no physical transfering will be required, and would certainly make things much more convenient.
Convenience for the user is what Dropbox is about. Dropbox provides a service where they act as the “middle-man” for your computer systems. When you first install Dropbox, a Dropbox folder will be placed in your home directory. Essentially, whatever you put into this folder will automatically be uploaded to Dropbox’s servers. You are now able to access your files via the Dropbox website by logging into your account, even if your computer is switched off!
Let’s take it one step further. You can register multiple installations of Dropbox to the same account. Now, whatever you placed in the Dropbox folder above will also be downloaded onto your other installation of Dropbox, and vice versa. This allows for multiple computers to have files synchronized among them; a useful function, regardless of whether you’re into design, business or IT.
Personally, I use Dropbox to synchronize small files; such as school work, photos and other miscellaneous documents. Since I usually work on my desktop at home and my notebook in school, I need an effective way to keep my documents on both updated. Dropbox does this beautifully, entirely negating the need to constantly shift data via a USB flash drive.
Dropbox is a offered as a free service with 2GB of storage, though premium services are available where up to 100GB of storage is permitted. Dropbox is available on Windows, Mac (OS X) and Linux too.
Making the move from Windows to Linux.
For most of us, our first experience with computing would have been with Windows. What the non-technologically-inclined population doesn’t know is that there are other viable operating systems available for consumers. I, personally, have made the move to Linux — or more specifically, Ubuntu.
Linux is open source, and hence generally free. It comes in many different flavors, or distributions; each with their own specifications and target audiences. Such is the flexibility of the system. There is bound to be something that fits your computing habits. Most commonly for a consumer, however, a popular distribution like Ubuntu or Fedora will be more than adequate.
Don’t be worried about losing your favorite applications in Windows too. Being open source, alternatives are easily found. Lots of these alternatives easily match the functionality of their Windows’ counterparts. For example, OpenOffice.org is an open source alternative to Microsoft Word. Even if you’re absolutely adverse to using OpenOffice, you can still install Microsoft Word on Linux via WINE, but that’s another topic altogether.
Most people will stick with Windows due to familiarity, but sometimes a Linux system can be much more efficient. I went for it, and have not looked back since.
