Intel’s first Broadwell chip is ready to go and the first laptops, tablets, and 2-in-1s featuring the new processor should hit the streets soon. The Intel Core M processor is a 4.5 watt chip that has the kind of power consumption (and efficiency) you’d expect from a cheap Intel Atom processor. But early benchmark tests […]
web apps
Firefox OS 2.1 will feature selective app permission
When you download Android apps from the Google Play Store you see a list of permissions required by each app. Don’t want to install an app once you realize it would have access to your contact list? Then you can decide not to install the app after all. But despite some developer tools uncovered last […]
Control Chrome apps with keyboard shortcuts (even when not in focus)
Google’s Chrome web browser continues to blur the lines between web apps and desktop apps. The latest dev channel version of Chrome lets you control some web apps using keyboard shortcuts — even when the web browser isn’t in focus. In other words, you can load up the Google Play Music Mini Player or another […]
Install web apps as native Android apps with Firefox 29 beta
The Firefox web browser for Android has offered a way to “install” web apps from Firefox Marketplace for a while. But up until now that just meant you’d see a shortcut on your home screen and when you tapped it, the app would open up in a browser window (without the normal browser user interface). […]
Chrome apps coming to Android, iOS, leaving browser behind
Google currently has two operating systems: Chrome OS for notebooks and desktops and Android for phones and tablets. But the lines are kind of blurry since you can run the Chrome web browser on most Android devices. What I’d really like to see is support for Chrome extensions and plugins on Android devices — but […]
Chrome could eventually let you test apps before installing them
Google’s Chrome web browser and Chrome operating system are designed to run web apps, so while you can “install” apps to add shortcuts, download data for offline use and gain other advanced functionality, there’s little stopping you from trying before buying… or downloading for free. Now the developers of Chrome are starting to work on […]
Google’s Portable Native Client goes live for web apps that act like native apps
Google’s Native Client is a set of tools that developers can use to write web apps that can interact with your device as if they were native apps, using your CPU, GPU, and other hardware. Now Google is taking Native Client a it further with Portable Native Client, or PNaCL. It basically lets developers write […]
arkOS aims to let anyone host their own cloud with a $35 Raspberry Pi
Cloud services such as Gmail, SkyDrive, or Google Calendar can be handy. They let you access your data from nearly any device connected to the internet, whether you’re using your work PC, personal laptop, smartphone, or tablet. But relying on someone else’s cloud has its risks. A team called the CitizenWeb Project is developing an […]
Chrome 31 beta continues Google’s push to make the web the only app you need
Google latest beta version of the Chrome web browser has a few new tricks up its sleeve, including an API that makes it easier to fill out payment details on websites, open links and websites directly into the supported web app, and allow web apps to access approved folders on your device. When you take […]
Google introduces Chrome Apps which work more like desktop apps
Google is doing its best to turn the web into the only operating system you really need. The company is pushing a new type of web app designed to work offline, offer desktop notifications, and launch directly from your desktop — all while offering the benefits of a web application including the ability to pick […]