Image via CrunchBaseIf you don't already have a Kindle, but have been considering one, now is a good time to jump at the opportunity with the reduced price point.
The Future of the iPhone: Intelligent Object Recognition
21 minutes ago
Kindle on the Cheap?
Image via CrunchBaseIf you don't already have a Kindle, but have been considering one, now is a good time to jump at the opportunity with the reduced price point.
Google OS for Netbooks
Google announced that they are building a new computer operating system. The Google Chrome OS is a lightweight OS designed on the Linux kernel that is intended to be used on Netbooks and other computers where users want to use primarily web applications. The Google blog article reads:
As a huge Google fan I am very excited about this news, and 2010 cannot get here soon enough so I can try this new OS out on either my EEE PC or perhaps a new netbook from one of the vendors that have already been announced as working with Google.
As I have thought about this new Google OS a few things have come to mind:
Google Chrome OS is being created for people who spend most of their time on the web, and is being designed to power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems. While there are areas where Google Chrome OS and Android overlap, we believe choice will drive innovation for the benefit of everyone, including Google.
As a huge Google fan I am very excited about this news, and 2010 cannot get here soon enough so I can try this new OS out on either my EEE PC or perhaps a new netbook from one of the vendors that have already been announced as working with Google.
As I have thought about this new Google OS a few things have come to mind:
- My biggest disappointment with the Chrome browser is the lack of integration with Google stuff. Google Reader for RSS and Google Bookmarks for bookmarks would have been very obvious integration bits. I really hope Google includes lots of Integration with the OS. Since Joshua Schachter joined Google, I have been waiting for a way cool new version of Google Bookmarks. Perhaps that integration will come with Chrome OS?
- Jungle Disk, Live Mesh and Pogoplug are my local links to cloud storage. With these three applications I am either replicating data (Mesh), backing things up (Jungle Disk/S3), or simply making most of my data available anywhere (Pogoplug). I hope that Google realizes that getting to this data is important, and either works to provide access to some of these types of cloud services or offers a compelling service of their own (the fabled gDrive). I am storing a few hundred gigabytes on the three services I mentioned, so any gDrive will have to allow that at a price point close to what I am paying now to make me even consider it.
- My EEE PC is awesome, but part of that awesomeness comes from my ability to connect to the Internet from anywhere. I tether my Blackberry using VZAccess to grab a 3G connection on the go. I almost always tether via Bluetooth. If the Chrome OS does not offer me the ability to use VZAcess and tether my BB it will be much less useful and I would likely just keep what I have and use Windows 7.
Gaming and Google
Image via CrunchBaseThe Dice of Life blog seems to have the same addiction, and has been writing up a series of posts covering how to spice up your gamer life with a dash of Google. Well worth the read, especially if you are not 100% familiar with how these online tools work.
While many of the Google tools work perfectly together, I am always wishing that things like Google Groups and Google Sites would work better together. Google seems to be relying on gadgets for their different tools to allow them to be embedded into each other, but that does not work so well where Groups and Sites are concerned.
The software I really miss from Google is Google Notebook, which they no longer support. It is actually still available, but I don't think I would put any data into it. Notebook was great for recording small snippets of information and random thoughts. I am starting to use Evernote for this purpose, but I am not 100% sold that this is the route I want to go.
You can find my campaigns Google Site page here.
4e Iron Kingdoms
Image via Wikipedia
Very nice post with links to resources for gaming in the Iron Kingdoms (IK). For those not familiar with the Iron Kingdoms, it is the setting for the Warmachine and Hordes games by Privateer Press. The setting started out as a RPG setting for the d20 system, and has grown by leaps and bounds since that time. The world itself is a fantasy steampunk mix with both magic and blackpowder. This is one of my favorite settings, mostly due to the amazing World Guide that Privateer Press published. It is a huge reference to everything in the world. Anyway, the post below is a great summary of links to porting the IK world over to the 4th edition of D&D.
Iron Kingdoms 4e Resources
RPG Blog Carnival
Facebook v Google
http://bit.ly/13bsnF Some interesting history here I was not aware of. I still use Google for almost everything, but I can see a day them I will turn to Facebook for more. I certainly turn to FB for more personal interactions.
