Chrome

This morning, I installed the Firefox 15 beta on my two favored Android devices: a Samsung Galaxy Nexus phone and an Asus Nexus 7 tablet.

Big deal, you say. Installing a browser. Ho-hum.

It shouldn't be a big deal, but it is -- because you can't install Firefox on an iPhone, an iPad, or a forthcoming Windows RT tablet.

But on Android, Google has chosen to let any other browser compete directly against its own. For that reason, I regularly use Opera Mini and Opera Mobile alongside Google's Chrome. The Dolphin Browser HD, installed more than 10 … Read more

So, you received your Nexus 7. You have it all set up, you've answering some e-mails, you've watched a movie or two, and now you need to print something. But, how?

Unlike Apple's iPad, the Nexus 7 doesn't have an "AirPrint"-like feature built into the operating system. Google does have Google Cloud Print, but it still requires you to use the mobile Web version of Gmail (and the like) to print.

Wouldn't it be great if there was a way to add Cloud Print as a share action? There is, and it'… Read more

Google has taken a new step to significantly expand what Web apps can do -- and thus also lend new muscle to its Chrome browser, Chrome OS browser-based operating system, and Chrome Web Store for finding and buying Web apps.

This week, Google released a new developer version of Chrome 22 that by default enables a technology called Chrome packaged apps.

This foundation is designed to expand what Web apps can do by giving them the standalone look of a native personal-computer app and some native-app privileges that Web apps ordinarily wouldn't have. They load from a computer's … Read more

It hasn't even been available for a month, but already, Chrome for iOS is making its presence felt.

Advertising service provider Chitika yesterday released data showing that Google's browser has come on strong in iOS, nabbing 1.5 percent of the browser market in that space. As of this writing, Chrome is down to 1.4 percent. A collection of other browsers, driven mainly through non-browser applications that let users access Web pages from within the program, combined to score 13 percent, according to Chitika. However, they all have a long way to go to catch Safari, which … Read more

The DeadMouse extension for Chrome might be the final piece of the puzzle if you are trying to go all keyboard shortcuts all the time. You can perform all manner of task in Chrome with keyboard shortcuts (here are helpful lists for PCs and for Macs), but opening a link still requires a click of the ol' mouse.

If losing your mouse is something you aspire to, give DeadMouse a whirl. With it, you simply start typing the first few letters of a link you see on the page you are viewing and the link will begin to wobble. Hit … Read more

The Chrome for mobile release has been well-received by iOS and Android users alike, though for Android, Chrome is only available on devices with Android 4.0 and up, like the new Samsung Galaxy S3 or the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. As with most mobile and desktop browsers, Chrome allows you to delete your browsing history from within its settings. You can also view your browsing history, but it's not a feature you can access from the menu. Here's how to view and clear your browsing history in Chrome for mobile.

Chrome for Android To view browsing history in … Read more

The mobile version of Google's Chrome browser is the latest target of EMG Technology, a patent firm that says the tech giant is infringing on its navigation technology.

The suit (PDF), which was filed earlier this week in District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in the Tyler Division, seeks damages as well as an injunction to keep Google from offering Chrome for mobile devices in the U.S.

In a statement, Elliot Gottfurcht, EMG's managing member and lead inventor restated claims made in the suit, alleging that Google's browser steps on one of its patents : … Read more

Just as Apple finished up OS X 10.8, aka Mountain Lion, Google said yesterday that its Web browser will stop supporting OS X 10.5, aka Leopard.

Leopard debuted in 2007 after a long gestation period. Apple's OS updates arrive more frequently these days -- roughly annually -- and Chrome comes even more frequently with a six-week update cycle.

"Please note, on Mac we now require 10.6 or higher, and this release will not be available if you are on 10.5 or lower," said Chrome team member Jason Kersey in a blog post yesterday … Read more

OK, I'll admit it. I was a little harsh when I reviewed the newest Google Chromebook from Samsung. Why? Because no matter how snappy or quick-booting the Chromebook feels, it's a computer that needs an online connection for most apps. Or, it was.

Now that version 20 of the Chrome browser has been released and Chrome OS 20 is also available, a key app update to Google Drive enables offline Google Docs editing and writing, a feature I sorely missed when I reviewed the system. Now it's here, bearing promises of finally taking Chromebooks where they've never easily gone before: offline.… Read more