os

What will Google's Chrome OS watch you do?

Google has a long history of tracking user activity, and the introduction of its Chrome operating system later this year is sure to follow suit. While we know that it's being built off of Linux, one big thing we don't know is how its terms of service will differ from those found in other Google products, and what kinds of user data it will be collecting. Based on the company's track record of watching and monetizing user data, it could be anything from which applications you're using, to all the information that's coming in and out of your computer.

To provide a better picture on what to expect, let's take a look at some of the ways Google is currently monitoring user activity in a handful of its products and how that may trickle down into the OS:

Google personalized Web search--Google's bread and butter business is its search engine, and its personalized search is a way to put a face on the data. When you're signed in with your Google account you can opt in to having your Web history tracked; Google archives all of the sites you've clicked on from search results, as well as what time of day you clicked on them.

For those who are not signed in, the company uses identifiers like cookies and IP addresses. But when you're signed in it can actually aggregate that data no matter what computer you're on. With a system-level log-in, it could theoretically do this no matter what browser you're using, giving Google a far richer set of data.

Chrome browser--When Chrome was first released, Google got in some hot water over its terms of service, which stated that Google had the rights to license any content that went through the browser. It quickly backtracked on the claim, citing that the terms heavily borrowed from other Google products and that it didn't make sense for Chrome. This would have given Google licensing control over things like user photos, videos, and words.

The one area where Google's Chrome can still access some of that information is with its reports system. This is an opt-in program for users to provide Google with crash reports and detailed information about what features they're using. Google has said this does not include any information from form fields, or from users' Google accounts. However, it does track what sites and search terms you've entered into the address bar.

Gmail--Google's Web mail service was one of the first Web mail services to provide contextual advertising, meaning it actually goes through your e-mail messages to give you advertisements that match up with a conversation you're having. Did you mention skiing in that last e-mail? Don't be surprised if you start seeing ads for local lift tickets or a new pair of ski boots.

Gmail also tracks what features users are using, including… Read more

Does Google's OS decrease or increase security risks?

Wednesday's two big technology stories--Google's Chrome-based operating system and cyberattacks against U.S. and South Korean government Web sites are oddly related. The stories are connected because if Google does well at gaining market share for its browser, we could see fewer successful attacks. Or maybe we'll see more attacks.

The reason hackers succeeded in launching denial-of-service attacks against government computers in the U.S. and South Korea is because they were able to enlist an army of "zombie" computers to carry out the attack. And what do those computers likely have in common? … Read more

Google's Linux fork may not trouble Microsoft

It was just a matter of time before Google stopped pretending it doesn't compete with Microsoft and introduce its own operating system to go head-to-head against Microsoft. As reported by CNET, Google has now lifted the covers on its Google Chrome OS, "an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks."

That's funny. We already have several of those, each of them running the same code powering Chrome OS, as Glyn Moody reminds us. They're called Ubuntu, OpenSUSE, Moblin, and...you get the point.

More specifically, while Google claims Chrome OS … Read more

Google's Chrome OS and Netbooks: Why Microsoft shouldn't worry...yet

While it may not have the same buzz as a new iPhone, Google's announcement of a new computer operating system based on its Chrome Web browser, has certainly set tongues wagging across the Interwebs. It certainly has many of the hallmarks of a hot news story--the bitter fight between Microsoft and Google; the rise of low-cost, low-power computing in Netbooks; free vs. paid software.

But while we're always in favor of more consumer choice and potentially lower prices, it's not quite time for Microsoft to worry about losing its firm hold on the Netbook market.

Microsoft's Windows XP is currently on 96 percent of Netbooks sold in the U.S. by some estimates (up from less than 10 percent in early 2008). When the similar idea of Netbooks running Google's Android operating system was discussed back in April, we said:

The very first Netbooks ran Linux operating systems, usually with a custom front-end to give users easy access to a Web browser and other frequently used apps. But as well-intentioned as that plan was, it wasn't until PC makers added the already archaic Windows XP operating system that the Netbook craze took off.

It wasn't that XP was the perfect solution for small screens and low-power CPUs--it's that consumers searching for a simple, low-cost second or travel laptop value ease of use over almost anything else. XP benefits from looking and feeling familiar to most users.

What we said then is just as true now, even if the OS is called Chrome and built specifically for PCs, rather than the smartphone-based Android.… Read more

To challenge Google, Microsoft might want to think Apple

The announcement of Google's Chrome OS plan puts an exclamation point on the challenge faced by Microsoft, but actually doesn't really change the core threat to Microsoft.

In short, Google is aiming to render desktop software irrelevant. To thwart them, Microsoft needs Windows to do things that a browser can't--or do the same things significantly better.

Interestingly, if Microsoft wants some tips on how to do this, it might want to look toward Apple. Essentially, this has been Apple's challenge all along: make the Mac experience enough better than a generic PC that it is worth … Read more

No thanks, Google--we've got Ubuntu

Google's revelation that it will create its own operating system will bring just one reaction from operating system enthusiasts worldwide.

"Not another Linux distribution," they'll cry.

They'll say this because if there is one problem that the Linux and open-source community has suffered repeatedly over the past two decades, it's been fragmentation.

It was bad enough that the Unix operating system fragmented repeatedly through the 1980s and 1990s. Systems administrators (like myself, earlier this decade) were forced to learn several different platforms: Solaris, AIX, HP-UX, FreeBSD...the list was always growing longer.

But the … Read more

Google to Microsoft: It's on

There was already little doubt that Google was aiming at Microsoft's empire, but the announcement of a Chrome OS takes the competition to a new level.

For those who missed it, Google said late Tuesday that it plans to enter the operating system game in the second half of next year with a Linux-based OS that can run on both traditional PC chips and the ARM-based chips popular in cell phones. The idea behind Chrome OS is to create an extremely lightweight operating system that boots directly to the browser, in which all applications run.

In a blog, Google … Read more

Nvidia's past drives reports about Apple

A report claiming that Nvidia has been ousted from Apple laptop designs has gained prominence quickly because the graphics chip supplier is still dogged by past problems.

"The word is that Nvidia is out of Apple designs," according to a June 26 report from technology Web site SemiAccurate. The report has been cited widely with varying degrees of credence given to it.

"When I say out, I mean on the Nehalem-based Macs," Charlie Demerjian, the author of the report, said in a phone interview Monday, referring to future laptops from Apple that will be based on … Read more

Rocking out with stereo Bluetooth

Now that the iPhone OS 3.0 firmware has added stereo Bluetooth functionality to the Apple iPhone, we thought it would be a good idea to revisit stereo Bluetooth and what it promises.

Stereo Bluetooth, or A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile), is essentially a Bluetooth profile that lets you stream music from one device to another without the use of wires. The technology has been around for years, and almost all music phones have this feature. In fact, it was quite a big letdown that the original iPhone and iPhone 3G did not have this built in when they first launched, considering the iPhone's iPod heritage. Still, it's better late than never. The iPhone OS 3.0 update also brought stereo Bluetooth to the iPod Touch 2nd gen. If you have a music player instead of a phone, you can also purchase additional stereo Bluetooth adapters, like this Motorola D650 iPod adapter.

Stereo Bluetooth headphones come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some, like the Motorola Rokr S9 HD, are meant for active lifestyles, as it's shaped to hug the sides of the head. Others, like the Samsung SBH-600, are meant for serious audiophiles, especially with its promise of surround sound and bass boost. We also like the mono-to-stereo headsets, like the Plantronics Voyager 855, that can change from a mono headset to a stereo version simply by connecting an additional ear bud. One of the more popular stereo headsets among our readers is the Jabra BT3030, which isn't really even a headset so much as it is a pendant that you can use with any pair of 3.5mm-compatible headphones.… Read more