Using Google Android for...

What could you use a compact, capable, Internet-aware and -enabled OS for besides netbook :yawn: and smartphones :bored:?
Well, smart devices that can benefit from easy connectivity. Such as the Parrot Grand Specchio photo frame. :) Or what about an easy 7" touch screen on your HD DVR? Internet radio station tuner? Car board computer for climate control, music selection and "in-flight" movie selections to the back seat? Smart in-house climate control systems? Anyone else...?

Go, Google's New Open Source Programming Language

Slashdot: "Go, the new programming language Google has released as open source under a BSD license. The official Go site characterizes the language as simple, fast, safe, concurrent, and fun. A video illustrates just how fast compilation is: the entire language, 120K lines, compiles in under 10 sec. on a laptop. Ars Technica's writeup lays the stress on how C-like Go is in its roots, though it has plenty of modern ideas mixed in."

I know this is YAPL (yet another programming language), but with all of Google's effort in trying to transform the way we interact with the Internet (Google's search, Google Android for smart phones, Android OS for netbooks/laptops, Google Wave for Web3.0 communications, and all of Google's applications such as Froogle, Docs, Books, Mail, Calendar, Maps, Sync, Earth, YouTube, Picasa, AdSense, Analytics and many more), knowing or learning the language that can tie it all together may make good sense...

HOWTO: Hackintosh on your PC

Lifehacker has a guided howto for installing OS X Snow Leopard on your PC, without needing the RebelEFI I reported on earlier.

They even claim you can update OS X to the latest 10.6.2 update and it will keep working!

Update: Tom's Hardware has confirmed that developers who've updated their netbooks running Hackintosh are now unable to boot. However, PC's running non-Atom Intel chips are unaffected. So Psystar computers will update without a problem.

Apple to block OSX installation on Intel Atom netbooks

Admit it: it was too good to be true. If you can install OSX on a cheap netbook and get a working Apple-like device, Steve (Jobs) is going to have something to say about this! And the more popular it gets, the more wide-spread, the more likely he'll hear about it. Duuh!

Still it's sad that Snow Leopard Update 10.6.2 Blocks Kills Hackintoshes. Of course you can still use an older 10.5.8 or 10.6.1 OS version, if you can get a hold of it (quick: rip your ISOs now while they last! I have one at home, BTW). But the EULA clearly states that you can't install the OS on any hardware not obtained through Apple. Hence the problem with Psystar and their attempts to simply offer consumers the possibility to make their own choice: accept the Apple lock-in or not and use the Rebel EFI tool to do what they wish to. Freedom of speech and freedom of choice!

Psst, here is an OSX netbook compatibility chart.

Google Android: Acer Liquid A1

I'm glad I know MrVanes because he and I are so much alike in some ways. I'm also glad he told me NOT to go for an HTC Android phone while in Singapore, because the Hero and Magic sucked! Bad feel, bad form, terrible handling Yuck!
Anyway, he spotted the Acer Liquid A1 planned for Q4 (aka now!) with an est. retail price for €400 and an 800x480px screen powered by a 1 Ghz Snapdargon CPU from the good people at Qualcomm. I can't wait! Acer's netbooks are great and the laptops are better than average, so why can't they do the same for Android phones? :)

Android Live CD

If you're interested in Google's Android OS (aimed at phones and netbooks), you should checkout Android Live. It's an ISO that will give you a LiveCD with the smartphone OS that Google is making.

Chrome OS, a sort of competitor to Android is something different and as of yet I'm not clear on how Google sees these two similar operating systems.

Google Chrome OS

Official Google Blog: Introducing the Google Chrome OS says "Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks. Later this year we will open-source its code, and netbooks running Google Chrome OS will be available for consumers in the second half of 2010. Because we're already talking to partners about the project, and we'll soon be working with the open source community, we wanted to share our vision now so everyone understands what we are trying to achieve.

Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS. We're designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds."

Google Chrome OS, Chrome itself and Google Wave... hmmm, I'm starting to see a pattern develop. anyone?

Google Android 1.5

Google has released the Android 1.5 SDK to developers early. I'm psyched coz it means people will be able to make cool stuff for Android phones, as well as a whole slew of netbooks and other devices that will run the OS. Since I read that both LG and Samsung will be releasing new Android smartphone this year, I can't wait until there is a cool one with my name on it!

Update: someone spotted a Samsung phone with Android (S8000 Cubic) in a Russian webshop. :) Close, so close! :)

Google Android for netbooks - FAQ

Martin pointed me a while ago to people who've been getting netbooks (i.e. EEE PC, InspireOne, Wind, etc) running on Google's Android OS. It's a Linux core, so being able to run on the hardware Linux already runs on is not that big a deal.

However, their work indicated Google seems (it might) target netbooks actively, instead of just mobile phones. That is very interesting, especially seen in the light of recent developments in Server Based Computing (SBC), cloud computing, online storage and backup, Software as a Service, Google Chrome, Google Apps and so on. It suddenly really makes sense to have a versatile OS ready for as many platforms as you can fit!

Check out the FAQ about those Android netbooks.

Canonical Announces Ubuntu for ARM processor

Canonical announced their plans to carry on the Ubuntu platform ARM microprocessor RISC, very popular among manufacturers of mobile devices. "The addition of this new operating system will allow computers and netbooks offer a hybrid computing experience rich, always connected and mobile without compromising battery life, "said the announcement.

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PdaNet - your iPhone as a WiFi Router for your PC/Mac

Read about this app for the iPhone that can turn the phone into a WiFi AP so your PC, laptop or netbook can use it to access the net! Genius!PdaNet would be a must-have for me, if I'd have an iPhone. And for some reason, am leaning towards the Android instead...

Installing PCLinuxOS Mini-Me to an eeePC 900

As I am home alone today, I can nerd all I want with the heat turned dow to a comfortable 19°ree; Celsius, Trance & Techno & livesets blasting from the Mac Mini MediaPC and a pot of fresh espresso nearby! w00t

Decided to give the Mini-Me disto a try, as I read good things about it. Abusing Petra's USB Lipstick again as it is the only &$#%@& bootable USB stick in the house, I tried the Live OS and was amazed! It uses KDE but looks very crisp and clear and the OS is just blazing compared to Eeeubuntu I have been using the last week. :) Very pleased! So I am installing it, however MiniMe wouldn't start WiFi. On my netbook, that is a big Must Have so I checked Google and found Installing Mini-Me to an eeePC 900 (2.6.26 kernel - everything WORKING!!). I'll update here as I progress...

Update: Alright, now at my 3rd reinstall of minime. Got the WiFi working with madwifi update. Then enable the testing repo as well to get better support and install remaining packages. Thankfully, there is apt-get and Synaptic but RPMs work as well. Easypeasy! Oh and NEVER use the %#&@$%! autopartition.

Asus S101 Eee PC netbook details leaked

Just bought the Eee 900 when T3 tells me the S101 Eee PC netbook details were leaked. However, there's no confirmation yet.
I'm not too sad. The 900/901 are the perfect form factor. 9" screen is just big enough. Bigger means more more power, means heavier, means less battery life. 1024x600 resolution is fine for browsing. While the S101 looks cooler and is ultra thin, I'm fine with mine. Besides, all those features cost extra money and I'm not paying €500+ for a midget sized laptop. I can get a regular for that money!

Dropbox: online storage for all your UMPCs and netbooks

As we move more and more files, pictures, content and so on online, having a netbook (Eee PC, Aspire one, Wind, etc.) becomes very handy. And USB disks are cheap and big. However, the worst thing for a hard disk is moving it. the 2nd worst thing is turning it off and on frequently. Yet that's what we do all the time when on the move.So enter DropBox: a 2 GB online folder that connects cross-platform to Apple OSX, Windows and Linux. And for $10/month you get 50 GB. Of course, Amazon S3 also does this but without the nice GUI. Read 'em and weep.

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