It’s finally here! Google+ for Google Apps accounts is a reality! I’ve been a Google+ user since it first launched, and I really like it. The only issue I had with it was that I couldn’t use my Apps account (which is the only Google account I use on a regular basis), and had to use a standard Gmail account instead. Big bummer, and it ended up keeping me from being very active on the service.
For the past six months I’ve used the Cr-48 I got in December on a daily basis. As you may recall, the Cr-48 is a test computer Google created and sent to chosen applicants to field test their new Chrome OS. I received one, and I’ve used it all the time. Since Google just announced that Chromebooks will start being sold commercially on June 15, I thought it was time I talked about my experience using it.
There have been no definite numbers from Google regarding how many Cr-48s they planned to ship, or when the shipments would end. A tweet from Sundar Pichai a couple of days ago has cleared all of that up, and if you’ve yet to receive one of the test notebooks then you probably won’t like the news. @palmjeff Sorry we have shipped all units for now. Thanks for your interest and we will have partner devices out mid-year.
I posted this on Android Forums a while back, and recently stumbled across it again so I thought I’d post it here. I wanted the notification sound for Google Talk on my Android phone for - surprise! - Google Talk messages. Unfortunately Google decided not to include it by default, so I managed to get it & post it online. I figured there are probably other people who want it as well, so I’ve decided to put it here as well.
So I got an email today from the folks at Gizmo5, the SIP voice over IP service provider bought by Google back in November 2009. Here’s what it said: Hello, Gizmo5 is writing to let you know that we will no longer be providing service starting on April 3, 2011. A week from today, March 11, 2011, you will no longer be able to add credit to your account.
It must be security month here on my blog, since I’ve already written a couple of posts on that subject, with one or two more on the way. Regardless, I felt this was important enough to share with readers. Google announced yesterday that they’re enabling two part authentication on all Google accounts. Originally offered back in September 2010 to Google Apps customers, this security enhancement feature is now rolling out to users of standard Google/Gmail accounts.
I got one! I wasn’t expecting it, but it came! Google’s Cr-48 notebook they’re shipping to selected applicants as a test platform for their new operating system, Chrome OS, is now in my possession - and it’s awesome. Soft touch everything, matte black, matte screen, nice keyboard, webcam & microphone, SD card slot, USB port, and a host of other cool features optimized for a browser-based OS that I’ll go into further down.
The Net Neutrality debate seems to have reached critical mass, and it’s making me angry. Google and Verizon have struck a deal to submit a proposal to lawmakers that, in short, would stand to kill the Internet as we know it. I’m not being dramatic or fear mongering, I’m stating the reality of the situation. The elements of this proposal are engineered to appear to protect users’ rights to open Internet, but in reality have major loopholes that seem to give them carte blanche to filter services at will on mobile networks & “new services” that show up.
Google has just announced that starting today, Google Voice will be open to the general public & will no longer require an invite. For those unfamiliar, Google Voice is a service from Google that gives you a phone number which you in turn can have forward to any combination of phones, use as a voicemail service that automatically transcribes them, and much more. I’ve been using Google Voice since I got my invite in June of last year & absolutely love it.
As an avid WordPress user, I have come to rely heavily on some of my plugins. Occasionally I’ll browse the WordPress.org plugins section looking for cool ones to try, but usually I stumble across them trying to solve a problem or make my life easier. I’ve come up with a list of the ones that I find the most useful, or that are cool and worth having anyway. Google Analytics: This plugin is crucial to me, perhaps above any of the others I use.
