(Credit:
Good OS)
Good OS, the people who brought you the Linux-based gOS found on the $199 Wal-Mart gPC last year, announced a browser-based OS called Cloud at the Netbook World Summit in Paris on Monday. (You know you've made it as a form factor when you have your very own world summit. Kudos, Netbook!)
The Cloud OS features a browser with an integrated, OS X-like dock and a Linux kernel that boots "in seconds," according to the company. The browser looks oddly similar to Google's Chrome, though no official connection between Google and gOS exists. Within the browser window resides a dock that provides quick access to a number of apps--Skype, YouTube, Google's Docs, etc.--that you can fire up without running Windows. From the dock, you can also boot to Windows.
Unlike the gOS, the Cloud OS isn't meant to replace Windows but live alongside it, similar to what Asus offers on some of its laptops and Lenovo on its IdeaPad S10 Netbook with the SplashTop app. Good OS states that Cloud "does not require additional hardware and is compatible with any operating system."
Good OS demonstrated its Cloud OS on a gigabyte touch-screen Netbook at the World Summit in Paris. The company says that such touch-screen Netbooks running the Cloud OS and Windows will be released at CES next month.
As a tribute to the newly released Android G1 phone that runs on a Linux-based operating system, the folks at gOS, maker of gOS 3 Gadgets, decided this week to hand-build an Android G2 PC.
(Credit:
gOS)
This custom-built desktop computer is designed in the image of a new "Android." The G2 PC is based on the Via C7-based Nano-ITX board, and comes with an 800MHz processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, and 80GB of hard disk storage space. This is not much of a supercomputer, but it's powerful enough that you can do multiple tasks.
As Google's Android G1 is set to introduce cell phone users to all the mobile aspects of Linux, gOS hopes the Android G2 PC will bring the same excitement to households.
And, whose lucky household will it be? It could be yours. The company is auctioning off this special desktop PC on eBay. All proceeds will be donated to DonorsChoose.org via the TechCrunch Challenge.
DonorsChoose.org aims to provide students with the books, technology, and supplies they need. It's the kind of organization that could always use some more funding.
At the time of this writing, the bid for the computer was at $280. Now, that's not much funding at all. The auction will go for another six days, if you want to join and win. But, if you can't wait, you can always donate directly at DonorsChoose.org.
gOS--a company known for its debut in the $199 Wal-Mart gPC and Netbooks--announced Wednesday the details of gOS 3 Gadgets, the newest version of its Linux operating system for consumers.
The San Francisco-based company made the announcement at LinuxWorld Expo.
The main feature of gOS 3 Gadgets is its ability to instantly launch Google Gadgets for Linux on start-up, allowing users access to more than 100,000 iGoogle and Google Gadgets applications. These applications, though graphically rich, are small enough to be added to the computer in seconds over an Internet broadband connection. The new operation system will also be loaded with WINE 1.0, Lightweight X Desktop Environment (LXDE), and other Google software for Linux to improve the user experience.
While WINE has been known to allows users to use thousands of Windows applications on Linux platform, LXDE is a renewed effort to develop more lightweight desktop applications for Linux environment. By supporting LXDE, gOS 3 Gadgets, apart from desktops, would also make a good choice for ultra small mobile laptops, which are generally suffer from having slow hard drives and processors.
In addition to Google Gadgets for Linux, gOS 3 Gadgets can also run other Google applications more well-known in Windows platform including Google Desktop, Google Picasa, Google Earth and Google Maps. In the new gOS 3 Gadgets, other Google's web-based applications such as Documents, Calendar, and Mail launch have a closer appearance and functionality to desktop applications than other platforms.
iPhone 3G
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)On Monday, Apple released iPhone firmware 2.0.1 for the first-generation iPhone, iPhone 3G and iPod Touch. The new release resolves several performance-related issues and bugs found in version 2.0. However, Apple's paltry release notes won't tell you what is fixed, it only states that the update includes "bug fixes."
Among the improvements we've noted so far:
- Better keyboard responsiveness
- Less lag in the Contacts application
- Faster backups
You can obtain version 2.0.1 by connecting your iPhone to a host computer, launching iTunes, and clicking the "Update" button in the device pane. Alternatively, you can manually download the update via these links for the first-generation iPhone and the iPhone 3G. The iPod Touch update must be download via the iTunes "Update" button because it is restricted to new buyers or users who have already paid for the iPod Touch firmware upgrade.
If you used one of the manual download links, hold the Option key under Mac OS X or the Shift key under Windows while clicking the "Restore" button in Windows, then select the downloaded file to upgrade the phone.
Problems applying the update
If you received an error -19 or a different message that prevents the update from taking place, try turning off automatic syncing, then quit iTunes, and disconnect your phone. Launch iTunes again, wait for it to find your phone, and try the update again. Failing that, try the tips in this knowledge base article.
(Cross-posted from iPhone Atlas)
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