Chrome is now included as an option when installing RealPlayer.
(Credit: Screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET)Google wanted to release version 1.0 of Chrome in part so it could bundled with other products, and now one such deal has arrived.
The option to install Chrome is checked by default, which no doubt will help some people to add the software without really deliberating much on its merits or drawbacks. However, the Chrome option shows on a separate stage of installation, so it's not hidden on some invisible "advanced options" section off the beaten track of the process.
Contrary to its practice with most of its products and services, Google is actively promoting Chrome with advertisements on YouTube, Facebook, and some technology sites.
Update 8:34 a.m. PST: During the Chrome uninstallation process I underwent to test out the Real bundling deal, after Google opens a page in Internet Explorer asking for feedback on why I removed Chrome, Google also promotes its Google Toolbar for IE. "Get your favorite Google Chrome features in Internet Explorer with Google Toolbar," the page suggests.
(Via Google Operating System.)
(Credit:
Screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET)
RealPlayer 11 beta lets you download YouTube videos locally.
(Credit: CNET Networks)RealPlayer was the king of streaming media in the early days of the World Wide Web, but its importance has waned in recent years. Rather than focus entirely on streaming video and audio developments, RealPlayer branched out into paid content offerings and drifted away from the core free media player that everyone adopted to watch streaming movies in the first place. Also, Web 2.0 video sites such as YouTube, Google, Viddler, and Revver--mostly utilizing Adobe Flash Player--have owned the streaming video market.
The Web browser is now the dominant software for streaming media, and a new beta version of RealPlayer represents that shift in the media landscape. While RealPlayer seemed to originally be designed to prevent users from downloading music or video content locally, the new version 11 beta specifically allows users to save streaming content to their hard drives with the click of one button. ... Read more
The new RealPlayer allows you to download embedded video content right from your browser.
(Credit: Real Networks)Real Networks has announced a new version of their RealPlayer today that will be available as a PC-only public Beta in June. The player allows users to download and organize nearly all embedded internet video content (Flash, WMV, QuickTime) including content from popular video sites like YouTube, Comedy Central, and of course, CNET. The player was demonstrated for me and actually looks pretty impressive. The new video download feature integrates fairly elegantly into your Web browser (yes, it works on Firefox). It works by temporarily displaying a small, fairly unobtrusive download tab in the right top corner of any video content it detects on a given Web page. It's even able to record streaming internet video in real time.
It looks like a great improvement over the slow, intrusive RealPlayer I remember. One feature it lacks, however, is the ability to export your downloaded video content to an iPod-compatible format. You can, however, use RealPlayer to burn your downloaded videos to CD, and if you pony up some money for RealPlayer Plus, they give the ability to burn video content to DVD. Some small improvements have also been made to speed up the load time of the application and cut out many of the annoying installation questions.
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