02.How to run Linux and Chrome OS on your Chromebook

When all is said and done you'll have the pleasure of running Linux, Ubuntu 14.04.1 with the Xfce desktop in this case, with Chrome OS simultaneously. Credit: ITworld/Steven. J. Vaughan-Nichols
Love your Chromebook, but want to run Linux programs too? Now you can

Chromebooks are pretty darn handy. Even some hardcoreWindows users now acknowledge that a Chromebook might be just what you need for work. But, as great as Chromebooks are, and as much progress as Google has made in getting "Web-only" apps such as Google Docs to work offline, there are still times that you want an application that's only available off-line such as the LibreOffice office suite or theGIMP photo editor. For those times, it's darn handy to be able to run a Linux desktop on a Chromebook.

It's been possible to do that, thanks to the Chromium OS Universal Chroot Environment (Crouton), for some time. But, what you couldn't do was have a Linux desktop, such as Ubuntu or Debian, on the same screen while you were running Chrome OS.
Now you can.
Thanks to Google's Chrome OS team, you can run a Linux desktop within a window on Chrome OS using a Chrome extension called Crouton Integration. This makes using Linux, and its thousands of applications, much easier. It also adds the ability to use Chrome's inherent Web browser instead of the Linux distribution's native browser and to synchronize the Chrome OS and Linux clipboards.
In short, Crouton is better than ever and the combination of Linux and Chrome OS is very powerful. Here's how you go about liberating that power.



Source:
http://www.itworld.com/article/2891142/how-to-run-linux-and-chrome-os-on-your-chromebook.html

10.19 Hidden Chrome Features That Will Make Your Life Easier

Browsers have evolved far beyond their original mission of providing one-way windows into the world wide webosphere. Indeed, as more services migrate to the cloud, browsers only reinforce their new role as multi-function boxes of digital magic.

All the important Internet things are available in browser form—everything fromcommunication tools to productivity suites to disposable escapist entertainment. It's almost like the browser has become an OS in and of itself. In fact, you could say that's exactly where things are headed.

While there is plenty of debate out there as to which browser is best, for my money it's the sleek, minimalist package known as Google Chrome. And the data shows that most users agree: According to the latest numbers from W3Schools, 58.4 percent of people are using Chrome, more than double the next highest, Firefox (25 percent), with IE (9.4 percent) and Safari (4 percent) trailing far behind.

These numbers are based on visitors to W3's site, so they aren't a definitive representation of the greater population; Net Applications gave Chrome about 18 percent of the global browser market share for April, for example. But numbers aside, Chrome is a popular browser, and if you're not using it, you should at least consider checking it out.

One of the reasons for Chrome's popularity is its clean, polished UI and its versatility. While Chrome's abilities multiply greatly when you consider the near-bottomless library ofextensions, there's a bounty of stock functionality embedded all throughout Chrome's guts that you may not even know about.

Click through our slideshow for a list of 19 hidden tricks hidden inside Chrome that you really need to be using.

More@

http://www.pcmag.com/slideshow/story/323996/19-hidden-chrome-features-that-will-make-your-life-easier

VIVALDI IS A NEW CHROMIUM-BASED WEB BROWSER FOR POWER USERS

Vivaldi is a new web browser based on Chromium / Blink, especially created for users who "have problems fitting all their open tabs on one screen". The browser is developed by Vivaldi Technologies, whose chief executive and founder is John von Tetzchner, former Opera CEO and co-founder.






Vivaldi is currently available as a technical preview, for Linux (64bit deb and rpm only for now), Windows and Mac and the current build is intended to show the direction of the product, so it's not a complete product.

"It is not perfect, far from it. Some of the key features we integrate are yet to be implemented, optimization needs to be done. But we hope that you get a glimpse of our product and what you can expect from us".

The new web browser, which is aimed at power users, includes tab stacks, Opera-like Speed Dial which supports multiple folders, as well as a note-taking feature which allows including a screenshot of the current page. Furthermore, Vivaldi features a tool called Quick Commands, that can be used to search through settings, history, open tabs, bookmarks and more with a single keyboard shortcut.


Source:

http://www.webupd8.org/2015/01/vivaldi-is-new-chromium-based-web.html

Chrome 40 goes stable, bringing extra Material Design touches and a new bookmarks manager

Credit: Google

Chrome for Android is getting the bump to version 40 after a couple of months proving itself in beta.

The update includes features that bring some better design and functionality to the browsing experience. You can finally close all your open tabs on tablets by tapping and holding the “X” icon at the top of a tab and pressing the “Close all tabs” menu option.

There are goodies for phones too, namely a cleaner view when copying a lengthy URL (pictured) that pops out into a Material Design-style card. This feature also notifies you if you’re connected to a secure site or not.
If you dig into the Chrome flags menu you can turn on the new bookmarks manager, which gives a more streamlined view of all your saved sites. The update also has the usual bug fixes and heretofore unknown features that we’ll discover after getting some more hands-on time. If you don’t want to wait for it to hit the Play Store, grab the APK.




Source:
http://www.greenbot.com/article/2873650/chrome-40-goes-stable-bringing-extra-material-design-touches-and-a-new-bookmarks-manager.html

WhatsApp Web launches without iOS support owing to Apple 'limitations'

Ante Scriptum: Please click on the ads on this blog and let me know if i can improve their display.








Chrome client instead arrives with Android, BlackBerry and Windows support

MESSAGING APPLICATION WhatsApp is now available via Google's Chrome browser, unless you're an iPhone user.

WhatsApp founder Jan Koum announced WhatsApp Web on Facebook, naturally.

The web client will allow users to send and receive messages within the desktop Chrome browser.

But Koum is keen to point out that WhatsApp Web is only an extension of the service's mobile apps, so you'll still need your phone nearby to take advantage of it.

"Today, for the first time, millions of you will have the ability to use WhatsApp on your web browser," he said.

"Our web client is simply an extension of your phone: the web browser mirrors conversations and messages from your mobile device. This means all of your messages still live on your phone."

However, while iPhone users are typically the first to get their hands on new apps, WhatsApp announced that - for now at least - WhatsApp Web won't be available on iOS, citing "Apple platform limitations".

Instead, WhatsApp Web currently plays nice with Android, BlackBerry, BlackBerry 10 and Windows Phone.

WhatsApp explained in a blog post how to get started with the service:


Source:
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2391494/whatsapp-web-launches-without-ios-support-owing-to-apple-limitations

WhatsApp comes to the desktop; only on Google Chrome to begin with

New Delhi: A piece of news that many WhatsApp users have been eagerly waiting for quite some time is finally here. WhatsApp is now officially available on your Web browser, a feature that many competing instant messaging services already have.

Though the WhatsApp roll out for desktop comes with a caveat - it is currently available only on Google Chrome browser. Though WhatsApp says it will add support for other browsers soon.

"Our web client is simply an extension of your phone: the web browser mirrors conversations and messages from your mobile device - this means all of your messages still live on your phone," WhatsApp said in a blog post.

Source:
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/whatsapp-comes-to-the-desktop-only-on-google-chrome-to-begin-with/524250-11.html

FRESH PLAYER PLUGIN SEES NEW RELEASE (PEPPER FLASH WRAPPER FOR FIREFOX)

As you probably know, the latest Adobe Flash Player is available on Linux only via Google Chrome (it's bundled with it) while other browsers such as Firefox are stuck with an old 11.2 version.

The Adobe Flash Player plugin that's bundled with Google Chrome is in the form of a PPAPI (or Pepper Plugin API) plugin and Mozilla isn't interested in adding support for it. Because of this, Rinat Ibragimov has developed Fresh Player Plugin, a wrapper that allows Linux users to use Pepper Flash from Google Chrome in Firefox and other NPAPI-compatible browsers.

Source:

http://www.webupd8.org/2015/01/fresh-player-plugin-sees-new-release.html

Comparing Android Desktop SMS Apps: MightyText vs Pushbullet vs AirDroid

Apps that allow Android users to send SMS (or a text) from their desktop have existed for a while now. But lately, with KitKat’s better power management, Chrome’s notifications API, and the entry of Pushbullet (everyone’s favorite Android app), things are starting to heat up.

As it stands, MightyText, Pushbullet and AirDroid  (all free apps) are the three top apps that provide this functionally.

All three of them work well (over Wi-Fi), you can choose any one of them and you’ll probably be happy. But there are minor differences between them, like the setup process, extra features, and compatibility that will influence your decision.

If you don’t really want to test all three apps on your own to see which one is the best for you, read on as we dissect the apps and suggest the best features for different users.

Source:

http://www.guidingtech.com/33996/mightytext-vs-pushbullet-vs-airdroid/