Android fragmentation will wreck Android for smartphones and tablets just as much as Windows fragmentation ruined Windows for the PC.

According to Amazon, the number one selling laptop isn't a Windows PC or a Mac, it's the Samsung Chromebook, which runs Google's Linux-based Chrome OS.

The number of people who are reading printed books is declining. But reading isn’t. According to the Pew Research Center, we're buying Kindles and Nooks and reading more e-books at a rapidly growing rate.

Richard M. Stallman, founder of the Free Software Foundation, has proclaimed that Ubuntu Linux includes spyware. Ubuntu supporters disagree with this take.

Well-known graphics expert finds that both the Amazon Kindle Fire HD and Google Nexus 7 have better displays than Apple's newly launched iPad mini.

Just because Apple appears to be releasing the iPad Mini is no reason to ignore the Android tablets that forced Apple to enter the 7" tablet space.

Canonical is integrating Amazon search results into Ubuntu Linux and some users hate the idea so Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth explained why he approved it.

Chrome: Amazon has released an official Send to Kindle extension for Google Chrome that allows you to send any web articles directly to your Kindle device in one click. More »

 

Previously available only to Chrome and Safari users, Kindle Cloud Reader now works on Firefox, so you can read your Kindle books from within Mozilla's browser online or offline.

A few months ago, Google made a bold move to enter the Netbook market with a new web-based OS called Google Chrome OS. In the initial months, Google gave out free netbooks to few users called as Cr-48. I was one of the few lucky users to get my hands-on the Cr-48 netbook and found it pretty usable while travelling and performing tasks such as creating documents, emailing and more.

Once again, the way to buy music is changing.

For years, the legal digital music world has seemed relatively simple to grasp. There were two basic models: the online stores, where you buy singles or albums and store them on individual computers or devices; and the subscription services, where you pay a monthly fee or listen to ads for access to an online trove of songs.

The much awaited laptop powered by Google Chrome (a cloud-based operating system) is all set for launch on June 15.

Here are few things that you need to about the all new Chromebook.

How does it work?

The Chromrebook should always be connected to the Internet in order to make use of its functionalities. In other words, everything will be on cloud and you’ll need Internet to access all of the apps, documents, photos, movies etc. Installing softwares or updating them, taking backup of files or running anti-virus checks and all other PC related tasks will be eliminated as everything will be done over the cloud.

Who will release the laptops?

Google has tied up with Samsung and Acer which will release laptops powered with Chrome OS.

The Samsung’s device will come with 12.1-inch screen with an 8-hour battery life and will retail for $429 (Wi-Fi enabled) and $499 (3G enabled laptop), while Acer’s device will be an 11.6-inch display and a 6.5-hour battery life. Acer’s notebook will start at $349 and up.

No storage

Since Chromebook is Internet based, all of the files and folders will be stored on the cloud. The laptops will be highly integrated with the cloud services and there will be no storage space available. However, the laptop will have slots to plug in other storages devices.

Boot-up Time?

According to Google, Chromebooks will boot in about less than eight seconds. Once it is up and running it’ll check for any updates and will reboot up with the latest version.

Offilne mode?

Yes, you can work with your Chromebook if you’re not connected to the Internet. You can access Google Docs, Google Calendar and Gmail accounts without an Internet connection. (You won’t be updated with new notifications/mails if you’re not connected to the Internet)

Security

Chromebooks uses the principle of “defense in depth” to provide multiple layers of protection, so if any one layer is bypassed, others are still in effect. Your files and folders will be protected and will be kept safe.

Availability

Chromebooks will be available for sale from June 15.

Laptop Specs

Acer Specifications:
11.6″ HD Widescreen CineCrystalTM LED-backlit LCD
2.95 lbs. | 1.34 kg.
6 hours of continuous usage 1
Intel® AtomTM Dual-Core Processor
Built in dual-band Wi-Fi and World-mode 3G (optional)
HD Webcam with noise cancelling microphone
High-Definition Audio Support
2 USB 2.0 ports
4-in-1 memory card slot
HDMI port
Fullsize Chrome keyboard

Samsung Specifications:
12.1″ (1280×800) 300 nit Display
3.26 lbs / 1.48 kg
8.5 hours of continuous usage 1
Intel® AtomTM Dual-Core Processor
Built in dual-band Wi-Fi and World-mode 3G (optional)
HD Webcam with noise cancelling microphone
2 USB 2.0 ports
4-in-1 memory card slot
Mini-VGA port
Fullsize Chrome keyboard
Oversize fully-clickable trackpad
Oversize fully-clickable trackpad

Last.fm is one of our favorite music recommendation and statistics engines, and if you've fallen in love with Amazon's new Cloud Player service, you're probably looking for a way to scrobble the songs you listen to. This script will do the trick. More »

Chrome/Firefox: Amazon's Cloud Player is a pretty awesome way to play your music on the go, but it's severely lacking in keyboard shortcuts. keyMazony adds a few of the basics to Cloud Player so you don't need to focus on it. More »

Chrome (Beta/Dev): Voice input is now baked into Chrome's Beta version and soon to hit the standard, stab

Remember when everyone was freaking out over the Apple in-app subscription changes? You should. It was just a month ago. And while some of the fears that arose do appear to be very real, the two things most people focused on were Amazon’s Kindle app and the Netflix app. Well guess what? Both received updates today, and neither includes the supposedly mandatory changes.

Firefox/Chrome: The Lightning Reveal extension for Google Chrome reveals what lies behind Amazon's Lightning Deals before they're live on Amazon.

Android apps are channeled primarily through the market and while this has been beneficial for some, it has limited the choice of developers who want to reach out to the world. Recently, Google has changed things by including more countries in the supported list of app stores. This decision has been beneficial for many developers as they can expect more app installs now.

Seeing the profit in this business now, Amazon and Best Buy are planning to join the Android app store business by opening their own app stores. The advantage with these alternative app stores is that they will reach out to many other countries that are not supported by Google Market, allow other payment methods and thus, add some flexibility to the buyers end.

Best Buy CTO Robert Steph said,

We are exploring this concept at this very early stage, but we have no concrete plans at this time. Google, though, is an obvious partner.