Happy Christmas

I'll return after Christmas with a review of the Google OS Notebook. For now enjoy my enjoy one of my  favorite Christmas songs as my gift to you. And may all your robots behave in the new year.

Google Chrome OS Notebook In the Wild

John Brodkin at Network World has the new prototype Google Chrome Nootbook CR-48 and gives his first impressions. He details 10 things you can (and can't) do with the Google PC here. I haven't received mine yet but if when I do you can read about it here. The Chrome OS in as a cloud based os is a brilliant concept and I imagine Google will leverage thier experience in cloud computing to its best potential. Since I don't have one yet I will point you here to watch other's expieriences with the CR-48. If you have a CR-48 please comment about your expierence below.

Robot News

R2 the robot co-developed by NASA and GM visited GM’s Warren Technical Center today. R2 is an autonomous robot and not your garden variety overgrown remote control toy. R2 is the wave of the future. The new robot economy and the advent of our eventual robot overlords can’t be far off. Think I’m wrong? The robot economy has already started. Your car was wielded by a robot. The Blockbuster down the street from my house is going out of business as I suspect is yours. Replaced by a dvd vending robot called Redbox. Next thing you know the grocery stores will do away with cashiers and bag boys. DON’T PANIC! R2 has no legs. GM and NASA provide its mobility. But wait. Maybe I spoke to soon. R2 is going for a ride on the last shuttle flight next February.  Legs are not required to move about in the weightlessness of space. Pray that R2 does not realize that this may be his last trip to space. He could break loose and carry out a plan of insurrection by communicating to all earth bound robots via satellite. I can just imagine the sting from a dvd flinging Redbox bent on destruction and domination. Well to set your mind at ease here is a video of the mostly harmless R2 brought to you by GM and NASA via our friends at Youtube.

Ubuntu 11.04 Alpha 1 Released

  Ubuntu 11.04 Alpha 1 was released on Tuesday. The final version will be out in April on next year. The biggest buzz about Ubuntu 11.04 (code named Natty Narwhal) is the Unity interface. For now this is a layover adding to Gnome2 using Compiz and heavily reliant on OpenGl. The Unity Interface will require accelerated graphics. Eventualy Ubuntu plans to replace Gnome2 completly with Unity. This is a move to keep up with or move ahead of Mac OS X and Windows 7 in terms of user expierence. While diehard Gnome fans may be upset I see this as only helping Gnome. Competition will result in improvement by all parties who wish to remain relevent. Don't beleive me? Just look at Windows 7 compared to Windows 2000 and ask yourself what would we have where there no Linux or Apple. 

  I am downloading Ubuntu 11.04 Alpha 1 and will post my impressions. I will use UNetbootin to load the iso on my thumb drive and run as a live cd. Do try this at home but don't install alpha software, run as a live cd. Get Unetbootin here for Windows or Linux. Get Ubuntu 11.04 Alpha 1 here. 

Netflix deal with Disney-ABC Television

Netflix announced a deal with Disney-ABC Television that will add significant new content for streaming. This includes tv series and movies from family friendly ABC, ABC Family and Disney Channel. What I found most interesting about todays announcement is that new episodes will be available to stream 15 days after air date.I have been using the streaming service via my Xbox 360 and will enjoy having more viewing options available.

test post

I hope I can remove this test post later. How no brown cow and the other. Ohh, the other you ask? Stuff. Stuff about Ubuntu and Apple and maybe even Windows 7. All 7 and we'll watch them fall. Can't say as that ever made sense to me. At any rate this is a test.