kopfkribbeln sidenotes

Google just released a new beta version of its Chrome browser for Windows PCs. The company claims that it is 30 percent faster than the current stable version of the browser (based on V8 and SunSpider benchmarks).

What may be more significant, though, is that this is the first version of Chrome that adds some support for HTML5, including video-tagging capabilities. The latest Firefox 3.5 beta also adopts HTML5, which allows for all sorts of cool things inside Web video like links and other interactive elements. It lets you treat video more like a Webpage. Along with Google’s acquisition of On2 today for its video codec, it looks like Google is getting behind open video in a big way. (Read this post from last year for more on the evolution of HTML).

The new Google Chrome beta is also prettier. Those themes we’ve been telling you about are now fully incorporated. And the new beta also improves the New Tab and Omnibox features.

When you create a new tab, Chrome shows you thumbnails of the sites you visits the most often (just like in Safari). These act as automatic bookmarks. Now, you can rearrange the thumbnails in any order you like by dragging and dropping them, or you can pin one down so that it doesn’t move even if you don’t visist it as much as other sites.

The Omnibox is Chrome’s all-in-one address and search bar. As you type words in, it gives you drop-down suggestions, which now have icons distinguishing between search results, bookmarks, and Websites.

Crunch Network: MobileCrunch Mobile Gadgets and Applications, Delivered Daily.

20:29 Uhr

Glide Engage: It’s Twitter, But With 1,400 Characters

Glide OS 3.0, by TransMedia, is a popular mobile and web operating system that comes complete with applications and automatic file and application compatibility across devices.

Their newest app, Glide Engage, is a mobile and web microblogging and collaboration tool that launches today and supports 1,400 character posts (not 140), file and media sharing, and distribution options to simultaneously post on Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter.

With Glide Engage, users can can consume media, bookmark links, send files, share photos and videos, and post updates of up to 1,400 characters in length. Shared files are synchronized in typical Glide style, and users can share, view, and edit pretty much any file or media type.

glide engage

It’s not exactly a Twitter competitor, but it does support a follower model — engaged are people who follow you, engaging are people you follow — with a stream of activity, so users can follow each other to keep up with the shared updates of other users. There’s also a way to send private messages, using the Glide Engage Inbox, but with the larger character allowance, it’s more akin to your Facebook or email inbox then your Twitter DM Inbox.

Glide Engage also supports public or private discussion groups that come complete with a contact manager, group inbox/outbox, and file management. There’s also the added ability to tap into other Glide applications like email, groups, meeting, and presenter, to create professional workspaces, or real-time collaboration hubs for online meetings.

Glide Engage does have a few obstacles working against it though. It’s certainly not a mainstream product for a mainstream user that isn’t already a Glide user. The interface, design, and robust nature of the application make it difficult to engage with if you’re unfamiliar with the product. But, as is, it does bring a remarkable amount of desktop and social media functionality to your mobile device, further merging the gap between mobile and desktop web experiences.

Tags: collaboration, file sharing, Glide, microblogging, mobile application