Software : Exclusive: Google explains why Chrome OS needed windows |
- Exclusive: Google explains why Chrome OS needed windows
- Exclusive: Offline Google Docs arriving 'in coming weeks'
- Best online photo editors
| Exclusive: Google explains why Chrome OS needed windows Posted:  Google has explained the leaps and bounds that Chrome OS has performed in arriving at its latest stage, and given an insight into some of the changes in the latest devices. Chrome OS has had a limited impact in its time, but has certainly come a long way and Google's vice president of engineering Linus Upson told TechRadar, in a briefing with a handful of journalists, that the company has been working frantically to make things better. "It's been about 9 months since we launched first Chromebooks with Acer and Samsung and we've been busily working to make Chrome OS better and better in that time," said Upson. "In fact we've done eight releases of the software to make user experience better and faster for all of the people who have the first gen Chromebooks. "Some of the major accomplishments that we've had in the first year include speed...making the javascript, webkit and the browser as a whole faster. "We've added GPU acceleration so graphics run much faster. When we pushed out an update recently with accelerated graphics a lot of our users started sending email saying their computer had got way faster overnight and that had never happened before!" File typesAs well as making sure that Chrome OS is capable of dealing with any file type thrown the arrival of a more coherent system to sync with cloud storage Google Drive is clearly a major box ticked for Upson. "The exciting thing is we've worked really hard to enable access for more file types," he added. "You have always been able to click on web docs of course and pdfs would open in the web browser...but now you can open all Microsoft Office file formats. It's all built in, you click on a link and use instantly online or offline. "In the release that's coming next we will have integration with Google Drive and that effectively becomes the file system for your Chrome OS. "Across your PCs, phone and ChromeOS you access all your docs in the in the cloud, sync them and work with them offline." Windows homage?The arrival of a desktop, including a taskbar and multiple windows, will be a major talking point of the latest Chrome OS, and Upson talked about the need to change the UI to make multi-tasking easier. "We had feedback that it was hard to multitask and people wanted to run two windows at the same time," he explained. "At the same time we started to look at larger screens for the Chromebox and we wanted a more elegant windowing system so that people could use one window or run full screen if they wanted. Upson: "...mail, documents media, music photos movies, we've nailed all of those offline use cases for people and then the online experience is second to none." "We've revised the core user interface of Chrome OS and people have responded positively to that as we rolled it out. "The package of all these things together has taken us to a point where we are all very excited." One major criticism of Google's Chrome OS has been the lmited functionality offline - but Upson believes that the company has "nailed" that in the improvements. "For all the common use cases of offline: mail, documents media, music photos movies, we've nailed all of those offline use cases for people and then the online experience is second to none." |
| Exclusive: Offline Google Docs arriving 'in coming weeks' Posted:  Google's vice president of engineering, Linus Upson, has told TechRadar that full offline Google Docs functionality will be available in the coming weeks. In a briefing to a handful of UK journalists, including TechRadar, Upson talked about the burgeoning offline capabilities of Chrome OS, and also a massive and critical new arrival in editable offline Google Docs. "In the coming weeks we're going to be launching Google Docs offline," confirmed Upson to TechRadar. "You've been able to view Google Docs offline or a while but now you'll be able to do full editing of docs while you are offline and when you comeback online it will sync up and resolve all the conflicts. Upson: "Now you'll be able to do full editing of docs while you are offline and when you comeback online it will sync up and resolve all the conflicts." "While you're online you have all the great collaboration tools of Google Docs." Gmail winsUpson believes that offline Gmail - now a longstanding part of Chrome OS was a key addition to the functionality of the device. "So offline is very important and another area we have been working on," he added. "We have offline Gmail and mail's one of the biggest things in common use case where people want to work offline." |
| Posted:  Editing your shots is a necessary evil, but you won't always have your computer with you. Worse, it's entirely possible that the computer you have with you won't be fast enough or have sufficient disk space for both a decent library of photos and a photo editor. Luckily, help is at hand, and browser-based image editors can offer a surprisingly well-balanced set of powerful tools, and you won't have to spend a penny. Here's our pick of the best free online photo editors. Photoshop ExpressWe'd expect nothing less from Adobe, but Photoshop.com is a refined, powerful set of tools that serves those with mid-range ambitions perfectly. The actual number of tools is relatively limited - you won't be chucking away your copy of Photoshop Elements. However, all the bases are covered - you can re-compose shots using the Crop & Rotate tool, correct under- and over-exposure, and undertake subtle tasks such as editing in Highlights and dodging and burning your shots. There are a few neat filters included such as the ability to "pop" a single colour in your shots while leaving the rest monochrome. We like: Elegant, easy to use, and advertising-free. We dislike: Selection of tools could be a tad broader. PicMonkey
"Staggeringly great photo editing tools", boasts the front page of this image editor, and for once we're inclined to agree. PicMonkey offers a larger selection of filters than Photoshop Express, and for those who don't want to delve into technical terms, its plain English approach makes it approachable and easy to get to grips with. That's not to say it lacks technical chops - dig in and you'll find highlight and shadow sliders, plus sharpening and saturation sliders, but it's PicMonkey's selection of pre-built filters, frames and overlays that really impresses. If it all rings a faint bell, it's because PicMonkey was started by a group of ex-Picnik engineers, the online image editor, so it's got plenty of heritage. Better yet, it's (currently) entirely free and doesn't ask you to register. We like: Absolutely stacks of features, easy to use yet almost endlessly customisable. We dislike: Slightly twee interface for serious users. Pixlr
Pixlr is less touchy-feely than Photoshop.com and PicMonkey, but it's a great showcase of what's possible in a modern browser. You get a familiar-feeling interface with a toolbar at the top of the screen, and Photoshop-style windows adorning the sides, giving you access to your editing history and, impressively, the ability to create layers, complete with layer masks and adjustable opacity. You also get clever features such as graduated fills, a dedicated red-eye reducer, a clone stamp and a healing brush, which all add up to a full-featured editing package. It's less ideal for those looking for one-click presets to give their photos (for example) Instamatic-type styling. But for control freaks or those who want to learn the ropes of proper image editing without splashing out on standalone software, it's superb. We like: Amazingly full-featured, smooth performance, standard desktop-style interface. We dislike: Daunting for the uninitiated. Phoenix
Like Pixlr, Phoenix takes the Photoshop-in-a-browser approach rather than attempting to make image editing a one-click process. This cuts down the number of users that can simply pitch up and start churning out finished images, but it means those who know what they're doing - or want to figure it out - get more control. You still get layer control, including layer styles, making it possible to create complex images, but compared to Pixlr there are fewer tools. There's no clone or heal tool, for example, and those working with flat, unprocessed images will miss the curves tool as well. The interface on the whole is just slightly less graceful than Pixlr's as well. It's certainly worth investigating both, but Pixlr is our current pick. We like: Lots of flexibility, refined, smart interface. We dislike: Relatively few tools. FotoFlexer
In this round-up of free photo editing services it's no surprise to find that FotoFlexer supports itself through advertising, but the decision to use pop-up advertisements borders on the unforgivable. The ad at the top of the editing screen never quite fades into the background, although switching to fullscreen mode kills it off. Move past that and there's a good editor lurking beneath. It never quite matches PicMonkey or Pixlr in terms of the quality of its output, but there's a strong range of adjustable filters, plus a curves control and even a decent layers tool. Add some neat typography tools and the ability to outfit your shots with animated stickers and the such, and it becomes clear that FotoFlexer has some undeniably neat touches, even if it's not quite as refined as others. We like: Decent set of tools for a good range of abilities. We dislike: Pop-up ads. What is this, 1998? VerdictIt's great to see a return from some of the Picnik team - whose excellent product was cruelly shuttered by Google in April - in the form of PicMonkey. It's the best all-round free online image editor we've seen, but that's not for a lack of ambition or quality from its competitors. For a more technical approach, Pixlr is a very worthy second place, meaning both serially ambitious photographers and casual snappers have powerful tools to tempt them away from standalone software. |
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