Google Web Store

The Google Chrome Web Store is Google's web-answer to the iPhone app store and the many other app stores that emerged. Web applications are nothing more than normal 'websites' with javascript functionality. Gmail is a web application, Facebook is a web application. The added value of the Web Store is that you can easily discover, rate and review web applications. For developers, the web store offers a framework to monetize your apps: you can launch a free trial, use in-app payments, use google's infrastructure to charge for your app, .... The goal is to get as many applications in the web store use advanced HTML5 functionality like offline support and advanced graphics. When this is realized, there will be no functional difference between web and desktop applications.

This video is from the event when the Google Chrome Web store was announced.

Micropayments and Internet utilities

In an interview with a Belgian newspaper, one of the founders of the World Wide Web makes the following statements:

• He is opposed to monopolies like Google and Facebook because it is against the philosophy of the open and collaborative web.
• He argues for the idea of micro payments for search results and other web services (like consuming media) as an alternative to advertisement based services (like Google does with its search)

I like the idea of micro payments. I would have no problem with paying for search results, listening to music, watching video's, ... as long as the unit price is low enough (less than one euro cent for a clicked search result).

In an ideal world, a world-wide government would control 'utility' services on the Internet like search, much like national governments operate the electricity,rail and other infrastructure. Micro payments for search results would go directly to the authors of web pages in such a model. Unfortunately, this is utopia.



Dutch version of interview
Google Translate version of interview

Chrome OS

Last week, Google launched a beta program for the first real cloud computer: the CR-48. The CR-48 is the first computer running Chrome OS, google's cloud operating system. The concept is simple: A minimal operating system that only starts a browser (Google Chrome) with some added functionality like configuration of network settings. Will these type of devices accelerate the shift from desktop apps to web applications? I don't know, but I do see some compelling advantages when people use a Chrome OS device compared to a traditional PC/Mac:

• It has a non-existent learning curve. If you can work with a browser, you can work with a Chrome OS device
• The device requires no maintenance. No security updates, no application installs, no operating system patches, media codecs, ...
• It is fast. Really fast. Booting is under ten seconds. Resume from sleep modus is instantly.
• It is interchangeable. All your data lives in the cloud. You have everything available whether you are in your browser on your 'classic' Desktop OS or on your Chrome OS device.
• It is cross-platform. You are not locked in to one 'app framework' like iPhone apps or Android apps. Every website is a potential application for Chrome OS.

The first real notebooks running Chrome OS are expected in mid 2011. I hope someone will also commercialize a nettop/desktop device running Chrome OS. I know at least two computers in my home that could be immediately replaced by a Chrome OS device.

Video that demonstrates some of Chrome OS's capabilities.

Greplin - the search bar for your life

Greplin indexes all your web applications (facebook, linkedin, google calendar, gmail, ...) and provides a quick as-you-type search box for them. Still in beta, but looks promising.


Greplin Demo from greplin on Vimeo.