Dell experiments with Chrome OS on its Netbook

Dell has released an experimental version of Google's Chrome OS adapted for its own Mini 10v Netbook.

Earlier this month, Google released the source code underlying the Chrome OS browser-based operating system; the first version of the software won't be complete until 2010, when it will become available only when purchased on a computer. But because it is open-source software, others can sample it today if they're willing to build it themselves.

That's what Doug Anson, a technology strategist for Dell, did.

"I've been doing some tinkering over the last few days working to get our Dell Mini 10v up and running with ChromiumOS. As of late yesterday, I can report success," Anson said on the Direct2Dell community blog.
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Windows Starter Kit refreshed for 2010

Whether you're doing a clean install of Windows 7, getting a new computer, or receiving a full-priced present, you owe it to yourself to check out this revamped collection of the most essential freeware tools for Windows. The programs in the Windows Starter Kit 2010 will work on Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7. These basics will get you up and running without even glancing askance at your wallet. If you're specifically looking for security tools, we've rounded up the best freeware security options in the Security Starter Kit.

There was much less movement in the Windows Starter Kit this year than in the Security Starter Kit, but there were still some changes that are worth calling out. Among the three recommended browsers, we moved Chrome ahead of Opera, although Firefox still retains top-dog status. Likewise, Mozilla's Thunderbird remains the best free desktop email client. Had the Thunderbird-based Postbox remained free as it was in beta, we would've added it to the list.
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Adobe releases Flash Player 10.1 and AIR betas

Adobe Labs on Monday released test versions of two closely related foundations for Net-based applications, Flash Player 10.1 and AIR (Adobe Integrated Runtime) 2.

Flash is widely used to bring streaming video, interactive graphics, and games to browsers; AIR, with Flash built in, is a foundation for other desktop applications. Both are instrumental to Adobe's effort to stay ahead of the gradually broadening feature set of HTML and related Web standards.

Notable Flash Player 10.1 is support for not just Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux computers, but also a variety of smartphones, though that support isn't yet built in. What is available is hardware-based decoding of the popular H.264 video format, which Adobe said improves performance and saves battery life. It also supports HTTP streaming linked with Adobe's content protection technology.
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How I would have designed Windows 7

I remember the first time I ran into Windows in 1995. It was in one of the few small computer shops in Hanoi, Vietnam, where you had to pay money to use the machines. Being a high school student with absolutely no money, I made friends with the owner and helped him clean up the place just so I could use the computers after-hours. And I spent many hours using them.
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Feel sick? Cough into your phone

According to a study, your mobile phone may contain more bacteria than a toilet bowl. After all, when was the last time you washed your handset and scrubbed it clean? However, soon there may be a reason to intentionally cough into your phone, especially if you are sick.

Research company STAR Analytical Services won a US$100,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to develop an acoustic vocalization analysis software which is capable of analyzing a cough and determining the possible medical causes. This is achieved by using a pre-recorded database of thousands of coughing sounds to find a possible match for the ailment.
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