There may not be a native solution, but Google Music All Access is available in Ubuntu 13.04 today as a web app.

Turn On Notifications

To fully enjoy the Google music experience, notifications should be present. I am only going to turn on notifications within Chrome but you may explore a more intimate integration at this webupd8 blog post.

The first step is to load Google Music using the Chrome browser. I am using the beta version 27.0.1453.81. Press the setting button located in the upper right quadrant of the browser window and select Music Labs.

Find Desktop Notifications from the list and click enable.

Add Google Music as a Web App

Although you may run this directly from the Chrome browser, the secret to an enhanced user experience is adding Google Music as a Ubuntu web app. For the details on how to accomplish this see; Ubuntu – A Replacement for Chrome OS.

Enroll In Google Music All Access

You can stream music in your library to any device or computer via a browser on which you’re signed in. You can also download music in your library to any authorized device or computer. You can authorize up to a total of ten (10) devices or computers at any one time. At this time, only two Google accounts per computer can be used to add music with the Google Play Music Manager.

Click the Try It Free for 30 Days button to begin your registration. For your awareness a list of Authorized devices will be displayed for your consideration and you will be prompted to enter credit card payment info.

Start Playing Music

Ubuntu Integration

Enjoy : )

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In the broadest sense Chrome OS is a consumer of Google Services. But it is not alone in this role. This topic has been broadly discussed in the context of Google services for Apple’s iOS and others. I am thinking of Google Maps and Google Now.

I’ve been on the fence relative to Chrome OS; I’m waiting for it to mature to the level where it offers something I can not get elsewhere. In many ways Chrome OS will not be wildly successful until it does.

In addition to being a supporter of Chrome OS and I am also an avid supporter of Ubuntu. I recently discovered if you add the Chrome Browser (Version 27.0.1453.81 beta) to Ubuntu 13.04 something magical happens. View the image at the top of this post as evidence.

I have Ubuntu running with all of my Google Chrome apps docked to the Unity launcher.

If this excites you then the next question becomes how hard is it to make the transformation? The answer is easy.

Install Chrome Beta

I was only able to get this to work using the Chrome beta package from Google. To be clear, Chrome stable from Google or the Ubuntu Software Centre did not work. A little frustrating is the fact the installation of the Google package throws an error.

Rumor has it a fix is coming, but until it arrives install the dependent “libudev0″ file from launchpad.

• For Ubuntu 13.04 32 bit click here
• For Ubuntu 13.04 64 bit click here

Next – download the Chrome installation package from here.

Open and install with the Ubuntu Software Centre by right clicking from Nautilus.

Add Your Apps to Chrome

When Chrome is installed, the next item of business is to add your apps from the Chrome Web Store. If you have sync enabled, login and they will install from the cloud.

Update Ubuntu Unity

The last step is to update Unity with your Google Chrome Apps. Open Chrome and go to the apps page. Right click the desired app and select “create shortcuts”.

Ubuntu will prompt for the location(s) of the shortcut; select applications menu.

Close Chrome and open Unity and select applications. Scroll through the application list until the Chrome app you just installed appears and click to open. When the Chrome apps loads right click the icon on the launcher to lock it into place. Repeat with other apps until you are satisfied with the result.

Wrap Up

The result of all this is Chrome apps are first class citizens on the Ubuntu desktop. In addition, all of your local apps are available. The advantages of this solution are numerous. For one, your’re not locked into Google hardware if you already have your own or prefer something different. You also benefit from the other features of Ubuntu which include messaging and fast execution. The only disadvantage is this is not Chrome OS.

I will admit I love living in the cloud or on the fringes of the cloud as I feel I have access to whatever I need whenever I want it.

The only issue I have is the lack of apps in some cases. For example, I am looking for an adequate replacement for the graphic applications Gimp and Inkscape. They may or may not exist.

Either way the Ubuntu Chrome solution is a good fit.

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Thinking about a touch enabled Chrome OS started my brain to consider where Google may be going with the OS and supporting Chromebook hardware. The rumors of a tablet version of Chrome OS has lead some to believe Chrome OS is being fitted as the successor to Android but I believe it is heading in a completely different direction.

Observations From the Trenches

Where I work laptops are quickly becoming a relic and the new norm is keyboard enabled tablets. I believe Microsoft and other manufacturers observed the same thing which lead to the birth of the laptop convertible, tablet PC, or hybrid laptop.

But adding a keyboard to a tablet presents a few challenges.

Use Cases

Keyboard Attached

The easy part is when the keyboard is attached. Simply put it becomes a laptop and the keyboard is not in the way because it is being used. The engineering challenges become building a keyboard which offers a pleasant typing experience. My experience with the Microsoft Surface RT touch cover is it behaves just the way it looks and the tactual feedback is an adjustment. Some manufactures are offering a raised key cover which is a step in the right direction.

Keyboard Detached

The problem with many tablet keyboards is; what do you do with them when you don’t want or need them? Whether its “blue tooth” or “physically connected” an undocked keyboard quickly becomes excess baggage.

Introducing the Chromebook Yoga Concept

The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga makes so much sense for a Chromebook it hurts. The design concept is fiendishly clever and incredibly functional. Lenovo must agree as they already have three Yoga models; 11, 13, and the just announced 11s.

For Google the implementation is easy as the design is fully cooked waiting for the installation of the OS. In this scenario the value of a touch based Chrome OS becomes blatantly clear.

Opportunities for Improvement

I strongly suggest swapping out the Tegra 3 SoC in the Yoga 11 to a Tegra 4 and use Haswell (Intel) silicon in the 11s and 13 to improve battery life. In all models I would upgrade to a HD quality display.

As Chrome OS code updates already reveal the testing of new ARM and Intel Haswell hardware, I would really like to see a Chromebook Yoga.

Read more about this product here.

• Engadet Yoga 13 Review
• Engadet Yoga 11 Review

The post Chromebook Yoga appeared first on j-Baer.

Another wallpaper to add to your Ubuntu 13.04 gallery from VladStudio.

Download Link

Enjoy :)

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Although many of the next Chromebook details remained cloaked in secrecy, one can easily assume they will be pumping sexy quad core processors ready to impress. Courtesy of a Google + blog post, it now appears Google is evaluating three different ARM prototypes in addition to new Intel units.

Currently Being Tested by Code Name

• Peach Pit (ARM)
• Sonic (ARM)
• Puppy (ARM)
• Haswell (Intel)

I believe all of the above prototypes will share the following characteristics.

1. High Resolution Display
Regardless of the size of the display, the pixel density will qualify has HD. All of the potential next generation SoC’s support “Retina” like display densities and the market will soon demand it.

2. Thrifty and Powerful Quad Core CPU
There is growing market pressure to build powerful yet frugal SoC’s and all of the major players have stepped up with new processor designs to meet the challenge.

My short list includes:

• NVIDIA Tegra 4
• Samsung Exynos Octa 5
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 800
• Intel Haswell, possibly Clover Trail Atom

3. Functional & Stylish
Intel is pushing the Ultra book, Apple the Macbook, and Google the Chromebook Pixel. All of these products set the bar all new entrants to the market will need to observe. Microsoft’s blended design approach with the Surface (leveraging a tablet with optional keyboard) is a not an approach I see future Chromebooks adopting.

4. Improved OS
Not all of the improvements will come from hardware as the Chrome OS team is hard at work adding new features and polishing existing functions with the goal of improving the Chromebook user experience. One exciting new item heading to Chrome OS (Chrome as well) is the very popular Google Now and rich notifications.

If you have an interest in the latest Chrome OS developments follow this Google + site.

5. Affordable
The real lesson learned from the Chromebook Pixel is the market will not invest in a $1400 Chromebook when a Nexus 10 and keyboard can be purchased for less than $600. Intel forecasts $200 to $300 touch enabled “bay trail” laptops this year. I consider these Netbook replacements and believe the top end will settle in around $600.

The Candidates

Google Nexus
Google needs to continue to lead the way with a scaled down Pixel design. Although I would love to see an ARM design it will probably be Intel.

HP
HP hinted some time back it would deliver a NVIDIA Tegra 4 device.

Samsung
It would be very easy for Samsung to upgrade its current offering by adding the Exynos Octa 5 SoC and bumping up screen resolution.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 800
Tim McDonough, Vice President of Marketing at Qualcomm, states the Snapdragon 800 is targeted to smartphones, tablets, and computers. This SoC would be a great choice for a Chromebook from Asus, Acer or Lenovo.

The post The Future of the Next Chromebook appeared first on j-Baer.

Not to say there are not benefits as there are, but Android is doing too well for this type of change. I believe the changes to Chrome OS will be more subtle.

The use case for this will be driven by Google Now; the information you want when you need it.

Imagine opening your Chromebook to the screen above. The left panel is titled “My Library” and contains recent content and is totally integrated with Google Drive and the web. If I was recently working on a word processing document the chances are good I may want open it again. If I was just reading an article from Discovery magazine the chances are good I may want to continue. You get the idea; a smart widget with predictive behavior.

On the right side of the screen are notifications. This includes weather, calendar, social, system, “Google Now” and email. This functionality is already under development. To keep all of this sane, it will be configurable.

In the final analysis is this Android on Chrome OS?

Not really; but it is what I hope to see at Google-IO 13!

The post Android on Chrome OS appeared first on j-Baer.

It all about setting expectations. The Chromebook Pixel proudly states cloud computing is here, is ready for prime time, and is deserving of a premium device.

But the Pixel has an architectural flaw most folks recognize.

• Do you need an Intel® Core™ i5 Dual Core Processor in order to leverage the web?
• Do you need an Intel® HD Graphics 4000 GPU to render a 2560 x 1700 screen?
• Do you need to spend $1,300 for a Pixel like user experience?

The answer to all of these questions is – NO! The nVidia Tegra 4 is a smart Chromebook choice and here is why. Of the currently available SoC’s it delivers on key requirements.

Screen Resolution

The big selling point of the Pixel is the screen.

• 12.85″ display with a 3:2 aspect ratio
• 2560 x 1700, at 239 PPI
• 400 nit screen
• 178° extra-wide viewing angle

Tegra 4 is capable of outputting 1080p @ 120Hz, full hardware encode/decode for video up to 2560×1440 (1440p), and a maximum output resolution of 3820×2160 (4K). This GPU prowess is evidenced by the Vizio announcement a forth coming Tegra 4 tablet which will feature the same fantastic 2560 x 1600 resolution found on the Nexus 10.

In summary it looks like nVidia has the chops to deliver the same or better display experience as the Pixel.

Computing Horsepower

Does the Tegra 4 have more computing horse power than an Intel Core i5-3427U? Of coarse not, but does it have enough to deliver a high quality user experience?

Barron’s reports the following.

At MWC, the company (nVidia) continued its product reve- lation by disclosing new details of the architecture and its capabilities (as well as limitations). Judging from this pre- liminary information, Tegra 4 rates as the highest-perform-ing mobile ARM processor—if power constraints don’t throttle the cores. This performance takes aim at Qual- comm’s newest Snapdragon processors; Nvidia offered a wide range of benchmark results that clearly showed Tegra 4 leading both the APQ8064 and (judging from our estimates) the forthcoming Snapdragon 800 […] We also estimated the performance of the Snap- dragon Series 800, assuming that it will achieve its rated 2.3GHz clock speed and applying a 10% gain to represent the improvements from the Krait 200 CPU to the Krait 400 CPU. This approach is probably optimistic, as most bench- mark scores do not improve linearly with CPU speed, although the Series 800 will also get a boost from faster DRAM. Based on these estimates, even Qualcomm’s best processor, which is due to enter production at about the same time as Tegra 4, won’t surpass Nvidia in these tests.

The Tegra 4 also completes well with current Chromebooks using the Intel Celeron 847 processor. CPU Boss rates the Tegra very favorably over the Intel 847 and the faster 847E.

Pricing

Pricing is difficult to establish as it is often tied to volume but the estimated the price of an Intel 847 is $70, the Intel Core i5-3427U is $120, and the nVidia Tegra 4 is $40. As a SoC, the Tegra 4 is affordable.

Android Support

The wild card to all of this is the rumored pending native support of Android Apps on Chrome OS. Although this is a break in the original vision of Chrome OS, it offers a very practical outcome. A good example is Google Music. There may be times when I want to listen to music when the internet is not available. Although Intel is making progress with Android, the bulk of the software is written for ARM and unless you plan take a Blue Stack approach, one can assume a Chrome OS Android synergy would be more easily achieved on ARM.

Wrap-up

Google would go a long way in advancing Chrome OS, the Chrome Box, and Chromebook by releasing under the it’s own brand, or collaborating with partners to release under their brand, products leveraging this technology.

It is reasonable to assume an elegant solution which supports a Pixel like user experience can be delivered to the consumer in the $500 to $600 (US) price range. I would love to see this happen at Google IO-13 but there is already a-lot on deck with the rumored Nexus 5, Nexus 7.7, Project Glass, and the anticipated Android Key Lime Pie release. Although – Google normally shows Chrome OS some love at Google IO, and now that the Pixel is in the wild; you never know.

The post Why the NVIDIA T4 Chromebook will best Pixel appeared first on j-Baer.

Screen
• 12.85″ display with a 3:2 aspect ratio
• 2560 x 1700 at 239 PPI
• 400 nit screen brightness
• 178° extra-wide viewing angle

Inputs

• Gorilla® Glass multi-touch screen
• Backlit Chrome keyboard
• Clickable, etched-glass touchpad
• Integrated 720p HD camera

Size / weight

• 297.7 x 224.6 x 16.2 mm
• 3.35 lbs / 1.52 kg

Industrial design

• Machined from anodized aluminum
• Active cooling with no visible vents
• ENERGY STAR® certified

CPU

• Intel® Core™ i5 processor (Dual Core 1.8GHz)
• Intel® HD Graphics 4000 (Integrated)

Ports

• 2 x USB 2.0
• mini display port
• SD / MMC card reader

Memory

• 4GB DDR3 RAM

Storage

• One terabyte Google Drive cloud storage for three years
• 32GB solid state drive (64GB on LTE model)

Audio

• Combo headphone/mic jack
• Built-in microphone array
• Integrated DSP for noise cancellation
• Powerful stereo speakers tuned for clarity

Connectivity

• Dual-band WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n 2×2
• Bluetooth® 3.0
• Built-in LTE modem (LTE model)

Battery

• Up to 5 hours of active use (59 Wh battery)

Suggested Retail Price

• $1,299

The quality of the product is outstanding and I should be reaching for my plastic; but I’m not. A ZNet blog post by James Kendrick states it best.

So Google’s wonderful display on the Chromebook Pixel had the desired effect on me. It made me want a great display, so I bought a 13-inch MacBook Pro with a Retina Display. I don’t think it ended quite the way Google hoped it would, though.

Why did Jim abandon the Pixel and spend $200 more for an Apple?

Perceived value.

• Apple Brand
• OS X
• 2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
• 128GB flash storage
• 7 hours of battery operation

In reality the price of the Pixel may very well be a great value for a laptop of this build quality, but the market expected something different. In my opinion priced at $699 or $799 sale price would be viral and the Google Play store would be showing “Sold Out”.

Some things I would change to reach these price points.

1. Replace Intel i5 with a low power ARM SoC (nVidia / Samsung / Qualcomm / LG / Others)
2. As the product does not morph into a tablet, lose the touch screen
3. Replace the anodized aluminum case with a stylish polycarbonate material
4. Up battery operation to 7 hours

If the goal of Pixel was to make a statement the result has to be something different, something better, and something more affordable than a high end Ultra book or Mac book.

Hopefully the next round of Chromebooks will get there.

The post Chromebook Pixel – The Saga Continues appeared first on j-Baer.

Possible 2013 Chromebook suitors include the following.

• Intel (Haswell Architecture)
• nVidia Tegra 4
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 600/800
• Samsung “big.Little” Exynos 5 (8 cores)

There is much speculation all of the above vendors are preparing Chromebooks and speculation (Chrome OS code hints) Google is currently testing a game changing Tegra 4 nVidia Chromebook. Here is a rundown of the SoC specs as they are known today.

• 4-core Cortex-A15 processor running at 1.9 GHz
• Fifth/companion Cortex-A15 core running at 700 or 800 MHz
• Manufactured as a 28nm HPL (28nm low power with high-k + metal gates)
• Supports for LP-DDR3 dual-channel memory
• GeForce GPU with 72 custom cores
• LTE capability with optional Icera i500 chipset
• Support for UHD like 2560×1700 screen resolution

From a user experience perspective one can safely say it is a much improved Tegra 3; 2.6 faster web browsing and six times the GPU horsepower.

Get Your Chromebook Game On

Tegra 4 is a good fit for Chromebook as more than anyone nVidia has the talent and experience to bring advanced game play to the table.

Project Shield

As evidence of this, nVidia’s Project SHIELD is a Tegra 4 Android “Jellybean” device with a multi-touch screen which permits gamers to access and play an extensive catalog of Android games. There are many Project SHIELD optimized games already available through Tegrazone with more under development. nVidia is reaching out to the gaming community and offering to assist developers in optimizing their products for this platform. For the Chromebook ecosystem, the next topic is important.

nVidia GRID

Although not specific to Tegra 4, GRID holds the promise of a fantastic cloud gaming experience which fits hand and glove with Chromebook. Add a UHD like user experience to the excitement of game play and that becomes compelling. In addition, the door remains open for the cloud delivery of game optimizations for Tegra 4 much like Riptide GP was optimized for Tegra 3.

Last and certainly not least is the development occurring in the Ouya gaming community which is targeted to Tegra.

Wrap Up

In all likely hood the new Nexus Chromebook(s) will be announced during Google IO which is scheduled for May 15-17. Tegra 4 availability is targeted for Q2 so with any luck we should see products by early to mid summer.

Stay tuned.

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As great as the Ubuntu Phone sounds, I have to consider how this is going to be successful in today’s mobile market.

Perspective

The good news is smart phone usage is up in many regions. Almost half (49.7%) of U.S. mobile subscribers now own smartphones. According to Nielsen this marks an increase of 38% over last year as in February of 2011 only 36% of mobile subscribers owned smartphones. This growth is driven by increasing smartphone adoption, as more than two-thirds of those who acquired a new mobile device in the last three months chose a smartphone over a feature phone. As illustrated below, Android continues to dominate as the favorite smartphone OS.

On the down side, while smartphones have gone mainstream in the US adoption among emerging countries is still developing. According to new research from Nielsen, China is the only country among the high-growth BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) markets where smartphones are predominant (as of the first half of 2012). In contrast, feature phones which are not suitable for Ubuntu are still dominant in India, Russia and there’s no clear favorite type of mobile device in Brazil with mobile ownership split between feature phones and smartphones.

Other entrants to the 2013 party

When the Ubuntu Phone becomes available it will not be the only new Linux entrant to the party.

Tizen

Tizen is an open source software platform targeted to devices such as smartphones, tablets, netbooks, in-vehicle infotainment devices, and smart TVs. The Tizen project resides within the Linux Foundation and is based on HTML5. Tizen has confirmed hardware support from Samsung.

SailFish

Sailfish is a Linux-based operating system for smartphones and other mobile devices.It traces its history to the highly praised MeeGo OS by Nokia. SailFish has confirmed support from the Chinese retailer D.Phone and Finland’s third-largest mobile carrier ST-Ericsson.

Firefox OS

Firefox OS is a mobile operating system developed by the Mozilla’s Boot to Gecko (B2G) project. It uses a Linux kernel and boots into a Gecko-based runtime engine which lets users run applications developed in HTML, JavaScript, and other open web APIs. Mozilla has confirmed hardware support from ZTE who has announced plans to offer a Firefox OS phone in 2013 with details to be unveiled at Mobile World Congress.

The Importance of Apps

There are now more than 675,000 apps available from Google Play, a figure worth noting as it means Android is within striking distance of overtaking iOS as the mobile operating system with the most apps.

For reference, Apple announced there are 700,000 apps in the iTunes App Store during the iPhone 5 launch event on September 12th.

10 Most Popular iOS Apps for 2012

• Google Drive – cloud
• Google Chrome – browser
• Clear – To-do list
• iPhoto – organize and manage your photo
• Google Maps
• Fantastical – calendar
• YouTube
• Checkmark – reminder
• Spotify for iPad
• Tweetbot for iPad

* Source: Slash Gear

10 Most Popular Android Apps for 2012

• Google Now
• Google Drive
• Flipboard
• Catch Notes
• SwiftKey 3
• Xbox Smartglass
• WhatsApp Messenger
• TripIt Travel Organizer
• Smart Tools
• SlingPlayer

* Source: InformationWeek Mobility

Typical Smartphone Activities

All of these choices begs the question, what are folks doing with their smartphones? Here’s the lowdown.

* Source: Compiled by AnsonAlex.com

Putting the above into perspective, other than great hardware what characteristics does the Ubuntu Phone need to exhibit to be successful at launch?

Great at its intended purpose

Although the statistics illuminate other things folks do with their smartphone the primary reason for purchasing a phone is to place and receive calls. Above all else the Ubuntu Phone must manage incoming and outgoing calls superbly. I assume this is still under development as call management was not showcased in any of the demonstrations I am aware of.

Reflecting on my own habits, here’s a distilled list of call management functions I would like to see.

• log all accepted, missed, and rejected incoming and outgoing calls
• link calls to my contacts if the contact is found
• permit acceptance or rejection of incoming calls
• manage audio such voice volume and ring tones
• provide and manage call notifications

Contact management is an area where Ubuntu Phone can shine. Realizing Ubuntu One supports contacts I prefer to use Google as I am a Gmail user. Offering users the choice of where contacts are kept would be a plus.

In addition to a fantastic call experience the Ubuntu Phone must be able to speak all of the other communication dialects. As a communication device this includes WI-FI, BlueTooth, NFC, and USB.

Notifications, Alerts, and Replies

Notifications and alerts can come from a variety of sources; incoming calls, new emails, weather alerts, low power notifications, text messages, social networking pings or messages. I believe this is an area where the Ubuntu Phone will excel.

The Critical Mass of Apps

There is simply no way Ubuntu will build in the foreseeable future the kind of app stores enjoyed by Google and Apple. Is a 600K or 700K app store required for success? No, but there is a critical mass which must be achieved for lift off. I am going to break these down into two categories; core and enhancement.

Core Apps

By definition a core app is an app that is so closely associated with the OS it defines the OS. The orchestrated execution of core apps characterizes the user experience and as such these apps should either be developed by Canonical or under close Canonical supervision.

Contact Management

Notification and Message Management

Camera and Photo Album Management

Internet Browsing

Music Player

Video Player

Settings

Enhancement Apps

By definition enhancement apps improve the user experience by adding extra features and functionality. Pulling from the Google and Apple app store top 10, I would add the following.

Weather and weather alerts

Google Maps

Google Drive

Other Really Nice Apps

A short list of Apps I consider optional but really nice include the following.

Google Now

Flip Board

Select Games

Wrap Up

The lesson here is the market waits for no one and Android and iOS users will not change to a user experience less than what they currently have. The concept of using your phone as a computer is certainly compelling but isn’t this functionality available today with Android and the Galaxy Nexus HDMI Portrait Desktop Doc? Granted this does not offer the type of central management a Ubuntu device will provide and this may be a compelling reason for organizations to consider this solution instead of BlackBerry.

No matter the angle you view this, the Ubuntu Phone will be Canonical’s greatest challenge. Sculpting the right mix of out of the box apps rooted in a solid Ubuntu foundation delivered at the right moment could result in an overnight success story we haven’t seen in this market for some time.

I am very excited about the possibilities.

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