o9Media

As it seems, Google has been engulfing the tech community with all sorts of new releases and products to have you connected to Google: Google Desktop, Google Earth, Google Maps, Google Talk, Google Mail, iGoogle, YouTube, Blogger, Android, the list goes on. Today, Google announced their newest edition to the family, Google Chrome, an open-source web browser project. It was revealed today on Blogoscoped along with a 38 page scan of a “comic book” detailing Chrome in all of its “metallicy” goodness. As a conveyor of the news it is my duty and obligation to read all 38 pages and report back on the finer of points. However, if readers will take a moment to acknowledge who I am and the laziness I display, you all know that isn’t going to happen. Though, as mentioned above Blogoscoped gives a brief, information laden recap of the comic if you were as inclined as I was to read it.

Due to my lack of enthusiasm I don’t want to discourage readers into thinking this will be a bum release. From what I have read, I can assure you this will be big, very big. Despite all the hype, there is no word yet on when we will get to use Google Chrome.

The internet is an odd place. Fads come just as the wind blows. Every so often you’ll strike a fad that catches your interest, but is left unexplained. If you’ve been caught in the recent barrage of Anime-esque avatars on your friendly Twitter account or in the forums on your favorite site - You may find yourself as perplexed and as intrigued as.

This newly created craze comes from FaceYourManga. Of course as I usually do, I decided to blend in with the crowd and made one myself. I even ended up making several for friends who were less inclined to do so themselves. It is very similar to making a Mii on the Wii but with different options and more attention to detail. A fellow Twitter-goer related my avatar (pictured above) to the infamous Numa Numa guy. Which if you were never fourteen years old was a popular fad itself at one point.

I’ve been sitting here, as I usually do, trying to figure out the best way to not write an article. I’m pretty good at it if you haven’t noticed, but a promise is a promise. So, I immediately went to work on Google searching for that new, exciting plug. Yet, I always found myself not doing my work. I decided to analyze what my brain found so fascinating every time my mind would deviate from the task at hand. And every time I would catch myself using one of the various social networking tools of the web.

I have more social networking tools than I’d like to admit. Running through the list sounds like I may be over-exaggerating; Facebook, Twitter, Brightkite, and Socialthing. The reality is that I update each daily and go into withdrawal when I don’t. Which to me seems a bit overboard. But the alarming reality is that there are people who frequent these websites more than I do and on a larger scale. Some probably won’t get the connections, which is okay seeing as how two I currently belong to are in beta. That said, I would be more than happy elaborating.

Ever since the release of Photoshop 1.0 for the Mac in 1990, people have shelled out hundreds to Adobe for its high quality photo editing software.  That is, until now.  As of March 26, 2008, Adobe released the public beta of Photoshop Express:  A free, Flash-based tool for uploading and editing photos. I joined the beta to bring you the good, the bad, and the buggy. You can find it here. Each account clocks in at about two gigabytes of storage, with many extra features. Photoshop Express is solid as a photo host.  When you sign up, you are given a gallery, which anyone can view. Mine can be found here.

The editing was just as I expected: lacking. For your average computer user, there are plenty of options.  However, for serious users, this cannot replace Creative Suite 3, or any previous versions. I’m not surprised, I didn’t think Photoshop would be free, but it felt strange not being able to draw on my picture and unable to insert a text box.  Although this was a bit of a letdown, you should still remember you aren’t paying for it.            


Bottom line, if you bought (or stole) Photoshop, you probably won’t be needing Px any time soon. Though, if you don’t have any decent image editing software, you might as well give Photoshop Express a try, it’s free, and it has all the tools Mom and Pop will ever need. It’s still the beta, and a lot can change.  Adobe has said that they would like to add subscriptions for extra storage and features.

Who knows what we will see?

Now look, I know that real time strategies are not for everyone. I also know that turn-based strategy games appeal to even less people. In all honesty, I’ve never been a huge fan of them, myself. But just recently, I discovered a little gem called Weewar: a simple military style Turn-based strategy that is so beautifully simple, its hard not to like.

Once you make your account, its go time. You are given a headquarters to keep track of all your games, a community page, which consists of a list of everyone looking for a game. Rather than there being open servers, players can make their own game and invite people off of the list. There is also a box for chatting with other players on the community page, in order to make it even easier to find games.