Cloud from gOS: the whole OS in your browser?

From the same company that makes gOS, Cloud 1.0 is a soon to be released online Operating System that will run in your browser. According to the website:

Cloud is a web browser plus operating system, enabling the browser to perform everything that the desktop is able to perform. Since Cloud just boots into a web browser, it's perfect for Netbooks, Mobile Internet Devices, and PCs for pure Internet use.

Pretty cool, isn't it? If you want to check this out, you'll have to wait until it's ready, or try a similar OS like eyeOS, that has been around for some years now.

Learn more about Cloud here.

Carbonite: affordable unlimited online backup

Prices for online storage are dropping significantly. One good example is Carbonite: a service offered by USD $54.95 per year that allows you to have your entire computer backed up automaticaly, running on the background. Available for Mac and PC, Carbonite also offers "Remote File Access", through which you can recover your file from any computer that has an Internet connection.

Try Carbonite (15 days free trial available) here.

Ubuntu Remix: the popular plug-and-play linux distribution ported to netbooks

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Although the first netbooks all ran Linux (including the original ASUS EeePC 701), recent data from the NPD group indicates that 90% of units sold on the previous months in the US were loaded with Window XP. Despite the trend, the Linux comunity seems to be prety active in inovating by developing user-friendly, light and fast-booting Operating Systems for the netbook market, and Ubuntu Remix from Canonical seems to be a great choice. Acording to their website, these are the main benefits for users:

  • New Interface- built for accessing your favourite on and off-line applications rapidly and optimised for the restricted screen size this is radically different
  • No viruses- Ubuntu is a smooth, safe computing and browsing experience
  • Optimised for netbook components- built from the ground up to take advantage of speed and power capabilities of the chip set
  • Large developer community- gain the benefits of innovation from some of the world’s leading free and open source developers

Some devices are sold with it installed, but if you bought your XP unit and want to replace the 6 years-old OS that came pre-installed, Ubuntu will probably provide you a great experience. You can learn more about Ubuntu Remix here or check this in depth review from Ars Technica.

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Archos 7: browse the Web just as you would on your PC. Really?

There is a lot of buzz in the market around how the iPhone has changed the game by offering a true internet experience through a mobile device. However, there are other players in the market that are trying to offer a similar (or even better) alternative to the iPhone. Archos 7 is one of them.

I haven't used the device yet, but 2 differentials from the iPhone (or iPod Touch) caught my attention: it offers a 7 inches screen (compared to the iPhone's 4.5) and it has Adobe Flash 9 video support.

This is an exerpt from the description at Amazon:

With an 800-pixels-wide resolution and a 7-inch screen, you can browse the Web just as you would on your PC--no need to zoom in and out, the web pages are fully displayed on the Archos screen. Plus, with Adobe Flash 9 video support, you can natively browse video-sharing websites, such as Dailymotion and YouTube. The Archos IMTs boast enough processing power to surf the Web on the go, giving you the same browsing experience as your laptop. No more endless waiting for the page to load; just grab your Archos 7 and check the latest news right away. Your PC wouldn't have even finished booting up by the time you've put the Archos back in your bag. Once connected to a Wi-Fi or 3.5G network, the included email software lets you to stay in touch no matter where you are. Check your email (compatible with POP/IMAP) whenever you want, view or send attachments (only compatible formats), and store them.

With decent 160Gb or 320Gb storage options, Archos 7 is currently available at Amazon for USD $399,00 USD $525.25 respectively. Average customer reviews at Amazon is currently at 3.5 stars, with negative comments around customer service, device freezing and pricing. There are, of course, many positive reviews as well.
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The question that comes to mind is: with USD $399 you can buy a very decent netbook (like this one), and the iPod Touch goes for USD $219. Anyone seeing the real value for this guy?

Issuu: Powerful and Beautiful free online PDF reader

Issuu provides a very robust platform for you to upload and read your documents in a very stylish and practical online reader. The ability to flip pages like an online magazine turns the experience into a pleasant read.

You can also have access to the files uploaded by others, categorized by topic, so it is also a great library to find interesting documents, like the one I embedded below:

 

 Try Issuu here.

Open Cloud Manifesto: what is it all about?

Reuven Cohen, Canadian entrepreneur and CCIF (Cloud Computing Interoperability Forum) instigator, has posted a Google Groups thread talking about a document called Open Cloud Manifesto, that will be published on Monday, March 30th 09, "with a goal of being ratified by the greater cloud community."

Supposedly, there are many large companies to support the initiative but, at the moment this post was writen, the site where this list should be (www.opencloudmanifesto.org) was still under construction.

Here is the document: Open Cloud Manifesto

 

Zoho Sheet: the most complete online Spreadsheet available

Zoho offers an extensive portfolio of online applications, including a very complete Excel-like spreadsheet program. It's called Zoho Sheet.

Zoho Sheet is not alone in its market, and competes with products like Google Docs and Thinkfree. However, having used these products extensively (and I can say they are great), I was very impressed with Zoho's interface, ease of use and functionalities. A few years ago it was hard to believe that one day an online app would offer a similar experience to Excel. However, with the recent introduction of Macros and Pivot Tables, this possibility is becoming more and more a reality with Zoho Sheets.

Zoho can import many types of files (including .xls and .ods) and offers real time collaboration, as its competitors. But they offer some other goodies as well, such as different color themes and templates. It also offers good exporting options, such as the ability to embed your spreadsheet in your website, as you can see below.

Another great benefit from using Zoho is its integration with the recently launched unlimited storage solution Livedrive. You can simply upload all your .xls files to Livedrive and edit them online, without the need of downloading or having Excel installed.

Access Zoho Sheet here.