Playing local MP3s in Chrome OS

I e-mailed myself an MP3 today, and while I could it play it in GMail, I couldn't do anything with the file once I downloaded it to the Cr-48's hard drive. Then I remembered the experimental Media Player feature. By typing, "about:flags", into the address bar, I was able to list Chrome OS's experimental features. After clicking enable under the Media Player text -- and then restart -- the feature was installed. All I had to do was find my downloaded files again, by pressing Ctrl + O (not zero.)

Note: Closing out the Media Player won't stop the music.  You have to press stop.

On age and privacy in the cloud

I don't have a lot of insightful conversations online. It's rare that people can disagree while anonymous and not show their trollish tendencies. So when I launched head-first into a debate with self declared "oldsters" on the subject of cloud computing and walked away with a new point of view, it surprised me. What we really ended up talking about was personal responsibility.

As a computer tech for a big box store, I have empathy for those who get smacked upside the head with the occasional dose of digital reality. Most people don't have a good backup plan, and don't realize the amount of personal data they already share online. As someone in my late 20s, I often find myself caught between those willing to live publicly on the Internet and those who are maybe too aware of the dangers. But I believe that for the majority of folks, privacy is an illusion.

So as a desensitized netizen, my view on could computing has largely been, "Why not?" With efforts like the Data Liberation Front, wouldn't Google be the lesser of many evils? Maybe. But as I was reminded, that's no reason not to teach others to be responsible with their data. Though cloud computing is an option -- and possibly a necessity for those in developing countries -- we need to make sure that we're not depending on corporate interests to protect us from ourselves. Just as with one's government, loss of control can be a dangerous path to trod.

Gingerbread on Sprint's HTC Hero

Well, like a lot of folks on the East Coast, I'm snowed in. And what better time is there to mod your phone? Owning one of the older Android phones, the HTC Hero (CDMA), I was excited to check out the performance improvements (and Chrome connection options) available in Android 2.3, otherwise known as Gingerbread.  While not perfect -- the GPS and camera still remain unfixed -- the alpha version of the mod has come a long way.  Much better than stock 2.1. Details after the break.

Let there be Ethernet!

Merry almost-Christmas! Those who've recently compiled a fresh version of Chromium OS (remember to sync repo) may have noticed a new connection option in the network manager, Ethernet. While part of me feels like it's always been there -- wait, has it? -- it's largely been rumored that Chrome OS would have no Ethernet option.  After all, the Cr-48 lacks to port entirely. I guess they were wrong.

Now who wants to turn some old desktops into thin-clients?

[I wanted to post a screenshot of the menu here, but Chrome OS's Ctrl+F5 screenshot option doesn't seem to capture the upper-level menus.]

Keeping up-to-date with the Google News extension

News about Chrome OS is exploding so fast that it can be hard to stay current. To keep on top of things, I've started using the official Google News extension. Once installed, users can right-click on the newspaper icon to access a wonderfully customizable options dialog. I set the extension to display 10 stories at a time in a pop-up, and created my own custom section for Chrome OS. Pics after the break.

Disabling Flash ads in Chrome OS

Chrome OS is speedy running on the Cr-48's Atom processor, except when you're bombarded by flash ads. But the popular plugin isn't only hard on your processor, it can take its toll on your battery life too. Good thing Chrome (and Chrome OS) has a way to stop auto-loading of plugins!  Follow the steps below to disable all Flash elements on a page until they're individually clicked on:

1. Open up Settings (the wrench icon)
2. Select Under the hood, then Content Settings
3. Select the Plug-ins tab, then enable Click to play

You can even disable individual plug-ins completely! If only the world used HTML5.

Chrome for a Cause

Just ran across a great article on Chrome Story, Chrome for a Cause - Contribute to Charity For Each Tab You Open. Google has launched an official extension that keeps count of the number of tabs you open throughout the day. Once the day has ended, users may then choose a charity to donate to -- each tab earning a small amount, funded by Google. The project does access each user's web history, but doesn't send any personally identifiable information.