The Google Switch: an iPhone killer? - Engadget

Not news, but interesting, everything online, mobile:
The Google Switch: an iPhone killer? - Engadget

Adobe to take Photoshop online | CNET News.com

Even Photoshop is soon available online!
Adobe to take Photoshop online | CNET News.com

Adobe Peels Covers Off Apollo

Another step towards OS-independant apps:
Adobe Peels Covers Off Apollo

AppleInsider | Video unearths hidden iPhone features

AppleInsider | Video unearths hidden iPhone features

synk.org - Synk & Organize, everything online.

So the pieces are coming together: in the future the device will be less important. The network is key, the portable device the premier entry. So synk.mobi could be the perfect guide to this new, online, personalised "OS" (things like mobile gmail). All the best services will have to create mobile versions to survive. A single login to these would be perfect for the modern nomad. Synk.mobi aims to be that login...

synk.org - Synk & Organize, everything online.

GoogleOS II: Starring Linus Torvalds

Great reading on what a Google OS could be; maybe a mini-bios portable linux distro with the sole purpose of firing up Firefox and getting an internet connection.
GoogleOS II: Starring Linus Torvalds

No Google OS

Here's some good commentary against a Google OS. And really, people are confusing what an OS is. Any device needs an OS, a browser needs an OS to communicate with the screen, the keys, the mouse etc. When I say "browser-based OS" I really mean an "OS-like" experience within a browser, running on any OS you like. Synk.org is more like a portable computer, device-independant. It's more of a "network OS", but that's also a contradiction of terms of course. "Personal OS" is another wrong saying. Personal space, or app collection is more accurate. "The network is the computer" is even better.
ITPRO

Symbian OS - the mobile operating system

However, synk.org will focus on synk.mobi - making the "OS" (which is the personalised network) accessable on your mobile devices, anywhere. Or on any device, anywhere, that supports a regular standards-compliant browser...
Symbian OS - the mobile operating system

Google Operating System

More on a possible OS from Google, a speculating blog:
Google Operating System

GoogleOS II: Starring Linus Torvalds

It's kinda funny when people talk about an upcoming Google OS, web-based, as something Google will launch in the future. Guys, just check gmail, on the top there are links to calendar, docs and more. Google has already started creating a web-based OS. It's pretty obvious. Question is when they will start calling it an OS, and how or if it will connect to other great services out there...
GoogleOS II: Starring Linus Torvalds

YouOS - guest405282's Desktop

Well, check YouOS, very nice idea, but still very messy, and all homegrown lesser apps than the best ones found online. Why not just utilise what's already great online?
YouOS - guest405282's Desktop

Welcome to YouOS.

But hey, YouOS seems just like the idea I've been tinkering with, complete with the open-source movement behind it to make apps work and all. I'll check it and get back to you...
Welcome to YouOS.

yourminis.com - web minis anywhere

A second look makes youminis look very much like the "browser os" I've imagined. Hmm, wonder if it's any good. Seems a bit messy to use, flash based only, which is good looking but a little confusing. Hmmm, I'm gonna have to try this out for a while.
yourminis.com - web minis anywhere

VentureBeat � Browser OS coming, Technorati woes, Brobeck’s dot-bomb record & more

These guys seem to think that a "Browser OS" is personalised start pages... Hmmm, interesting twist. Can you do everything with these pages? They mention Netvibes, Pageflakes, Yourminis and Goowy as examples. After a quick look Goowy looks like a collection of homemade services, like filesharing or chatting. Pageflakes looks like a wysiwyg homepage, Netvibes too. None seems to function like I want a Browser OS to; collecting and providing easy and aggregated access to the best apps online, with 1 easy login.

VentureBeat � Browser OS coming, Technorati woes, Brobeck’s dot-bomb record & more

VentureBeat � Browser OS coming, Technorati woes, Brobeck’s dot-bomb record & more

VentureBeat � Browser OS coming, Technorati woes, Brobeck’s dot-bomb record & more

Box.net - Free Online File Storage, Internet File Sharing, RSS Sharing, Access Documents & Files Anywhere, Backup Data, Share Files

I'm on route to eliminating my local storage. I've started by organising all my personal stuff in 1 folder, creating aliases to these folders on the other places in the OS where I'd like the stuff to be (like on the desktop). Next step would I guess be to sign up with one of the online storage providers, and start syncing that important folder.

I'm also starting to take notes to understand when I use locally based apps, and the 1 big advantage I've seen so far is (naturally) speed. Using a local app to edit a web page (html) or an image is still much faster than loading up a web-based app, especially if it's not an ajax/web2.0-app, using multiple pages for each process. It remains to be seen, but I personally believe that the network will be fast enough in a few years time to compete with local apps. So using ajax-like techniques the user should not really notice if he's online or not.

Box.net - Free Online File Storage, Internet File Sharing, RSS Sharing, Access Documents & Files Anywhere, Backup Data, Share Files

Opera web browser: Homepage

Why not create a joint venture with a browser maker, like Opera for the phone with built in synk.org.... so the phone-compatible services are available right there in the browser?

Opera web browser: Homepage

Online Storage Network Drive - IDrive

Here's another contender for the online storage prize. This is really early in the game...

Online Storage Network Drive - IDrive

Box.net - Free Online File Storage, Internet File Sharing, RSS Sharing, Access Documents & Files Anywhere, Backup Data, Share Files

Which is the best online drive? Box.net? Carbonite? Xdrive? OmniDrive? Synk.org needs to know...

Box.net - Free Online File Storage, Internet File Sharing, RSS Sharing, Access Documents & Files Anywhere, Backup Data, Share Files

Speednotes

Problem found: taking notes online not speedy enough, how to remedy? A local app that instantly syncs online when finished writing?

Starting "the browser as the os" revolution...

The idea with this blog is to explore how one would go about switching from a local computer-based OS to a network-based OS. I'm going to try to move everything I've got in my regular work/private laptop to net resources, like images to flickr, notes to gubb.net and word processing to google docs.

Some of my stuff is already online, like mail (gmail), calendar (google calendar) and my office's project management and to-dos (projectpath). But there is still tons of stuff and apps on my harddrive. If I succeed in moving everything online I should no longer be dependant on any one computer. I should be able to use any connected device, any desktop, a friend's laptop or even a mobile phone to access all my media, digital assets and work files, right?

I still think there is use for a local harddrive, for spooling stuff (saving temporarily, or importing media like video and images). But in general almost everything digital should be possible to store and edit online.

The one big question mark is; how do I access and edit stuff when I'm not online? Well, there is a few categories where you'd like to able to have media offline, but there should be solutions, and I intend to find them. iScrybe promises to be an online workspace with offline sync. My music is portable on the iPod (but where can I store all my music online, accessible from all computers?) And where do i keep my video files?

In the top frame here (nanok.com) I'll link to my most used and most appreciated services, and I hope when I'm finished that collection will cater to most needs when using a computer, and that I've found ways to sync my digital life.

An interesting thought that springs to mind when one thinks of an OS with all the neccessary apps and functions available online through a browser; will the world still need the big brand computer makers? Will it need microsoft?