WebGL has arrived in Google Chrome Beta; get your gaming hardware ready!

by Lee Mathews on December 16, 2010 at 11:00 AM

Okay, so we're not quite at the point where you're going to be playing the next Crysis sequel in your browser, but still -- the arrival of WebGL in Chrome's beta channel is kind of a big deal. Apart from being able to play around with cool demos like the ones offered up by Google in its official announcement, WebGL is another important step in bringing more desktop-like functionality to the Web.

In addition to cloud-y 3D support, hardware acceleration support is due to arrive at some point -- presumably before Chrome 9 gets pushed to the stable channel. Whether or not that will happen remains to be seen, but we'll know soon enough thanks to the six-week release cycle.

Check your Chrome wrench icon for the update notification, or hit About Google Chrome to force a check.

Anyone else up for some WebGL Quake action? Tags: 3d, browsers, chrome, games, gaming, google, google chrome, GoogleChrome, graphics, hardware acceleration, HardwareAcceleration, webgl

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Evernote 2.0 for Mac leaves beta, is ready to download

by Vlad Bobleanta on December 16, 2010 at 12:30 PM

After having gone through a beta testing phase for around two weeks, Evernote 2.0 for Mac is now 'final' -- it's ready to be pushed to all users.

All the new features that the beta brought are in, including in-app sharing and notebook stacks, as described by Jay when the beta launched. As a result, you can now share notes without leaving the app, link notebooks, and organize notebooks via stacks of related content, which you can view or collapse as needed. The left panel has also been redesigned, file attachment has gotten easier, and you can now have up to 250 notebooks in your accounts.

Evernote's blog post has comprehensive information about all that's new in 2.0, and there's a new Getting Started guide as well, handy for those just starting using Evernote. All of the new features are on their way to Evernote apps for other platforms, although no specific time frame has been given as to when they'll actually make it.

Evernote 2.0 for Mac is free and you can get it by either checking for updates inside the app (if you already have an older version), or by clicking on this direct download link. Tags: apps, EverNote, Mac, OSX, productivity

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Google declares Chrome ready for enterprise duty

by Lee Mathews on December 16, 2010 at 06:00 AM

IT administrators tend to be a fickle bunch, and with good reason. When you're supporting a vital service that can determine whether or not your entire business can operate properly, you tend to be very cautious when it comes to changing out a key component. A key component like a Web browser, for example -- say, Internet Explorer 6, which is still a force to be reckoned with in the enterprise.

Google has been doing its best to get Chrome in the front door, of course. First there was Chrome Frame, which seamlessly integrates into Internet Explorer to provide a hybridized, modern Frankenbrowser. Next came Chrome's remoting feature -- which is still not ready for prime time but is positioning itself as an alternative to Terminal Services setups.

Two more recent additions -- the arrival of an MSI installer and added support for Windows policies -- have added even more enterprise cred to the browser. Chrome now offers an enticing package to the IT admin. It's secure, it's fast, and -- most importantly -- it's now easy to manage and deploy across an entire Windows network.

Over at the official Chrome Blog, Google took a moment to trumpet these features and they're no doubt hoping administrators take notice. "We're excited by the features built so far, and we're working hard on polishing the next set of policies that will make Google Chrome even more customizable and useful to users in the future," concludes the post. Successful test deployments with Proctor and Gamble, Boise State University, and Vanguard are also mentioned.

2010 has certainly been a phenomenal year for Chrome in the consumer market. Will Google see similar enterprise gains in 2011? We'll revisit this one next December. Tags: browser, business, chrome, coporate, enterprise, google, google chrome, GoogleChrome, share, web browser, WebBrowser

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