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Why do we really need another operating system?

I realize Google would like to continue annoying their competition – but why would we need to contend with yet another version of Linux?

Google just announced that they’re busy working on an operating system that will compete with Microsoft’s Windows and Apple’s Mac OS. Actually, what Google is calling their Chrome OS will be similar to the Mac OS in the sense that both add their own features and “look” to open source, Unix/Linux underpinnings.

Google Chrome (the OS) will include Google’s online office suite and a bunch of their other applications including Google Chrome (the Web browser). The Windows version of Google’s Chrome browser has just come out of Beta – and they announced they’re busy working on Mac and Linux versions as well.

Google says we’ll see some netbooks running the Chrome OS by the second half of next year. They are reportedly working with a number of technology giants including Hewlett-Packard, Texas Instruments, Acer and Qualcomm on a number of new devices.

But, the question remains – why do we really need Google’s Chrome operating system? Aside from Windows (Windows 7 is due mid-October) Mac OS (Snow Leopard coming soon) and a number of terrific versions of Linux (I love Ubuntu) Google has another OS to compete with.

Google’s Android OS, currently relegated to smartphones, is also being touted for netbook use. Just last month, at Taiwan’s annual computer fest, there was a netbook running an early version of an Android-based OS that received a lot of press.

So, why would Google need two systems aside from keeping up with Microsoft (Windows/Windows Mobile) and Apple (Mac OS/iPhone)? I’m not sure either.

The bottom line: they probably only need one good OS. Computer operating systems are not as important these days as smartphone operating systems. That’s not to say that Microsoft and Apple don’t make money on their PC/computer software – it’s just that smartphones and mobile devices are the future of personal computing and that’s where the next big competition will take place.

The ChromeWindows/Mac/Linux OS competition will be interesting to watch but expect the fight for smartphopne OS supremacy to be the really meaningful slugfest.

Yoiu can see what TheStreet.com’s Scott Moritz and I have to say about the Chrome OS in the video below:

A long time ago, when someone quoted the famous advertising line “a silly millimeter longer” they were talking about a brand of cigarettes which were supposedly better because they were very slightly longer than the competition.

Some 50 years later it seems that line can also be used to describe an amazing robot breakthrough – devices small enough to crawl through and repair your veins.

According to an article published by British Website The Enquirer, scientists from Technion University in Israel have created a tiny robot said to be able to crawl through your veins to diagnose and potentially treat diseases such as artery blockage and cancer.

The secret here is the robot’s super compact size. Since this little bugger is only one millimeter in diameter, and has no mechinical engine or onboard controls, overall dimensions are kept to a bare minimum. The scientists created a device controlled only by a magnetic field placed outside the patient’s body.

According to the report, because of their size these robots shouldn’t interfere with blood flow and will be able to “crawl its way through the typical human body’s veins and arteries using miniscule outstretched arms which grip the vessel walls.”

Scary, huh? But this still seems a lot less intrusive than angioplasty and other current treatments. Medical device breakthroughs like this open the possibility of minimally invasive medical diagnosis and treatments.

Researchers are reportedly also toying with the idea of attaching teeny, tiny cameras as well as other tools it may need to perform internal surgery.

One disturbing thought: The article doesn’t mention exactly what happens to the little robots once doctors are done with them.

President Obama’s new U.S. Technology Guru, CIO Vivek Kundra, has just unveiled the new Federal IT dashboard.

The Website, which was built in record time, aims to give all Web users access to the government’s Internet technology spending data.

It’s part of an effort to make all of our government’s actions more transparent.

Feel better now? I know I do.

Recently, I appeared on TechVi.com and discussed the issue with host Randall Bennett and PC Magazine’s Kyle Monson.

Lance and Pavel Padrnos

The professional road racing cyclist champ is trying for his eighth Tour de France championship. He previously won seven of these races in a row – from 1999 through 2005. That was after beating testicular cancer (diagnosed in 1996) which reportedly had spread to his lungs, abdomen and brain.

He had retired after his last TdF win but announced last September that he wanted to return to pro cycling with the express goal of winning this year’s Tour. Given his determination and success at handling everything he’s been through I wouldn’t count him out.

I’m telling you this because Lance is 100% in touch with his online fans. He’s writing and Tweeting about his experience throughout the race. He’s providing some interesting insight to what’s it’s like to compete in this grueling test of mind over body/equipment/will.

You can check out LanceArmstrong.com, his Tour de France racing blog at Livestrong.com where you can also sign-up for e-mail updates and you can follow Lance on Twitter: @lancearmstrong.

Actually, with all the Web stuff he’s doing I’m amazed he has any time to ride in the race.

Bonne chance!

Happy Eat Beans Day! And don’t forget July is National Baked Beans month.

Fast on the heels of this week’s Chia Obama announcement (see story below) comes word from Great Britain of another new invention which just might take the gourmet world by storm.

Yes friends, it seems that hard working inventors have come up with a low-power, desktop microwave oven (with rechargeable batteries) that you plug into your computer’s USB port. It’s made especially for heating little packets (called “Snap Pots”) of Heinz baked beans.

Isn’t modern technology amazing? Good for the heart too!

Leave it to the Brits to spend lots of time, effort and money coming up with a device called the “Beanzawave” made for warming-up individual servings of beans right where you work!

It is being touted as the world’s smallest microwave and as such I can see a slew of other uses for this clever, portable marvel.

But the idea of having an identifiable, aqua/turquoise blue machine (the exact, same color as British Heinz beans can labels) sitting on your desk at the office is just screamingly funny.

Supposedly, the Beanzaway has been officially announced in the UK and could be released soon. If successful, we might see a US version in the near future.

I hope they get the ad agency that produces those funny Beano ads to work their magic with this product too.

Tried to watch the latest Johnny Depp movie, “Public Enemies”, last night. Whether or not I liked the film is of little consequence compared to what I thought about the actions of the people sitting next to me in the theater.

They were a father-daughter team. Dad was middle-aged. The daughter in her mid-to-late teens. Both seemed polite at the outset: the young woman asked if I minded that she placed her giant vat of soda in the arm rest we shared. I didn’t. The lights dimmed. The movie started.

So did her texting. Every 2-3 minutes the red light on her BlackBerry Flip phone would begin to blink and she would instinctively open the phone and spend the next 5 minutes typing out messages. In addition to the rapid clicking sounds she was producing the bright light from the handset’s displays (there are two on the Flip) rapidly became very annoying – to say the least.

30 minutes or so into the movie I politely asked if she could check her messages a little less frequently. She snapped closed her phone. Her father ordered her to put the phone away. A few seconds later she got up and stormed out.

I was almost sorry I upset her — until dad took out his larger BlackBerry (it looked like a Storm from two seats away) and began checking/reading his messages!… less than 30 seconds after he yelled at his daughter for doing the exact same thing.

Who knows? Maybe they were texting each other.

The daughter sat back down 20 minutes later. She was able to control herself and not open her phone again for the duration of the (very, very long) movie. Dad, on the other hand, continued to check his messages every 20 minutes for the next 100+ minutes.

I understand that e-mail and IMs are an integral part of modern day communications. But just like you wouldn’t/shouldn’t talk on your cell phone during a movie — you shouldn’t open brightly-lit cell phone screens in darkened movie theaters. It’s just, plain rude.

A few years ago there was a movement by movie and music theater owners to install indoor cell phone blocking devices to keep rude phone users from annoying other patrons. That idea was rejected because it would have also blocked emergency phone calls.

You complain when a movie’s sound disappeared – or if the overhead lights suddenly come on (like during last night’s feature). As paying movie-goers we all need to ask theater management to do something about this. We shouldn’t let others ruin our movie experience.

There seems to be a “red”-hot problem being reported by some users of Apple’s new iPhone 3G-S smartphones. There have been a growing number of complaints about new, third-generation handsets getting very warm to the touch.

Some 3G-S owners say their “white”, 32GB phones get so hot in use that the back plastic cover is discoloring – taking on a somewhat red/pink/brown hue. Black handsets also get hot but reportedly not hot enough to change color. A number of Websites have even posted an alleged screen shot warning of an overheated iPhone.

Some blogs are speculating that the problem lies in the non-user removeable battery pack. Others speculate that the problem lies within Apple’s latest 3.0 operating system software – some stating that last-generation 3G iPhones and iPod touches could experience the same overheating problems after the new firmware upgrade.)

As is their usual policy, so far, Apple has said nohing about the growing concerns of buyers/users. Because iPhone batteries are not user-replaceable fixing this problem could mean having to replace entire handsets. That might turn out to be a very embarrassing and expensive proposition for Apple.

This morning, macworld.co.uk reported that Apple is busy preparing an operating systems update.

They say that the iPhone SDK (Software Developers’ Kit) 3.1 beta was released to developers overnight with a few new features (improved Voice Control, improved video editing, convert alphanumeric numbers), refinements and one would hope a solution to the hot battery issue.

It might be something that Steve Jobs will address next month. According to Apple Investor News a healthy Mr. Jobs may be planning some sort of media event in the next few weeks to assure everyone that he’s in good health, back in charge and possibly that this new iPhone battery problem is nothing to worry about.