Google Chrome 5 Now Available for Download, Linux and Mac Users Welcome

Google Chrome 5 has finally graduated from beta and is now a stable release, Google announced in a blog post on Tuesday. The latest version of Chrome also happens to be the first stable release for Linux and Mac users.

"Today’s stable release also comes with a host of new features," Google said. "You’ll be able to synchronize not only bookmarks across multiple computers, but also browser preferences -- including themes, homepage and startup settings, web content settings, preferred languages, and even page zoom settings. Meanwhile, for avid extensions users, you can enable each extension to work in incognito mode through the extensions manager."

In addition, the Chrome 5 browser incorporates several HTML5 elements, including Geolcation APIs, App Cache, web sockets, and file drag-and-drop, Google said. To try some of these features out, you can navigate to HTML5 specific websites like scribd.com, or head over to your Gmail account and drag and drop attachments.

Not included in Chrome 5 is Adobe Flash integration, though Google says this will change with the full release of Flash Player 10.1.

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Apple Officially Axes "Get a Mac" Campaign

Looking through some of the past reader comments, we're well aware that many of you would rather stick bamboo under your fingernails than read about anything related to Apple, but before you put yourself through all that, give this one a chance. You know those 'Get a Mac' commercials that get your blood boiling? Well, you'll never have to watch a new one again.

As Justin Long said was going to happen, Apple has officially canned the long-running ads featuring him and John Hodgman (as the PC guy) squaring off against one another in what seemed like a new skit every week at one point. Not only that, but it appears Apple even pulled the gallery of QuickTime ads from its website.

In its place (and here's where you'll want to stop reading) is a page explaining "Why You'll Love a Mac." If you're curious but just can't get yourself to click the link, Apple's reasons include "Better Hardware," "Better Software," "Better OS," "Better Support," and "It's Compatible."

Now, where we'd put that bamboo?

Dutch Touchy Remix Presents Snazzy Colored Multitouch Table

PIQOO | www.piqoo.blogspot.com

A company from the Netherlands called Intactlab has created a multitouch table computer that might actually be usable. Whereas most of these contraptions have been shaped like big boxes, this unit Is actually shaped like a table you could pull a chair up to. While the UI looks eminently usable, the name is suspect. Intactlab is calling the product the Touchy Remix.

The fiberglass shell has a 40 inch projection display with a resolution of 1280x800. Multitouch is accomplished via IR sensors in the table. The underlying hardware is actually a Mac Mini. Intactlab has custom software running on OS X doing the multitouch. It appears that regular Mac apps will not be able to fully utilize this feature.

The Intactlab site doesn’t list a price, but instead asks you to submit contact information to receive a quote. That’s not a good sign.

Mozilla to Put Mac OS X 10.4 Support on the Chopping Block

PIQOO | www.piqoo.blogspot.com

Listen up Mac fans - if you wish to continue running Mozilla's Firefox browser, you may want to considering upgrading your OS, at least if you're still rolling along on Mac OS X 10.4. Going forward, Mozilla will no longer support Tiger with upcoming Firefox releases.

"We would like to take advantage of more modern technologies on Mac OS X, and 10.4 support has been a hindrance," Josh Aas, one of Mozilla's Mac experts, said in a mailing list post. "We are planning to make the decision to remove 10.4 support final and remove the code from the tree. If you have any strong objections please let us know now."

Predictably there has been a spattering of objections, such as one user who laments that "I still have two PowerPC machines that use OS X 10.4.11... As it stands now, it is impractical for me to update either machine due to lack of funds." Another user suggested Mozilla create two browsers, "one with all the fancy new stuff, then one for us poor people that can't drop $3,000 at the drop of the hat."

For those that object, we have a much better solution - see here.