As a consistent user of Google+ since it's beta release several months ago, I've appreciated all the work that has gone into its development. I think that Google's team have constructed a well-organized and solid product that will only improve over time.
However, I have noticed some things that I think could be improved upon. This post intends to keep all my suggestions organized on one page as a convenient future reference. There will be links to the original Google+ post that addresses the suggestion, and it'll be crossed off should it no longer be an issue at a future date. If you have any comments about these suggestions, please feel free to respond to the Google+ posts directly.
So with that all said and done, here are a few potential improvements that can be made, ordered by my order of personal importance:
Desktop Application: Better Location Entry
2011 Nov 12
One thing I'd like to see in Google+ is a better way of adding location through the desktop app. Currently if I click the 'Add Your Location' icon, it doesn't give me an option to choose my location like mobile app does. It gives 'Street name, City, State' without any alternatives.
This is one of those cases where I think Facebook provides a better application feature, where you can enter a city or store location as well as a precise location. I find the location feature a powerful tool for discovering news and people, but I won't use it often if it gives too precise a location.
Collapsible Toggling of Google+ Entries
2011 Nov 11
Honestly I haven't been very impressed with Google Pages. I think my problem is that they are cluttering up my stream much more, and making posts from individuals much harder to find. They make me wish Google+ posts could be collapsed (like twitter) so I could browse my stream more easily.
Google+ Posts Should have a Separate Pages Section (like Games)
2011 Nov 14
Does anyone know why +Google+ Pages aren't in a separate section like Google Games? It just strikes me as a really odd decision - especially since the constantly updating Google Pages are really cluttering up my stream.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Saturday, July 2, 2011
How to take a picture with a Chromebook
The Chromebook didn't come with any way of accessing the camera directly, except for a few cases such as taking profile pictures and Google Talk videos. I separated this section from my Chromebook summary to provide a quick(er) and easy(ish) way to take pictures off of the Chromebook camera.
- Go to Personal Stuff. This is under Wrench > Settings > Personal Stuff. If you had set a profile picture, you should see it on the right, near the center of your screen.
- If you like your photo you can save it by right-clicking on the image and clicking Save image as... It will try to save your image as your-google-account-name@gmail.com. You can rename it and change the file extension to .jpg.
- Now that you've backed up your profile picture, you can click the Change picture button. The top left camera icon will activate your camera, and from there click the green camera button and take a new picture.
- When you have the picture you want, click OK and you'll have the image as your new profile picture. From there you can save it again using the same process described in step 2.
- After that, you can switch the image back by the Change Photo button again. Instead of clicking the camera icon, click the folder icon next to it, and browse to your profile image.
And that's all there is to it. It's very cumbersome, but hopefully this will change as Chromebooks become more robust and increase in popularity.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Chromebook: Notes and Experiences
This afternoon I came home from work to a relatively new device called a Chromebook. For those of you that don't know what it is, it's kinda like a netbook, but without an operating system you're used to. This device runs on Google's Chrome OS, which pretty much gives you the Chrome browser as an operating system. Kinda neat. Anyways, I figured I'd give some first impressions, since there are plenty to be had about this thing.
Setup
Delivery
This product was delivered courtesy of Amazon, and I received it as a result of attending Google I/O this past month in San Francisco. It arrived in a rather banged up box, and had all the packaging on top with the device up against the cardboard on the bottom of the box.
Packaging
The Chromebook packaging is very square and relatively clean. It was relatively easy to open and well wrapped. Inside was the Chromebook, a power cable and AC adapter, a VGA adapter, and safety instructions. There was plastic around the white top of the Chromebook, as well as around the screen.
Based on the charging rate, I probably got this when it was at about 30-35% power. Initial setup on the user's part is easy: connect to a network, accept agreement, sign in (with a Google account of course), and choose a user picture. There's only a 1MP camera above the screen, but it gets the job done. The final final step, however, is to update the Chromebook, and that takes maybe 5-10 minutes. The updates I got were relatively fast to install version 12.
3G Setup
My first relatively major setback was setting up the 3G access for the Chromebook. The idea is that there's an "Activate Verizon Wireless" option from the list of wireless options in the top right corner. Using this, you should be automatically setup to use Verizon's 3G service with only a few clicks. Not so for me - the screen would attempt to connect and fail miserably. This was especially strange considering that Big Red has blanketed 3G coverage in at least half of my state, so there was no problem with connectivity.
I followed the on-screen instructions, and with a little patience the nice people at Verizon Wireless were able to set up my device's new phone number and I was on my merry way. If you're looking for help with a Chromebook and stumbled upon this page, I recommend CTRL-SHIFT-? to see Chrome OS Help. There was a "Mobile Broadband Help" section that supplied additional information and support.
One thing I've noticed is that the free 100MB go fast. It becomes very clear that you're not downloading light mobile applications, but generally fairly JavaScript heavy applications. When I left Twitter, Google Calendar and GMail up and running for about 15 minutes, it went through a couple MB without me having to do anything. Although this makes sense given the nature of these web applications, it does disappoint me a little that there aren't more visible controls for managing web applications within a limited data plan. And I think it could definitely disappoint less tech savvy users when they lose their 100MB in 2 days and don't understand why.
If the 3G plan looks appealing to you, you may also wish to consider getting a wireless hotspot. I've found that $50 for 5GB isn't such a bad plan, and it also has the advantage of connecting other wireless devices to the internet. The Chromebook doesn't currently have any sort of "act as a wireless hotspot" features that some of the smartphones provide.
Illumination Sensor
One quirky little thing I've noticed over the first few days of using the Chromebook is that the screen's brightness has moments where its brightness varies wildly. Turns out this is because of the Illumination Sensor at the top of the screen. If you're sitting with a somewhat bright light behind you, the sensor notices this pretty quickly and accommodates for it. Although I see its value, it's a very sensitive sensor.
Camera
The camera's 1Mpx and for a camera it does a decent job, however it's really difficult to use it for very much other than taking a profile picture, and gmail chat. If you want to try using it as a camera, here's instructions for the easiest way to take pictures with it so far.
Microphone
Here's a fun one; the microphone doesn't always work properly. I noticed this problem when trying to use the voice icon on Google's search page. Probably even more frustrating than not having my voice heard was that clicking the "Microphone settings" link that was available didn't do anything. So not only did the microphone not work, but I also couldn't do anything about it.
I checked the forums and found this discussion, that said it was a recurring issue, but switching to something like Google Talk usually corrected the issue.
Use
So far I've found this to be an interesting device, in that it's forcing you to do everything on the web. I don't find it to be that much different than a computer for simple tasks like checking websites or writing email or documents. Some parts are a little odd to me - ALT-TAB shifts browsers left to right, so you may not remember your windows existed. The SEARCH button that replaces CAPS LOCK (press both SHIFT buttons to toggle CAPS LOCK) and pops open a new default tab, so you can search via the omnibar (big text box at the top). Audio's pretty standard sounding - it sounds tinny when there's music, if you're particular about that stuff.
A couple problems I have had so far mainly center around the touchpad, because I accidentally put one thumb down on the trackpad while navigating with the other thumb or finger. This leads to the trackpad not always moving, though that's usually my own fault there.
Otherwise, I've been writing this post using the Chromebook, and I haven't had too many problems so far. I found out how to take screenshots (CTRL-[_]]]) and open the file manager (CTRL-M). Other things remain intuitive (like switching windows is ALT-TAB), but I have yet to figure out how to move a tab to another window.
File System
The File System is a bit of a nuisance to work with, as it really isn't a full fledged file system. It has files and folders, sure, but it's relatively flat. One of the greatest frustrations was moving files into a folder, which oddly isn't directly supported. In order to do it you have to open your file system as a website and use "Save As..." to save a copy of the file to the desired directory. Detailed instructions can be found here.
Offline Access
One thing that has been a large concern for users has been how connected the Chromebook is to the internet. Among the top three questions about the Chromebook, "If it's always connected to the web, can I use it when I'm disconnected from the web?" is usually one of them.
So first off, you can still log onto the Chromebook without being connected to the internet. If you have a Google account saved already, you should use that. You can also log on with a guest account, although that doesn't really get you anything, for the reason given below.
Now, Offline Access really shines when you use the Chrome Web Store. The reason for this is that when you install a Chrome extension, extensions can increase their local storage quota with user permission. Normal HTML5 local storage has a typical quota limit of 5MB, which isn't enough to do much offline work within a browser. What this means is that if you install a Chrome extension (for instance, GMail or Angry Birds) you can still have most of the functionality available to you offline as well as online. Supplemental data will be loaded into Chrome's local storage so you can still play it if you power down or log out of your machine.
Although this is a clever solution, the Chromebook's offline status still will burn you. Google search is dead when you're offline. And when your computing environment is a chrome web browser, you search a lot more than you may realize.
Printing and Accessories
The VGA Adapter that comes with the Chromebook is pretty basic, so no surprises with that.
I haven't gotten to test printing yet, but hope to get to it shortly.
Testing Continues...
Currently I am finding this device to be viable for 3 markets: Schools, businesses solidly defined on Google Apps, and infrequent computer users.
As I continue using this, I'll be updating this page to hopefully make it a useful reference for those curious about the Chromebook.
Commands for Chrome OS (Quick Reference)
The full list is available from Google's Chrome Support page.
3G Setup
My first relatively major setback was setting up the 3G access for the Chromebook. The idea is that there's an "Activate Verizon Wireless" option from the list of wireless options in the top right corner. Using this, you should be automatically setup to use Verizon's 3G service with only a few clicks. Not so for me - the screen would attempt to connect and fail miserably. This was especially strange considering that Big Red has blanketed 3G coverage in at least half of my state, so there was no problem with connectivity.
I followed the on-screen instructions, and with a little patience the nice people at Verizon Wireless were able to set up my device's new phone number and I was on my merry way. If you're looking for help with a Chromebook and stumbled upon this page, I recommend CTRL-SHIFT-? to see Chrome OS Help. There was a "Mobile Broadband Help" section that supplied additional information and support.
One thing I've noticed is that the free 100MB go fast. It becomes very clear that you're not downloading light mobile applications, but generally fairly JavaScript heavy applications. When I left Twitter, Google Calendar and GMail up and running for about 15 minutes, it went through a couple MB without me having to do anything. Although this makes sense given the nature of these web applications, it does disappoint me a little that there aren't more visible controls for managing web applications within a limited data plan. And I think it could definitely disappoint less tech savvy users when they lose their 100MB in 2 days and don't understand why.
If the 3G plan looks appealing to you, you may also wish to consider getting a wireless hotspot. I've found that $50 for 5GB isn't such a bad plan, and it also has the advantage of connecting other wireless devices to the internet. The Chromebook doesn't currently have any sort of "act as a wireless hotspot" features that some of the smartphones provide.
Illumination Sensor
One quirky little thing I've noticed over the first few days of using the Chromebook is that the screen's brightness has moments where its brightness varies wildly. Turns out this is because of the Illumination Sensor at the top of the screen. If you're sitting with a somewhat bright light behind you, the sensor notices this pretty quickly and accommodates for it. Although I see its value, it's a very sensitive sensor.
Camera
The camera's 1Mpx and for a camera it does a decent job, however it's really difficult to use it for very much other than taking a profile picture, and gmail chat. If you want to try using it as a camera, here's instructions for the easiest way to take pictures with it so far.
Microphone
Here's a fun one; the microphone doesn't always work properly. I noticed this problem when trying to use the voice icon on Google's search page. Probably even more frustrating than not having my voice heard was that clicking the "Microphone settings" link that was available didn't do anything. So not only did the microphone not work, but I also couldn't do anything about it.
I checked the forums and found this discussion, that said it was a recurring issue, but switching to something like Google Talk usually corrected the issue.
Use
So far I've found this to be an interesting device, in that it's forcing you to do everything on the web. I don't find it to be that much different than a computer for simple tasks like checking websites or writing email or documents. Some parts are a little odd to me - ALT-TAB shifts browsers left to right, so you may not remember your windows existed. The SEARCH button that replaces CAPS LOCK (press both SHIFT buttons to toggle CAPS LOCK) and pops open a new default tab, so you can search via the omnibar (big text box at the top). Audio's pretty standard sounding - it sounds tinny when there's music, if you're particular about that stuff.
A couple problems I have had so far mainly center around the touchpad, because I accidentally put one thumb down on the trackpad while navigating with the other thumb or finger. This leads to the trackpad not always moving, though that's usually my own fault there.
Otherwise, I've been writing this post using the Chromebook, and I haven't had too many problems so far. I found out how to take screenshots (CTRL-[_]]]) and open the file manager (CTRL-M). Other things remain intuitive (like switching windows is ALT-TAB), but I have yet to figure out how to move a tab to another window.
File System
The File System is a bit of a nuisance to work with, as it really isn't a full fledged file system. It has files and folders, sure, but it's relatively flat. One of the greatest frustrations was moving files into a folder, which oddly isn't directly supported. In order to do it you have to open your file system as a website and use "Save As..." to save a copy of the file to the desired directory. Detailed instructions can be found here.
Offline Access
One thing that has been a large concern for users has been how connected the Chromebook is to the internet. Among the top three questions about the Chromebook, "If it's always connected to the web, can I use it when I'm disconnected from the web?" is usually one of them.
So first off, you can still log onto the Chromebook without being connected to the internet. If you have a Google account saved already, you should use that. You can also log on with a guest account, although that doesn't really get you anything, for the reason given below.
Now, Offline Access really shines when you use the Chrome Web Store. The reason for this is that when you install a Chrome extension, extensions can increase their local storage quota with user permission. Normal HTML5 local storage has a typical quota limit of 5MB, which isn't enough to do much offline work within a browser. What this means is that if you install a Chrome extension (for instance, GMail or Angry Birds) you can still have most of the functionality available to you offline as well as online. Supplemental data will be loaded into Chrome's local storage so you can still play it if you power down or log out of your machine.
Although this is a clever solution, the Chromebook's offline status still will burn you. Google search is dead when you're offline. And when your computing environment is a chrome web browser, you search a lot more than you may realize.
Printing and Accessories
The VGA Adapter that comes with the Chromebook is pretty basic, so no surprises with that.
I haven't gotten to test printing yet, but hope to get to it shortly.
Testing Continues...
Currently I am finding this device to be viable for 3 markets: Schools, businesses solidly defined on Google Apps, and infrequent computer users.
As I continue using this, I'll be updating this page to hopefully make it a useful reference for those curious about the Chromebook.
Commands for Chrome OS (Quick Reference)
| Touchpad motions | Description |
|---|---|
| One finger click | Left mouse click |
| One finger move | Move mouse in a direction |
| Two finger click | Right mouse click |
| Two finger move | Scroll in a direction |
| Three finger click | Middle mouse click (convenient to close a tab by clicking on it, or open a new tab clicking on a link) |
| Three finger move | Scroll a little faster in a direction (seems that way at least) |
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl-N | New window (to the right) |
| Ctrl-T | New Tab (to the right) |
| Ctrl-W or Three finger click on tab | Close Current Tab |
| Ctrl-Shift-W | Close Current Window |
| RShift + LShift | Caps Lock |
| Ctrl-M | Open File Manager |
| Ctrl-[_]]] | Take Screenshot |
| Shift-Ctrl-[_]]] | Take Selected Area Screenshot (Area Selection using Mouse) |
| Alt-Backspace | Delete |
| Alt-Up/Alt-Down | Page Up/Page Down |
| Ctrl-Alt-Up/Ctrl-Alt-Down | Top of Page/Bottom of Page |
| Ctrl-Alt-? | Chromebook Keyboard Shortcuts |
| Ctrl-? | Chromebook Help Center Webpage |
| Ctrl-Alt-T | Open New Crosh Terminal Window |
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