Google has confirmed that a press conference today is about Google Chrome OS – with the code expected to be open sourced.
Google's Chrome OS has attracted massive interest in the tech realm, and it was widely rumoured that this would be the week its source was shown to the world
That is now looking very likely, with Google confirming that a press conference that will be streamed across the web is about Chrome OS.
Update
"Google to offer an update on Google Chrome OS and provide a look at the work that has been done thus far, an overview of the technology, and launch plans for next year," confirmed Google.
"Speakers will include Sundar Pichai, Vice President of Product Management and Matthew Papakipos, Engineering Director for Google Chrome OS."
The webcast can be viewed at http://investor.shareholder.com/googpr/eventdetail.cfm?eventid=75092 at 6pm UK time.
Of course TechRadar will be covering the conference as it happens - so keep checking back for updates in this very page from 6pm-7pm (10:00am – 11:00pm PST)
UPDATES LIVE (refresh page for updates)
18:45: Video time. "What if your browser WAS your operating system?" Lot of mention of games - hmmm. Not so much Google. Not so much.
18:43: Still on course for late 2010 - in time for holiday market. Google wants a full size keyboard on the netbooks for their referenced hardware.
18:42: Wow "As a consumer, you can't go download chrome os. You will have to go and buy a chrome os device"
18:42: Interesting that it will only support solid state drives.
18:41: Back to Sundar. "We really hope community gets excited."
18:40: User data will always be encrypted. The user data is synced back to the cloud. "The local data is just a cache and an accelerator."
18:35: Reimaging should keep everything - if the worse happens. Application security being discussed.
18:32: Chrome OS auto-boots the browser, "so you're up and running." Onto security: "Chrome OS auto updates itself," says Papakipos. Cryptographic signature keys keeps kernel secure.
18:31: Matthew Papakipos is now doing the technology. "We want it to be like a television. Hit the button and it comes on." "We boot quickly because we boot out of RAM," he adds.
18:30: A PDF runs in the browser. "Speed, simplicity and security" is the key phrase today
18:29: Camera support is interesting. You get a content browser and it pulls the picture off. The video plays in the panel of the OS as well.
18:27: Overview for multiple menus. The chess in browser looks good, as does the book text. Excel files open in Office online
18:24. It's very browser like - the app menu looks to work very well.
18:19: "Chrome is Chrome OS" It does look just like Chrome, says Sundar. "The UI will change," he insists
18:18: "We can detect malicious processes much better". A reboot will fix Chrome OS computers - says Google.
18:16:"Every application is a web application. No conventional programs. Its a link it's a url - with that arrives simplicity." But what about the offline moments?
18:15 Sundar: Chrome on Chrome OS will be even faster than Chrome.
18:13 The cloud gets a mention. Every capability you want today is going to be a web app. It's the most powerful platform"
18:12 Exposing local storage top web apps. All about giving web apps the full functionality of desktop apps. Voice and chat built into browser
18:10: Extensions on Chrome browser will be updated automatically. Lot of work been done in this area apparently. HTML 5 is a big part of Chrome OS
18:06: So it's only open sourcing today - as we said. Chrome browser gets some early love. Chrome for Mac will be ready "coming along very well"; Chrome for Linux also on the way and extensions are close.
18:05 We're off. Product is not launching. No Beta today. We will get a demo of work in progress
18:01 And we're... not off because some attendees are unavoidably detained in traffic. Yay!
17:56 And we're nearly off. Our program will start shortly
17:37: The tech world and its cyber-dog are all beginning to tune in to see just what Google's Chrome OS will bring. Predictions from TechRadar are; two versions, one official and one Chromium, not built to run hefty local programs (Photoshop we're looking at you) and, of course, very much focused around the browser.
