[...]
Wed Mar 24, 2010 12:35 pm
Make YouTube Light as a Feather: Google Tests Stripped Down Watch Pages
Google is clearly obsessed with the idea of speeding up the Web these days. After launching Google Public DNS earlier today, the company also just announced a new light-weight beta version of YouTube. "Feather" introduces ultra light watch pages that load faster than the standard YouTube pages. According to YouTube engineer Chris Zacharias, new features like 1080p video have slowed down loading times significantly for users who don't have access to high broadband speeds.
Sponsor
This experiment was designed to allow users to access videos as quickly as possible. The new watch pages were engineered to keep latency at a minimum. Feather turns off most of the AJAX features on YouTube. Because of this, you can't comment on videos, see stats, flag a video or share it. On a fast broadband connection, the difference between loading speeds is barely noticeable. Uses with slow Internet connections, however, will surely benefit from joining this experiment.
As far as we can see, the video player itself hasn't changed and to see the Muppets perform Bohemian Rhapsody in 1080p, you will still need a pretty fast connection.
For now, Feather will only work on a select number of YouTube videos, though Google will likely expand this experiment if it turns out to be successful.
/> [...]
Thu Dec 03, 2009 11:20 am
A New, Now Netbook You Can Actually Buy: PsiXpda
The dirt is still fresh on the grave of the CrunchPad; we ought to feel guilty for writing this post.
But our good friends have been working with a few cohorts on a stealth-mode startup for quite some time - working on the problem of the lightweight, portable, web-friendly device. Only their product is smaller in size and larger in spirit than any netbook or notepad yet seen - perhaps there is a balm in Gilead after all.
But you didn't come here for literature; you came to see pics and read specs. So here we go.
Sponsor
The name of the gadget geek's new muse is the PsiXpda (pronounced sigh ex PDA). It measures 174mm by 95mm by 25mm, and it looks like this:
Specifications
The device is a hardware nerd's dream, described as "very techy and hackable" by one of the minds behind the project, Ewan Spence. It's smaller than netbooks, roughly 2/3 in length and 1/2 the width. It weighs 430 grams, around 15 ounces.
In the closed position, the screen is on the outside. There's no accelerometer, but there are key commands for rotating the screen. The keyboard is backlit - perfect for conference whores, said Spence. It has a VGA webcam and 2-4 hours of battery life, depending on CPU usage. It's got a USB port and a VGA port on the optional docking cradle.
It's a full-strength computer with a touchscreen and a QWERTY keyboard. The first units will shit with Windows XP preloaded. Spence expects that hackers will get Android and Chrome OS running on it fairly quickly, as well.
As for the web, the PsiXpda wil/> [...]
Fri Dec 04, 2009 04:15 am
Early bird registration for the ReadWriteWeb Mobile Summit 2010 is almost over. You only have a few more days to get your tickets for just $295. Click here to get your ticket at this special price.
