Experimental "Google Now" Available in Chrome

Google is moving ahead with the integration of Now into Chrome. In a sense, it's been working on this for months, it's part of the effort to integrate the Google homepage deeply into Chrome, making it a part of the new tab page.

Those efforts now include Google Now. In the latest Chromium builds, you can enable the Google Now integration in the chrome://flags section, though the feature doesn't actually work since it relies on server-side support, which hasn't been enabled yet.

In the latest Chromium builds, though it will land in the next dev channel update to Chrome 27, there is a "Google Now" experiment listed in the flags page.

The feature only works on Windows and Chrome OS. Enabling it won't actually do anything unless you know the Google Now URL, which Google is keeping to itself for the moment, as François Beaufort noted.

When fully functioning, users will receive notifications via Google Now the same way they do on Android phones.

Presumably, calendar events, flights, weather, anything that would be useful in a certain context will show up in the notifications.

To prepare for Google Now, the Chrome notifications platform has been fully revamped, the new rich notifications API is available to all developers, but Google clearly had Now in mind when it designed it.

Google is also working on adding the Google homepage, technically the logo, doodles and the search box to the Chrome new tab page.

This deep integration will mean that the Google search box replaces the Omnibox, or the other way around, that the Omnibox becomes a part of Google Search.

In any case, it's clear that search, particularly this "next generation" search will become an integral part of Chrome and that the browser will become more of an extension of Google's online services that it already is.

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Apple Loses iPhone Rights in Mexico [WSJ]

The Mexican Supreme Court has ruled that a small IT company in Mexico City named iFone is now the rightful owner of the iPhone trademark in the country.

As the story goes, Apple in 2009 attempted to have the dubbing legally secured in Mexico, but the Mexican Industrial Property Institute told the Cupertino, California-based computer giant that this seat was already taken.

iFone had actually managed to register the name in 2003, four years before Steve Jobs pulled out the original iPhone model on stage at the Macworld Expo.

iFone's attorney, Eduardo Gallastegui, said the company suddenly found itself having to defend the brand.

After the Mexican Supreme Court’s ruling, iFone is now permuted to claim rights to at least 40% of Apple’s iPhone sales in Mexico, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The news arrives on the heels of a similar court ruling in Brazil, where a smartphone vendor named Gradiente is now selling Android-powered devices dubbed iPhone.

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The Windows Blue Saga: Updated Metro Apps, a New Chance for Windows 8 and More

While Microsoft doesn’t provide any official confirmation on Windows Blue, more and more sources familiar with the matter are talking about the first major Windows 8 upgrade that’s reportedly scheduled to go on sale in August.

A new job advertisement published by the Redmond-based technology giant this week revealed that Windows Blue will come with updated Metro apps, as Microsoft is now looking for engineers that could help port some of the existing Windows 8 tools to the upcoming OS upgrade.

According to the information published on the Microsoft Careers website, Fresh Paint is one of the first apps to get Windows Blue support, even though it’s not yet clear whether the company is also planning to introduce new features or not.

In addition, we’ve finally got the confirmation that Windows Blue will spawn a Windows Phone upgrade, as Microsoft is seeking an engineer to work on the so-called “Windows Mobile 8,” most like Windows Phone Blue.

“In the short term, we are developing the next version of the Fresh Paint app for Windows Blue and taking it to Windows Mobile 8,” reads the job ad.

Windows Blue is also very likely to help Windows 8 recover, as early uptake is pointing to a disappointing sales performance of Microsoft’s latest operating system.

Rick Sherlund, a Nomura Equity Research analyst, said in a statement that Windows Blue might represent Windows 8’s next chance to succeed, as it’s very likely to bring a wide array of improvements.

“More apps are to be introduced for the Windows 8 store, enterprises will have had more time to pilot and adopt the technology, more exciting form factors will finally have been delivered, and Windows ‘Blue’ should have been delivered to address form factors below 10 inches such as the popular 7 inch form factor,” he said.

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The Multi-Color iPhone 5S – Here’s What It Will Look Like

There’s a rumor floating around that the next batch of iPhones from Apple will arrive in a flurry of colors. And the company has just hired a person who is fitted for the job.

Analysts Peter Misek of Jeffries and Brian White of Capital Markets issued a couple of investor notes recently, saying that their industry checks seem to point to a multi-color iPhone in the not-too-distant future.

Apple is believed to be working on a new “S” iteration of the iPhone 5 for this year, and possibly even a second iPhone that’s either cheaper, or has a bigger display. Or both.

Either way, the iPhone 5S is expected to launch with multiple color options for customers later this year.

A couple of reports surfaced this week stating that Apple had opened a job for an Engineer with expertise in anodizing processes. The company is known to be using anodizing to give its iDevices some pop.

That position has already been snagged up by someone as it can no longer be found listed on the company’s website. You don’t have to be a genius to figure out where all this is going.

In all fairness, the new recruit is most likely already working to give Apple’s next iPhones some much needed color.

Pictured above is the work of Anostyle, a company which offers a custom color service that allows you to change the color of your iPhone 5 or iPad mini.

AnoStyle uses the same anodization process to change the color of your current iPhone or iPad to a color of your choice.

And that’s pretty much what the next generation of iPhones and iPads will look like. Only this time, you won’t have to send your device to a third-party to have it done.

This year, you’ll most likely be able to pick one up readily colored straight from Apple’s shelves.

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