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Chrome for Mac Update Includes Extensions, Bookmark Sync

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Apple, Google, Web Browsers

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Apple, Chrome, Google

Google on Thursday unveiled a new beta release of Chrome for Mac, an update that includes extensions, bookmark sync, and more. Users will now have access to the more than 2,200 extensions in Chrome's extensions gallery. They can also be accessed via the Window menu and clicking "Extensions."

"For this release, we remained focused on providing a snappy, safe, and simple browsing experience on the Mac," Mark Mentovai, a software engineer for Google Chrome, wrote in a blog post.

Meanwhile, the update will also let users synchronize their bookmarks between computers.

"If some of your computers aren't Macs, don't worry: bookmark sync works in Chrome for Linux and Windows too," Mentovai wrote. "We also added bookmark and cookie managers in a way that feels completely at home on the Mac. For technically-oriented users, our new Task Manager will help you keep tabs on all of your tabs."

Existing users should get the update automatically. For Mac users who do not have Chrome, it is available for download on the Chrome site.

Google released the first version of Chrome for Mac in December, the same day it unveiled extensions for Windows and Linux.

Opera Mini for iPhone to Debut at Mobile World Congress

There's bound to be plenty of excitement later this week at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. So as not to be lost in the shuffle of eager story filings, Opera Software today announced its plans for the show--namely, the debut of Opera Mini for the iPhone.

"We are thrilled to offer journalists and partners an exclusive preview of Opera Mini for iPhone during the year's biggest mobile event," the company's co-founder, Jon von Tetzchner, stated in a press release issued today. "This is a unique opportunity to introduce the fast, feature-rich Opera Mini experience for the iPhone, and to showcase our latest beta releases of Opera Mobile and Opera Mini on other platforms and devices. Opera's mission is to bring the Web to the world, and by making Opera Mini available on yet another platform, we are one step closer."

The application will not be "publicly available" at the event, according to the company. The big question here, of course, is whether it will ever make it past the App Store vetting process. Apple, after all, has been notoriously staunch on its policy against allowing applications it deems repetitious of the phone's existing functionality--i.e. apps like Safari, the phone's default browser.

Apple has lightened its stance a bit in the past year, allowing some third-party browser manufacturers to enter the market. Opera, however, is currently one of the biggest names in mobile browsing--a company that Apple almost certainly sees as a threat in that space.

Opera is also using the event to unveil a number of non-iPhone browsers, including Opera Mobile 10 beta 3 for Windows Mobile and Symbian handsets, Opera Mobile 10 beta for Android, Opera Mini beta 5, and a Widget Manager.

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Owen Van Natta Steps Down as MySpace CEO

Almost 10 months after taking the job, Owen Van Natta is stepping down as CEO of MySpace, the social networking site announced Wednesday night.

Mike Jones and Jason Hirschhorn will replace Van Natta and serve as co-presidents of the site, effective immediately.

"Owen took on an incredible challenge in working to refocus and revitalize MySpace, and the business has shown very positive signs recently as a result of his dedicated work," Jon Miller, News Corporation's chairman and CEO of Digital Media, said in a statement. "However, in talking to Owen about his priorities both personally and professionally going forward, we both agreed that it was best for him to step down at this time. I want to thank Owen for all of his efforts."

"MySpace is an incredibly unique place and we've made real gains in terms of product focus and user experience," Van Natta said. "I'm proud of the work we've all accomplished together and look forward to watching its continued growth."

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Hands On: Facebook's Revamped Homepage

As we reported earlier, Facebook today rolled out a revamped homepage, providing new icons for notifications and extending the left-hand bar. The update is still rolling out to the majority of Facebook members, but a PCMag staffer who got the latest upgrade took a few screen shots of the new features for us.

Screen shots and more details after the jump.

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Facebook Intros New Homepage Design

Facebook today is celebrating its birthday the way most six-year-olds do--with a facelift, marking the first major homepage update since last October. In a blog post today, Facebook called the new design "simplified."

The page's top menu has been updated to include notifications, friend requests, and messages. Messages and "other core features" can be accessed through the left menu. New Photos, Friends, and Events dashboards have been added to the front page, as well. The Facebook chat feature is now more prominent in the left menu.

Facebook is currently in the process of rolling out the features, so they're not yet visible to all users.

Twitter Intros "Hovercards"

"Hovercards" aren't quite as exciting as they sound, but they're a cool new feature, nonetheless. Twitter is introducing the feature this week, which lets you get more information about a user simply by hovering over their name in your Twitter timelines.

Doing so will pop up an informational card about the user, including their location and the follower toolbar, which lets you follow, block, report, direct message, or reply to the user, all without leaving your homepage.

Twitter is still in the process of rolling out the feature to all users.

Handmark Unveils TweetCaster for Android

Handmark has unveiled TweetCaster for Android, a new Android Twitter app that offers a rather luxurious set of features. Among them are support for multiple Twitter accounts, integrated retweets and Twitter lists, and offline tweet caching.

In addition, TweetCaster includes push notifications for tweets, mentions, and direct messages, plus (this one is awesome) URL shortening with previews--a great feature for a mobile Twitter app.

TweetCaster also offers photo attachments, threaded direct messages, and the ability to customize fonts and themes. It's available immediately for all Android-based smartphones in two versions: a "free" ad-supported one that mandates an annoying tweet about the app to all your friends (just like last year's BlackBerry version), and a $4.99 TweetCaster Pro version that drops the ads and tweet requirement.

Is Twitter Already "A Victim of Its Own Success"?

With every Internet fad's rise to fame, there must be a slow decline into mediocrity. Xanga, Friendster, and MySpace have all enjoyed a quick rise in fame and fortune only to be yesterday's news in a few short years.

Twitter's rock-star status may be beginning its decline, since the middle of last year when the number of Twitter users flatlined. A number of Web traffic analysts such as Compete and comScore are asking, "Has Twitter peaked?"

"Maybe Twitter was a victim of its own success," said Andrew Lipsman, an analyst at comScore, a company that tracks Internet traffic, to CNN. "It grew so quickly that it isn't meeting its own expectations."

The microblogging site hit its traffic peak with about 21.2 million visitors in July 2009, and since then has remained close to the 22 million mark.

Others are suggesting that analysts aren't taking into account the people who are using mobile devices and third-party programs to post their 140 character thoughts. But who knows; perhaps this is the beginning of the end for the Twitter-verse. Only time can tell.

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