2013 Was a Good Year for Chromebooks

New data from NPD suggests that Chromebooks accounted for 21 percent of all commercial notebook sales.

Music-Discovery Service ExFM Pulls the Plug

A startup that had buzz four years ago says that it’s going dark, more or less, next month.

Google Speeds Up Its Online Spreadsheets

The formerly poky Web app is supposed to be much faster and able to handle many more cells and formulas.

Gravity’s Amit Kapur Talks About the State of the “Interest Graph” (Video)

How can you find what you want on the Web?

Best Buy and Amazon Give HP Chromebook 11 the Hook as Chargers Overheat

Sales halted for a faulty component.

News Byte

Next Version of Chrome Browser May Show Which Tabs Are Making Noise

Google today said the new beta version of its Chrome browser includes visual indicators of which tabs are making noise, a long-awaited feature for users who often wonder where the sound of that infernal autoplaying video ad is coming from. But this is just in the Chrome beta — not approved for general release — so the earliest tab muting would make its broad debut is with the next “stable” release in about a month, noted a spokeswoman. Along with audio, Chrome will also show if a tab is accessing the Webcam or connected to Google’s Chromecast for display on a TV.

Voices

A Blueprint for a Massive Mobile Company

The history of the toolbar provides an analog for mobile today.

News Byte

Blogging Startup Medium Opens to All

Medium, the blogging startup created by Twitter co-founder Evan Williams, announced on Friday that it is now open for all to use. Newcomers are required to sign in with a Twitter account, and can only post from Chrome, Firefox and Safari browsers.

Intel Sees Signs of PC Market Bottoming Out, if Not Bouncing Back

No bouncy-bounce yet.

A Valuable Tool for Web Browsing

Curiyo lets online readers learn more about a word or phrase in a story without ever leaving the Web page. It’s a valuable and easy-to-use addition to Web browsing.
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