On Tuesday Google introduced Google Chrome Frame that is an open source plug-in that bring HTML5, and other open web technologies to Internet Explorer.

With Google Chrome Frame, developers can now take advantage of the latest open web technologies, even in Internet Explorer. From a faster Javascript engine, to support for current web technologies like HTML5’s offline capabilities and <canvas>, to modern CSS/Layout handling, Google Chrome Frame enables these features within IE with no additional coding or testing for different browser versions.

To start using Google Chrome Frame, all developers need to do is to add a single tag:

<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="chrome=1">

When Google Chrome Frame detects this tag it switches automatically to using Google Chrome’s speedy WebKit-based rendering engine. It’s that easy. For users, installing Google Chrome Frame will allow them to seamlessly enjoy modern web apps at blazing speeds, through the familiar interface of the version of IE that they are currently using.

For Wordpress users there is a plug-in that helps with Google Chrome Frame integration, which really isn’t necessary since it’s easy to simply add the tag above.

Herein lies the problem. Web site visitors are redirected from the web site homepage to a plug-in download page. Most people won’t have a clue what Google Chrome Frame is, so they’ll be unlikely to download and install something they know nothing about.

Even though the Google Chrome web browser is faster than Internet Explorer, most people continue to use the slower Internet Explorer because they are familiar with it. For most people easier is better.

If Google really wants to get people to adopt new technologies to improve the Internet, they’ll need to convince companies like Microsoft to move ahead at the speed of technology. Since Microsoft is so reluctant to do anything "open source" Google is having a tough time, so they are appealing to developers (documentation here), and Internet surfers to pressure Microsoft, or work around Microsoft by trying to get a grass roots ground swell of support from developers and Internet surfers.

Microsoft is also introducing their own header tags for developers to add to their websites to be able to continue to have Internet Explorer 8 render their web sites in Internet Explorer 7 mode.

We want to see push technology that makes web site development easier for developers, so their web sites will render properly in any web browser using web hooks in their web site.

It seems unlikely that a web site owner will risk alienating their readers by redirecting them to a plug-in install page that they must install to view the web site. While we think Google Chrome Frame is a great idea, how it is integrated into an Internet surfer’s life will decide if this project succeeds or fails.

The Hobart I-Cool concept chair seeks to remedy the world’s obesity problem. The concept seeks to make you lose weight without you moving.

The chair provides your body with a "harsh temperature" environment that forces your body to work overtime to maintain homeostasis, thus shedding the pounds away.

Either way, I really doubt the effectiveness of this product. If you want to lose weight, why not quit the junk, eat healthfully and get your butt in the gym?

A company in the UK has set up an online shop to deliver us from a war with robots. The company is called the WAR Defence Company ("Weapons Against Robots") and their initiative is "protecting us from the threats of a Robotic future."

Ben Way, the company’s founder, is a real-life version of Terminator’s John Conner, only he’s trying to cash in on the deal. WAR Defence claims to be developing not just weapons against robots but also detection and monitoring of robotic entities and ’robo-viruses’. Can we say hoax alert?

In a $6.7 million deal with software company Kitware, a DARPA project will develop a method of "indexing and rapidly finding video from archived surveillance tapes."

According to a DARPA document:

"The U.S. military and intelligence communities have an ever increasing need to monitor live video feeds and search large volumes of archived video data for activities of interest due to the rapid growth in development and fielding of motion video systems."

This is like "Enemy of the State" meets "You Tube" in an effort to combat terrorism.

The above photo may be the work of a PS junkie or it may just be the real thing. In any case, the rumor mill is abuzz surrounding Macworld. This time around it’s all coming back to the purported multi-touch trackpad that was reported on some random websites in the summer. I guess that the iPhone technology is going to change the Mac laptop forever – that’s the rumor anyway. There’s also some talk going around about an external optical drive that will accompany the new sub-notebook.

personally, i can’t wait.