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Chrome Supplants Safari in Browser Rankings, Jobs Replies to 'Blood Gadgets'

by Warren Riddle on June 29, 2010 at 11:50 AM

google chrome is number 3 browser

Highlights from this morning's other big tech headlines....
  • Google Chrome forcefully and successfully entered the browser battle in 2008, but its overall market share subsequently took a significant dip as the initial excitement waned. Chrome's popularity has certainly rebounded, though, and it has now surpassed Apple's Safari as the third most popular browser in the U.S. Internet Explorer and Firefox still maintain their stranglehold on the top two spots. [From: Ubergizmo]
  • Playwright Eve Ensler embarked on a "blood gadget" awareness campaign more than a year ago. The Congolese "conflict minerals" debate continues to intensify, and a concerned consumer recently queried Steve Jobs about the company's stance on using such stained resources. The ever-accessible Jobs replied that Apple requires source documentation, but expounded, "Until someone invents a way to chemically trace minerals from the source mine, it's a very difficult problem." Given Apple's history of actively investigating humanitarian labor issues while other companies remain silent, his reply most likely isn't just a hollow response. [From: Wired]
  • Google launched Buzz last February as a means to specifically compete with social networking sites. According to a connected former Facebook executive, Adam D'Angelo, Google has formed new plans, because Buzz alone just "wasn't enough." Another industry insider, Digg founder Kevin Rose, reportedly issued more details in a (now deleted) tweet, which claimed that "a very credible source" had informed him that Google will challenge Facebook and Twitter with a Google Me project "very soon." Given Facebook's 500 million members, it probably won't be soon enough. [From: Engadget]
  • Amazon recently slashed its Kindle prices, but the ongoing iPad and iPhone frenzy has largely overshadowed the enticing cuts. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos recently discussed the move with Fortune, and asserted that Apple didn't force the reduced price, as the iPad resides in a "different product category." Bezos also extensively shared his esoteric predictions concerning the future of physical books, publishers and e-readers, and indicated that Amazon is "on a mission" to allow e-book consumers to "buy once" and "read everywhere" -- on any device. [From: Fortune]
  • The Windows 7 "My Idea" ads continue to be heavily circulated, but Windows 8 rumors are already starting to materialize. Microsoft partners reportedly received slides in April that divulged proposed Windows 8 features, including a "Windows Store" for apps. The slides also apparently reiterated that Microsoft has no immediate plans to officially develop a Courier e-reader. [From: Ars Technica]

Tags: AdamDangelo, amazon, AmazonKindle, apple, BloodGadgets, chrome, ConflictMinerals, EveEnsler, google, GoogleChrome, JeffBezos, KevinRose, kindle, Microsoft, morningxtra, safari, SteveJobs, top, Windows8

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