Carbyn: The HTML 5.0-based multi-platform OS that runs in browser

Carbyn is the product of a Canadian startup company going by the same name, which debuted its new HTML 5.0-based OS at Tech Crunch’s Disrupt event this year.

The platform is designed to run on any modern browser, assuming it has HTML 5.0 support so that’s pretty much everything bar some of the older builds of IE. It works by simply logging onto the Carbyn website and everything’s there, ready and up to date. You can pin apps to the homescreen like many conventional OS’ and as there’s an SDK already available, developers can make apps from the ground up or for the platform or get existing apps working on it within half an hours, say the Carbyn team.

Carbyn in all its HTML 5.0 glory, note the obligatory Angry Birds app

The obvious comparison here is to the Chrome Web Store with its HTML 5.0 focused apps. The store is just a catalog of apps though, whereas Carbyn does not only runs multiple apps in individual browser windows, but it can apparently manage multitasking more efficiently as the apps can talk to each other, apparently something traditional web apps can’t.

The team demoed the new OS running on both the iPad and the Blackberry PlayBook and Android compatibility is also possible, with mobiles phone next on the agenda. Anyway check out the video to see what two of the creators have to say about it.This new platform appears just ahead of the coming soon Project Spartan, Facebook’s all-HTML 5.0 mobile platform aimed primarily at the mobile Safari browser.

Is Carbyn the kind of cross-platform OS that piques your interest, or does it have suffer from the shortcomings as the likes of Chrome OS. Let us know your thoughts down below and click here to go to the Carbyn company site if you want to find out more.

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Google+ enters beta with a bunch of new features, lets you sign up without invitation

Google+ has been around for about 3 months now but in field trial mode, which meant that you needed an invitation to join. But now it’s entered its beta stages and everyone can sing up for the social network project just by going to the web page of the service with no invitations required.

Google+ is still in toddler times and Google shares that there’s still a long way to go and much to accomplish, but the search giant hasn’t been wasting its time – there are now over 100 improvements and features.

Concerning mobile the iOS and Android (especially) mobile Google+ apps already have most of the prominent features of Google+. Hangouts is a video-conferencing feature of Google+ that’s already available on Android (Gingerbread required) and is coming soon to iOS. Mentioning a Google+ member is easy and you can do it in a conversation with another person or a post just by doing a “+[name]” command. iOS users can now also +1 individual comments much like the “Like” function on Facebook – this functions will arrive for Android users soon.

The Google+ app can now also be moved on to the SD storage to spare phone memory for apps and other stuff. There’s also a customizable notifications option to select what you want to be notified about and what not.

On Android the “Huddle” feature has been renamed to “Messenger”, something that should also happen on iOS with the next app update.

Finally, Google+ now has opened its sign up. You no longer need an invitation to join Google+ – you can now just go to its webpage and get going. Signing up also works from the mobile apps.

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