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In the past five months, we’ve counted lines of code, given thanks in Lego, and even waxed poetic -- but most importantly, we’ve been working hard on bringing Google Chrome for Mac from its initial beta to the stable channel.

Today, I’m happy to announce that Google Chrome for Mac is being promoted out of beta to our stable channel. We believe that it provides not only the stability, performance and polish that every Mac user expects, but also a seamless native Mac application experience that Mac users will feel instantly at home with.


(First dev, then beta, now stable! Many thanks to Christoph Niemann)

Just like its Windows and Linux siblings, the stable version of Chrome for Mac comes with all the goodness of one of our biggest speed improvements to date. We’ve worked to make Chrome for Mac fast, fully-featured and extensible - with access to more than 4,500 extensions in the gallery. Some of Chrome for Mac’s most-requested features are now available, including full-screen mode (just hit Command + Shift + F!), easy and powerful bookmark management, as well as the ability to synchronize not only bookmarks, but also browser preferences across computers.

For those of you already on the beta channel, you’ll be auto-updated to the stable channel soon - or, if you don’t want to wait, you can download the stable version of Chrome for Mac today. If you later decide that you’d like to return to the beta channel to experience new, experimental features and improvements, you can always find the link back to the beta channel on google.com/chrome.

Posted by Mike Smith, Product Manager, Google Chrome Team

By Greg Robbins, Software Engineer

Google I/O, which starts tomorrow, is our annual conference to help developers learn about the latest ways their applications can work with Google services. If you develop applications or just are enthusiastic about using applications that interact with your Google account, you can learn the highlights of this year’s announcements by watching the live keynote streams. See the Google Code blog for more details.

Sampa is closing its service on August 18, 2009. Like  many startups, we tried to change the world but didn't succeed. We tried to make it easy for people to share personal stories and pictures with friends and family, and although the product worked and we amassed tens of thousands of happy customers we weren't able to pay the bills to keep the service running.

 

We feel bad for all the people we disappointed, from our avid customers to our investors, including our families that have actively used the service themselves and supported us during this journey.

 

If you have a Sampa site, you can export it by signing in and click on the Export Site button. It will include all the important content from your site (blog posts, pictures, family tree, etc.) If you paid for a Premium or Ultimate account and you are eligible for a refund, you'll receive an email shortly.

 

 

FAQ:

 

Can I export all my website content?
Yes, you can export all the pictures, blog posts, milestones, family tree, guestbook entries, comments and user information. Just go to your site, sign in and click on “Export My Site”.

 

Can I view all my content on my computer?
Yes, you can extract the Zip file and view all your content.

 

Can I import into another blog or service?
Some service provide importing tools, but we can’t guarantee it will work or not. Sampa will not provide support with other services.

 

Where can I create another site?
If you want a baby site we recommend you  use TotSites.com. If you want a family site you can use Cozi. If you just want a blog you can use Wordpress.

 

Will you provide any additional support?
No. We’ll not provide any supporting helping with using the exported content or to setup a new site.

 

Can I get a refund for the amount I paid?
Yes. If you upgraded to Premium or Ultimate you’ll receive an email message on how to get a refund.

 

Can I keep my custom domain?
Yes. If you purchased a custom domain through Sampa it’s yours. You should have received an email message with information on how to transfer that domain to your own registrar.

Living ProofDirector: Dan IrelandActors: Harry Connick Jr; John Benjamin HickeyMore Info
My Rating: 

Just picked up this movie on a whim, attracted by the words "based on a true story" on the dustcover. I'm so glad I did. It's the story of Dr. Dennis Slamon's efforts to bring a new breast cancer treatment "Her-2" or Herceptin, to market. It took 12 years and met many, many obstacles.

 

I learned a lot about cancer, specifically breast cancer, but at all times was fully engaged in the movie. It follows a handful of the women involved in the three stages of clinical trials. Some survived, some didn't, but it was clear that they would do whatever it took to stay alive and that their personal struggle effected so many other lives around them.

 

The other fact I learned that Dr. Slamon's drug would not have been possible without the philanthropic efforts of Lilly Tartifkoff (wife of NBC television executive Brandon Tartikoff, who died of cancer) and Ron Perelman (yes, the once-richest man in the world who headed Revlon and is not well-liked due to his business dealings). Revlon's support of funding for breast cancer research was critical in raising the tens of millions of dollars needed to get a new drug to market.

 

I strongly recommend this movie. You will get engaged in the lives of these people, learn a lot, and you will see how the persistent efforts of one man has resulted in hundreds of thousands of women being alived today because of him.

"Focus" is an interesting thing. A couple of years ago there was a flurry around The Secret, mostly because it was profiled on Oprah. The premise behind the secret is the Law of Attraction, which means that what you focus on causes the object of focus to come into your life. Your focus acts like a magnet. This is really an illusion, of course. What it really means is that when you decide to focus on something, to focus on attracting more of something into your life, then the natural filters we all use to deal with information overload are  changed and now you have a filter that lets more of the things you are focusing on into your life.

I have a perfect example of a filter. When I became pregnant for the first time, I was shocked at how many *other* women were also pregnant. Everywhere I turned I saw pregnant women. I asked my husband "Where did all these pregnant women come from? Are we in the mist of another baby boom?" He just laughed and said "They were always there. You just never noticed them before." And he was right, my filter was on my career and I tuned out a lot of other distractions. But once I decided to have a baby, I turned on a big filter that caused me to pay attention to others in my condition.

As a manager of people, I see this all the time. I have one person who focuses on the constraints, which are all the little obstacles that prevent him from achieving his goals. And you know what? He seems to have *a lot* of constraints, and this frustrates him. I have another person who focuses on the opportunities. He sees opportunities all the time, and see a lot fewer constraints. They both accomplish about the same, though the opportunity seeker is a lot more satisfied with his job.

My advice is to become aware of your focus. Since you will definitely veer toward what you focus on, learn to train your focus on the things that truly matter to you.

What is the measure of a life well spent? I have been thinking about this recently after viewing the film "49 Up". Certainly one of the metrics would be relationships. Did you engage deeply with others? Did you make a difference in others' lives? Did you build your own family with spouse and children? How many people can truly call you friend (not just the Facebook type)?

Another metric would be achievement. Did you set goals for yourself and did you achieve them? Even if your goals evolved and changed over time, do you feel proud as you look at what you've accomplished thus far? Would these achievements, if given as part of your eulogy, make you feel that your life had meaning and that you made a difference in some way?

A third metric would be happiness. Are you enjoying the journey? Have you figured out yet that money is not the key to happiness? The happiest people are not rich in dollars, but they certainly are rich in spirit. Do you spread happiness too? Do you know by now what makes you happy? Have you developed the tools that allow you to change your mood away from the upset-of-the-moment and toward happiness? Have you noticed that happiness and gratitude seem to go hand-in-hand?

A fourth metric is integrity. Are you honest and reliable? Can people trust you will do what you say you will do? Are you authentic? Will you do the right thing even if no one is looking? If so, I believe you will be in the minority, which is a sad commentary on modern life. 

I am sure there are other metrics of a well-spent life, but these four loomed large for me as I thought about living a well-spent life. What life metrics have meaning for you?

I recently viewed the documentary "49 Up", the seventh installment in the "7 Up" series. While I had heard about the "7 Up" series  many years ago, I had never seen it until now. Acclaimed director Michael Apted follows 14 children, born in England in 1956, from different backgrounds, and interviews them about their lives every 7 years. It appears that the premise to the series is the differences of class makes on one's life, which was very significant in 1963. What we find over the years is different and more important.

 

This is the ultimate reality show. It does not appear that editing was done to slant anyone's comments - if this was done, that individual would refuse to participate in the future. It is amazing that 13 out of 14 people continue to participate. I wonder what it feels like to be one of those people, knowing that their lives are on display and available to compare and contrast with a dozen other people, most of whom they do not know. For the most part, few seemed to see the significant history they are part of though one person does comment that being in these films will probably be the most important thing they will accomplish in their life.

 

Here are some of the take-aways, from my perspective:

- While the initial premise is that class is going to make a big difference in their lives, the series chronicles the lessening importance of class in England during this time period. The main impact of class is that children from lower classes could not predict what the future held and most did not go to college. The children from the upper classes could predict precisely where they would go to college (presumably as dictated by their parents) and most did follow through on their parents' plans. After that, the impact of class appeared to mostly disappear.

 

- The thirties were a time of trial for most: struggles in their marriages, divorce, with children, trying to find their place in the world. But by the age of 49 most seemed happier, more at peace and "comfortable in their own skin." I'd read numerous times that people who were older (50+) were happier than people in their 20's and it always seemed impossible to me, but here is living proof unfolding before us.

 

- Most chose more traditional paths eventually. The missionary teacher eventually became a traditional teacher in his home country. The wanderer eventually found a place in civil service in his home country.

 

- At age 49, most saw the value of family, even though many said it was not for them at age 14 or 21. One comment was if you don't have a family, you miss out on life.

- Most became more guarded in their comments as they aged. At one extreme is Andrew, who says "I've become guarded about being guarded." The exuberance of 7, 14, and 21 mostly disappears as each person grows older, except for Tony. If you see nothing else, the piece on Tony is priceless and uplifting. He is so full of the joy of life even though his life has not been particularly special. His specialness comes from within.

 

A boxed set of all seven films in the series is now available. On the "49 Up" DVD, Roger Ebert interviews the director and says he's heard from people who have watched all seven films, one after the other, in a 24-hour period and found it to be an amazing life-changing experience. While I do not recommend doing that, I do recommend you look into this series as it is truly a unique experience of our lifetimes.

49 UpDirector: Michael AptedActors: Bruce Balden; Jacqueline Bassett; Symon Basterfield; Andrew Brackfield; John BrisbyMore Info
My Rating: 

While I have known about the "7 Up" series for many years, I had never seen it until now. Acclaimed director Michael Apted follows 14 children, born in England in 1956, from different backgrounds, and interviews them about their lives every 7 years.

 

While the original in the series, when the children were 7 years old, was 31 minutes, the 2006 update runs for 2.5 hours. It is the ultimate reality show - in fact, as someone who dislikes "reality shows" as I do not believe they are real, this is one I recommend as you know it is real.

 

See my blog article on June 5, 2009 for more commentary.

MonsterDirector: Patty JenkinsActors: Charlize Theron; Christina Ricci; Bruce Dern; Lee Tergesen; Annie CorleyMore Info
My Rating: 

This is a movie that haunts you. It is a true story about just how far someone will go for love. For days my mind kept coming back to it, that if I did not know it was a true story, I would not have believed it.

 

Charlize Theron as the lead character is virtually unrecognizable. If she did not win an Academy Award for her portrayal she should have.

These days, everyone and his friend seems to be playing poker. Here is how a typical scene goes:People start gathering at someone's place on a typical weekend evening. Other avenues of passing time - mafia / charades / ... - are (over)used and abused. Invariably, some enthusiast in the group has got a poker set and poker being a new craze, everyone is willing to give it a shot. And the crucial Omhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10720686067496184841noreply@blogger.com2

These days, everyone and his friend seems to be playing poker. Here is how a typical scene goes:People start gathering at someone's place on a typical weekend evening. Other avenues of passing time - mafia / charades / ... - are (over)used and abused. Invariably, some enthusiast in the group has got a poker set and poker being a new craze, everyone is willing to give it a shot. And the crucial Omhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10720686067496184841noreply@blogger.com0

Fabulous insight:Naturally the common people don't want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor in Germany. That is understood. But after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. ...Voice or no voice, Omhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10720686067496184841noreply@blogger.com0

Recently, I read "A second way of knowing : the riddle of human perception" by Edmund Bolles. It was, even though a bit tough at times, too fascinating to put down. The central theme of the book was about perception, how it helps in understanding "meaning" and deriving knowledge.At one point, the author talked about illusions and why the occur. And I found this to be a particularly fascinating Omhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10720686067496184841noreply@blogger.com0