Tomorrow, Google will be launching the beta version of Google Chrome in more than 100 countries. Chrome is it’s new browser and while it may seem like it’s aimed at Internet Explorer or Firefox, Google is really targeting Windows. Google wants Chrome to be nothing short of a full on desktop operating system that could give Windows a run for its money. But, what about Midori?

Google is releasing the beta for Windows to kick start a broader discussion and hear from users as soon as possible. It is also hard at work whipping up versions for Mac OS X and Linux, too. When the final project is all set and ready, Google will be making Chrome’s source code publicly available rendering endless expansive possibilities. Look for its release first thing tomorrow.

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I’ve got a problem and it’s with my former employer Michael Arrington. It’s not a personal problem at all, it’s just that he’s not making sense when it comes to his little Firefox Tablet he’s trying to build. Oh, and be warned - the page is bogged down by a gazillion comments, which brings me to my main point:

Michael Arrington owns a blog network, not a hardware distribution company. I have no doubt in my mind that the man is gifted enough to create a piece of a hardware that’s related to the Internet somehow. My main issue is that TechCrunch thinks its little Firefox Tablet can be manufactured for around $200. Wait a second, did I say $200? Oh right, that’s what was originally said and then changed to $300 later on. So already the price dispute is becoming bullshit.

If the price for the tablet exceeds $400, it’s a pointless effort. You can scoop up an Eee PC, Dell E Mini or iPhone for cheaper and they’ll all do a lot more than just browse Firefox. I know you love web apps Michael, but take a breather for a second and think about all of this.

You claim you want a touchscreen and a built-in webcam all for ~$300? Ridiculous. I assume you’re trying to profit off this - after all, why else would you even go for it? After browsing around, I found 12-inch touchscreens online for around $300. I realize that buying in bulk could lower that, but you’re forgetting the guts of this thing: CPU, RAM, and your 4GB SSD you requested. Bro, for $300, you are not getting this. I don’t care if you go as open-source as possible. There is just no way in hell TechCrunch is going to produce a touchscreen Internet browser to run web applications for $200 $300.

The specs he’s asking for, specifically, are:

Here’s the basic idea: The machine is as thin as possible, runs low end hardware and has a single button for powering it on and off, headphone jacks, a built in camera for video, low end speakers, and a microphone. It will have Wifi, maybe one USB port, a built in battery, half a Gigabyte of RAM, a 4-Gigabyte solid state hard drive. Data input is primarily through an iPhone-like touch screen keyboard. It runs on linux and Firefox. It would be great to have it be built entirely on open source hardware, but including Skype for VOIP and video calls may be a nice touch, too.

Don’t forget the competition from existing Internet tablets like the Nokia N800, Michael.x

Finally, you ask your readers for help in building it. When your product is finished and goes to market, how will these people be fairly compensated for their work? That’s what I really want to know. I could go on and on for hours about this but I think I’ve summed up the flaws in Arrington’s idea quite nicely. Hey, if he succeeds in pulling it all off and shoving it in my face, more power to him. I’d buy a $200 Firefox Tablet.

Step aside, Second Life. There’s a new time-wasting virtual social network just released by Google. It’s called Lively and it’s your ticket to the cyber world, complete with emotes and customized avatars. Screw that pay to play bullshit on Second Life. Hell, no one wants to hear your lame cyber concert anyways. Play on a real stage or go home!

Lively’s client is free to download and runs with IE or Firefox. Images and videos are viewable in Lively, as well as the ability to embed websites, like your Tumblr or other blogs into your Lively “living space.” Though the content isn’t quite there on Lively (lacking an economy like that of Second Life), it’s still free to play and you’ll feel less dorky playing it than you would with Second Life. Give it a try and let us know how it is.

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You may recall from our Father’s Day guide that I recommended Firefox 3 for a download. After all, it’s free, safe and full of computational power. Now that it’s June 17th, it’s time to help set a Guinness World Record for most software downloads in a 24-hour period.

Head on over to SpreadFirefox.com and pledge to to download FF3 when it’s released. Speaking of which, it’s June 17th and I have yet to see the official release of Firefox 3 become available. What gives, Mozilla? Delaying the inevitable?

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Update: Stix points out that FF3 will be released at 10AM PST. Thanks!

Update #2: Hack a Day tells the world how you can get FF3 early!

How big of a fanboy do you have to be to put your dog through the hassle of shaving a mohawk strip down the center of its back and then painting it Firefox orange. Can’t the ASPCA do something about this? Come on, animal cops, this is clearly animal cruelty.

Now, if only the doggy’s little bed was a little globe pillow, they’d be all set. How could you forget the blueness? And they call themselves nerds. — Andrew Dobrow

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We don’t usually put too much confidence in projected stats, since a lot of the time they turn out to be totally false in everything they stand for. We do, however, would love to see the day where IE is no longer the most popular web browser. According to trends and stats that are too complicated to verify, it’s being projected that by May 22 (yes, random date, we know) Firefox will be the most widely used browser, followed by IE6, and then IE7.

Firefox’s popularity has been increasing at a steady pace for months and months now, and it’s really only a matter of time before it’s number 1. May 22 or not, it will happen eventually. And why is that? Because the performance is just SO much better. The stats look pretty legit and if all goes well and continues on the same path, Firefox will soon control 37% of the web browser population. — Andrew Dobrow

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Just visit the site. Yeah, it really does look like that (if you are using IE, not only are you crazy, you won’t get this article). That, ladies and gentlemen, is what a broken CSS file looks like. Walmart’s new video service is broken in Firefox! How can you expect to gain huge profits when you alienate over 10% of the people on the internet. Walmart needs to realize that, even though techies probably wouldn’t use Walmart to download videos, they are still the only one’s who really know how. By alienating them, it’s more than a shot in the foot. It’s more like a saw to the ankle. Yes, it’s that bad. –Nik Gomez

Walmart Video Downloads [via Digg.com]

Firefox merch is probably some of the best merch that money can buy. If you are one of the very inteligent people across the world who have made the decision to be a convert of a clean and extendable browser, that little picture of a T-Rex head should be very recognizable to you. While it isn’t the Firefox symbol, it is the symbol for Mozilla (they make Firefox). This very nice backpack that is made by Ogio Metro lets you show off your technical knowledge without you saying anything. Also, if you happen to be one that likes to thrash your backpack, this comes with a 30-year warrantee. They obviously stand behind the quality of their products, which says about the company as a whole. So why is this a backpack for your laptop? It has a ceter storage area for your large stuff, a laptop sleeve that opens from the side, a place for your power cords and mouse, and as stated before, the dino head is freakin’ sweet! This backback is being sold for a reasonable $70. For laptop protection, it’s definitely worth it. — Nik Gomez

Mozilla Ogio Metro Backpack [via Uncrate]

Mozilla has released an update for the best browser in the world: Firefox! The update version is 2.0.0.1 and as you might guess by this minute version change, not too much has visibly changed in the browser. There have been some security updates that fix some bugs Firefox has. The update has also added Microsoft Vista support (save for a couple caveats), which should be launching January 21, 2007. With the recent announcement that Firefox has reached the 25% market penetration, Mozilla cannot afford to have holes in their amazing browser which has gained its fame from its air-tight security and easy implementation of extensions and themes (add-ons). Go ahead, update Firefox and keep your computer safe. – Nik Gomez

Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.1 [via The Unofficial Apple Weblog]

Shouldn’t Mozilla be spending their time fine tuning Firefox 2.0 before letting outlandish future projects get in the way? Of course they should, but in today’s lightining speed internet world, the name of the game is more, more, faster, more productive, more, more. So for those who love getting their hands on early software, here’s a little 3.0 goodness to keep you busy.

The early plans of Firefox 3.0 seem to focus on multi-platform integration. With the use of vectoring imaging and things we don’t quite understand because we are not from the year 2010 like the guys over at Mozilla. I think their attempt at platform integration is a lost cause though. Firefox will be the browser of choice by then if they focused more on their marketing then on their development of buggy software. — Andrew Dobrow

Download Firefox 3.0 Alpha here [Mozilla, via Gizmodo]