If you have an entrepreneurial bent it’s hard not to see an opportunity to start the next big cloud storage company in last week’s Nearline Storage announcement by Google. I saw it immediately. So did Google make a big pricing mistake? Probably not.

Nearline storage usually means files stored on tapes in automated libraries. You ask for the file and a robot arm loads the tape giving you access to your data in a couple minutes. Google’s version of nearline storage is way faster, promising file access in three seconds or less. It doesn't say how it works but it makes sense to imagine the data is stored on disks that are powered-down to save energy. When you ask for the file they spin-up the disk and give it to you.

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Geeky students have it made nowadays. You see, there are many outlets for their minds to be put into use. Sadly, before the Internet, it could be difficult for like-minded tech geeks to communicate and collaborate. Quite frankly, a curious mind could go undernourished as a result.

One of the coolest programs for tech-focused students is the Google Summer of Code. Why? For one, it is run by Google, so it is well funded and organized. More importantly, however, is that all of the projects in the program are open source. Today, the search giant begins taking applications. With that said, the window to apply is fairly small, so you had better do it soon.

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The second of three Friday 13ths was definitely a lucky day. Near Noon, FedEx delivered the Chromebox Pixel 2015, which I set up late afternoon. Nearly 24 hours later, time is right for some immediate reactions before my eventual full review. My perspective presented here is two-fold: General first impressions for anyone combined with what are the benefits for existing Pixel owners. For many of the latter group, I say this: Consider your budget and needs wisely. What you've got may be more than good enough.

For everyone else, I will contradict the majority of reviewers, and even Google. Pixel is not a computer for developers or limited number of laptop users. Anyone shopping for a quality notebook that will last years should consider the new Chromebook, most certainly if looking at any MacBook model or Windows PC, such as Surface Pro 3. Everyone living the Google lifestyle who can afford a laptop in this price range should consider nothing else. Now let's get to the drill down, point by point. There are 13, for no other reason than my receiving the laptop on the unluckiest day.

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A little while back rumors surfaced suggesting that Microsoft was on the verge of investing in Android. Not directly, you understand, but via Cyanogen Inc. In August, Cyanogen Inc met with Satya Nadella but it seems that the talks amounted to nothing.

The company is on the verge of raising $110 million of financing, but Microsoft will not be involved. According to a report by Bloomberg, Microsoft will not be contributing to the funding, but could still be interested in perusing commercial ventures with Cyanogen Inc to help push Microsoft apps onto more Android devices.

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Apple seems to be getting a lot of credit for the USB Type-C frenzy, but this is very misplaced. You see, the Chromebook Pixel -- with two of the ports -- was in the hands of reviewers weeks before the new MacBook (with its one measly port) was announced. Before the Pixel, however, Type-C was already long in development. Hell, BetaNews covered an MSI motherboard with the connector in January; months before Apple announced its $1,300 OS X netbook laptop. No individual company -- not Google, Apple nor MSI -- should get sole credit. The USB consortium got it standardized and ultimately approved in August of 2014.

Expect to see a lot of USB Type-C products in 2015 as there is a scramble to capitalize on early-adopters. LaCie is one of the first companies to have an honest to goodness product  with the connector. Besides having the new connector, it is sexy and well-designed (as are all products in the Porsche Design line). However, is it necessary?

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If you've splashed out on a fancy 360-degree camera, you can now use YouTube as a platform to show off your footage. It's something that Google promised back at the start of the year, and it has finally come to fruition. Rather than restricting viewers to watching the action that's happening in one direction, these immersive video allow you to look around in every direction as if you were there.

There are already a number of videos online to check out, and it’s a method of recording that lend itself perfectly to concerts, sporting events and the like. 360-degree videos are best enjoyed through virtual reality headset, but desktop and mobile users have not been forgotten.

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After nine years, Google Code is closing down. Starting today, it is no longer possible to create new projects, and over the course of the coming ten months, the service will be mothballed. Google Code was Google's attempt to help the open source community by offering somewhere to host projects, but the growth of the likes of GitHub and Bitbucket has taken its toll and Google Code has filled up with spam and abuse.

Competition in the world of project hosting has become fierce, and Google feels it's time to pass on the baton rather than fighting for attention. Google has itself moved many of its own open source projects to GitHub. Don't panic if you’re not quite ready to jump ship -- there's still a little time to play with.

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Bias in the media is inevitable, and any news gatherer who denies this fact is a liar. Companies seek favor or to influence in countless ways. It's the nature of the beast, which cannot be tamed. So I wonder how Chromebook Pixel embargoes impacted reporting about Apple's newest laptop. If so, Google pulled off one hell of a marketing coup.

The search and information giant provided many tech blogs and news sites with the new Pixel about a week before the laptop launched yesterday and the first reviews posted—that was also days before Apple's well-publicized media event where a new MacBook was rumored. Both computers share something in common: USB Type-C, which is bleeding-edge tech. The connector received much media attention on Monday and Tuesday two ways: Buzz about it being the next great thing, and MacBook having but one port (Pixel has two, and others).

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When looking for an affordable high-end smartphone the other day Google's Nexus 5 was an obvious option. Even one and a half years after its launch, its hardware is still more than capable of running all the latest apps and games, while the camera can still be considered a decent shooter. The downside of going with Nexus 5 -- as with previous Nexus smartphones -- is battery life, which falls short of the competition. So I ended up getting something else.

It turned out to be a smart move, as Google just pulled Nexus 5 from its online store, after five months of coexisting with its latest flagship smartphone, Nexus 6. If you still want to get one then you will have to look at retailers and some carriers, which are likely to carry Nexus 5 for at least a few more months (until LG stops production and/or existing stock is depleted.)

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Online censorship is rife. In many countries, notably China, citizens are prevented from accessing certain websites at the behest of their government. To help provide access to information and unbiased news, freedom of information organization Reporters Without Borders has set up mirrors to nine censored websites so they can be accessed from 11 countries that blocked them.

As part of Operation Collateral Freedom, Reporters Without Borders is mirroring the likes of The Tibet Post International which is blocked in China, and Gooya News which is blocked in Iran. Mirrored sites are hosted on Amazon, Microsoft and Google servers which are unlikely to be blocked by a censoring country.

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Two new laptops launched this week, both pioneering USB-C and packing 12-inch displays. The likenesses stop there, and the distinctions can't be overstated. One computer you can buy now, the other comes next month. Should you consider either? My primer will help you decide.

Apple unveiled the new MacBook, which measures 1.31 centimeters at its thickest and weighs less than a kilogram, two days ago. Sales start April 10. This morning, Google launched the second-generation Chromebook Pixel, which is immediately available for purchase. Both laptops adopt USB Type-C for power and, using adapters, hooking up to other devices. USB-C puts both computers at the bleeding edge for charging and connectivity, But their approach to ports couldn't be more different.

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If you need to drive a nail into a piece of wood, you shouldn't use a wrench. Could you make it work? Sure, but it is not ideal; you should use a hammer. In other words, you should select the correct tool for the job. The same makes sense for computers. When you decide to buy a machine, you want to be sure that it is powerful enough for the software you want to run, but also, durable enough for the environment.

Chrome OS devices are starting to be used more and more, but let's be honest; none of them are particularly durable. For a business owner, a chintzy Chromebook, Chromebase or Chromebox may not last in a dirty or abusive environment. Today, AOPEN announces a commercial-grade Chromebox and Chromebase (in two sizes) with a focus on digital signage.

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Cloud storage just got a whole lot cheaper. Starting today, Google is offering Google Cloud Storage Nearline for the insanely low price of $0.01 per gigabyte. You read that correctly; one single, solitary cent for a gigabyte of cloud storage.

This is a service aimed at enterprise customers looking to archive large amounts of data without paying the Earth or compromising on performance too much. Nearline is a service designed for data which does not need to be accessed all that often, but when the need arises, there's a response time of under 3 seconds.

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Not to be outdone by Microsoft and Apple, Google has opened its first ever store. Located within Currys PC World on Tottenham Court Road in London, this is not a standalone store but a "shop in shop". Going under the predictable moniker of the Google shop, shoppers can expect to find a range of hardware from the search giant.

The stores will give people the opportunity to browse and try out numerous Android smartphones and tablets. Other hardware such as Chromecasts and Chromebooks will also be available. But the Google shop is about more than just hardware, it also gives people the chance to get hands-on with Google software, and attend events and classes -- forget Google Glass, this is Google Class.

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Google has announced the release of its Google Calendar app for iPhone, an iOS version of the Android app released late last year.

Both editions are strong on scheduling, taking gmails like flight bookings and hotel reservations and automatically turning them into calendar events.

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