The Fans

The vast majority of bloggers love the browser, at least so far. iKuwait's enthusiasm about Chrome just keeps building:

i can get used to this, click on the picture to find out more about Chrome.
i even love the icon
update: you guys must try this, its just perfect, i finally found my soul browser (soul mate browser)

Also from Kuwait, SOME contrast thinks Google made a smart move:

As the title suggest, google made a browser. Smart move, google. They said in their introduction that since everything we do online nowadays is within a browser; emails, chat, sites..etc. then they might as well make their own browser and build it from a scratch.

Tunisian blogger Subzero Blue, also a clear fan of the product, explains its interface:

The browser uses the WebKit rendering engine, the V8 JavaScript Virtual Machine, an optimized approach to tabs, a homepage presenting most visited websites, and a number of security and privacy options; in addition to other interesting features.

I think this is a really promising product from Google; and I can't wait to see where they take it, and what it will do for web apps.

Also from Tunisia, Au Monde des Merveilles [fr] is impressed:

Après avoir testé Google Chrome, je conclus qu’il est le seul vrai concurrent de Firefox.

After testing Google Chrome, I conclude that it is the only true competitor to Firefox.

The Critics

Other bloggers have concerns about Chrome. Moroccan tech blogger Thinkervine notes its issues:

My first thoughts on the browser: light and fast, sober and user friendly. But it still has a lot of improvements to get before maturity. Still lot of bugs (javascript and SSL/Certificates handling), still missing lot of options (Java VM, extentions and theming, bookmark organization, own proxy management, RSS,).

The blogger concludes:

I will be waiting for the next betas in order to see how it improves but it is still far from being mature enough to replace Firefox as my default browser.

From Qatar, AmmarTalk [ar] lists concerns about the browser. A few:

2- عدم دعم Google Chrome لخاصية الملخصات أو rss feed.
3- هناك العديد من الاخطاء الإملائية لدى فريق الترجمه بشرح مزايا المتصفح وأقصد الشرح الذي نزل على ملفات فيديو بصفحة تنزيل البرنامج.
4- فكرة التسويق عن طريق قصة جميلة جداً لكن أعتقد أن المتصفح يجب ان يسهل مواصفاته للمستخدم العادي بوضع صور توضيحيه لا الإطاله بقصة ابتكرت طريقاً في التسويق ونست أن المتصفح قد لايكمل مشوار القراءة.

2- Google Chrome does not support rss feed.
3. There are a lot of spelling mistakes made by the translation team explaining the browser's features and I mean here the explanation about downloading videos
4. The idea of marketing it through a story is a lovely idea but I believe that the browser's features should be clearly illustrated to the user - and not through a marketing story which the user may not read to the end.

Jordanian Bakkouz likes Chrome but has a few reservations:

However, Google chrome does need a little getting used to, the interface is very simplistic to the point that it can get a little bit confusing, for example, the “Home” button is by default removed from the U.I, and you’d have to go into settings and add it manually. Another thing that might be confusing to beginners and new users is the absence of the traditional menu bar altogether (file - view - edit - tools, etc…). Another thing is the lack of a drop-down bar for the last visited websites, Chrome compensates that by the use of the auto-completion feature that will automatically try to complete the URL you’re trying to get to once you type in the first few letters, but still this could be somewhat of a nuisance.

For more reviews on Chrome outside of the mainstream media, one must only point one's browser to Palestinian blogger Memories Documented (a definite fan), who shares a smattering of reviews from around the globe and proclaims:

I am totally in love with Chrome, in fact, it has replaced all my other browsers as my #1 browser. I'm already using it alone on all my machines

Lovefrom1stbite shares a recipe for the delicious Ramadan treat chabakia, including a picture of the treats cooking:

Al Miraat/The Moroccan Mirror forgoes words, instead sharing this image:

A day late?

This year, Ramadan in Morocco will start a day later than in most of the world. Morocco, Mauritania, and Iran all determined Ramadan to start Tuesday, a fact which leaves some bloggers puzzled. 27monthswithoutbaseball, a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco, says of the delay:

So, Ramadan didn’t begin today after all, at least not in Morocco. It doesn’t really make sense to me – after all, scientists can predict moon phases with complete accuracy from now until the end of time – but they have to wait until the imams say it’s Ramadan. I guess it makes more sense knowing that in every country it’s different – Ramadan started yesterday in Algeria, Tunisia and Libya, today in Egypt and most of the Arab world, and will start tomorrow in Morocco, Mauritania and Iran. Who knows, maybe the moon does look a little different in every country. Science doesn’t always have all the answers. We did change the time last night though – back to old time!

North Africa Notes, also a foreigner in Morocco, commented on her feelings after hearing the news that Ramadan had not yet begun:

But today, Monday, sure felt like Ramadan, I think people were so ready for it to be announced as starting today that it was hard for them to get into eating. As I ate a group breakfast with my friend's family we commented on that, it just felt kind of weird to be eating. We were all happy though that the Moroccan government had decided to repeal Daylight Savings time as of this morning,in order to make Ramadan a little easier on everyone ,they said. So we put our clocks back to how they were before and gained an hour. 10 am became 9 am. Sunset is now at 7 instead of 8, Alhamdulilah.

Kuwaitism [Ar] paints the picture here:

حبيت آخذ هالفرصة لشكر بعض ممثلينا العرب –
سامويل فرانسيس (قطر)
جايمس كواليا كوكوروي (قطر)
فيلكس كيكواي كيبوري (قطر)
سلطان زمان (قطر) الإسم الأصلي أونيسفور نكونزيمانا (بوروندي)
جمال سالم (قطر) الإسم الأصلي توماس كاتيو (كينيا)
دهام بشير (قطر) الإسم الأصلي دايفيد إينياغا (كينيا)
عيسى راشد (قطر) الإسم الأصلي دانييل كيبكوسكي (كينيا)
جابر سالم (قطر) الإسم الأصلي ياني مارشوكوف (بلغاريا) – حول جنسيته بـ1,000,000 دولار عام 2000.
مبارك شامي (قطر) الإسم الأصلي ريتشارد ياتيتش (كينيا)
أحمد حسن عبدالله (قطر) الإسم الأصلي ألبرت تشيبكوروي (كينيا)
بلال منصور علي (بحرين) الإسم الأصلي جون ييكو (كينيا)
مريم يوسف جمال (بحرين) الإسم الأصلي زينيبيش تولا (أثيوبيا)
نادية الجافني (بحرين) الأصل مغربية
يوسف سعد كامل (بحرين) الأصل غريغوري كونشيلا (كينيا)
آدم اسماعيل خميس (بحرين) الأصل هوسيا كوسغي (كينيا)
حسن محبوب (بحرين) الأصل سايلاس كيروي (كينيا)
رشيد رمزي (بحرين) الأصل مغربي
ناصر سعيد (بحرين) الأصل ستيفان لورو كامار (كينيا)
طارق مبارك طاهر (بحرين) الأصل دينيس كيبكوروي سانغ (كينيا)
محمد عبدالله زكريا (بحرين) الأصل مغربي
قطر و البحرين مثلهما 11 كيني 3 مغربيين 1 بوروندي 1 أثيوبي 1 بلغاري 3 غير معروف من أفريقيا

I wanted to take this chance to thank our Arab representatives in the games:
Samuel A. Francis (Qatar) [Nigeria]
James Kwalia C'Kurui (Qatar) [Kenya]
Felix Kikwai Kibore (Qatar) [Kenya]
Sultan Zaman (Qatar) - born Onesphore Nkunzimana (Burundi)
Gamal Salem (Qatar) - born Thomas Katui (Kenya)
Daham Bashir (Qatar) - born David Nyaga (Kenya)
Essa Ismail Rashed (Qatar) - born Daniel Kipkosgei (Kenya)
Jaber Saeed Salem (Qatar) - born Yani Marchokov (Bulgaria) he changed his nationality for 1,000,000 Dollars in 2000.
Mubarak Hassan Shami (Qatar) - born Richard Yatich (Kenya)
Ahmad Hassan Abdullah (Qatar) - born Albert Chepkurui (Kenya)
Bilal Mansour Ali (Bahrain) - born John Biko (Kenya)
Jamal Maryam Yusuf (Bahrain) - born Zenebech Tola (Ethiopia)
Nadia Ejjafini (Bahrain/Morocco)
Yusuf Saad Kamel (Bahrain) - born Gregory Konchellah (Kenya)
Aadam Ismaeel Khamis (Bahrain) - born Hosea Kosgei (Kenya)
Hasan Mahboob (Bahrain) - born Silas Kirui (Kenya)
Rashid Ramzi (Bahrain/Morocco)
Nasar Sakar Saeed (Bahrain) - born Stephen Loruo Kamar (Kenya)
Tareq Mubarak Taher (Bahrain) - born Denis Kipkurui Keter (Kenya)
Mohammad Abdullah Zakaria (Bahrain/Morocco)
In brief, Qatar and Bahrain were represented by 11 Kenyans, 3 Moroccans, 1 from Burundi, 1 Ethiopian, 1 Bulgarian and 3 others.

A rough start meant that Ghasra, who was Bahrain's flag bearer at the opening ceremony, was eliminated from the women's 200 metres race - but for tens of thousands of Arab and Muslim women - and men - out there, running her heart out fully covered has brought her more than just gold medals.

Kabobfest's Maytha makes the following announcement when Al Ghasra won her qualifying run fully covered:

I know it's just a meaningless preliminary victory, but not only will that moment have a strong effect on Bahraini, Arab, and Muslim men and women alike, but will and has served to open up a dialogic space in that region and here as well.

The blogger further explains:

I'll tell you why I love watching Olympic events with Arabs participants in public places. It gives me a chance to add some complexity to the general public's limited and simple understanding of the socio-political and cultural situation in the Middle East.

For A Moro in America, a Moroccan who lives in the US, Ghasra's success is living testimony that young people can reconcile between the demands of modern life and traditions.

He first has his axe to grind with the Moroccans for kicking out Moroccan-born Rashid Ramzi, who reaped Bahrain's only gold medal in the 1500m race in the Beijing Olympics, and says:

Two Bahraini runners stood out today with their brilliant performances in Beijing.
Moroccan-born Rashid Ramzi , who was kicked out from the Moroccan national team after he got injured, shot two birds with one stone. He thanked Bahrain, the nation that took care of his medical charges and offered him a job at the Defense Ministry, and paid back the Moroccan track & field officials who kicked had him out of the team and stopped paying him his salary of $50 a month.
The second Bahrain star is female runner, Roqaya al-Ghassra, who not only stood out of the crowd with her Hijhood - outfit covering her head and body designed by Lebanese-Australian Zaniti, the maker of Burqini,- but also won her heat, qualifying to the semi-final of the 200m race.
If this small success story is to teach Arab nations something, may be it is that a deliberate and a selective immigration policy can bring in the best talent [Ramzi in sports]. Also, innovation and creativity are great asset to reconcile between tradition and the requirements of a demanding modern life on the Arab youths [Hijhood, Al-Ghassra].

Modest and Beautiful which tracks famous hijab-clad women dedicates a post for Ghasra here.