In this week's special (and slightly long) episode of the PC World podcast, editors Robert Strohmeyer, Tim Moynihan, Melissa Perenson, and Nick Mediati discuss the just-announced Google Chrome OS.

The lean, netbook-centric operating system isn't for everyone--especially those who want to run installed applications or store all their media locally--but it is an exciting development for the cloud-computing world.

Everyone's all a-twitter over Google's newly announced operating system, Google Chrome OS. Some swear it'll be a hit; others are convinced it's destined for failure. Love it or hate it, though, this puppy's one tough piece of software to ignore.

So what's Chrome OS all about, and what could do it for you? Here are some answers.

In other words, that's iTunes.

The open source version of Google Chrome OS was released on Thursday, and tech wizards didn't waste any time turning the code into a workable test version of the new operating system. If you don't want to wait until next year to see what's going on with Chrome OS, then follow this handy guide to find all the information you need to get the new system up and running on almost any computer.

Google's Chrome OS doesn't signal the apocalypse for Apple and Microsoft, but that doesn't mean the operating system won't succeed when it arrives next year. Just like the Chrome Web browser, Google's carving out a small slice of the market for people who want the company's buzzwords of speed, security and simplicity. Over time, the legion of Chrome OS fans will grow, and Google will look at its operating system as a success, not a failure, as my colleague Tony Bradley argues.

Editor's note: PC World contributor Tony Bradley takes an alternate point of view in his BizFeed blog "Five Reasons the Google OS will Flop". Think they are both wrong? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Facebook can be a dangerous beast. As social media evolves -- and the freedom of the Internet diminishes our self-censorship -- many have run into situations where Facebook has land

Nathalie Blanchard, 29, took long-term sick leave from her job at IBM in Quebec after she was diagnosed with major depressive disorder in February 2008. Until this fall, Blanchard received monthly benefits from Manulife. Suddenly the checks stopped arriving, and when Blanchard called Manulife to inquire, the company claimed Blanchard was available to work because of photos she had posted on Facebook of her looking "happy" at a Chippendales bar show, at her birthday party, and on holiday. These snapshots evidently proved to Manulife that Blanchard was no longer depressed and therefore ineligible for health benefits.

In a step to make YouTube videos more accessible to deaf people as well as to anyone else searching for videos online, Google has launched an automatic video captioning service.

Captioned videos are not entirely new at YouTube. Google first introduced manual user-generated video captioning three years ago, and people have already used the existing service to caption hundreds of thousands of videos.

Lost amid Thursday's Chrome OS hype was the official launch of Twitter's geotagging feature. Twitter's newest feature allows you to embed your location in the 140-character messages you send out to the world. Whenever you send a tweet with your location information, users will see a map pin at the bottom of your message. Clicking on the pin reveals a Google Map with your location.

Sales of plasma HDTVs have been on the decline for some time now. Although plasmas are generally cheaper than comparably-sized LCD models, their picture isn't as bright; as a result, their images often appear dark and washed out under the bright, fluorescent glare of the local big box store. However, plasmas are often favored by home theater buffs, who savor the display technology's fast refresh rates and often superior reproduction of black and dark tones.

For some reason, Luke Wilson is taking AT&T's side in the 3G coverage wars, appearing in a new ad that retaliates against Verizon Wireless' stinging assault.

It seems the mobile world is full of silly little battles these days. You've got the AT&T-Verizon ad assault. There's that ever-popular Droid-iPhone rivalry. And then, of course, everyone's favorite Google Phone debate: Is there a Google Phone? If there were one, would it harm other Android phones? Or could it become -- gasp -- the elusive iPhone killer?

We won't be discussing the Google Phone any further here today (you can thank me later), but we will be keeping with the spirit of trivial competition. Personal preferences aside, I think we can all accept that the Android and iPhone platforms both have their strengths and weaknesses. So our new battle: Which mobile system has the more advanced users?

Televisions are notorious for draining huge amounts of energy, which is why California is cracking down with energy efficiency regulations. But your HDTV isn't the only home tech product that's slurping up power. Here are 5 other gadgets that you should turn off when not in use: