Google is creating an operating system called ‘Pigweed’, according to a freshly unearthed patent filing.
The patent filing was spotted by ‘Igats’ on Reddit. There is very, very little info at the moment, but the fact that the patent filing refers to Pigweed as “computer operating software” has got everyone talking.
Related: Google genuinely seems to think you love those invasive YouTube ads
There is also an image attached to the application, but it is literally just ‘PIGWEED’ written in a bog-standard font. No clues there then.
Pigweed is an American term used to cover a range of weed species commonly found across the US. We’re really not sure why Google is calling its new “computer operating system” this… but we sure would like to know.
One existing project that could possible be linked to this filing is Google Fuchsia. Back in 2018, we covered a report that suggested Fuchsia was five years away from replacing the Android operating system. If that’s even remotely true, then more emerging details – like this patent filing – would make sense.
Back then, anonymous sources within the Fuchsia team told Bloomberg that a team of over 100 engineers were working on an operating system that would run on all Google hardware.
One excerpt from the Bloomberg report reads:
“According to one of the people, engineers have said they want to embed Fuchsia on connected home devices, such as voice-controlled speakers, within three years, then move on to larger machines such as laptops. Ultimately the team aspires to swap in their system for Android, the software that powers more than three quarters of the world’s smartphones, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing internal matters. The aim is for this to happen in the next half decade, one person said.”
Related: A new version of Opera for Android lands today – and we could see Vivaldi updated too
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.