Google CEO Sundar Pichai Getty Images

Images of Google's new operating system — which is being built from the ground-up and may power the next-generation of smart devices — recently surfaced online. The new operating system is called Fuchsia and, according to Ars Technica, ditches the traditional Linux code at the heart of Android. It uses something new, currently just called "Magenta."

Ars Technica

Rumors have suggested that Google is looking for a better way to combine the desktop-like and extremely simple environment of Chrome OS with Android, allowing it to sell a more robust portfolio of products. There's even evidence of this; Google hasn't really focused on Android for tablets much, suggesting that perhaps it sees more potential for tablets with different software. Fuchsia could be that combo-operating system. There's evidence that it's already cross platform, which means developers wouldn't need to recreate the millions of Android apps that are already available.

Ars Technica