With Android and Chrome OS, Google already has its fair share of operating systems to work on, but there's apparently another coming down the pipe: Android Police spotted a reference to Fuchsia ("a new operating system") in some code left on GitHub.

Unlike Chrome OS and Android, Fuchsia won't be based on Linux, and that suggests Google wants it to be able to run on devices of every size, shape and scale - think smart thermostats, car dashboards and wearables, where the Linux kernel can be overkill.

It would still be able to run on smartphones and computers, and based on the code that's available it looks like there are some advanced security and graphics features being prepped here. Of course with no official word from Google we're just speculating.

Pink and purple are the colours

For non-horticulturists, fuchsias are a type of flowering plant covering almost 110 species. We'll leave you to decide whether or not this says anything about Google's plans for the fledgling OS, or hints at what kinds of devices it could potentially run on.

Rumours have swirled for years that Mountain View executives would eventually decide to combine Chrome OS and Android, and Chromebooks are now being upgraded to support Android apps. Maybe Fuchsia is an attempt to start again from scratch.

Right now we just don't know - it's just a tantalising glimpse into what Google might be planning at the moment. If we hear anything official about the new OS (which apparently blends pink and purple as its key colour), we'll let you know.

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