Hasta La Gadget!

We know there’s a lot to digest after Google’s Chrome OS event today, but following the shindig we caught a few minutes with Google VP of Product Management Sundar Pichai. While he wouldn’t answer our questions about upcoming Chrome OS laptops — you know, the ones coming from partners such as Acer and Samsung in mid-2011 — he did tell us that those Atom-powered laptops won’t dual boot Windows. In fact, he told us that “certified” Chrome OS laptops won’t support dual boot environments at all. Of course, the Cr-48 has a root feature so it will likely be able to run Windows (assuming there’s enough flash storage), but it’s clear that major manufacturers won’t be shipping laptops with Google and Microsoft operating systems living side by side.

With that said, we asked Sundar about one of the major concerns we’ve had about Chrome OS: customer support. (Some history here — we’ve heard from a few laptop manufacturers that Google’s lack of customer service for the computer OS is a major issue and a legitimate reservation). Sundar said that it’s a valid concern, but that the OS is incredibly simple and that Google doesn’t expect to have many confused or troubled customers when it’s ready for primetime. Nevertheless, Google will provide live support for those that receive a Cr-48 and help with any and all issues. No word on if that aid will continue past this limited pilot program, but we’re sure there will be more much more to come on all of this next year.

Google: Chrome OS laptops won’t dual boot with Windows, live customer support for Cr-48 owners originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Dec 2010 21:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Even with the great features coming in the Samsung Nexus S Android smartphone, there are some issues that might deter potential buyers.

Originally posted at Android Atlas

This week, we get all Crave-y over a new boombox from TDK with a sweet design that belies the company’s low-tech roots. Also, a fake coffee bot makes us yearn for the days when “The Jetsons” becomes a reality; some creepy crawlers get made over into flashy, USB-powered robots that are just ripe for holiday stockings; and we check out a tutorial on how to install your own “Star Trek”-worthy pneumatic doors. Plus, an utterly expensive–yet awesome–steampunk flash drive catches our eyes, as does a rather emasculating motorcycle ripped straight out of “Tron”–but for entirely different reasons. Finally, a shout-out to a local eatery in this week’s “This is Why You’re Fat” segment.

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Episode 28

–TDK three-speaker boombox

–Coffee bot (spoiler: it’s a fake!)

–Skitterbots

–Star Trek doors

–Steampunk flash drive

Not Craving

–Real Tron cycle

–WoW Cataclysm

This is why you’re fat


–Grilled cheese birthday “cake”

Unfortunately, the crazy rumors that Google’s Nexus S would ship with a dual-core Orion processor didn’t pan out, which means we’re still waiting for a smartphone to ship with honest-to-goodness multicore silicon of any sort; it’s still unclear just how soon we’re going to see that wild dream come to fruition, but RIM’s Mike Lazaridis is talking like he wants to take the lead in making it happen. At D:Dive Into Mobile this evening, Waterloo’s outspoken co-CEO went on record that they’ll be taking the PlayBook’s QNX platform to smartphones just “as soon as [he has] dual core baseband CPUs,” though power consumption remains a limiting factor. At any rate, RIM seems to be fully acknowledging now both that QNX is a little too beefy for today’s smartphones and that BlackBerry OS isn’t quite beefy enough, which leaves these guys in a bit of a pinch until the dual-core revolution takes hold.

RIM’s Mike Lazaridis: QNX coming to BlackBerry phones when dual-core processors are ready originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Dec 2010 20:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This article was written on December 01, 2006 by CyberNet.

Microsoft has closed the door on the deal for their Windows Vista and Office 2007 giveaway. CNet is reporting that the magical download number was 30,000 and earlier today Vista was the first to “sell” out but Office 2007 was soon to follow.

The “Power Together” site that Microsoft created to promote this giveaway is now just a site that will have little to no value for most of the people who have already visited it. I’m sure the 30,000 people who got involved in this giveaway will say that the site had a lot value though, and probably not because they learned something from the webcasts.

One thing that I’m not quite sure about from CNet’s article is whether there were 30,000 people total that will receive the products or if there are 30,000 for Office 2007 and 30,000 for Vista. Either way, with 15,000 people for each and at a retail price of $299 for Vista Business and $499 for Office 2007 Professional you are talking $11.97 million in giveaways from Microsoft. I would say that is pretty impressive.

Where’s the catch? Well…despite the believe that this was a no-strings attached there is one small little detail that some people may not be aware of. CNet mentions that anyone who receives the products will have to pay takes on them:

Those who are getting both the free Office and Vista copies will have to fill out an IRS tax form–and eventually pay Uncle Sam–to get both titles.

“Since the combined retail value of the products is above $600 retail for developers who chose to participate in both offers, the IRS requires Microsoft to have the developers send back a signed W9 form before they receive the second item,” a Microsoft representative said.

I’m not sure what kind of cost it will be for the taxes but I can’t imagine it would be very much. After all, you will be getting more than $800 in free software…so most people probably won’t complain.

On a side note Microsoft also made the trial versions of Office 2007 available today and they are good for 60-days after installation. Thanks for the tip on that one Jeff!

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