Hasta La Gadget!

Google Labs isn’t the only thing winding down in Mountain View, it seems Google’s Firefox toolbar is also kaput. Citing exponential growth in the browser space, the outfit declared that the Google toolbar for Firefox is no longer necessary — modern browsers are just too darn capable. Support will continue for older versions of the browser, but Firefox 5 will have to stand on its own. Still, El Goog admits that dropping the toolbar kills more than a few features, and is offering a list of similarly featured add-ons to users via the defunct toolbar’s help page. Not enough? Head on over to the announcement’s comment page and join the peanut gallery, a few clever legumes seem to have uncovered a FF5 workaround. As for the rest of us, it’s not like we didn’t know Google had its own browser (and interests) to take care of, right?

Google says goodbye to browser toolbar, drops support for Firefox 5 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Jul 2011 06:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Could this be a case of Baidu’s browser in Chrome’s clothing? The Wall Street Journal seems to think so and the Chinese company isn’t exactly dismissing the KIRF claims. Announced back in April, the recently beta-released Baidu Browser brings a “sleek, stripped-down interface” eerily reminiscent of Google’s web-surfing entry to an otherwise Internet Explorer 6-loving Chinese population. The copycat similarities don’t just end in the looks department: there’s also an app store, fast-tab functionality and familiar menu icon placement. In its defense, the company claims its 30,000 plus free app offerings, in addition to China-specific entertainment features are enough to set it apart. Sure, this may seem like a case of the Asian search giant that doth protest too much, but it’s the company’s desire to drive traffic to its own engine that has us seeing Google.

[Thanks, Hardy]

Baidu Browser tips hat to old Steve Jobs’ quote, steals Chrome’s special sauce originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jul 2011 19:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Good niches don’t come cheap, but while $350 isn’t exactly a steal, Acer’s new AC700 will, at the very least, get you into the wonderful cloud-based world of Chrome OS for a good deal less than, say, Samsung’s Series 5. Of course, there are certain sacrifices to be made for the sake of affordability, namely the fact that the current version of Acer’s entry into the space is WiFi-only — a 3G version is set to hit later this summer for, one assumes, a noticeable price bump. The AC700 has an Atom N570 processor, 16GB of storage, and 2GB of RAM, and best of all, is available right this very moment.

Acer AC700 WiFi goes on sale, is your $350 ticket to the Chromebook club originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Jul 2011 17:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google’s Voice Search for desktop is nifty and all, but what it’s really been lacking is a worthy way to trigger it into action. The Verbalizer is an open-source dev board made specifically to be used with the search giant’s new tools from up to ten meters away. This microphone-shaped piece of circuitry was made with Arduino compatibility in mind, which means that voice search is just the beginning. The company (who happens to be the same folks behind the brilliant Instaprint) will be distributing schematics and source code through its website, and promises to give away a “limited run” of kits for free in a drawing starting today. Head on over to the source link if you feel like testing your luck, but not before checking after the break for one more shot of these mini masterpieces on display as well as the nitty gritty PR.

Continue reading Verbalizer: the open-source wireless microphone of your Arduino-loving dreams

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Verbalizer: the open-source wireless microphone of your Arduino-loving dreams originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Jun 2011 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For almost two years now, Google’s been talking up the idea of always-on, always-connected laptops based on a version of its Chrome browser. Local storage, of course, was not an ingredient in the equation. And while a lucky few developers got to put the concept to the test with the help of the CR-48, it never surfaced as an honest to goodness consumer product. At last, though, the Chromebooks are here, starting with Samsung’s Series 5, a cute little number that promises instant-on access, 3G connectivity, and long enough battery life to web surf with the best of ’em. But is this new class of computers — and this solidly built one, in particular — poised to make an impact? Let’s find out.

Continue reading Samsung Chromebook Series 5 review

Samsung Chromebook Series 5 review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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