Hasta La Gadget!

There are hundreds of devices to choose from when you’re considering a new desktop computer, laptop or mobile device. We’re overwhelmed by all of the choices we have, but choice is good. When it comes to computing, as far as operating systems, there are three huge players: Microsoft, Apple and Google. Yes, Google.

A curious thing happened during Chrome’s rise to being the most-used browser – an operating system was born. Perhaps that was the plan all along, one can never truly know with Google. What I do know is that when you’re on the go, especially with a laptop, the primary piece of software that everyone uses is the web browser, so why not build an operating system on top of it?

That’s exactly what Chrome OS is and it’s starting to make its way to consumers. Google has announced strong partnerships with hardware manufacturers like Samsung and Acer to build affordable (not cheap) laptops built for a world that accesses information in the cloud. When I say the cloud, I mean, email, files, web surfing, chatting and social networking. These things are all done very well through the browser and not through an installed desktop application.

You’d be hard-pressed to find something that you can’t do through the browser, and need actual installed software for. For me, it was using Spotify to listen to music, but that’s being sorted out as we speak. I sat down with the Chrome OS team to discuss its evolution and current iteration and came away quite impressed.

The OS

Chrome OS is an open-source operating system built on many of the things that you might be using already with the Chrome browser. Everything is quite familiar, with the full integration of all of Google’s core products: Drive, Chrome, Gmail, Play, Plus, and of course Search. If you use Google products, then using Chrome OS will be an extremely natural experience for you.

Everything runs pretty quickly on the device that I’m using right now, the latest Samsung Chromebook. I find that I’m not looking to drag and drop things onto a desktop, because it gets messy. Instead, everything is held in an internal filesystem that can be dragged and dropped anywhere, including Google Drive. This makes for moving files between systems super simple. Since all of the things you would probably want to do are available via Chrome extensions, you’ll be able to evolve your environment as new things become available.

Speaking of super simple, I was able to open this laptop, log in with my Google credentials, and start using it as if it were my tablet or phone within three minutes. Since everything is synced, it doesn’t matter what device you’re using in a Google world. It just works. And more importantly, it’s easy to iterate on, on the fly.

Caesar Sengupta, Product Management Director on Chrome OS at Google, told me:

The story for Chrome OS starts way back. It starts with the browser, Chrome. Google’s a web company: We push the boundaries of the web; everything we do is largely on the web. One of the things we realized early on was the web wasn’t keeping up with the potential of what the web could be. We were building apps like Gmail and Google News – rich and vibrant. Browsers weren’t able to handle it. And the web is a platform that allows you to deploy globally without installation. You could pick up any machine login and work. In order to build fun and sexy stuff, you have to build on it.

The Hardware

The hardware itself, like I mentioned, the Samsung Chromebook, looks strikingly similar to the MacBook Air. Yes, start your complaining about copycatting now, that’s not the point. It’s light, runs quickly, and does exactly what you’d want to do. Especially if you rely on a web browser a lot.

Here are full details about what’s inside:

• 11.6’’ (1366×768) display

• 0.7 inches thin – 2.42 lbs / 1.1 kg
• Over 6.5 hours of battery 1
• Samsung Exynos 5 Dual Processor
• 100 GB Google Drive Cloud Storage2 with 16GB Solid State Drive
• Built-in dual band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
• VGA Camera
• 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0
• HDMI Port

• Bluetooth 3.0™ Compatible

It’s pretty impressive, but who cares about all of that. It just works, and it works quite well.

Regarding its strategy in rolling out Chromebook hardware over the past year, Group Product Manager Ryan Tabone told me:

The point of the prototype was to develop the software. Samsung and Acer shipped devices last year – same form factor but based on Atom. We basically just offered these devices online. The people who were ready for it, came to it. We realized at Google this journey is going to take us some time. The world is moving into these ecosystems. For a web company to have hardware, it was an area we needed to have a strong offering in.

The Price

Price is one of those things that trips everyone up. We know what an iPhone costs, kind of. We know what an iPad and a Surface costs. Prices are expensive to some and cheap to others. This particular Samsung Chromebook is $249. You can call it cheap, or you can call it inexpensive. I’ll go with the latter.

The nice part about machines at that pricepoint is that you can get them into the hands of kids. In fact, Google is seeing pretty good traction in schools that are picking up Chromebooks for entire classrooms. They’re easy to administer from a high level and low-priced enough if they were to get broken, stolen or lost.

Also, I tend to break things or drop them in toilets. Don’t ask. In that case, running out and picking up another laptop that I can be up and running on in a matter of minutes in my exact previous state is pretty priceless. So let’s call this thing inexpensive, shall we?

Sengupta had this to say on the price:

There was a core group of people who were using these as additional computers, for other people in the family, like my wife. She does a lot but does it all online.

Tabone had a good point:

When have you ever thought of giving someone a computer as a gift?

Never.

The Point

Computing doesn’t have to be difficult, it should be fun and efficient at the same time. You can do both, and Google does a wonderful job of facilitating that with its current suite of products and services. Even if you’re not an Android phone user, which I’m not, you can still find value in Chrome OS.

From a usability, price, and compatibility perspective, it’s difficult to find another operating system on hardware that runs this well, and without so little effort to actually make it work. Basically, you won’t be getting tons of calls from mom and dad on how to use it. That’s good for us, but for them too. It’s empowering. You should use technology, it shouldn’t use you. And the best technology finds itself getting completely out of the way.

If you use the Chrome browser, you’ve already been testing it, you just didn’t know it. Chrome OS won’t change the way that you compute, it’ll just make it easier.

Here at SlashGear we’ve got a lot to be thankful for, and without a doubt we’ve got more people to thank for making this all possible than we can possibly list. That said, we’re certainly about to try to thank everyone who went above and beyond for us over the past year, starting with you – the readers! We consider you to be not just the people that keep us in a steady job and off the streets with your interest in what we’ve got to present, but our extended network of friends as well – we’re here for you first and foremost, and we want to make sure you understand that you mean a lot to us!

Next it only makes sense to thank our sponsors, without whom we’d still be able to write, but we’d have a lot less food at home to keep our stomaches full. We thank you for continuing to see the tech and gadget publishing world as the strong force it continues to be today. You remain one of the vital connections we make each day and we’re glad to help you reach your consumer base as well.

We’d like to thank the PR teams we get to work with on a consistent basis as well – you’re the unsung heroes that keep us connected with the gadgets and technology we love so well – while under the hood we’d like to thank the UK2Group for sponsoring our CDN for the past 2 years. Thanks too to the companies which have supported us with giveaways; we’re hoping to have more of those soon too.

The teams running both Pepcom and ShowStoppers continue to deserve props for bringing us a more personal experience to the tech event world during gigantic events like CES (coming up again in just 46 days from now) and during the year in-between larger conventions. And every company that has launched a new product this past year, and kept us curious about the consumer electronics world as a whole, today’s the day we toast you!

Of course I’d like to thank my teammates – bosses, new recruits, and everyone in-between – for continuing to create a unique environment in which my unique set of abilities – and your unique set of interests – can match up on the daily. Let us know what and who you’re thankful for as we load up on the only thing we love more than electronics – massive amounts of food!

Happy Thanksgiving 2012 from SlashGear! is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

It would appear that the price hike spoken about earlier this week between Samsung and Apple has been denied by a Samsung official – albeit an anonymous one. This official spoke with the Hankyoreh newspaper in Korea, saying that prices were generally agreed upon between the two companies at the beginning of each year for hardware purchased by one and sold by the other, making a change such as the one mentioned all but impossible. This same source noted that such prices “aren’t changed easily” and that the 20 percent price jump Samsung was said to have demanded from Apple was likely entirely fabricated.

The report from earlier this week came from a rival newspaper by the name of Chosun and made it clear that their sources said that whatever agreement Apple and Samsung have at the moment is set to remain in place until 2014. At that time, a price increase will likely take place simply due to the changing economy. Until then though, it seems more likely that the entire situation was fabricated in part or in whole.

Have a peek at the timeline below to see recent events that have taken place with both Apple and Samsung involved. You’ll find that the two companies certainly have a mixed relationship on a grand scale, but that different parts of each company are great buddies – most of the mobile devices Apple has out on the market right now use Samsung hardware inside in one way or another. Remind yourself of that when you hear about the legal wars.

It’s business, not personal. Apple and Samsung will be working together and fighting against one another – if you call it such a thing – for the foreseeable future. At the moment it’s best to just sit back and take every report that’s not officially from one or the other with a grain of salt.

[via The Verge]

Apple processor price hike denied by Samsung is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Valve’s hardware beta is apparently getting underway ahead of schedule, as a recent 4chan group interview with company head Gabe Newell revealed that the beta’s already in user testing. Moreover, Newell says that three different controller prototypes are in circulation. He echoes Valve hardware engineer Jeri Ellsworth’s words from earlier this year, saying controllers are yet another step in Valve’s journey with Steam from desktop PC to living room. He also says that the options currently available simply aren’t good enough. “The reason we’re doing controllers is we didn’t think there was enough interesting innovation going on.”

We’ve yet to see any of Valve’s hardware prototypes, but the last word was it shouldn’t be too long before they’re ready for consumption … in one form or another. Be sure to let us know if you spot one!

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

Valve’s Newell says three different controllers are in hardware beta, already out in the wild originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Nov 2012 10:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Arduino has announced its new Micro board, which is based on the technology of the popular Leonardo board while offering a “very small size.” The Micro can either be soldered to a PCB or used on a breadboard, making it easier to embed in projects. The board will be available next week for pre-order, with shipments starting on November 26th.

Just how small is the Micro? It measures in at 1.9-inches x 0.7-inches (48mm x 18mm). The board is based on the ATmega32u4, and has a built-in USB. It features 20 digital I/O pins, seven of which can be utilized as PWM outputs, and 12 of which can be utilized as analog inputs. Theres a micro USB connection, and connecting the board to your computer via USB is all it takes to get up and running.

Other features include a 16GHz crystal oscillator, an ICSP header, and, of course, a reset button. There are code libraries for emulating the device via USB-HID as a keyboard, for example, or a mouse. It’s operating voltage is 5V, and its memory clocks in at 32kb (4kb bootloader). Clock speed is 16MHz. Currently, Adafruit is creating accessories for the board “that will complement its power and simplicity.”

The Micro will be available with headers (21EUR) and without headers (18EUR). The version with headers is model number A100053, and the version without headers is model number A000053. As for Arduino, it launched in 2005 and has been a staple of hobbyist and independent tinkerers. The board will be available via Radio Shack and Adafruit first, spreading to other retailers in December.

Arduino announces super small Micro board is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.