The Google Chromebook experience has been boosted this week to physical retail stores all across the United States with Best Buy and in the UK as well. This is the next generation of Chromebooks because before now it was essentially only online that you’d be able to purchase such a notebook. This news comes amid Chrome OS updates that would in the very near future bring on more speed, smoother action, and much more cloud workability with Google Drive.
This update has the Chromebook world moving to the retail universe in a very big way, though it is a bit strange that they’ve chosen Best Buy to do the deed as they’ve had so much retail trouble as of late. Chrome will likely come up several more times before the end of the day here in the second day’s keynote at Google I/O, so stay tuned.
This keynote is part of an extended set of events that you can check out in our I/O 2012 portal – stick there all week for all the action!
It was once again time to speak about the cloud this week at Google I/O 2012, with Google Drive being revealed as being able to be connected to both iOS and Chrome OS. This update has the software connections for both the iPad and the iPhone and comes with a OCR search and lots of lovely image and text recognition built-in. You’re able to search through your photos and find the ones you want based on the content in the images – search for pyramids and you’ll get your images with pyramids in them.
This update also works with text recognition. You’re now able to search through the images you’ve got in your Google Drive folders by the text the system recognizes in each of those photos. This system also works with instant syncing with Google Docs via Chrome and Chrome OS, with instant updating on each device if they’re connected to the web.
Google Docs has been updated as well so that you’re able to edit your documents offline with instant syncing once you’ve re-connected with the web. Offline Docs as well as Google Drive for iPad and iPhone will be available later today – check em out! Be sure to also hit up our I/O 2012 portal for more news from Google’s developer conference all week!
This week the Google Chrome browser has been introduced for the iPhone. The Chrome browser started up Google I/O’s 2012 keynote on the second day of the event, with Chrome as a browser connecting with Chrome as a browser as an operating system being shown to connect across any number of devices. Of course we’d seen much of this in the past as Google Chrome has been connected in this Google accounts way for several months. This browser is able to rather able, as its been demonstrated today, to work from a laptop to a Chromebook to a smartphone to a Nexus 7 tablet and back.
The extreme speed at which the browser works back and forth between the operating system and the browser was shown off on stage in real time. The Chrome browser was shown off on two Apple systems as well – both the iPhone and the iPad.
The Chrome browser was demonstrated onstage with both the iPhone 4/4S as well as the iPad 3 with no less than the same syncing powers as the rest of the device universe. Now not only will you be able to work with Chrome on your Android and desktop systems, you’ll be good to go with iOS as well. Check it out on the iTunes store today!
Also check out the timeline below to see all sorts of recent Chrome news, and hit up our I/O 2012 portal for more news from Google’s developer conference all week!
Google just did what many thought wasn’t possible — it just put mobile Chrome on iOS. Both iPad and iPhone users will get the app, either with incognito browsing, syncing and that unique tabbed browsing interface intact. The company hasn’t said what’s changed versus the Android build, but it’s likely the main differences are matters of integration — Apple’s app rules won’t let Google bring in its own WebKit rendering engine tweaks or change the default browser. Whether or not that switch is a dealbreaker, Chrome should be available later today in the App Store for those who want a break from the Safari norm.
Check out our full coverage of Google I/O 2012’s developer conference at our event hub!
Update: No download just yet, but Google is teasing us with a video that you can find after the break. The iOS port shows up at the 43-second mark.
Update 2: It’s available! Hit the source link to get your copy.
The second keynote of Google I/O 2012 has kicked off, with the news that the Chrome browser is now up to 310 million active users, compared to 160m back at IO 2011. The browser has had a significant surge in adoption – Google counted 70m active users back in 2010 – and the search giant claims that by all the metrics it can find, Chrome is the most popular web browser globally.
Chrome isn’t just widely adopted, it’s saving time and energy according to Sundar Pichai of Chrome and Apps for Google. In fact, the omnibar search box – which allows users to search or put addresses into the same box – apparently saves 13 years of human life every single day.
Meanwhile, there’s 60 billion words typed into Chrome every day, and 1TB of data downloaded. Google also demonstrated sync between Chrome on different devices, something else that the company says will save user-time.
Google’s next iteration of Android wasn’t quite the full-point release jump that many of you were perhaps anticipating. Rather than using Google I/O 2012 as the launching pad for Android 5.0, we’re being formally introduced to v4.1 — a mere 0.1 ahead of where Ice Cream Sandwich placed us around six months ago. Aside from grabbing a name change, the minor numerical bump also provides Jelly Bean the opportunity to usher in a few new features for Nexus owners to enjoy.
If you missed yesterday’s keynote, Google revealed that Android 4.1 would arrive on Nexus devices in “mid-July,” but there’s no clear word on when partner companies will begin pushing it to their products. Moreover, pundits are quick to point out the legions of Android products that still haven’t made the leap to 4.0, leaving us to wonder if those Froyo and Gingerbread laggards will simply take the fast track to 4.1 now that it’s (almost) available. Care to see if the latest and greatest will live up to your expectations once it lands in a few weeks? Head on past the break as we discuss some of the larger changes that Jelly Bean has to offer.
Being a lawyer isn’t perhaps as much fun as it seems in the movies, in reality involving weeks of reading incredibly boring documents. Which is why many of them are probably now celebrating, as a recent court ruling suggests that computers can take over part of their job for them. More »
This week the folks at Google have revealed a device manufactured by ASUS and made for the media-consuming public: the Nexus 7. This tablet is the first of its kind in several ways. First in its value proposition: an NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor inside a tablet with a price that up until now has been reserved only for devices with much, much less to offer. Second, the Nexus 7 represents Google’s first attempt at a tablet for their Nexus series. Third, it’s the first tablet to be working with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.
Hardware
This tablet certainly isn’t the thinnest 7-inch tablet in the world at 0.41″, but it’s extremely light, and the relatively soft plastic back is super comfortable to handle. This device is sized at 7.8″ x 4.72″ x 0.41″ so you can fit it in your back pocket if you wish, and the display, at a whopping 7-inches with 1280 x 800 pixel LED-backlit IPS (216 ppi), is more than fabulous enough for your HD-loving eyeballs. For comparison’s sake: the Galaxy Tab 7.7 is 196ppi and the iPad 3 is 264ppi, so you’ve got a device that’s right up there in the big leagues.
It’s brighter than you could possibly need it to be in any average day’s activities indoors, comes in a couple different color combinations: black and black (though our Google I/O edition with a black/white combination may be a sign of things to come), and feels really nice to work with. The back-facing camera is certainly OK, but isn’t a vast improvement over anything we’ve seen before, with quality just high enough that we’ll not be taking many photos with it at all – a good thing, too, since this device does not come with a camera app installed because of its push for Google+ hangouts – and eventual Project Glass interaction.
You’ve got a bit of a hidden bonus in the fact that this is one of the only tablets on the market today that uses a standard microUSB for charging. You’ll want to use the included power converter from the package, of course, but running through that little standard port is good for everybody. The speakers are generous on their own, with a single slit running down the back for blasting, but as you’ll come to realize through this review, this device was made more for sharing to other devices – like the brand new Google Nexus Q, introduced at Google I/O 2012 right alongside the Nexus 7. Have a peek at the Q in action here:
Software
Inside of this device you’ll find Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, an updated version of the Google mobile operating system that takes what Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich did for both the smartphone and the tablet and pumps it up with a few applications and features that make it all just a bit more tasty. This device is focused heavily on the Google Play store, as it will be immediately apparent once you’ve had a peek at this hands-on video:
This device is also ready to rock with the TegraZone for games. NVIDIA’s gaming portal TegraZone is a place we’ve visited quite a few times in the past few months here on SlashGear – have a peek at games such as Max Payne Mobile and Renaissance Blood to see what beasts await your game-loving fingers.
Then other than the Jelly Bean upgrades you’ve seen above, there’s not one whole heck of a lot here that wont be available to the rest of the Android universe immediately if not soon. If you loved Ice Cream Sandwich on your tablet – or even if you loved Honeycomb on your tablet, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how this device’s software takes advantage of everything great from those previous versions of the OS and adds a bunch more in all the right places.
Have a peek at a few benchmarks from this device as well to see how the software and the hardware add up with one another:
Connectedness
Though we’ve seen this device connect with the Nexus Q, and quite impressively so, we’ll need a bit more convincing before it’s time we call this a device better at sharing than the HTC One series or the Galaxy S III. Sharing is indeed at the center of this device’s launch, on the other hand, moving forth with mostly its hands on music and videos at parties and in the home. We saw this device demonstrated once and then demonstrated again with its ability to connect via Wi-fi to the Nexus Q. With the Nexus Q in tow, this tablet appears quite apt to control your whole home media experience quite easily – and it’s fun, too!
Battery
We generally want to be clear with you on how well the battery performs in a device after we’ve had that device for an extended period of time. As we’ve not yet had this tablet as long as we normally would for such a test, we’ll be filling this section in later – check back soon!
Wrap-Up
What you’ve got here is a fun machine. Google worked with ASUS and NVIDIA here to bring on a media beast like no other, offered at a price that, sold exclusively through the Google Play store online (for now), is almost undeniable. Even those who want a tablet just to fiddle with should and probably will be considering this device first in the near future – unless they want an iPad.
With the iPad and the Amazon Kindle Fire being this device’s biggest competitors, you’ll want to know: which one is worth buying? There’s no perfect answer, but if I had a choice between the three and would get the chosen product for free, I’d of course pick the iPad – it costs more than 2 times this device’s base price for a reason. If I had to choose between the Nexus 7 and the Kindle Fire, I’d not think twice about picking the Google product. Every single feature on this tablet, unless you’re an Amazon junkie, is better than the Fire.
Consider this tablet the next time you’re getting prepped for a new tablet experience, and one that’s inexpensive enough to toss down a couple of bills without hesitation. Hackers – this is your key to the future, there’s no other choice.
Also remember that, as it is with all of our reviews: this isn’t the end. If you’ve got questions you still need answered, want us to do additional tests, please feel free to ask or request – we’ll do our best! Meanwhile don’t forget to hit up our Android portal for more Google mobile OS action through the future!
It’s time for the inevitable comparison between the newest tablet on the market, the Google Nexus 7, and the dominant device in this category: the iPad. While the comparison might seem like the obvious thing to do, it’s much more sensible to compare to the Amazon Kindle Fire – and before we get too deep into the specifications on either end, you need to know: Google is in a much better position right this second than Amazon. While the Kindle Fire has been a relatively giant force on the market over this past holiday season, it’s had nothing on the iPad’s market share in the entire time it’s been on the market. As for the Nexus 7, you’ve got a beast that’s ready and willing to be a competitor for both tablets.
The Google Nexus 7 is a tiny little beast of a tablet – where the iPad is an iconic piece of machinery, the Nexus 7 seems to be a bit more of a solid set of elements pounded together with a hammer into a device that’s meant to be perfect for the several specific purposes it was made for. The Nexus 7 was made to be a device with which you download and consume media from the Google Play store – movies, television shows, music, books, and magazines – and of course games. The iPad, on the other hand, was made to be a companion for you in all situations where the iPhone is too small.
As far as a simple specs comparison, you’ve go the following. And keep in mind we’re using the 3rd Generation iPad, aka the Retina Display iPad: Screen Size: iPad 9.7-inch 2048 x 1536 pixel LED-backlit IPS (264 ppi) / Nexus 7 7-inch 1280 x 800 pixel LED-backlit IPS (216 ppi) Device Size: 7.31″ x 9.5″ x 0.37″ / 7.8″ x 4.72″ x 0.41″ Processor: Apple A5X / NVIDIA Tegra 3 Cameras: 5-megapixel iSight camera, VGA front-facing camera / 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera Connectivity: AT&T and Verizon 4G LTE, Wi-fi / Wi-fi only (at the moment) Internal Storage Size: 16, 32, 64GB / 8GB, 16GB Battery: 11666 mAh / 4325 mAh Media: iTunes Store / Google Play Store Color Options: White, Black / White/Black combo, Black
Additional elements: iPad: Bluetooth 4.0, 30-pin dock connector port, accelerometer, magnetometer, ambient light sensor, gyroscope, GPS, AirPlay mirroring to Apple TV.
Both of these devices have been pushed as heroes for their respective pusher’s app and media stores, and both devices are certainly going to get their fair share of 3rd party accessory support (if they haven’t already.) The Nexus 7 has the bonus – if you can call it that – of having several hardware/software companies with vested interests in its success: Google, ASUS, and NVIDIA. The iPad, on the other hand, has quite a few 3rd party supporters, with developers aiming apps at the one device specifically as well as Apple’s attention squared solely upon it for its software.
The price is going to be a giant factor for you if you plan on heading out to purchase a tablet today. The starting price of the Nexus 7 is just $199 while the iPad, in the iteration we’re looking at here and above, starts at $499. The iPad is an iPad, and there’s no replacement for that. The Nexus 7, also, is the only Google tablet in the position that it’s in at the moment as well with the backing of three companies in the way you’re seeing this week, and having a real push from Google (as heard in the keynote today – see our I/O 2012 portal for more) for hacking.
Have a peek at the photos and video above and below for a bit more hands-on action and be sure to let us know what you think of this battle asap! Also hit up our Android portal and Apple portal for the most awesome portal battle of all!
Microsoft‘s attempts to have a billion dollar anti-competition fine crossed off the books have been rejected, with the European Union only conceding to a smaller discount on the penalty. Microsoft had submitted an appeal to the General Court of the European Union over an €899m ($1.12bn) 2008 “penalty for noncompliance” with a ruling that it must make third-party compatibility with its server systems more broadly available.
Instead of dismissing the fine, the EU court knocked €39m ($49m) off it, after deciding that the original ruling had been insufficiently clear in laying out to Microsoft the urgency of the requirement to change its behaviors. However, the overriding judgement – that Microsoft had purposefully made integrating third-party code so expensive to do that it rendered it much the same as noncompliance in the first place – was deemed safe.
The court “essentially upholds the Commission’s decision and rejects all the arguments put forward by Microsoft in support of annulment” it said in a statement.
Unsurprisingly, Microsoft itself isn’t as keen on the decision. “Although the General Court slightly reduced the fine,” it said in a statement, “we are disappointed with the Court’s ruling.” The company faced three separate fining incidents, dating back to 2004.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
