Hasta La Gadget!

Not much by way of detail here, but Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam just confirmed that his company is working on tablets with Google in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. Unfortunately, that’s all we’ve got to work with at the moment — McAdam said tablets are “part of the ‘next big wave of opportunities,’ but didn’t say what OS the Google devices would run, just that Verizon’s “looking at all the things Google has in its archives that we could put on a tablet to make it a great experience.” That sounds like something Google’s been working on for a while, so we’ll take a guess and say it’s Android-based, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see a Chrome OS tablet or netbook make the scene at some point in the future. We’re also wondering who’ll build this thing: any number of companies from Dell to Toshiba to MSI have already started working on Android tablets, and we’re sure HTC and Motorola would totally jump at the opportunity. A nice crisp confirmed fact wrapped in layers of chewy speculation — just how we likes it.

Update: Bloomberg scored some more details in an interview with Marquett Smith, Verizon’s VP of corporate communications; the tablet is said be Android-based, and more details will be released later this week. Let the wait begin!

Verizon confirms it’s working on a tablet with Google (Update: Android!) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 May 2010 18:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Netbooks that will run Google’s new Chromium operating system will be competitively priced in the range of $300-$400, says Google chief Eric Schmidt.

The Chrome OS netbooks are expected to hit retail shelves by the end of this year or early next year.

“Those prices are completely determined by the costs of the glass, the costs of the processor and things like that,” says Schmidt in this video dug up by Tech Radar, “but in our case Chrome OS and Android are free so there is no software tax associated with all of this.”

Google introduced Chrome OS two months ago as a lightweight, browser-based operating system that would boot up in seven seconds or less. Google hasn’t revealed who will be manufacturing the Chrome OS netbooks, but already Acer has said it expects to offer about a million of these devices this year.

Chrome OS netbooks could also be available on contract from phone service providers, says Schmidt.

But it’s not clear how well that strategy will work. Other netbook makers have already tried that in the U.S. with limited success. For instance, Nokia offers its Booklet 3G netbook for $300 with a two-year AT&T contract that requires a monthly data service fee. But the device is also available without the plan at Best Buy for $600.

The novelty factor of the Chrome OS operating system aside, the netbook market is extremely price sensitive. And if Google wants a share of that pie it will have to beat the price of the Windows-based devices.

See Also:

• Acer Plans a Million Chrome OS Netbooks, New E-Reader
• Five Things Google’s Chrome OS Will Do for Your Netbook
• Mock-ups Show a Google Chrome OS Tablet
• Google Chrome OS: Ditch Your Hard Drives, the Future Is the Web
  
• Google Chrome OS Netbook Specs Leaked?

Photo: (BlubrNL/Flickr)

The always optimistic Kogan isn’t just aiming at tablets, it’s posted a video showing off a new IPTV that could do what the big boys won’t when (if) it ships later this year. These Chinese built HDTVs feature WiFi and video on-demand widgets similar to what everyone else is doing, but things start to get interesting in this YouTube video (embedded after the break) around the 1:05 mark when he pulls up a Chrome browser window and navigates the internet easily using the remote, as well as testing out some gesture controlled games and a Bluetooth keyboard. More than a few no-name builders had displays with similar capabilities up and running at CES so while it’s easy to see someone shipping one or two of these but with Kogan’s track record (what happened to those OLED TVs?) it’s difficult to disguise our doubt it will be among them. True believers are invited to post suggestions for other features on the company blog — we’re thinking a dedicated Engadget Show channel is just what the doctor ordered.

Continue reading Kogan’s latest fantasy product? An IPTV with Chrome browser, WiFi & gaming

Kogan’s latest fantasy product? An IPTV with Chrome browser, WiFi & gaming originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 10 Apr 2010 11:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve been hearing talk of an Eee Pad since the end of 2009, even getting a sort of unofficial, official confirmation of its existence from ASUS exec Eric Chen. Now company chairman Jonney Shih has confirmed not only one tablet, but two. “Netbooks are the best combination of personal computing and cloud computing, but between netbooks and smartphones and e-readers, we think there will be a space for something like a tablet or slate PC.” This is where ASUS will insert a pair of models set to be unveiled sometime this year. One is said to run a Google OS of some sort, either Android or Chrome, the other running Windows. We’re expecting some level of hardware differentiation between the two as well, but at this point we don’t know anything else — except that the Google flavored version “will have a lot of media.” We like media.

ASUS’s Jonney Shih confirms two tablets, one for Googlites, one for Microsofties originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Finally, someone has solved the problem of HDTVs that aren’t shiny enough. TV- and monitor-maker Sceptre has just released a 24-inch LCD HDTV in sleek sleek chrome.

It’s not all about the beautiful exterior, though. These sets offer 1080p resolution, a 2ms response time, 4,000:1 contrast ratio, and dual HDMI ports. You’ll also get a USB port for listening to music and viewing digital photos. The chrome TV is Energy Star 3.0 compliant, so maybe it’ll even save you a few bucks. The neck and base are detachable, and the TV features a Kensington security slot, in case you want to carry it around with you.

You can pick up the chrome set at Sears, Kmart, Costo, and NewEgg.com for a list price of just $399. If chrome isn’t for you, this model also comes in black, red, pink, and blue.