Hasta La Gadget!

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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It’s teardown time again, and this time the poor gadget under iFixit’s menacing spudger is the Samsung Series 5 3G Chromebook, one of Google’s follow-ups to the rather poorly-received Cr-48 Chromebook.

Before we get inside, it’s worth mentioning that Samsung has fixed the two big problems with the original. The trackpad now works properly (can it really have been so hard to get right? It’s not like trackpads are new tech) and the battery life is now a good long 8 hours. It is also a little faster thanks to its Atom N570 processor, and — according to iFixit CEO Kyle “The Can-Opener” Wiens — looks a lot better. I’m a sucker for clunky, utilitarian design, so I actually prefer the old one.

Then we dive inside the device. It’s possible to disassemble the whole thing with the spudger, a plastic opening tool, and a Phillips number 1 screwdriver.

The Series 5 is put together a lot like a vanilla netbook, with standard slot-in parts for things like Wi-Fi and 3G WWAN. The 16GB SanDisk SSD is also a standard plug-in module, so it should be possible to upgrade if you want to. In the pictures above, you can see the insides of both the new Chromebook and the original Cr48 for comparison.

Ifixit gives the Series 5 3G Chromebook a Repairability Score of 6 out of 10. Not bad. Be sure to check out the full teardown, complete with “huge” photographs of each step.

Samsung Series 5 3G Chromebook Teardown [iFixit. thanks, Kyle!]

See Also:

• Google Debuts Chromebook, the Web-Only Laptop
• Hands-On With Google's New Chromebook
• Google's Cr-48 Netbook Looks Gorgeous, Ditches Caps-Lock
• Cr-48

Generally, shouting commands at the internet isn’t going to get you very far but, if you’re just yelling a few destinations and search terms, Chrome extension Chaufr can take you where you need to go. A previous add-on, Speechify, let you speak to fill input fields, but couldn’t help you actually navigate the web. Chaufr, on the other hand, lets you simply say the magic word — “Engadget” — and it drops you right at our online doorstep. You can also use it to perform searches by saying Wikipedia, Google, Amazon, YouTube, or Yahoo followed by whatever it is you’re looking for. It worked well enough in our brief hands-on, but we do have one nit to pick — activating voice input requires you click on an icon in the tool bar then click on a microphone in the drop down menu. (Can’t a brother get a keyboard shortcut?) You can try it out for yourself by clicking on the source link.

Chaufr lets you shout searches, yell URLs at Chrome originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 May 2011 10:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google recently rolled out the beta release of Chrome 12, and now Cr-48 owners are getting a matching version of Chrome OS. This latest version, 0.12.433.48, brings bug fixes, Flash 10.2.158.22, a file manager context menu, and some spiffy new icons and avatars to its browser-based UI. We grabbed the update on our own Google-fied laptops and got some pics of the beta’s new bits for your viewing pleasure. We’re still getting acquainted with all of the changes, so if you’ve also copped the new Chrome OS let us know how it’s treating you in the comments.

[Thanks, Alex]

Google releases OTA update for Chrome OS, Cr-48 owners can upgrade now originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 20:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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