Hasta La Gadget!

So you’ve seen how Apple intends to handle printing on its web-centric mobile device, now how about Google? The Mountain View crew has decided to solve one of Chrome OS‘ significant shortcomings — namely the lack of a printer stack or drivers — by interposing itself between apps and the printing hardware. Essentially, when you want to print you’ll be sending your request over to a Googlestation up in the clouds, which in turn will translate those instructions and forward them along to the nearest paper tarnisher. We say nearest, presuming that’s what you’d want, but the big deal here is that you’ll be able to use any device to print on any printer anywhere in the (internet-connected) world. It’s quite the brute force approach, but at least it assures you that whether you’re using a mobile, desktop or web app, you’ll be able to print without fear of compatibility issues. This project is still at a very early stage, but code and dev documentation are available now. Hit the source link to learn more.

Google Cloud Print service aims for unified, universal web printing method originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Apr 2010 07:54:00 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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The last time we heard anything about the launch schedule for Google’s Chrome OS it was summer of last year. At that time we were told a rather vague “second half of 2010” and, now that we’re entering the second quarter of the year, forgive us if we were starting to get a bit doubtful about that timeline. But, Google’s Eric Schmidt is here to assuage our fears, speaking at the Abu Dhabi Media Summit and indicating the little OS is still on track for that same, rather vague release window. That we’re still not getting a more specific date makes us think we’re probably looking at a release toward the end of the second half of this year, but just the same it seems like you shouldn’t wipe that Chrome-powered netbook off your wishlist for this upcoming holiday season just yet.

Eric Schmidt confirms Chrome OS is on schedule, on target originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember the $200 smartbook reference design that we saw at CES this year? Well, it’s back, it’s holding on to that same price and 7-inch enclosure, but this time it’s also showing off an expanded OS compatibility. Adapting the open source Chromium OS and another Linux variant to the ARM architecture of the prototype device was apparently not much of a hurdle for Freescale, who has an Android option in the works as well and claims to be just optimizing and enhancing the user experience at this point. Presumably one of the enhancements will be the installation of a capacitive touchscreen as the present demonstration requires either a mouse and keyboard or a resistive torture test to operate, but we’ll accept the company’s explanation that this is just a proof of concept and not the final product. Slide past the break to see some HTML5 video running on this bargain bin tablet, and hope that your friendly neighborhood OEM picks these designs up for some retail action.

Continue reading Freescale’s 7-inch tablet runs Android, Chromium OS or Linux, costs $200 (video)

Freescale’s 7-inch tablet runs Android, Chromium OS or Linux, costs $200 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 05:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft has had its run-ins with the cloud before, but if CEO Steve Ballmer is being serious (and we’re guessing he is), the company is about to get even more connected. Speaking with computer science students this week at the University of Washington, Ballmer was quoted as saying that “a year from now… 90 percent [of Microsoft employees would be working in the cloud].” He went on to say that the cloud base “is the bet, if you will, for our company,” and he noted that it’ll “create opportunities for all the folks in [the] room to do important research and build important projects.” It’s not like any of this is an epiphany, though; we’ve already seen a shift to Google Documents given the ability to access it from any web-connected computer, and with the proliferation of broadband on the up and up, it’s only a matter of time before it’s more convenient to open a web app than to wait for your taskbar to stop bouncing. In related news, Google Europe boss John Herlihy has essentially mirrored those thoughts, calling the desktop an item that will be “irrelevant” in three years. Why? Largely because most everything you’ll need a tower for will be available via a mobile or the web, but we all know that sect of hardcore gamers will keep the beige boxes rolling for at least another score.

Steve Ballmer emphasizes importance of the cloud, Google pretty much does likewise originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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