Hasta La Gadget!

We like the Google TV, we really do, we just think it needs another few months in the oven before it’s really going to rock anyone’s world. It won’t just be Google that makes or breaks it, though, and innovative uses like GameString Adrenalin are certainly going to help. That site offers what it calls “Personal Cloud Gaming,” letting you stream the output from seemingly any game on your PC to a browser, where it can be played on a number of devices. Chrome within the Google TV is just one of them, but given how something like a Revue comes with a keyboard and is usually attached to a big display it seems like a good choice. We can’t be sure what the lag is like when playing in this way, but the video embedded below does make it look pretty snappy — though hopefully the service doesn’t force you to listen to the same classic Prodigy that trailer does. Right now the service is in free beta, so have at it at the source link.

Continue reading GameString Adrenalin turns your Google TV into a game streamer, will WoW your couch (video)

GameString Adrenalin turns your Google TV into a game streamer, will WoW your couch (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 31 Oct 2010 17:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google’s taking a big leap with Google TV — unlike its competitors, who’ve all focused on delivering curated video content with inexpensive streaming devices, Google’s new platform brings Android, Chrome, and Flash directly to your TV in a variety of hardware configurations from Sony and Logitech. But whether you’re adding Google TV to your existing rig with a Logitech Revue or starting from scratch with a Sony Internet TV, the basic experience of using each product is the same — it’s the web on your TV, in all its chaotic and beautiful glory. Is this the future of television? Can Google do what no company has ever managed to do in the past and put a little PC in your TV? Read on to find out!

Continue reading Google TV review

Google TV review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 12:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There’s a lot we already know about Logitech’s Revue with Google TV, and after our walkthrough on Saturday’s Engadget Show, we also know just how NSFW the search results can be. All jesting aside, we did notice some amount of stuttering during our testing, and now we know why: for all intents and purposes, it’s a netbook. The knife wielding gurus over at iFixit tore into the Revue in order to see what kind of internals were powering it, and sure enough, a 1.2GHz Atom CPU was at the core. That’s marginally faster than the 1GHz A4 housed in the newest Apple TV, but there’s a lot more to process here than on Cupertino’s darling. There’s also 1GB of DDR3 memory as well as a grand total of 5GB NAND Flash (split between a Samsung and Hynix chip). Essentially, the hardware here is on par with netbooks from fall 2008 (the Dell Mini 9 is accurately mentioned), with “tons of open space” allowing the box to stay cool under pressure. So, you down with paying $300 for hardware you could’ve scored two years ago, or are you just now realizing that a basic HTPC isn’t that hard to setup.

Logitech Revue with Google TV torn down, netbook specs found within originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 08:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Although many of us use our laptops while sitting at a desk, they’re called “laptops” for a reason. But, there’s only so much lap-topping you can handle before your computer starts to heat up and make you rather hot and uncomfortable. A lapdesk might be the solution you’ve been looking for. Today, Logitech announced a new model for smaller laptops: the Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N550.

The N550 is for laptops that are 14.1-inches or smaller. Although netbooks don’t normally get as hot as laptops, it can still be a pain to hold the little computer on your lap and try to do a significant amount of typing. Not only will this solve the issue of laptop heat, but it will also solve the problem of poor audio quality from which most laptops suffer. According to a press release,

The Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N550 features precisely placed integrated stereo speakers that sit on either side of your laptop and deliver rich, full stereo sound. The lapdesk’s 4-layer, heat-shielding design, combined with the soft, air-mesh fabric, helps make laptop use more comfortable. The Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N550’s angled base raises your laptop screen to a comfortable viewing position, and integrated foldable bumpers on the lapdesk surface help keep your computer in place.

The Logitech N550 will be available in October for $59.99. Check out Logitech.com for more info.

Nearly five months after Google announced its first Android-based set-top box  software, Logitech has announced the details of the device based on it with hopes that the gadget will soon become a part of living rooms nationwide.

Logitech’s box for Google TV is called the Revue and will cost $300. It will combine cable programming with access to video from the web, photos from Flickr, games, and music from sites such as Pandora and Rhapsody. It will include HD video calling capability, Netflix, Chrome browser and an app that lets you use your iPhone or Android phone as a remote for the device.

The box is currently available for pre-order on the company’s website, Amazon.com and BestBuy.com. It will be in retail stores by the end of the month.

Google first announced its set-top box platform, Google TV, at the company’s developer conference in May. Since then, it has partnered with content creators such as HBO, CNBC, Turner Broadcasting and the NBA.

So far, Logitech and Sony have agreed to build the hardware for Google TV.

The Logitech Revue is a slim device powered by an Intel Atom CE4100 processor and a keyboard controller. To use it, consumers will need a broadband connection. With the bundled HDMI cable, users can link the Revue to the port on their TV, while another HDMI cable connects the Revue to the cable TV box.

Logitech’s thin, lightweight but rather clunky keyboard controller lets users interact with the device, search and choose what they want to watch.

But if you are wondering why the equivalent of the remote has so many buttons on it, Logitech says it chose a keyboard layout so anyone can just pick up and use it without going through a “learning curve.”

The controller also has a rather smooth touch pad with scroll and buttons such as back and home. Logitech has included buttons that control the TV, A/V receiver and DVR, which explains why the entire device looks so complicated. After all, it combines the TV remote and a computer keyboard into a single package.

Video calling from the sofa

One of the interesting features of the Logitech Revue box is the ability to make HD quality video calls from the TV. The accessories–Logitech TV Cam and Logitech Vid HD–lets consumers connect to the the Revue using USB and make calls without the need for a computer.

The TV cam has a wide-angle lens so it can capture the entire living room. And it includes 5x digital zoom so consumers can get up, close and personal, if they want.

The TV Cam and Vid HD software enable high-definition video calls of up to 720p. It includes some neat features such as call notifciation. For instance, if you receive a video call, the TV cam will blink to alert you of an incoming call.

If your TV screen is on, you will hear it ring and have the option to pick up or miss the call. The software also ensures that the TV lights up when you’ve missed a call – even when your TV is off.

Overall, the Logitech Revue seems impressive with its hardware specs (1080p, 60 frames per second output, two USB ports, Wi-Fi and ethernet connectivity). It will be interesting to see if Google TV can go mainstream, something that Apple with its Apple TV has failed to do so far.

See Also:

• Google TV Announces Network and App Partners, New Website
• Logitech Google TV Box Embarrasses Apple TV
• Google TV: Google, Sony, Intel Team-Up to Make Television
• Boxee CEO: Google TV Could Boost or Crush Us

Photo: Logitech