The Chromebook Pixel with LTE, which we just reviewed this morning, will finally ship on April 8. The device runs $1449 for those with an extra pile or two of cash lying around. In our review, we had mostly positive things to say about the hardware, but the lacking Chrome OS software makes this price seem insanely high. You can pack all of the high-end displays, keyboards, and etched-glass touchpads you want into a device, but if it’s just a glorified browser, it’ll be tough to justify it at any premium price level.

Play Link

Via:  Engadget

Chromebook Pixel With LTE Ships by April 8! is a post from: Droid Life

Attention Chrome and Android users, stop filling out those expense reports and take the next 10 minutes to have some fun-time. This morning, a new Chrome experiment is turning any website you choose into a big marble maze game. Using your Android or iOS device as a controller, you tilt and slowly (or quickly) work your way through levels, collecting coins trying to reach the end of the level. 

Some sites are a lot of fun to try. For example, if you do Droid Life, you take a ride along our top pink bar and have free roaming inside of our logo as well. Once you take an elevator to the next level, it’s an intense experience navigating through our articles and images. It’s a blast.

You can play it yourself by following this link.

Google Chrome Experiment Turns Your Favorite Site Into a Giant Marble Maze is a post from: Droid Life

During a recent discussion with reporters in India, Eric Schmidt took the time to set some things straight in regards to Android, the Chrome OS, and even rumors that Schmidt was looking to leave Google. There has been slight speculation that Chrome and Android would somehow merge, with Andy Rubin leaving Android, and Sundar Pichai taking over both sections, including Chrome and Apps. 

Although Schmidt claims you may see overlap of the two, that Chrome and Android will remain separate. Lastly, as for Eric having thoughts about leaving Google, he dispelled that by saying the rumors are completely false and that, “Google is my home.”

Were you one of the folks hoping to see a merger? As for me, I would have liked to see some Android functionality in Chrome, but we will have to see what some of these “overlaps” entail.

Via: CNET

Cheers Dan!

Eric Schmidt Says Android and Chrome Will Stay Separate, But You May See Overlap is a post from: Droid Life

Not sure what else to say. Maybe next year it’ll be a phone.

A little late night discussion – take it wherever you please.

Google Finally Released a New Nexus With Verizon LTE, Except It’s a Chromebook is a post from: Droid Life

Google just announced the Chromebook Pixel, a device that was originally thought to be an internet myth or joke. After reading through the press release, let’s just say that this is far from a joke or myth – it’s the real deal and looks amazing. It has a beautiful 12.85″ Gorilla Glass touch display with 239ppi (2560 x 1700), the highest pixel density of any laptop screen on the market. The Pixel also sports an Intel i5 processor, 4G LTE (from Verizon), and as is the case with all Chromebooks, is built for the cloud. There is a backlit keyboard, two USB 2.0 ports, mini-display port, 2-in1 card reader, 4GB RAM, 32/64GB solid state drive, headphone jack, microphone, and should last for 5 hours with active use.

The Pixel is already available on Google Play starting at $1299 for the WiFi-only version, with the LTE model dropping in at $1449.

The news just dropped, so we’ll flag this as “developing” until we can fully immerse ourselves in the announcement.

In the mean time, watch the video below. 

Google Play Links:  WiFi version ($1299) | 4G LTE version ($1449)

Developing…

Click here to view the embedded video.

Via:  Google Blog | Pixel

Google Announces the Chromebook Pixel, No We Aren’t Trolling You is a post from: Droid Life

Update:  Google announced the Chromebook Pixel this afternoon, making their first touchscreen Chromebook official.

Remember the video that surfaced at the beginning of February that was said to be Google’s new touchscreen Chromebook called the Pixel? You know, the concept promo clip that was later debunked as being mostly garbage, and a publicity ploy from someone looking for internet attention? Let’s just say that while that video may not be real, a touchscreen device running Chrome OS certainly does make sense, especially with Microsoft fully attacking the touchscreen laptop market with Windows 8. According to a report out of the Wall Street Journal, Google has already begun developing a touchscreen solution for Chrome OS that will be made available some time later this year. 

We will likely see Chrome OS laptops with touchscreens along with hybrid devices that have detachable faces or foldable bodies that can essentially be used as Chrome OS tablets. No word yet on manufacturing partners or a release time frame other than some point in 2013.

Touch devices are the way of the future, so if Google wants to continue to push Chrome OS, they need to get into the touchscreen game sooner rather than later. They have seen some success in schools, businesses, and government offices, but the mainstream consumer has yet to fully buy into an operating system based off of Google’s popular browser. Adding touch or making devices into hybrids that act as tablets is way to bridge that gap.

We’re sort of curious as to what this means for Android or if it means anything at all. Android is the future gold mine for Google, but that doesn’t mean they should stay out of the consumer PC market either.

Via:  Wall Street Journal

Cheers 

Report: Google Already Working on Touchscreen Chromebooks to be Sold This Year is a post from: Droid Life

Today, there is some potentially exciting “news” about Google and Chromebooks. Without diving too far into the back story, let’s talk about the actual video and then we will discuss how it came to be leaked to the Internet. In this video, a narrator (that we wish was Morgan Freeman), discusses pixels and their importance to anything image-related. Now, imagine a Chromebook that featured a touchscreen display with a resolution of 2560 x 1700. Too good to be true, right? Maybe or maybe, not. No one has been able to confirm if this is real or not. 

It is referred to in the video as the Chromebook Pixel. Think of this device as a Nexus-like Chromebook, designed and manufactured entirely by Google, “down to the last pixel.” It is quite the video, which someone clearly spent a ton of time working on. From what we can tell, this isn’t your everyday sloppy leaked video. So, how did it come to light?

According to the CEO of the website, Slinky.Me, the video was stolen after their servers were “hacked.” Interestingly enough, some are speculating that this is some type of hypebeasting move by either Slinky or even Google to get people excited for what is next in the Chromebook department.

Watch the video and let us know what you think. If this thing ever becomes real, I might just have to be the first in line. Needless to say, it’s gorgeous.

Via: +François Beaufort | Android Authority

Google Chrome Pixel Concept Video Leaked, Gives Us Glimpse of a Beautiful Future is a post from: Droid Life

We have a new Chromebook to add to the family tree this morning. Teaming with HP, Google announced the HP Pavilion 14, starting at $329.99. The device features a 14″ 1366 x 768 HD display, is powered by a 1.1GHz Intel Celeron 847 processor, offers of 2GB of DDR3 RAM, and gets up to four hours and fifteen minutes of battery life.

If you are into or want to get started with the Chrome OS, you can pick up one of these starting today right from HP’s site.

Buy.

Via: Google

Google and HP Team Up for New Chromebook, Dubbed the HP Pavilion 14 is a post from: Droid Life

Google has rebooted their Chromebook series within the past few months with two new models for us to get our hands on, but rumor has it that they aren’t stopping there. According to DigiTimes, there is evidence pointing towards a new 12.85″ Chromebook coming out next year that will feature a screen that is touch sensitive. This all brings back memories of the Chrome OS tablet that was supposedly going to be launched, but Google seems to have found a better idea. 

Releasing a Chrome tablet in competition with Android tablets would have certainly failed, but you can imagine a touchscreen being implemented on the Chromebook easily. Throw in a flippable screen like Windows 8 laptops are using now and keep the low price and you’ve got yourself a nifty little device.

Would you be interested in a touchscreen Chromebook?

Via: Android Headlines

Google Planning to Launch 12.85″ Touchscreen Chromebook Next Year? is a post from: Droid Life

Moments ago, Google unveiled their newest partnership with Acer to introduce the all new Acer C7 Chromebook. Having a new Chromebook is awesome, but what’s even more insane is the price tag. Priced at just $199, the device sports a 11.6″ display, capable of up to 3.5 hours of battery life. Sure, you’ll need to bring your charger with you everywhere you go, but that is still pretty great for those who are in the market for an ultra-portable computing device.

The C7 goes on sale starting tomorrow directly on Google Play and at Best Buy.

So, $199 for a Chromebook that stays alive for 3.5 hours. Picking one up?

Acer C7 Landing Page

Via: Google

Google Intros New Acer C7 Chromebook, Priced at an Extremely Low $199 is a post from: Droid Life

Today, we’re getting the first glimpse into a project created by Android developer, Hexxeh, who has successfully ported the open source Chrome OS to a Nexus 7 tablet. The port isn’t ready for everyone’s tablets quite yet, but as soon as some bugs are worked out, it will be released for all. Nifty, right? 

To learn more about the project, check out the developer’s blog post right here.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: Chromium OS Ported to Nexus 7, Up and Running is a post from: Droid Life

Google’s Chrome OS and Chromebook have had a bumpy life so far, but their latest announcement today might increase sales in the right direction. Samsung and Google have gotten together for another Chromebook, but kept the price to a low $250. The 11.6″ laptop is only .8″ thick and has a 6.5-hour battery life. A dual-core Samsung Exynos processor powers the device which can muster up 1080p playback as well. 

But the memory is what sets Chromebooks apart, or the lack thereof. It comes packed with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of Flash memory. Google is betting on the cloud with these laptops, offering you 100GB of Google Drive space for 2 years so you can save all your pictures and files directly to the cloud. Google even mentioned that these laptops would have Google Now integration which would be very interesting on something other than a tablet or mobile phone.

Pre-orders start today at Amazon and PC-World, but if you want to wait you can buy it soon directly from the Play Store or other retailers. What do you think? Does this price pack enough specs to get you interested? Or are you not ready for the cloud yet?

Click here to view the embedded video.

Via: Google

Google Announces the “New” Chromebook, $250 Price Tag Might Give it Second Life is a post from: Droid Life

Today, Google unveiled the next generation of Chrome OS-based devices they have built with their partner Samsung. The new 550 series of Chromebooks are faster and built with portability in mind, while on the other hand, the Chromebox is exactly what a wired-in Chrome-lover would use as a permanent fixture either at the home or office. With Google’s new Chrome UI, accessing the web, applications/games , and Drive files has never been easier. 

In accordance with this launch, Google is teaming up with Best Buy stores to display the new devices for people to have a first hand experience with the newly revamped OS. Need to get your hands on one today? You can pick up a new Chromebox today at Amazon for just $330.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Via: Google

Google Announces Next Step for the Chrome OS, the Samsung Chromebox is a post from: Droid Life

One of the most interesting yet useless accessories to the Droid Bionic is the lapdock. When I first saw it at CES I thought it had some potential even though I was astounded that it came with Firefox instead of Chrome. As the reviews came out and I finally spent some time with it, it became obvious that it was hardly useful between the half-baked OS and the horrible mouse and keyboard. That said, I do think that Motorola had a great idea with a bad implementation.

As phones become more powerful and limitations are breached, we’ll still have the issue of trying to do something on a small screen that works better on a larger screen. Motorola’s lapdock and desktop adapter are both trying to give users other form factors to interact with their content on their phones. The problem is, I don’t think Motorola really understands what problem they’re trying to solve (if any). 

I’ve never had the desire to use my phone on a larger screen, except for something like a game. I think that is why many people avoided the original Galaxy Tab and waited for Honeycomb – they want a different experience on different form factors. Google’s UI makes sense on a phone, but it doesn’t translate in a mouse and keyboard implementation. Motorola’s attempt to remedy that issue with an application dock and Firefox (seriously, how did Andy Rubin not demand they make the browser Chrome?) gave the illusion of a desktop experience without really delivering.

I think the problem that a laptop or desktop implementation needs to address is twofold: notifications and applications. When I’m working on my computer I usually have my Gmail and TweetDeck running in Chrome to notify me about new emails and replies on Twitter. The problem is, I usually have my phone right next to me as well for phone calls and text messages. For phone things that’s fine, but I end up having a notification on my phone and on my desktop for new tweets or emails. The Gmail notification will disappear on my phone once I check my email on my desktop, which is fantastic, but the Twitter notification will stay there until I dismiss it regardless of what application or website I use to read my tweets. This notification problem is only multiplied when you add a tablet to the mix. Instead of finding my multiple devices giving me increased productivity, I find that I’m dismissing notifications left and right instead of getting things done.

The other problem that needs to be solved is the problem with applications on lapdock and deskdock form factors. The ASUS Transformer represents one possible solution: use a mouse and keyboard on Honeycomb. This solution may fit some users’ needs, but I don’t think it’s the best solution. A second solution would be for Google to develop their own desktop OS like Windows, OS X, or Linux for lapdocks to boot into. At this stage in the game, however, I don’t think Google sees any value in creating their own desktop OS. Because everything is slowly becoming more mobile, I think Google will continue to push Android and the third option: Chrome OS.

I’ll be among the first to say that there are some serious limitations to Chrome, but I’ve also found that the majority of the time I don’t have anything open on my MacBook, netbook, or desktop save Chrome. When I need to sit down and write a paper for class I still open up Microsoft Word, but if Google Docs offered more functionality then I would have no reason to use Word. I know for a lot of people they need larger apps like QuickBooks, Photoshop, and Final Cut Pro to really be productive, but I don’t see any reason why Chrome couldn’t fit the needs to most users. As our computing experiences continue to move to the web and storage issues continue to be solved by the cloud with various services I think many people will be able to move to a Chrome only experience.

I know I would feel more inclined to try a lapdock form factor if it booted into Chrome and my phone’s notifications were tied into the system. It is not a one size fits all solution, but that kind of thing won’t exist until Windows Phone 7 devices are powerful enough to boot Windows on a connected device. Even then, by the time cell phones are powerful enough to handle running a full separate OS like Windows I imagine more and more companies will be making versions of their applications that are web-only. I think there will come a time where Internet speeds will stop barring innovation and where people will be able to have full desktop applications like QuickBooks or Photoshop run in their browser.

Many of these things are still far off, but a good first step to resolving these problems with notifications and making lapdock and deskdock form factors useful would be to use Chrome OS. I think there will always be a place for a mouse and keyboard form factor because touch doesn’t always make sense. As computing continues to become more mobile and as technology improves, we may eventually be able to have one device that connects to different form factors.

What do you think? Would you be more inclined to buy a lapdock or desktop dock if it ran Chrome OS? Do you think things will continue to move to the web, or will there always be a place for operating systems like Windows, OS X, and Linux?

Making the Lapdock Useful [Opinion] is a post from: Droid Life