Google CEO explains why Chrome OS is different than Android
Google CEO Eric Schmidt has explained what will differentiate their Android OS from their upcoming Chrome OS, saying mainly that Chrome OS was created for devices that have full keyboards, whereas Android is better for touchscreen devices.
Chrome OS will soon be available on PCs, notebooks and netbooks, which will always include full keyboards, even if they have touchscreen interfaces.
Android, on the other hand, is best suited for smartphones and (eventually) tablets, which may sometimes have keyboards, but will always have a touchscreen.
When asked about Android fragmentation, Schmidt noted that he wants to make sure that in the future, the same apps can be run on all Android devices, no matter what version or what device.
Android 2.3 Gingerbread is expected in the coming weeks while Chrome OS is expected by January.
HP Slate sees unexpectedly high demand
The HP Slate 500 tablet is seeing stronger demand than expected, say multiple sources, with HP having trouble keeping up.
HP showed off the Slate at CES in January, and even shelved plans to release it before reviving it late in the summer.
The tablet sells for $800 and is dubbed as an “enterprise-only” device.
HP wanted to launch the tablet on November 12th but all pre-orderers are now seeing a two-week delay. The company says they do not have “on-hand stock” to complete orders.
“Due to high demand on the portable system you have selected we will not be able to fulfill the order from on hand stock, therefore we have routed your order to manufacturing for your product to be built. The average lead time to get these portables ready to ship may vary from 10 to 15 business days,” reads the note.
One source says the company only had 5000 in supply but received over 9000 pre-orders. Angry customers are even being offered up to $100 off of the device for waiting.
Kinect hits 1 million units sold
Microsoft has confirmed that the Kinect motion control system has hit its first major milestone today, reaching 1 million in unit sales.
The accessory went on sale in the U.S. and Canada just 10 days ago, and in the E.U. last week.
As a standalone device, Microsoft sells the system for $150. The software giant says it expects to sell 5 million by the end of the year.
Kinect is headed to broader Asia and finally Japan starting this week.
Microsoft sells Kinect as part of console bundles or standalone.
Windows Phone 7 devices get their first ‘certified’ microSD card
Yesterday we reported that Windows Phone 7 devices like the Samsung Focus could not have their storage easily upgraded, as you will need special “Certified for Windows Phone 7″ microSDHC cards.
Owners who attempt to update with a “regular” microSD card run the risk of messing up their phones, with AT&T even going as far as to put a sticker on the microSD card holding bracket with the capital letters “STOP!”
Today, however, SanDisk has confirmed the first “certified” card, with Samsung’s support pages saying the following:
Compatible micro SD cards will be branded as “Windows Phone 7 Compatible” on the packaging. Approved cards can be obtained from the manufacturer or carrier. (The SanDisk 8GB class 2 micro SD card has been certified.)
The company also warns that once you use the card in your WP7 device, it will become unusable for other devices.
Says Samsung (via EWM):
Once inserted and properly formatted, the memory card becomes an inseparable part of the phone. A micro SD card inserted into a Windows Phone 7 device, and integrated into the device’s file system, is intended to be a permanent modification to the device. Once a micro SD card has been integrated into a Windows Phone 7 device’s file system, it will no longer be readable or writable on any other devices such as computers, cameras, printers, and so on. This includes an inability to format the micro SD card for use in these devices
Xbox 360 used for gaming only 60 percent of the time
According to Microsoft Interactive Entertainment Business CFO Dennis Durkin, gamers of the Xbox 360 are using the console less and less for actual gaming, with the console being used to play games only 60 percent of the time now.
Non-gaming activities include streaming movies, streaming music, Internet browsing, Twitter, Facebook and more.
“What we found is the core gamer might be the person who brought the console into the house, but as you widen the choices of content, it broadens what people can do with the system,” added Durkin (via Cnet).
Xbox Live subscribers also spend an average of three hours online, every day, notes Durkin.
Microsoft recently upped the price of a Gold subscription to XBL by 20 percent, citing heavily increased infrastructure costs, thanks mainly to a large increase in streaming.
Google shows off Nexus S with NFC features
Google CEO Eric Schmidt has shown off the upcoming Nexus S device today at the Web 2.0 summit, finally confirming that the device at least exists.
It will launch via T-Mobile, likely before the end of the year.
Outside of those facts, Schmidt would only call the Nexus S an “unannounced phone” from “an unannounced manufacturer” although most leaks seem to indicate it will come from Samsung.
The CEO also confirmed that Android 2.3 Gingerbread is coming within the “next few weeks” and definitely before Christmas.
A new key technology for Google is apparently the addition of NFC chips, a standard that should make commerce even easier than swiping a physical credit card.
Man convicted over Tweet loses appeal
In May, UK citizen Paul Chambers was convicted of sending a ‘menacing’ tweet via Twitter, with the British Court fining him £2500 and slapping him with a criminal record.
In early January, the airport in South Yorkshire was closed due to excessive snow and Chambers was so mad that he wrote: “Crap! Robin Hood Airport is closed. You’ve got a week and a bit to get your s*** together otherwise I’m blowing the airport sky high!”
Airport security officials saw the tweet and then passed on the complaint to the local authorities.
Chambers lost his job after being arrested, and was the first person to ever be convicted of a crime just for tweeting.
This week, a judge has refused to overturn the conviction, effectively ending Chamber’s appeal.
The judge then yelled at the courtroom as a number of those sitting in the crowd were tweeting updates as the case progressed.
Thousands of Chamber’s supporters took to Twitter after the decision, using the “trending topic” #IAmSpartacus to post menacing messages, with some threatening to blow up the White House, Downing Street, “everyone” and all other types of nouns.
Intel slashes prices on SSDs
Intel has slashed the prices on their range of SSDs today, as well as adding a new, larger 120GB version to the line.
The line of X25-M maninstream drives will each see a solid discount as the holiday season approaches.
Starting with the 160GB model, the MSRP will drop to $415, the 80GB model will drop to $200 and the small 40GB will drop to $100.
The new 120GB model will sell for $250. The new version will offer the best per/GB value of the entire line.
For now the new prices seem effective only in the U.S., but expect it to be extended to the U.K., as well.
Japan gets first LTE service
NTT DoCoMo has announced this week the launch of Xi, the first LTE (Long Term Evolution) data service in Japan.
The carrier will begin the rollout on December 24th.
Xi should offer download speeds as high as 75 Mbps, ten times faster than the carrier’s current FOMA 3G.
While it will not immediately be available for smartphone owners, the company will start selling USB dongles in December that will allow computers to connect to the lightning fast data service.
Phones with Xi support will start shipping in April, 2011.
Initial cities to have the service are Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka.
DoCoMo will offer two billing plans, each with contract. The first is for up to 5GB per cycle, but pricing is unavailable. The unlimited plan will cost 4935 yen, or about $60 USD.
Windows Phone 7 devices need ‘certified’ MicroSD cards
AT&T has said today that Windows Phone 7 devices like the Samsung Focus will need special MicroSDHC cards, as removable storage is not yet supported officially by the new mobile OS.
However, Microsoft is certifying certain cards that are set for release soon, each of which will have a “Certified for Windows Phone 7″ sticker that means they can be used in WP7 devices.
The cards will each have “optimal performance” and current cards on the market do not qualify.
Because the Focus and other WP7 devices do not have expandable storage, you need to replace the on-board storage, which requires a full wipe of the device.
Users who try to replace the storage on their Focus are greeted by a Stop! message from AT&T, warning them that they might brick their device.
