Latest news with #ChromeOS
WIRED
7 hours ago
- Business
- WIRED
Gear News of the Week: Chrome OS Will Merge With Android and Sony Surprises With a New Camera
Plus: Omega drops a summery Seamaster, EcoFlow unveils a whole-home energy backup system, and Viture has new smart glasses. Courtesy of Omega; Sony; Viture All products featured on WIRED are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links. It's been speculated on. It's been rumored. It's been hoped for. And according to an interview with TechRadar, it's happening. Android ecosystem president Sameer Samat says Google plans to combine Chrome OS and Android 'into a single platform.' Google has kept its phone and tablet operating systems distinct from its laptop platform. There has been plenty of crossover over the years—the biggest being the introduction of Android apps to Chromebooks back in 2016—but they have always coexisted. With Samat's new statement, though, change is afoot. In the interview, Samat also followed up on a comment made to WIRED's Julian Chokkattu at Google I/O this year, hinting at a future Google laptop, stating that 'he's interested in how people are using their laptops these days.' The last Google laptop was the Pixelbook Go in 2019, which followed the ill-fated Pixel Slate 2-in-1 in 2017. If Google does plan to merge the new platforms, having flagship Google hardware on hand is a must. — Luke Larsen Pixels Are on the Way Rick Osterloh, senior vice president of devices and services at Alphabet Inc., during the Made By Google launch event in Mountain View, California, US, on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. Alphabet Inc.'s Google is rolling out upgraded smartphones, watches and earbuds, aiming to take on Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. and offer more ways to use artificial intelligence. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via GettyIn other Google news, the company has set a date for its Made by Google event, where it's expected to debut the Pixel 10 series smartphones, a new Pixel Watch, and new wireless earbuds. The keynote takes place on August 20 in Brooklyn, New York, and it kicks off at 1 pm ET (10 am Pacific). It'll be livestreamed as usual. Google used to hold its big hardware event in October, but changed things up last year, putting the Pixel release date ahead of the iPhone, with more breathing room ahead of the holiday shopping season. The highlight of this year's release—other than marking 10 years of Pixel—is that Google is rumored to be moving to TSMC chips for its Tensor G5 chipset due to issues with Samsung's foundry. Sony Surprises With a New Camera Sony has dropped a new full-frame camera out of the blue, the RX1R III. The RX1R series was last updated nine years ago. Why now? If I had to guess, I'd say it has a lot to do with the success of compact fixed-lens cameras, like the Leica Q series, Fujifilm X100 series, and the Fujifilm GFX100RF. Sorry you had to wait almost 10 years, RX1 fans, but better late than never. What do you get out of a 10-year development cycle? Turns out … not that much. The RX1R III is pretty much a repackaged a7R V in terms of image capabilities. There's the same 61-megapixel full-frame sensor paired with the a7R V's Bionz XR image processor and the dedicated AI chip. That's a significant upgrade for this camera relative to the last model in the series, but there's no brand-new tech here. More interesting are the design changes. The RX1R III ditches the pop-up electronic viewfinder of the RX1R II in favor of a rear-mounted viewfinder, making it look a bit like Sony's high-res travel camera, the a7R C. Also, Sony dropped the articulating rear screen; this one is fixed like the very first RX1R. Probably the best upgrade here is that the RX1R III uses Sony's larger batteries, the NP-FW50, which will dramatically improve battery life. One thing that hasn't changed at all since this series was launched in 2012 is the built-in Zeiss Sonnar T* 35-mm f/2 lens. The big question here is, how will this more-than-a-decade-old lens work with the latest and greatest autofocus? We'll let you know when we get our hands on a review unit later this year. — Scott Gilbertson Omega's Summer Seamaster Omega this week dropped a bright, summery version of its excellent Seamaster Diver 300M, following on February's bronze gold and burgundy watch. While, yes, it's not exactly a groundbreaking departure from last year's original, it hits all the right notes, mainly thanks to how strong November's first iteration was. However, this model has an edge over its siblings. The aluminum bezel and stylish mesh bracelet remain, but look closely and you'll see subtle changes, most pleasing of which is that the wave-pattern on the dial has been replaced with a flat, matte-textured black. For the orange enthusiasts, note the lollipop seconds hand, and indices at 12, 3, 6, and 9 have all been given a pop of color. A final flourish is the matching orange 'Seamaster' dial signature. As with last year's 42-mm original, we'd still opt for the mesh bracelet ($6,800), but if you want to go totally tangerine, then spec the integrated orange rubber strap at $6,500. Regardless of strap selection, with the Caliber 8806 inside (certified as a Master Chronometer by METAS) and water resistance to 300 meters, this piece—either in orange or the original black—is currently WIRED's pick of Omega's lineup. — Jeremy White EcoFlow Launches a Home Battery System Whether you're worried about power outages or unpredictable weather events, or looking to better manage rising energy costs, EcoFlow's new Ocean Pro system is targeting you. This whole-home energy backup system pairs modular 10-kWh batteries (expandable up to 80 kWh) with an inverter that can handle up to 40-kW solar panel arrays. Ocean Pro can output up to 24 kW continuously, enough to fully power most households, including HVAC systems, EV chargers, and other appliances. The brain of the Ocean Pro system is its Smart Home Panel, allowing for real-time energy monitoring and AI forecasting on weather, pricing, and usage to automate your smart home systems. The system can act as a backup with a 10-millisecond switchover time should the grid fail. Ocean Pro can also export power to the grid, and there's support for the Virtual Power Plant (VPP) network to export excess energy based on need and electricity prices. EcoFlow offers a 15-year warranty, with an IP67 rating for water resistance and flood resistance up to 2.6 feet. The kit can handle extreme temperatures (from –4 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit) and has built-in fire prevention. The Ocean Pro also passed the UL 9540B safety certification for energy storage systems. Most folks install them on the side of their house, so the batteries come in a choice of aluminum, carbon fiber, or walnut finishes. These systems are a big jump up from the EcoFlow portable power stations and power banks we've tested, but the company has been selling its PowerOcean home batteries in Europe for a while, and they have a decent reputation. The Ocean Pro beats Tesla's Powerwall 3 on two key fronts: It can handle more solar (double) and it can store more energy (Tesla maxes out at 54 kWh). But Ocean Pro will not be cheap. Exact pricing depends on your home and the size of the system, but just a couple of batteries and the inverter will cost around $10,000. Ocean Pro is available directly from EcoFlow now. — Simon Hill Viture's Luma Series Smart Glasses Purveyor of gaming-focused virtual display glasses, Viture just announced a whole new lineup. The Luma Series has four models: Luma, Luma Pro, Luma Ultra, and the Beast. Aside from a sharper display across the board, Viture's main addition in the top three models is a front-facing camera to allow for spatial capture and 6 degrees of freedom (dof) using its Spacewalker app, though this is not available yet. The Luma Pro I have been testing gives you a 152-inch virtual display with a 52-degree field of view at up to 1200p resolution and 1,000 nits of brightness. Viture describes them as 4K-like, despite the resolution, but what it means is that this is its sharpest display yet. The clarity and brightness are excellent. There's also electrochromic film to darken the shades, and full customization with nose pieces, diopter dials, and adjustable temples with lighting effects. Viture's Pro XR glasses topped our Best Smart Glasses guide until the Xreal One Pro displaced them. The key advantage Xreal's glasses have is a hardware chip that allows 3 dof, so you can pin screens in place. Up until now, Viture's virtual displays moved with you when you moved your head (unless you used its Pro Neckband wearable Android computer or Spacewalker app). But the Luma Pro and up will support 6 dof, allowing you to move in 3D space, though it will still be handled through software on your connected device. Viture also offers AI-powered 2D to 3D conversion across its glasses. The entry-level Luma ($399) lacks the camera and is set to land in September. The Luma Pro ($499) is available now, but the 6-dof functionality will be enabled via Spacewalker later. The Luma Ultra ($599), coming in August, gets a little brighter with newer Sony Micro-OLED panels, and also sports dual-depth cameras and wider 6-dof platform support, including MacBook and Windows. The flagship model, the Beast ($549), landing in October, ups the field of view to 58 degrees and the display size to 176 inches, and it has built-in hardware to enable 3 dof, with 6 dof via software, and a built-in microphone. — Simon Hill Sony and NFL Have a Headset Deal for 2025 Season Sony is jumping into business with the National Football League. The two megabrands announced a partnership this week that includes a custom-developed Sony headset as the primary communications device for NFL head coaches. The headset may look familiar to fans of Sony's popular wireless headphones, as the design borrows heavily from the brand's flagship WH-1000X series, from engineering insights to the look and feel of the earcups. Sony says the headset has undergone extensive testing in rain, snow, cold, and extreme heat to take on the notoriously bad-weather games NFL coaches endure, as well as drop testing for mishaps (and presumably flaring tempers). Sony not only brought its years of noise-canceling experience to the system, but also optimized it for real-game environments using crowd noise at over 100 decibels, according to Sony Audio product manager Gator Nakahashi. Sideline communication will be handled by a custom mic transmitted over Verizon Business' Private Wireless Solution. The headsets will hit the field at the start of the 2025 season as the Cowboys take on the Eagles on September 4. — Ryan Waniata
Gizmodo
a day ago
- Business
- Gizmodo
HP 15.6″ Chromebook Crashes to 70% Off, Cheapest 4.5-Star Laptop Today Only at Best Buy
Juggling emails, streaming classes, and video chatting with family can be tough on an older computer, especially if it groans each time you open another tab. A fresh, lightweight laptop keeps everyday tasks smooth, and the HP 15.6″ Chromebook is aimed at exactly that kind of simple, reliable use. Whether you need a classroom companion, a second screen for the living room, or a travel friendly writing machine, this model covers the basics without piling on extras you will never touch. Head over to Best Buy to get the HP 15.6″ Chromebook Laptop for just $149, down from its usual price of $449. That's a discount of $300 and 67% off. See at Best Buy The large 15.6 inch screen gives you plenty of room to spread out a document on one side and a research tab on the other. Bright full HD resolution keeps text sharp and colors lively, so photos and movies pop even if you are working from a sunny patio. At the heart of the machine sits an Intel N200 processor and 8 gigabytes of memory, a combo that boots quickly and lets you slide between spreadsheets, chats, and playlists without the dreaded spinning icon. Storage lands at 64 gigabytes of built in eMMC, which is enough for homework files and offline Netflix downloads, and a microSD slot waits if you decide to double that space later. Because it runs ChromeOS, the laptop starts in seconds and stays updated automatically. That means no long installations at inconvenient times and no complicated antivirus programs. You sign in once with a Google account and your bookmarks, photos, and Drive documents appear like magic. Built in virus protection works quietly while you browse, so you can hand the computer to a curious child without worrying about surprise pop ups afterward. Portability is a strong point. The slim silver body slips into most backpacks, weighs a hair over three pounds, and gets up to eleven hours of battery life on a single charge, long enough for a full day of notes, lectures, and streaming on the bus ride home. Two USB C ports handle charging and fast file transfers, while a standard USB A slot keeps older peripherals in play. A 720p webcam with dual microphones is ready for virtual meetings, and Wi Fi 6 provides a solid internet connection in crowded networks like coffee shops or dorms. If you want a budget friendly laptop that boots fast, travels light, and nails the basics, this Chromebook is hard to beat right now. The price is still just $149 at Best Buy, a steep dive from the regular $449 tag. You'll probably want to buy a couple of these, just in case the kids need computers to work on. See at Best Buy
Gizmodo
2 days ago
- Business
- Gizmodo
Lenovo 14″ IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook Is Going for Peanuts Just in Time for Back-to-School
In the market for a new laptop? You may not need the most powerful device in the world here. For a small budget, you can get a robust Chromebook that can take care of all of your basic needs like accessing your email, browsing the web, preparing documents, and chatting with friends. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is a compact option that starts at an affordable price. Though right now, it's even more affordable as it's dropped from $319 down to just $169 for a limited time. That's a savings of $150 you get to keep in your wallet. As far as specs go, what we have here is a MediaTek Kompanio 520 processor with an Integrated Arm Mali-G52 2EE MC2 GPU. It's working with 4GB of memory and 64GB eMMC storage. The Chrombook can handle some light photo or video-editing as well as run multiple programs and browser tabs at once. See at Best Buy The LCD screen is capable or a resolution of 1920 by 1080 Full HD with good color and clarity. It measures in at just 14 inches, making it ideal to slip into any bag and take with you anywhere without waying you down. This Chromebook is perfect if portability is your main concern. Running on ChromeOS, the IdeaPad Slim 3 operates smoothly and is easy to use. It has a variety of Google apps built-in like Gmail, Gemini, Docs, Photos, YouTube, and more. It boots up super fast in just under 10 second. First-time setup is easy too. Just sign into you Gmail account and then all your Google Drive files and photos along with your bookmarks and preferences will populate. It's long battery life will let you take it out with you places without necessarily needing to worry about packing your charger. It will last you up to 10 hours on a single charge. That's the whole work day and then some. Collaborate with colleagues or chat up Mom in the afternoon on a video call. The built-in HD webcam records in a crisp 720p resolution and the microphone ensures you are heard crystal clear on the other end of your chats. Sound on your end is powerful too, allowing for waves-tuned audio through the two forward-facing Maxx Audio speakers. For a limited time, pick up the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 in the sleek Abyss Blue colorway for a substantial discount. You'll save $150 as the price at Best Buy has dropped from $319 to just $169. That's nearly half the original price. See at Best Buy
Forbes
2 days ago
- Forbes
Android & ChromeOS: Google's Plan To Reinvent Your Laptop And Your Phone
Google's plans to merge elements of Android and ChromeOS bring significant opportunities to both ... More laptops and smartphones. Despite initial reports, ChromeOS isn't turning into Android, but it is evolving into an upgraded operating system with Android fundamentals at its core, promising improved performance and, as you might expect, more advanced AI features. Google ignited speculation last week when Android ecosystem president Sameer Samat told Tech Radar the company will be 'combining ChromeOS and Android into a single platform.' The announcement immediately prompted questions about the future of both Chromebooks and Android devices. Could this move spell the end for ChromeOS as we know it? How would the Education sector, which relies on the simplicity, multi-user capabilities, and inherent security of ChromeOS, adjust to running full-blown Android with its slower update cycles and touch-first app ecosystem? Android and ChromeOS Won't Merge Completely However, the truth is that we can expect rather less dramatic changes to either OS, at least in the near future. Samat quickly clarified his statement in a recent tweet, stating: 'Great to see so much interest in this topic! To reiterate what we announced in our 2024 blog post: we're building the ChromeOS experience on top of Android underlying technology to unlock new levels of performance, iterate faster, & make your laptop + phone work better together. I'm excited about it!' — Sameer Samat, President, Android Ecosystem. The blog post in question explains how Google's ChromeOS development will continue unabated, but will become increasingly reliant on Android underpinnings. This should result in a more unified code base that reduces the workload for developers and streamlines access to AI features, such as Gemini. More importantly, the company has stated its intention to continue delivering the 'unmatched security, consistent look and feel, and extensive management capabilities that ChromeOS users, enterprises, and schools love.' If Samat intended merely to reiterate these claims, rather than announce a full-scale merger of the two operating systems, then we can be confident that ChromeOS isn't going away any time soon, but there will be a lot more Android under the hood from now on. What Does Android Code Mean For Budget Chromebooks? However, this change still raises important questions about how Chromebooks might handle a greater reliance on Android in the future. Google claims the new code base will usher in 'new levels of performance,' but entry-level Chromebooks, costing $250 or less, currently offer much lower hardware specifications than would typically be required for a smooth Android experience. It's not unusual to see ChromeOS devices with just 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, a specification which seems woefully underpowered compared to budget Android devices. It will be interesting to see what effect Google's plans will have on hardware requirements and pricing in the future. Android Joins ChromeOS: Significant Benefits For Both It would, of course, be great to see some benefits coming in the other direction, from ChromeOS to Android. For example, Android's emerging desktop mode promises a powerful, large-screen experience for smartphones connected to external displays, but it's a far cry from the mature, polished desktop experience offered by ChromeOS. A shared underlying codebase could accelerate development in this area and significantly improve interactions between laptops and smartphones. Google adds Linux support to Android with an experimental Terminal app. The unified codebase could also unlock new features for both platforms: Android apps could run directly on ChromeOS, eliminating the current need for a complex virtual machine layer and providing better performance and greater compatibility. A key benefit of ChromeOS is its ability to support multiple users per device. Adding proper multi-user support to the Android stack would make it easier for Google to bring this capability to Android smartphones and tablets. ChromeOS can run Steam games, thanks to built-in Linux support. ChromeOS also offers established support for running Linux apps, and even games on the Steam platform. We've already seen early signs of Linux support in Android via the new Terminal app. Since Linux support is a vital component of ChromeOS, we can now feel confident that this feature will continue to be developed, bringing exciting new opportunities to Android devices. Imminent changes to Android and ChromeOS may not be as dramatic as we thought, but significant changes are coming that should benefit everyone. Would you want an Android-powered Chromebook?
Android Authority
3 days ago
- Android Authority
Is Chrome OS and Android's merger just hot air or a new era of personal computing?
🗣️ This is an open thread. We want to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments and vote in the poll below — your take might be featured in a future roundup. [/highlight] Google is set to merge two of its mobile computing platforms into one unified system. According to confirmation by Google's president of Android ecosystem, Sameer Samat, the company will combine Chrome OS and Android 'into a single platform.' No timeline was given, but this nod confirms a report we published in November 2024. This development could be a significant win for smartphone users looking for a more compact computing system, but this idea comes with awkward compromises. Want to use your smartphone as a laptop? You'll need a screen to plug into. A mouse and keyboard would be next on the list. At this point, you may as well still use a macOS or Windows laptop, right? That's something I'd love you to answer. Do you think this development will genuinely change your personal computing habits in the future? Here are some more questions: How do you think a combined Android and Chrome OS onslaught disrupts the computing industry? Would you be willing to ditch your existing Windows or macOS setup for Google's unified mobile OS future? Do you think smartphones will ever replace laptops or desktops? Would a unified OS bring tablets back into vogue and diminish the importance of smartphones? Do you actually use Android's current large-screen computing features? If you have a Samsung phone, do you use DeX? Be sure to vote in the polls below, too! What do you want most from Chrome OS built atop Android? 218 votes Fast, frequent system updates 28 % Support for extensions in Chrome 15 % Minimal bloatware 28 % Multiple profiles in Chrome 5 % Relaxed requirements/fast performance 17 % Other (leave a comment) 6 % Do you think Android 16's Desktop Mode is a good ChromeOS replacement? 850 votes Yes, Desktop Mode is already great. 65 % No, ChromeOS is and always will be better. 12 % I like Desktop Mode, but I wish ChromeOS could still be its own thing. 20 % Other (let us know in the comments). 3 % 👇Sound off in the comments section below with your views.
