Google on Wednesday unveiled a
slimmer, more powerful tablet computer on its Nexus brand and a thumb-sized
device that lets popular mobile gadgets feed online content wirelessly to
television sets.
The ramped-up second-generation Nexus 7 by Taiwan-based Asus
made its debut along with a Chromecast dongle that plugs into television sets
to let people easily route online content to big screens.
Mario Queiroz, head of Google TV, said Chromecast “won’t clutter
your entertainment cabinet. It simply disappears behind your TV once it is
plugged in.”
The new connector device went on sale for $35 online at Google
play and will also be sold through Amazon and Best Buy in the United States.
“Cast” icons built into applications for online video services
YouTube and Netflix let people use smartphones, tablets or laptop computers to
easily direct online videos to television screens, a demonstration showed.
‘If you know how to use YouTube on your phone, you know how to
use YouTube on your TV,” Queiroz said while describing the vision behind
Chromecast.
“Any device in your home can become a remote control for the
television.”
Google also made available a software kit for developers to
synch mobile apps with Chromecast. Online radio streaming service Pandora is
among those with Cast application features “in the works,” according to Google.
Google is also working to let people “cast” online content from
Chrome web browsers to televisions.
Content fed to televisions is delivered directly through home
Internet connections, with smartphones, tablets or laptops serving essentially
as remote controls, according to Queiroz.
“We are paving the way for more apps to come,” he continued.
“Over time, we expect the technology to be embedded in a range of devices from
our partners.”
The Nexus 7 ramps up Google’s challenge to Apple’s iPad with a
slimmer tablet to be easily slipped into a pocket or handbag and allow easy
access to rich online content or services.
Nexus 7 is about two millimeters thinner and slightly narrower
than its predecessor, which was released a year ago.
“It actually makes a huge difference when holding it in one
hand; it fits more easily in a purse or jacket,” Android vice president Hugo
Barra said after pulling a new Nexus 7 from a rear pocket of his pants.
Nexus 7 has a high-definition screen and speakers that allow for
virtual surround sound listening of films, games, or music.
Nexus tablets will be available in three models, all with
seven-inch high-resolution screens. Two Nexus 7 models will connect to the
internet just using Wi-Fi, while one will be synched to US high-speed telecom
carrier networks.
Nexus 7 prices will start at $229 and top out at $349 in the US
market.
Wi-Fi only versions will go on sale in the United States on July
30, with Nexus 7 tablets to be released in France, Australia, Britain, South
Korean and a few other countries in “coming weeks.”
Nexus 7 will be the first tablet powered by a new 4.3 version of
the Android “Jelly Bean” mobile operating system.
“We from the Android team are investing a lot in tablets,” said
Sundar Pichai, who heads the Android and Chrome teams at Google.
“By our count, almost one in two tablets sold worldwide is based
on Android.”
More than 70 million tablets powered by Google’s Android
software have been activated worldwide, according to Pichai.
Prices are falling for most tablets as sales surge, with many
analysts expecting tablets to outpace PC sales soon. ablet shipments are
expected to grow 67.9 percent to 202 million units this year, according to a
Gartner report.
SAN FRANCISCO (AFP)
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