Acer's Chrome OS all-in-one is the first with a touchscreen

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/04/01/acer-chromebase/

Intrigued by the idea of an all-in-one Chrome OS computer, but were hoping for something a little more exciting than the likes of LG's Chromebase? You've got it: Acer has just unveiled its own Chromebase. The system has a 21.5-inch 1080p display like its LG rival, but it's the first to include a touchscreen for those times you want to share input (or just can't be bothered to reach for the mouse). It's also running on NVIDIA's Tegra K1 chip rather than the speedier Intel Celeron of its competitor, although that's not necessarily a bad thing if you're looking for a quiet, low-powered PC. Whether or not it has the lower cost to match is up in the air, however. Acer ships its Chromebase to Asia and North America in the second quarter of the year, but it hasn't divulged pricing just yet.

Filed under: Desktops, Acer

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Source: Acer

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Now You Can Buy a Chromebook For Just $150 (And They're Getting Better)

Source: http://gizmodo.com/now-you-can-buy-a-chromebook-for-just-150-and-theyre-1694699006

Five years ago, Google CEO Eric Schmidt proclaimed that laptops would become disposable. We’re nearly there. Starting today, you can buy a new Chromebook for just $150—the cheapest price ever. And this spring, there’s a $250 Chromebook coming that looks pretty incredible.

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Google puts Chrome OS on your TV with its own HDMI stick

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/03/31/google-chromebit/

Google has unveiled a whole new type of Chrome device, and it's one that can fit in your pocket. It's called the Chromebit, and it's essentially a Chromebook crammed in a dongle. This tiny little package contains a Rockchip 3288 SoC, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of eMMC memory, a USB 2.0 port, WiFi 802.11 ac support, Bluetooth 4.0, a Smart Ready controller and an ARM Mali 760 quad-core GPU. Just like Intel's Compute Stick, all you have to do to get the Chromebit working is to attach it to any display with a HDMI port, and voila, you've turned it into a computer. Unlike the Intel stick though, the Chromebit's HDMI end actually swivels around so that the dongle doesn't stick out in an unsightly way behind a monitor or TV. As for battery life, well, Google says it doesn't really know that just yet as the product is still in testing. Google promises that the Chromebit -- the first is made by ASUS -- will retail for less than $100. It'll be available in either silver, blue or orange and will be out later this summer.

Filed under: Misc, Home Entertainment, HD, Google

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Source: Google Chrome Blog

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Microsoft technology gives Seattle 5,000 times faster public WiFi

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/03/31/microsoft-seattle-center-wifi/

Techie culture-vultures aren't likely to encounter Vine upload fails anymore at Seattle's home to arts, culture and the Space Needle thanks to Microsoft. The city's biggest patron has installed a new WiFi service at the Seattle Center that uses new technology to blow away the previous system's speed and capacity. The installation is a pilot program for Microsoft Research's white space tech that harnesses long-range, wall-penetrating TV signals. Along with quadruple the access points, the tech gives the Seattle Center public WiFi speeds up to 5,000 times faster, letting you Skype, Vine and Meerkat to your heart's content.

The previous system supported basic browsing only and often didn't work at all with too many users online. Microsoft told the Ballard News-Tribune that "this technology can handle more than 25,000 users at a time," which should be a boon during concerts and other big events. The pilot is also part of a city-wide program to improve public WiFi, and Microsoft's white space tech "may be deploy(ed) to other neighborhoods in the city," according to Mayor Ed Murray. To use the tech, you just have to log on to the "Microsoft Wi-Fi Seattle Center" network, with a free app coming soon.

[Image credit: AFP/Getty Images]

Filed under: Wireless, Internet, Microsoft

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Via: The Ballard Tribune

Source: Seattle Center, Microsoft

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drag2share: Buy an LG G3 in the US, get a free VR headset

source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/03/31/lg-vr-headset-US/?utm_source=Feed_Classic_Full&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget&?ncid=rss_full

LG's new mobile VR headset -- which is basically just a plastic version of Google's cardboard VR viewer -- is finally hitting American shores. The company just announced that it'll be throwing in a free headset, simply called the VR for G3, with the purchase of its latest flagship Android phone at participating retailers. Since it's adopting the Google Cardboard platform, which is just a box that you can plug your smartphone in for simple VR experiences, there really isn't much to LG's offering. You just need to slide in a G3 unit and load up a VR app (LG will also link users to some VR gaming content). It also features a magnet that works together with the phone's gyroscope (again, just like Google's box), that lets you select things without interacting with the screen. Unfortunately, it's still unclear how existing G3 owners can get their hands on LG's VR headset (we've dropped a line for additional details).

It may seem a tad gimmicky, but a cheap VR headset will allow consumers to get a taste of the virtual reality experience without shelling out for an expensive accessory like Samsung's $200 Gear VR. And while it certainly won't compare with complex VR tech from Oculus, HTC and Valve, the VR for G3 is a reminder how small the barrier to entry for VR is getting.

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