Be sure to "middle click" on the post links to open them in a new tab. Kids get your mom or dad to approve all the news feeds, some may be PG-13 or higher.
In not-too-surprising, yet good-to-know-for-sure news, it seems that Samsung is indeed working on a netbook designed around Chrome OS. Now, what exactly that comprises I can’t tell you — my guess is they’re really just getting a cheap netbook ready to go with whatever Google announces when Chrome OS hits prime time. Or maybe they’ll use one of those neat (useless) transparent ones?
The specs are nothing crazy: 3G, 2GB of RAM to start, 64GB or more of SSD storage, probably a 10.1″ screen, and a nice long battery life. The chipset and processor weren’t disclosed, but the source is suggesting a 1.5GHz Snapdragon. I wonder about that — I wouldn’t be surprised if there are some curveballs in there. Dual Snapdragons, for instance, or a dedicated GPU like the iPad. It’s actually very similar to this speculative post here, except without a price, which makes it much easier to swallow.
Guess we’ll find out… not soon. It’s not clear when they’ll be making the real announcement, and at any rate we’ll probably hear from Google first.
Google is set to unveil a brand new social networking application, that is all set to integrate with at least two Google products. The new social network will go head-to-head to compete with the likes of Facebook and Twitter, bringing in a whole new competitor to the market.
According to details...
According to a report from The Wall Street Journal via CNET.com, Google is preparing an online store in which it will sell third-party business software to Google Apps customers.
Google's store could arrive as early as March with the works of third-party developers available as enhancements to Google's office productivity software...
An interesting proposal was announced on the official Google Code Blog this week. In a lengthy draft, a group of DNS and content providers (including Google) outline the concept of extending the DNS protocol to include part of a user's IP address. DNS works by translating friendly domain names to a...
The best kept secret in VoIP with overseas relatives and friends is Ooma. For about $200 you can set your overseas loved ones up with some hot VoIP action, giving them a local telephone number they can use to call you and you can use to call them. If you travel then its great.
That said, Ooma has just released the Telo system, an improvement to its current firmware that includes iPhone/Touch support, Bluetooth support, Google Voice connectivity and voice transcription. Not an upgrade per se but an improvement.
Pure Voice improves the call audio and the additional features – Bluetooth, for example – allows you to connect to cellphones. Here’s the Google Voice juice:
Google Voice Extensions
Ooma simplifies the Google Voice user experience, enabling consumers to take advantage of the complementary capabilities found in both offerings, for a truly integrated and seamless phone experience. Google Voice users can integrate the Call Presentation, Listen In, and caller-ID features with their Ooma system as well as access Google Voice voicemail at a touch of a button.
Voicemail Transcription
Ooma customers can have inbound voicemail transcribed into text and sent as an email or text message. Users can now enjoy the convenience of reading their voicemail quickly and silently whether they are at home or on the road. Ooma voicemail transcription is human-aided to ensure the delivery of accurate and reliable messages.
Ooma Announces New Features That Connect Consumer’s Mobile Lifestyle, Provide Enhanced Voice Quality, Convenience, and Savings at International CES 2010
LAS VEGAS, January 7, 2010 – Ooma, Inc. today unveiled several new features and enhanced services for its award-winning Ooma Telo system that extend the functionality and ease of use for consumers wanting a superior home phone telephony experience. New additions to the product and services lineup include Ooma Pure Voice™, High Definition Voice, mobile phone calling with the iPhone or iPod touch, Bluetooth support, Google Voice Extensions and voicemail transcription. All new features will be demonstrated today through January 10 at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas at Ooma’s booth, Grand Lobby GL-7.
With today’s new enhancements, Ooma offers the most complete home phone solution that further expands its renowned voice quality, cost savings and ease of use beyond the home and into the mobile and business calling landscape.
“Consumers should expect the same innovation in their home phones as they experience in their mobile phones,” said Rich Buchanan, chief marketing officer at Ooma. “Consumers today are in calling purgatory – forced to find a compromise between shoddy cell phone reception in their homes and a featureless landline phone experience that hasn’t innovated since the 1970’s. Today’s announcement extends the features and functionality of our leading VoIP phone system to connect the gap that currently exists between advanced smart phone functionalities and the inherent limitations of the home phone. Ooma Telo is the smart phone designed for your home, not your pocket.”
The following new features and services for Ooma Telo are now being demonstrated at CES 2010.
Ooma Pure Voice™
Ooma raises the bar on voice quality again with the introduction of Ooma Pure Voice. Ooma now brings to the home the data redundancy sophistication normally found in industrial-grade Internet telephony products. With the explosion of bandwidth usage in the home for video streaming, photo uploads and real-time gaming, Ooma Pure Voice ensures crystal clear conversations over congested networks while maintaining low-bandwidth requirements.
High Definition Voice (HD Voice)
Ooma is the first residential phone service to support high-definition voice technology. Compared to conventional telephones, Ooma HD Voice doubles the audio frequencies transmitted to deliver richer, more natural sounding conversation to calls between Ooma customers. Compatible corded telephone or Ooma Telo Handset is required to support Ooma HD Voice.
iPhone and iPod Touch Calling Application
Ooma customers will be able to download an Ooma iPhone or iPod Touch application to make phone calls over any Wi-Fi network using an iPhone or iPod touch. Ooma’s app allows customers to take their Ooma service on the road with them to make or receive calls from around the world at Ooma’s low-cost international rates.
Bluetooth Support
The addition of Bluetooth support on the Ooma Telo allows users to integrate their mobile phone with their home phone systems, delivering superior flexibility and convenience. Bluetooth support on the Ooma Telo allows customers to pair compatible, Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones enabling inbound calls from the mobile phone to be answered on any home phone connected to the Ooma Telo. Users may also pair compatible Bluetooth headsets to the Ooma Telo to enable hands-free talking from anywhere in the home. Additionally, Bluetooth support will allow users to download their phone book from their mobile devices for use on the Ooma Telo Handset and online at My Ooma.
Google Voice Extensions
Ooma simplifies the Google Voice user experience, enabling consumers to take advantage of the complementary capabilities found in both offerings, for a truly integrated and seamless phone experience. Google Voice users can integrate the Call Presentation, Listen In, and caller-ID features with their Ooma system as well as access Google Voice voicemail at a touch of a button.
Voicemail Transcription
Ooma customers can have inbound voicemail transcribed into text and sent as an email or text message. Users can now enjoy the convenience of reading their voicemail quickly and silently whether they are at home or on the road. Ooma voicemail transcription is human-aided to ensure the delivery of accurate and reliable messages.
Availability
The Ooma Telo and Ooma Telo Handset are available at Ooma authorized resellers including: Best Buy, Datavision, Fry’s Electronics, J&R, Micro Center, and leading online destinations including Amazon, BestBuy.com, Buy.com, Costco.com, Dell.com, JandR.com, NewEgg.com, OfficeDepot.com, PC Mall, Provantage, Shop Harmony, Staples.com, Sears.com, K-Mart.com, Tiger Direct, RCS, Nebraska Furniture Mart, B&H Photo and Walmart.com. All features will be available to Ooma Telo customers in the first half of 2010.
Pricing
Ooma Telo retails for $249.99. Ooma Telo Handset retails for $49.99. Ooma Premier, an optional bundle of enhanced calling features costs $9.99/month. Sign up for one-year of Ooma Premier and receive a free Ooma Telo Handset or a free number transfer (a $39.99 value).
A colleague of mine pointed me in the direction of some breaking news. One of our co-workers, who writes for Search Engine Roundtable, has discovered something very exciting. It seems that many of Google's data centers have begun kicking in the new Caffeine indexing system. He reports that many threads have been buzzing about this. People in those threads seem very sure that the results are from Caffeine's new algorithm. The writer has emailed Matt Cutts over at Google to confirm the change, but has not heard back yet. Here are some threads that he links to where users have experienced the change: DigitalPoint Forums WebmasterWorld However, not all users are experiencing the new results.
Google Chrome is a browser that combines a minimal design with sophisticated technology to make the web faster, safer, and easier. One box for everything Type in the address bar and get suggestions for both search and web pages.Thumbnails of your top sites Access your favorite pages instantly with lightning speed from any new tab.Incognito mode Don't want pages you visit to show up in your web history? Choose incognito mode for private browsing.Safe browsingGoogle Chrome warns you if you're about to visit a suspected phishing, malware or otherwise unsafe website. For information about alpha and developer builds, check out the Chrome dev channel here. Download: Google Chrome 4.0.288.1 Beta | 11.8 MB View: Chrome Dev Channel
So Matt and I just got our hands on the Samsung E6, the company’s first electronic book reader. As a device it’s not bad, but compared to what’s out there you just know that Samsung was all, “We need to release something to get a foothold in the market.”
The 6-inch e-redaer slides open, quite possibly like a phone you once owned. It’s only black and white, too, so those of you expecting Samsung to usher in the era of color e-reaers will be disappointed.
The fact is, all of these e-readers are so similar that it really does come down to where you can get books from. For the E6, Samsung partnered with Google to bring its vast collection of public domain books to the reader. And while a partnership with Google is great, and may well lead to future fun and excitement, the idea of partnering up with someone just to get public domain books is sorta weird. Whereas the nook and Kindle are backed by the Barnes and Noble and Amazon bookstores, respectively, the E6 doesn’t have that same commercial relationship, at least not yet.
So, again, as a device not too bad, but e-readers are so similar these days (at least until a company releases a full-color one) that it’s sorta like choosing between an Xbox 360 an PS3: which exclusive games (read: books) are you most interested in reading? And you go from there.
It should be available in March (such are the current plans) for $399, with a 10-inch version costing $599.
From the press release:
SAMSUNG UNVEILS ITS FIRST E-BOOK FOR READING, WRITING AND SHARING ON-THE-GO
Samsung’s New E-book Series Boasts First-of-its-Kind Functionality with a Precision Stylus Pen
Las Vegas, January 6, 2009 – Samsung Electronics America, Inc., a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Corporation, today unveiled its first e-book devices, with six-inch and ten-inch screen size offerings, at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The E6 and E101 further solidify Samsung’s position as a global leader in display technology by raising the bar on the quality of writing capabilities for e-books.
“We’ve used our expertise to create a high-quality e-book with today’s on-the-go consumer in mind,” said Young Bae, director of display marketing, Samsung Information Technology Division. “Samsung is addressing a common frustration that users experience with many of today’s digital readers with a stylus that allows them to annotate their favorite works or take notes. Coupled with wireless functionality that enables sharing of content, this is a truly multi-faceted device..”
Handwriting Capabilities
Unlike other e-book devices, Samsung’s E6 and E101 enables handwriting directly onto the display, allowing users to annotate their reading selections, calendars and to-do lists with a built-in electromagnetic resonance (EMR) stylus pen. This dedicated pen prevents mistypes caused by hands and other objects that may graze the screen’s surface. A variety of pen and eraser thicknesses make the Samsung e-books perfect for drawing and writing.
Low Power Consumption
The Samsung e-book displays reflect light naturally and deliver an appearance similar to that of printed paper, allowing people to read more naturally than they would with other backlit electronic paper devices. The E101 boasts a ten-inch screen, while the E6, is the more portable sibling at six inches. Because Samsung’s e-book is not backlit, the power consumption is lower than that of other portable display devices. Only four hours of charging prepares the battery for up to two weeks of use, depending on the extent of daily use.
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Wireless
Samsung’s e-books are equipped for wireless connectivity as well. Wi-Fi 802.11b/g allows users to download content such as books and newspapers from a server wirelessly, as well as to share certain content with other devices. Bluetooth 2.0 is also a built in feature.
The Samsung E6 and E101 will be priced at $399 and $699, respectively. They will be available in early 2010.
Here we are, living it up at Samsung’s press conference. Things will start off at 2pm PST.
1:53pm – It’s not 2pm yet.
2pm – Just started. Standard blah blah.
Sold 2.6 million LED TVs worldwide.
80% market share in LED TV category.
#1 brand for mobile phones in US.
25% market share. 1 Samsung mobile phone sold every second.
Focus on apps on multiple platforms.
2:11pm – Last year: Apps and widgets on TVs. Internet@TV Widgets.
Samsung Apps, multi-device app store for phones, TVs, Blu-Rays. Calendars, games, movie streaming.
2:16PM – Samsung Apps are open with an open SDK.
3D TV on its way. Surprise!
Complete 3D home ecosystem. Total solution. 3D TV, 3D Blu-Ray player, 3D home theatre system, light and comfortable 3D glasses.
Complete, cinema-quality 3D system.
2:20pm – Just like Toshiba, Samsung can convert 2D to 3D.
Crazy freaking TVs. One as thin as a pencil.
Brushed metal frame.
“Body-sensitive” control panel pops out when you move toward it.
Watch TV on your remote while you’re playing Blu-Ray content.
Blah blah about 3D TV with Dreamworks and Technicolor.
2:38pm – World’s first ATSC mobile TV mobile chip with Samsung moment.
Now talking about mobile.
ATSC mobile TV in Washington, DC this spring.
Transparent MP3 player. Control it from the back.
S16 Camcorder. Built-in 64GB SSD. Stream full HD video from the camera over Wi-Fi.
NX10 DSLR
Samsung CL80. Camera can balance at a 7-degree angle for self portraits and group shots.
Smallest color laser printer.
N210 Netbook – 12 hours of real world power.
2:47pm- First ebook devices. 10- and 6-inch screens. Handwriting system right on the screen.
Partnering with Google for ebook content. 1 million scanned in books in the public domain.
2:51pm – Interesting new connected products.
Omnia 2 phone can be used as a remote control for your Samsung TV and you can transfer your shows from your TV to your phone. Use your PC as a remote control and browse the program guide.
Google's new Nexus One smartphone will not be an iPhone killer. It may not even be a Droid killer, but it may be Google's first serious and most public misstep.
Google's Android platform has become rather popular in the relatively short time that it has been around. There are many phones on offer, on a range of carriers, for a plethora of price ranges. The issue, though, is that everything's much too scattered; a problem being fixed soon. As Google announced their new phone, the Nexus One, earlier today, they also flicked the switch on a new domain used to sell not only that particular device, but others of the Android breed also. As Gizmodo noted, this would be a huge step forward as it'll allow potential customers to compare a wide range of different aspects, such as carriers and hardware.
Google's Nexus One has arrived. Here's a complete breakdown of what the phone is and isn't, how it compares to other Android devices, and what its debut means for you.
This morning's Nexus One announcement was a fairly large one, for those involved in the world of Android. Whilst the phone itself is all well and good, it brought with it another improvement: Google Earth. Very soon, it will become available on the App Market, for all to download. As reported by Gizmodo post Nexus One announcement, Google has finally brought Google Earth to its own mobile operating system, packing some improvements. Most prominent of which is voice search, which works just as you can imagine; say where you want to go, and the app will find it for you.
As expected, Google announced its new Android-powered Nexus One handset on Tuesday at an event on the company's Mountain View campus. But the event itself was...
After weeks of leaks, hands on video, and speculation amongst the blogosphere, Google today officially announced the Nexus One. Check out the specs: 3.7-inch AMOLED touchscreen Qualcomm QSD 8250 1GHz processor Android 2.1 Operating System 512MB of Ram 5MP, 2x digital zoom, LED flash camera Wi-Fi enabled 130 grams weight w/ battery Complete lineup of specs available here. The Nexus One is available unlocked for a price of $529. Consumers can also order the phone through T-Mobile for $179 with a two year contract. Verizon Wireless customers will also be able to purchase the phone later this spring. Europeans will also be able to purchase this phone through Vodafone later this spring as well.
Posted by Anna de Paula Hanika, Android Product Marketing Manager
Not only does the just-announced Nexus One have a beautiful display, snappy processor, and five megapixel camera complete with flash and geotagging, but you can also buy it online with or without a service plan. Plus, it runs Android 2.1, which adds a couple of new features to the native Gmail application:
Quick contact badge: Press the contact status icon within Gmail, and a handy box shows all of the ways you can reply to a contact — including email, chat, SMS, and Facebook.
Voice input: Swipe the keyboard, then just speak to select contacts or write an email, complete with punctuation. Period!
Nexus One also features the Gmail updates of Android 2.0, including:
Multiple Gmail accounts: Sync multiple accounts to the same device and switch between them without leaving the app.
Undo: A handy 'undo' link makes it easier to retrieve messages when you hit archive or delete by mistake. (Note: you can't yet undo send as you can with the desktop version of Gmail).
For more information on Nexus One visit google.com/phone. To learn more about Gmail on this and other Android devices, check out the Gmail page on mobile.google.com/android, or watch this video:
