The Mysterious Google Entertainment Device
Last Updated on Sunday, 5 February 2012 04:36 Written by Alan Sunday, 5 February 2012 04:36
Most people think of Google as a search company, but their primary source of revenue is actually advertising. It permeates everything they do – there are ads in the search results, they sell ads to advertisers through AdWords and publishers through AdSense, and much more. Last year they made their first tentative steps into the entertainment business with Google TV, which met with a less than ideal response, although that is beginning to change. Now it appears Google in beginning to test a new entertainment device.
There’s a real possibility that this is nothing more than the next generation of Google TV, but at this point it all seems a bit mysterious. Google has filed a request with the Federal Communications Commission to test a WiFi and Bluetooth enabled device in the homes of employees in four different cities. From the FCC request:
“Google is developing an entertainment device that requires testing outside the laboratory environment. The device is in the prototyping phase and will be modified prior to final compliance testing. … Users will connect their device to home WiFi networks and use Bluetooth to connect to other home electronics equipment. This line of testing will reveal real world engineering issues and reliability of networks. The device utilizes a standard WiFi/Bluetooth module, and the planned testing is not directed at evaluating the radio frequency characteristics of the module (which are known), but rather at the throughput and stability of the home WiFi networks that will support the device, as well as the basic functionality of the device. From this testing we hope to modify the design in order to maximize product robustness and user experience. Utilizing the requested number of units will allow testing of real world network performance and its impact on applications running on the device, so that any problems can be discovered and addressed promptly.”
The test will be carried out in Mountain View, CA, New York City, NY, Cambridge, MA, and Los Angeles, CA. The test period will run from January 17th until July 17th. That means it will likely be quite some time before we get any real information on what this product is.
Sony Announces Micro Vault MACH, Brings USB 3.0 to Flash Drives
Last Updated on Tuesday, 17 January 2012 05:39 Written by Alan Tuesday, 17 January 2012 05:39
Sony announced today that they are releasing their first USB 3.0 flash drive. The tiny new piece of shiny hardware is called the Micro Vault MACH. With transmission speeds up to 5 Gbit/s, USB 3.0 is reportedly ten times faster than USB 2.0. Computers have only recently begun to come out with support for the new standard so there isn’t yet a lot of hardware that takes advantage of it.
The new Sony Micro Vault MACH will put the company ahead of most other flash drive makes in this market. Corsair and Kingston both have drives already on the market, but few of the lower-tier hardware makers are there yet. This will replace the popular Sony Micro Vault model, which was USB 2.0. The flash drive has downloadable (not pre-installed) free software like File Rescue and x- Pict Story. File Rescue allows users to recover lost and accidentally deleted files, while x-Pict Story gives users the ability to create simple picture display slide shows. In their press release Sony touted the following features:
- First USB 3.0 flash memory drive from Sony
- Available in 8GB/16GB/32GB/64GB capacities
- Ultra-fast transfers up to 120 MB/s read / 90 MB/s write*
- Sleek aluminium body with retractable USB connector and LED indicator
USB 3.0 devices and ports are all backwards compatible with USB 2.0, which at this early stage is a very handy feature. USB 3.0 is compatible with Windows 7, Vista and XP (SP3) as well as Mac OSX 10.1 and newer. Exact release dates and pricing information was not provided in the announcement, and the flash drive isn’t yet available on the Sony website.
Source: Sony Press Centre
Dell Will Release a New Tablet in Late 2012
Last Updated on Thursday, 12 January 2012 11:07 Written by Alan Thursday, 12 January 2012 11:07
Despite their last tablet being somewhat less than a success, Dell has announced plans for another tablet, coming in late 2012. The Dell Streak failed to capture market share in 2011, although Dell has made a game effort to keep it alive with updates. The new tablet will also be consumer-based, but all of the details are still unclear. Reuters reported that Dell themselves aren’t yet sure about the exact specs for the new device, even the operating system is still unknown.
While Dell has acknowledged that both Google’s Android and Microsoft’s Windows 8 are viable operating systems, chief commercial officer Steve Felice seems to favor Windows 8, at least for now. It may be due to the timing, since the new Microsoft operating system is due around the time the tablet is expected. That would give Dell a front row start in this new tablet race.
While the focus from Dell is on consumer devices, The Verge reports that the new device will be “more compatible with the business world despite the consumer focus”. According to Reuters, Felice also stated that, “When we introduce the products, they will be consumer products, but we are going to make sure that they are very compatible with the business marketplace, which we don’t think Apple has addressed”.
