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HP to show off its 3D-scanning 'Sprout' PC next week
HP is synonymous with mass-market PCs and notebooks, but according to a report from Re/code, HP is trying it proverbial hand at something new. According to the usual slew of unnamed sources, the company (which is currently undergoing some business mitosis) will show off a novel new Windows PC called the Sprout at an event in New York next week. We're not using the word "novel" lightly here, either: the Sprout is comprised of a big flat screen display paired with an expansive surface for touch input and a combination projector/3D scanner that hangs above it.
Google's latest Chromebook update makes it easy to juggle multiple accounts
Has your company bought into Google's pitch for a Chrome-powered office? Then this update is for you: Google just announced a handful of Chromebook features specifically for office environments, including the ability to easily switch between personal accounts and your organization's credential-secured account. The enhanced identity features primarily focus on enabling the SAML standard used by common enterprise authorization providers, but a new multiple sign-in mode allows that security to live alongside your personal Google account -- possibly enabling users to bring their own Chromebooks to the office with relative ease. The update tacks on a handful of other business-specific features too, including better IT management for network certification and web app provisions, improved virtualization solutions from Citrix and VMware and a new annual subscription plan of $50 per device per year. Sound like it could improve your work life? Forward the source link (below) to your IT manager and get the ball rolling.
Photoshop for Chromebooks begins long-awaited beta test
If you've been eyeing a Chromebook to replace that Windows or Mac machine, Google's OS is about to get a massive boost in productivity. Starting today, Photoshop is headed to the machines thanks to a partnership with Adobe -- if you meet certain criteria. A cloud-based streaming version of the creative software will be available for Adobe Creative Cloud education customers in beta form, and for now, there's no word on when regular folk will be able to opt in. This version of Photoshop is designed to run on Chromebooks straight from the cloud and packs in Google Drive integration for easy file management. The rest of Creative Cloud is said to follow, however this trial run only includes the popular photo-editing app. As is usually the case with testing phases, there's no clear indication as to when this version of Photoshop will see its widespread release.
Acer Chromebook 13 review: long battery life, sharp screen, good price
After years of getting little respect, Chromebooks are finally on the rise (at least in schools), which means every major PC maker is trying to get in on the action. That includes chip makers too, like NVIDIA. Though the company previously shied away from Chrome OS devices, it's now pledging to power a whole range of different Chromebooks with its Tegra K1 chip, each of them promising long battery life and more graphics muscle. The Acer Chromebook 13 is the first of the bunch, and while some of you might be Chromebook'd out, we were actually excited. Here was a $300 laptop boasting at least 11 hours of battery life, a 1080p display option and enough horsepower to clobber Intel at things like gaming and rich websites. As it turns out, it was all just a little too good to be true.
Chromebook-to-Chromecast video? Yes, with Google Drive
As if Android apps hitting Google's Chrome OS wasn't enough excitement for Mountain View's operating system for one week. Now, you can play movies stored in Google Drive via the OS' video player app on your Chromecast. According to Googler François Beaufort, doing so is pretty easy too: simply open the Files app, select a video clip from Drive and hit the sparkly new Cast icon. Voila, cloud-stored videos are now viewable on the biggest screen in your house and even more media functionality for your Chromebook. Of course, since this is in the developer channel there might be a few bugs here and there -- if you spot 'em be sure to let the Chromium team know.
Google lets college students borrow a Chromebook
If you brought a big, conventional laptop with you to college, you're probably regretting it right about now. It's not fun to lug a heavy machine and your textbooks around campus. You may have an easy way to try out something a little kinder to your back, though. Google has unveiled the Chromebook Lending Library, a demo program that lets students borrow a featherweight Chrome OS machine for a few days. So long as Google is on the school grounds, the system is yours; you can take notes in class or just catch up on Netflix in your dorm room. The Library arrives at both Syracuse at Walnut Park and Texas State University next week, and it'll swing by other institutions in the weeks ahead. The big catch? You can't actually buy a Chromebook from the Library if you're enamored with the experience -- you'll likely have to venture into town to pick one up.
The first four Android apps for Chrome OS are here
Google promised that Android apps would eventually make their way to Chrome OS, and, well, here they are - the search giant announced that the first batch has just gone live in the Chrome Web Store. We knew that Vine and Evernote were on the short list of Android apps to make the leap, but there's no sign of Flipboard yet. Instead, we also got startup Duolingo's excellent language learning app and something called Sight Words, a tool to help little ones identify and recognize words (aww). Four apps may not seem like much to get worked up over, (especially since Duolingo and Evernote work just fine in a web browser) but it's just a start. Google says it'll work on getting more developers to use its App Runtime for Chrome "over the coming months," so don't go expecting a full-on Android invasion of Chrome OS any time soon.
HP unveils souped-up Chromebooks and a wider range of detachable tablets
HP definitely isn't showing up to IFA empty-handed. To start, it's greatly expanding its line of detachable Windows tablets beyond the middle-of-the-road Split x2. The star of the show is undoubtedly a revival of the Envy x2 line. It's much more powerful this time around -- the tablet is using Intel's fast-yet-efficient Core M processor instead of an Atom chip, and it now comes with a much larger 13.3- or 15.6-inch screen. HP has also switched from a (relatively) conventional laptop design to a fabric-wrapped Bluetooth keyboard that's supposed to be more flexible. Be prepared to pay for all these upgrades, though. The 15.6-inch Envy will cost $950 when it reaches the US on November 5th, and its 13.3-inch counterpart hits October 29th for $1,050.
Chrome OS update brings multiple user log-ins and more
Folks who share that Chromebook with one or two other people will be happy to download the latest Chrome OS update. The new version adds in Multi Sign-in support that makes logging on with one of a handful of different accounts a breeze. On top of that, there's a new "App Info" view in the launcher, settings now appear in a window rather than a tab, managed bookmarks and the ability to save to Google Drive from Incognito mode. As is customary with updates like this, a smattering of bug and security fixes are in tow. For Android, the Chrome browser hits version 37, and with it comes the switch to Mountain View's new Material Design aesthetic. Both the OS and the mobile browser update are rolling out to compatible devices now.
Google is bringing the Chrome OS desktop to Windows 7
The Chrome browser on Windows 8 has had a Chrome OS-like view for a while, but it now looks like that OS-within-an-OS option is spreading to other platforms. François Beaufort notes that Chrome Canary now has an experimental "Chrome OS mode" for Windows 7 that drops you into Google's web-based desktop, complete with an app launcher; you'll even get Google Now notifications through the app. There's no telling when (or if) this full-screen mode will reach polished versions of Chrome, but you can try it in Canary today if you're willing to live on the bleeding edge.
Toshiba intros a slimmer Chromebook, budget Windows convertible
Toshiba isn't showing off a whole lot here at IFA, Europe's biggest trade show. That said, the stuff it has announced at least manages to run the gamut. Today, for instance, the company unveiled both a slimmed-down Chromebook 2 and the Satellite Radius 11, a small-screened Windows convertible. Starting with the former, the Chromebook 2 has the same 13-inch screen size as its predecessor, along with the same textured plastic design. This time, though, it's thinner and lighter, at 2.95 pounds, with the sort of compact dimensions you'd expect to find on a 12-inch system. Toshiba bumped up the resolution too, so that you can now get it with a 340-nit, 1,920 x 1,080 IPS panel (the base model still has a 1,366 x 768 display). Depending on the resolution, you can expect either 11.5 hours of battery life on the lower-res version, or nine hours with full HD. In addition, Toshiba added Skullcandy audio. The firm seems proud of it, but after a few minutes of hands-on time, I actually found the sound to be rather tinny (it is loud, though).
Acer's Chromebox CXI ships next month for $180
Have a spare display sitting around that you want to turn into an (albeit limited) PC? You might consider picking up a Chromebox. The tiny low-powered machines, which run Google's Chrome OS, are best for basic productivity apps and content consumption, but if you don't need to do any complex processing, they might be a solid fit -- especially if you're on a very tight budget. Today, Acer announced a new model of its own, the Chromebox CXI. There's an Intel Celeron (Haswell) processor, a 16GB SSD, plenty of connectivity and support for two displays. One version includes 2GB of RAM and ships next month for $180, while a model with 4 gigs of RAM will run you $220. Both include a keyboard, mouse and mounting kit in the box.
Sound off! Can a Chromebook replace your everyday laptop?
When Google first unveiled its lineup of Chromebooks at Google I/O in 2011, it promised a new era of ultraportable computers that were affordable, had a healthy battery life and almost zero load times. Three years on, Google and its partners have continued to ship updates and we've found recent models that have offered some pretty impressive battery life and more powerful processors. But is that enough to make you buy one? Despite being insanely popular at places like Amazon, many of us have yet to be convinced of their utility. Do you have a Chromebook? Can it replace your normal computer for daily tasks? Let us know in the Engadget forums!
ASUS C200 review: The company's first Chromebook is a battery life champ
Sorry, naysayers: You're going to see a fair number of Chromebook reviews from us over the next few months. That's mostly because sales of these inexpensive laptops have shot up -- which means everyone and their mother is now making one, even companies that had previously shied away. The latest brand to join the fray is ASUS, which already has loads of experience building small, cheap notebooks. Indeed, ASUS' 11-inch C200 Chromebook ($250) looks like a 2009-era EeePC brought back to life: The spacious keyboard feels eerily familiar, as does the long, 11-hour battery life. Even so, it's not a perfect machine by any means -- in fact, it has a pretty serious flaw -- but if you're in the market for a Chromebook, it couldn't hurt to consider a company that seems to know what it's doing.
Acer's Chromebook 13 lasts a stunning 13 hours on a charge
Until now, if you wanted a Chromebook with a full HD display, you only had one option: the 13-inch Samsung Chromebook 2. Want epic battery life? Yep, all roads lead to Samsung there, too. Well, not anymore, anyway. Acer just announced the Chromebook 13, and it matches Samsung nearly spec for spec with an optional 1080p display and NVIDIA's quad-core Tegra K1 chip, promising up to 13 hours of runtime (details on that after the break). This is interesting for two reasons. First off, although this is essentially the same class of product as what Samsung is selling, it costs $100 less: $299, versus $400 for the Chromebook 2. Sounds good, right? What's more, this is the first-ever Chrome OS device with an NVIDIA processor inside.
Acer C720 review (Core i3): a more powerful Chromebook
Whether rightly or wrongly, Chromebooks have earned a reputation for being the new netbooks. Slowly, though, things are starting to change. The designs are starting to feel less cheap -- at least if you're Samsung. Battery life is getting longer, sometimes even better than on full-fledged laptops. And now, performance is getting stronger, too: Acer just became the first company to release a Chromebook with a Core i3 processor, one that can better withstand multitasking, gaming and whatever rich websites you're likely to visit. The C720, as it's called, is actually the same 11-inch Chromebook Acer's already been selling, just with a beefier CPU inside, and theoretically longer battery life -- 8.5 hours, up from 7.5. As ever, though, Acer kept the price down: This guy starts at just $350, just a little more than what you'd pay for a much lower-powered system from some other brands. The question is: Does processing power trump everything else? And if it does, are you better off waiting for other Core i3 models to come out?
Chrome OS adds pinch-to-zoom for regular users, Pixel owners rejoice
When Google launched the Chromebook Pixel, we weren't really sure what to make of the premium device's touchscreen. Sure, finger-friendly displays were trendy, but Chrome OS just wasn't asking for the technologies: it didn't feature many touch apps, the laptop didn't launch with a gesture update and user's couldn't even pinch-zoom web pages. Now, that's changing -- to go along with more touch-enabled Chromebooks now on sale, the latest update to Chrome OS' stable channel adds a touch-enabled window manager and pinch/zoom webpage scaling. [Image credit: François Beaufort]
Chromebooks can get cheaper thanks to new support for a low-end chip
You can pick up a Chromebook for a dirt-cheap $200, if you know where to shop. However, there are now signs that these Google-powered portables could get even cheaper. MediaTek has contributed code to Chromium OS (the base for Chrome OS) for a test device with an entry-level ARM Cortex-A7 processor -- a big step down from the relatively inexpensive Cortex-A15/A7 hybrid that Samsung uses, not to mention the Intel Celeron chips in other Chrome devices. Theoretically, this leads to Chromebooks and Chromeboxes that cost significantly less than $200, albeit after a big speed hit. Just as with phones and tablets, a Cortex-A7 system is likely to be pretty sluggish.
Google is bringing Android apps to Chromebooks
Google I/O wasn't all about Android and wearables. The Mountain View company unveiled more information about Chrome OS, that other Google operating system, as well. The big news? Google is finally bringing Android apps to the Chromebook. Sundar Pichai, Google's Senior VP of Android, Chrome and apps, showed off the Vine Android app on a Chromebook Pixel on stage. As seen in a picture (after the break) different apps work differently, with Flipboard showing up larger, and Vine appearing in a phone-sized window. The apps can access local hardware so you can record a Vine from your Chromebook's camera if you wish. Additionally, when your phone and laptop are connected, a notification will pop up on your Chromebook letting you know if your phone battery is low; there are alerts for incoming calls and text messages too. At last, it seems Google is working to bring Chrome and Android together in a unified experience. Update: A post on Google+ indicates that the only approved apps right now are Vine, Flipboard and Evernote. Others will need to be added to the list before you can access them on your Chromebook this fall when the feature launches. Want a say in which app is next to make the jump? Nominate your preference on Chromebook.com/newapps to let the team know.
Your Chromebook now sends photos to Google+ in the background
To date, Chrome OS has only backed up photos to the cloud as long as you left the Google+ Photos app open; that's a hassle on the frequently limited screen real estate of a Chromebook. You won't have that headache if you grab the updated Photos app, however. The new version automatically uploads snapshots from your SD card in the background, even if the app is closed; you can move on to email knowing that all those vacation pictures will be safe. It's a simple addition, but it should make a big difference if you're planning to go on photo safaris this summer.
