Qualcomm’s CEO-elect Steve Mollenkopf shared his vision for 2014 during a CES press event, a vision that includes more robust and feature-rich operating systems enhancing the tablet market (providing opportunities for Qualcomm’s mobile Snapdragon chips), a growing trend in smart wearables (including Qualcomm’s Toq), and a new era of connected cars (aided by the new Snapdragon 602A). The AEC-Q100 compliant 602A is designed to meet auto industry standards for temperature, quality and longevity. Continue reading CES: Qualcomm Outlines Plans for Tablets and Connected Cars

With numerous reports showing that the trend of cord-cutting continued to accelerate during 2013, despite the fact that pay TV revenue growth remains strong, the ETCentric reporting team in Las Vegas will be looking for innovative or disruptive products and services that may impact the current television business model. Currently, 14 percent of U.S. broadband households are using some sort of video streaming media device, with the various models of Roku being the most popular. Continue reading CES 2014: TV Everywhere and Tech Beyond the End of the Cord

Google is opening temporary showrooms in six U.S. cities to display and promote its latest gadgets. Consumers can visit the holiday-themed pop-up stores, dubbed “Winter Wonderlabs,” to check out devices such as the Nexus 7 tablet, Google’s Chromebook laptops and the digital TV receiver Chromecast. The Winter Wonderlab in Canoga Park opened over the weekend. Additional locations include Chicago, New York City, Sacramento, Washington DC, and Paramus, NJ. Continue reading Wonderlabs: Google Promotes Devices in Pop-Up Showrooms

Simple.TV’s streaming DVR will be coming to the U.S. on December 12th, with recording and live streaming available for local devices, as well as TV delivered to Android and iOS apps. The $250 DVR supports several browsers and Roku players, and may even offer a Windows Phone app down the road. With options for premium services, TV-loving consumers who like to catch up with shows on-the-go will appreciate the added features. Continue reading Simple.TV’s DVR Delivers Live Streaming to Mobile Devices

Google’s Android-powered Nexus 5 is now available with many of the features that were leaked prior to its release. The new smartphone includes an upgraded 4.95-inch 1080p display, Corning Gorilla Glass 3, 2.3Ghz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, and 2GB of RAM. It shows off the latest Android 4.4 technology, also known as KitKat, and it can be purchased on the Google Play Store today in 16GB ($349) or 32GB ($399) models. Continue reading Google Nexus 5 Smartphone Now Available for Android Fans

Japan has vending machines for a wide array of products — from batteries, beverages and magazines to fresh fruit and vegetables. Google joined the fray this week with the trial introduction of Google Play game-dispensing vending machines. Three different machines will each sell a collection of 18 free-to-play and paid-for titles. Consumers with an NFC-enabled smartphone running Android 4.0 can stop in front of the Parco department store in Tokyo’s Shibuya district to access the games. Continue reading Google Introduces Tokyo to Android Game Vending Machines

During yesterday’s breakfast event unveiling Google’s new Nexus 7 tablet, the company also announced the $35 Chromecast, a small thumbnail device that connects to televisions via HDMI and enables users to send content via Wi-Fi from phones, tablets or PCs to the TV screen. Chromecast comes with three months of free Netflix and offers more functionality than Apple TV’s AirPlay. “On paper at least, it’s the best device Google has ever announced,” suggests Wired. Continue reading Is New Google Chromecast All About the Future of Pay TV?

Google unveiled a new thinner version of its Nexus 7 tablet yesterday, this one also made by ASUS, featuring a 1920 x 1200 screen and pixel density of 323 ppi. The CPU has moved up to a 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm S4 Pro paired with an Adreno 320 GPU and 2GB of RAM. The 7-inch tablet also features the updated Jelly Bean 4.3 operating system. The new Android OS offers support for multiple users with restricted profiles and Bluetooth LE for pairing with wireless accessories. Continue reading Google Unveils Thinner Nexus 7 Tablet with Hi-Res Screen

While an official Google event is scheduled for today that may or may not include tablet news, a new Nexus 7 is rumored to be offered at Best Buy beginning July 30th. The leaked Best Buy flyer reveals updated hardware, with a 1920 x 1200 high definition display, 16GB of storage, and a price of $229. If true, Google will offer a seven-inch HD tablet ahead of Apple. The current iPad mini does not have a high-definition screen and has a starting retail price tag of $329. Continue reading New Nexus 7 with Android 4.3 to Be Available by Next Week

Google plans to extend Android’s reach beyond smartphones and tablets. Android-powered video game consoles and smartwatches will compete with other technology companies, specifically Apple, which is expected to release its own game console and wristwatch according to people familiar with the development. Android is being made ready to run on a variety of CE products, from laptop computers and wearable devices to household appliances. Continue reading Google Bringing Android to Video Game Consoles and More

Google kicked off its annual I/O developers conference yesterday with a three and a half hour keynote delivered before 6,000 attendees at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. In addition to a surprise appearance by CEO Larry Page, who discussed obstacles to technological progress and answered questions from software developers, the event detailed updates and new releases involving Google+, Google Maps, Hangouts, Google Play Music All Access, a special Galaxy S4 smartphone and more. Continue reading Google I/O: New Music Service, Google+ Updates and More

Google’s I/O developers conference kicks off tomorrow with a three-hour keynote from the Moscone Center in San Francisco. During the three-day event, the company is expected to announce an update to its Android mobile operating system and an updated version of its 7-inch Nexus 7 tablet (and possibly a new 11-inch model), while there has been speculation that Google may also unveil a new smartphone from Motorola, a new design for Google Maps, new Chrome features and more. Continue reading New Products and Updates: Google I/O Kicks Off Tomorrow

Google’s purchase this month of Channel Intelligence, a data management platform for retailer inventory, suggests that Google has plans to become the dominant player in global e-commerce. In the U.S. alone, that market is already worth $186 billion. The $125 million deal will not only impact Google’s ad business, but underscores the company’s strategy to work its way into the retail market, starting with e-commerce websites. Continue reading Google Takes Next Step to Dominate Retail with Acquisition

HP announced its return to the tablet game with its new Slate 7 tablet, a 7-inch device running Android 4.1. The company’s first Android device will go on sale in April for $169. The company hopes printing will be one of the key features that sets it apart from other tablets — the Slate 7 will be able to print from most apps by using either native drivers or HP’s ePrint technology. Continue reading HP Unveils $169 Android Tablet, Reportedly First of Many

According to 9to5Google, an “extremely reliable source” has confirmed that Google plans to build standalone retail stores in the U.S., with major metropolitan area flagship outlets opening in time for the holidays by the end of this year. The goal is to get new Google Nexus, Chrome and other upcoming products into the hands of customers, similar to the approach taken by competitors Apple and Microsoft. Continue reading Will Google Look to Compete with its Own Retail Stores?