Google has new tablet, new connection to TV

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) – Google on
Wednesday unveiled a slimmer, more
powerful tablet computer on its Nexus
brand and a thumb-sized device that lets
popular mobile gadgets feed online
content wirelessly to television sets.
The ramped-up second-generation Nexus
7 by Taiwan-based Asus made its debut
along with a Chromecast dongle that
plugs into television sets to let people
easily route online content to big screens.
Mario Queiroz, head of Google TV, said
Chromecast "won't clutter your
entertainment cabinet. It simply
disappears behind your TV once it is
plugged in."
The new connector device went on sale
for $35 online at Google play and will also
be sold through Amazon and Best Buy in
the United States.
"Cast" icons built into applications for
online video services YouTube and Netflix
let people use smartphones, tablets or
laptop computers to easily direct online
videos to television screens, a
demonstration showed.
'If you know how to use YouTube on your
phone, you know how to use YouTube on
your TV," Queiroz said while describing
the vision behind Chromecast.
"Any device in your home can become a
remote control for the television."
Google also made available a software kit
for developers to synch mobile apps with
Chromecast. Online radio streaming
service Pandora is among those with Cast
application features "in the works,"
according to Google.
Google is also working to let people "cast"
online content from Chrome web
browsers to televisions.
Content fed to televisions is delivered
directly through home Internet
connections, with smartphones, tablets or
laptops serving essentially as remote
controls, according to Queiroz.
"We are paving the way for more apps to
come," he continued. "Over time, we
expect the technology to be embedded in
a range of devices from our partners."
The Nexus 7 ramps up Google's challenge
to Apple's iPad with a slimmer tablet to
be easily slipped into a pocket or handbag
and allow easy access to rich online
content or services.
Nexus 7 is about two millimeters thinner
and slightly narrower than its
predecessor, which was released a year
ago.
"It actually makes a huge difference when
holding it in one hand; it fits more easily
in a purse or jacket," Android vice
president Hugo Barra said after pulling a
new Nexus 7 from a rear pocket of his
pants.
Nexus 7 has a high-definition screen and
speakers that allow for virtual surround
sound listening of films, games, or music.
Nexus tablets will be available in three
models, all with seven-inch high-
resolution screens. Two Nexus 7 models
will connect to the internet just using Wi-
Fi, while one will be synched to US high-
speed telecom carrier networks.
Nexus 7 prices will start at $229 and top
out at $349 in the US market.
Wi-Fi only versions will go on sale in the
United States on July 30, with Nexus 7
tablets to be released in France, Australia,
Britain, South Korean and a few other
countries in "coming weeks."
Nexus 7 will be the first tablet powered
by a new 4.3 version of the Android "Jelly
Bean" mobile operating system.
"We from the Android team are investing
a lot in tablets," said Sundar Pichai, who
heads the Android and Chrome teams at
Google.
"By our count, almost one in two tablets
sold worldwide is based on Android."
More than 70 million tablets powered by
Google's Android software have been
activated worldwide, according to Pichai.
Prices are falling for most tablets as sales
surge, with many analysts expecting
tablets to outpace PC sales soon. ablet
shipments are expected to grow 67.9
percent to 202 million units this year,
according to a Gartner report.