Event
December 7: ChromeOS (Beta) launch day
December 3, 2010: 4:08 PM ETA new browser, a new OS and a new store seem to be on the agenda for Google next week.
Update: Yep, we've got our invites. See you on the 7th for the ChomeOS launch!
Engadget is reporting that December 7 is the launch date for ChromeOS and there will even be a few thousand ChromeOS laptops available to Google's (GOOG) closest friends. The OS is still in Beta and there won't be products ready for the holidays.
Multiple sources have told us that Google will be holding some sort of event on Tuesday, December 7th -- we're not sure if it'll be a live event, a webcast, or something else entirely -- and that the shindig will see the launch of that Google-branded Chrome OS netbook we've been hearing about. Again, we've heard that the Atom-powered laptop isn't going to be a mass market device -- there will only be around 65,000 units available to Google's closest "friends and family" -- and that the Cloud-based OS is still very much in a beta, non-consumer-friendly state.
It would make sense that the Chrome Store, Google's gateway to purchasing web apps would be launched beside the OS. And we saw yesterday (though with little fanfare) Google had updated its ChromeOS to version 8. We know Google has high hopes for ChromeOS, with one spokesperson saying that Chrome could immediately replace 60% of Windows PCs in the workplace.
Gingerbread, the next version of the Android OS is also due from Google in the coming days/weeks, so if there is a big event, Gingerbread may be included. That likely would mean the launch of Nexus S from Samsung as well.
And why not throw in GoogleMe, Emerald Sea, and Google+1, or whatever Google is calling its social network, in for Tuesday as well?
I'll make one connection.
Emerald is the color of the icons in the new Android OS, so perhaps Gingerbread is tied up with Google's social play somehow. It would make sense to marry one of Google's most successful products with their all-important social play.
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Google Instant announcement coverage
The event stats at 12:30 ET. I'll be updating live.
Google announced an anticipated new search service, Google Instant, today. The service which will rapidly replace Google's default search engine and update the page as you type. Some initial thoughts:
- Google will now serve an order of magnitude more ads but most companies only pay for clicks so there won't necessarily be a growth in clicks/revenue.
- Most people now search with MORE
Seth Weintraub - Sep 8, 2010 12:41 PM ET -
Google goes black and white for 'big announcement'
This better be good...
Update: CEO Eric Schmidt Tweets about speed:
Google has some announcement about search today at the San Francisco MOMA. Our Michael Copeland will be on hand covering it. Google has been messing with its logo yesterday and today trying to build excitement. For a search product, that is a tall order.
Today, they've gone gray...until you start typing.
Paradoxically, Google has tweeted this morning:
Like I said, this better MORE
Seth Weintraub - Sep 8, 2010 8:40 AM ET -
Google Mobile Event: 'Android Voice Action'
New Android/Cloud products announced to make mobile computing easier
From their San Francisco Offices today, Google announced an update to its Google Voice search.
Did you know that 25% of Android 2.0 search is done by voice? Google plans to expand the use of voice in its Android phones with a new product called 'Voice Actions' inside its new Google Search for Android product, being released today.
The product adds one action SMS, MORE
Seth Weintraub - Aug 12, 2010 1:19 PM ET -
Google Mobile event scheduled for Thursday morning
The event will be hosted by Google mobile product management director Hugo Barra.
The invite said that Google will be unveiling a couple of cool new mobile features. Barria comes to Google from Nuance communications, a speech recognition powerhouse, but Google phones already recognize speech. The last event of this sort yielded Turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps (which is awesome).
Another area of intrigue is video calling which Fring has been doing on MORE
Seth Weintraub - Aug 10, 2010 11:16 PM ET
