Google has set its sights on the high end market of notebook with its latest notebook, the Chromebook Pixel, but their plans don’t end there. According to a new rumor, Google plans to release cheaper Android OS and Intel Atom notebooks that are expected to be as low as $200. Both Acer and Asus also have plans to release the new Chromebook later this year.

While details are sparce right now on what we know about the Asus Chromebook, it is expected to be unveiled in the third or fourth quarters of 2013.  We know slightly more about the Acer Chromebook.  It supposedly had a 11.6 inch screen and is expected to be for sale in July of 2013.  We do not know any more about these devices at this time, but they are supposedly going to be mid-range devices and should be quite a bit cheaper than the projected price of the Chromebook Pixel.

With all the interest in the Chromebook, Google is quickly establishing itself as a heavy hitter in the notebook game.  What do you think of Chrome OS, are you okay with using a cloud-driven OS for your laptop needs or would you rather stick to a more traditional Windows, Mac or Linux device?

[ source ]

The post Acer and Asus Reportedely Working on New Chromebooks appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The traditional PC market is continuing to shrink as devices like smartphones and tablets eat into the marketshare. There are certainly some critics who feel that Windows 8 is a big part of that blame, and with that in mind we present today’s newest rumor.

Intel is allegedly preparing to push new Haswell-based convertible notebooks running Android. Think devices like the Asus Transformer Prime, though manufacturers involved supposedly include Asus, Acer, HP, Toshiba and Lenovo.

The rumor further asserts that Lenovo will lead the way with this new Android “notebook” push by introducing an Android-powered variant of the Yoga this May.

So how much would an Intel Android convertible cost? The rumored price point would be sub-$500. At this price, they would be a considerably cheaper alternative to Ultrabooks and Macbooks. These convertibles would also represent a spiritual successor to the netbook, which has since largely faded into obscurity in the last few years.

By providing a device that was small, cheap and good for typing while also fully capable of seperating from the keyboard, Intel and its partners could find a way to bring out the best of netbooks and tablets all in one form.

Such a move from Intel doesn’t sound totally insane, but I would still be more than a little cautious about believing this latest rumor due to its source. Digitimes is known for generating tons of rumors, with a mixed reputation on actually getting them right.

Still, Android would work just fine as a basic notebook alternative. Android has plenty of apps and its productivity offerings such as Office Suite Pro aren’t half bad. What do you think, for a price around $375-$475 would you consider purchasing a convertible Android device as a replacement for a traditional Mac, Windows or Linux laptop?

[ source ]

The post Rumor: Intel and Partners Working on Android Convertible Push appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

It’s not very often that you find substantial savings on MacBooks, so it’s always pretty noteworthy when you do. Case in point is this 13.3″ MacBook Pro with Retina Display. It just so happens to be on sale for a pretty substantial $499 off. That brings the price down to $1,419.99.

There are several SKUs and configurations of the MBP, so which version do you get for that price? This Retina MacBook Pro comes loaded with a dual core Intel Core i5 2.5GHz processor, an impressive 8GB of RAM, 256GB of flash storage and Intel HD Graphics 4000. This is certainly one of the higher spec’d models. You also get the usual things like Bluetooth 4.0, 720p FaceTime camera, USB 3.0, Thunderbolt, and a 74Wh lithium-polymer battery good for 7 hours of computing. And yes, the 13.3-inch screen is a Retina Display, boasting a resolution of 2560 x 1600. That’s better than your 1080p HDTV on a much smaller screen.

You can buy it now from MacMall.com. If that particular configuration doesn’t tickle your fancy, you can choose to customize the MacBook Pro from that same page, picking a faster processor and more flash storage, as well as adding Parallels, Office, a USB SuperDrive and more.

The post Save $479 Off 13.3″ Apple MacBook Pro Retina appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The Pwnium 3 competition was hosted as part of the CanSecWest security conference in Vancouver. Google offered up $3.14159 million (“Pi money”), but no one was able to emerge as the winning entry. The competition was with the newest version of Chrome OS running on a base Samsung Series 5 500 Chromebook. If they were able to achieve a browser or system level compromise delivered via a web page, they’d get $110,000. If they were able to get a compromise with device persistence, guest to guest with interim reboot, also delivered through a web page, the prize would be $150,000.

With that much money on the line, no one could do that. That’s got to be a pat on the back for Google. To be fair, they are currently “evaluating some work that may qualify as partial credit.” This is one of the smarter ways to go about things, because it helps to reveal potential vulnerabilities that Google can then address as quickly as possible.

[Source]

The post No One Can Hack Chrome OS at Pwnium 3 appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The supposedly leaked video, embedded below, showcases the new Chrome OS-powered notebook from Google and it’s looking to be much more of a powerhouse than its predecessors. For starters, that display is an impressive 2560 x 1700 pixels and it also happens to be a touchscreen.

If it were not for Chrome OS, I’d almost say that this was going to fall into the lap of the current crop of Windows 8 touchscreen notebooks. The Chromebook Pixel, which is also apparently being called the Chromebook Link, is reportedly being tested right now at Google’s offices.

Just as the Nexus devices are meant to offer pure Google experiences, the tagline for the Chromebook Pixel is that it has been “Designed by Google. Down to the last pixel.” Yes, it looks a little too much like a MacBook for some people, but it could mean that Google is really started to head down the hardware path. Of course, being tied to the cloud for everything with Chrome OS might not appeal to everyone and, no matter how pretty or how powerful this may be, that could prove to be the deal breaker.

That said rumors continue to speculate that starting with Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie, Chrome and Android could start blending some of their features together. could the Chromebook Pixel end up being the fruits of that rumored effort?

[Source]

The post Google Chromebook Pixel with 2560 x 1700 Touchscreen (Video) appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

A series of job postings have been put up by Apple and these seem to indicate that Jony Ive and his team are preparing to completely overhaul both iOS and OSX. It’s hard to say when the final products will be ready, but it’s quite possible that this is when we’ll start to see a deeper marriage between the two Apple operating systems. I don’t think it’ll be a merger of the two, per se, but they’ll likely have much more interplay.

First, Apple has a listing for senior software engineers to revamp the iLife software suite. Shipping with every new Mac, iLife has such staples as iPhoto, iMovie and GarageBand. The listing calls for an engineer to “help us re-imagine how user interfaces should be built and work.” Similarly, there’s a listing for someone to overhaul Siri and develop more of a “distinct personality” for the digital assistant. Sticking with iOS, there’s another listing looking for new APIs and frameworks. This certainly sounds like big changes are ahead.

And I think they’re due. For a company that’s supposed to be slick, shiny and on the cutting edge, Apple has remained a little stagnant recently. It’s time to change everything… again.

[Source]

The post Job Listings Point Toward Major iOS and OSX Overhauls appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Late last year, Microsoft introduced the Windows RT-based Microsoft Surface tablet.  Would it be out of the realm of possibility for Microsoft to create an Ultrabook of their own?  With a continued push by Microsoft’s hardware partners into convertible territory, some rumors suggest that an ultrabook convertible/hybrid could be the next obvious step.

Designer Clemente Puertolas feels the same way and has come up with a Surface ultrabook concept of his own. The concept ultrabook has touchscreen capabilities, the power of Windows 8, and an ultra thin design that is even thinner than the Apple MacBook Air.

While touchscreen laptops already exist, Puertolas thinks they are too complicated, fragile and sometimes too thick.  Based on his designs, this Surface Ultrabook concept looks insanely thin and very stylish. Is this an avenue you think Microsoft would be willing to take?

Would they have more success here than they have had with the Surface RT?

[ source ]

The post Designer Creates Microsoft Surface Ultrabook Concept appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Drexel University in Philadelphia has started a new program that seems to be the beginnings of something very big.  They have installed a Kiosk style vending machine that dispenses Macbooks for use by Drexel faculty, staff and students.

The machine is the university’s attempt to prevent students from getting mugged while carrying around laptops.  Each machine holds 12 notebooks that can be “checked out” for free for 5 hours by swiping student ID cards.  There is a $5 late fee for overdue notebooks.  While the notebooks are checked in, they get a battery charge and the kiosk does a hard drive cleaning to prevent subsequent users from being able to access previous content.

Drexel’s media relations director, Niki Gianakaris said “We installed it in late December” “Students didn’t want to carry their laptops to the library late at night.”  I imagine the 12 Macbooks spend very little time in the Kiosk, Gianakaris said “This is obviously going to be very popular, we’ll evaluate their use and, depending on the results determine how many more we can install.”  Drexel is also considering a iPad machine as well.

Two other East Coast learning institutions are also trying to get the machines which were developed by Laptops Anytime out of Texas.

I don’t know about you, but I think this is the beginning of a new trend in schools and libraries.  Keep in mind that Drexel previously had laptops for borrowing behind counter at the library, a trend that many other colleges and universities are already adopting. Still, the idea of automating the process with vending machines is pretty cool. What do you think?

[ source ]

The post Drexel Rolling Out Free Macbook Vending Machine appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Yes, we’ve reached that final stretch of the holidays and now you’re frantically looking for some last minute gift ideas. Believe it or not, there are still some great last minute gadget deals online that you can score before Christmas. In the spirit of the 12 days of Christmas, here are 12 deals on tech that you can put under your tree in time for Christmas morning.

Happy holidays and happy last minute shopping!

The post 12 Awesome Last Minute Gadget Deals You’ll Still Get by Christmas appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Acer recently released the Acer C7 and now they are back at it again, this time with the Acer C710-2605 Chromebook.

This affordable laptop features an 11.6 inch display will 1366 x 768 pixels and a Intel Celeron 847 1.1 GHz processor.  An impressive 500GB hard drive and 4 GB of RAM, versus the 320 GB hard drive and 2 GB of RAM you get with the C7.

Also included an HDMI, Ethernet, VGA and 3 USB ports.  The battery is an upgraded 5000mAh which lasts up to 6 hours compared to a 2500mAh battery supplied with the C7.  The main benefit of this new version over the previous C7 version is the bigger battery. The Acer C710-2605 is also a bit more expensive at $300, versus the $200 tag for the Acer C7.

Does this beefier version sound appealing?  Is the price difference worth the upgrades?  Tell us what you think, is the C710-2605 on your holiday wishlist?

[ source ]

The post Acer Releases Upgraded Version of C7 ChromeBook appeared first on Mobile Magazine.