Google introduced a new tablet computer and a media player today, expanding its hardware business exposure in hopes of competing more directly with Amazon's Kindle Fire, Apple's iPad and other popular tablets.
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Unveiled at the Google I/O conference in San Francisco, the 7-inch Google Nexus 7 tablet was developed jointly with Taiwan-based manufacturer Asus and will have a 1280 x 800 HD display, a Tegra 3 processor, a front-facing camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a Near Field communication (NFC) chip and up to nine hours of video playback.
It'll run Google's latest Android mobile operating system software -- 4.1, or Jelly Bean -- that was also introduced today.
"We want things to be simple, beautiful and really smart," said Vic Gundotra, the company's senior vice president of social business.
Priced at $199, the tablet will be sold on Google's app store, Google Play, starting today and will start shipping in mid-July. An order comes with a $25 credit to spend in Google Play and free movies and magazines.
Google also unveiled the Nexus Q, a small Android-powered media player that plugs into speakers and TVs at home to stream songs and movies stored in the cloud, including YouTube. Priced at $299, "the cloud-connected jukebox" adds a social component because your friends can play their songs, movies and videos saved on Google Play at your home.
The 4.6-inch sphere can be ordered starting today on Google Play and will ship starting in mid-July.
SOURCE: USA Today
Roger Yu
