Google Glass, Nexus Q and Nexus 7: new Google I/O

Account of the Google I/O conference, where the American giant presented (and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean) three important products: its tablet, a "Box" audio-video and... the glasses!

Once is not custom, let's start with the end... That is to say the Google Glasses that the giant has presented any end of its Google I/O conference. It is of course the most surprising announcement, because even if we had already heard about these Google goggles, no one dared imagine that their marketing would be announced as quickly. It is therefore Sergei Brin who climbed on stage to introduce them, with a small staging spectacular well-oiled as Americans know so well to do.

In these glasses, there is a transparent screen to display information actually increased in the field of vision of the user (heads-up display), but also a photo/video sensor, a microphone, a touchpad on the branch, a gyroscope and modules for wireless connectivity... It is quite amazing to see where we are today in terms of miniaturization. And for nothing spoil Googles promises that his Glasses are "less heavy than a pair of sunglasses". Also, their design was thought to adapt by above a traditional pair of glasses.

Available in pre-order only for US developers who participated in the Google I/O 2012 for the moment, the "Google Glass Explorer Edition" kit will be charged $ 1500 (still!). Also will need them to be patient, since deliveries will be made in any early in the year 2013. On marketing to the general public, Google nothing would say.

Another surprise of the conference Google, the presentation of a strange object connected: the Nexus Q (in reference to the inventor of agent 007 gadgets?). It is, in short, a multimedia module, which runs on Android and can benefit from Google Play (ex-Android market). It can therefore be seen as a device registering in the lineage of the Google TV project, even if the American giant introduced as a new product. But nobody is fooled, and everywhere the Nexus Q is mentioned as a competitor to the Apple TV. Except that sold $ 300, it is nearly three times more expensive than Apple's TV package. Of course, it is offering more features.

In fact, it's a strange sphere to the highly futuristic design that is a little less 12 cm in diameter (a CD) and weighs 925 grams. He first embarked an amplifier (Class D, 2 x 12, 5W) and can be connected to a pair of passive speakers, but also any electronics that makes a perfect Android terminal. Judge for yourself: SoC Texas Instruments OMAP 4460, 1 GB RAM, 16 GB of storage. What to run Android 4.0 carefree. The rest of the connections it is provided: micro-HDMI output audio output digital and analog, micro-USB, Ethernet, WiFi n dual-band port port...

There is also the presence of a NFC module! Interesting, it allows playback of music or video from an Android NFC (smartphone or Tablet) terminal on its audio-video installation which is connected the Nexus Q, and this simply approaching his apparatus of the sphere. Indeed, no remote control is comes with Nexus Q, fully driven through terminals Android, which gives the possibility to many residents of the same household to interact with him.

For the moment, commercialization applies only to the United States, and will be only on the Google Play Store. Deliveries from mid-July.

Finally, let's finish this account of advertising products Google I/O by the product whereas, one for which there was more surprise to hope: the Nexus tablet. As agreed, it is in the format "7 and is meant to be a real competitor to the Kindle Fire of Amazon, with his own aggressive tariff, with a sale price to $ 199.

For this price, the Tablet made in partnership with Asus embarked a SoC NVIDIA Tegra 3, screen IPS in 1280 x 800 pixels (216 dpi resolution) protected by Gorilla Glass, a sensor photo/video of 1.2 MP front and modules, WiFi n, Bluetooth, GPS and NFC, an accelerometer, gyroscope and a magnetometer. The storage is entrusted to 8 GB of internal memory, and it regrets the lack of a port for SD cards to extend this space. For further information, it will be a choice the 16 GB version, sold $ 249.

                   

With its small size, the Tablet displays a weight of only 340 grams. Integrating a 4325 mAh battery, it promises a beautiful range of 9 h in video playback and more than 10 h in surf (300 h standby). Current July, only American, Canadian, Australian and English will be available. Other countries, once again with Google, to be patient.