Tag: Chromebook

Google Chromebooks Coming To A Store Near You & DreamWorks Animation Signs A Deal With Netflix

Linda Reimer

Google Chromebooks Coming To A Store Near You: Google has announced that is now selling its inexpensive cloud-based Chromebook laptops at Walmart and Staples. Walmart is carrying the Acer C7 Chromebook that costs $199 and Staples will sell the Acer Chromebook along with the slightly more expensive Chromebooks from Samsung and HP at its stores.

And just on an FYI note the library owns a Google Samsung Chromebook that patrons are welcome to come in and sit down and try out!

And Chromebooks – if you’re not familiar with them – are light weight, cloud based laptops running the Google Chrome operating system. These laptops are meant to be used with an Internet connection and you are pretty much locked into the Google ecosystem – meaning that you can use the online Google Docs service to create word processing documents, spreadsheets and presentations but you can’t install software on a Chromebook the way you can install Microsoft Office on a Windows PC. However, for the price – and the Chromebook that I’ve seen that has the best reviews is the Samsung Chromebook which costs $249 (and that the model the library owns) – the Chromebook is a reasonable choice for an inexpensive laptop for one to do light word processing, email and/or web related tasks upon. And if you simply need a second laptop for light weight tasks or even perhaps for your cottage at the lake (provided you have Internet service there) a Google Chromebook might just fit the proverbial bill.

Here’s a link to a CNET article that relays more information on the fact that the Chromebooks are coming to a store near you titled “”Google’s low-cost Chromebooks coming to 6,600 more stores:”

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57589721-93/googles-low-cost-chromebooks-coming-to-6600-more-stores/

And a second link to a CNET review of the Samsung Chromebook:

http://www.cnet.com/laptops/samsung-chromebook-series-3/4505-3121_7-35500150-2.html

DreamWorks Animation Signs A Deal With Netflix: DreamWorks Animation has signed a deal with Netflix to offer new programming. DreamWorks is known for its visually stunning videos and is working on expanding its offerings by sidestepping traditional cable companies and instead offering new shows for Netflix subscribers to stream. The new deal was announced on Monday and this new partnership will translate into 300 new hours of episodic television being created. The deal can also be seen as another battle in the Internet TV vs. Traditional Cable Television because the new shows will not able available to TV fans through traditional cable companies like Time Warner and Comcast but will be available for Netflix subscribers stream. The details regarding the new shows have yet to be released but DreamWorks did say that the new shows would be inspired by their back catalog which features a number of notable franchise videos including: Shrek, Mr. Magoo, Lassie and Casper the Friendly Ghost. The first of the new programs is tentatively slated to be aired in 2014.

Here’s a link to a New York Times article on the subject titled “DreamWorks and Netflix in Deal for New TV Shows:”

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/18/business/media/dreamworks-and-netflix-in-deal-for-new-tv-programs.html

Have a great day!

Linda R.

References

Barnes, Brooks. (2013, June 17). DreamWorks and Netflix in Deal for New TV Shows. New York Times. Online. Accessed June 19, 2013. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/18/business/media/dreamworks-and-netflix-in-deal-for-new-tv-programs.html

Kerr, Dara. Google’s low-cost Chromebooks coming to 6, 600 more stores. CNET. Online. Accessed June 19, 2013. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57589721-93/googles-low-cost-chromebooks-coming-to-6600-more-stores/

Portnoy, Sean. (2013, June 19). Acer’s $199 C710-2865 Chromebook laptop includes SSD, will be sold at Walmart. ZDNET. Online. Accessed June 19, 2013. http://www.zdnet.com/acers-199-c710-2856-chromebook-laptop-includes-ssd-will-be-sold-at-walmart-7000017015/

Samsung Chromebook review: The one we’ve been waiting for (at least in price). Accessed June 19, 2013.

 

 

Google Chromebook Practical CNET Review & 15 Ways Technology Is Transforming Society

Linda Reimer

Google Chromebook Practical CNET Review (And FYI THe Library Has A Chromebook Too!): CNET tech columnist Daniel Ackerman is doing a review series on the Google Chromebook. As you may recall from previous postings on this blog the Google Chromebook comes in a few varieties the entry level Asus Chromebook costs $199 and the Samsung Chromebook costs $249 – and these are cloud based laptops that are suitable, in my opinion, as a second laptop you might use in your house or cottage or as an entry level or light weight laptop you might use with Wi-Fi. The laptops really are made to be used with Wi-Fi but if you just want a laptop to use to connect to the Internet watch YouTube videos and read and reply to emails than the Samsung Chromebook might be a good chose for you! And if you’d like to try out a Samsung Chromebook before you buy it – you can! The library owns a Samsung Chromebook and we’ll be happy to show you the Chromebook ropes!

And here is a link to the second part of the CNET review series of articles on the Chromebook titled Living with Chromebook: Can you use it to actually get work done?:
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-3121_7-57581488-220/living-with-chromebook-can-you-use-it-to-actually-get-work-done/

15 Ways Technology Is Transforming Society: The Business Insider site offers a cool article on 15 technologies that are transforming, or at they put it “reinventing” society.  Those 15 technologies include Google Glass (those Internet connecting glasses made by Google), self-driving cars (we’re on the verge of a transportation revolution), wearable fitness monitors like the Jawbone Up wrist band (The monitors relay information via apps to smartphones and tablets so you can track how many steps you take in a day, how intense your workout was and how well you sleep etc.), the growing economic inter-connectivity brought about by the evolving communication technologies, robotic assistants, the growing use of smartphones and tablets, 3D printing (make your own clothes, iPhone cases etc., gesture controlled computers (no more mouse!) and more!

Check out the Business Insider slideshow article, titled 15 Ways Technology I Reinventing Our Society, for the details on all 15 cool ways technology is transforming outlives – here’s the link:

http://www.businessinsider.com/15-ways-tech-is-reinventing-society-2013-4

Have a great day!

Linda R.

References

Ackerman, Daniel. (2013, April 29). Living with Chromebook: Can you use it to actually get work done? The Chromebook challenge continues with productivity and workplace tests in Part 2 of our series. CNET. Online.

Dickey, Megan Rose. (2013, April 28). 15 Ways Technology Is Reinventing Society. Business Insider. Online.