HTC may be developing a new hybrid netbook/tablet “internet access device” that combines both Chrome OS and Android, presumably in some sort of dual-boot environment. Samsung and Acer are the only two major suppliers that currently offer devices powered by Google’s Chrome OS, otherwise known as Chromebooks, but DigiTimes said the two firms have only sold about 25,000 – 30,000 units this year. The lower-powered netbooks currently cost between $350 and $450 and will likely need to fall...

Microsoft announced on Thursday that Quanta Computer will begin licensing its patent technology for Android and Chrome-based smartphones and tablets. Microsoft will receive royalties from Quanta, but the terms of the deal not disclosed by either company. “We are pleased to have reached this agreement with Quanta, and proud of the continued success of our Android licensing program in resolving IP issues surrounding Android and Chrome devices in the marketplace,” Microsoft’s corporate vice pre...

Intel has delayed its next-generation Cedar Trail Atom processors until November, DigiTimes reported on Monday. The company originally planned to launch its new 32nm chipsets in September but has pushed the launch due to graphics driver issues that have prevented the netbook/nettop platform from obtaining Microsoft’s Windows 7 certification. Cedar Trail’s 1.86GHz Atom N2800 and 1.6GHz Atom N2600 processors support DirectX 10.1, Intel Wireless Display, PC Sync, Fast Boot and Intel Wireless Music an...

T-Mobile announced on Tuesday that it will expand its Direct Carrier Billing option to support more digital products. The service allows T-Mobile customers to make purchases directly from their web browsers and charge them to their monthly T-Mobile bills. Customers can purchase music, games, social networking credits and more from their phones, T-Mobile tablets, or any of their computers connected to a T-Mobile network. Direct Carrier Billing will be available later this month, and once it is active, customer...

During the Google I/O developer conference in San Francisco today, Google discussed the future of its “Chrome OS” platform, as well as some future products that will soon hit the market. Google has improved the performance of Adobe Flash playback within the browser, and the OS will now recognize I/O devices — such as cameras — when they’re plugged into the computer. Other new features include Google Music integration, a new photo manager that allows you to send directly to Picasa, and an...

On Monday HP announced that it has updated its EliteBook, ENVY, Mini, Pavilion, and ProBook notebook families with some more robust models. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s new:HP’s ProBook 5330m, designed for business users, is less than an inch thick, weighs 3.9 pounds, and has a 13.3-inch screen. It’s powered by Intel’s Core i5 and Core i3 processors and comes with a fingerprint reader and other security options. It will debut on May 9th for $799.The ultraportable EliteBook 25...

Acer believes there’s still consumer interest in netbooks despite the surging tablet market, and the firm recently said that it’s not giving up on the mini notebooks just yet. “Tablets have impacted overall netbook sales, but we’re not stepping away from the [netbook] segment,”Acer’s senior product marketing and brand manager, Eric Ackerson, told Forbes. “We think there’s still opportunity for sales, including in the U.S.” Acer’s not ignoring the tablet market — its ...

Details of Samsung’s first official Chrome OS netbook, dubbed Alex, have surfaced in Google’s code repository. According to the Chrome OS development site, the Alex netbook will be powered by a 1.5GHz Intel Atom N550 processor and sport 2GB of RAM. A SanDisk solid-state harddrive of an unknown capacity, a 1280 x 800 pixel display resolution, Wi-Fi, Ethernet port, front-facing webcam, and Bluetooth along with support for 3G cellular connectivity and a Synaptics TouchPad will also be included. Go...

Intel on Monday officially took the wraps off of its latest Atom Z760 processor, formerly codenamed “Oak Trail.” The Atom Z760 processor promises to provide better performance, specifically with multimedia playback, and it supports 1080p video encoding as well as HDMI-out in a package that’s 60% smaller than previous Atom CPUs. The new processor also supports Windows 7, Android and MeeGo, allowing manufacturers to build tablets that can boot into a variety of operating systems, and Intel say...

Via a press release, Best Buy has made its electronics Buy Back Program – the very same program we broke the news on last week — official. The program will allow users to trade in their laptops, netbooks, tablets, or smartphones for a percentage of the device’s original value. Best Buy is billing its new service as “future proofing.”“We recognize that technology is changing faster than ever, and our customers tell us they want to enjoy these devices without worrying about when...

In case you had any open questions about Best Buy’s upcoming Buy Back program, a trusted source just sent some more information that will clear up any open questions. The new info includes an internal PDF detailing exactly what this new service means to you, the customer, in addition to Best Buy the company, and also employees that work at Best Buy. The program, as we exclusively reported, will offer customers up to 50% of the purchase price on their laptops, netbooks, tablets, TVs, and mobile phones fo...

One of our trusted Best Buy sources has come through with several documents that provide additional details on the retailer’s new Buy Back program. The new protection plan, which allows consumers to sell back their devices for a percentage of the its original MSRP, will launch covering phones, laptops, netbooks, tablets, and TVs priced under $5,000 on January 5th; the service will be expanded to “other product categories” sometime during fiscal year 2012. To heighten awareness, commercials ...

A lot of people are thinking it, but former Google employee, Gmail creator, and FriendFeed founder Paul Buchheit has come right out and said it. On his FriendFeed page, Mr. Buchheit has levied some harsh judgements on Google’s netbook-centric Chrome OS. Here are just a few of his thoughts:Prediction: Chrome OS will be killed next year (or “merged” with Android).I was thinking, “is this too obvious to even state?”, but then I see people taking Chrome OS seriously, and Google is ...

We just said adéu to our friendly FedEx delivery person and ripped into our care package sent by Google. On first glance, the Google Cr-48 Chrome laptop looks very similar to Apple’s black MacBook. The screen is 12.1-inches, the entire computer is done up in a soft-touch rubberized finish, and — while it’s a bit thick (we’re used to using a MacBook Air) — we have had some fun typing on the well thought out (and well spaced) keyboard. Here are our first impressions:We can’t...