If Apple Inc. rules the high end tablets segment, then at the Google I/O event yesterday, Internet search giant Google Inc. gave a preview of as to how the company plans to make a significant and maybe a dominant presence in the budget tablets vertical. Google has now finally lifted the curtains off of a brand new Google branded tablet device called, Nexus 7 or Asus Nexus 7. Since the arrival of the ‘New iPad’ and the continuous reign of Apple iPad 2, many started to believe that Google would soon come up with something that would either squash or at the very least, curb the astronomically soaring Apple popularity. However, with the introduction of the Nexus 7, the search giant has taken quite a different approach to the highly competitive as well as lucrative tablet market. Instead of firing at the iPad series, Nexus 7 seems to be more interested in the recently launched Amazon Kindle Fire as a primary opponent. Luxury tablets are definitely the way to go if you have ample money to spend on gadgets. However, for the majority of the user base, affordable budget tablets such as the likes of Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble Nook have been sweetest and by far the safest option. Both these tablets run on Google Android OS, though heavily customized and offer users quite useful features and services for as low as $199 a piece. Nexus 7, it seems has been built around the same user and wallet friendly platform, while this new Google tablet will also provide users with a completely unaltered Google Android OS, which in turn will lead to a more robust and refreshing tablet experience.
Another major announcement by Google Inc. led to the unveiling of a highly new ambitious product titled, “Project Glass.†This incredible new Google offering is basically the company’s home-grown augmented reality project that will soon be available via a stylish pair of head-mounted display glasses. Already being considered to be a giant leap in the social networking circles, Project Glass if implemented flawlessly, could lead to a revolution that will render even tablets for that matter, obsolete.
Now, that we have the gist of what these two great products from Google Inc. can achieve for the casual as well as the power users, let’s get down to the specifics of theirs.
1. Â Google Nexus 7
Price: $199
Asus Nexus 7 or more commonly being referred to as ‘Google Nexus 7’ is the latest tablet offering from the combined efforts of Asus and Google Inc. and is also the very first Google branded tablet device. Designed and developed to provide budget conscious users something to be thrilled about, Nexus 7 is powered by a 1.2Ghz Nvida Tegra 3 processor with a quad-core CPU that is equally complemented with 12-core graphics and a full 1GB of RAM. The Nexus 7 features a seven inch display that provides a crisp 1280-by-800 high-definition display via a capacitive touchscreen. Weighing only 340 grams, this budget Google tablet is packed some really neat features, such as the likes of wifi, NFC (Near Field Communication), Bluetooth, a front facing 1.2MP camera, a gyroscope and an accelerometer. Furthermore, during the presentation at the I/O event, Google stated that the device will provide quite a satisfactory battery backup that will enable nine hours of HD video playback. Google Nexus 7 will also be the very first tablet to be packed with the Google Chrome web browser and the tablet will run on the latest Google Android 4.1 ‘Jelly Bean’ OS. There will be present numerous tablet tailored widgets and applications, such as the likes of Google Maps, YouTube HD etc. while the tablet is also being touted as a wonderful platform for various high profile gaming titles. The Nexus 7 will be launched in the month of July this year with a price tag of $199 that will be comprised of $25 worth of Google Play credit, along with various pre-loaded  books as well as movies.
2. Â Project Glass
Price: $1,500 (Pre-Order for I/O Attendees Only)
For some time now, Augmented Reality (AR) has widely been accepted as the next logical evolution of virtual reality and at the Google I/O conference, the search giant showed how much importance is of AR in Google’s future plans. Google showcased its highly ambitious program, ‘Project Glass’ to the attendees via a grand sky-diving demonstration. Project Glass is essentially Google’s vision of taking social networking to a whole new level, where in users will be able to stay connected to the virtual world via a pair of head-mounted display glasses. These glasses will be equipped with a one inch display, an integrated touchpad and will also be able to respond to voice commands. The initial Project Glass devices are wifi supporting only and once connected, users are able to instantly initiate a Google Hangout video chat session right from the glasses. Furthermore, an embedded camera will also allow you to record videos and take still shots, while instantly uploading them to Google Plus for real time sharing. One of the coolest features of the glasses is that notifications from your phone will be displayed directly on the glasses. Also, Project Glass will enhance distraction free driving experience, as the users will be able to dictate messages and emails via voice commands. For those with prescription glasses, Google has announced that company is currently working towards creating compatibly between Project Glass and prescription glasses. As of now, Project Glass is available for pre-order only for the I/O attendees and the glasses carry a price tag of $1,500. However, there are indications that Project Glass when officially launched in the year 2014, will be considerably inexpensive with the glasses’ price tag hovering between $250 to $350.
