Gear News of the Week: Chrome OS Will Merge With Android and Sony Surprises With a New Camera Leave a comment

It has been speculated on. It has been rumored. It has been hoped for. And based on an interview with TechRadar, it is taking place. Android ecosystem president Sameer Samat says Google plans to mix Chrome OS and Android “right into a single platform.”

Google has saved its telephone and pill working programs distinct from its laptop computer platform. There was loads of crossover through the years—the largest being the introduction of Android apps to Chromebooks again in 2016—however they’ve at all times coexisted. With Samat’s new assertion, although, change is afoot.

Within the interview, Samat additionally adopted up on a remark made to WIRED’s Julian Chokkattu at Google I/O this yr, hinting at a future Google laptop computer, stating that “he is desirous about how individuals are utilizing their laptops nowadays.” The final Google laptop computer was the Pixelbook Go in 2019, which adopted the ill-fated Pixel Slate 2-in-1 in 2017. If Google does plan to merge the brand new platforms, having flagship Google {hardware} readily available is a should. —Luke Larsen

Pixels Are on the Manner

In different Google information, the corporate has set a date for its Made by Google occasion, the place it is anticipated to debut the Pixel 10 sequence smartphones, a brand new Pixel Watch, and new wi-fi earbuds. The keynote takes place on August 20 in Brooklyn, New York, and it kicks off at 1 pm ET (10 am Pacific). It’s going to be livestreamed as traditional.

Google used to carry its massive {hardware} occasion in October, however modified issues up final yr, placing the Pixel launch date forward of the iPhone, with extra respiration room forward of the vacation purchasing season. The spotlight of this yr’s launch—aside from marking 10 years of Pixel—is that Google is rumored to be transferring to TSMC chips for its Tensor G5 chipset resulting from points with Samsung’s foundry.

Sony Surprises With a New Digicam

Courtesy of Sony

Sony has dropped a brand new full-frame digicam out of the blue, the RX1R III. The RX1R sequence was final up to date 9 years in the past. Why now? If I needed to guess, I would say it has rather a lot to do with the success of compact fixed-lens cameras, just like the Leica Q sequence, Fujifilm X100 sequence, and the Fujifilm GFX100RF. Sorry you needed to wait virtually 10 years, RX1 followers, however higher late than by no means.

What do you get out of a 10-year improvement cycle? Seems … not that a lot. The RX1R III is just about a repackaged a7R V by way of picture capabilities. There’s the identical 61-megapixel full-frame sensor paired with the a7R V’s Bionz XR picture processor and the devoted AI chip. That is a big improve for this digicam relative to the final mannequin within the sequence, however there is not any brand-new tech right here.

Extra attention-grabbing are the design adjustments. The RX1R III ditches the pop-up digital viewfinder of the RX1R II in favor of a rear-mounted viewfinder, making it look a bit like Sony’s high-res journey digicam, the a7R C. Additionally, Sony dropped the articulating rear display screen; this one is fastened just like the very first RX1R. In all probability one of the best improve right here is that the RX1R III makes use of Sony’s bigger batteries, the NP-FW50, which can dramatically enhance battery life.

One factor that hasn’t modified in any respect since this sequence was launched in 2012 is the built-in Zeiss Sonnar T* 35-mm f/2 lens. The massive query right here is, how will this more-than-a-decade-old lens work with the newest and best autofocus? We’ll let you realize after we get our palms on a evaluate unit later this yr. —Scott Gilbertson

Omega’s Summer time Seamaster

Courtesy of Omega

Omega this week dropped a vibrant, summery model of its wonderful Seamaster Diver 300M, following on February’s bronze gold and burgundy watch. Whereas, sure, it is not precisely a groundbreaking departure from final yr’s authentic, it hits all the suitable notes, primarily because of how sturdy November’s first iteration was. Nonetheless, this mannequin has an edge over its siblings.

The aluminum bezel and trendy mesh bracelet stay, however look intently and you may see delicate adjustments, most pleasing of which is that the wave-pattern on the dial has been changed with a flat, matte-textured black. For the orange lovers, be aware the lollipop seconds hand, and indices at 12, 3, 6, and 9 have all been given a pop of shade. A last flourish is the matching orange “Seamaster” dial signature.