After months of negotiations and seeking approval from regulatory commissions the world over, Google has at last received the final rubber stamp needed to buyout Motorola Mobility. Early speculation on the merger purported Google was primarily concerned with a number of patents held by Motorola (they did invent the commercial cellphone, after all, and have pioneered a number of new concepts in the time since), but the now-parent company promises to keep their new acquisition alive and well. Dennis Woodside, former president of Google’s Americas division, will be replacing Sanjay Jha as Moto’s CEO, though Jha will remain onboard to insure a smooth transition period.
For those worried the ecosystem of Android devices may become a more closed world akin to Apple’s iOS devices now that Google has its own hardware manufacturer, such fears were among the first rumors put to rest. While we are sure to see more handsets like the Droid, RAZR and RAZR MAXX developed by Motorola Mobility, the company will be operated as an independent member of the Google family and Android will remain open to other manufacturers (so Samsung and HTC fans need not fret, there will certainly be another Galaxy and Incredible down the road).
With things looking up on the hardware front for Google’s tremendously popular mobile operating system, the company is also preparing to break into a more stationary platform. Chrome OS—a web and cloud-based platform for laptops— was introduced to us via the Chromebook last year with the goal of providing speedy performance and a modern app-based interface to the still-practical physical keyboard. The OS has since seen a number of revisions and continues to improve, though a certain lack of off-line functionality still puts it at a disadvantage to competitors, and will be releasing its latest upgrade in the near future.
Alongside the new updates, Google’s partner in crime, Samsung, has a new line of Chromebooks ready for sale. These laptops will not first see the light of day alone, however, as Samsung will also be launching the first ever Chromebox— a desktop that will run Google’s PC operating system. Like it’s slightly more mobile brothers, the Chromebox will be compact, lightweight and provide speedy performance.
Looking forward to a new laptop or smartphone? Tell us what you love about the latest technology on the Long Island Lounge.