Chromebooks debut Video

Chromebooks debut Video Transcript

It's Thursday, May 12. I'm Wilson Tang and it's time to get Loaded. Yesterday, we mentioned Google's new Chrome Books, as they're now called, and today we have some more details about the new web-centric laptops. Google has announced two models, the Samsung Series 5 and the Acer Chrome Book. They'll retail starting at $429 and $349, respectively, but Google's also announced a three-year subscription model starting at $28 a month for business users and $20 a month for students. In other Google I/O news, the company has updated its poorly received Google TV software based on the Honeycomb UI. The new Google TV promises a simpler interface, support for 3D and game controllers. So far, though, Google has yet to announce any products that use the new software. In Facebook news, the site added the ability to tag items in a photo. The new feature will only let you tag items with Facebook pages in the products, brands, or people categories. We are positive this feature will be heavily abused so expect awkwardly tagged photos to be a new mean. In more Facebook news, the company is not playing nice. The Daily Beast reports that Facebook has hired a PR firm to bash Google. Allegedly, the firm contacted a blogger about writing a negative op-ed on Google. Instead, the blogger turned down the offer and posted the e-mails. USA Today also claims that the PR firm spread a whisper campaign about Google on behalf of an unnamed client that has now turned out to be Facebook. It looks like the smear campaign has heavily backfired. In a move that has already stirred up significant controversy, FCC commissioner Meredith Attwell Baker has announced she will be joining Comcast as a lobbyist just 4 months after approving the highly contentious merger of Comcast with NBC Universal. The move has already drawn the ire of many groups opposed to the merger, but Ms. Baker signed an Obama administration pledge banning her from lobbying anyone at the FCC for at least 2 years. In addition, she's prohibited for lobbying the remainder of the administration and faces a lifetime ban on lobbying the executive branch as a condition of the Comcast merger. At the next month's E3 gaming conference, we're expecting news of a new Nintendo game console but you should also expect the launch of the eShop for the 3DS. Set to debut June 7th, the eShop will bring the abilities to download games, virtual console capabilities, the ability to watch 3D movies and even Netflix. Finally, Twitter has unveiled a new mobile web version of the popular micro blogging service. The new mobile website promises a much sleeker interface, faster loading times, and an experience closer to Twitter's native iPhone and Android apps. Those are your headlines for today. I'm Wilson Tang for CNET.com and you've just been Loaded.