Apple first asked for a preliminary injunction on US sales of Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus devices back in February, and the court has now ruled, granting the motion and imposing a ban — at least temporarily. The Nexus is the most recent implementation of Google’s pure Android experience on another manufacturer’s hardware.

Targeting a core Android search feature

Reuters legal reporter Dan Levine, who was in the courtroom for the ruling, has indicated that the injunction focuses on Samsung’s infringement of US patent number 8,086,604, and that the injunction can go into effect after Apple posts a bond of around $96 million. The ’604 patent covers searching multiple areas for information (on a device and elsewhere) through a single search interface, and using predetermined heuristic algorithms corresponding to each search area — a lot like Apple’s Siri. That’s a big deal because the infringement finding is directed to core voice and search functionality within Android. And that’s before considering the recent introduction of the Google Now system. Although Apple won an injunction on Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 earlier this week — also from Judge Koh — that tablet device is already obsolete and provided Apple with little more than a hollow victory. The Galaxy Nexus is a currently relevant product and this injunction is much trickier for Samsung.

Apple’s original motion alleged that the Nexus devices infringed three patents in addition to the ’604: US Patent Nos. 5,946,647 (actionable linking), 8,046,721 (slide-to-unlock) and 8,074,172 (touch screen word suggestion). The official court ruling isn’t publicly available just yet, so we aren’t exactly clear on all of the details and reasoning. In order to obtain a preliminary injunction, which is considered an extraordinary remedy in patent litigation, Apple had to prove that the asserted patents were likely infringed, likely valid, and that it would be irreparably harmed by Samsung’s sales of the Galaxy Nexus. We’ve seen in past cases that this “irreparable harm” prong of the test has proven to be the most difficult for Apple and other companies to adequately establish.

Future ramifications for other Samsung devices, for Android in general?

It’s difficult to say just how long this preliminary injunction will remain in place. If Apple continues and wins on these infringement issues at trial, the preliminary injunction could transform into a permanent injunction. However, if Samsung defeats Apple’s claims in front of a jury, the injunction would end. And there’s always the issue of how an injunction on a fundamental search feature like this may be used by Apple to justify future injunction requests on products like the Galaxy S III, and any other Android device manufactured by Samsung. Of course, we assume Samsung is likely to appeal this injunction in the very near future, and that could also eventually serve to modify or completely reverse today’s ruling. In other words, things are far from absolute and final.

We received the following statement from a Google spokesperson:

We’re disappointed with this decision, but we believe the correct result will be reached as more evidence comes to light.

While we wait on word from Samsung, Apple provided us with its standard statement for the lawsuit:

It’s no coincidence that Samsung’s latest products look a lot like the iPhone and iPad, from the shape of the hardware to the user interface and even the packaging. This kind of blatant copying is wrong and, as we’ve said many times before, we need to protect Apple’s intellectual property when companies steal our ideas.

Update: We’ve now had a chance to review the imposing 101 page injunction order and while there’s obviously a lot going on, the core of the order is actually pretty straightforward. The court found that each of the four asserted Apple patents is likely infringed and valid, but only issued an injunction for infringement of the ’604 patent. Judge Koh reasoned that unlike the other three patents, the ’604 patent covered the highly valued unified search feature of Siri that contributed greatly to consumer demand for the iPhone 4S. Moreover, the court held that Android’s infringing “Quick Search Box” feature was touted by Google as a “core user feature on Android” and, therefore, was also a key selling point for the Galaxy Nexus. From there the judge concluded that Apple would suffer irreparable harm in the form of significant lost market share if sales of the competitive Galaxy Nexus, and its unified search capabilities, continued:

The Court is persuaded by the evidence in the record that the ’604 unified search functionality drives consumer demand in a way that affects substantial market share. Even accepting Samsung’s argument that the intelligent voice-recognition aspect of Siri, as advertised, also contributes to consumer interest in the iPhone 4S, Apple has shown that the ’604 Patented feature is core to Siri’s functionality and is thus a but-for driver of demand for Siri. Accordingly, the Court finds that Apple has adequately established the requisite causal nexus between Samsung’s alleged infringement of the ’604 Patent and Apple’s risk of suffering irreparable harm.

Google and Samsung recently launched the Chromebook – a webcentric, cloud-based, low-priced netbook powered with the Chrome OS that allows users to work offline with Google Docs, Gmail and other Google apps, removing the need to be connected all the time to access files and mail.

Unlike most computers, Google’s Chromebooks don’t have a hard drive. They function like terminals dependent on an Internet connection. The laptops come with 16 gigabytes of flash memory — the kind found in smartphones, tablet computers and some iPods. Two USB ports allow external hard drives and other devices to be plugged into the machines, AP reported.

Two new models were released by Samsung in selected markets this week – the Series 5 550 Chromebook notebook with a 12.1-inch display that has support for WiFi and 3G connectivity. The latest gen Chromebook is also capable of remote access to Macintosh and Windows PC computers, has more storage, boots faster and will soon be integrated with Google Drive for storing a wide variety of file formats (such as Word docs and PDF files) and photos. With the Google Drive cloud storage and sync bolstering the Chromebook in the coming months, analysts consider this new laptop to be more viable.

Since its debut last year, Chromebooks haven’t made much of a dent in the market but according to Michael Gartenberg, an analyst with Gartner Inc. the Chromebook will be more viable now than they were last year. “Google has made the Chromebook a lot more usable from a consumer standpoint. It becomes much closer to something that could be used by the mass market. In a world that’s being driven by personal cloud services, these become great devices. For a certain user scenario and for certain business cases, this will be a viable choice.”

According to Google, the new Chromebook boots up in a less than seven seconds, loads web pages much faster, and gives users the choice of thousands of apps at its Chrome Web store. The new models are nearly three times as fast as the first-generation Chromebooks, has support for hardware-accelerated graphics, a built-from-scratch multi-touch trackpad and an open-source firmware stack provide a much faster and more responsive computing experience.

The device automatically receives new updates to the Chrome software every six weeks, eliminating the need to manually install updates, security fixes and other patches. Since last year, there have been eight updates in the Chromebook OS.

“Chromebooks is more of a service rather than hardware,” said Caesar Sengupta, director of Chrome OS. “When you’re buying into the Chrome OS, you’re buying into a service.”

Last year, Google released the developer-only version of the Chromebook, the black CR-48, that has a slow processor and an unusable trackpad. Consumer-ready Chromebooks already in the market include Samsung’s Series 5 and Acer’s AC700, both capable laptops but with passable keyboards, dim screens, and clunky trackpads.

Windows 8 release preview

The release preview of the upcoming Windows 8 operating system by Microsoft is now available for download.

Microsoft’s most tested operating system has tens of thousands of improvements, the most notable of which is the redesign of the interface. Windows 8 is due for release in October, three years after the release of Windows 7.

Unlike Windows 7, which was intended to be a more focused, incremental upgrade to the Windows line, Windows 8 has been “reimagined from the chipset to the user experience” to connect more with the user.

According to PCmag, the top new features of the Windows 8 are the following: 1.New Apps: Aside fromt he basic apps, New Microsoft apps in Release Preview include Sports, Travel, and News, all three of which make good use of photos and information from Bing; 2.New App capabilities: The new and updated apps make use of several Windows Metro interface features. Apps can now be pinned to the Start Screen; 3.Updated Windows Store: Windows 8 is starting to take hold in the developer community particularly among major software houses; 4. Flash in the Metro Web browser and 5. Multi-Monitor Support.

The new operating system is designed to bring Windows into the touchscreen, smartphone era.

The latest version of Microsoft’s browser Internet Explorer 10, optimised for touchscreen, is also included in the Windows 8 for the first time. IE 10 will be the first version of the browser with “do not track” turned on by default, meaning users can easily decide not to accept cookies.

Techradar.com and Engadget posted an initial reviews of the Windows 8 almost-final release preview.

Facebook smartphone ‘Buffy’

Right now nothing is confirmed but the buzz online is that Facebook is building its own smartphone that is due for release next year. The social networking giant reportedly hired software and hardware engineers and had a group to work with Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC to create a smartphone codenamed ‘Buffy.’

The news came out as search engine giant Google completed the acquisition of Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion earlier this week.

Facebook said in an official statement, “Our mobile strategy is simple: we think every mobile device is better if it is deeply social.” “We’re working across the entire mobile industry; with operators, hardware manufacturers, OS providers and application developers to bring powerful social experiences to more people around the world.”

But a Facebook employee told New York Tmes that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerber “is worried that if he doesn’t create a mobile phone in the near future that Facebook will simply become an app on other mobile platforms.”

In March, Facebook bought photo-sharing app Instagram for $1 billion, showing its increased interest on mobile. Last May 17, Facebook went public with its IPO.

A few weeks after the controversial initial public offering, 28-year old billionaire Zuckerberg’s fortune reduced by $4-billion, dropping him off the list of the top 40 billionaires measured by Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Before the IPO, Facebook shares were priced at $38 and Zuckerberg’s fortune stood at $18.95 billion. The company hit new lows this week, coming close to $28, $10 below the IPO price and valuing Zuckerberg at close to $14.75 billion.

Your first point is a good one. Do you trust a journalist who admits to receiving free gifts from said corporation? Do they give these gifts to journalists who give the product bad reviews?

On Chromebooks in general, I’m still not a fan. They are overpriced, overhyped, underpowered, and .. well, I’m sure they are a great toy for those that have expendable income. BUT, for the rest of us who have to manage our budgets, … no thanks ;o. AND I am a Google user, I trust Google with all my data, but just not into ChromeBooks.

When the first Chromebooks hit the market last year, they were greeted with skepticism, curiosity and some noisy debate. Which makes sense: after all, who had ever heard of an operating system based entirely on a browser? Laptops that were only usable when you had an internet connection? It was a wild, ambitious idea, to be sure, but since then, we haven’t heard much on that front save for the occasional price cut.

Now, though, Samsung is selling the new Chromebook Series 5 550 (and Chromebox Series 3) it teased at CES, while Google is rolling out a new version of its operating system with offline doc editing, a basic photo editor and a desktop-like space that makes it easier to launch and switch between apps. Like last year’s model, the Series 5 still has a matte, 300-nit, 12.1-inch display, 16GB of built-in flash storage and an optional Verizon Wireless 3G radio, but it’s dressed in more conservative digs with a retooled touchpad and an Celeron — not Atom — processor. Accordingly, the starting price for the WiFi-only model is slightly higher ($449, up from $429), and the battery life is now rated for six hours, down from 10. Finally, the new model adds an Ethernet jack and DisplayPort — both of which Google hopes will appeal to the schools and businesses considering using Chrome devices.

Most interestingly of all, Google is planning on selling its new Chromebook in retail, signaling an intent to expand beyond geeky early adopters and one-to-one laptop programs in classrooms. If the idea is to win over more consumers, will a faster CPU and improved user experience be enough to make up for the drastically shortened battery life? Should folks in need of a portable machine with a keyboard spend their $450 on a Chromebook instead of a netbook or Transformer tablet? That’s a tough one — meet us past the break where we’ll hash it all out.

Look and feel

Chrome OS is now a year old, so it’s fitting that Samsung’s Chromebook has grown more serious with age.

Chrome OS is now a year old, so it’s fitting, perhaps, that Samsung’s Chromebook has grown more serious with age. In fact, Google reps have suggested that the new design is meant to appeal to the buttoned-up schools and businesses already using Chrome devices. For starters, this includes the addition of some more office and classroom-friendly features like a built-in Ethernet jack and DisplayPort (no dongle needed).

That, and the design is more staid. Like the prototype we saw at CES, the 550 we have before us trades the semi-gloss for a decidedly less playful matte gray finish. Even the Chrome logo is less conspicuous than before. For the most part, the chassis is constructed from plastic, as you’d expect from a $449 machine, though the palm rest is now made of inlaid metal, which makes the palm rest, at least, feel sturdier. At 3.3 pounds (1.48 kg), it’s slightly heavier than the last-gen model, which weighed 3.26. Either way, it’s on par with some 13-inch Ultrabooks we’ve handled, which means nobody should be complaining about its bulk — especially when this thing costs half the price.

All told, it looks more somber than the last-gen model, though Samsung at least erred on the side of tasteful. With the exception of some thin chrome trim around the touchpad, there are no superfluous flourishes, and the finish is fingerprint- and scratch-resistant, to boot. Even the power button is built into the top row of the keyboard, adding to the general cleanliness of the design.

Given that Chrome OS isn’t your typical kind of operating system, the list of associated sockets is short, and our tour around the device will be brief. On one side, you’ll find the AC port, a USB 2.0 socket, a DisplayPort, a headphone jack and that newly added Ethernet connection. On the other, there’s an SD reader, Kensington lock slot and a second USB 2.0 port. Simple stuff, for people with simple needs. If you’re looking to connect your trusty wireless mouse, the Chromebook supports Bluetooth 3.0, though you’ll need to plug a dongle into one of those two USB ports. (The Chromebox has native Bluetooth 3.0 support, in case you were wondering.)

Keyboard and trackpad

One of the best we’ve tested lately. Seriously, folks, you’re looking at a $449 netbook-like machine whose island-style keys put thousand-dollar Ultrabooks to shame. Compared to Samsung’s own Series 9 laptops and other ultraportables, the chiclet keyboard on offer here actually has some bounce to it. The slightly deeper keys and even the quiet sound make it easy to settle in for hours of web surfing, email and story writing (well, if you’re an Engadget editor, anyway).

None of this should come as too much of a surprise, given how much we loved the keyboard on last year’s Series 5. If you recall, though, we were less fond of the flaky touchpad. Well, it appears like we weren’t the only one with complaints: Google says its improved the trackpad experience to make it more precise. Whatever fine-tuning it did seems to have worked: cursor navigation feels controlled, and we also had no problem pulling off gestures like pinch-to-zoom and two-finger scrolls. What’s more, the clickpad itself is easy to press — something far too many laptop makers get wrong. If you happen to disagree, you can always use the keyboard’s built-in backward, forward, full-screen and refresh buttons to minimize clicking.

Display and sound

One of the best things about Samsung’s first Chromebook was that, for less than $500, you got a higher-quality display than you were likely to find on laptops costing twice the price. Thankfully, then, Samsung left good enough alone and once again went with a 12.1-inch, matte screen. That 300-nit screen — the same brightness level you’ll find on a $1,000 Series 5 Ultrabook — means you can use this outdoors in the sunshine. (The non-glossy finish helps here, too.) That’s all particularly useful on a mobile machine like this, whose 3G radio allows you to get online almost anywhere. As for the resolution, we might, under normal circumstances, pooh-pooh the 1280 x 800 pixel count, but the truth is it’s sufficient for an OS that only allows you to open two windows at once anyway.

The audio here is pretty poor, and we’re not even complaining about typical laptop tinniness. The volume is dim, even at the highest setting, and we often found that the speakers went silent for a second or two as we started to crank the decibels up or down. As you adjust the sound, you might see the onscreen volume bar move before you actually hear louder sound. If you’re impatient, then, you could easily pump the volume close to the max before you actually hear anything coming out of the speakers.

Performance

One downside in upgrading from Atom to Celeron is that the Chromebook isn’t rated for nearly as much runtime as its predecessor.

With this generation, Samsung moved from a netbook-grade Intel Atom processor to one of last year’s dual-core Sandy Bridge Celeron CPUs. On board you’ll also find 16GB of built-in flash storage (just like last time), along with 4GB of RAM. For what it’s worth, those are the same key specs for the Chromebox mini-desktop, which we also just reviewed.

Though we can’t remember the last time we listed a Celeron processor as a spec, it’s perfectly adequate for doing the sorts of things you’d do on a Chrome OS device — namely, spend lots of time inside the browser. We timed a six-second startup, and once we were inside we didn’t encounter a single “Aw, snap!” or “He’s dead, Jim” error page. In general, too, we had an easy time switching tabs, and didn’t have to wait long when we minimized pages or opened new apps. An important thing, given that the newest version of Chrome allows you to pin shortcuts in a row beneath the browser, as well as view multiple windows onscreen at once (more on that in a moment).

We did find, in both our Chromebox and Series 5 550 reviews, that these Chrome OS devices don’t re-connect to known networks after waking from sleep as quickly as some Ultrabooks we’ve tested recently. We also sat through a good deal of tiling while watching an .mp4 video file at full screen. Thankfully, at least, 1080p YouTube videos (new for Chrome OS) run smoothly, as do clips from other sites such as Hulu and Vimeo. If you’re so inclined, you can also stream Netflix on your Chromebook — all the kinks should be ironed out by now.

Battery life

If there’s one downside to upgrading from Atom to Celeron, it’s that the Chromebook isn’t rated for nearly as much runtime as its predecessor. Whereas the first Series 5 had a 10-hour battery, this one’s expected to last no more than six hours. With light usage (read: web surfing and Gmail) you should be able to achieve that, though if you plan on watching a movie you’ll want to have the charger nearby. In our standard battery test, with a video looping, WiFi on and the screen brightness set to 65 percent (in this case, 10 out of 16 bars), it lasted three hours and 23 minutes.

Chrome OS

The new Chromebook and Chromebox both run version 19 of Chrome OS, which was released to the public just today. Even if you already own a Chromebook you might want to read this anyway, simply because the software will automatically become available to devices new and old. Actually, if you’re really curious, we’ll point you toward our full review, which goes into more detail than you’ll find here. Still, it’s worth repeating the basics: this version of the OS ushers in a desktop of sorts, which allows you to attach shortcuts at the bottom of the screen, not unlike the way you pin apps to the Taskbar in Windows 7. You can also minimize, maximize, close and resize windows (joy!) or snap one into place so that it takes up just half the screen (again, nothing you can’t do in Win7). Or, if you like, you can shrink a bunch of windows and litter the screen with them. Your call.

As rudimentary as such things sound, they do a lot to make multitasking feel easier. Still, we’d warn you not to confuse this with a traditional desktop: though you can change the wallpaper, you can’t populate that space with shortcuts to books, documents or anything like that. While this might look and feel more like a traditional PC, and is indeed more intuitive to use, there’s still a frustrating amount of blank, unusable space when you boot up the machine.

Moving on, version 19 of Chrome OS brings a photo editor with basic tools such as cropping, brightness / contrast control and auto-enhancing. Though it’s possible to save the original, this step could be more intuitive. Also, while it’s nice that you can share touched-up photos to Picasa, we think a lot of folks would appreciate being able to upload to Facebook or Twitter as well. Staying on the subject of media for a moment, Google Music is now baked into Chrome OS, and the media player has a cleaner look, to boot. We have to say we dig the redesign, though we’re still missing more advanced features like the ability to loop or shuffle tracks.

Last summer Google introduced a much-clamored feature: offline access. Until now, this has included Gmail, along with read-only versions of Calendar and Docs. You’ll have to keep holding your breath for a full, no-internet-required version of GCal, but with version 19 of the OS you can at least now edit documents when you’re off the grid. Google has fittingly added support for Microsoft Office file formats. Additionally, the list of supported file formats has expanded to include support for all Office files (doc, xls, ppt, docx, xlsx, pptx), rar, tar, tar.gz (.tgz), and .tar.bz2 (.tbz2). As it is, the built-in media player could already open .zip, .txt, .html, .mp4, .m4v, .m4a, .mp3, .ogv, .ogm, .ogg, .oga, .webm and .wav files, along with PDFs, .jpg, .gif and .pngs.

Other goodies: Chrome OS now syncs your tabs with whatever you have open in your mobile Chrome browser. Google+ is now baked into Chrome OS, and a dedicated Hangouts app makes video chatting easier than on previous versions of the software, which left you with the video calling feature built into GChat. A new version of Chrome Remote Desktop lets you reach into any Mac or PC you may have left at home, so long as it’s on. Equally lovely: you can access remote PCs not just from Chrome OS devices, but from anything running the desktop-grade Chrome browser. (Note: you’ll have to install some software on the host computer to make this work and then set a PIN, which you’ll enter on your Chrome OS device whenever you want to log in.)

3G speeds

Like the last Samsung Chromebook, this one is offered with a built-in 3G radio, which goes for $549 / £429. Testing around New York City, we observed top speeds of 2.48 Mbps down and 1.07 Mbps up, though these rates varied quite a bit from block to block. All told, our average speeds came out to 1.69 Mbps on the downlink and 0.88 Mbps on the up. That’s pretty unimpressive, and also very similar to the throughput we experienced on last year’s Series 5 Chromebook.

Like before, the 3G version of the device comes with 100MB of free data. If you exhaust that, there won’t be any overage charges; the connection will simply drop off. If you want to buy more megabytes, the following pay-as-you-go (read: no contractless) plans are available:

• An unlimited day pass for $9.99
• A 1GB month-long pass for $20
• A 3GB month-long for $35
• A 5GB month-long pass for $50

Or, if you’re not a commitment-phobe you can choose from the following contract-based plans:

• 2GB pass for $30.
• 5GB pass for $50
• 10GB pass for $80

In all of the above three cases, the overage fee is $10 per gigabyte. Also keep in mind that if you sign a contract, you’ll pay a one-time activation fee of $35.

Or you could ditch Verizon Wireless entirely. Google has instructions on how to unlock the radio so that you can use it on EDGE/HSPA networks with the SIM of your choice. What’s more, it’s easy enough to switch back to VZW — it’s just a matter of adding a command line in the Chrome terminal.

Update: We’ve made some changes to the way we explain Verizon Wireless’ data charges to clarify which plans are contract-based and which ones are pay-as-you-go. The rates above are the most up to date.

Wrap-up

The Series 5 550 and devices like it aren’t likely to take a big bite out of the consumer market until someone trims the price.

After testing not one but two new Chrome devices, it’s clear that Google’s fledgling OS is more pleasant to use than it was a year ago. What’s less obvious, though, is to what extent the new Series 5 Chromebook is actually an improvement, and whether it’s priced realistically compared to all those other affordable portable devices on the market. On one hand, the Series 5 500 brings an Ethernet jack, DisplayPort and a much-improved touchpad — useful additions, all. Still, the old version offered longer battery life, a similarly comfortable keyboard and the same bright, glare-free display. If we sound unexcited, it’s partly because this new hardware isn’t a clear upgrade, even though the OS is more intuitive this time around. (Remember, too, that even old Chrome devices will be updated to the same software, so you don’t even need the new Series 5 to enjoy it.)

But it’s not just the hardware that’s left us a bit underwhelmed. Though Chrome OS has improved over the past year, it still seems ambitious of Samsung to price its newest Chromebook at $449 and up. This seems like a lofty figure, given how relatively little devices like this can actually do. What’s more, that price seems to exist in a vacuum — a place where tablet apps aren’t growing more sophisticated, where Transformer-like Win8 tablets aren’t on the way and where there aren’t some solid budget Windows machines to choose from. If all you wanted was an inexpensive device with a physical keyboard to write emails and surf the web, you could get the new ASUS Transformer Pad TF300 and accompanying keyboard dock for $530 — eighty bucks more than this Chromebook. And remember, the last-gen Series 5 with better battery life is just $350. Those are just a couple of examples, but hopefully you can see where we’re going: while Chrome OS is getting better, and while Samsung knows how to make a solid PC, the Series 5 550 and devices like it aren’t likely to take a big bite out of the consumer market until someone decides to trim the price.

Myriam Joire contributed to this review.

The latest editions of Google’s portable and desktop hardware line, the Samsung Series 5 550 Chromebook and the Samsung Chromebox 3 are simple-to-use, consumer-oriented devices for people who want an Apple-like hardware, operating system and application market experience without the hefty price. Both new hardware devices reached the market May 30. The second-generation Samsung Chromebook comes in fairly slim, lightweight Samsung case and is built around an Intel Celeron 867 dual-core processor with a 16GB solid-state drive (SSD) and 4GB of RAM. Security features are built-in and updated to defend against the ongoing threat of malware and viruses, reducing the need for users to install antivirus software and simplifying life for IT administrators. But the comparison to Apple really stops almost as soon as it starts. Apple devices have a far greater breadth of application choice. And at the time we tested Google Docs, the productivity apps still had a limited ability to work offline. The new Samsung 5 550 ($449.99 for the WiFi model and $549.99 for the 3G wireless model) and the Acer AC700 Chromebook (starting at $299 and not tested here) can optionally use Verizon 3G cellular service in addition to the wireless LAN capability found in the previous-generation Chromebook. Unlike Apple, the Chromebook has an RJ-45 wire-line port. The all-new Samsung Series 3 Chromebox 3 is the first iteration of the Google Chrome OS in a desktop product. The compact form factor device measures 7.6 x 7.6 x 1.3 inches and resembles a set-top device. The Chromebox comes with a 16GB SSD and 4GB of RAM, and an Intel Celeron B840 Dual Core (1.9GHz) processor and can support up to a 30-inch monitor or use an HDTV using the Display Port output. The Chromebox supports Bluetooth and comes with six USB ports. Both devices tout an “always-new” computer via automatic, mandatory updates. Both devices are intimately connected to a user’s Google account, which is required to log on to either device.

17-Bit’s adorably quirky, undead samurai strategy game, Skulls of the Shogun, will be the first game on Xbox LIVE Arcade to ever feature asynchronous play and also have cross-platform play.

Speaking to Polygon, the team behind Skulls of the Shogun showed off a polished turn-based strategy where players lead a zombie samurai warrior through the underworld. The creative and art director of the game, Jake Kazdal, said that the team of three behind Skulls of the Shogun wanted to bring a meaty strategy game to platforms like Xbox LIVE, mobile phones and tablets, but in a way that is accessible to all players.

“Most strategy games are a bit dry and very serious,” Kazdal told Polygon. “They look very complicated, whereas Skulls of the Shogun is meant to be cute and goofy. They’re cool characters, they look like little warriors, but they also have a lot of goofy character and humor.

“I want people to not be afraid of it. Once you jump in and start playing, even people who aren’t traditionally strategy gamers can find it fun. It’s simple, it’s very fast-paced, there’s no menu sub-surfing, it’s very much focused on the action.”

“We don’t want to do a Castle Crashers clone. Castle Crashers has already been made. We want to do this.”

The entire game, which includes a 15-20 hour single player campaign, 20 in-depth levels, 30 multiplayer maps with dedicated two, three, and four player maps, was made by three developers who came from studios like SEGA, Boss Studios, and EA. After working together at EA, Jake Kazdal, Ben Vance, and Borut Pfeiffer came together to work on an independent project inspired by the shrines and little moss-covered statues found in Japan’s countryside.

The team spent three years on the project, optimizing the game for Xbox 360, Windows 8 PC, Windows Phone, and Windows 8 tablets. The game supports multi-touch, gamepads, and keyboard/mouse interfaces. The game will be the first to allow players on different platforms to play with each other wirelessly and over 3G networks. There’s a single-player campaign mode, real-time multiplayer, and asynchronous play, which is a first for Xbox LIVE.

Kazdal says that the asynchronous play means a player can start a game on their Xbox 360 and continue it on their phone or tablet, allowing them to play the game anywhere, any time. The turn-based multiplayer allows for up to four players at a time. The cross-platform play also applies to the single player campaign where players can begin a game on one platform and continue it on another.

“It’s been pretty rewarding,” says Borut Pfeifer, an engineer and level designer on Skulls of the Shogun. “When we were at EA we were working on a project we were really excited about, but eventually it got cancelled. Both Ben and I stayed there for a while after Jake left and had more projects cancelled on us, and it seemed like it didn’t really matter what you did, your fate was totally out of you hands.

“Even if you were trying to do a good a job as possible, whether or not you were successful was totally divorced from that,” Pfeifer says. “This has definitely been a lot more rewarding.”

Developing Skulls of theShogun hasn’t been without its challenges, though. As a small team working on an indie game, the three have had to take on many more responsibilities. When they were trying to find a publisher, people from outside the team wanted to change the game they’d created.

“There was a lot of pushback,” says Kazdal. “A lot of publishers said ‘We love the art, we love the characters, we want you to turn this into a Castle Crashers clone and then we’ll sign it’, and we were like, we don’t want to do a Castle Crashers clone. Castle Crashers has already been made. We want to do this, we want to do a strategy game for the masses.”

Kazdal says many publishers were reluctant to sign them because strategy games do not traditionally sell well on touch and mobile platforms, but he is convinced that the core parts of the game coupled with a happier, fun art style can work.

“I don’t know if it will be successful,” says Kazdal. “But I guess we’ll see.”

Skulls of the Shogun’s release is planned to coincide with the launch of Windows 8.