New tablet, futuristic glasses at Google show

Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A new tablet, new glasses and a new version of Android — those were among the highlights at Google Inc.'s annual "I/O" conference in San Francisco for computer programmers.

Here's a rundown of the announcements:

— NEW TABLET: Google will start selling a small tablet computer next month in a direct challenge to Amazon's Kindle Fire. Both are $199, but Google's Nexus 7 will weigh less and have more features.

— NEW GLASSES: Futuristic, Internet-connected glasses will be available for people to test. Prototypes of the device, known as Project Glass, can be purchased for $1,500 only at the conference this week. It won't be delivered until early next year. A consumer version could come in early 2014.

— NEW ENTERTAINMENT: Google unveiled a home entertainment device called Nexus Q. It sends content from your personal collection or YouTube to your existing TV and speaker systems. You control it through a separate Android phone or tablet. It will start selling next month for $299.

— NEW ANDROID: Next month, Google is updating its Android operating system for mobile devices. Called Jelly Bean, the new version will have a search tool to help you get the right information at the right time on your mobile device. It's Google's response to Siri, the popular virtual assistant on Apple's iPhone.

— NEW APP: The Google Plus social network will have its own app for tablet computers. The app will help you send invites to friends for events such as birthday parties. It will also make it easier for you to share and organize photos on Google Plus.