Chromebooks have proven to be an incredibly fruitful product for Google. The same can be said about Chromecast, Google's revolutionary HDMI streaming dongle that's spawned a number of similar products. Why not take the best aspects of both and create a single product?
That's exactly what Google has done with Chromebit, a smallish HDMI dongle that brings a Chrome OS PC right to your television or HDMI-equipped monitor.
Developed in conjunction with Asus, the Chromebit is powered by a Rockchip RK3288 SoC (with Mali 760 graphics) alongside 2GB of RAM. There's also 16GB of internal flash storage, 2x2 dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and a full-sized USB 2.0 port on the end. The device even swivels near the middle so you can better hide it behind a TV or monitor.
It's not exactly a powerhouse of a computer but it could be a great addition to cash-strapped schools or even in developing nations that are just now starting to get online and integrating technology into daily life.
Google Chromebit isn't an entirely new idea as Intel recently announced its $149 Compute Stick that's a full-fledged Windows PC crammed into a stick about the same size as Google's.
The search giant was somewhat short on specifics but we're told the Chromebit will debut sometime this summer for less than $100 (which usually means $99.99 in marketing terms). It'll be available in your choice of sliver, blue or orange color schemes.