Google has developed its first touchscreen Chromebooks that will attempt to compete with the latest crop of notebooks powered by Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system, sources for The Wall Street Journal have said. It’s unclear when the notebook will be available, or which company it’ll be made by — but it seems Google has plenty of work to do before they start hitting store shelves.

I’ve been in love with the iPhone for the past five years. I got the original as soon as it went on sale in the U.K. in November 2007, and I’ve had every model Apple has released ever since. My job has given me the opportunity to play with plenty of other devices over the years — including those powered by Android, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone — but I’ve always remained loyal to the iPhone and iOS.

That was until a couple months ago, when my contract ended and it was time to decide which smartphone I wanted for the next two years. I already have the iPhone 5 — I bought it unlocked when it was launched back in September — and I wanted an Android device to replace the Samsung Galaxy Nexus I broke late last year. So I decided to pick up the new LG Nexus 4.

I was lucky; I didn’t have to wait six weeks for the device to arrive from Google Play. My carrier had plenty in stock, so a unit was delivered to my door the day after I ordered it. I was looking forward to testing it out, but I figured I’d play around with it for a little bit, then switch straight back to my iPhone 5 for everyday use. Like the Galaxy Nexus, I thought the Nexus 4 would be mostly used for work — testing apps and writing the odd tutorial for Cult of Android.

But boy, how wrong was I.

We now have less than a week to wait for HTC to unveil its next flagship smartphone, and to ensure you’re suitably excited, the Taiwanese company has started a countdown on its website that will finish on February 19. But it’s not just a simple timer; in the background quick glimpses of the upcoming HTC One are shown every few seconds.

Google has launched a new Chrome beta channel for Android smartphones and tablet running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich or later. The new app gives developers and curious users the ability to preview upcoming features prior to their public debut. It works alongside the regular Chrome browser, so you can install it without losing the stable version.

Hisense Pulse is a new set-top box powered by Google TV that was first announced at IFA back in August. Its $100 price tag makes it one of the most affordable ways to introduce Google TV to your living room, and it comes with some nice features. If you’ve been waiting to get your hands on one, you can place your order now through Amazon. But you’ll have to be quick if you want it before Christmas.