Google reveals pint-sized Nexus 7 tablet for just $199

The tablet, manufactured by Asus, runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

Today at Google I/O 2012, the company revealed its new device — a 7-inch Nexus tablet running Android's newest operating system flavor, 4.1 Jelly Bean. The pint-sized slate was manufactured by Asus, known for making other Android tablets including the Transformer and the Transformer Prime.

The device has a 1280 x 800-pixel high-definition display, made with reading and watching videos in mind. It has a speedy Tegra 3 with a quad-core processor under the hood, front-facing camera for video chat, 9 hours of video playback — compared to the iPad's 10-hour playback life — and 300 hours of standby battery time. The tablet weighs 340 grams, which is about as much as a paperback.

It features tighter integration with Google Play, with content being front and center, similar to how the Amazon Kindle Fire functions. Due to this, Google Play now has a new 3D magazine app with s tablet-optimized articles that renders well on the Nexus 7's screen.

Nexus 7 will also be the first device that ships with Chrome as its native browser — Chrome, despite being Google's browser, hasn't been available on Android until a beta version of it was introduced for Ice Cream Sandwich devices. Google has also overhauled Google Maps with additional information and review features which can predict which restaurants you'll likely enjoy. Offline maps will also be a hotly sought-after feature, and now that Apple and Microsoft are touting similar features, it's an important bullet point to have.

Preorders for the teensy Google Nexus 7 tablet begins today. You can order the new tablet from the Google Play store with two price tiers — $199 for the 8GB model and 16GB version — making it a true Kindle Fire competitor. It will start shipping in mid July. The Kindle Fire lands at a similar price point, but with its apps governed largely by what Amazon declares suitable for its shop, the Nexus 7 will have everything the Fire has, and then some. Despite similar hardware specs — screen size, screen resolution, etc — the Nexus will offer a much more genuine Android experience from a software standpoint.

Google is clearly making a play for potential iPad customers with this sleek, streamlined device, and with a price tag of less than half of the base model Apple tablet, the company may have a real shot at success. $499 gets you a 16GB iPad with a 9.7-inch Retina display, but if ultra-sharp screen resolution and a few more gigs of storage aren't a big deal, the 7-inch Nexus slate will be much easier on your pocketbook.

Of course, it's unclear how Microsoft's Surface device will shake up the consumer tablet market. With a physical keyboard and Windows 8-esque software design, it seems like Android and iOS devotees will already have their minds made up between the iPad and the Nexus 7.

This article originally appeared on Tecca

Jim Carrey bows out of ‘Dumb and Dumber’ sequel

He was psyched. But apparently the studio wasn't.

Jim Carrey just pulled out of the sequel of "Dumb and Dumber" just a few months after the project was announced. The reason: Carrey became progressively more frustrated with New Line and Warner Brothers' apparent lack of enthusiasm for the project (according to ETOnline sources).

UPDATE (6 p.m. PST): Sources close to the project tell the film will not be made without Carrey.

"I would have thought 'Dumb and Dumber To' [the sequel's title] was a no-brainer, after all it's implied in the title," a clever Carrey told ETOnline through his spokesperson.

In early April, director Peter Farelly confirmed that both original leading men, Carrey and Jeff Daniels, would reprise their roles in a "Dumber" sequel to begin shooting in September.

Fans shared their thoughts on Twitter, largely expressing disappointment:

"Boo!" tweeted Alina Marie, while Nathan Spicer typed, "Definitely not seeing it now..." Brandon Night simply tweeted "Sad day," while Josh Schlag took to Twitter to criticize the Farrelly brothers, saying they "...dug their graves with 'The Three Stooges'." Hael Abdulrazed, instead, criticized Carrey himself: "...his whole life is about disappointing fans."

Carrey hasn't completely burned his bridge with New Line and Warner Brothers: He appears next year in their film "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone."

"Dumb and Dumber" was the third in a string of hit comedy films Carrey starred in during the year of 1994 -- launching him from mere comedy skit show actor on Fox's "In Living Color" to A-list movie star. "The Mask," and "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" preceded "Dumber" that year.