谷歌“死亡之星”全接触

    体重2磅，直径4.6英寸，该公司最新推出的这款球形流媒体播放器将33块LED灯泡整合成其富有金属光泽的黑色外壳，这个外壳可以改变颜色和光强度，或者如果用户愿意的话——还可以不发光。它触感很舒服，但外观给人的感觉甚至更加舒服，无疑是市场上同类产品中看上去最美的产品。

    然而，尽管谷歌的这款名副其实可谓是迷你版死亡之星（Death Star，指《星球大战》中帝国军队对任何不忠行为进行镇压的强大武器——译注）。它或许很漂亮，但在功能方面却存在不足。该产品售价达299美元，是流媒体视频机顶盒Roku LT（50美元）或苹果电视机顶盒（100美元）售价的好几倍，然而其功能却明显不如后两者。目前，Nexus Q可以让用户访问与谷歌相关的一系列服务，比如谷歌音乐播放（Google Play Music）、谷歌影视播放（Google Play Movies & TV）以及YouTube，但如果用户想要使用Netflix（NFLX）、 Hulu、Pandora、Spotify及MLB.TV这类流媒体服务的话，往往会大失所望。而且，以流媒体方式播放的音乐和视频必须从谷歌播放（Google Play）应用商店购买，而来自非谷歌服务平台的流媒体必须先上传到该公司的服务器上才能进行播放。

    还有一个值得注意的问题：按照目前的情况来看，用户需要载有安卓（Android）2.3版（或以上）操作系统的手机或平板电脑来控制Nexus Q：和许多Roku产品不一样，Nexus Q本身没有遥控器，而且也没有其他方式来控制这款流媒体播放器。不过，如果用户持有一款安卓产品的话，那么Nexus Q的设置就非常简单了：从谷歌播放应用商店把Nexus Q应用程序下载到手机或平板电脑上，接着该应用程序就会迅速与Nexus Q通信，完成设置并启动Nexus Q。

    Nexus Q的现有功能都确实完成得相当不错。我们播放了好几个小时的电影和音乐，虽然《变形金刚:月黑之时》（Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon）在启动播放时存在明显延迟的问题，但高清视频播放总体上可以说是既清晰又流畅。谷歌Nexus 7平板电脑上预装的许多歌曲相互切换也是既快捷又方便。用户在调节音量时有两个选择，可以利用简单的Nexus Q应用程序，或者旋转Nexus Q设备顶部的球体旋转盖即可。（轻拍Nexus Q设备的圆顶就能打开、关闭静音功能。）

    虽然Nexus Q是一款漂亮的硬件设备，但只有那些热衷尝鲜并且崇尚唯美的消费者才会欣赏，而且也只是在有限的范围内得到欣赏，因为价格比它便宜许多的各种同类产品能使用户获得更多的服务及更全面的内容。随着谷歌在软件方面更新这款产品（希望在此过程中向第三方服务供应商开放），这种情况可能会改观。但现在，它只不过是一款制作华美、新奇有趣的电子产品。

    翻译：iDo98

    At 2 lbs. and 4.6 inches in diameter, the company's new digital media hub integrates 33 LED bulbs into its metallic black shell that change color and intensity, or stay off, if that's what users prefer. It's cool to the touch and even cooler to look at, surely one of the best-looking devices of its kind out there.

    Yet elegant as Google's (GOOG) veritable mini-Death Star may be, it's lacking when it comes to features. At $299, its many times the price of a Roku LT ($50) or Apple TV ($100) though it does less. Currently, the Nexus Q lets users access Google-related services like Google Play Music, Google Play Movies & TV, and YouTube, but users looking to tap into services like Netflix (NFLX), Hulu, Pandora, Spotify, and MLB.TV will be disappointed. Also, streamed music and videos must be purchased from Google Play, while media from non-Google sources must be uploaded to the company's servers first before it can be played back.

    There's another catch: as it stands, you need a phone or tablet loaded with Android 2.3 or above to control the Nexus Q. It doesn't come with a remote of its own like many Roku devices do, and there's no other way to control it. If users are packing an Android device however, set-up is a breeze: download the Nexus Q app from the Google Play store onto the phone or tablet and it quickly communicates with the Nexus Q to get things started.

    What the Nexus Q does do, it does fairly well. We played movies and music for hours, and while there was a noticeable delay getting, say, Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon started, high-definition playback was sharp and smooth. Switching between many of the songs that came pre-loaded on our Nexus 7 tablet was also quick and easy. Users have the choice of adjusting volume via the simple Nexus Q app or by rotating the top of the Nexus Q device itself. (Tapping the Nexus Q mutes sound.)

    While the Nexus Q makes for a pretty piece of hardware, it's a device only early-adopting aesthetes will appreciate, and only then to a limited extent given devices for a fraction of the price offer access to more services and fuller content libraries. That may change as Google updates the device on the software side -- hopefully opening it up to third-party services in the process -- but for now, it's little more than a gorgeously crafted curiosity.