Google opens six ‘Winter Wonderlabs’ to showcase latest gadgets

Google, following in the footsteps of rivals Apple, Microsoft and Samsung, is opening temporary showrooms in Los Angeles and five other cities to display its latest gadgets.

The Mountain View, Calif., tech giant is dubbing the pop-up stores “Winter Wonderlabs” where consumers will be able to check out and play with the devices.

On display will be the Nexus 7 tablet, Google’s Chromebook laptops and Chromecast, a digital TV receiver. Customers won’t be able to buy the products at the showrooms but will be able to order them.

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Additionally, the showrooms will feature giant snow globes for consumers to play in and film themselves with fake snow.

The Winter Wonderlab at Westfield Topanga mall in Canoga Park opened over the weekend. Other locations include New York City, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Sacramento and Paramus, N.J.

The move comes as Google’s stable of products grows from smartphones to tablets, computers and more. The company is emulating a strategy blazed by Apple of enticing customers by letting them hold and try out devices.

Since Apple launched its Apple Stores, others in the tech world have followed suit, including Microsoft, Sony and Samsung.

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