The moment we’ve all been waiting for is finally here. A “Dream Team” of iOS experts have just rolled out an untethered jailbreak for Apple’s dual-core A5 iDevices, dubbed Absinthe A5, and designed to target iPhone 4S and iPad 2 running iOS 5.0.1 on board. Please note that it’s for Mac users only, at the moment, but a Windows version is probably going to be out very soon. As usual with most hacks, proceed with caution, but definitely proceed. Click the following link to learn more about the new release, get jailbreaking file here or hit the jump to watch the video.

Update: Well, that didn’t take long. Shortly after the Absinthe A5 untethered jailbreak released for OS X users, the Dream Team further extended their hacking solutions and returned back with a new jailbreak file, designed for Windows aficionados. So either click the source link below, or get the real thing right over here. Once again, you should plan carefully every step.

[greenpois0n]

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If you’re one of those very lucky guys, who have managed to put their hands on HP’s “not available anymore”  Touchpad devices, you need to pay close attention to possible opportunities arising from an early Alpha 0 build of CyanogenMod 9 that lets you run your own edition of Ice Cream Sandwich instead of the pre-loaded WebOS platform available on board. Of course you can have a triple boot tablet constructed from webOS, CM7 and CM9 all together, but that’s not really recommended. However, toying with the idea of bringing this new Android 4.0 into the Touchpad, definitely is (even though you may run into some minor issues when it comes to the camera, video acceleration and Android Market access). To learn more, please visit the RootzWiki link below, or click the jump to watch the video.

[via RootzWiki]

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At CES 2012, ViewSonic is announcing three new Android tablets for low-mid U.S markets. The first, known as the ViewSonic E70, runs the latest and greatest Ice Cream Sandwich platform on board, along with a 7-inch WVGA touchscreen on top of the slate and a 1GHz CPU, 4GB of internal storage, WiFi, micro-HDMI out, a front-facing camera, optional 3G connectivity, and micro-SD slot under the lid. This one will be ready for shipping somewhere towards the end of March for ONLY $169, which makes it very competitive price-wise, with the additional upgrades. The second, the ViewPad 10e, will go on sale by the end of the month for $299, and reportedly sports a 10-inch IPS display, paired with a robust 9.1mm chassis, a 1Ghz Cortex A8 CPU and either Honeycomb or Ice Cream Sandwich for the OS, to be determined later, after the show. And last but not least, is the 10-inch (1280×800) ViewSonic ViewPad 10pi, that houses a 1.5GHz Intel Oak Trail z670 chip, powered by dual-boot of Android 2.3 and Windows 7 OS. Now, frankly speaking, we’re not a huge fans of those two different platforms, running together under one slugish roof. It’s slow, very choppy and not a good user-friendly / user experience we, the gadget lovers, are striving for while we’re watching a video or surfing the net. That said, we leave it to your discretion, as long as you’re willing to pay $849 for it. Check out the videos after the jump.

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You really can’t expect much in a tablet that is so cheap. That, however, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy yourself one, especially if you are struggling to end the month with a positive cash flow. for those who would settle for the second best or just the average tablet device, we would highly recommend getting this brand new $79 Ice Cream Sandwich slate from Ainovo, also known as the Novo7 Paladin tablet. And while we’ve already seen some NOVO7 creatures running an Android 4.0 OS  inside their guts, this one, now available in China, runs a bit cheaper at around $79 or so. In addition to the lower rates, we’re looking at a 7-inch 800 x 480 multitouch display, packed with a MIPS-based 1GHz single core processor, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of storage,  a GC860 GPU, a 3.5mm jack and miniUSB/microSD ports. Unfortunately $79 probably won’t actually buy you GPS or integrated cameras, but it doesn’t really matter for us, is it? Anyway, make sure to check out the video after the break.

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Toshiba has officially announced a new sleek 10.1-inch tablet which sports a 1280 x 800  Gorilla Glass IPS touchscreen and said to be the world’s thinnest tablet in the market, to date, with a .3-inch thick and only 1.2-pound in weight. The new slate that goes by the name “Excite X10″ is planned to include  a 1.2GHz dual-core TI OMAP 4430 processor under the lid, along with 1GB of RAM, Android 3.2 for the Os (ready for an Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade), WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, a microUSB, microHDMI, GPS support and microSD card slot. The way it looks, there are two cameras, one 5 megapixel camera in the back of the tablet, and a 1.3 megapixel camera in the front. Your choices among the Excite offerings are the 16GB that will run $529.99 while the 32GB version will retail for $599. Full PR and video, courtesy of Notebooks.com,  just after the break.

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Acer has just confirmed that it’ll be releasing Iconia Tab A200 Stateside, on January 15th, for merely $330. The 10-inch Android Honeycomb tablet which runs NVIDIA’s dual-core Tegra 2 SoC inside, along with a 1280 x 800 display, 8GB of internal storage (16GB version is $20 more), a 2MP front-facing camera and a built-in microSD card slot, is said to include a battery with up to eight hours of work time, and a full-sized USB 2.0 port, to shift your files from one place to another. In addition, we hear that Acer is said to be working on an Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) update that will go live somewhere around mid-February of 2012, but ’till then you can click the jump to read even more about it.

Update: We’ve added a quick walkthrough video after the break.

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CES is always a good time to prepare a roll-out strategy for brand new products around the world. And while there’s no official word from Asus yet, we hear that the company plans to launch its own 7-inch Eee Memo Pad tablet, at the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow which will take place in Vegas from January 10th to January 13th, 2012. A firm release date has not been set, but judging from a recent leak, we do know it  will be available with a 1,280 x 800 capacitive touchscreen display, a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, WiFi, 3G connectivity and 16, 32 or 64GB of storage capacities at your choice. The full details are yet to be disclosed, and all that’s left is for you to decide which configuration suits you best and which package will you get: this one or the Eee Pad Transformer Prime. Tough decisions!

Update: As it turns out, Asus is planning to offer TWO new Memo Pad devices and not just one as we had earlier thought. The first, the Eee Pad MeMO (ME171) that we’ve already seen before, packs a 7-inch WXGA 1,280 x 800 IPS capacitive touchscreen, along with  a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm 8260 processor, 1GB of RAM, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR,  a 1.2 megapixel front-facing camera plus 5 megapixel rear camera, GPS, gyroscope, proximity sensor, 16GB / 32GB of storage capacities, and  a micro-USB port. The 4,400mAh Li-polymer battery inside will be able to deliver up 8.5 hours of video time, on average, powered by the latest Android 4.0.1 Os running atop. General availability is scheduled for Q2 2012 in the U.S.

The second device, the  ME370T – A 7-inch  quad-core tablet, powered by a Tegra 3 chip, is likely to run an Android Ice Cream Sandwich under the hood, paired with a WiFi-only connectivity an 8 megapixel camera behind its back and some other goodies that you’ll just have to wait patiently for them a few weeks more. Video (courtesy of  netbooknews) and Full PR after the break. 

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It’s getting harder and harder to follow Archos these days. On the tablets front, at least. The company seems to be doing pretty well, bringing new variety of products into the market every month or so. Their latest in this area, that will certainly compete in the mid-range space, is the 70b Honeycomb tablet that will hit U.S retail shelves somewhere this coming January for $199, and reportedly will include a 1024 x 600 capacitive touchscreen, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage capacity, WiFi, HDMI out, a microSD slot and a powerful 1.2 GHz processor. There are plans for a direct Android Market access if you’re wondering, and we’re probably going to see a lot more of it at CES 2012. In the meantime, you can checkout the full PR right after the break.

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Google’s newest Android operating system version has had experts and users alike sitting on the edge of their seats, waiting impatiently for the Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) to be delivered on mobile devices with all the bells and whistles of the ice cream truck. Users have delayed purchasing new mobile phones and tablets until the new operating confection was available. After all the headlines and the anticipation, does Android 4.0.- finally beat Apple’s iOS?

In some areas and functions, the answer is a resounding, “Yes!” In other facets, it’s, well, “not yet.” While Ice Cream Sandwich does make user control of apps easier, animation less jerky and the interface more user-friendly, it can’t yet claim the fame of toppling iOS yet. But it’s getting there, and it’s our opinion that Apple should be getting very, very worried.

Improvements

First, the good news: Many of the Gingerbread snafus, glitches and hang-ups are gone. Smoother operations are the norm with Ice Cream Sandwich. However, there still are a few that we’ll outline below.

The separated, dedicated Function keys permanently resting at the bottom of the screen are tremendous time savers. You want to return Home? Press the key. Want to head back one screen? Press that key. Want terrific apps management? Press that dedicated key. Forget a screen full of icons that you can’t see when surfing or texting or writing a note: The dedicated function keys are offset and separated from the used screen area. They’re always there – unless you deliberately use a full screen operation.

The user interface is a major improvement from Gingerbread (2.3) to Honeycomb (3.0) to Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0). Logical organisation is the key phrase. While there is still a learning curve for new Android users, learning to navigate the device is much simpler and shorter than ever. It’s not quite as intuitive and familiar as Win 7 or as easy as iOS, but it’s a major step up from Android 2.2 Froyo, Android 2.3 Gingerbread or Android 3.0 Honeycomb.

Quirks and Glitches

Alas, while apps are much more easily managed in ICS, many apps don’t work with ICS: The apps are made for Gingerbread; many won’t even download onto an ICS-driven device. Overall, Android apps are much fewer in number than Apple apps, and with the ICS compatibility issue, the Android number just dropped even farther.

The touch controls for apps might be nicer, but the touch controls still have a minute lag that is absent in Apple iOS. It’s better than it used to be, but the lag is still there. Because of that barely noticeable but noticeable delay, Ice Cream Sandwich can seem rather sleepy at times.

Future Possibilities

Android developers are extremely responsive to glitch reports, so much so that Ice Cream Sandwich has moved from the 4.0 original version to 4.0.3 in just a few weeks. It won’t be long at all before Android OS is a true, heads-on competitor with Apple iOS.

It wasn’t so long ago when Ainol announced that they will be debuting a new Android 4.0 tablet pretty soon. And as you can see in the subject, it was just the beginning of good things to come. And when we say “things” then how about 5 new Ice Cream Sandwich tablets from Coby? Well, that’s exactly what the company says in a recent PR document – Five tablets, based on Google’s latest and greatest platform, to be available in early 2012. Now on to the nitty gritty stuff, all tablets will reportedly include 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor, 1GB of RAM, WiFi, HDMI output, up to 32GB of storage and a whole new arsenal of capacitive touchscreen displays, range between 7-inch (MID7042) and 10-inch (MID1042) at most. Additional information will be granted at CES 2012, but in the meantime you can checkout the official press release right after the break.

Update: Hit the jump to check out the video.

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Ainol is a well known Chinese player, active in the low-budget tablets market. Frankly speaking, it has never been much of an interest for us, but today it definitely is, as the company announces the world’s first Android 4.0 tablet, or in its most friendly name: Novo7. The 7-inch capacitive touchscreen device which is supposedly based on Ingenic JZ4770 mobile applications processor and powered by a 1GHz XBurst CPU, runs Google’s latest and greatest Ice Cream Sandwich for the OS, and features a Vivante GC860 GPU clocked at 444MHz, along with a VGA front-facing camera plus a rear 2MP, microSD slot expansion (up to 32GB), USB 2.0, an HDMI output, WiFi, built-in G-senor and a battery that can deliver in one single charge 25 hours of video, or about 6-8 hours of continuous video playback work. The price, if you insist on asking, stands at $99 or just above the one hundred mark including shipping. Wouldn’t you get one, now that we’ve told you that? Anyway, while thinking about it hop on in for the full update and a quick video after the break.

[Ainovo]

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Chinese corp Lenovo introduces three new Android Honeycomb tablets, LePad S2005, LePad S2007 and the LePad S2010. At this point without price or confirmation of release dates. And while the 5-inch S2005 will reportedly pack an 800 x 480 LTPS display, paired with  a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, WiFi, HDMI out, Android 2.3.5 for the OS, and dual cameras with a 5-megapixel flavor on its back (capable of capturing 1080p) and a 1.3-megapixel webcam on the front, its bigger siblings will presumably boast Qualcomm’s dual-core 1.5GHz chip, along with 1GB RAM, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera plus 8 megapixels on the back, dual-mode 3G connection, WiFi, 1280 x 800 IPS display and Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade, planned for the foreseeable future, or so. In addition, there are few indications that the latter two not only differ in screen sizes, but also their batteries, as the 7-inch S2007 device features a 3780mAh battery, while the 10.1-inch S2010 is said to include the 7560mAh version which holds for sufficiently long times. More to come.

Update: More on that. we here that the S2 10 model is likely to have Android 4.0 running on board, along with that 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 1GB LPDDR2 RAM, SSD with up to 64GB of storage, HDMI Micro output, and 1.3 megapixel camera up front, while the rear is at 5 megapixel, instead of an 8MP we presumed it would have. Besides that, Lenovo is going to offer a keyboard dock that boasts an integrated  multitouch trackpad, additional 9 hours battery station, an SDHC card reader and duo USB 2.0 ports. Hit the jump to watch the video.

[via Engadget]

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My, my, what do we have here? Looks like Acer is exploring jumping into the Tegra 3 tablets market, less than a year after unveiling the 10.1-inch Tab A500 slate at CES 2011. According to a leak at the company’s online support page we are expecting to see two new high-res tablets coming out in the next couple of months, dubbed Iconia Tab A700 / A701 and sport NVIDIA’s latest and greatest quad-core chipset, paired with a 10-inch 1920 x 1200 WUXGA touchscreen on top, an HDMI output to hook ‘em up to your tele, GPS, Bluetooth connectivity, and Google’s Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich platform, to handle the software under the lid. And just in case you were wondering, the only difference between the two is that the A700 is apparently listed as a WiFi-only model, while the A701 is likely to have a 3G connectivity as well. Price and availability are yet to be disclosed (probably at CES 2012).

Update: We’ve just added a quick Iconia Tab A700 hands-on video, curtesy of androidandme.com. Check it out after the break.

[via Notebook Italia]

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Rumor has it that Lenovo is planning to release a 10.1-inch Ice Cream Sandwich tablet with a 1.6GHz Tegra 3 chipset inside, by the end of the year. According to a tipster to engadget, the nameless Lenovo device which boasts a brush metal cover on its back, will presumably include NVIDIA’s latest and greatest quad-core Tegra 3 T33 “Kal-El” SoC, paired with 2GB of DDR3 RAM, a full sized USB port, a fingerprint scanner, a rear facing camera of some undetermined description and Google’s top-notch Android platform running on board. Other than that, we have no real details as far as measures, pricing or availability, so stay tuned to learn even more.

Update: New details emerging from the CES show are clearing up the speculations around Lenovo’s upcoming Android 4.0 tablet, the IdeaTab K2, which is rumored to include a high-def 1,920 x 1,200 IPS display, along with a pair of surround technology speakers, and either 1.6GHz or 1.7GHz speed clock CPUs at your choice. To learn more, simply click the jump and watch the hands-on video.

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Asus is upgrading its Eee Pad Transformer Android tablet lineup, launching the Transformer Prime, a 10.1-inch Super IPS plus slate with the first Nvidia quad-core Tegra 3 CPU running on board. This powerful device, which packs the latest and greatest technology available on market at the moment, comes with a stunning 1280 x 800 10-inch IPS screen that claims for 178-degree viewing angles and Gorilla Glass cover on top. In addition, it has an 8.3mm-thick body that houses 1GB of RAM, a GPS navigation module, SonicMaster audio system, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich for the OS (update), and a 1.2 MP front-facing camera, paired with an 8MP lens, sitting on its back. The rear one can auto-focus at f/2.4, and is powered by a back-illuminated CMOS sensor that allows you to capture up to 1080p video frames. In terms of ports, you’ll find inside a mini-HDMI output, 3.5mm audio jack, and a microSD slot, while the battery will deliver up to 12 hours in one single charge, and storage wise, you get to choose between the 32GB version that is about to retail this coming December for $499, or the 64 gigs that will set you back for $599. Finally, there’s an optional mobile keyboard dock, but you’ll obviously need to splurge $149 more. Naturally, it will ease your typing efforts and speed up your projects on-the-go. You will find an integrated USB 2.0 port built into it, and a full-sized SD card slot. It’s a Tegra 3 machine and we’re looking forward to testing it ourselves, furthermore. Until then, you can hit the jump and read the full PR blurbs, or so.

Update1: Checkout the Eee Pad Transformer Prime in action, running Shadowgun at buttery smooth speeds. Hit the break to watch the video.

Update2: Well, looks like the Eee Pad Transformer Prime is finally coming out Stateside, and already available for your pre-orders in places like Amazon, B&H Photo, Tiger Direct and Best Buy. That’s $500 for the 32GB version and $600 for the 64 gigster, remember?

Update3: We’ve just added a quick Ice Cream Sandwitch demo video running on the Eee Pad Transformer Prime. Check it out after the break.

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You might have heard a lot about Amazon’s $199 Kindle Fire tablet, but it is worth bearing in mind (just in case you didn’t notice) that there is another e-reader/tablet of the same kind that will be coming in the next ten days. The culprit, if you’re still asking, is the Nook Tablet, which according to screenshots leaked online will be the next leading device for Barnes & Nobles. It has a 7-inch VividView IPS color (1024 x 600 ) touchscreen on top, paired with a 1.2GHz dual-core OMAP4 processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, 802.11b/g/n WiFi connectivity, a microSD slot, about  eight hours of battery life, and ePUB, PDF, XLS, DOC, PPT, TXT, DOCM, Flash, JPG, MP3, MP4, AAC files support. There will be tons of books available for reading and full access to services like Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, etcetera, that will be offering their videoor music contents wherever you want and go. It will be shipped Stateside starting mid-November for $249, which are about $50 more than Amazon’s Kindle Fire itself. At the meantime, until it officially goes live, we through in some specs and comparison charts after the break, so check ‘em out before you buy one.

Update: Barnes & Noble has officially launched the Nook Tablet in a press conference that took place yesterday morning in New York City. And while most details are already known,  some are now being revealed. For instance, the tablet is offering even more battery life than we previously thought (up to 11.5 hours of work), and new buyers will get full access to 250 magazines and online comic books straight from their slate. In addition, it boasts a very light chassis (under 1 pound), features Read & Record capabilities and said to be available for your pre-orders today. That’s $250 bucks, remember?

Full PR after the break along with a quick hands-on video, courtesy of Mashable.

[via TheDigitalReader]

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Oh look! There’s the Motorola Xoom 2, and it seems it’s now only couple of weeks away from landing on European store shelves. At least according to a recent Carphone Warehous flyer ad. And while most details are scarce, the second-gen Xoom tablet is said to include an 8.2-inch touchscreen, along with 16GB of internal storage, and Android 3.2 Honeycomb for the OS (any chance for Android’s Ice cream Sandwich platform?). Ireland is the first country to enjoy this system among the English-speaking countries, while the U.S and the rest of the world will probably follow few days later on, with prices starting at  €399.90 (about $545) for the WiFi-only flavor. Stay tuned or hit the jump to see the ad.

Update1: Xoom 2 is now official. Motorola has just unveiled it with a choice of either a 10.1-inch touchscreen device or an 8.2-inch Media Edition flavor, while both versions contain the same suite of specs, including a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, a  1.3 megapixel front-facing camera and 5 megapixel on the back, Gorilla Glass displays on top and Ice Cream Sandwich update running under the hood (confirmed!). As already mentioned, both slates will make their official debut in the UK and Ireland this holidays season while global release is yet to be determined. Hit the break and watch the video.

Update2: We’ve just added a quick hands on video (courtesy of Knowyourmobile), featuring the two new tablets, so check it out after the break.

[via engadget]

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As it looks now, the $200 tablets market is about to get even more crowded, with electronics giant Viewsonic stepping in to take on Amazon’s Kindle Fire, putting out the ViewPad 7e Android tablet. You may already have noticed the price ($200), for which you have every right to not expect a tablet with plenty to shout about. Surprisingly, however, the Viewpad 7e does come with enough stuff to keep you satisfied. For instance, there’s a 1GHz ARM A8 processor inside, paired with a “RiteTouch” 7-inch capacitive display, 4GB of storage, dual cameras, HDMI out, Google’s Android 2.3 for the OS, and a microSD card slot. There are also a variety of pre-loaded apps on the handset such as Kindle, Twitter and TuneIn Radio, as well as full access to Amazon’s Appstore for further content and direct downloads. In addition, we’re told that this special offer may be redeemed by the end of the month, which, frankly, makes this trinket considerably better. Hit the break to read the full PR.

[ViewSonic]

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If Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus looks awfully familiar to you, it’s probably because  it features the same exact interior and exterior dimensions as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 (with relatively slight changes in screen resolution and cpu clocks peed), only this time, with plans to enter the US market. Oh! And there’s an extra “Plus” in the name. So what do you get inside? First and foremost, a 7-inch 1024 x 600 LCD touchscreen, paired with  a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 3MP camera with 720p HD video capture, Android 3.2 for the OS and for the time being only 16GB of storage (but you should all expect a 32GB version by the end of this year). As for pricing and availability, we’re looking at a November 13th release date, with a price of $399 for the 16GB flavor and possibly $499 for the 32GB model. Full PR after the break.

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Good news for those of you looking to grab a really cool Android 2.3 tablet at the $200 range. Thanks to global eReading company Kobo you can now get this whole new 7-inch Android Gingerbread device, dubbed Vox, just under two Benjamins, with a fine list of technical specs, including a AFFS+ display 1024 x 600 multi-touch screen resolution, 8GB of internal storage and up to 32GB via SD card, 512MB of RAM, an 800 MHz processor, integrated speakers, and 802.11 b/g/n WiFi connectivity on board. Kobo will also indulge its users with a bunch of pre-loaded apps and there’s a direct access to Google’s Android Market to download even more. As for availability, the Vox will be available Stateside from October 28th of this year and on, featured at at Best Buy and Fry’s Electronics stores. Hit the jump to read the full PR.

[Kobo]

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