Category Archives: Computers

Events, tablets

Apple’s New iPad Officially Announced, Retina Display, A5X Chip, 5MP camera, LTE 4G. Goes Live March 16th

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Apple’s third iPad series (known as the The New iPad) has officially debuted, and it is very impressive. For a start, Cupertino’s third-gen iDevice looks something similar to its predecessor, the iPad 2; measures in almost the same and weighs in at 1.4lbs. As for the 9.7-inch high-def display rumor, that one has been kicking around for nearly a year, and turned out to be TRUE. The new iPad variant will have a 2048-by-1536 screen resolution Retina display with a staggering amount of 3.1 million pixels on top.

Furthermore, The 9.4mm thick tablet device (ipad 2 is only 8.8mm) has a more powerful processor, a quad-core chip called the A5X (which according to Apple is four times faster than Nvidia’s Tegra 3). It will come with 3G and WiFi only models, boasting 16/32/64GB of internal storage capacities, that will be selling around the world for the same striking prices – 16GB $499, 32GB $599, 64GB $699 (+$130 for the 3G equivalent) – starting March 16 (Pre-orders start today in the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia). Connectivity wise, the HD version will come equipped with LTE 4G networking that will substantially boost your internet usage, while the bluetooth specs retain the same values, along with WiFi,  native 3.1Mbps EV-DO / 7.2Mbps HSPA and new 21Mbps HSPA+, 42Mbps DC-HSDPA and 73Mbps LTE support.

As far as software goes, we’re looking at iOS 5.1 that will support a Japanese version of Siri. This one is said to be available today. Apple has also introduced to the world a new batch of apps, compatible with The new iPad most stunning display. Among them you’ll find out the Infinity Blade: Dungeons, SketchBook, and SkyGamblers. There’s also a new edition of the popular iPhoto, now available for both iPad and iPhone machines for $4.99 (Garage Band, iMovie and iWork updates are also available).

In addition, Apple has integrated a new iSight camera, sporting ‎5 megapixels sensor, backside illumination, 5-element lens, and 1080 video recording capture. The new iPad delivers the same 10 hours of battery life, and 4G work time is 9 hours.

Finally, iPad 2 prices will be slashed by roughly $100, respectively.

Full PR after the break

Update1: We’ve just added a quick hands-on video, so check it out after the break.

Update2: Hit the jump to watch The new iPad TV Ad and a quick hands-on review.

Update3: Apple reports that it has sold more than 3 million New iPads in the tablet’s first three days on the market; A “record weekend” for Tim Cook and the Cupertino fellows. To give you an idea of the business situation, two years ago, the company has managed to sell 3M pieces of its first-gen ipad device after 80 days in the market, and now it has reached exactly the same numbers in the first weekend ALONE. That’s crazy!

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[youtube id=”y9Oy6S3_xPY”]

[youtube id=”L51twQblnNk”]

 videoד courtesy of engadget and The Verge

 

Apple Launches New iPad


New iPad Features Retina Display, A5X Chip, 5 Megapixel iSight Camera & Ultrafast 4G LTE
SAN FRANCISCO―March 7, 2012―Apple® today introduced the new iPad®, the third generation of its category defining mobile device, featuring a stunning new Retina™ display, Apple’s new A5X chip with quad-core graphics and a 5 megapixel iSight® camera with advanced optics for capturing amazing photos and 1080p HD video. iPad with Wi-Fi + 4G connects to fast networks worldwide, including AT&T’s and Verizon’s 4G LTE networks, and still delivers the same all-day 10 hour battery life* while remaining amazingly thin and light. Beginning today, iPad 2 will be offered at an even more affordable price starting at just $399.

“The new iPad redefines the category Apple created less than two years ago, delivering the most amazing experience people have ever had with technology,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “The new iPad now has the highest resolution display ever seen on a mobile device with 3.1 million pixels, delivering razor sharp text and unbelievable detail in photos and videos.”

The new iPad’s Retina display delivers four times the number of pixels of iPad 2, so dense that the human eye is unable to distinguish individual pixels when held at a normal distance, making web pages, text, images and video look incredibly sharp and realistic. The 3.1 million pixels in the Retina display are more than one million more pixels than an HD TV, and with 44 percent increased color saturation the new iPad displays colors that are unbelievably richer, deeper and more vivid. Movies are now capable of playing at full 1080p HD-resolution, delivering an incomparable viewing experience on a mobile device.

The powerful new A5X chip with quad-core graphics was specifically designed by Apple to deliver a fast, responsive user experience while supporting the incredible Retina display. With double the graphics performance of the A5 chip, the A5X provides a superb balance between performance and power efficiency so users can enjoy all the benefits of the stunning new display while experiencing a smooth Multi-Touch™ interface, immersive gameplay, incredible visual depth and all-day battery life that iPad is known for delivering.

The 5 megapixel iSight camera features advanced optics for taking stunning pictures and recording full HD video. Backside illumination allows you to take great photos in low-light conditions and a new video image stabilization feature removes the bumps and shakes typically seen when filming with a hand-held device. Images can be enjoyed on the large Retina display, then edited, enhanced and easily shared with friends and family using the built-in Photos app on iPad.

iPad Wi-Fi + 4G with built-in next generation 4G LTE has the most comprehensive support for fast networks worldwide including HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA, and now both CDMA and GSM iPad users have the ability to easily roam internationally. The world-ready iPad delivers blazing download and upload speeds so web pages load incredibly quickly and email with large attachments can be sent and received easily. Personal Hotspot can be used to share the fast network connection on your iPad with up to 5 other devices using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB**.

With iOS 5.1, the latest update to the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, the new iPad has a number of new features and enhancements including: a redesigned Camera app with video stabilization technology; the ability to delete photos from Photo Stream; support for dictation in English, French, German and Japanese; and Personal Hotspot. iOS 5.1 also works seamlessly with iCloud®, a breakthrough set of free cloud services including iTunes® in the Cloud, Photo Stream and Documents in the Cloud, that works seamlessly with your iPhone®, iPad, iPod touch®, Mac® or PC to automatically and wirelessly store your content and push it to your devices. When content changes on one of your devices, your other devices are updated automatically.

The new iPad also supports dictation, another amazing way to get things done just using your voice. Instead of typing, tap the microphone icon on the keyboard, then say what you want to say and the new iPad listens. Tap done, and iPad converts your words into text. You can use dictation to write messages, take notes, search the web and more. Dictation also works with third-party apps, so you can update your Facebook status, tweet, or write Instagram captions.

Apple also introduced the iPhoto® app, along with major updates to iMovie® and GarageBand®, completing its suite of iLife® apps for iOS. iLife and the iWork® apps, Pages®, Keynote® and Numbers®, have all been updated to take advantage of the new iPad Retina display. iPhoto includes breakthrough Multi-Touch features so you can use simple gestures to sort through hundreds of photos and find your best shots, enhance and retouch your images using fingertip brushes and share stunning photo journals with iCloud. iMovie now gives you the ability to create amazing Hollywood-style trailers as you record HD video, and GarageBand introduces Jam Session, an innovative and fun new feature that allows a group of friends to wirelessly connect to play instruments and record music together live on their iOS devices.

iPad runs almost all of the over 585,000 apps available on the App Store™, including more than 200,000 native iPad apps, from a wide range of categories, including books, games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel. The iTunes Store® puts the world’s most popular online music, TV and movie store at your fingertips with a catalog of over 20 million songs, over 90,000 TV episodes and over 15,000 movies. The new iBooks® 2 app for iPad lets users experience an entirely new kind of ebook that’s dynamic, engaging and truly interactive. iBooks created with Apple’s new iBooks Author offer gorgeous, fullscreen ebooks with interactive animations, diagrams, photos, videos, unrivaled navigation and much more.

Pricing & Availability
The new iPad Wi-Fi models will be available in black or white on Friday, March 16 for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model and $699 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad Wi-Fi + 4G for either AT&T or Verizon will be available for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad will be sold in the US through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores, and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iPad will also be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Switzerland, UK and the US Virgin Islands on Friday, March 16. Customers can begin pre-ordering their new iPad today, and the incredible iPad 2 is now offered at a more affordable price of $399 (US) for the 16GB Wi-Fi model and just $529 (US) for the 16GB Wi-Fi + 3G model.

iOS 5.1 and iTunes 10.6 are available today as free software updates. iPhoto, iMovie 1.3 and GarageBand 1.2 are available today for $4.99 (US) each from the App Store (www.itunes.com/appstore). Keynote 1.6, Pages 1.6 and Numbers 1.6 are available today for $9.99 (US) each from the App Store. Updates are available for free to existing customers. By the end of March iPad will be available in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

*Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.

**Personal Hotspot requires supporting data plan. Customers should check with their carrier for availability.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.

tablets

Toshiba Excite 10 LE Tablet Arrives Stateside March 6

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With so many tablets around, we have seen some good stuff from Toshiba lately. And guess what? We are all probably going to see a lot more; the latest, is a 10.1-inch tablet called Excite 10 LE, an updated version of the company’s Excite 10, that only recently got announced (and by “recently” we mean January). The 7.7mm thick device runs Android 3.2 version out of the box, but Tosh claims it will offer an Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade sometime before the summer. In addition, it packs a LED backlit 1280 x 800 display, along with a 1.2GHz TI OMAP 4430 processor, 16GB or 32GB flavors at your choice, micro-USB, HDMI output, WiFi, Bluetooth connectivity, microSD card expansion, 5-megapixel camera on the back plus a standard VGA shooter up front. The 10 LE version will make its stateside official premiere on March 6th, while retail price is expected around $530 for the 16 gigs model, and $600 for the larger capacity slate. Full PR after the break.

 

Toshiba Brings World’s Thinnest 10-Inch Tablet to U.S. Market

World’s Thinnest and Lightest 10-inch Tablet, Excite 10 LE, Available for Purchase on March 6, Starting at $529.99

IRVINE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Toshiba’s Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced that the Excite™ 10 LE tablet will be available for purchase from select U.S. retailers on March 6. Previously introduced as the Excite X10, the Excite 10 LE is the world’s thinnest and lightest 10-inch tablet measuring just 0.3 inches (7.7mm) thin and weighing just 1.18 pounds (535g).

“We have engineered this tablet with premium materials and components, given it elegant yet durable styling and more connectivity options than any other tablet in its class, while fitting everything into an astonishingly thin and light design.”

The Excite 10 LE tablet, powered by Android™, carries a starting price of $529.99 MSRP2 for the 16GB model and $599.99 MSRP for the 32GB model.
“Excite 10 LE embodies what a luxury tablet should be,” said Carl Pinto, vice president of product development, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division. “We have engineered this tablet with premium materials and components, given it elegant yet durable styling and more connectivity options than any other tablet in its class, while fitting everything into an astonishingly thin and light design.”

A More Premium Design with All the Essentials

The thin and light Excite 10 LE features a vivid high-resolution 10.1-inch diagonal AutoBrite™ display3, delivering optimum browsing, reading and entertainment. Designed for durability and style, the device also features a high-quality magnesium alloy surface and scratch-resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass display with an anti-smudge coating for greater resiliency.
The tablet also comes with an array of connectivity interfaces and ports on board, including micro-USB and HDMI® ports, a micro-SD slot to share content and files with other devices, plus Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth® connectivity. Stereo speakers with exclusive sound enhancements by Toshiba and SRS® Labs deliver superior audio capabilities. Front and back HD cameras provide convenient photo capture, plus 1080p video recording and video chatting.

Smart Multicore Performance with Long Battery Life
Powered by the 1.2GHz Texas Instruments OMAP™ 4430 multicore mobile processor4 and dual-channel memory, the Excite 10 LE offers smooth web browsing and multitasking plus the performance for high definition video and entertainment. Extremely power efficient, the Excite 10 LE delivers up to 8 hours of battery life.

Powered by Android

The Excite 10 LE tablet features Android 3.2, Honeycomb, and will be upgraded to Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich later this Spring. Also included is a full suite of familiar Google™ Mobile Service applications, including the Android Market™, YouTube™, Gmail™, Google Maps™, Music, Videos. Additionally, the tablet comes pre-loaded with a mix of Toshiba software and third-party applications including TOSHIBA App Place, TOSHIBA Book Place, TOSHIBA Media Player, TOSHIBA File Manager as well Netflix™ and Zinio™.

Docking and Accessories

Toshiba will also offer a suite of tablet accessories for the Excite 10 LE, including a docking station, multiple cases and more.

Specifications

• Android 3.2, Honeycomb (upgradeable to Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich)
• 10.1-inch diagonal LED Backlit widescreen Corning Gorilla Glass display with IPS technology and 10-finger multi-touch support
• 1280 x 800 resolution, 16:10 aspect ratio
• Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 multicore processor; 1.2GHz with 1GB LPDDR2 RAM
• 16GB and 32GB configurations6
• 2 megapixel front-facing camera
• 5 megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash
• Micro USB, Micro HDMI ports
• Micro SD card slot
• Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n) and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• Gyroscope, Accelerometer, GPS, eCompass and Ambient Light Sensor
• Stereo speakers with sound enhancements by Toshiba and SRS Labs
• Built-in 25 watt-hour rechargeable lithium ion battery
• 10.1″ (W) x 6.9″ (D) x 0.3″ (H)
• 1.18 pounds (535g)

Image Gallery: http://bit.ly/Excite10LE

Events, tablets

Apple iPad 3 Event Officially Confirmed For March 7 in San Francisco

Many rumors have been floating around about the new upcoming iPad 3, but now it’s being confirmed – Apple’s next big media event is going to take place on Wednesday, March 7th, at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, and as you can see from the invitation screenshot below, the star of the show is likely the highly anticipated third-gen ipad tablet. Word on the street is that we’re going to get a quad-core iPad 3 device, paired with 2048 x 1536 HD display and 4G LTE radio, but there’s still one week left to determine all this. So hold your breath and be patient!

tablets

Asus’s New Tablets Lineup ‘Transformer Pads’ Announced; Includes The TF Pad Infinity & TF Pad 300

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You didn’t really think that you could go a day at MWC Barcelona without a new announcement from Asus, did you?  Well, in case you missed that one from earlier this morning, the Taiwanese corp has just announced a rebranding of their well known Android tablets series to ‘Transformer Pads,’ and that it will launch two new tablet models, including the TF Pad Infinity and the TF Pad 300. While both versions look alike, the TF Pad Infinity is a powerful, high-end tablet, fashioned by Asus for 2012, while the TF Pad 300 is more of a cheaper low budget type. Both are said to be better than the 2 months old Transformer Prime tablet, in case you were wondering.

Alright, let’s dive into the nitty gritty stuff: The Transformer Pad Infinity will offer a dual-core Qualcomm MSM 8960 Snapdragon S4 CPU under the lid (Tegra 3 chip is optional, but only with the Wi-Fi model), paired with a breathtaking 10.1-inch, 1920 x 1200, Super IPS+ Gorilla Glass 2 display, 1GB of RAM, your choice of 16/32/64GB of storage, optional LTE radio, 8 megapixels camera on the back plus 2 megapixels imager on the front. The 8.5mm thick device will come out at the earliest Q2, preloaded with Ice Cream Sandwich platform out of the box.

The TF Pad 300 on the other hand, is expected to include “just” a quad-core Tegra 3 SoC, along with a standard 10.1-inch, 1280 x 800 IPS display, optional LTE radio, an HDMI out, Ice Cream Sandwich for the OS, a microSD card expansion and 16GB of internal storage, at most. The battery life is claimed to be around 10 hours of  continuous use on a single charge, while the back of the slate is mostly made of quality plastic, to be available in vibrant colors like blue, white and red.

No word on price or availability at the moment, but both machines are likely to go live with optional keyboard cradles. Meanwhile, you can hop along and read the full PR after the jump.

 

ASUS PadFone and upcoming Transformer Pad Lineup unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2012
ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih introduces the latest ASUS mobile devices and discusses his vision of ubiquitous cloud computing

Mobile World Congress, Barcelona, Spain (27 February, 2012) – At today’s “Incredibly Mobile Endless Possibilities” ASUS press event, Chairman Jonney Shih unveiled the revolutionary PadFone and upcoming Transformer Pad lineup. “The time has finally arrived when every screen in your lives could transcend into a portal with real time access into your digital world,” said Mr. Shih as he introduced the ASUS PadFone which transforms into a three-in-one combination of a smartphone, a tablet and a notebook when accessorized with the PadFone Station and PadFone Station Dock.

The ASUS PadFone is an incredible 4.3″ smartphone featuring a Super AMOLEDqHD display, the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual core processor and an ultra-sharp 8-megapixel digital camera with Fuji image processor all wrapped in an exquisite design that is optimized for Google’s Android 4.0 operating system. When placed inside the optional PadFone Station, it transforms into a 10.1″ tablet with 5 times the battery capacity. The PadFone offers unmatched versatility via ASUS’ proprietary Dynamic Display technology which allows seamless transition between the PadFone and PadFone Station display screens. In addition, the PadFone Station offers an optional keyboard dock that essentially turns the PadFone into an ultraportable computing device. The PadFone also comes with the option of a PadFone Stylus Headset which is a Bluetooth stylus pen that transforms into a headset for picking up calls easily.

ASUS is redefining the future of mobile computing devices and is excited to announce the new and innovative ASUS Transformer Pad lineup. Offering three distinct models to fit the unique needs of mobile media consumers, ASUS believes in providing consumers with choices. The ASUS Transformer Pad lineup includes the ASUS Transformer Pad Prime and upcoming ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity series and ASUS Transformer Pad 300 series.

The Transformer Pad Infinity Series is poised to be the go-to tablet for HD mobile entertainment as it features an impressive 1920×1200 Full HD Super IPS+ display and ASUS SonicMaster technology. The 4G LTE* model comes armed with the powerful Qualcomm MSM 8960 Snapdragon S4 Krait Dual-core 1.5Gh processor and is capable of download and upload speeds of up to 100Mbps and 50Mbps respectively. The WiFi model features the NVIDIA® Tegra® 3 quad-core processor for incredible application and gaming performance. The Transformer Pad Infinity has a 2MP front camera for HD video conferencing along with an 8MP rear camera with a large F2.2 aperture, 5-element lens and LED flash for stunning high quality images or HD video capture.

The Transformer Pad 300 Series makes for an ideal mobile web surfing and gaming platform with its NVIDIA® Tegra® 3 quad-core processor and high quality 10.1″ 1280×800 IPS display with either 4G LTE* or WiFi options. It features a 1.2MP front camera for video conferencing and an 8MP rear camera with a large F2.2 aperture, 5-element lens allows for high quality images along with HD video recording. The Transformer Pad 300 Series has battery life of up to 10 hours*, and that is extended up to 15 hours* with the optional keyboard dock.

tablets

ViewSonic Reveals The ViewPad G70, E100 and P100 Tablets

It was back in January when we first heard that Viewsonic is launching trio of Android 4.0 and Windows 7 tablets, and now the U.S electronic giant has officially announced three tablets more, ViewPad G70, E100 and P100. The first in that group, the ViewPad G70, comes equipped with a 7-inch (1024 x 600 pixels) touchscreen display, a “super light, super slim” chassis, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of storage, Ice Cream Sandwich for the operating system, and a microSD card slot. Furthermore, you get two integrated cameras, a rear 2-megapixel shooter and a 0.3-megapixel up front, with a variation of ports including micro-USB, mini-USB, and mini HDMI, built on board. We also hear there will be an optional 3G model coming out in Europe along with the basic version somewhere around Q2, for less than $399.

Heading to the second device, he 9.7-inch ViewPad E100, which runs the same android 4.0 OS, tucked with a 1GHz Cortex processor, Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi, a 1,024 x 768 IPS display, a 9.1mm body, USB, HDMI, and microSD card expansions. Last in the gang, is the Windows 7 ViewPad P100, that offers a 10-inch 1,280 × 800 IPS display,along with a dual-core 1.6GHz Intel Atom N2600 CPU, and duo cameras, on the front and at the back.

[via pocket-lint]

tablets

Samsung Officially Announces Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1) Tablet

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Samsung has already announced 7- inch Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) tablet early this month, and now, at MWC Barcelona, the South Korean corp officially unveils the 10.1-inch flavor, dubbed Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1). The bigger version, which goes on sale this coming March (for an undetermined price), is said to include a higher 10.1-inch screen resolution (1280 x 800), 1Ghz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, an early build of Ice Cream Sandwich along with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI, WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, optional 21Mbps HSPA+ connectivity, a long life 7,000 mAh battery, dual cameras (3-megapixel back, VGA front), and either 16GB or 32GB of storage capacities, available at your choice (with microSD slot expansion rocking on board). There’s a long list of specs after the break, along with the company’s full PR announcement.

Update: We’ve just added a quick hands-on video, courtesy of gsmarena, after the jump.

[youtube id=”Reena6Aiihw”]

 

Samsung’s new GALAXY Tab 2 series offers optimal multimedia experiences in life

February 26, 2012

Samsung introduces its first line-up of tablets for 2012 with the launch of the GALAXY Tab 2 series, expanding the choice of tablets to customers. The GALAXY Tab 2 series includes a 7″ version and a 10.1″ version. Starting from UK, the GALAXY Tab 2 series will be launched in global market from March.

The GALAXY Tab 2 series is available in 3G and WiFi versions, as well as in 7″ and 10.1″ variants. Light and portable, the GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0) is the ideal personal on-the-go device; while the larger GALAXY Tab 2 (10.1) is well-suited for home and family use.

The GALAXY Tab 2 series is exhibited at Samsung stand (Hall 8), Mobile World Congress 2012. For multimedia content and more detailed information, please visitwww.samsungmobilepress.com.

Samsung GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0) Product Specifications

Network
HSPA＋ 21Mbps 850/900/1900/2100
Processor
1 GHz Dual-Core Processor
Display
7″ WSVGA(1024×600) PLS TFT
OS
Android 4.0(Ice Cream Sandwich)
Camera
Main(Rear): 3 Megapixel Camera
Sub(Front): VGA for Video Call
Video
Codec: MPEG4, H.263, H.264, VC-1, DivX, WMV7, WMV8, WMV9, VP8
Format: 3GP, ASF, AVI, MP4, WMV, FLV, MKV, WebM
Playback/ Recording: Full HD@30fps, HD@30fps
Audio
Codec: MP3, AAC, AC-3, AMR, FLAC, MID, WMA, WAV, OGG
Music Player with SoundAlive
3.5mm Ear Jack
Value-added Features
Samsung TouchWiz/ Samsung L!ve Panel
Samsung Apps
Samsung Hub＊
– Readers Hub/ Music Hub/ Game Hub/ Video Hub
Samsung Hub Widget＊
– Music Hub/ Game Hub/ Video Hub
Samsung S Suggest＊ (App recommendation service)
Samsung ChatON mobile communication service
Samsung AllShare Play＊
Samsung Kies / Samsung Kies air
GoogleTM Mobile Services
– Android Market™, Gmail™, YouTube™, Google Maps™,
Syncing with Google Calendar™, Google Search, Google ＋
Polaris document editor
A-GPS, Glonass
Connectivity
Bluetooth technology v 3.0
USB 2.0 Host
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct
Sensor
Accelerometer, Digital compass, Light
Proximity(＊ Available on 3G version only)
Memory
8/16/32GB User memory ＋ 1GB (RAM)
microSD (up to 32GB)
Dimension
193.7 x 122.4 x 10.5 mm, 345g
Battery
Standard battery, Li-ion 4,000mAh
＊ Availability and launching time of the services may differ by region.
＊ All functionality, features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.

Samsung GALAXY Tab 2 (10.1) Product Specifications

Network
HSPA＋ 21Mbps 850/900/1900/2100
Processor
1 GHz Dual-Core Processor
Display
10.1″ WXGA(1280×800) PLS TFT
OS
Android 4.0(Ice Cream Sandwich)
Camera
Main(Rear): 3 Megapixel Camera
Sub(Front): VGA for Video Call
Video
Codec: MPEG4, H.264. H.263, VC-1, DivX, WMV7, WMV8, WMV9, VP8
Format: 3GP, ASF, AVI, MP4, WMV, FLV, MKV, WebM
Playback/ Recording: Full HD@30fps, HD@30fps
Audio
Codec: MP3, AAC, AC-3, AMR, FLAC, MID, WMA, WAV, OGG
Music Player with SoundAlive

3.5mm Ear Jack
Value-added Features
Samsung TouchWiz / Samsung L!ve Panel
Samsung Apps
Samsung Hub
– Readers Hub/ Music Hub/ Game Hub/ Video Hub
Samsung Hub Widget＊
– Music Hub/ Game Hub/ Video Hub
Samsung S Suggest＊ (App recommendation service)
Samsung ChatON mobile communication servicea
Samsung AllShare Play
Samsung Kies / Samsung Kies air
GoogleTM Mobile Services
– Android Market™, Gmail™, YouTube™, Google Maps™,
Syncing with Google Calendar™, Google Search, Google ＋
Polaris document editor
A-GPS, Glonass
Connectivity
Bluetooth technology v 3.0
USB 2.0 Host
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct
Sensor
Accelerometer, Digital compass, Light
Memory
16/32GB User memory ＋ 1GB (RAM)
microSD (up to 32GB)
Dimension
256.6 x 175.3 x 9.7 mm , 588g
Battery
Standard battery, Li-ion 7,000 mAh

tablets

Barnes & Noble To Release an 8GB Nook Tablet for $199

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It was only three months ago when we first reported about the early release of the long-awaited Nook tablet. Back then, it was launched for $250 with a 7-inch IPS display, a 1.2GHz dual-core OMAP4 processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, 802.11b/g/n WiFi connectivity, a microSD card reader and variety of file formats supported out of the box. That was then, and now, only short time later, the manufacturing company, Barnes & Noble officially announces an 8GB version, identical in specs but with only half the memory and storage space. This new configuration has apparently given B&N great opportunity to lower the Nook price to $199 and bring it on par with Amazon’s most popular Kindle Fire. On that same note, Nook’s Color price has gone down to $169, while the Simple Touch e-reader will set you back at $99. Full PR after the break.

 

Barnes & Noble Introduces NOOK Tablet™ – 8GB For Incredibly Low Price of $199

New Addition to Hot-Selling, Highly Rated NOOK Tablet Line Offers Fastest, Lightest, Most Powerful Tablet with the Best in Reading and Entertainment,
Now in 8GB, at an Amazing Value

Award-Winning NOOK Color™ Now Offered at its Lowest Price Ever – $169

New York, New York – February 21, 2012 – Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products, today expanded its portfolio of bestselling NOOK® devices with the introduction of NOOK Tablet – with 8GB of memory, a tremendous value for the company’s fastest and lightest tablet at just $199. NOOK Tablet – 8GB version offers reading and mobile entertainment enthusiasts another great option in the NOOK family of devices. In addition, the company’s highly popular NOOK Color just became an even greater value at $169.

“For any customer who likes to read digitally, watch movies or TV shows, browse the web, or help their kids read and learn through interactive books and apps, our new $199 NOOK Tablet with 8GB is the best product value on the market,” said William Lynch, Chief Executive Office of Barnes & Noble. “NOOK Tablet is the highest-rated wireless media tablet in the 7-inch class, ultra-portable at under a pound, offers our exclusive VividView™ screen technology, and since its introduction this holiday has received rave reviews from customers about all its great features. We’re pleased to now offer customers the ability to experience NOOK Tablet’s unmatched content experience for only $199.”

The newest member of the NOOK Tablet family offers the great features of top-selling NOOK Tablet – 16GB, but with 8GB of on-board memory, 512MB of RAM and a lower cost of just $199. NOOK Tablet – 8GB version includes all of these great features also available on NOOK Tablet – 16GB ($249):

A highly tuned 1GHz dual-core processor for streaming video and lightning-fast Web browsing so customers can surf their favorite sites, and built-in email to stay easily connected with friends and family
Breakthrough battery life, with 11.5 hours of reading time or nine hours of video viewing
With on-board storage plus convenient microSD memory expansion, customers have ample space for their reading and entertainment content, regardless of Wi-Fi availability
The world’s most advanced VividView display for viewing content, with 16 million colors and a resolution purity that’s simply gorgeous
Popular movies, TV shows and music from top services including Netflix, Hulu Plus™, Flixster, Pandora®, Rhapsody®, Grooveshark, MOG and many more.
Thousands of top-rated, high-quality NOOK Apps, all optimized for NOOK Tablet’s ultra-responsive 7-inch color touchscreen, in categories including Games, Kids, Travel, Education, Lifestyle & Interest, News & Weather, Social, Productivity and others. Favorites including Cut the Rope, Disney Publishing’s It’s a Small World and more are coming soon to the robust NOOK Apps catalog.
Barnes & Noble’s award-winning reading experience, featuring more than 2.5 million digital books, periodicals, children’s books and more, including:
NOOK Newsstand™: An expansive collection of more than 450 digital periodical titles, which includes the largest digital collection of top 100 magazines available for subscription and single copy purchase. Colorful interactive magazines offer Barnes & Noble’s ArticleView™, animated page turns and smooth pinch, zoom and panning. Many special edition NOOK Magazines™ feature videos, quizzes, image galleries and more.
NOOK Kids™: More than 1,400 interactive children’s picture books, some featuring animation and engaging activities, and more than 12,000 chapter books. With Read and Record™, customers can use NOOK Tablet’s built-in microphone to record and save their reading of any NOOK Kids picture books so children can listen to their favorite storytellers anytime.
NOOK Comics and graphic novels: A vast collection of full-color comics, graphic novels and kids’ comics in high resolution and the largest digital collection of Marvel’s graphic novels available through a third party, as well as other titles from leading publishers including Archie, IDW and Dynamite. Through a partnership with VIZ Media, LLC, the largest publisher of anime and manga in North America, NOOK customers can access more than 30 series, featuring nearly 430 volumes.
Books and more: Continuously expanded NOOK Store™ with the vast majority of books available for $9.99 or less. Barnes & Noble’s digital book collection includes PagePerfect™ NOOK Books™ featuring cookbooks, craft and art books rendered with rich precision to retain all the beauty of their stunning print versions, and enhanced reading with PDF thumbnail page views, and image pinch, zoom and pan in books and PDFs.
Discover and socialize: Learn what to read next from Barnes & Noble’s knowledgeable booksellers with personalized recommendations, or connect through NOOK Friends™ to share thoughts, lend books through the exclusive LendMe® technology and more via email and sites like Facebook.
Continuous reading: Read what you love, anywhere you like™ on NOOK devices and with FREE NOOK Reading Apps. Sync your library, last page read, bookmarks, etc. across all of your devices through NOOK Cloud.
Sleek and thin with a soft touch back design, and lightweight at under a pound (14.1 oz.), making it easy to carry in a handbag, briefcase, backpack or suit jacket pocket for reading and entertainment on-the-go.

Customers can, as always, access their personal NOOK Library™ through the free, reliable and secure NOOK Cloud™ service, which also powers the seamless integration and synchronization between devices, as well as NOOK’s best-in-class shopping experience and social features.

Says Lynch, “NOOK Tablet, NOOK Color and NOOK Simple Touch™ represent the highest-quality portfolio of reading and entertainment products on the market at the best value. Whether it’s movies, music and apps on-the-go that you crave, or a simple, immersive reading experience, we offer great products and more choices than ever before with our product portfolio, starting at just $99.”

NOOK Color: Now $169
The highly acclaimed NOOK Color, offering access to top video and music services, popular apps, comics and more, is now available at a new low price of just $169, starting today. The first Reader’s Tablet, NOOK Color combines an award-winning reading experience with tablet essentials including apps, Web and email. NOOK Color customers can download Netflix to watch movies and TV shows, access a wide array of books, periodicals and comics, enjoy top music services and thousands of apps, browse the easy-to-use, social and streamlined NOOK Store.

Availability
NOOK Tablet – 8GB version is available for purchase today for $199 at www.nook.com and in Barnes & Noble stores, and will be available in leading retailers including Best Buy, Target and Walmart in the coming weeks. NOOK Color is now available in Barnes & Noble stores and www.nook.com for $169. Experience NOOK Tablet, NOOK Color and NOOK Simple Touch at www.nook.com or at the NOOK Digital Shops™, which feature the full portfolio of NOOK digital devices and FREE NOOK Reading Apps™, or displays in one of Barnes & Noble’s nearly 700 bookstores and other leading retailers. Barnes & Noble offers Always Free NOOK Support in all of its neighborhood bookstores, with more than 40,000 NOOKsellers across the country ready to assist customers with setting up their NOOK devices or choosing their next great read.

Operating Systems, tablets

BlackBerry PlayBook Finally Gets The OS2 Update

I know a lot of Blackberry Playbook users have been waiting for this one for quite some time, the OS2 update. Well, February is already here and today is the day that RIM is finally delivering the goods. As far as Research In Motion’s concerned, we’re looking at a major firmware update which adds a lot of changes, such as native email, improved social media integration with popular services like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, a whole new homescreen UI, calendar and contacts, some Bridge modifications for those who have a BlackBerry smartphone and interestingly enough, the Android App Player add-on that will grant you access to a bigger choice of Android apps in the BlackBerry App World. The new release contains 505MB of code which can be downloaded either through your Playbook  Settings or here. In addition you can learn more and watch some walkthrough demos in this link. Other than that, you can hit the jump, read the full PR announcement or watch the latest video ad.

[via CrackBerry]

[youtube id=”oxZK2VJyqYs”]

BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 Available Today

New OS delivers an enriched user experience for BlackBerry PlayBook tablet users

Waterloo, ON – Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) announced that the new BlackBerry® PlayBook™ OS 2.0 will be released for download today. BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 delivers an enhanced tablet experience and allows you to use the BlackBerry PlayBook in new ways throughout the day – at work and at play. “Building on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet’s proven web browsing, multimedia and multitasking strengths, the new BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 introduces a range of new communications and productivity enhancements as well as expanded app and content support,” said David J. Smith, SVP Mobile Computing, Research In Motion.

New BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 features include:

• Integrated email client with a powerful unified inbox: With BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 you have the option to use a unified inbox that consolidates all messages in one place, including messages from Facebook®, LinkedIn® and Twitter®, as well as personal and work email accounts.

• Social Integration with Calendar and Contacts apps: The built-in calendar harnesses information from social networks and makes it available where and when users need it. Contact cards are also dynamically populated with updated information from Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to create a consolidated view of contacts.

• Updated BlackBerry Bridge app: BlackBerry® Bridge™ is a unique app that provides a Bluetooth® connection between your BlackBerry PlayBook and core apps on your BlackBerry® smartphone (including BBM™, Email, Contacts, Calendar and Browser) in order to let you view the content on the larger tablet display. With BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0, it’s easier and quicker than ever to take documents, web pages, emails and photos that appear on your BlackBerry smartphone and display them on your BlackBerry PlayBook for an optimized viewing and editing experience. The updated BlackBerry Bridge app also provides a new remote control feature that allows a BlackBerry smartphone to be used as a wireless keyboard and mouse for a BlackBerry PlayBook.

• Improved mobile productivity: Updated document editing functions, the new Print To Go app, and increased control and manageability of corporate data with BlackBerry® Balance ™ allow you to get more out of your BlackBerry PlayBook every day. Plus, an updated virtual keyboard with auto correction and predictive next word completion learns how you type to enable faster, more accurate typing.

• New apps and content: Thousands of new apps are being added to BlackBerry App World™ today (including a range of Android® apps that will run on the BlackBerry PlayBook). A new BlackBerry Video Store1 is launching today. Enhanced web browsing capabilities are also available with BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0.

In conjunction with the release of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0, RIM is making available an initial release of BlackBerry® Mobile Fusion that will include support for managing BlackBerry PlayBook tablets and BlackBerry smartphones2 in an enterprise. The full release of BlackBerry Mobile Fusion (with mobile device management capabilities for iOS and Android devices) is planned for general availability in late March 2012. For more information about BlackBerry Mobile Fusion, please visit www.blackberry.com/mobilefusion. Availability The BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 software update is now available as a free download for all BlackBerry PlayBook tablets.

tablets

iPad 3 Reported To Have 2048×1536 Retina Display On Board

While you should always take early reports with a little grain of salt, especially when it comes to Apple, the good guys over at MacRumors say they have managed to put their hands on one of those black market HD displays, claiming to be Apple’s next iPad 3 touchscreen surfaces (somehow labeled as OEM replacement parts for the iPad 3). And while current iPad 1 and iPad 2 displays feature a 9.7-inch screen size and 1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch, the new one, which may well be released early next month, boasts the same aspect ratio, but  offers a full resolution of 2048×1536 – twice the linear resolution of the first two Cupertino tablets. In other words a “game changer,” definitely when we are talking about online media and HD television. Full details are not yet known but the formal announcement is expected on March 7, so stay tuned.

Update: iFixit guys have gotten their paws on the alleged iPad 3 display and given us a very insightful look at what we should bbe expecting, hopefully this March. Hit the jump and watch their video.

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tablets

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) Officially Breaks Cover With Ice Cream Sandwich Running On Board

2 Comments

Well it’s not just a rumor anymore! Samsung has officially announced the release of the Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0), a contemporary version to Sammy’s latest and greatest Galaxy Tab Plus edition, that will probably go live sometime this March, with Android 4.0 operating inside alongside a 1024 x 600 LCD, 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, A-GPS, 16GB or 32GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, and your choice of Wi-Fi or always-on 3G connectivity out of the box. Furthermore, the 10.5mm tablet will pack a  3-megapixel rear-facing camera, paired with a typical 1.3-megapixel flavor on the front. There’s also a 4,000 mAh battery under the lid, an optional HSPA+ connectivity (in case you’re interested), and a DLNA support to wrap it all up. Prices are yet to be determined, but full PR release and the video announcement can be found, after the jump.

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video by dotekmánie

 [via Sammyhub]

Samsung’s new GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0) offers optimal multimedia experiences in life

February 13, 2012

Samsung expands the GALAXY Tab range with GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0) powered by the AndroidTM 4.0 and a 1GHz dual core processor

Prague, February 13, 2012 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today introduced its first line-up of tablets for 2012 with the launch of the GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0), expanding the choice of tablets to customers. Light and portable, the GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0) is the ideal personal on-the-go device, available in 3G and WiFi versions. Starting from UK, the GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0) will be launched in global market from March.

“Two years ago, Samsung GALAXY Tab began to offer customers more possibilities on the go. Since then, Samsung has actively enhanced our tablet line-up with several tablets in different sizes,” said JK Shin, President of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics. “The new GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0) will provide people with delighted multimedia experience and allow efficient communication.”

Samsung’s first Android 4.0 Tablet

Samsung’s first Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)-powered tablet offers a variety of new and improved Android OS features. An upgraded Android Market enables access to more than 400,000 applications which can be enjoyed across phones or tablets. Furthermore, a more intuitive user interface includes the ability to swipe-control applications as well as a wholly redesigned app gallery for easier sharing of content. The new OS’s vastly faster performance and response times across multiple applications is further enhanced by HSPA＋ 21Mbps or WiFi connectivity.

Additionally, Android 4.0 includes a selection of embedded Google applications that enables users to quickly launch sites and applications that they use frequently; meanwhile, the innovative Face Unlock feature unlocks the tablet through unique facial recognition software.

A complete experience with enriched multimedia content

The GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0) offers users easy multimedia access, playback and sharing experiences with Samsung Hub services. Samsung’s Music Hub provides a full music store solution with access to over 17 million tracks. Additionally, the Readers Hub provides the user with access to over 2.3 million e-books, 3,500 magazines and over 2,000 newspapers in 51 languages, while the Game Hub instantly connects users to the latest game titles. Samsung is also introducing the Video Hub, which offers over 1,000 film titles for purchase or rent, and provides reviews, trailers and recommendations for easier content selection using the GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0).

Complementing the GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0)’s multimedia offering is Samsung’s upgraded Touchwiz user interface that features Hub widgets for one-step access to users’ content in Hubs; the device also presents S Suggest, a new service offering recommendations of apps suited to users’ tastes directly on a home screen.

The GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0)’s superb multimedia experience is further boosted by Samsung’s AllShare Play, a new content-sharing service available for the first time on any Samsung mobile device. AllShare Play allows users to play or live-stream their multimedia content on their GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0) from PCs, other Samsung smart devices as well as third-party web storages. Users can also easily transfer content to other devices or directly to web services.

Better Communication Capabilities

Connecting socially has never been easier with GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0)’s built-in powerful communication capabilities.With the voice call capability, the GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0) can be used just as easily as a phone, affording users the handy convenience of a second device in case they misplace their primary phone. It also lets users to spontaneously arrange multi-party video calls via Google＋ hangouts, as well as engage in group chats or micro-communities to collectively chat or share content. In addition, ChatON, Samsung’s cross-platform communication service, connects all phone users of any platform into a single community. ChatON uses phone numbers instead of ID and passwords, and provides easy instant messaging and group chatting in various formats-images, video, voice, contacts-to make messaging simple and intuitive.

Applications, Mobile, software, tablets

Untethered iOS 5.0.1 Jailbreak for iPhone 4S and iPad 2 Finally Goes Live

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.

[youtube id=”ZKR7F-3kGvY”]

video by iJailbreak

[greenpois0n]

Operating Systems, tablets

HP TouchPads Get Ice Cream Sandwich Thanks To a CyanogenMod 9 Alpha 0 Release

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.

[youtube id=”u8imU7nzLG4″]

[via RootzWiki]

tablets

ViewSonic Announces Three New Low Budget Android Tablets

1 Comment

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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[videos courtesy of phonearena.com]

tablets

Ainovo Makes It Out With a $79 Novo7 Paladin Ice Cream Sandwich Tablet

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.

[youtube id=”jW0c8chJ5wE”]

tablets

Toshiba’s New Excite X10 Claims To Be World’s Thinnest Android Tablet

3 Comments

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.

[youtube id=”0NDO2dCTNGU”]

 

TOSHIBA UNVEILS PLANS TO BRING THE WORLD’S THINNEST 10-INCH TABLET TO THE US MARKET
Excite X10 Tablet Paves the Way for Premium Tablet Design by Achieving Ultra-thin and Light Form, While Maintaining Essential Ports and Features
LAS VEGAS – Consumer Electronics Show 2012 – Jan. 9, 2012 – Toshiba’s Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today revealed plans to introduce the ExciteTM X10 tablet, the world’s thinnest 10-inch tablet, to the U.S. market. Measuring in at just 0.3 inches (7.7mm) thin and weighing just 1.18 pounds (535g)1, this next- gen tablet offers a premium design with essential ports and features needed for a more complete experience. The Excite X10 tablet will be available in the U.S. starting in the first quarter of 2012.

A More Premium Design
Ultra-thin, ultra-light and ultra-powerful, the Excite X10 features a high-resolution 10.1-inch diagonal AutoBriteTM display2, offering an ideal canvas for browsing and entertainment. Designed for durability and style, the device also features a high-quality magnesium alloy surface and scratch-resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass display with an anti-smudge coating for greater resiliency.

“Excite X10 pushes the boundaries of what a thin and light tablet is capable of, delivering elegant styling without sacrificing features or durability,” said Carl Pinto, vice president of product development, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division.

All the Essentials on Board
To connect with other devices, the Excite X10 tablet comes with all essential interfaces and ports onboard, including micro-USB and HDMI ® ports, a micro-SD slot to share content and files with other devices, plus Wi-Fi ® and Bluetooth ® connectivity. The micro HDMI port allows users to extend HD content from their tablet screen to a large screen HDTV. Front and back HD cameras provide convenient photo capture, plus 1080p video recording and conferencing. Stereo speakers enhanced with exclusive deliver superior entertainment capabilities.

“We see the tablet as a key device in a connected home ecosystem, so delivering not just a thin and light design, but one that also incorporates built-in ports, is a step toward making the connected home a reality,” added Pinto.

Smart Multicore Performance with Long Battery Life
Powered by the Texas Instruments OMAPTM4430 mobile processor3, the Excite X10 delivers smart multicore processing power without draining battery life. The multicore design features two ARM CortexTM A9 cores plus dual-channel memory for greater speed and efficiency, offering smooth web browsing and multi-tasking plus high definition video and entertainment.

To connect with other devices, the Excite X10 tablet comes with all essential interfaces and
ports onboard, including micro-USB and HDMI® ports, a micro-SD slot to share content and files with other devices, plus Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth® connectivity. The micro HDMI port allows
users to extend HD content from their tablet screen to a large screen HDTV. Front and back
HD cameras provide convenient photo capture, plus 1080p video recording and conferencing. Stereo speakers enhanced with exclusive deliver superior entertainment capabilities.

Powered by the Latest Android Technology
The Excite X10 tablet is powered by the latest Android platform technology. Also included is a full suite of familiar Google Mobile Service applications, including the Android Market, YouTube, Gmail, Google Maps, Music, Videos, plus select third-party applications including Netflix.

Specifications
— Latest Android technology
— 10.1-inch diagonal LED Backlit widescreen Corning Gorilla Glass display with IPS
technology and 10-finger multi-touch support
— 1280 x 800 resolution, 16:10 aspect ratio
— Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 processor; 1.2GHz with 1GB LPDDR2 RAM
— 16GB and 32GB configurations4
— 2 megapixel front-facing camera
— 5 megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash
— Micro USB, Micro HDMI ports
— Micro SD card slot
— Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n) and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
— Gyroscope, Accelerometer, GPS, eCompass and Ambient Light Sensor
— Stereo speakers with sound enhancements by Toshiba and SRS® Labs
— Built-in 25 watt-hour rechargeable lithium ion battery
— 10.1″ (W) x 6.9″ (D) x 0.3″ (H)  1.18 pounds (535g)

Pricing and Availability
The Excite X10 tablet will be available in mid-Q1 2012 for a starting price of $529.99 MSRP5 for the 16GB model and $599.99 MSRP for the 32GB model at major U.S. retailers, e-tailers and ToshibaDirect.com.

tablets

Acer To Launch Iconia Tab A200 In North America For $330

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.

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Acer Expands Popular Tablet Lineup with Iconia Tab A200, A Full-Featured HD Tablet at an Attractive $329 Price

SAN JOSE, Calif., January 5, 2012 – Acer America today announced availability of the Iconia™ Tab A200, the latest addition to Acer’s line of full-featured Android tablets. The new 10.1-inch Iconia Tab A200 is a portable activity hub for gaming, e-books, movies, music, photography, social networking and more. Offered at the attractive price of $329.99, the Iconia Tab A200 will be available to U.S. customers on January 15.

The new Acer Iconia Tab A200 tablet enables customers to interact with and enjoy technology in ways that are both truly natural and exciting. Loaded with the latest edition of Android™ Honeycomb™ 3.2 operating system, the Iconia Tab A200 is user-friendly and extremely interactive with resizable app widgets and fun features the whole family can enjoy. The Iconia Tab A200 also comes with a free upgrade to Android 4.0 (known as Ice Cream Sandwich), which will be available in mid-February.

“The Acer Iconia Tab family of tablets is an excellent example of Acer’s ability to deliver high-performance, full-function mobile devices at unbeatable values,” said Eric Ackerson, senior product marketing manager for Acer America. “Acer brings the Iconia Tab A200 to consumers at an affordable price, without making sacrifices on key tablet features such as expansion, connectivity to other devices, HD displays and cameras.”

High-Quality Performance for Hours of Fun
Sleek and easy to hold, the Iconia Tab A200 weighs 1.5 pounds. The tablet is wrapped in a slim, titanium gray-colored casing, with an eye-catching patterned back side, which is soft to the touch. On the front, the A200 showcases a beautiful HD multi-touch display featuring crystal-clear 1280 x 800 resolution for an outstanding viewing experience.

Made especially for multimedia enjoyment, the Iconia Tab A200 packs hardware and apps for loads of fun. The tablet provides an enhanced level of performance with its NVIDIA® Tegra™ 2 dual-core mobile processor and integrated GeForce™ GPU that allows users to enjoy HD gaming, 1080p video, Flash-based applications, faster browsing and multitasking.

Gamers of all ages will enjoy the preloaded Tegra Zone Android app, which allows users to search and download the best Android games that are optimized for NVIDIA Tegra powered tablets. The Iconia Tab A200’s fast gaming experience is also supported by a six-axis motion sensing gyroscope, essential for high-precision gaming so actions and animations are more correctly performed.

Users can enjoy up to eight hours of cable-free battery life , providing endless hours to surf the web, watch movies, play games and read e-books, far from the nearest electrical outlet. The Iconia Tab A200 comes pre-loaded with apps like Kindle for countless reading selections and Netflix for instant delivery of movie and entertainment titles. One tap on the Android Market allows users access to thousands of downloadable apps.

Packed with Practical and Fun Features
Offering superior expansion and connectivity, the Iconia Tab A200 has a full-size USB 2.0 port for hooking up other devices and a MicroSD slot and micro-USB port for passing data. A two megapixel front-facing web camera enables face-to-face chats or quick snaps for still photos. For an enhanced social networking experience, the Iconia Tab A200 includes Acer SocialJogger, which consolidates Facebook, Twitter and more into one spot.

The Iconia Tab A200 improves multitasking with the unique interactive Acer Ring interface, allowing users to customize their tablet experience by putting their most commonly used applications into one easy spot. Users can launch the ring by tapping the double circle located in the system bar, opening a series of key apps, settings, bookmarks or contextual menu options. The tablet also features Screenshot, which quickly captures web images, articles, Google Maps and even smiling faces from video calls. Screenshot can be used in any app for maximum convenience.

Acer clear.fi is installed on the Acer Iconia Tab A200 to connect with any other DLNA-compliant device to quickly and easily share digital medai. Clear.fi automatically connects all Acer devices on a network (smartphones, notebooks, desktops, HD media plays and storage devices) and gathers and organizes media files by type (video, music, photos, pre-recorded TV).

Affordable Pricing Starting at only $329.99
The Acer Iconia Tab A200 will be available in the U.S. on January 15 at national retail stores. The Acer Iconia Tab A200-10g16u with 16GB of memory has a manufactuerer’s suggested retail price of $349.99, while the Acer Iconia Tab A200-10g08u with 8GB of memory has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $329.99.

tablets

ASUS Eee Memo Pad Unofficially Leaked (Update: Now Official)

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. 

[youtube id=”qV3MCzPHMLs”]

ASUS Eee Pad MeMO ME370T

7″ Tablet with an emphasis on Entertainment, Media and Light Productivity. Thin and Light chassis design with Capacitive Stylus capabilities.
MSRP – TBD Availability – Q2 2012 in North America
Display – 7.0″ WXGA, 1280 x 800 resolution, IPS panel with capacitive touch
Processor- Qualcomm 8260 1.2GHz dual-core
Memory- 1GB
Storage- eMMC 16GB/32GB ; ASUS Webstorage options
Connectivity- WLAN 802.11b/g/n , Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR
Camera- 1.2MP Video Camera (front )/5MP Auto-Focus Camera (rear) (1080P recording)
aGPS- Qualcomm GPS One
Sensors- G-sensor; e-compass; Light sensor; Gyroscope, Proximity sensor
Interface- 1 x Micro USB port (client) ; 1 x Audio Jack (Head Phone / Stereo Mic-in)
1 x Card Reader(Micro-SD); 1 x micro HDMI (1.3a); 1 x SIM Card slot; Stereo Speakers
Battery- Li-polymer 4400mAh (Battery Life: 8.5hrs video playback routine)
OS- Android 4.01
Dimensions / Weight- 7.8 x 4.6 x 0.50″; 14.2oz
Applications – MyPainter, MyNet, MyCloud, Asus Sync and other productivity and entertainment applications.

__________________

netbooks

ASUS Eee PC Flare Netbook Pops Up In The Wild

While most of us have already forgotten about netbooks, Asus is said to launch a new line of ultra-mini laptops a few moments ahead of CES 2012. Now, whether it will be at hit is another question, but in the meantime, we’re talking about the next generation of netbook devices, dubbed Eee PC Flare, which boasts some nice and vivid seashell covers that hide underneath the new N2600 and N2800 Atom CPUs, 12-inch displays, powered by AMD’s Fusion APU lineup and those fancy chiclet keyboards. For now, the Taiwanese corp is planning to launch two models in that size: The 1225B AMD Fusion and 1225C with Cedar Trail, but if rumors are correct, we should expect some 10-incher flavors in the long term, as well (with the 1025C and 1025CE versions). Stay tuned for much more to come.

Update: As promised, we have some more details about the new collection of netbooks from Asus, called Eee PC Flare. Basically, there are four major models included: At 10-inch, there’s the 1025C that comes with a 1.6GHz Atom N2600 dual-core GPU, 1GB of DDR3-1333 memory, an integrated Intel UMA graphics, built-in Altec Lansing stereo speakers, three USB 2.0 ports,  802.11b/g/n WiFi connectivity, 2-in-1 media card reader, VGA / HDMI outputs, a six-cell battery, and 0.3 megapixel webcam up front. It will be offered for $299 with one of the following flavors: Red, Blue, Gray, Pink, and last but not least, there’s a Windows 7 for the OS running on board. The Eee Pc Flare 1025CE is pretty much the same, only with a 1.86GHz Atom N2800 dual-core processor and a few more bucks ($319) to cover the cost.

On to the 12.1-inch models, the 1225B includes a 1.6GHz AMD E-450 dual-core CPU, a a 1,366 x 768 screen resolution, 2GB of DDR3-1333 memory, integrated Intel graphics, WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, a 2-in-1 media card reader, a six-cell battery, and a  a 0.3 megapixel webcam on top. It comes with a Windows 7 Home Premium and ships next month in black, red and white colors. The last one in that group is the Eee PC X101CH version that is aimed at entry-level users, with a 10.1-inch 1,024 x 600 display, 1GB of RAM, integrated graphics, WiFi, Bluetooth, USB and VGA ports. It’ll only set you back $269 and not a penny more.

 

[via Notebook Italia]

tablets

Archos To Release 70b Honeycomb Tablet in January 2012

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.

 

DENVER, CO – (December 20, 2011) – ARCHOS, an award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, announced today the upcoming availability of the first android 3.2 ”Honeycomb” tablet under $200, the ARCHOS 70b internet tablet. The new ARCHOS 70b IT is an enhanced version of the ARCHOS 70 IT Gen 8 that features an upgraded capacitive touch screen and a powerful processor at 1.2 GHz.

The ARCHOS 70b internet tablet runs Android 3.2 Honeycomb, Google’s full suite of mobile applications with Android Market, giving users access to over 250,000 applications such as games, books, social media and news. With Honeycomb, users will have faster and smoother transitions between different applications, and more intuitive navigation to and from home screens.

Very slim and light, the newest version of the ARCHOS 70 internet tablet Gen 8, offers the best performances in terms of portability, immediate internet access, multimedia, apps and affordability. This new version has a higher resolution capacitive screen (1024 x 600) for vibrant colors and crisp clarity and has doubled the RAM to 512 MB for a smoother web experience and more efficient multi-tasking.

This connected mobile device with a sublime user interface, 3D Graphics accelerator and Wi-Fi connectivity, also comes with a full pack of connected apps such as a web browser and email application, HDMI output and Micro SD connectivity.

With this enhanced Android tablet, users will benefit from:
• An affordable price starting at $199 for 8GB
• Smoother multi-tasking and faster web experience thanks to the upgraded RAM
• Brighter colors with a high resolution capacitive screen
• Android 3.2 Honeycomb, the Android version designed for a tablet
• Access to a full array of apps with the Android Market and its 250,000 apps such as news, eMagazines, eBooks, social media, games and more
• A full multimedia experience with upgraded multimedia ARCHOS apps for video and music
• HDMI output, giving users full access to their Android experience on their TV including all the pre-loaded apps, video playback, 3D games, photos and all the Android Market apps

Availability & Price:
The ARCHOS 70b internet tablet will be available in stores starting in January with the recommended retail price of $199.

About ARCHOS:
ARCHOS, pioneer in the portable audio and video player market, and now specializing in Android Tablets, has repeatedly revolutionized the market for consumer electronics since 1988. Today, ARCHOS offers Android Internet Tablets, Tablet PCs and MP3/MP4 players. In 2000, ARCHOS launched the Jukebox 6000, the first MP3 player combined with a hard disk. Then in 2003 ARCHOS introduced the first portable multimedia players with TV recording. In 2006 Wi-Fi is implemented and then touch screens in 2007. In 2008, ARCHOS launched the first generation Internet Tablets, and then the first ever Android powered tablets in 2009. ARCHOS has offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. ARCHOS is quoted on Compartment C of Eurolist, Euronext Paris, ISIN CodeFR0000182479. Website: www.archos.com.

Connect with us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ARCHOS.EntertainmentYourWay
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/ARCHOS_US

Operating Systems, Phones, tablets

Is Ice Cream Sandwich an Apple iOS Threat?

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.

tablets

Coby To Introduce Five Ice Cream Sandwich Tablets in Q1 2012

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.


Lifestyle CE Leader to Be Among the First to Market with Extensive Lineup of Powerful Ice Cream Sandwich-Operated Capacitive Touch Units – Q1 2012

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., Dec. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Coby Electronics Corporation, the CE leader with products designed to fit every lifestyle, today announced it will ring in the New Year with the exciting launch of its all-new, highly-anticipated collection of Android™ 4.0 OS – “Ice Cream Sandwich” – Internet tablets. Among the first to market with one of the largest lineups of Ice Cream Sandwich-operated tablets, Coby will debut five standout introductory models, giving consumers a wide variety of unique styles and sizes to choose from – all at incredible prices – starting Q1 2012. The brand-new Coby Android 4.0 OS tablet collection will be unveiled at the International Consumer Electronics Show, Booth #12027, in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, January 10-13, 2012.

“Coby is thrilled to announce our premiere range of feature-packed Android 4.0-powered Internet tablets that will put the world in consumers’ hands as never before,” said Jodi Sally, Vice President of Marketing, Coby Electronics. “We also are proud to be among the first companies to make available a wide range of the newest, Ice Cream Sandwich-operated units, helping to further underscore our commitment to meeting the demands of a broad base of consumers with innovative products in the hottest CE categories.”

Following on the success of Coby’s current top-selling Internet tablets, the exciting Android 4.0 assortment will include the 7″ MID7042, 8″ MID8042 (4:3 aspect ratio), 9″ MID9042, 9.7″ MID9742 (4:3 aspect ratio), and 10″ MID1042. With lightning-fast access to thousands of apps and wireless web browsing, the upcoming units all will feature 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 CPU and offer capacitive multi-touch screens, up to 1GB of RAM, expandable memory up to 32GB, Wi-Fi and HDMI 1080p output. Overall, Coby has stream-lined its features to address the core applications including: browsing the web, playing games, email and viewing one’s favorite media.

tablets

Ainol Announces the NOVO7, World’s First Android 4 Tablet

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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]

Continue reading Ainol Announces the NOVO7, World’s First Android 4 Tablet →

tablets

Lenovo To Introduce LePad S2005, S2007 and LePad S2010 Android Honeycomb Tablets

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]

Continue reading Lenovo To Introduce LePad S2005, S2007 and LePad S2010 Android Honeycomb Tablets →

tablets

Acer Iconia Tab A701 and A700 Pop Up In The Wild With Tegra 3 Inside

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]

Continue reading Acer Iconia Tab A701 and A700 Pop Up In The Wild With Tegra 3 Inside →

tablets

Lenovo is Preparing To Launch a 10.1-inch Ice Cream Sandwich Tablet With Tegra 3 Processor (Update: Lenovo IdeaTab K2)

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.

Continue reading Lenovo is Preparing To Launch a 10.1-inch Ice Cream Sandwich Tablet With Tegra 3 Processor (Update: Lenovo IdeaTab K2) →

tablets

Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime Goes Live in Early December With a Quad-Core Tegra 3 Processor On Board

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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.

Update4: Looks like most Transformer Prime users are going to be very pleased with the latest news on the pipeline, as Asus officially announces an imminent release of the Ice Cream Sandwich update which is better known as the Android 4.0. It should start showing up all over the world whithin the next couple of hours, so stay tuned and get your brand new tablets ready.

 

Continue reading Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime Goes Live in Early December With a Quad-Core Tegra 3 Processor On Board →

tablets

Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet Leaks Out Ahead Of Official Release (Update: Official)

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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]

Continue reading Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet Leaks Out Ahead Of Official Release (Update: Official) →

tablets

Motorola Xoom 2 Due Out in Europe Later This Year (Update: Now Official)

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]

Continue reading Motorola Xoom 2 Due Out in Europe Later This Year (Update: Now Official) →

tablets

Viewsonic Launches The ViewPad 7e Android Tablet at $200

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]

Continue reading Viewsonic Launches The ViewPad 7e Android Tablet at $200 →

tablets

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 Plus Ready To Go Out Stateside

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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.

 

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 Plus Ready To Go Out Stateside →

tablets

Kobo’s 7-Inch Android Vox Tablet Goes Live at $200

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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tablets

Amazon’s 7-Inch Kindle Fire Tablet Officially Live: Only $199

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We’ve heard the rumours, but now it’s official. Amazon just announced its latest and greatest 7-inch Kindle Fire tablet that will be sporting a powerful dual-core processor inside, along with a 3.5mm jack, 8GB of storage, micro USB hub and an Android platform for the operating system. The most anticipated device, which lacks 3G capabilities, is priced very competitively for such a high quality slab (only $199), and comes with  a 7-inch Gorilla-glass and an IPS panel touchscreen, paired with an integrated WiFi and a wide range of audio/video formats support. Software wise, you’ll be getting a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime, as well as full access to the Kindle books section, the Magazines, the Movies, the TV shows and of course, Google’s online Android Appstore. There’s also an option to connect your device to the big screen whenever you want, and last but certainly not least, Kindle Fire’s release date: November 15th, although we’d truly like to get our hands on it as quickly as possible and grab one for ourselves early before they hit all the stores. Make sure you check out the first commercial video plus full specifications after the break and please stay tuned for plenty stuff more.

Update: We’ve just added a quick Amazon Kindle Fire walkthrough video, courtesy of Thisismynext, so hit the jump and take a look.

 

[via Amazon]

Continue reading Amazon’s 7-Inch Kindle Fire Tablet Officially Live: Only $199 →

tablets

Toshiba To Introduce a 7-inch Android Thrive Tablet

We’ve already seen a 10.-inch Toshiba Thrive version breaking cover in the mids of summer 2011, and now we have an official announcement about a new 7-inch tablet from the company that will allegedly go under the name Thrive 7. Design wise, it does seem to have quite a lot in common with the original ten incher, but in terms of specs there are quite a few changes. For instance, there are no full-sized ports anymore, due to the slim design (you’ll get mini-USB / micro-HDMI jacks and microSD slot), and the operating system is likely to be an Android 3.2 (instead of 3.1). Other than that, we have that same  Tegra 2 chipset, paired with a duo of cameras – 5MP on the back (this time with a LED flash) and another one at 2MP, up front. There’s still no word about pricing, but you’ll be able to nab one either at 16GB or 32GB sometime around Thanksgiving or early December. Hit the jump to read the full announcement.

Update: We’ve also added a quick hands-on video, courtesy of Donald Bell and good guys over at Cnet. Check it out after the break.

 

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Operating Systems, software, tablets

HP TouchPad is Getting Ready For an Android Invasion

HP TouchPad has been getting a lot of attention lately, as prices have “mysteriously” dropped to $99 – which seems like a heck of a good deal, to say the least. But pricing aside, the WebOS (TouchPad’s platform), as good as it may be, simply doesn’t have, at the moment, enough applications to offer. In fact, there’s not much to find if you are looking for quality usage, beyond the usual stuff (e.g music, internet surfing, emails). Now, if we could just get the Android version to match up with the 9.7-inch touchscreen display, eh? Well, it might actually happen, with recent Team-Touchdroid announcement, indicating a very cool tweak which enables the HP slate to fully support a 10-point multitouch frame. Neat, isn’t it? Make sure you scroll down after the break, there’s a short video that proves it.

Update: As a matter of fact, there’s an app for that, which lets you smoothly run Google’s Android platform on top of HP’s WebOS along with apps and some other goodies, as demoed in vid with just a few clicks away, after the break.

 

[via Liliputing]

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tablets

Sony S and P Tablets Now Officially Official

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We have been hearing about Sony’s much-anticipated line of Android tablets ever since it first appeared as a quirky piece of mysterious sketches. And while the Japanese corp has officially announced it back in April, the REAL introduction came just four months later, at the 2011 IFA press event, earlier this week. Basically speaking there are two different tablets in this category: The Sony S (used to be called “S1”) that looks like a squarish curvy tablet device, and the Sony P (previously known as the “S2”), which is more of a clamshell design. Both tablets are running Android Honeycomb inside so in terms of use, the look and feel is very similar, though experience wise it is a whole different story – One has a single 9.4-inch touchscreen, while the other packs dual five-inch 1024 x 480 displays. In addition we’ve been told they are both planned to go out in Europe at the end of September and November, respectively, with prices set at €479 and €599, while a US release is still unconfirmed but strongly suspected within weeks (for $499 and $599).

Drilling Down to the nitty-gritty details, the Sony P, the one with the two 5-inch screens (we know, it’s confusing), is said to include a dual-core 1GHz Tegra 2 SoC chip, 5MP rear camera plus a VGA on front,  a 3,080mAh battery, an HSPA/radio, 4GB of internal storage, a micro-USB hub, 3.5mm jack and an SD card slot. The dual screens can both work together or in some cases, independently, while the Android 3.2 platform (the powerhouse behind the Sony P) seems to be running smoothly, all over the place, and at all times!

The second device, the Sony S, comes with a traditional tablet design, on first look, but there’s a typical Sony twist out there, when you get to show it off – especially on sides and behind. As mentioned, it boasts a 9.4-inch (1,280 x 800) IPS display with Sony TruBlack Bravia TV technologies, Android Honeycomb OS, 16GB or 32GB of storage capacities at your choice, WiFi,  Bluetooth, and a full-sized SD card slot. There’s also a Terga 2 chipset under the hood, along with a nice volume rocker on the side, and a battery that provides long hours of intense working time.

Make sure to check out the two videos after the jump, courtesy of netbooksnews.com and our friend Sascha, from the 2011 IFA conference in Berlin.

Update1: And looks like Sony’s S version (the one with the bigger screen), is now officially available for a pre-order both in Amazon and Sony’s own site, with shipping due to September 16th, and prices set at $499 and $599, depends on storage size.

Update2: Good news fellow readers, Sony has cut the price of its latest and greatest 9.4-inch Tablet S by a single Benjamin ($100), a 16GB model will run you $400 and the 32GB version will set you back for $500. Now that’s a competitive move, isn’t it?

 

Continue reading Sony S and P Tablets Now Officially Official →

tablets

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 Officially Introduced

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Samsung has just introduced its latest entry, the Galaxy Tab 7.7. The South Korean giant, which seem to be popping up all over the place at the moment, announced this new Android tablet device with an Android 3.2 (Honeycomb) operating system, running on top of a a 7.7-inch (1280 x 800) Super AMOLED Plus display, featuring Samsung’s TouchWiz UX layer beneath, a powerful dual-core 1.4GHz processor, an HSPA+ radio, a microSD card slot, up to 64GB of storage, 802.11n WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth 3.0, front and rear 2.0MP/3.0MP cameras and a 5,100mAh battery, providing merely 10 hours of work. And while the line of specs is definitely impressive, we’re still on a hunt for the price and availability of this new, upcoming 0.74-pound and 7.89 mm thin slab. Full PR is only few lines away, after the break.

Update: We’ve also added after the break a quick hands-on video, courtesy of Steve Chippy and the good guys over at carrypad.com.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 Officially Introduced →

tablets

HTC’s 10.1-inch Android Jetstream LTE Tablet Officially Gets The AT&T Treatment

We’re not quite sure why HTC even bothers. With a whopping price of $849 and a specs lineup that includes a 10.1-inch WXGA touchscreen, 1.5GHz Snapdragon dual-core processor, a front 1.3 MP/rear 8MP cameras, Android 3.1 OS and a microSD slot, this all HTC Jetstream tablet, which is AT&T’s first LTE / HSPA+ slate package, seems a bit useless, considering the cheap solutions available on the market nowadays such as Apple’s iPad, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, HP’s TouchPad and many hundreds more. Not to mention you have to sign up for a two-years contract, but that’s the only part of the story which sounds reasonable to us. If you’re still interested, by the way, hop after the break to read the full PR announcement along with the complete list of specs.

Update: There’s a “sneak peek” video, courtesy of HotHardware, so check it out after the jump.

[AT&T]

Continue reading HTC’s 10.1-inch Android Jetstream LTE Tablet Officially Gets The AT&T Treatment →

tablets

Archos Officially Rolls Out Arnova 7 G2 and 10 G2 Tablets in Hong Kong

archos-arnova-7-android-tablet

If you guys think that Archos has given up the tablet wars,  you need to do some extra thinking. In this context, it is widely reported that the French corp has just released its second-gen Arnova tablets, the Arnova 7 G2 and 10 G2 (in Hong Kong), both equipped with 7/10-inch capacitive touchscreen(!) displays, a 1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor, a standard-size USB port, fully functional MKV file playing, and Google’s Android Gingerbread platform running on board. And while a US release is still in the pipeline, Hong Kong prices are set at HK$1,680 (about $215), and HK$1,980 (about $250), respectively. Capacitive touchscreens, no kidding, eh?

tablets

Vizio Tablet Gets Official, Retails at $299

If you’re anything like me, you get really excited when you see there’s a new Android player joining the game. I mean it’s not that we haven’t heard about it before, but this time it’s for real, as Vizio officially announces this week it will start selling its latest and greatest 8-inch Android device throughout the States, for a price as low as $299. So whether you are an avid Android junkie or you are just looking for a fun, cheap and easy-to-use tablet, then you may want to take a closer look at this slate, either at Amazon, Walmart, Sam’s and some other US retailers. Full PR after the break.

 

Continue reading Vizio Tablet Gets Official, Retails at $299 →

tablets

Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 Now Available For Pre-Orders at Amazon UK

We’ve already seen the 8.9-inch Galaxy Tab featured in Samsung’s official announcement back in March, and now the South Korean corp is finally giving us a chance to nab ourselves one (or two) with 3G connectivity enabled inside, a dual-core 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor, either 16/32/64GB of storage capacities, and Android 3.0 Honeycomb platform running on board. And while shipping date is set to August 11th of this year, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to have one before the end of the summer, if you will go to Amazon UK , place your orders directly for £605, and not a single penny more. But, if you are not yet convinced you’d buy yourself this Tab, make sure that you hit the jump and read the full specs list anytime before.

Update1: And it looks like Samsung has now officially announced the 1.5GHz dual-core Galaxy Tab 8.9, boasting a similar 1200 x 800 capacitive screen display, a  Tegra 2 chip, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, 2MP & 3MP front and rear cameras, and Android 3.2 running on board. Price and availability are yet to be determined but the full PR is right after the jump.

Update2: Apparently, U.S techies will be able to purchase the 8.9 Galaxy Tab at $399 (for the basic configuration), starting Thursday, September 22nd in many of the electronic retail stores across the country. Will you get one? It’s reasonably priced.

Update3: Official U.S prices seem a bit higher than expected. In that regard, a 16GB Tab will run $469 while the 32GB version will set you back a hefty $569.

[via Slashgear]

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 Now Available For Pre-Orders at Amazon UK →

tablets

Pandigital’s Nova Android Tablet Now On Sale at Best Buy For $170

What else can you say about those entry-level tablets rather than they are cheap. Well, they don’t cost that much. Right, but what else? Most of them come with a non-capacitive display, sport very limited storage, and are made (in most cases) from simple materials. But yet again, the most important thing that matters in this context is the pricing, and for that, we are witnessing a huge wave of low-end slates, hitting the US market these days. One of them, which has recently showed up at Best Buy for merely $170, is Pandigital’s 7-inch SuperNova Android device that packs an 800×600 screen resolution, along with 4GB of storage, an 800MHz processor, a front and rear facing cameras, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi connectivity, microSD card slot, and a micro HDMI port. It features (apparently) a direct access to Barnes and Noble bookstore application and runs an Android 2.3 platform on board. Sounds neat for a 170 bucks gadget, isn’t it?

Update: Looks like Pandigital just pushed out two more Android tablets, Planet and Star, both packing a seven-inch touchscreen display, while Star is powered by a 800×480 screen resolution, and Planet on the other hand, sports 800×600 pixels in size. Other than that, both slates run an A9 Cortex processor, paired with 2GB of storage and Android 2.2 Froyo running on top. As for price and availability, the Star is planed for shipping around mid-August, for $159, while the Planet will set you back for $189, and is available for order today and in stores. Hit the jump to read the full PR.

 

[via AndroidCommunity]

Continue reading Pandigital’s Nova Android Tablet Now On Sale at Best Buy For $170 →

tablets

Lenovo’s 10.1-inch IdeaPad Tablet P1 Officially Introduced With Windows 7 On Board

You may be thinking that getting a Windows 7 tablet isn’t a good deal considering the iOS and Android alternatives available at the market right now. Well, in that case, think again because a brand new, light-weight tablet, powered by Microsoft’s Windows 7 operating system is on its way to the market, the Lenovo IdeaPad Tablet P1. It is equipped with a 10.1-inch shell design, while running a 1.5GHz Intel processor inside, as the screen resolution is at 1280 x 800 and the touchscreen display will utilize capacitive touch technology. Furthermore, it arrives with 2GB of DDR2 memory, as well as 64GB of SSD storage, microSD card reader, USB 2.0 hub, Bluetooth, WiFi and 3G connectivity. In addition, there’s a full stylus pen technology support and a 2-megapixel webcam for video telephony is placed in the front. The two-cell battery delivers up to six hours of continuous work, while colors wise, you get to choose between a dull silver-gray or a vivid Clementine Orange. Both price and availability are yet to be determined.

[Lenovo [PDF]]

tablets

Acer Iconia Tab A500 Gets The Android 3.1 Update

Oh whats this? Looks like Acer is finally rolling out a very important update for its 10-inch Iconia Tab A500 tablet that would bring in the Android 3.1 flavor. We’re not quite sure how long does it take to load it up, but it’s always exciting to get a new firmware update running on board. Happy updates!

 

[via Electronista]

tablets

Archos Introduces a $99 Android tablet

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Oh, looky-looky what we’ve got in here – A $99 Android tablet? Now that’s cheap. And more importantly, comes with fairly reasonable parts inside, including a seven-inch (800×480) resistive touchscreen LCD, 4GB of internal flash memory, WiFi, 720p HD playback support, AppsLib store accessibility (instead of Google’s Android Market) and Android Froyo running on board. There’s no word yet on when, exactly, we’re going to see this Archos Arnova 7 available in stores, but hey, you’ve got to give it to the French, for giving a fight and reducing the cost of their tablets.

 

[Arnova]

tablets

HP TouchPad To Launch July 1st Priced at $499.99 (Update: July 15 In The UK)

After a year of rumors and plenty of speculations, the HP Touchpad is now very much a reality. Some might even say it is a real contender to the iPad tablet. Well, in terms of price everything’s pretty much the same, as the 16GB version will run for $499.99 and the 32GB for $599.99. According to the company announcement on Thursday, the first webOS-powered tablet which boasts a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor along with a 9.7-inch touchscreen display, will become available Stateside on July 1st (pre-orders start at June 19th) with European/Australian launch dates just a few days after. In addition, HP has indicated that it is planning to offer a 3G model as well, in partnership with AT&T, later this summer. Full PR after the break.

Update1: And looks like the brand new TouchPad device from HP is about to officially start selling in the UK on July 15th, with prices ranged between £399 for the 16GB WiFi-only model, or £479 for the 32GB version, at Great Britain’s top retailers like Argos, Carphone Warehouse, PC World, Amazon, and much much more.

Update2: Looks like it didn’t take long for the prices to drop down, as HP officially confirms a $100 discount off its brand new TouchPad lineup, which brings us to a grand total of $399 for the 16GB version, and $499 if you’re buying the 32GB one.

[HP]

 

 

Continue reading HP TouchPad To Launch July 1st Priced at $499.99 (Update: July 15 In The UK) →

tablets

Toshiba’s Thrive Tablet With Android 3.1 To Make Its US Debut On June 13

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Toshiba has just confirmed that its first US tablet, dubbed Thrive, will go live starting June 13th, over at Best Buy retail stores, with prices ranged between $429 for the 8GB version and up to $579 for the 32GB one. Other specs appear to include a 10.1-inch (1280 x 800) touchscreen display, along with WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, 2 MP front-facing camera, and another at 5MP on the back, a slew of ports such as HDMI, SD card reader, full-sized USB and one single power cord. There’s also a Tegra 2 chip for the graphics and Android 3.1 platform running on board – And they are all crafted into 1.6 pounds of aesthetic plastic which sports a removable battery that delivers up to seven hours of continuous video playback in each and every charge.

tablets

HTC Flyer Officially Live Across Europe

While already available for a purchase throughout the US, HTC’s 7-inch Android 2.4 tablet has finally been given its official release dates across Europe. According to HTC’s PR report, released recently, the 1.5GHz device is supposed to start selling today, with prices topping out at  £480 (€499) for the WiFi-only 16GB version or £600 (€649) for the 3G-enabled 32GB flavor. And If you happen to have big hands for your size or are determined to get an HTC Flyer just for the sake of painting, you’ll find a cool stylus pen within the bundle (also known as the Magic Pen) – given by the company, free of charge . Hit the break to read the full PR message.

 

Continue reading HTC Flyer Officially Live Across Europe →

netbooks

Samsung’s Series 5 Chrome OS Laptop Officially Introduced

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While many details about Samsung’s 10.1-inch Alex Chrome OS netbook are still unconfirmed, a few other  laptops, running Google’s latest and greatest Chrome OS platform, are breaking a cover nowadays. For instance, Sammy’s 12.1-inch Series 5 ChromeBook device, which boasts an ultra-slim 0.79-inch chassis atop, along with 16GB of storage (mSATA solid state drive) and a dual-core 1.66GHz Intel Atom N570 processor on board. There’s also a 802.11 WiFi and 3G connectivity bundled inside, together with an HD webcam, two USB 2.0 ports, a 12.1-inch, 1280 x 800 display and battery pack, delivering up to 8.5 hours of continuous work. Hopefully all of you will be able to get one from Amazon and Best Buy from June 15th and on, while prices start at just $429 for the WiFi-only version and jump to $499 in case you’d like to nab yourself the 3G-enabled flavor instead. Full PR after the break.

Update: Apparently, the guys over at Engadget have been fortunate enough to get their hands on a brand new Samsung ChromeBook device at Google’s I/O 2011 event, and luckily they’ve shared those moments on a nice 3:44 minutes video. check it out after the break.

 

Continue reading Samsung’s Series 5 Chrome OS Laptop Officially Introduced →

tablets

Apple Releases iOS 4.3.3 To Fix Location Tracking Problems (Update: Now Jailbroken)

Apple has just rolled out iOS 4.3.3, available now via iTunes for its iDevices – with fixes for the battery life problems, and of course the way your mobile devices (e.g iPhone and iPad) are tackling location tracking database, shrinking it and making it more encrypted. The new firmware update makes sure that the location data archive that was backed up to iTunes, will now be correctly removed from the idevices system upon switching location services off. Direct links for iOS 4.3.3 after the break.

Update: Yes, you’ve guessed that right boys and girls, the Dev-Team has just dropped in their latest and greatest jailbreak solution for Cupertino’s recently announced, iOS 4.3.3 update. In that regard, both PwnageTool and redsn0w are now capable of handling the 4.3.3 firmware and appear to be available for download from various vendors and sources. And while an iPad 2 jailbreaking solution is yet to be determined, the rest of the group (of iDevices) can be fully extracted and seem to support the new untethered jailbreak. Even more links after the break.

 

Continue reading Apple Releases iOS 4.3.3 To Fix Location Tracking Problems (Update: Now Jailbroken) →

tablets

BlackBerry PlayBook Gets a Native Facebook Application

While the rest of the world is still waiting for Facebook to finally release a native app for the iPad, Blackberry Playbook from RIM is one of the first tablets to have it. As of today, anyone who gets their hands on the 7-inch, QNX-based slate, can now download the most-anticipated Facebook app and start connecting with their family members, share photos/videos, post stuff on their wall or have a chat with friends. In addition to that, the Canadian corp is said to release a new Video Chat application as well and make it available to download on May 3rd (Today!). More on that at BlackBerry World, which takes place between May 3-5 in Orlando, Florida. Hit the jump to read the full press releases.

 

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