Hasta La Gadget!

We’ve been holding out hope for Pixel Qi devices for years, ever since we first heard that the OLPC spin-off would begin manufacturing its displays for use by any OEM looking for a battery-sipping LCD. Unfortunately, Mary Lou’s LCDs, capable of switching between a sunlight-readable reflective mode and full-color transmissive state, have had limited uptake by some less than desirable partners. Still, the team has returned to Computex with the 7-inch (1024 x 600) panel that was teased in December last year and a new higher resolution 10-inch (1280 x 800) panels offering an 80 percent power savings over conventional LCDs, according to Pixel Qi. In fact, the 10-inch panel consumes just 2.7W in color mode or 0.4W in reflective “eReader” mode.

We had the chance to see the new displays up close here at Computex and were immediately struck by the improvement in pixel density on the 10-inch panel. Making the leap to WVGA has been a major boon, as identical images looked sharper and better-defined than on the 1024 x 600 current-gen Pixel Qi display. The brightness on the new screen is lower than on its predecessor, but that’s because the company still hasn’t finalized things — we’re promised significantly better readability with the backlight off in the final product and brighter pictures when it’s on. The 7-incher, originally intended for mass production in the second quarter will now sample in Q3, to be followed by the more pixel-dense 10-inch model, which will hit production in Q4. Scope out the newness in the gallery below or jump past the break for video.

Continue reading Pixel Qi takes aim at Android tablets with higher-res 10-inch and 7-inch reflective LCDs (hands-on)

Pixel Qi takes aim at Android tablets with higher-res 10-inch and 7-inch reflective LCDs (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 May 2011 06:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just a few weeks after unveiling its ZMS-20 and ZMS-40 StemCell processors, ZiiLabs has now designed a new family of slates to house them. Developed with the OEM market in mind, the company’s new Jaguar Honeycomb tablets come in two breeds — one with a seven-inch, 1024×600 LCD and another with a ten-inch 1280×800 display. Unlike their ZiiO predecessors, these 64GB siamese twins call for both capacitive and resistive touchscreen capabilities, support OpenGL ES 2.0 3D graphics and, as you can see in the image above, feature front- and rear-facing five-megapixel cameras. And, of course, there’s a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 ZMS-20 or quad-core ZMS-40 helping them purr right along, both clocking in at 1.5 GHz. The two Jaguars will be uncaged at next week’s Computex tradeshow in Taiwan, but you can find more information in the PR that awaits you after the break.

Continue reading ZiiLabs unveils Jaguar family of Honeycomb tablets for OEMs to devour

ZiiLabs unveils Jaguar family of Honeycomb tablets for OEMs to devour originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 May 2011 11:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We thought HTC’s Flyer wasn’t going on sale until May 22nd, but it appears a certain big box retailer has changed its plans. Our tipsters have told us that stores with the device in stock have started selling it today, May 20th, despite the somewhat confusing text you see in the picture above. So, if you’re pining for a $500, seven-inch slab of silky smooth Sense 3.0, head on down to the local Best Buy and grab one yourself.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Flyer Friday: Best Buy starts selling HTC’s seven-inch slate today originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 May 2011 19:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fresh off the Japanese launch of its LifeBook TH40/D Windows 7 tablet, it appears that Fujitsu is gearing up to release a new seven-inch Android slate. According to DigiTimes, Fujitsu’s forthcoming slab is scheduled to hit the market during the third quarter of this year and will run on Android 3.1 Honeycomb. It’s unclear whether or not the device will sport the same stylus support and sliding keyboard that its Windows 7 counterpart features, but Fujitsu is reportedly planning on selling the tablet for anywhere between about $350 and $700, which effectively ranges from “bargain” to “blimey.” We’re certainly hoping that the final price falls on the low end of that spectrum, but we’ll have to wait and see if our dreams become a reality.

Fujitsu to launch 7-inch Android tablet later this year, might be priced lower than $400 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 May 2011 12:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brits eager for a taste of the first 7-inch BlackBerry device have just under a month of anticipation left to go. UK retailers have today revealed the date and prices at which they’ll be selling RIM’s PlayBook: depending on how much integrated storage you want, you’ll have to pay up £400 (16GB), £480 (32GB), or £560 (64GB) for your slate, starting from June 16th. Aside from the gigabytes, you’ll be getting the gigahertz too, with a dual-core 1,000MHz TI OMAP4430 processor keeping the PlayBook’s insides warm and its outsides responsive. Availability will be widespread, with Carphone Warehouse, Phones 4u, Insight, and Best Buy UK having already announced they’ll be stocking the tablet. You can even hit up the source links now and lay down some cash to secure your pre-order.

Continue reading BlackBerry PlayBook coming to the UK on June 16th, 16GB model costs £400

BlackBerry PlayBook coming to the UK on June 16th, 16GB model costs £400 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 May 2011 05:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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