Hasta La Gadget!

We didn’t beat around the bush when calling the original Nexus 7 the best tablet your hard-earned $200 could buy, but those who wanted one with built-in mobile data were sadly left out in the cold. Today, Google’s remedying that. The Nexus 7 tablet with WiFi + Mobile Data is shipping today in unlocked form, with a sole 32GB model available for $299. It’s the same unit that passed through the FCC’s database just weeks ago, offering Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean), a SIM slot with an AT&T SIM (for use with HSPA+ connections on over 200 GSM carriers around the world), and the same overall fit and finish from the original. We’ll be spending a bit of time with this guy in the days to come, but those already sold can pass along their billing information in the source link below.

Filed under: Tablets, ASUS, Google

Nexus 7 with 3G now shipping: $299 for an unlocked 32GB Android tablet originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Nov 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Asus’ latest VivoBook U38N has just made an appearance at the FCC, and it goes without saying that the Asus VivoBook U38N itself is set to follow for a general release in due time Stateside. To understand more about the Asus VivoBook U38N, it resembles an Ultrabook, but on the technical side of things, it does not qualify to be one since it is powered by an AMD processor instead of an Intel processor. Still, this 13.3” notebook measures a mere 0.7” in thickness and tips the scales at 3.4 pounds, while sporting a 1920 x 1080 pixel IPS touchscreen display, 4GB RAM, and a 500GB hard drive.

The AMD A8 quad-core processor runs proceedings from within, and you will be happy to know that Asus has thrown in a trio of USB 3.0 ports at the side, in addition to a mini VGA port and an HDMI port. 802.11n WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity options are complemented by Bang & Olufsen speakers. With its 48Whr battery, it can last for up to 5 hours on a full charge. Windows 8 has been pre-installed as a standard, and the only thing which we need to look out for now would be an official announcement on its price tag and availability.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Asus Taichi arrives at the FCC , ASUS TF500T spotted at the FCC, details unknown,

The refund scheme for Nexus 7 buyers who bought just before Google announced price cuts has taken a confusing turn, with ASUS saying its policy does not cover hardware bought at the Play store. ASUS announced last week that Nexus 7 buyers in Europe who picked up the Android slate prior to October 29 could get a £25/€30 coupon to offset the lowered prices; however, ASUS today clarified that contrary to initial expectations, those who bought their Nexus 7 from Google through the official Play store would not be eligible.

“Just to clarify – the ASUS Nexus 7 coupon offer is not available to customers who purchased their device from the Google Play store” the company tweeted. ”Apologies for any confusion caused RE: Nexus 7 Rebate. Devices sold on Google Play are completely independent of ASUS so do not qualify.”

The confusion has arisen since the ASUS coupon claim site makes no mention of the Play store limitation, saying only that the Nexus 7 must be “purchased at our physical channels and its online shops” without listing which those shops are. Instead, Google is offering its own scheme, with refunds for those who bought their tablet within fifteen days of a price cut.

Unsurprisingly, ASUS is now facing criticism from its own customers, some of which have accused the company of being lax with details so as to gather as much user data as possible, even if not every user is entitled to a refund. ASUS UK spokespeople say they believed they had made clear from the start which stores were eligible.

Either way, there’s some cash or credit in it for you if you bought just prior to the price drop, but which company will provide it will depend on where you originally purchased your tablet. You can find details on ASUS’ scheme here, while Google’s scheme is here.

Nexus 7 refund confusion after ASUS’ Play store ineligibility is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it’s easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don’t escape without notice, we’ve gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Continue reading Refresh Roundup: week of November 5th, 2012

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Mobile

Refresh Roundup: week of November 5th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 11 Nov 2012 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Friday is here once again, but before you get too terribly sloshed, be sure you read through our recap of the day’s big news! Today we heard that Judge Lucy Koh will examine claims of misconduct on the part of the jury foreman in the Samsung vs. Apple patent trial, and Apple is actually being dragged back to court for a dispute over FaceTime in the iPhone 5 and iPad mini. Speaking of the iPad mini, Apple confirmed today that the LTE iPad minis should be shipping out in the next five days, and the company announced that it will be donating $2.5 million to the Hurricane Sandy recovery effort on behalf of its employees.

Earlier in the day, we learned that ASUS was handing out vouchers to consumers in Europe who bought the 16GB Nexus 7 right before its price drop, and then later on Google announced that it will be offering a “price protection program,” for 16GB Nexus 7 purchasers as well. The Nokia Lumia 920T leaked today, and it seems that China Telecom may be getting the iPhone 5 before long. Six companies may be facing fines for alleged CRT price fixing, and after learning a ton about Grand Theft Auto V yesterday, a leak today gave us all new information.

Google said today that it will begin focusing more on mobile than desktop, and Apple was named the most innovative company of the year by Booz and Co. There will be a new Windows 8 security update landing on November 13, and some users are already reporting issues with their Microsoft Surface touch covers. US video game sales were down 25% in October, and today Zynga revealed that it has acquired November Software, even though that purchase happened back in spring.

Angry Birds Star Wars rose to the top of the iOS charts in record time, and BioWare wants your suggestions for its next Mass Effect game. We learned today that climate change might mean a bleak future for the world’s coffee beans, and that the Motorola DROID RAZR M will soon be getting an upgrade to Jelly Bean from Verizon. Finally tonight, we compare the the Nokia Lumia 920 to the HTC Windows Phone 8X in a head-to-head battle, we take a closer look at the FanVision displays used during NASCAR races, and Chris Burns has a new interview with NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski. That does it for tonight’s Evening Wrap-Up, we hope you enjoy the weekend ahead!

SlashGear Evening Wrap-Up: November 9, 2012 is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.