Hasta La Gadget!

We already suspected as much — not least from the FCC filing above — but an unnamed executive at Asustek Computer Inc has reportedly just confirmed that Google’s much-rumored new tablet will be co-branded with ASUS. According to Reuters, the employee said the tablet will help Google to “target Amazon” and the Kindle range of tablets and e-readers. Despite the existence of Google Play Books, which are available on any Android tablet, the insider said that Google “doesn’t have anything like Amazon’s service” — a quote which may not make a ton of sense, but which does support the general notion of a $199 rival to the Kindle Fire.

Google tablet will indeed be co-branded with ASUS and will target Amazon, says insider originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 05:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Barnes & Noble’s Nook Color is getting a piece of that promised multimedia upgrade. This round features video content from the likes of Netflix and Flixster, access to comics from the true believers at Marvel and a few other tweaks, like the ability to read books in landscape mode, to fully take advantage of that seven-inch display. The update further blurs the lines between the Color, which began life as little more than a color screen e-reader and the recently introduced Nook Tablet, which features souped up internals but an otherwise similar design. The Color is currently priced at $199 — $50 less than the Tablet — and will be getting more software upgrades in the future, including access to music services like Pandora and Rhapsody. Press info after the break.

Continue reading Nook Color gets multimedia upgrade, further blurs the tablet battle lines

Nook Color gets multimedia upgrade, further blurs the tablet battle lines originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 11:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There’s nothing better than unplugging on a Sunday afternoon with a newspaper and a cup of Joe, which is exactly what AU Optronics hopes to facilitate with its 6-inch Rollable Organic TFT E-paper. We’ve heard rumblings about the foldable photovoltaic device before, but the company has finally delivered a working prototype that is completely solar powered and elastic enough to make even Gumby jealous. Made of organic TFTs, the SVGA e-paper has an amorphous silicon PV battery, which turns natural or indoor light into solar energy without requiring a power plug. The only downside? Unlike the dead tree variety, wrapping presents in this stuff is a no-go. Check out the extended PR after the break.

Continue reading AUO’s flexible e-paper to take on Stretch Armstrong in battle of the bendiest

AUO’s flexible e-paper to take on Stretch Armstrong in battle of the bendiest originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Oct 2011 09:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Early adopters are usually SOL a few months into owning their new doodads. After helping make products successful, their version 1.0 devices are often cast aside to make room for the newer, better, faster kit waiting in the pipeline. If you happened to jump on the Kindle bandwagon early on or even just a short while ago, you may be feeling these very flames of tech fury whenever you consider the company’s newly refreshed line. Well, buck up bookworms, a partial solution to your economic woes is now available. Amazon’s accepting your used and abused e-readers in exchange for a gift card applicable to any purchases you make on the site. It’s the same old trade-in program the Bezos-backed company’s been running for years, only now you’ll have a more sensible way to upgrade your E Ink or tablet game.

Amazon adds e-readers to Trade-In program, ebook lovers pass the old Kindles to the Bezos side originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 08:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We knew that lurking under the e-ink screen gracing the front of Sony’s PRS-T1 reader was some version of Android. What was unclear, was whether or not we’d ever be able to actually get a peek under its highly customized skin and a chance to start poking its open-source innards. Well, thanks to one intrepid hacker, we’re almost there. YouTube user vladboroda has managed to install AWD.Launcher and a host of other apps on the Reader and actually got some of them up and running. You won’t be able to play Angry Birds on its 6-inch touchscreen (yet…) but it is capable of running other e-reader apps, like FBReader, and there is access to the terminal. It’s not quite enough that we’d start referring to the PRS-T1 as a tablet just yet, and the hack still isn’t available to the public, but work is progressing and we’re sure it’ll have you browsing the web and slingshotting aggravated avians in no time. Check out the video after the break.

Continue reading Sony Reader PRS-T1 hacked to expose Android, run other e-reader apps (video)

Sony Reader PRS-T1 hacked to expose Android, run other e-reader apps (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 Oct 2011 18:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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