Hasta La Gadget!

The return rate of the Galaxy Tab in the US as claimed by an North American marketresearch firm is incorrect. According to Samsung Electronics Mobile Communications Business, the return rate is below two percent.

I take it back! Contrary to what I suggested, yesterday’s event for “The Daily” in Manhattan was a big deal–not because of the content of the publication, so much as the fact that there was apparently an iPad 2 in the house. Reuters is reporting that, for some strange reason, someone brought a prototype of the forthcoming Apple tablet to the event.

The tablet, according to the newswire service, had that front-facing camera that we’re all expecting. The existence of the device has apparently been confirmed by an anonymous source. Apple, shockingly, opted not to comment on this round.

Google is taking a hard line on the latest version of Android. Honeycomb, it turns out, is not for phones. Asked when a version of Android 3.0 would launch for smartphones after the event, a Google spokesman told the crowd that the last version of the operating system is intended to be tablet-only. “Features will arrive on phones over time,” he told the press.

The answer isn’t entirely surprising. After all, Google insisted that Android 2.2 wasn’t optimized for tablets–not that everyone listened, of course. We saw a number of Android tablets flood the market prior to the soon-to-be unreleased Honeycomb.

Now, such a proclamation raises questions–for starters, what does that mean for the numbering system? Before Honeycomb, every Android upgrade was tailored for smartphones–now that 3.0 is tablet-only?

Google’s in a bit of a precarious position at the moment. The company is still preaching the openness of the software, but it’s beginning to insist on more concrete rules, to help avoid risking further potential fragmentation for the OS.

HP is trying to make more products that can compete with companies like Apple or Google. However, it’s hard to compete with a huge product like the iPad, so the company are taking a new approach. HP created two new tools that were designed for teachers and can even be used for businesses or personal use.

The Digital Sketch and Pocket Whiteboard are part of the new HP Digital Learning Suite line. Both are tablets, but not the typical variety. The Digital Sketch allows teachers to freely move around their classroom, while still being able to access their desktop computer and the files on it. The Pocket Whiteboard allows teachers or students to turn any flat surface into a virtual whiteboard for projects or notes.

Both products’ prices will vary on how many are ordered, along with other factors may also apply. The Pocket Whiteboard will be available later on this month, while the Digital Sketch will come out next month. No word on if they will be sold at retail stores or solely via HP.

Via ZDNet

If tablets and 3D are, in fact, the biggest things in the tech world at present, then T-Mobile surely has one hot commodity with the G-Slate tablet, right? Right? In honor of Honeycomb day, the carrier talked up its forthcoming tablet. The thing has Android 3.0 on it (obviously) and can record and play back 3D video and images.

The G-Slate is 8.9 inches, packs a dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, and has a 32GB hard drive. A 5MP camera on the device’s rear can shoot 2D video in 1080p. 3D video is shot in lower resolution. The front-facing 2D camera is designed for video chat.

No glasses-free 3D here. The G-Slate ships with a pair of the old red-and-blues. The tablet can also output 3D content to 3D capable HDTVs through an HDMI cable. The G-Slate is the second tablet for T-Mobile’s 4G HSPA+ network, following the Deal Streak 7.

The tablet it arriving at some point in the spring, No word on pricing, though T-Mobile did bandy about the term “value” when talking up the thing.