Google’s Nexus 7 tablet is so popular that sales had to be suspended to try to catch up with demand. Units that were ordered up until last week will be delivered on time. More »
There’s only so much kit you can cram into a sub-$200 tablet without pushing past the price ceiling. And for Google’s Jelly Bean-blessed Nexus 7, corners were definitely cut, leaving users without a handy microSD slot for expansion and rear-facing camera. But where there’s a will, there’s the XDA and its community of developers to remedy the situation. As you can glimpse from the photo above, an enterprising forum member by the handle of c0m47053 devised an interesting workaround for the slate’s lack of expandable storage and then some. Using the StickMount app available on the Play store, which allows users to mount/dismount mass storage devices, he was able to connect the ASUS-made tab to a USB hub and hook it up to a keyboard, mouse and, most amusingly of all, a floppy drive — to play Ultima on DOSbox, of course. It goes without saying that a feat of this kind requires root access, but thankfully that’s what Mountain View made the Nexuses for.
Filed under: Peripherals, Tablet PCs, Software
ULTIMAte hack: Nexus 7 hooks up with external USB storage, floppy drive for retro-gaming originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 21 Jul 2012 22:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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We’re rather big fans of the Nexus 7 here at Engadget HQ — it’s just hard not to like a $200 tablet with a Tegra 3 SoC and 7-inch glass-bonded IPS display running pure Jelly Bean. Of the few missing features, there’s one we’re bemoaning more than the lack of rear camera, and that’s the absence of any kind of HDMI or MHL video output. So far, watching movies with the Nexus 7’s been relegated to using a Nexus Q and streaming content from Google Play or YouTube.
Enter Wi-Fi Media, an app available for free on Google Play that lets most Android devices like the Nexus 7 play movies, music and stills on any screen via any Cavium PureVu-compatible streamer, such as HTC’s $90 Media Link HD. We tested Wi-Fi Media with our Nexus 7 and Media Link HD and found it to work pretty much as advertised except for some caveats. First the app doesn’t mirror your screen — you’re limited to playing content stored on the tablet or on the network via DLNA, which means no YouTube, Netflix or games. Second, the app doesn’t handle some common file types — like AVI, for example.
While it supports watching movies, listening to music and looking at pictures, keep in mind that Wi-Fi Media is not a particularly polished app. In addition to playing local and remote DLNA content, you’re able to login to Facebook and Picasa and stream images directly from these accounts, but that’s pretty much it in terms of functionality. There’s also no way to configure the Media Link HD, so you’ll need a sanctioned HTC handset to setup the multimedia streamer before using it with a Nexus 7. Want to know more? Peek at our screenshot gallery below and hit the break for our hands-on video.
Gallery: Wi-Fi Media hands-on
Update: Since there’s some confusion in the comments, we’d like to clarify that the Media Link HD is not a DLNA device. It normally only works with select HTC phones like the One X, One S and EVO 4G LTE. WiFi-Media’s primary purpose is to connect with a Media Link HD — the app also just happens to support DLNA.
[Thanks, Matt]
Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Tablet PCs, Software
Wi-Fi Media lets your Nexus 7 play movies on any screen via HTC’s Media Link HD (hands-on video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 21 Jul 2012 19:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Comcast subscribers who have already received their Nexus 7 tablets or are sporting Android 4.1-powered phones should cast an eye towards Google Play for an updated version of the Xfinity TV Player app. Version 1.0.2.001 adds beta support for Jelly Bean in general and the Nexus 7 tablet specifically. It also fixes a nasty bug that would leave users stranded after upgrading their operating system, and promises a UI designed for 7-inch tablets in the next update. We saw Netflix get a compatibility update for Jelly Bean the day it launched, and Sky Go only just made the jump to supporting Ice Cream Sandwich, whether or not you have access to this app, have early adopters spotted any other laggards that might stop working when a long-awaited upgrade hits devices?
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Tablet PCs
Comcast Xfinity TV Player for Android updated with beta support for Jelly Bean, Nexus 7 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Jul 2012 19:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
It looks like Google and ASUS have managed to create a massive hit in the form of the Nexus 7. It’s not every day you hear about an Android device being sold out but that seems to be the case with the Nexus 7. According to reports online, the UK Google Play Store lists the 16GB Nexus 7 as out of stock and doesn’t even let you order the tablet. In fact, the most you can do is register to be informed when new stock arrives. Ebuyer, an online retailer that sold the first batch of Nexus 7 tablets in the UK, claims that it’ll be August 10th before they get more stock.
The US Google Play Store seems to be doing fine, with tablets available for purchase and shipping out in 1-2 weeks so I guess Google didn’t expect it to do so well out of the country. I guess it’s good news for Google to see its Android tablet doing so well in this iPad-dominated market. After the large number of unsuccessful Android tablets that have been released in the past, it looks like the platform might stand a chance after all.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Google’s 16GB Nexus 7 sold out after strong demand, Nexus 7 did not come with rear-facing camera in order to keep costs down, according to ASUS,
It’s an amazing feat to behold when a company makes a device so popular that it sells out in one store, much less the entirety of the USA – but that’s what Google is doing with the Nexus 7. This ASUS-manufactured tablet appears very much to be capturing the imaginations – and pocketbooks – of users across the United States as well as the UK as retailers both offline and online are showing sold out signs galore. From what we understand it appears that 3rd party retailers are “frantically” attempting to get more units in stock as ASUS and Google make moves to make it all happen smoothly.
Those of you looking to grab one of these swiftly moving devices will want to head to the Google Play store, the only location that appears to have the 8GB model of the tablet in stock. [The Google Play online shop currently has 3-5 day shipping] listed aside this smaller of the two tablets right this minute. The 16GB model of the tablet is completely out of stock at the moment at the Google Play store online.
You can also of course head to eBay, but you’re going to be seeing something like a 30-40% cost over retail if you do. Otherwise you might be out of luck for the larger tablet – while the smaller one is good to go, again, on Google Play. The following stores also have the tablet coming soon after having sold out completely:
• GameStop
• Office Depot
• Staples
• Kmart
• B&H NYC
• MobileCity
• Sam’s Club
• Curry’s PC World UK
Good luck, and be sure to let us know if you find a tablet for sale out there in the wild – and snatch it up quick! Also be sure to check out our full review of the Nexus 7 to get an idea of what you’ll be snatching!
Nexus 7 sells out across the USA is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
This morning the folks at ASUS have sent out a blast on what they’ll be doing as far as Android 4.1 Jelly Bean for their full range of Google mobile OS toting tablets. This update includes confirmation that the ASUS Transformer Pad, ASUS Transformer Pad Prime and ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity will all be getting the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update in the coming months. And this may only be the beginning!
The Transformer lineup of tablets have had considerable success over the past year with ASUS creating a surprise hit with the original ASUS Transformer tablet with NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 dual-core processor and followed up with the Transformer Prime which was the first device on the planet to run the NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor. ASUS is also responsible for manufacturing the soon to be smash hit Google Nexus 7 tablet which we’ve got a full review of as well.
Nexus 7 ASUS tablet with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean hands-on:
In the note sent out today to the press, ASUS also noted that they will update soon on when the actual software will be available. They’ve also mentioned that they are currently doing the following for the rest of their Android devices:
“We are still investigating Jelly Bean updates for other devices, but we are not in a position to confirm whether any other products will be eligible for an update at the moment.” – ASUS
Check out our ASUS timeline of reviews below and get prepared for Jelly Bean for your legacy devices!
ASUS confirms full Jelly Bean update schedule is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Google’s Nexus 7 tablet may be receiving OnLive Universal Controller support soon. What the Jelly Bean-flavored device won’t be getting, however, is a rear-facing camera. Now ASUS is offering an explanation for the omission — and no, it isn’t to prevent users from looking like a doofus when snapping photos in public. ASUS apparently faced two options for a rear-facing camera: go cheap or go for quality. The company says it decided against sticking a lower-end camera at the back of the device because it would compromise the user experience. Adding a high-quality rear camera, on the other hand, would increase costs too much, so that proposition was nixed as well. The good news is that apps such as Instagram are finding ways to make things work with just the Nexus 7’s front-facing camera. In the meantime, here’s a little ditty from Google that just might help put a smile on your face.
Filed under: Tablet PCs
ASUS spills jelly beans on why Nexus 7 has no rear camera, cites added cost originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Jul 2012 09:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
As some of you guys might have realized by now, the Google Nexus 7 does not have a rear-facing camera. This might not be a big deal for some who might consider it a tech faux pas to be taking photos with a tablet in the first place, while others are lamenting the lack of a rear-facing camera and could be considering other options. Well if you’re wondering why ASUS (the OEM for the Nexus 7) decided to omit the rear-facing camera, it came as no surprise when they revealed that the camera was not included simply due to costing reasons. (more…)
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Google Nexus 7 screen separation problems? , Nokia claims Google Nexus 7 infringes on its Wi-Fi patents,
Besides having a really hard-to-open box, it looks like the Nexus 7 is one touch tablet as well. The folks over at SquareTrade recently put the Nexus 7 head to head with the iPad in a series of tests, and surprisingly the former won in every test. From dropping to the ground at chest level and falling into a bathtub full of water, the Nexus 7 emerged victorious. While we don’t recommend you do the same thing to your tablet, and such events are not very likely to happen (even though they do), you can sleep soundly knowing that your Nexus 7 tablet can handle a lot of abuse. Check out the video embedded above and let us know what you think. Be warned though – it involves a expensive hardware treated terribly.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Samsung not allowed to use Steve Job’s quotes on Android for upcoming trial, Google Nexus 7 screen separation problems? ,
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