How much does the Kindle Fire look like the PlayBook? It looks this much like the PlayBook.
Gallery: Kindle Fire vs. BlackBerry PlayBook
Kindle Fire vs. BlackBerry PlayBook… Fight! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 11:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Alas, we’ve not been able to get our hands on Amazon’s diminutive new 7-inch, $199 Kindle Fire tablet just yet, but we were treated to a lengthy demo of the thing courtesy of an Amazon rep, answering many of our questions and showing us just what how the thing performs. How does it fare? Very well, thank you very much. More details after the break.
Gallery: Amazon Kindle Fire impressions
Continue reading Amazon Kindle Fire impressions (video)
Filed under: Tablet PCs
Amazon Kindle Fire impressions (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 11:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Continue reading Microsoft and Samsung sitting in a tree, patent s-h-a-r-i-n-g
Microsoft and Samsung sitting in a tree, patent s-h-a-r-i-n-g originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 11:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Part of Amazon’s new Kindle Fire pitch is its promise of Amazon Silk — a “split browser” exclusive to the tablet that gets the heavy lifting done on its EC2 cloud servers and promises faster access as a result. Dubbed Silk to represent an “invisible, yet incredibly strong connection”, it takes advantage of Amazon’s existing speedy connections, and that so many sites are already hosted on its servers to speed up web access. Another feature is its ability to learn from previous web surfers and use their data to determine how to render a page, and which sites to precache on the device before you even select the next link. While mobile browsers like Skyfire and Opera have offered speed boosting proxies before, Amazon thinks its AWS prowess and the addition of “dynamic decisions” about what to render locally or in the cloud takes it to another level. Read our live blog of the event for more details, or check out the video explanation and press release after the break.
Continue reading Amazon Silk browser spins a faster mobile web, courtesy of cloud servers (video)
Amazon Silk browser spins a faster mobile web, courtesy of cloud servers (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 10:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Amazon Silk, @AmazonSilk (Twitter), YouTube | Email this | Comments
Continue reading Live from Amazon’s tablet event in NYC!
Live from Amazon’s tablet event in NYC! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 09:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Update: Itching for specs? How’s about a 7-inch IPS (!) panel, Gorilla Glass coating, a 1GHz TI OMAP dual-core CPU, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage and a chassis that weighs 14.6 ounces. There’s also access to things you’d expect to have access to: Android Appstore (though no access to Google’s Android Market!), Kindle books, magazines, etc. — all stored for free via Amazon Cloud Storage. Per Jeff: “Delete it and get it back when you want.” Oh, and Whispersync now works with movies and TV shows! “When you get home, switch to your big screen TV. Your movie will be right where you left it.” While it’s clearly Android underneath, the actual UI looks effectively nothing like it — considering TechCrunch‘s intel that Amazon went and did its own thing without Google’s blessing, we guess that makes some level of sense. Oh, and pre-orders are set to start today (but only for Americans… boo), with shipments heading out on November 15th.
Update 2: We’ve added the first commercial video after the break.
Update 3: Check out our hands-on impressions right here!
Keep up with the unveiling at our liveblog of the Amazon event.
Gallery: Amazon Kindle Fire
Continue reading Amazon Kindle Fire tablet unveiled: Android-based, 7-inch display, $199 price tag
Amazon Kindle Fire tablet unveiled: Android-based, 7-inch display, $199 price tag originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 09:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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What’s the best thing about Toshiba’s 7-inch tablet? Turn it over and you’ve got every other 7-inch tablet, ever
Are non-Apple tablets the new netbooks? Let’s look at the evidence:
Same OS across the board? Check. (Windows XP on netbooks with a few early Linux boxes; Android everywhere plus BlackBerry’s Playbook).
Commodity hardware, with the only variations being minor differences in CPU, camera sizes and ports? Check.
Race-to-the-bottom prices? Check check check!
In fact, the only real differences seem to be that people actually bought netbooks in decent numbers, and that Apple has some skin in the game. And this time, Apple is the cheap option, as well as the only option anyone actually wants. Meanwhile, netbooks totally died and Apple just made its cheapest MacBook thinner.
Which brings us to Toshiba’s Thrive, a 7-inch me-too tablet running Android 3.2. It has an NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor, 5MP and 2MP cameras (plus an LED flash), USB, HDMI and microSD slots, and will ship in 16GB and 32GB versions. The ports are all hidden under the same kind of annoying flap that I tear off my smartphones in rage.
Pretty much the only thing you can’t find elsewhere is the knobbly, rubberized back (like the one on the bigger Thrive, only non-removable). And the price? A cagey “less than $400.” Should you wish to ignore the Thrive and buy an iPad instead, you’ll have to wait until November to do so.
Thrive 7-inch tablet [Toshiba. Thanks, Yulimar!]
See Also:
It’s pronounced “twerp,” but don’t mistake TeamWin’s Recovery Project for a run-of-the-mill chump. The software is intended as a touchscreen replacement for ROM managers such as TWRP 1.0 and ClockworkMod Recovery. In addition to the all-important backup, restore and install functions, the utility now provides a full GUI for touch input that’s fully customizable with XML themes. As a particular boon, developers will have the option to design custom installation processes unique to their particular ROMs, which is a lovely (though very metaphorical) cherry on top. As you’d expect, the software supports both phones and tabs, and if you’re interested to see more, just check the full demo video after the break. According to the developer, the utility still needs some work before it’s ready for prime time, but it’s rather nice to see the group stay productive as it matures.
[Thanks, Ian]
TeamWin demos TWRP 2.0 recovery manager for Android, scoffs at your volume rocker (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 22:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
It looks like the AT200 isn’t the only Toshiba tablet poised to land in time for the holidays. The company just announced the Thrive 7″, a (surprise!) 7-inch version of the original. Like its big brother, it runs on Tegra 2 and packs twin 5 MP / 2 MP cameras, though this time around that textured, rubberized back isn’t removable, and the rear-facing camera comes paired with an LED flash. As you’d expect, in exchange for a smaller form factor (0.88 pounds, half an inch thick), you’ll be giving up the full-sized ports that made the original so unique. Instead, it offers a more typical selection, including mini-USB and micro-HDMI sockets, a headphone jack, docking connector and a microSD slot. Like pretty much every 7- and 8-incher trickling into the market, it runs Android 3.2, and Toshiba did us the favor of leaving it completely unskinned (it did include Swype as a keyboard option, though). No word yet on pricing or availability, though a Toshiba rep confirmed that 16GB and 32GB models will go on sale by early December with a starting price of “less than $400.” How low is Toshiba willing to go? Your guess is good as ours but until then, you can meet us past the break for some early impressions and a short vid, too.
Gallery: Toshiba Thrive 7″
Gallery: Toshiba Thrive 7″ hands-on
Continue reading Toshiba announces 7-inch Thrive tablet, we go hands-on (video)
Toshiba announces 7-inch Thrive tablet, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 20:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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In addition to the already announced Fujitsu-Toshiba Arrows Z, HTC Evo 3D and Motorola Photon, Japanese carrier KDDI has now also confirmed a trio of new handsets. There’s plenty of similarities; they’re all Android, all waterproof and are each packing an eight megapixel camera. Kyocera’s Digno is a slimline offering available in three different colors, and puts some of Kyocera’s US offerings to shame looks-wise. Sharp’s AQUOS IS13SH has an IPS-rivalling ASV display, whilst the NEC’s Medias BR IS11 will arrive in a choice of pink, white and blue. Sadly, there’s still no sign of that mythical iPhone from KDDI. Check out the links below for all the full-fat details.
KDDI launches latest line of skinny big-screened smartphones for Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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