Hasta La Gadget!

Recognize those bits and bobs? By now you should. It’s Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Tab and it’s on the loose right now in China with ifanr to thank for this round of pics. Better yet, in addition to images that would seem to confirm Android 2.2 and a GT-P1000 model number, the site has also passed along the tipster’s own impressions. First off, and this should be no surprise to anyone who’s ever owned a Samsung product (eh hem, Galaxy S), the Galaxy Tab is very plasticky and much lighter than the iPad. Ifanr‘s tipster also confirms a 1,024 x 600 pixel resolution packed into that 7-inch display on a device that’s much thicker than the Dell Streak. Other “confirmed” specs are a 3.2 megapixel camera, 3G network, and built-in “ebook” app that’s supposedly one of the best the tipster’s ever used on an Android device. Of course, while this aligns with specs we heard about earlier, this device looks to be very much a prototype (where’s the silver ring around the bezel) so don’t take this as the final word on the matter, ok? One more image after the break.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Tab P1000 gets wild with Android 2.2

Samsung Galaxy Tab P1000 gets wild with Android 2.2 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 04:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In July, the Indian government showed off what it claimed would be a $35 tablet for students in the country. Now, a company is showing a $50 prototype device using Android operating system that could take the low cost tablet dream one step closer to reality.

AllGo Embedded Systems, a Bangalore-based company, has created a tablet that runs on Android 1.6 ‘Donut’ version of the operating system.

As the video above shows, the tablet is built on a reference platform called ‘Stamp’ and has a 7-inch, 800 x 480 pixels resistive touchscreen display–so no iPad like smooth display. The device includes Wi-Fi, USB and ethernet port. Of course all this is in a pretty early stage, so there’s no hardware case or buttons to get a sense of how the device will actually look in consumer hands.

The device is estimated to cost $50 at a volume of about 10,000 units, says the Liliputing site.

Allgo is not the only company hoping to satisfy the desire for low cost computing in India. The One Laptop Per Child project and its founder Nicholas Negroponte have also offered to collaborate with the Indian government to create a tablet for the masses. OLPC has already partnered with Marvell in the U.S. to explore a $75 tablet based on a reference design provided by Marvell.

Indian officials have earlier said they want to offer a Linux-based tablet that will support video conferencing and have open source software on it including Open Office. The device will also have a solar-power option, they said. The Indian government hopes to bring that tablet into production in 2011.

Now clearly, the OS choice seems to have shifted to favor Android. Earlier this month, a prototype Android tablet made an appearance on Indian TV as the low cost tablet. It is not clear who built that system.

Promising as Allgo’s tablet prototype seems for now, it is still in very early stages. Much will depend on the final industrial design–if it is too heavy, students might find it uncomfortable to use. But it is an ambitious attempt and it will be one to watch.

See Also:

• Why India’s $35 Tablet May Be Just a Dream
• OLPC’s Negroponte Offers To Help India Realize $35 Tablet
• $20 Wikipedia Reader Uses 8-Bit Computing Power
• Gestural Computing Breakthrough Turns LCD Into a Big Sensor
• Cheaper, Better Satellites Made From Cellphones and Toys

Video: Allgo Embedded Systems

Man, you just can’t hide your gadgets from curious onlookers these days. Case in point: Samsung’s Galaxy Tab was innocently doing some testing rounds through Sydney recently, only to be happened upon by the Electronista scribes, who diligently videotaped it — seemingly without the knowledge of the tablet’s possessor. The video confirms what we already know, it’s a 7-inch tablet, it’ll be driven by an Android, and it looks very much like a giant cellphone. The Samsung employee described it as “awesome” and very different from the iPad’s experience, while the UI apparently looked very responsive. Go after the break to see for yourself.

Continue reading Samsung’s 7-inch Galaxy Tab gets spied in the wild (video)

Samsung’s 7-inch Galaxy Tab gets spied in the wild (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 10:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Technically speaking, we already know what Toshiba’s Smart Pad will look like. It was waved around in Australia briefly, and these shots seem to match it perfectly, but corroboration for their validity is otherwise light on the ground. Should you opt to trust them, after the break you’ll find visual confirmation for the HDMI and USB ports already promised by Toshiba, along with a memory card reader and a pleasingly slender profile. The four touch buttons on its right side just scream Android as the operating system, and the whole thing again reminds us of the Compal tablet we saw back at CES and subsequently accused of being a Toshiba-in-waiting. Notebook Italia expects this bad boy to step out of the shadows properly at IFA this year, and we already know Toshiba is cranking hard on bringing us a tablet of some description by the end of October. Fun times ahead, eh?

Continue reading Toshiba Smart Pad imagery emerges, claims to be the real deal

Toshiba Smart Pad imagery emerges, claims to be the real deal originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 06:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thought the page-turning Macallan was nifty? You ain’t seen nothing yet — The Astonishing Tribe (the brains behind the look of Android) aims to give you billowing, rippling cloth-like curtains of clever interactive content with their concept Velvet UI. Pull out a widget or Google Maps query, and a sheet of your desired result waves with the virtual wind, before stretching out flat for you to more comfortably interact with. Running on MeeGo (and apparently possible on Android) it’s built with the company’s proprietary UI framework, so don’t expect it to hit tablets anytime soon unless someone throws them some bucks. Also see: TAT’s other impressive concepts. Video after the break.

Continue reading Pay no attention to that playful UI behind the Google Maps curtain (video)

Pay no attention to that playful UI behind the Google Maps curtain (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 22 Aug 2010 13:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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