So, Nioncom still hasn’t gotten its MemoryKick Vision out the door yet (the company has pushed availability in the the second half of 2011), but the pico projector-equipped “mini-tablet” is still alive… even if it’s not so well. The folks at Picopros got their hands on a prototype unit from the company, though, what they manhandled wasn’t exactly the Vision. Instead, they fooled around with reference design that sported a smaller screen (3.5-inches versus 4.3) and 4GB of flash storage in place of the 500GB hard drive — otherwise the two are identical from a hardware perspective. So, while this is certainly a step in the right direction from the renders, you’ll forgive us for not remaining a tad skeptical about about its supposed, upcoming release. Check out the slew of videos after the break, and hit up the source link for the complete impressions.
It’s been a few months since Sony made its (tardy) entrance into the tablet market, and since then it hasn’t been sharing details so much as teasing them in whimsical, perplexing ads. Finally, the outfit’s ready to take specifics. We’re sitting at a roundtable with Sony executives, and just learned that its clamshell S2 tablet is headed to AT&T’s “4G” (read: HSPA+) network, confirming what we already suspected after peeping a tell-tale FCC report. Sony’s is quick to remind us that “S2” is just a codename, so don’t be surprised if it surfaces with a completely different moniker. Otherwise, the company didn’t get too chatty: we still don’t know how or when AT&T will begin selling it nor how much it will cost on contract. Also still MIA: details on when, where, and for how much you’ll be able to nab that folded magazine-inspired S1. Check out the press release below.
The IdeaPad K1’s long, crazy journey of near-availability looks to finally be at an end. Lenovo’s ethereal Honeycomb tablet has been popping up in online retail sites since May, teasing us with availability in June, and finally offering the promise of pre-order earlier this month. It seems that the plucky 10.1 inch Tegra 2 slate has taken the final step separating itself from the hands of consumers: getting sent out for shipment. One tipster passed along shipping confirmation from Office Depot that has the device lined up for delivery today — assuming, of course that the recipient is there to answer the door in the eight and a half hour delivery window provided.
We thought Haier’s HaiPad looked oddly familiar, and a quick trip down memory lane suggests we aren’t (completely) bonkers: it’s a rebranded Quanta we spied at CES. The 7-inch slate now sports a custom Froyo skin from DianXin, an 800MHz processor, 802.11 b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, and a WCDMA radio. We’re told that last antenna provides the slate with phone and texting capabilities just like some versions of another 7-incher we know. Also present are “dual-cameras” (which we assume means one on each plane), availability in five “stylish” hues, and a vague August ship date. With less than a month to scrounge up 3,299 RMB (about $500) and train to fight off thousands of felines, you had better get cracking.
As the internet has overtaken newspapers as an information source, convincing readers to shell out the dough for online news has proven an uphill battle. Now two papers are trying a new approach: entice customers with discounted Android tablets and pre-loaded content apps. The Philadelphia Media Network, which owns the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News, is planning a pilot program for mid-August which will offer around 2,000 tablets; if successful, it could expand to more readers. The combined price of hardware and a one- to two-year daily subscription should be about half of retail. So far we have few details on what you’ll get for your money, but expect a WiFi tablet from a major manufacturer, with 3G and/or 4G possible in the future. If you’re from the city of brotherly love and want more details on this early-stage plan, see the video after the break.
Android’s Market now has an entirely new user interface. Photo courtesy of Google
Look out, iTunes, the Android Market is getting a face-lift.
Google launched an entirely new user interface for its mobile platform Tuesday, completely changing the layout of the application portal.
“The new Market client is designed to better showcase top apps and games, engage users with an improved UI, and provide a quicker path to downloading or purchasing your products,” wrote Android developer Eric Chu in a blog post.
Navigating the differing app categories on the phone-based market requires a swipe left or right, which switches to new, tile-based menu screens. The name and price of a given app you’ve chosen moves to the top of the screen. In addition to apps and games, you’ll also be able to browse movies and books available for purchase from the Market.
Android has long faced platform criticism for its Market setup, as both users and developers alike have had difficulty finding the programs they want in the 200,000+ app-packed Android Market. Apple, by contrast, has long promoted featured and popular apps in its iTunes-based App Store, a one-stop shop for all things iOS. But Google is trying to counter the complaints: At its I/O developer conference in May, Google rolled out a streamlined, app-promoting look for the Market’s web store, with the inclusion of categories like “Top Grossing, Trending” and other ‘top’ apps.
Google claims its latest changes will appeal to developers’ bottom line. The new layout enables two-click purchases of apps, eliminating as much friction as possible so customers can purchase apps faster and easier.
Typically, developers have started creating apps in an iOS environment, perfecting the program their before eventually making it over to the Android ecosystem. But Android co-founder Rich Miner says that will be changing soon.
“It’s become clear that the market has definitely matured for Android,” said Miner at the MobileBeat technology conference in San Francisco on Tuesday. “Towards the end of last year I was recommending to companies that they focus on iOS mobile system — that has clearly flipped,” Miner said.
As a whole, the smartphone industry is growing at a rapid pace. 55 percent of U.S. mobile devices purchased over the last three months were smartphones, according to a Nielsen report published in late June. Android currently holds the title for the most used platform across U.S. smartphones with a marketshare of 38 percent according to ComScore. That’s a 15 percent bump up from February results. Apple edged out Research in Motion for second place, with shares of 26.6 percent and 24.7 percent, respectively.
But if Android wants to stay ahead of Apple and the rest of the pack, it needs to keep its app ecosystem attractive to both customers and developers alike. Beefing up the platform’s app catalog helps, but if customers can’t find the apps they want inside the huge pile, boasting big app numbers will be an exercise in futility.
The new landing page will roll out gradually to users running Android version 2.2 (Froyo) or higher over the next few weeks. If you aren’t keen on waiting, check out the video below for a peek at the Market’s new look.
Well, looky here. AT&T has very quietly revealed it’s going to sell the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play. No press release, no splashy press conference backed by a cheesy disco soundtrack. The thing just showed up at the carrier’s holiday preview event here in New York City. We’re told it runs Gingerbread, which would make it AT&T’s second Android 2.3 handset behind the newly launched HTC Status. Alas, AT&T won’t say just yet when the Play will be available or how much it will cost on contract, but we do know a couple things for sure. One, it’ll run on the carrier’s 21MBps-capable HSPA+ network. Two, it’ll be available in a “Stealth Blue” color option, in addition to the stock black model we’ve handled before. Other than that, the specs — namely, the 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon chip and 4-inch (854 x 480 display) — remain the same. Hands-on shots with the sparkling navy number below.
If you’re on Android 2.2 or above get ready for an update to your Android Market experience. Google has just informed us that a new version of the app is incoming, a version that will add tabs for easy access to Google Books and Movies. Starting with the more visual purchases, at $1.99 you’ll be able to start watching movies almost instantly, and apparently see whether Chevy Chase will ever take his family on a successful vacation. But, if offline access is key, you’ll also be able to download the misadventures of the Griswold family for later viewing. Books is now integrated too, saving you the hassle of having to launch the books app, which required you to then open the browser to actually buy any digital tomes. Overall the new design looks cleaner, finger-friendlier, and the addition of Editor’s Choice apps should make it easier than ever to get to the good stuff. The update will be rolling out gradually over the next several weeks and, once you’ve been admitted to the club, you’ll be able to download the Videos app as well. Check out the video preview after the break.
Update: Wesley wrote in to let us know that you can download this APK yourself if you’re feeling brave — and impatient.
According to an analysis done by Forbes, Apple iOS users are not only more likely to buy more apps, they’re more likely to spend more money on those apps than their Android counterparts. Part of it has to do with the fact that there are simply more apps available in the iTunes App Store, but […]
Poor RIM — everybody wants a piece of the BlackBerry pie, as the company attempts to maintain its position as the face of business-minded smartphones in an era ruled by iPhones and Android devices. It’s tough to avoid mentioning the company when looking at these shots unearthed by Italy’s Android World blog of the forthcoming LG Optimus Pro, whose form factor ought to prove comfortably familiar to BlackBerry devotees. According to the site, the Gingerbread device has a 2.8 inch screen, a three megapixel camera, an 800MHz processor, and will run €179 ($249) in that country. Not much more info is available at present, but there’s a video after the break, and the source link has a few more shots, if you need help imagining it in your hand at your next board meeting.
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