Skype 2.5 for Android brings video calls to 14 new devices, including Honeycomb tablets

Skype Video Calling

…And then there were 41.

Oh, sorry, we’re talking about Android devices here. Specifically ones that support video calling over Skype. With the update to version 2.5, the VoIP service has tacked on another 14 Goog-powered gadgets to its list of officially supported handsets and tablets. Yes, that’s right, we said tablets. In addition to bringing support to phones like the Atrix, Bionic and Nexus One, Skype is inviting the Xoom, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Acer’s Iconia to the party. We’ve even received reports that video calls are working on other Honeycomb slates like the ASUS Transformer. You’ll find the full list of officially supported devices in the PR after the break.

Continue reading Skype 2.5 for Android brings video calls to 14 new devices, including Honeycomb tablets

Skype 2.5 for Android brings video calls to 14 new devices, including Honeycomb tablets originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 10:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Xoom 4G LTE upgrade process begins tomorrow, new tablets on sale October 13th

Verizon’s dangled a 4G LTE upgrade carrot in the noses of the Xoom-adopting hordes from the start. Now, it appears the carrier’s ready to make good on that promise. Starting tomorrow, current owners of Motorola’s Honeycomb tab can visit a dedicated VZW site for a step-by-step guide through the upgrade process. If you were amongst the eager few who signed up for alerts, the company’s going to prioritize you and send out a notification via email. The entire swap-out should take up to six business days, returning a freshly enhanced LTE-enabled slate free-of-charge. As for the rest of you Xoom-less onlookers, Big Red’s going to be offering up the updated tablets this October 13th for $499 on a new two-year service contract. Jump past the break to parse through the official presser.

Continue reading Motorola Xoom 4G LTE upgrade process begins tomorrow, new tablets on sale October 13th

Motorola Xoom 4G LTE upgrade process begins tomorrow, new tablets on sale October 13th originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 16:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Xoom 2 evidence mounts — new photos, rumored specs and a Media Edition?

Talk of a younger, slimmer Motorola Xoom just keeps on coming. A helpful tipster is adding fuel to the rumors of a Xoom 2 with these shots of a similar, but not exactly identical Motorola tablet. When compared to the images we saw yesterday, this unnamed Android 3.2 slate looks a tad less polished in the rear and seems to favor a portrait format, with the camera resting up top. What’s more, our source says the slab appears to be smaller than what we’ve already seen, which could line up with a report from This Is My Next, pegging a Xoom 2 Media Edition. That device is rumored to have an 8.2-inch HD IPS display and weigh .95 pounds. It is apparently being billed as an “e-reader replacement,” and comes with an onboard IR remote and subwoofer. In further Xoom 2 news, TIMN is saying the classic version will measure 9mm thick, pack a 1.2GHz processor, 1GB RAM, and enable 1080p video recording. If all of that isn’t enough to satisfy your Motorola-tablet craving, we’ve got a gallery of photos below.

[Thanks, Anon]

Motorola Xoom 2 evidence mounts — new photos, rumored specs and a Media Edition? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Sep 2011 17:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is this the Motorola Xoom 2?

Who’s looking sleek in angled corners? Why, it’s the Motorola Xoom 2 — at least it might be, according to Droid-Life and the folks that leaked it the above image. The outfit’s informant tells them that the pictured device is flaunting micro-USB and HDMI ports, a SIM card slot and a few large, flush buttons on its back. Is it the real deal? Well, we can’t say it looks much like Verizon’s door-destroying tablet, or even the shy slate that we spied on Motorola Mobility’s leaked website redesign — but we wouldn’t put too much stock into ambiguous renders and inconclusive advertisements anyway. There’s one more image after the break for those of you that are into rear-facing cameras and “confidential” engravings.

Continue reading Is this the Motorola Xoom 2?

Is this the Motorola Xoom 2? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 23:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola rolling out 4G LTE upgrade for select Xoom users?

It’s been a while coming, but it looks like some Motorola Xoom users will finally be receiving 4G LTE support, in the very near future. According to a customer service e-mail obtained by Droid Life, the manufacturer has already begun sending out instructions on how to receive the upgrade, as part of an apparent gradual rollout. To make the jump, select consumers, businesses and government clients will have to first back up their Android-based tablets, before shipping them off to Motorola in a pre-paid FedEx box. Once that’s taken care of, they’ll have to twiddle their thumbs for three business days before receiving their newly refreshed devices, dripping in Verizon’s LTE goodness. No word yet on when the rest of the Xoom community can expect similar treatment, but hit up the source link to read the full e-mail for yourself.

Motorola rolling out 4G LTE upgrade for select Xoom users? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple’s Samsung complaint reveals it’s also suing Motorola over the Xoom

Yes, we’ve now reached the point in the ongoing Apple v. Samsung brouhaha where we’re having lawsuits revealed within lawsuits. As spotted by FOSS Patents blocking sales of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Europe also contained a brief passage indicating that Apple is suing Motorola over the decidedly tablet-like Xoom as well. What’s not clear, however, is whether Apple is also seeking an injunction against Motorola to block sales of the Xoom, but Mueller suggests that is indeed likely (Apple has also reportedly sued and received an injunction against local German tablet manufacturer JAY-tech). Of course, Apple and Motorola are no strangers to legal entanglements, but this is the first time we’ve seen things spread beyond phones to tablets.

Apple’s Samsung complaint reveals it’s also suing Motorola over the Xoom originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Aug 2011 11:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha talks Ice Cream Sandwich, future tablets in Oppenheimer keynote

You live, you learn — or so Alanis and Sanjay Jha would have us believe. The Motorola CEO delivered a keynote speech early Tuesday morning at the Oppenheimer Annual Technology and Communications Conference, touching upon the company’s recent past and the lessons its learned going forward. Referencing the Xoom launch, Jha told attendees to expect tablets in the second half of the year with “much more aggressive form factors” and unique enterprise features, adding that the company would be placing a renewed focus on cheaper, WiFi only tablets. The OEM also intends to streamline its global branding, creating marketing efficiencies for worldwide launches and saving the company a buck, or two in the process. Unfortunately, the Moto chief didn’t spill the release beans for the much hyped Bionic, but did take a gentle swipe at the upcoming beast phone, calling it an “important product, but not the only product.” Could this herald an oncoming wave of Ice Cream Sandwich devices? We’re not sure, as Jha waffled when asked whether the company would, yet again, commit to Android’s next untested evolution.

Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha talks Ice Cream Sandwich, future tablets in Oppenheimer keynote originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Aug 2011 23:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon Wireless year-end roadmap leaks, Android and LTE spotted on the horizon?

Nope. There’s no mention of a Nexus Prime in this glimpse of VZW future, but don’t let that stop you from drooling over the purported goods. The leaked shot over on IGN lays out a back-to-school road filled with Android phones a plenty, and one lone RIM entry. September 8th is gearing up to be a busy Thursday for Big Red, with launches slated for the Droid Bionic, Motorola Xoom 4G, BlackBerry Curve 9370 (the LTE cousin of ‘Apollo’?) and Samsung Stratosphere — the operator’s rumored Galaxy S II variant. The end of the month gets a 2.3 combo of Gingerbread phones as the Samsung Illusion (codenamed Viper), and HTC Bliss touch down on the 29th. Refreshes for a couple of the carrier’s early LTE phones debut in October, when the Thunderbolt gets pushed aside by the virile HTC Vigor and LG gets a redo with the Revolution 2. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab P8 (most likely the Galaxy Tab 8.9) gets an unconfirmed November mention, while BlackBerry’s PlayBook languishes in a release date grey zone. Ready for that end-of-year upgrade? From the looks of things, there’ll be no dearth of options.

Verizon Wireless year-end roadmap leaks, Android and LTE spotted on the horizon? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Aug 2011 14:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon announces Android 3.2 update for Motorola Xoom 3G, available today?

It looks like Motorola Xoom 3G owners will soon be able to reap the same benefits as their WiFi-only brethren, now that Verizon has published more details on a forthcoming Android 3.2 update. According to the company’s support page, software update HTJ85 will bring essentially the same features we saw in last month’s, exclusively Wi-Fi refresh — microSD card support, movie rental improvements and, of course, that “zoom to fill screen” option for non-tablet optimized apps. Verizon hasn’t announced an official release date for the 15.4MB Honeycomb update, though rumor has it that it could drop as early as today. For more details and installation instructions, check out the pair of PDFs below.

Verizon announces Android 3.2 update for Motorola Xoom 3G, available today? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Aug 2011 03:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leaked memo slates Xoom 4G upgrade for September, early adopters weep (updated)

To say we’ve been patiently waiting for the Xoom’s promised 4G upgrade would certainly be an understatement. It looks like those of you counting on blistering speeds this summer are flat out of luck, as the LTE overhaul apparently won’t begin until fall. Droid-Life‘s got a snap of a seemingly official Verizon memo, which alleges that the FCC-espied gratis upgrade will apparently land sometime in September. Also mentioned are links to Big Red’s website on how to backup and package one’s slate for its eventual voyage back to Moto’s mothership. Hop on over to the source to see the full communiqué, and peep the more coverage links if you enjoy being prepared entirely too far in advance.

Update: A tipster has kindly sent us a copy of Verizon’s email. It’s looking pretty official, folks.

Continue reading Leaked memo slates Xoom 4G upgrade for September, early adopters weep (updated)

Leaked memo slates Xoom 4G upgrade for September, early adopters weep (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 15:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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