Hasta La Gadget!

Well, that was fast. Almost immediately after Google unveiled Android 3.1, Motorola was first out of the gate with an update, and now, not even a week later, Acer and ASUS are following suit with plans to freshen up their respective tablets with the newly minted software. To recap, 3.1’s benefits include resizeable widgets, support for USB peripherals, and new Movies and Books apps, among other perks. Acer confirmed to us that it aims to start selling the Iconia Tab A500 with 3.1 next month, as well as upgrade existing units running Android 3.0. ASUS, meanwhile, has been touting the impending update for the Eee Pad Transformer on its Italian Facebook page. To which we say, grazie!

Acer Iconia Tab A500 and ASUS Eee Pad Transformer getting Android 3.1 updates in June originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 May 2011 15:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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That Android 3.1 update that Google announced during I/O is slowly rolling out to 3G Xoom owners as we speak. How’d we know such a thing? Why, it just landed on our in-house Xoom, of course! Most of the changes to Honeycomb are happening under the hood — better HTML5 support, faster performance, and USB host functionality for connecting peripherals like game controllers and mice — but there are some improvements that will be a lot more obvious to the user. Perhaps our favorite is the addition of resizable widgets. For the moment only the email and Gmail inbox, calendar and bookmarks widgets can be stretched or shrunk, but we’re sure others will follow. We’re particularly appreciative of the expandable calendar widget, which always felt a tad cramped. The task switcher also received a much requested upgrade and now lets you scroll through your last 18 launched apps, instead of just the five most recent. Lastly, the Android Market now offers movie rentals, alongside books and apps, which range in price from $1.99 to $4.99 for 24 hours of playback. There isn’t a ton of revolutionary stuff going on here, but it’s certainly a welcome and worthwhile update. Check out the video after the break to see Android 3.1 in action.

Continue reading Android 3.1 on the Motorola Xoom: hands-on (video)

Android 3.1 on the Motorola Xoom: hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 19:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Two Motorola products in a row here at HWYC? Say it ain’t so! A week after throwing the Atrix 4G out for discussion, Moto’s Xoom tablet is on the docket next. As the world’s first commercialized Honeycomb tablet, it obviously launched with heightened expectations. That over-the-top Super Bowl ad didn’t help, but we digress. For those who’ve chosen the Xoom over countless others, we have to ask: are you happy with your decision? How’s the software treating you? Taken those cameras out for a spin yet? Battery life still living up to your lofty hopes? If you had the opportunity to tweak anything, what would you do? Shrink the form factor? Toss LTE in from the start? We’re hearing whispers that Motorola may end up partnering with Mazda on the Xoom-Xoom, so get your recommendations in now. Now!

How would you change Motorola’s Xoom? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 May 2011 23:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve gotten multiple clandestine clues that Sprint would sell the Xoom — a calendar entry here, an accessory there — but there was nary a confirming peep from the Now Network itself. Until today, when it announced that it would join the legion of retailers peddling the Wi-Fi version of Motorola’s tablet for $599.99 on May 8th. That’s right, the carrier will start selling folks the sweet Honeycomb slate soon enough, but a Xoom sans Sprint cellular data is a bit of a letdown. One question, Mr. Hesse, when will we get one with WiMAX? PR’s after the break.

Continue reading Sprint starts selling Motorola Xoom WiFi (not WiMAX) May 8th for $600

Sprint starts selling Motorola Xoom WiFi (not WiMAX) May 8th for $600 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 21:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It appears Motorola is taking a page from the Samsung playbook and making the Xoom carrier-agnostic. Verizon and Sprint are already marching along and, according Wireless Goodness, an AT&T version is about to join the parade. The FCC approved a “hand held device” from Motorola that packs an HSDPA-capable radio on the 850MHz and 1900MHz bands, which just so happen to be the very same frequencies used by AT&T. A screen shot snapped by Wireless Goodness refers to the product as a “wireless tablet with embedded WLAN,” though that description is conspicuously absent from the documents now. The filing also makes mention of MOTOTalk, two-way radio functionality, a feature missing from other Xoom versions that seems like a perfect fit for the rumored rugged tablet the company is working on. Looks like that little bundle of “4G” tablet joy teased during CES is finally on its way.

GSM-flavored Xoom passes FCC muster, bound for AT&T? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 18:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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