Hasta La Gadget!

The lesser of ASUS’ two Eee Pad tablets announced at Computex this year, the EP101TC, is getting itself a software rejig ahead of its planned early 2011 launch. Originally slated to run on Microsoft’s Windows Embedded Compact 7 — a wordy OS, if nothing else — the Pad will now entrust its operational infrastructure to Google’s Android. ASUS is currently working on prototypes with Froyo on board, but Gingerbread (or Android 3.0) has not been ruled out as a possible final OS choice. We’re told to expect the first public demos at CES 2011, with retail units likely following on from there at a relatively brisk pace.

ASUS Eee Pad EP101TC opts for Android, dumps Windows Embedded Compact 7 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 06:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Although nothing official has come from HP on this front, we got some pretty solid word back in April that the American giant was mulling an Android tablet. As it turns out, what with the WebOS acquisition that followed and HP’s dogged commitment to Windows 7, that Googly project has apparently slipped out of the limelight in HP HQ. Word from All Things Digital is that there’ll be nothing forthcoming this year (as was tentatively expected) and if an HP Android tablet is to materialize, it’ll have to come in 2011. The company seems to be in the midst of reallocating resources to its higher priority projects, and who knows, should that rumored Hurricane tablet blow us all away, Android might never gets its chance to shine at all.

HP Android tablet coming later than you think, or not at all originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Jul 2010 06:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Now this is jolly good news. LG, which already has a Windows 7 tablet in the works, is gearing up to service those with a hankering for some Android in their slate computers as well. Clearly unwilling to fall behind its fierce rival Samsung, LG has just announced that it’ll bringing out its own Google-centric tablet before the end of 2010. Indications are that it’ll be different (presumably better) than current offerings on the market, but alas there’s nary a peep about what that might mean on the spec sheet. In other machine-translated news, the Korean company is also planning a new version of its SU950 handset, aka the Optimus Z, which will come preloaded with Android 2.2. Current owners of the phone need not despair either, as Froyo upgrades are planned for them by the fourth quarter as well. Hmm, all this Q4 and 2.2 action flying about, would be nice to think this tablet would benefit from the same treatment.

LG confirms Android tablet for Q4 2010 launch, Froyo for Optimus Z originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Jul 2010 01:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia’s newly appointed Mobile Solutions chief, Anssi Vanjoki, has penned an impassioned post over at Nokia Conversations today where he sets out his perspective on the company’s current position and future challenges. Describing the Finnish phone maker as “a challenger now,” rather than an incumbent, Vanjoki wants to introduce a “laser focus on quality,” with his two central aims being to reclaim Nokia’s reputation for high-end devices and to re-energize a flagging fan base. He specifically namedrops Ricky Cadden — who yesterday shut down Symbian-Guru because he’d lost faith with the company — and clearly considers grassroots support like that an important aspect of how Nokia’s success will be judged.

As to the actual software front, Anssi confirms that the N8 will be the final Symbian^3 handset in the N-Series, but describes a Symbian^4 device in that family as a “strong possibility,” a note which he follows up with a wink (seriously). Symbian is apparently still Nokia’s smartphone OS of choice — no Androids shall be found inside Nokia’s hardware under Anssi’s watch — though MeeGo also earns a mention as the “awesome” platform for delivering “market-changing mobile computers.” Just in case you were wondering, Anssi finishes off by telling us that these wondrous computers will be small enough to fit into your pocket — though, sadly, he fails to specify exactly what sort of pocket that might be.

[Thanks, Peter]

Nokia: the fight begins now, Symbian^4 N-Series device later originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Jul 2010 06:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Well, here’s a bit of thunder theft for you. Nokia’s N8 launch is still firmly wedged in Q3 2010, but according to Symbian Foundation Executive Director Lee Williams, other handset makers are not going to hang around and wait for it to be the vanguard Symbian^3 device. Instead, says Lee, the first phone with the overhauled software will be provided by an unnamed Asian vendor — we’re thinking LG or Samsung, with the latter being more likely as it has more history with Symbian. This seems to be mostly on account of the new OS being pretty much ready for market right now, so whoever’s bringing the goods should be doing so in the very near future.

Symbian^3 to launch on non-Nokia handset, courtesy of ‘Asian vendor’ originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 05:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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