Brainchild Kineo joins Kindle, iPad in digital reformation; ships to schools in ten states

Watch out, parents — if you live in one of a handful of states, your prodigious student-of-the-month may be bringing home something a bit heftier than a tacky bumper sticker. We’re looking at the Brainchild Kineo, a 7-inch, 800MHz Android tablet, locked down for education-only use. No unauthorized web browsing, no personal email, and no Angry Birds. Running a specialized version of Eclair, the Kineo allows educators to limit student access to curriculum related apps, websites, or features exclusively — negating the tablet’s potential of becoming more distraction than learning tool. Paired with Brainchild’s standards-based Achiever software, the Kineo may actually have a chance of academic success (sorry Kindle). The first 5000 units are making their way to select districts in Texas, California, Tennessee, and a smattering of other states; hit the break for full PR and a video of the tablet in action.

Continue reading Brainchild Kineo joins Kindle, iPad in digital reformation; ships to schools in ten states

Brainchild Kineo joins Kindle, iPad in digital reformation; ships to schools in ten states originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 May 2011 19:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Flyer review

Over the past couple of years, HTC has rapidly built up an enviable reputation (and bank balance) in the smartphone space with a succession of feature-rich, smartly designed, and innovative handsets. The HD2 introduced us to the 4.3-inch form factor, the EVO 4G ushered in the era of 720p video recording, and the Legend wrapped itself inside a never-before-seen aluminum unibody enclosure.

Today, the company’s Android assembly line is turning out yet another groundbreaking device, though this one’s closer in size to the Athena than the Aria. Yes, we’re talking about the 7-inch Flyer, the most unique of this year’s Android tablet offerings, opting for a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a sturdy aluminum construction that doesn’t even try to compete in the race for extreme thinness, and a Magic Pen to make you forget it’s running Gingerbread and not Honeycomb (yet). Also set for release under the EVO View 4G moniker on Sprint in the US, this tablet is the sum of a set of bold choices on the part of HTC. To see how well those decisions have come off, click past the break for our full review.

Continue reading HTC Flyer review

HTC Flyer review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 May 2011 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab getting Gingerbread update in mid-May

After encountering a little hitch with its mid-April Gingerbread delivery, Samsung is now ready to boot up Kies for another try. The company has this morning released word that it intends to update its entire Galaxy S family line, starting with models in the UK and Nordic countries from the middle of this month. The rest of the globe, including North America, will follow suit “according to the regional plan.” Also benefiting from a Gingerbread upgrade will be the 7-inch Galaxy Tab, which already got a taste of Android 2.3 in Italy, and the company’s bevy of budget Galaxy devices, the Ace, Gio, Fit and mini. Read the full PR after the break.

Continue reading Official: Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab getting Gingerbread update in mid-May

Official: Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab getting Gingerbread update in mid-May originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 May 2011 01:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NVIDIA CEO disappointed by Android tablet sales, blames pricing and poor app selection

It won’t have escaped your attention that just about every Honeycomb tablet shipping in the first half of this year features, or will feature, NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 hardware. Unfortunately for NVIDIA, reception for the Android 3.0 slates has been a little underwhelming, and the company’s Chief Eloquence Officer, Jen-Hsun Huang, has had a few words to say about it. He sees the relative paucity of tablet-optimized Android apps as a weakness, while also expressing the belief that cheaper WiFi-only models should’ve been the standard shipping config rather than fully fledged 3G / 4G variants as Motorola has been pushing with the Xoom. All in all, his is a very sane and accurate analysis, but Mr. Huang loves to look to the future as much as he enjoys talking about the present, and in his opinion all these major downsides have already been “largely addressed” by “a new wave” of Android tablets. He doesn’t specify the devices that constitute said wave, but his emphasis on thinness and lightness leads us to believe he’s talking up Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 and 8.9 models. Hit the source links to read more from the bronzed stallion in charge of NVIDIA.

NVIDIA CEO disappointed by Android tablet sales, blames pricing and poor app selection originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 May 2011 20:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG Optimus Pad coming to Rogers May 17th

It’s already made its rounds of the European continent, and now LG’s Optimus Pad seems poised to make its North American retail debut via Rogers in Canada. A helpful tipster sent us the above screenshot that reveals Rogers will be the exclusive career of the Honeycomb tablet (known as the G-Slate in the US), with a $700 starting price. With a data plan, the price ranges from $450 for a three-year contract to $650 on a month-to-month contract. Users seeking a one-year deal will shell out $600, while a two-year contract comes with a $530 asking price. The 8.9-inch slab should land up north May 17th, so plan your life accordingly.

[Thanks, Anon]

LG Optimus Pad coming to Rogers May 17th originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 14 May 2011 03:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Flyer available across Europe today, £600 for 3G, £480 for WiFi-only version

The day every fan of 7-inch Android tablets has been waiting for has finally arrived. HTC has just announced widespread availability across Europe of its 1.5GHz Flyer. Pricing is set at £600 / €649 for the 3G-equipped 32GB variant or £480 / €499 for the one with only WiFi and 16GB on board — though local carriers are offering subsidized pricing as low as £129 on contract. The contentious capacitive stylus, now dubbed the Magic Pen, will be shipping in each and every box, so you don’t have to worry about ponying up extra for it. The HTC store linked below still offers only pre-orders, but HTC promises that there will be aluminum unibodies hitting shelves today.

Continue reading HTC Flyer available across Europe today, £600 for 3G, £480 for WiFi-only version

HTC Flyer available across Europe today, £600 for 3G, £480 for WiFi-only version originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 05:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung and LG to showcase high pixel density LCD panels for tablets at SID 2011

It’s a well-known fact that LG’s already dominated the pixel density race in the smartphone market thanks to the Retina Display inside the iPhone 4, but we’ve yet to see similar technologies making their way to larger devices. That could change very soon, however, with Samsung and LG both announcing larger high-density panels to be showcased at SID 2011 next week. From Samsung we’ll be seeing its 10.1-inch 300ppi prototype LCD panel, which rakes up an astonishing resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 under the battery-friendly PenTile RGBW matrix (not to be confused with AMOLED and Super AMOLED’s RGBG arrangement). What’s more, Samsung also teases “commercial availability” for this technology later this year.

Things are a bit vague with LG — no specific resolutions are mentioned in the pre-show announcement, but we’re told that the company will introduce “a full line-up” of “ultra-high resolution” Advanced High Performance In-Plane Switching (AH-IPS) products, including 3.5-, 4.5-, 7-, 9.7, 55-, and 84-inch panels, with a “greater number of pixels than the PPI that can be recognized by the human eye at a typical distance” — a proclamation typically reserved for the iPhone 4’s 326ppi Retina Display. Of course, LG could be misleading here — the 9.7-inch panel brought up in the press release could just be the exact same 1,024 x 768 IPS display on the iPad, but we’d be surprised if LG doesn’t have a similarly-sized prototype to fire back at Samsung’s 10.1-inch 300ppi panel. Well, keep an eye out for our SID 2011 coverage next week and we’ll let you know what goodies we find.

Continue reading Samsung and LG to showcase high pixel density LCD panels for tablets at SID 2011

Samsung and LG to showcase high pixel density LCD panels for tablets at SID 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 02:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fujitsu’s TH40/D convertible tablet slides into Japan, packs Atom Z670 and Windows 7

A slide-out tablet running on Windows 7, you say? Not to be confused with the Samsung Sliding PC, what we have here is the Fujitsu LifeBook TH40/D that’s just been announced for the Japanese market. Inside this 2.4-pound convertible laptop you’ll find a 1.5GHz Oak Trail Atom Z670, 1GB of non-expandable DDR2 RAM, a 10.1-inch 1,024 x 600 touchscreen, a 120GB 4200rpm hard drive, and a battery life of around 6 hours. Other tidbits include 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, a couple of USB 2.0 ports, HDMI-out, an SD card slot, and a teeny optical trackpad placed next to the short space bar. Can’t say we’re digging some of the limitations on this TH40/D, but if you still want one, then be ready to fork out about ¥80,000 ($990) at the end of June.

Fujitsu’s TH40/D convertible tablet slides into Japan, packs Atom Z670 and Windows 7 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 00:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cisco Cius on AT&T: crystal clear corporate communication coming this fall

Cisco’s Cius hopped on Big Red’s bandwagon a few months back, and now it’s bringing its high-def corporate communications skills to AT&T. And not only will Ma Bell be selling the seven-inch slate, its AT&T Foundry division will make business-friendly apps for the device. Don’t go bugging the bossman for one just yet, however, as the Cius won’t be riding AT&T’s waves of 4G HSPA+ until this fall. PR’s after the break.

Continue reading Cisco Cius on AT&T: crystal clear corporate communication coming this fall

Cisco Cius on AT&T: crystal clear corporate communication coming this fall originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 May 2011 05:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo’s LePad going global with IdeaPad Tablet K1 moniker?

At last, here’s a sign of Lenovo’s Android tablet making its way out of the fertile land of China. While there’s no direct mention in this FCC application, the speakers at the bottom suggest that this slate — dubbed IdeaPad Tablet K1 and made by Compal — is a variant of the China-only LePad as opposed to the shinier U1 Hybrid (which is more likely to be the Skylight slate, anyway). Also bear in mind that Lenovo’s already confirmed a global June launch for the LePad, so the timing of this document is just right. Of course, the only question left is will we be seeing some Honeycomb love here instead of Froyo? And should we not bother with this hefty 10-incher and just wait for Lenovo’s slimmer offering a few months later? We’ll see what the price tag says.

Lenovo’s LePad going global with IdeaPad Tablet K1 moniker? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 May 2011 23:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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