LG scraps plans for Froyo tablet, will wait for next Android version

If you needed any further proof that Android in its present form isn’t mature enough to perform tablet duties, here it is. Reuters is citing an unnamed LG official who has categorically written off the possibility of his company producing an Android 2.2 tablet. The LG informer has said that his company wants “the most suitable version [of Android] for our tablet and that is not Froyo 2.2.” This mirrors Motorola’s strategy of holding out until at least the next iteration of Google’s mobile OS before diving into the tablet pool. Still, it’ll be disappointing to those who took LG’s words at face value when it promised its tablet will be an iPad killer — that may still happen, mind you, just not this year.

LG scraps plans for Froyo tablet, will wait for next Android version originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Oct 2010 04:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab on sale in UK on November 1, will be available from all major carriers

Need some hot new hardware to offset the onset of another miserly winter? Samsung wants the Galaxy Tab to be the thing that keeps you warm and fuzzy over the holidays and has just announced a November 1 launch date for its tablet in the United Kingdom. All major carriers are signed up to offer the Android 2.2 device and usual suspect Carphone Warehouse will also be dishing it out if you have the cash to snap one up. How much cash, you ask? That’s the one important piece of information that Samsung is still leaving to hang in the air, proffering only the contention that it “will be available on a range of attractive price packages.” Never mind, we’ll just let our imaginations do the accounting.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Tab on sale in UK on November 1, will be available from all major carriers

Samsung Galaxy Tab on sale in UK on November 1, will be available from all major carriers originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Oct 2010 07:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NFL ‘currently talking’ with Verizon to distribute programming on tablets

Ah, so now we understand Verizon’s intentions to hastily roll out LTE service to NFL cities. The NFL, which has sided with Sprint over the years when it comes to cellular distribution of content, is apparently in even deeper talks with newfound partner Big Red in order to get its prized content into even more hands. As the idea of watching NFL games on-the-go because more and more sensible, the league is apparently mulling the decision to distribute games (and potentially more) on the next big thing. You know, tablets. Brian Rolapp, the NFL’s senior vice president of media strategy, recently said the following: “The NFL will be on a tablet. It’s a question of what shape or form. We are currently talking to Verizon about it.” VZW declined to comment on the rumblings, but it’s really not a shocker — the carrier’s doing everything it can to get a live LTE network here in the States, and inking a deal with America’s most popular sporting league would obviously bring in boatloads of revenue. The real question is this: what tablet is the NFL eying, and if it’s not the Samsung Galaxy Tab, what’s Verizon’s second tablet going to be? Inquiring minds would love to know.

NFL ‘currently talking’ with Verizon to distribute programming on tablets originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 20:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell launching 7-inch Android tablet in ‘next few weeks,’ 10-incher to follow a few months later

Good news, folks. It’s looking like the tablet pool will be enriched with another 7-inch contender, running Android, within only a few weeks. The Wall Street Journal cites Dell’s Greater China President Amit Midha as saying that the 7-inch slate we witnessed Michael teasing a few short days ago will be with us “very, very soon.” Reiterating earlier promises of a family of tablets, Midha claims there’ll be “a whole slew” of new devices emerging from Dell’s labs over the next 6 to 12 months, which will include 10-inch, 4-inch and 3-inch form factors. Android is confirmed as the OS on the 7-incher, but Windows will be making an appearance somewhere along the line as well. Plenty to look forward to, then.

Dell launching 7-inch Android tablet in ‘next few weeks,’ 10-incher to follow a few months later originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 04:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chromium OS infiltrates iPad, makes itself comfortable

What is this madness we see before us? Hexxeh, he who provides your nightly Chromium builds, has dropped a small but perfectly formed bombshell by revealing that he’s managed to install Google’s nascent OS onto Apple’s hotcake of a tablet, the iPad. He’s evidenced this feat by tweeting from the liberated slate, though one of his outgoing missives includes the dire warning that he’ll “dash your hopes later, there are a few catches.” Well, at least that gives us a little time to fantasize about Appoogle synergies before those dream-destroying details are revealed in full.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Chromium OS infiltrates iPad, makes itself comfortable originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 02:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Onkyo dropping three Windows 7 slates on totally-suspicious-by-now public

Never saw this coming, did you? Oh, right, you did. Onkyo is joining the Windows 7 slate tablet fray with three new models, which will begin shipping next month in Japan. The variety is minor, though each tablet is getting its own design language: the 11.6-inch and 10.1-inch TW317A5 and TW217A5 both rock 32GB SSDs, while the TW117A4 kicks it old school with a 160GB HDD. Thanks to Windows 7 Home Premium the trio will be getting all the touch-friendly benefits the OS can offer, and Atom N450 and Z530 processors will sipping battery on behalf of the machines. No word on price, but we really prefer the “Windows 7 slate that will only ship internationally and that nobody we know will buy” more as a construct anyway.

Onkyo dropping three Windows 7 slates on totally-suspicious-by-now public originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 19:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ultimate Tablet Showdown: iPad vs. PlayBook vs. Galaxy Tab vs. Slate [Tabletfight]

The iPad’s finally got some competition; in the past few weeks, the HP Slate made a brief appearance, the Samsung Galaxy Tab debuted, and just BlackBerry unveiled its business-minded PlayBook today. Here’s how they all measure up: More »

Sharp announces Galapagos e-reading tablets: 5.5 and 10.8 inches, getting e-bookstore in December

Sharp has just taken the veils off its bold new e-reader devices, dubbing them both Galapagos in honor of the evolution the company believes they represent. The 5.5-inch Mobile version (pictured above) has a delightfully dense 1024 x 600 LCD screen, while its 10.8-inch Home sibling offers a very decent 1366 x 800. There’s 802.11b/g WiFi on both, while the littler slate is also enriched with a navigational trackball. Sharp’s emphasis here really seems to be on the cloud-based ecosystem it’s creating for these “terminal” devices — 30,000 newspapers, magazines and books have been lined up for its planned December launch and an “automatic scheduled delivery” facility will help you get at them as soon as the latest issue’s ready for consumption. Sadly, we should note that this is specifically tailored to suit the Japanese market, which makes an international release seem somewhat unlikely. For a size comparison between the two tablets and the full press release, jump past the break.

Continue reading Sharp announces Galapagos e-reading tablets: 5.5 and 10.8 inches, getting e-bookstore in December

Sharp announces Galapagos e-reading tablets: 5.5 and 10.8 inches, getting e-bookstore in December originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 03:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Entelligence: Begun these tablet wars have

Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he’ll explore where our industry is and where it’s going — on both micro and macro levels — with the unique wit and insight only he can provide.

Apple may have validated the tablet market with the successful launch of the iPad, but the competition won’t simply cede that space to Cupertino. From the Samsung Galaxy Tab and a host of other Android-based products, to HP’s ethereal Slate and rumored WebOS tablet to a potential “BlackPad” from RIM, everyone wants a piece of the tablet market. The net result? We’re going to see a whole host of devices starting in the fourth quarter of this year well into the first quarter of 2011, and based on what we’ve seen from various public leaks and vendor conversations, these products are going to be all over the place. Sadly, it appears many haven’t learned the lessons why ‘tweener devices failed in the past, and most of these devices will not do well in the market. Many of these efforts appear rushed to market before the holidays and few will be remembered by this time next year. It’s one thing to clone a successful product but imperfect clones usually tend to work out for the worst.

Continue reading Entelligence: Begun these tablet wars have

Entelligence: Begun these tablet wars have originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Sep 2010 18:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP Slate prototype gets yet another guided tour, this time with HDMI-equipped dock (video)

Remember that HP Slate prototype video we happened upon just yesterday? The owner, who goes by the name x313xkillax on YouTube, is back with over eight more minutes of footage, including the packaging. According to the back of the box of this self-proclaimed business model, here’s the official specs we’re looking at: a 1.86GHz Intel Atom Z540 with GMA500 and Broadcom Crystal HD Enhanced Video accelerator, 8.9-inch WSVGA screen, 2GB DDR2 RAM, about 60GB storage capacity, Windows 7 Home Premium, 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, SD card reader, and a 2-Cell 30WHr Lithium-ion Polymer battery. There are two cameras here, one in front and one in rear.

As shown via MS Paint, the screen can detect at least four fingers at a time. The browser is a bit laggy but does do pinch-to-zoom — again, he calls it a prototype, so it may be better in the final production model. Also in the packaging? A handy dock for keeping your Slate comfy and upright — it’s even got kickstand, two USBs, and HDMI out. But hey, we’re wasting your time, and you’re the kind of person who wants to see this enterprise-bound tablet in action. Don’t let us get in your way, it’s just after the break.

[Thanks, Kim L]

Continue reading HP Slate prototype gets yet another guided tour, this time with HDMI-equipped dock (video)

HP Slate prototype gets yet another guided tour, this time with HDMI-equipped dock (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 21:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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