Hasta La Gadget!

Time to add another candidate for the tablet portion of your gadget budget. The ODROID tablet — being developed by Hardkernel, the folks behind the ODROID portable console — has at its heart a 1GHz Samsung S5PC110 application processor. Also known as Hummingbird, this chip can drive 1080p video at 30fps according to Samsung, and its ability to deliver a flawlessly smooth user experience was demonstrated in our Galaxy S hands-on. It is an extremely promising core to build around, and the 10.1-inch capacitive touchscreen with 1,366 x 768 resolution and Android 2.1 inclusions are nothing to sniff at either. For now, all we have is the demo video after the break — starring your favorite tech blog — but we’ll surely keep an eye out for developments with this device. Particularly if the bezel matches the thin metal frame we’re seeing right now.

Continue reading ODROID tablet sports Hummingbird application processor, shows off naked dev edition on video

ODROID tablet sports Hummingbird application processor, shows off naked dev edition on video originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 09:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sure, they might be worlds apart in quality, usefulness, and desirability, but even still, comparisons are inevitable. The iPad (right) and the JooJoo (left) hit the hands of consumers on the same weekend, offer large-screen browsing experiences controlled entirely by a capacitive touchscreen, and… well, you get the idea. So, how do the two devices stack up externally? It’s a pretty fair fight, hardware-wise. The JooJoo is thicker and heavier, but also scores a good amount more screen space — its 16:9 ratio almost turns it into an extruded lengthwise version of the 4:3 iPad. Unfortunately, that screen is a real let down when viewed off axis, and isn’t nearly as responsive or accurate as the iPad’s in use. Both of the devices offer scratch resistant glass fronts and brushed aluminum backs, though there’s a bit of give to JooJoo’s materials that smacks of slightly lower quality. You can read the reviews to get an idea of how dramatically different these two devices are in actual use, but if you want to satisfy a baser lust for straight-on comparison shots, hit up the gallery below.

iPad vs. JooJoo… fight! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 15:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Built around the 1GHz Tegra 2 SOC, the 11.2-inch ICD Gemini should provide comparable endurance to Apple’s A4-sporting iPad, while besting it in the grunt stakes with its glorious ability to chew through 1080p video when required. If that wasn’t enough, the rest of this thing’s spec sheet reads like a wishlist. Headlined by a 3G connection that allows cellular voice calls (crazy, we know!), it also includes a user-replaceable 40Wh battery, an SD card reader, FM radio, GPS, 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth, MicroUSB connectivity to PCs and USB peripherals, stereo speakers, and dual webcams — a 2 megapixel front-facing unit and a 5 megapixel autofocusing snapper on the back. Multitouch displays will be available in both resistive and capacitive flavors, with the 1,366 x 768 resolution being filled by Google’s snappy Android OS. Oh, and did we mention it will run Flash? Because it will. Full specs and a comparison to its direct competitors await after the break, though we’ve yet to find out when this JooJoo killer will be making its arrival or at what price.

Update: We’ve come across a couple of real (i.e. not rendered) pictures of an earlier prototype for the Gemini, which looks generic as hell but should give you a good idea of the dimensions and scale of the device in question. Yours after the break.

Continue reading ICD’s Tegra 2-powered Gemini is the most feature-complete tablet we’ve seen yet

ICD’s Tegra 2-powered Gemini is the most feature-complete tablet we’ve seen yet originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 02:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hewlett-Packard may sense that it risks being completely overwhelmed by the iPad hype. As a reminder, HP uploaded another slick video showcasing some of its Slate tablet’s features on Monday.

So far, HP has simply revealed that it is working on an tablet device, showing off the Slate’s Flash capabilities in an earlier post. While HP and Microsoft announced the Slate at CES, both companies have announced only the barest details: the Slate will run Windows 7 and ship sometime this year. But no pricing details or other specifications have been released. We haven’t even heard of a confirmation of the so-called Courier.

The video HP released Monday seems designed to highlight the Slate’s capabilities in light of the iPad’s perceived weaknesses, such as its lack of a Webcam.

Updated at 16:00 EST to include additional details about the tablet

While Apple’s iPad tablet is already out in stores, PC maker HP is busy trickling out videos every month about its iPad killer in a bid to drum up some buzz for the product.

Last month, HP released its first video introducing the HP Slate, a Windows 7 operating system based tablet that will support Adobe’s Flash technology.

Now HP’s latest video gives us a few more details. The Slate is likely to have a built-in camera, video-recording capability, USB port and a SD card reader — all features pointedly aimed at the iPad, which lacks all three. The HP Slate will also include access to Skype, an iTunes-like music store, integration with Flickr and the Firefox browser.

The Slate will have a full capacitive touchscreen in a design that’s similar to the iPad and familiar gesture such as pinch-to-zoom to navigate.

Still no word on pricing or availability of the HP Slate, though it is likely that it will launch this year.

Meanwhile, a leak from what is supposed to be an internal HP Slate presentation suggest the Slate will have an 8.9-inch touchscreen, 1.6 GHz Atom processor, Wi-Fi capability, optional 3G access and a pen/digitizer support, says Engadget.

The Slate could cost $550 or $600 depending on storage chosen–32 GB or 64 GB. But here’s what looks like will be a huge problem for HP. The leaked specs suggest the HP Slate will have a battery life of about 5 hours, which is half of what Apple promises with the iPad.

For a device that’s all about media consumption and to an extent portability, battery life is likely to play a key role in a consumer’s decision on which tablet to buy.

See Also:

• Dell’s Tablet Aims to Stick It to Apple’s iPad
• JooJoo Tablet Faces Uphill Battle Against iPad
• iPad Could See 50 Tablet Rivals This Year
• The iPad Arrives: The Wait is Over (And Wasn’t Bad)
• Wired.com Buyer’s Guide: Choose the Right iPad

Video: HP