Hasta La Gadget!

Korean electronics manufacturer LG may be working on a Google-branded "Nexus" tablet.

Google is preparing its own hardware entry into the Android tablet market in collaboration with device manufacturer LG, according to a report circulating Monday morning.

The device will be an LG-made “Nexus” tablet, Google’s signature product name for its collaborations with independent hardware manufacturers, the report says.

The tablet could be complete by mid-summer to early autumn, according to speculation from tech site Mobile Review. The site did not disclose any further details or hardware specifications on the speculated device. One caveat: the LG-produced device could just be a prototype used internally by Google for development, as noted by The Boy Genius Report.

Google did not respond to our request for comment on the matter.

If a Google-branded tablet hits market, this wouldn’t be Google’s first entry into branding devices from outside manufacturers. Google’s previous Nexus devices include the HTC-manufactured Nexus One smartphone, which was widely regarded as a failure after lackluster sales and a lukewarm reception from the general public. The Samsung-produced Nexus S followed in late 2010, a phone that garnered much hype upon its initial release, but has been passed over by the myriad 2011 smartphone releases, which boast beefier hardware profiles and heftier ad campaigns.

A Google-branded Nexus tablet may have a better chance at success than its smartphone Nexus predecessors, however. Among other reasons, the Nexus One’s difficulties lay in AT&T’s and Verizon’s unwillingness to subsidize the handset — only T-Mobile (the carrier in last place in the U.S. in terms of adoption) backed the release.

While carrier subsidies can help sales, a new tablet’s popularity isn’t necessarily contingent on whether or not the major carriers are willing to play ball. Wi-Fi only versions of tablets like Apple’s iPad and the Motorola Xoom are sold at significantly lower prices than their 3G network-enabled counterparts, which means more potential sales without the headache of carrier choosing for customers.

But any new entry into the already crowded tablet market must take into account other factors, including a healthy media ecosystem and competitive pricing. Currently, the Android Market hosts over 200,000 apps for download, with many more available on independent, unofficial markets. Apple’s app store is home to double that amount at over 400,000. Recent improvements to Android’s payment system such as the launch of its web-based Android Market in February, however, could give Google more traction in developing its app environment.

LG is already producing its own Android-based tablet in collaboration with Google, the brevity-lacking “T-Mobile G-Slate with Google by LG.” The G-Slate will run Android version 3.0 (Honeycomb), and will be capable of playing and recording 3D and full HD video content.

See Also:

• LG Promises Two New Android Phones, Tablet
• LG’s Glasses-Free 3-D Phone is Pretty Impressive
• Gingerbread

Sprint may not be the only US carrier spreading its wings with an HTC tablet this summer, oh no — promotional materials obtained by PocketNow point to the HTC Flyer launching with T-Mobile as well. Though the marketing mockups don’t prove that Madam Magenta will actually be offering the 7-inch Gingerbread tablet with Scribe stylus (or distinguish between T-Mobile USA and its European counterparts, for that matter), the carrier’s clearly given it a lot of thought, and HTC’s spec sheet for the Flyer has indeed listed the AWS bands necessary to carry T-Mobile USA’s 3G data since day one. Sneak a peek at what T-Mobile’s in-store tablet kiosks might look like at our source link below.

HTC Flyer headed to T-Mobile, according to marketing scrapbook? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 27 Mar 2011 19:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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According to an analyst, Apple could be working on a connected HDTV

Gadget Lab Notes is an eclectic roundup of gadget news briefs and intriguing products that catch our eye.

Does Apple Have a Smart TV in the Works?
According to Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty they do. She expects Apple to out a “Smart TV” with DVR, gaming, and FaceTime capabilities sometime in 2012 or 2013. Asian component suppliers suggest that they’re in the process of building a prototype. An Apple HDTV set could be capable of snagging a big portion of the connected television market; even if Apple only captured 1% of the TV market by 2013, they’d make about $4 billion in profits.

Analysts See Apple Branded Television Set in 2012 [9to5 Mac]

Anonymous FCC Agent About T-Mo/AT&T Merger: No Way
An unnamed FCC official said there’s “no way” the FCC would approve AT&T’s proposed buyout of T-Mobile. The agency hasn’t begun formally evaluating the proposal, but they plan to look at whether the merger is a benefit to the public. Similar deals have gone through in the past despite such warnings from agency officials.

AT&T Deal May Face ‘Steep Climb’ at FCC [WSJ]

XGear Smart Cover Enhancer Protects the Back of Your iPad 2
For those that want a bit more protection for their new tablet, the XGear Smart Cover Enhancer could be the answer. It is a thin protective case that snaps onto the back of the iPad. It’s easy to install and remove, and ensures your tablet won’t get nicked as it slides across a table or gets transported in a backpack. It’s available in black or clear for $35.

Smart Cover Enhancer Snap Case [XGear via Slashgear]

A Trump-Worthy iPad of Diamonds, Gold, and… T-Rex Bones?
Why settle for a regular old iPad 2 when you can get an $8 million 24 ct gold model? The “iPad 2 Gold History Edition” includes 53 flawless diamonds, a 24 ct Apple logo and 24 ct gold back weighing 2,000 grams (so much for the new iPad’s weight-loss). But that’s not all: the main front frame is made of Ammolite, the oldest rock in the world, with shaved in portions of a 65 million year old T-rex thighbone. It’s finished off with more diamonds inlaid on the front.

iPad 2 Gold History Edition [Stuart Hughes via Oh Gizmo]

Mobiado Concept Aston Marton Phone Is See-Through
The Mobiado CPT002 Aston Martin concept Android phone would feature a capacitive touchscreen on top of solid sapphire crystal. Platinum sidebabars would house the battery, SIM card, and electronics. Fancy! And of course, it’d have integration with your Aston Martin car—it would hook up to the display, showing parking spots, points of interest, automatically update social media sites with photos and stats when you’re on road trips (should you choose), and help control the responsiveness of the airbag and other safety deployments should a crash occur.

Mobiado CPT002 Aston Martin Concept Promises Transparent Touchscreen [Android Community]

Concept Pacifier Would Discretely Deliver Medicine To Your Baby
The Dr. Shuuuuuut pacifier seems like a pretty clever way to effectively deliver medicine to your sick wee one (and nope, my U key did not get stuck). There’s a special chamber within the pacifier that can hold a capsule of medicine. Place a capsule in and twist the cap to release the medicine. As junior sucks, very small amounts are slowly swallowed—theoretically, such small amounts they won’t even notice or taste it.

Dr. Shuuuuuut [Yanko Design]

Remember Blio? Yes, our memories of this colorful ebook-reading software are starting to fade too, but now T-Mobile’s about ready to yank it from the shadows of obscurity with a newly announced partnership. Content provider Baker & Taylor will be responsible for installing the Blio Android app on “select future products from T-Mobile USA” and populating it with compelling content. The Blio store has grown to now encompass a healthy three million titles, both free and paid, and should you have the Windows version of its software, you’ll get the sweet automation of having it sync with your mobile device as well. To get your reading started nice and early, jump past the break for the full press release.

Continue reading Blio e-reading software still alive, will come preloaded on T-Mobile Android devices

Blio e-reading software still alive, will come preloaded on T-Mobile Android devices originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 07:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you’re an AT&T subscriber, you’ll know this handset as the Thrill 4G. And if you happen to be a T-Mobile devotee (yes, those are two distinct groups until the AT&T&T-Mo merger is complete), you’ll soon get a chance to familiarize yourself with it too, as it has just slipped through the FCC with support for AWS 3G. Specifically, the FCC has cleared an LG 920 smartphone, which a helpful video from LG itself informs us is the Optimus 3D — the dual-core OMAP 4-powered Android powerhouse that’s at the root of this entire affair. It’ll probably get its own, uniquely ghastly moniker if and when it’s launched by T-Mobile, at which point every US carrier bar Verizon will have a 3D smartphone on its books. How long do you think that omission will last?

[Thanks, Christian]

Continue reading LG Optimus 3D reveals T-Mobile 3G frequencies in visit to FCC

LG Optimus 3D reveals T-Mobile 3G frequencies in visit to FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 06:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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