Jun 20

Android 3.2 shipping this summer for 7-inch tablets, Huawei’s MediaPad gets handled

Posted in: 7-inch, Android, Google, GoogleAndroid, honeycomb, qualcomm, tablet, tablet pc, TabletPc, Today's Chili

We knew that Android 3.2 was little more than a tailor-made edition of Android 3.1 for 7-inch slates, but even after speaking with Huawei, we weren’t exactly sure when it would be rolling out to things other than its own MediaPad. Our pals over at This is my next managed to confirm that it’ll be landing as early as this summer, and for better or worse, it’ll be the last major Android release prior to Ice Cream Sandwich hitting retail devices in Q4. Moreover, it’s bruited that v3.2 will bring support for Qualcomm CPUs as well as NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 chipset, which could lead to HTC’s Flyer getting an upgrade of its own. As for more current plans, it seems as if the Motorola Xoom — a slate that was just recently updated to 3.1 — will see another point increase in the coming weeks, which should give us a solid indication of what to expect software-wise with the MediaPad drops a few months later. Speaking of which, both CNET and M.I.C. Gadget were on-hand in Singapore for a look at the show-floor model of that very tablet, and you can feast your eyes on the pictorial proof down in the source links below.

Android 3.2 shipping this summer for 7-inch tablets, Huawei’s MediaPad gets handled originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Jun 2011 01:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceCNET, M.I.C. Gadget, This Is My Next  | Email this | Comments

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Jun 17

HP ships free TouchPads to homebrew devs, may want something in return

Posted in: app, apps, developer, developers, homebrew, HP, tablet, tablet pc, TabletPc, Today's Chili, touchpad, webos

Like an anxious admirer, HP continues to lavish gifts on the lucky devs over at WebOS Internals. This time it’s sending them pre-release TouchPads as an enticement to get busy and boost the 9.7-inch slate’s app count before it launches next month. HP recently promised that “thousands” of TouchPad apps are on their way and, in addition to attracting big names like Skype and Amazon Kindle, it’s also ensured that legacy apps continue to be supported on WebOS 3.0. With nearly 600 unofficial goodies sitting pretty at PreCentral’s homebrew app gallery, HP clearly feels it makes sense to reach out in that direction too. And who said love was just a trick?

HP ships free TouchPads to homebrew devs, may want something in return originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 14:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink PreCentral  |  sourceWebOS Internals (Twitter)  | Email this | Comments

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Jun 17

Vizio tablet fits Walmart into its hectic schedule, shipping in just six weeks

Posted in: Android, BestBuy, shipping, tablet, tablet pc, TabletPc, Today's Chili, vizio, walmart
Looks like Blake Griffin will have to find some other unreleased gadget to wave in front of our noses, because his beloved Vizio tablet will soon be available to all the little people who shop at Walmart. An internal schedule just faxed itself to our tin foil caps declaring that the Android 8-incher will start shipping in “week 26”, which is Walmartish for six weeks from now. That might seem a long wait considering Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 is already giving us doe-eyes from the shelves at Best Buy, but the Vizio hits a friendlier price bracket (recently leaked at $349) and has its own set of tricks. The SRS speakers and universal remote function impressed us back in January, and there’s also the Via Plus ecosystem that should integrate the tablet with Vizio TV apps and the upcoming Vizio Phone. Of course, Vizio is more than welcome to come over and pimp the rest of our home entertainment system like it did for Blake.

[Thanks, FiZiX]

Vizio tablet fits Walmart into its hectic schedule, shipping in just six weeks originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 10:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jun 16

Motorola’s WiFi Xoom gains access to Google Movies, just in time for the weekend

Posted in: app, Google, honeycomb, motorola, motorola xoom, MotorolaXoom, Movies, tablet, tablet pc, TabletPc, Today's Chili, xoom, YouTube

Hard to say why Google chose to roll its Movies app out first to 3G-packed tablets sporting Android 3.1 (a smaller testbed, perhaps?), but it looks as if it won’t matter for much longer. We’ve received a number of tips this evening suggesting that Google Movies can now be downloaded from the Android Market by WiFi-only Xoom tablets, though some are seeing a litany of server errors when trying to actually use the service. That said, we didn’t see any issues here at Engadget HQ, so it’s possible that a few kinks are still being worked out on select servers. Give it a whirl and let us know how it turns out in comments below, and if you’re a proud owner of a Galaxy Tab 10.1… well, we guess you’re also the proud owner of a trait called “patience.”

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Motorola’s WiFi Xoom gains access to Google Movies, just in time for the weekend originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 01:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jun 16

Panasonic unveils Android Toughbook slate for Q4, sledgehammer sold seperately

Posted in: Android, android tablet, AndroidTablet, gps, Panasonic, slate, tablet, tablet pc, TabletPc, Today's Chili
Panasonic announces Toughbook tablet
Tired of handling your tablet with kid gloves? Go ahead, take them off — a Toughbook slate is heading your way. Strutting its stuff at InfoComm this week, Panasonic’s Android Toughbook tablet boasts a sunlight-friendly 10.1-inch multi-touch display, satellite-based GPS, full-shift battery life and optional 3G / 4G connectivity. Wrap it up in the same badass durability as its snowmobile-abused, tiger-gnawed brethren, and you’ve got a Android slab for the everyman. No specifics on pricing or release just yet, but feel free to hit up the press release after the break for a slew of feel-good factoids.

Continue reading Panasonic unveils Android Toughbook slate for Q4, sledgehammer sold seperately

Panasonic unveils Android Toughbook slate for Q4, sledgehammer sold seperately originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jun 13

HP rolls out the YouTube carpet for TouchPad slate, prices accessories (video)

Posted in: bluetooth, case, HP, keyboard, palm, pricing, tablet, tablet pc, TabletPc, tablets, Today's Chili, touchpad, video, webos

Now that HP’s TouchPad has a confirmed July 1st release date, the company’s going to do its darnedest to make sure you’re excited for the slate, and the company’s starting off rather well if you ask us — instead of attempting to find a new anthem, it’s simply showing off what the dual-core tablet actually does. The nine YouTube videos after the break may not be the most exciting things you’ll watch all day, but they certainly do show off the multitasking magic of HP’s card-based operating system. If that’s not nearly enough TouchPad information, though, Geekazine also taped a 37-minute conversation with HP product manager Tim Pettitt, where he reveals that the final TouchPad won’t have a traditional gesture area, but it will recognize the traditional swipe up for opening and closing apps. By the by, all the TouchPad’s accessories have now been priced: you’ll drop $30 for a charger, $50 for the official folding case, $70 for the Bluetooth keyboard, and $80 for the new Touchstone dock. Pricey.

Continue reading HP rolls out the YouTube carpet for TouchPad slate, prices accessories (video)

HP rolls out the YouTube carpet for TouchPad slate, prices accessories (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 02:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink EverythingPre, PreCentral (1), (2)  |  sourcehpcomputers (YouTube), Geekazine, HP  | Email this | Comments

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Jun 08

Dell’s prototype 7-inch tablet touts slide-out split QWERTY keyboard (update: just a concept)

Posted in: 7-inch, concept, slate, tablet, tablet pc, TabletPc, Today's Chili

Whoa. Every so often, a giant in Round Rock pokes it head up above water long enough to put forth a truly mesmerizing design, and while it’s no Adamo, this is most definitely the freshest take we’ve seen on tablets in a very, very long time. The gallery below showcases a prototype that’s lounging around within Dell’s top secret labs, a 7-inch slate that’s adorned with a slide-out keyboard. Said keyboard, however, is hardly typical — it’s rocking a split-key design that’s not at all dissimilar to the virtual layouts recently showcased within iOS 5 and Windows 8. So far as we can tell, the entire alphabet’s present and accounted for, and there’s a rear camera that’ll be more than happy to make your child’s next birthday party a bit more awkward. Outside of that, we’ve no other details to pore over, but it’s safe to say that we’ll be doing our darnedest to change that. Oh, and if you’re doubting that this thing has a future as a real-deal product, there’s a shot just south of these very words showcasing what looks to be a commercial / press render. Delicious.

Update: So it turns out that these photos were actually taken by Tweakers, who met up with the crew from Dell’s Austin Design Center to gaze upon this prototype tablet earlier this week. Tweakers says that the concept is about three to four years old, and it eventually led to the development of the eccentric Inspiron Duo. Unsurprisingly, Dell also confirmed to us that this device will never make it to the market; but of course, there’s still the Streak 10 Pro Android tablet to look forward to.

Dell’s prototype 7-inch tablet touts slide-out split QWERTY keyboard (update: just a concept) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 20:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceTweakers  | Email this | Comments

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Jun 08

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 review

Posted in: android tablet, AndroidTablet, GalaxyTab, Google, honeycomb, review, samsung, slate, tab, tablet, tablet pc, TabletPc, Today's Chili, video

When we met with Samsung in late May, company representatives didn’t seem entirely sure that the company would meet the rumored June 8th ship date here in the US, but lo and behold, it’s done just that. The tablet’s launching at noon today at the Best Buy in New York City’s Union Square, and if you can’t make it up to the Big Apple, it’ll hit the rest of the nation on June 17th. But here’s the real question: is it worth making an effort to snag it on either date? The Galaxy Tab 10.1, much like its Limited Edition sibling that we reviewed last month, is ever-so-slightly thinner than the iPad 2, a slate that most sane individuals (and competitors, for that matter) would confess is the market leader today.

Naturally, everyone and their sister is gunning for Apple in this space, and Honeycomb’s the first mobile OS we’ve seen that has the potential to put any sort of damper on Cupertino’s ongoing rave. By and large, the consumer version of the Tab 10.1 is the same as the device launched at Google I/O, but there’s two key differences that we’ll focus on here: the tamed design, and the thoroughly different OS version (v3.1 here versus v3.0 before). Head on past the break for an in-depth look into both of those, but be sure to first take a gander at our Limited Edition review to wrap your noodle around the basics.

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 unboxing and hands-on

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 review

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jun 06

Evolve III prices triple-booting Maestro S and swiveling Maestro C tablets, unveils cordless NGen desktop (video)

Posted in: Android, availability, CoreI7, intel, LED, meego, PC, price, sandy bridge, SandyBridge, tablet, tablet pc, TabletPc, Today's Chili, video, windows 7, Windows7

We knew Evolve III had some major plans in store for this year and now, we’ve found out a little more about the company’s latest creations. First up is the Maestro S — a triple-booting slate that, as promised, can now support Android, Windows 7 and Meego. Rocking a 10.1-inch, 1024 x 600 capacitive touchscreen, the Maestro is powered by an Intel Z670 Oak Trail processor clocking in at 1.5GHz and runs on a battery that can last for up to ten hours per charge when running on Windows 7, or up to 18 hours when in Meego mode. The Maestro C will give you all of this, plus that swiveling kickstand we heard about last month. Designed with frequent flyers in mind, the convertible tablet also comes with a wireless keyboard that can serve as a protective, hardshell case.

Rounding out the troika is the NGen — a next-generation, “all-in-one” PC, powered by an Intel Core i7 Sandy Bridge CPU. The WiDi-enabled desktop boasts a 21.5-inch, 1920 x 1080 LED, supports Intel HD graphics and packs a 2.0-megapixel, front-facing camera. Weighing in at a little under 13-pounds, the cordless NGen can be folded up for quick transport, or mounted on a wall. Content can also be synced across all three devices, with a Wormhole connecting cord. As far as pricing goes, the Maestro S and C are running for 800 AUD (about $860) and 825 AUD (around $886), respectively, while the NGen, according to an Evolve III representative, will retail for about $1,500 of the green stuff. Unfortunately, this lineup won’t be available Stateside until later this year, but you can find out more in the video that awaits you, after the break.

[Thanks, Nicholas]

Continue reading Evolve III prices triple-booting Maestro S and swiveling Maestro C tablets, unveils cordless NGen desktop (video)

Evolve III prices triple-booting Maestro S and swiveling Maestro C tablets, unveils cordless NGen desktop (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Jun 2011 05:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceHighwayBlogger (YouTube), Evolve III  | Email this | Comments

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Jun 04

Ask Engadget: should I get a 7-, 8.9- or 10-inch tablet?

Posted in: 10-inch, 7-inch, android tablet, AndroidTablet, AskEngadget, GalaxyTab, slate, tablet, tablet pc, TabletPc, Today's Chili

We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is coming to us from Johan, who can’t seem to determine which size is sizable enough. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“I’m in the market for a tablet, mostly for content consumption but also for checking emails and being somewhat productive when I feel like it. I’ve never owned one before, so I’m wondering what size is best. I could get a 7-inch, 8.9-inch or 10-inch tablet — I’m more concerned with the size than the OS, frankly. I need it to be portable, yet still feel “bigger” than my Droid X. Any opinions from those that have used multiple sizes? Thanks!”

A great question. There’s obviously pros and cons to each of those sizes, and your options are certainly constricted down at the 7-inch end. That said, the now-discounted Galaxy Tab and the still-growing BlackBerry PlayBook would fit the 7-inch bill, and the choices spread out significantly when creeping up to 10-inches. So, what say you?

Ask Engadget: should I get a 7-, 8.9- or 10-inch tablet? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Jun 2011 23:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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