Hasta La Gadget!

We knew at Computex that tablets were on track to completely take over the world, but now it’s official: a German internet provider has just revealed that it’ll soon be offering a branded tablet PC of its own. You heard right — a German ISP is making a tablet. The delightfully named SmartPad is a 7-inch, touchscreen-based slate that’ll eventually support Android 2.2 (v1.6 will be pre-installed), and there’s also inbuilt WiFi and an optional 3G module for those looking to “stay connected.” It seems as if the company is still hammering out the final specifications, but we are told to expect an SD card reader (2GB will be included), a USB socket, a 500MHz ARM11 processor, 256MB of RAM and a proprietary app store that’ll undoubtedly enrage you. According to the promotional video hosted just past the break, it should ship later this month for precisely nothing so long as you pick up a data plan to go alongside of it. ‘Course, getting one outside of Deutschland is another challenge entirely…

Continue reading 1&1’s 7-inch SmartPad is the most unlikely Android tablet you’ll ever see

1&1’s 7-inch SmartPad is the most unlikely Android tablet you’ll ever see originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Jul 2010 13:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve heard the rumors, hell, we’ve even seen Intel reference designs (pictured) running the MeeGo OS. But now we seem to have confirmation that a proper MeeGo tablet built by Nokia is on the way. Anssi Vanjoki, Nokia’s newly crowned chief of Mobile Solutions, said the following in an interview captured by the Wall Street Journal:

Due to the spread of cloud computing and new advances in electronics and network technology, mobile devices will increasingly move beyond smartphones to include other computer-like gadgets such as tablets, and the MeeGo platform will be an important asset for Nokia.

Remember, Nokia already makes a netbook and the smartphone qualifier would seem to remove any speculation that Anssi is referring to its Internet Tablet class of Maemo devices. So maybe, just maybe that rumored 7- or 9-inch Nokia tablet is real. Did we say maybe?

Did Nokia just confirm a MeeGo tablet? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 09:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We were just starting to get over the Courier, moving on after the tantalizing first reveal, the delish conceptual walkthrough, the heartbreaking cancellation, and the inevitable fallout. Now, Microsoft is dragging us back down memory lane with the receipt of a new patent covering the design of the thing. It was filed back on January 19, right after the CES that we’d (futilely) hoped would give us a glimpse of Courier in the flesh, and that patent has just now been approved. So, Microsoft officially owns the design of the thing, and the question now is whether they’ll ever actually do anything with it other than sprinkle mementos like this about from time to time and remind us what might have been. You’re a cruel mistress, Steve Ballmer.

[Thanks, Basil]

Microsoft’s new ‘dual display device’ patent re-opens old Courier wounds originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cisco announced the Cius 7-inch Android tablet at its CiscoLive event in Las Vegas on Tuesday, which the company is touting as a an ultraportable tablet for mobile collaboration.

Cisco did not reveal either a timeline or a price for the new tablet, which appears to be the first Android tablet, at least, designed primarily for business. (The Camangi WebStation is another 7-inch Android tablet with a consumer focus.)

Unlike other tablets, Ciisco said that the Cius (pronounced cee-us) was designed for and is bundled with Cisco technologies designed for mobile business, including the ability to take 720p video in conjunction with the Cisco Telepresence solution. The tablet also comes bundled with Cisco
Quad, Cisco
Show and Share, WebEx,
Presence, and an instant-messenger app.

“Cisco Cius delivers on our vision of bringing the next wave of collaborative experiences to our customers,” said Kara Wilson, vice president of UC and collaboration solutions marketing for Cisco, in a video published on a Cisco Web page.. “It will fundamentally change how your workers, executives and managers will go about their day, ushering in a new era of productivity.”

Cisco‘s just announced a business-aimed Android tablet, and it’s calling it the Cius. The tablet will offer HD video streaming, real-time video, multi-party conferencing, plus all the regular tablet functions like messaging, email, and browsing. We’re not sure about the size of the device yet, or any of it technical specs, but we do know that it’s going to weigh in at 1.15lbs, so it can’t be terrifically large. There’s also no word yet on pricing yet, but expect to see the device the first quarter of 2011; we’ll let you know about the former as soon as we do, okay, businessmen? Full press release is below.

Update: And now we’ve got video showing off the Cius under the drone of a limp corporate voiceover and synthesized soundtrack. How can you resist clicking through to the embed?

Continue reading Cisco unveils Cius Android tablet with HD video capabilities (update: video!)

Cisco unveils Cius Android tablet with HD video capabilities (update: video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Jun 2010 14:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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