It seems like every day now we see a new headline about either the rise of mobile tablets or the downfall of netbooks and traditional computers. Are PC manufacturers tightening their belts, or shifting to mobile platforms for success? Have tablets really taken over the world? No, not yet. In fact, recent studies revealed that […]
The Nook Simple Touch Reader can rest comfortably in your hand for hours on end. It’s noticeably lighter than the Kindle, and the contoured back coupled with the rubberized matte finish gives you a good grip. More hands-on impressions ahead: More »
Barnes and Noble’s new, second-gen Nook isn’t a bigger, iPad-sized device. Nor is it a hybrid reader with dual, E-Ink and LCD screens. Instead, it’s a small, cheap E-Reader…with a touchscreen and a battery that lasts TWO MONTHS on a single charge. Updating live… More »
While many of you continue your quest for an Eee Pad Transformer, some folks, predictably, have already figured out how to overclock it. Netarchy over at the XDA forum posted a custom kernel allowing hackers to crank the tablet’s clock speed to 1.4GHz, the same peak reached by the ViewSonic G Tablet. Beware, though, that performance at that speed has proven unreliable, so for now the dev recommends a more modest 1.2GHz to avoid data loss, a meltdown, and “injury of assorted puppies.” Par for the course, really.
Eee Pad Transformer gets overclocked to 1.4GHz, deemed less than stable originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 15:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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As rumored, T-Mobile overhauled its individual and family plans today and simplified your options to just three tiers of voice service. Individuals can choose between 500, 1,000 or unlimited minutes, with unlimited text messaging adding $10 and data add-ons ranging from $10 for 200MB to $60 for 10GB. Family plans come in 1,000, 2,000 and unlimited minute varieties while the sharable data and text services cost twice as much as their individual counterparts. There are some odd restrictions, such as the inability to add texting or data to the mid-tier plans and no choice for unlimited voice service without SMS tacked on. We do, however, like the overage-free data options that simply drop to 2G speeds when you reach your plan’s threshold instead of shocking you with huge fees at the end of the month. We can also confirm that restocking fees have been bumped from $10 regardless of device to $50 for smartphones, $75 for tablets, and $25 for USB modems and “basic phone devices.” Check out the sources for all the details and fine print.
Update: Just a few hours after debuting its new individual and family plans T-Mo unleash a pair of new no annual contract choices. $50 gets you unlimited voice, text, and 100MB of 4G or 3G data while $70 pushes the high-speed data cap to 5GB. And, just like the on-contract options, these are overage-free. PR is after the break.
[Thanks, Neal]
Continue reading T-Mobile lauches new individual and family plans right on schedule
T-Mobile lauches new individual and family plans right on schedule originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 09:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The thinnest 15-inch laptop “on the planet” is coming tomorrow, costing a measly $999, according to the Wall Street Journal. In a profile of Dell’s recent history and forthcoming plans in the consumer electronics market, the financial paper twice makes reference to an ultrathin, $999 laptop that is set to launch on Tuesday of this week. Pairing that intel with the abundance of leaks surrounding the slinky 15.6-inch XPS 15z — including a Michael Dell tweet promising it’s “coming soon” — leads us to the conclusion that we’ve finally gotten ahold of the price and date for Dell’s next big thing. Interestingly enough, the WSJ article goes on to say that Dell had canned a similar set of slim laptops earlier in the year, which might give us greater hope for the quality of the 15z — it survived where others didn’t.
Other disclosures in the piece include a quote from Michael Dell, saying that he “didn’t completely see” the tablet boom coming, which might explain why sales of his company’s Streak tablets have been low enough to be described as “immaterial.” There’s also a discussion of the abortive Zing music service and related MP3 players that never were, but you’ll have to hit the source link to learn more about them.
Update: As further evidence of the 15z’s imminent release, the tease has turned into a show with a video that fully reveals its slimline chassis and declares that the new Dell packs the Streak’s Stage UI as well. [Thanks, Ishai and Ming Han]
Update 2: And now we have the answer to our headline question: yes.
Continue reading Dell XPS 15z coming tomorrow for $999? (updated)
Dell XPS 15z coming tomorrow for $999? (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 06:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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PlayBoy Magazine might not have had the HP TouchPad’s price dead to rights, but it also might not have been far off the mark — if this allegedly leaked Walmart database entry is correct, the 32GB version of the webOS slate will cost $599. PreCentral nabbed the above image, as well as supplementary documentation suggesting an $80 sticker price for the Touchstone Dock, $50 for a first-party case, $30 for a spare AC adapter and $70 for the official Bluetooth keyboard. Of course, that $599 price tag puts the 9.7-inch tablet squarely in the sights of Apple’s 32GB iPad 2. We can’t wait to see if it’s worth the cash to pick up this underdog.
Walmart prices HP TouchPad 32GB at $599? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 May 2011 22:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Android Honeycomb 3.1‘s a small but totally excellent update for Android tablets. A slightly smoother interface is packaged with two substantial features: improved flash performance (it’s really, really better!) and USB device compatibility (like a real computer!). More »
HTC touts early Flyer sales, promises NFC-equipped phone within a year originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 May 2011 15:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
We couldn’t help but notice that a lot of you want to buy the Eee Pad Transformer; it’s just that your quest for one is turning up dry. We asked ASUS for an update on the shortage and the company said it’s cranking ’em out at a furious pace to meet strong demand. Here’s what a PR rep had to say:
We are ramping production every week to address the supply concerns, including almost daily air shipments into North America. We expect the supply line to improve significantly over the coming weeks.
So there you have it: if you live on the North American continent, at least, you’ll soon be able to find an elusive Transformer — and just in time for a much-appreciated Android 3.1 update.
ASUS ramping up Eee Pad Transformer production, says they’ll be easier to find in the ‘coming weeks’ originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 May 2011 09:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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