Hasta La Gadget!

The return rate of the Galaxy Tab in the US as claimed by an North American marketresearch firm is incorrect. According to Samsung Electronics Mobile Communications Business, the return rate is below two percent.

Google is taking a hard line on the latest version of Android. Honeycomb, it turns out, is not for phones. Asked when a version of Android 3.0 would launch for smartphones after the event, a Google spokesman told the crowd that the last version of the operating system is intended to be tablet-only. “Features will arrive on phones over time,” he told the press.

The answer isn’t entirely surprising. After all, Google insisted that Android 2.2 wasn’t optimized for tablets–not that everyone listened, of course. We saw a number of Android tablets flood the market prior to the soon-to-be unreleased Honeycomb.

Now, such a proclamation raises questions–for starters, what does that mean for the numbering system? Before Honeycomb, every Android upgrade was tailored for smartphones–now that 3.0 is tablet-only?

Google’s in a bit of a precarious position at the moment. The company is still preaching the openness of the software, but it’s beginning to insist on more concrete rules, to help avoid risking further potential fragmentation for the OS.

Diving through the Motorola Xoom’s sweet, sweet blend of Android 3.0, we found an interesting perk — there’s an “Encrypt Tablet” option buried in the settings page, intended to secure all your personal data with a password or PIN. While a handy Google rep couldn’t tell us which cryptographic standards the OS uses, he did tell us the feature is part of Honeycomb as a whole, not a Motorola exclusive, so we’re sure to see the option in other business-minded Android slates to come. Oh, and Google asks that all you sysadmins stay tuned, as the company’s whipped up an API that lets you enforce policy restrictions upon your peons as far as encryption is concerned. Just make sure they remember to keep the tablet charged. See a close-up after the break.

Continue reading Android 3.0 ‘Honeycomb’ can encrypt all your data, needs a full hour’s charge

Android 3.0 ‘Honeycomb’ can encrypt all your data, needs a full hour’s charge originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Feb 2011 18:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here’s the Android 3.0 Honeycomb homescreen for tablets. It’s slightly different from Android’s phone-interface to take advantage of the larger tablet-sized screen, which means there’s even better multitasking and widgets. Updating. More »

HP is trying to make more products that can compete with companies like Apple or Google. However, it’s hard to compete with a huge product like the iPad, so the company are taking a new approach. HP created two new tools that were designed for teachers and can even be used for businesses or personal use.

The Digital Sketch and Pocket Whiteboard are part of the new HP Digital Learning Suite line. Both are tablets, but not the typical variety. The Digital Sketch allows teachers to freely move around their classroom, while still being able to access their desktop computer and the files on it. The Pocket Whiteboard allows teachers or students to turn any flat surface into a virtual whiteboard for projects or notes.

Both products’ prices will vary on how many are ordered, along with other factors may also apply. The Pocket Whiteboard will be available later on this month, while the Digital Sketch will come out next month. No word on if they will be sold at retail stores or solely via HP.

Via ZDNet