Archive for the ‘android tablets’ tag
Toshiba unveils world’s thinnest 10-inch tablet no comments
Tablets continue to get lighter and thinner — Toshiba today unveiled its newest Android tablet, which is the thinnest 10-incher yet. The Excite X10 is 0.3 inches thin and weighs in at 1.18 pounds. 
Some of the features of the Exite X10:
- Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 processor; 1.2GHz with 1GB LPDDR2 RAM.
- 10.1-inch diagonal LED Backlit widescreen Corning Gorilla Glass display with IPS technology and 10-finger multi-touch support; 1280 x 800 resolution, 16:10 aspect ratio.
- 2 MP front-facing and 5 MP rear-facing cameras; LED flash on rear.
- Ports: Micro USB, Micro HDMI.
- Micro SD card slot.
- Gyroscope, accelerometer, GPS, eCompass and ambient light sensor.
- Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n) and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
The Excite X10 is expected to be available in the US in the first quarter of this year and will be priced at $529.99 with 16GB or $599.99 with 32GB.
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Epson releases iPrint app for Android no comments
Epson has released an Android version of its iPrint app. If you have an Epson Wi-Fi all-in-one printer this app will let you connect to it and print, scan, save and share documents and photos directly from your Android phone or tablet.
Some of the free app’s other features:
- Access and print online files from Box.net, Dropbox and Evernote
- The built-in browser can be used to find and print a web page.
- Printing options can be configured and printer’s status and ink levels can be checked from within the app.
- Documents can be scanned and saved onto your Android device.
The iPrint app is free at the Android Market. There has been an iOS version available for awhile at iTunes (also free), which I installed on my iPad some time ago. I’ve just installed it on my Xoom and the app seems to work quite well in this version as well.
If you have an HP printer there is the free HP iPrint Photo app. Unfortunately it does not appear to have as many features as the Epson app — no scanning, for example.
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New Archos Honeycomb tablets unveiled 2 comments
Archos has unveiled a couple of new tablets that look very interesting. The 8-inch Archos 80 G9 and the 10-inch Archos 101 G9 will both run Android 3.1 Honeycomb. Both tablets are powered by 1.5 GHz dual-core OMAP 4 processors from Texas Instruments. Archos claims the new tablets will be faster than competing tablets running Nvidia Tegra 2 chipsets (1 GHz) — as much as 50 percent faster at loading web pages. 
Archos is also introducing the Archos 3G Stick — an optional ($49) 3G solution on a USB stick that will fit into a concealed USB port on the pack of the tablets. So Archos will not have to release separate Wi-Fi only and 3G enabled devices. The 3G Stick can be shared between different devices and uses only one data plan (depending on your country).
For storage the tablets will feature either 16GB of flash memory or a 250 GB ultra-thin hard drive from Seagate. The Seagate Momentus Thin hard drive is only 7mm thick and means the Archos tablets with this option will offer much more storage than competing tablets. The hard drive versions of the tablets are only 3mm thicker than the flash versions but the drive does add some weight. Both the flash and hard drive versions of the G9’s will cost the same.
Some of the other features:
- Capacitive multitouch display.
- Display resolution: Archos 80 – 1024 x 768; Archos 1280 x 800.
- Can play 1080p H264 High Profile videos.
- Front facing camera with 720p encoding.
- USB slave and host.
- Micro SD card slot (Flash version).
- HDMI output.
- Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n; Bluetooth 2.1+ EDR.
- Built-in sensors: GPS, G-sensor, vibrator, compass.
- Microphone; built-in speakers.
- Flip-out kickstand.
- Dimensions and weight:
- Archos 80 Flash – 8.9 x 6.11 x .46 inches (226mm x 155.3mm x 11.7mm); 17 ounces (465g).
- Archos 80 Hard Drive – 8.9 x 6.11 x .58 inches (226mm x 155.3mm x 14.7mm); 21.9 inches (599g).
- Archos 101 Flash – 10.86 x 6.59 x .5 inches (276mm x 167.3mm x 15.6mm); 23.8 ounces (649g).
- Archos 101 Hard Drive – 10.86 x 6.59 x .61 inches (276mm x 167.3mm x 15.6mm); 27.7 ounces (755g).
- Battery Life: Music playback up to 36 hours; Video playback up to 7 hours; Internet browsing up to 10 hours.
Perhaps the coolest thing about these new tablets from Archos is the price: $279 for the 8-incher and $349 for the 10-inch model. Expected to be available in late September.
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Now your cat can play games on the iPad too no comments
Friskies has several games for cats to play on your iPad or Android tablet. Three games, Cat Fishing, Tasty Treasures Hunt and Party Mix-Up are available, with more apps planned. The games feature virtual swimming fish and flying food or treats. Friskie developed the games using rigorous behavioral research techniques and feline focus group sessions.
“We’re always working to find new ways to feed cats’ senses, whether at mealtime or playtime,” said Ryan Gass, assistant brand manager for Friskies. “To develop these games for cats, we learned what truly appealed to them. Now we know their favorite colors, types of movement and their general game-play attitudes. We also found out that they cannot play pinball.”
The Friskies brand research revealed that cats are most intrigued by the intricate movements of objects as they wiggle or spin across the screen. Also, the range of colors a cat sees is much narrower than a human’s, so creating good contrast between the background and the playing pieces was crucial. And tablet devices’ glass screens stood up to the cats’ paws with no scratches.
To play the free games, go to gamesforcats.com with your tablet’s browser. The games will not work on your desktop unless you are using the Safari or Chrome browsers.
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Brainchild Kineo educational tablet adopted by schools in ten states no comments
Educational technology company Brainchild launched its Kineo tablet for the
educational market in February of this year. Today the company said in a statement that it has so far shipped the Kineo tablet to school districts in ten states and sold out of its initial production run of 5000 units. Brainchild says that it will increase the production of new Kineos to meet the demand.
The Kineo is Android-based and is designed to be durable enough for classroom use. Web access is limited to websites that are pre-programmed by faculty, so students cannot use it to distract themselves by freely browsing the Internet.
Using Brainchild’s GlobalSYNC technology, data from a school’s Kineos can be synchronized on demand and syncs only when scheduled. This helps prevent network crashes that can result from continuous data uploads.
“Kineo is an education-only tablet built for the ‘mission-critical’ environment in schools,” said Jeff Cameron, president of Brainchild. “A teacher cannot worry about bandwidth issues, screen freezes or free reign of the Internet. We have 16 years of experience in manufacturing handhelds and training teachers how to use standards-based curriculum. We’ve poured all of that experience into developing Kineo and GlobalSYNC.”
The Kineo ships with Brainchild’s web-based assessment and standards-based instructional program, Achiever!, which is built to match each state’s standards.
The Kineo specs:
- 7-inch LCD touchscreen; 800 x 480 resolution
- Processor: 800MHZ Duel Core
- 2 GB internal storage
- Wi-Fi
- Flash player; MP4 movie player
- Android 2.1
- SD card slot
- I/O: HDMI video/audio out; USB; Headphone jack
- Stereo speakers
- Priced at $299.
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eLocity 10-inch Android tablets pre-order dates announced no comments
Stream TV Networks says that pre-orders for the eLocity A10 
Android tablets will launch on Feb. 15, 2011.
Three models will be available:
- A10.004 with 4GB will be offered at the discounted price of $399 for early orders.
- A10.032 with 32GB for $599.99.
- A10.064 with 64GB for $699.99.
Like the eLocity A7 (see my eLocity A7 hands-on review), the new 10-inch tablets will ship with Android 2.2 (Froyo). They are also powered by the NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor. The display has been upgraded — the 10-inch tablets have IPS, which should provide a wider angle of view.
The ports and microSD slots appear to be the same as the A7. I got to spend a couple of minutes with the eLocity A10 at CES and it seemed functionally very similar to the A7. The big question is whether or not these tablets will be upgradeable to Honeycomb when it is released.
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eLocity A7 Tablet Unboxing and Review no comments
Steam Television’s eLocity A7 Android-based tablet finally started shipping a few weeks ago and I snagged one to review. Yeah yeah I know — another week, another 7-inch Android tablet, snore snore.
But the eLocity A7 stands out from the crowd of other 7-inch 
Android tablets because it is one of the first to ship with the Tegra 2 chipset from NVIDIA. I’ve found the eLocity to be quick and responsive – more so than the other Android tablets I’ve tried.
At first glance, the eLocity A7 may seem a little less elegant than some other tablets with its square edges. Rounded and beveled edges are more elegant, but probably harder to fit a lot of ports into. The A7 has both a USB 2.0 host and an HDMA port as well as earphone jack, AC power port, microSD card slot, SIM card slot and docking port. The SIM card slot is not currently supported and there does not seem to be a dock available yet. The eLocity has that now ubiquitous rubberized coating on the back and edges which does add tactile comfort.
The first thing I needed to do after unboxing the eLocity (after charging it – the battery was completely dead) was to install the latest firmware update. Before installing the update the A7 could not detect any wireless networks. To install the update you will need a microSD card and a card reader (if your computer does not already have one). You have to download the update and then from your computer transfer it onto the microSD card , which you then put into the eLocity to install the update. You can download the update and see the full instructions for installing it here.
This and other tasks involving sideloading things onto the eLocity would be much easier if there was an easier way to connect the A7 to your computer. The USB port is a host, so you will need to have a USB A to A cable to connect it to your computer. The unused docking port and pictures of the eLocity in a dock would seem to indicate that Stream TV will be releasing a docking accessory at some point. I asked Stream TV about this but have received no answer as of yet. In the meantime you will need a microSD card and a reader for your desktop.
The firmware update also adds a few more apps 
to the selection that was present on the eLocity pre-update. After the update there are 27 apps installed, including: Adobe Reader, Aldiko, Amazon shopping, Appoke and Getjar app stores, Documents To Go, FBReader, Kindle, OI file manager and Spare Parts.
The Kindle ereading app is installed with the update and you can get Kobo, Wattpad and Nook apps from Getjar. Except for the Kobo app, which I couldn’t get to work, the reading apps let me connect to the stores with my existing accounts and download my libraries. The eLocity will give you access to at least two of the major ebookstores (Kindle and B&N) plus Wattpad and hopefully Kobo at some point in the future.
I found the capacitive touchscreen of the eLocity A7 to be quite responsive, even at the edges of the screen. The eLocity does not support true multitouch, which may cause some games and other apps to not work on it. While the display does look quite good, I am a bit spoiled by the screen of the Nook Color, which has richer and more vibrant colors and a much wider viewing angle.
Battery life is nowhere near as good as the iPad, which is currently the gold standard. It seems to get around 5 hours, so you should be able to get a day’s use out of one charge, but if you let the eLocity go to sleep and forget about it the batteries will likely be drained when you go to use it again.
Typing on the virtual keyboard, even in portrait mode where the keys are smaller and close together, was quite easy with few mistaken letters. This can sometimes be challenging for my largish man fingers on some touchscreens — but not on the eLocity.
The Web browsing experience is quite good. The browser is fast and pinch and zoom is enabled but is perhaps not as smooth as on devices with true multitouch. Screen orientation changes automatically and quickly with the A7, which is handy when on the Internet.
I have some video files made from my DVD collection that I 
made to put on my older generation Archos media player. When I bought this several years ago it was one of the few devices that would let you carry your movies with you and use a patch cord to plug into a TV and watch them. Quite handy when travelling.
Now there are a number of devices that will let you do this. The eLocity A7 has an HDMI port and will output 1080p, so as long as you have access to a TV that is 1080p you can watch your movies on a bigger screen. Both the movie files and video from my Flip would not play on the eLocity (nor on the Nook Color) until I converted them using HandBrake — a free download.
After conversion the videos usually played well. The speakers on the eLocity are not very loud at all, as with most devices of this type, so you will want to use a pair of earbuds. A basic pair of earphones is included with the A7.
I’ve experienced almost no problems with the eLocity A7, but a couple of times it did balk at playing a video for some reason. After rebooting the video would then play normally.
When listening to MP3 tracks, I found the sound quality of the eLocity to be superior to that of the Nook Color, except that there is a very faint background hiss always present when using earphones.
eLocity A7 vs iPad vs Kindle vs Nook Color, etc.
The eLocity A7 is no iPad, but it is cheaper and more portable. It is great for web browsing and watching videos. YouTube videos look much better on the eLocity than they do on the Nook Color. As long as games don’t require true multitouch they should also work well on the eLocity. For ereading, you will have access to at least the Kindle Store and Barnes & Noble.
The eLocity A7 leaves the less expensive Android-based 7-inch tablets I’ve tried in the dust. It is much faster and the touchscreen more responsive. It also seems to be less buggy.
Of course, at $299 it is also quite a bit more expensive. Because of its price, I think that it is most competitive with the Nook Color. I found the A7 to be better for watching video and slightly better for web browsing than the Nook Color. It also seemed to me to have better sound when listening on earphones – if you can overlook the slight hiss. The Nook Color wins when it comes to the sheer beauty of its screen. The Nook Color is overall a more physically attractive device. B&N’s customer support, while nothing to cheer about, is also better than that of Stream TV.
If you want more tablet in your tablet, then the eLocity A7 makes an alluring alternative to the Nook Color for not much more money. The A7 will also give you access to not only the B&N ebookstore, but the Kindle Store as well. While the eLocity does not have access to the Android Market, there are a number of games and other apps available for it.
Of course, it is now easy to root the Nook Color, which will also give you access to the Kindle Store – as well as giving you access to the Android Market. On the downside, you will probably have to redo this every time B&N releases a new firmware update.
Actually, we should soon have a version of Android that will be optimized for tablets and will bring access to the Android Market. When that happens, all of the current tablets that can’t upgrade are going to be looking much less appealing.
You can currently buy the eLocity A7 at Amazon and elsewhere for $299. The user reviews at Amazon are mixed, but many of the negative reviews are from before the first firmware update of Dec. 24, 2010. After the firmware update I have had no problems with the Wi-Fi. As you see in the video, I was also able to install one of the free versions of Angry Birds as well. Before the update Angry Birds would not install.
eLocity A7 tablet cases & covers
So far the choices are limited when it comes to cases and covers for the eLocity A7 tablet. CaseCrown has a faux suede sleeve
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Velocity Micro announces new series of Cruz Tablets no comments
Velocity Micro has announced three new tablets at CES. All three sport higher resolution screens and will feature the Kindle reading app instead of the Borders (Kobo) app.
From the press release (via CrunchGear):
New Generation of Android-based Tablets Include 8? and 10? options with no contract 3G access, available in late Q1.
Velocity Micro, the premier builder of ultra performance desktops, notebooks, peripherals, tablets, and ereaders, announces three new devices to join the Cruz family. Built with the same meticulous attention to detail and 100% US support that have made Velocity Micro famous amongst enthusiasts, these 7?, 8?, and 10? tablet models include features such as 3G, Bluetooth, GPS, HDMI out, and Android 2.2/2.3.
“Our goal when designing the new generation of Cruz products was to create thin, powerful, and feature rich devices,” said Randy Copeland, President and CEO of Velocity Micro. “With these new Tablets, we’ve done just that. These are remarkable tablets– a true extension of our ongoing philosophy to bring functionality and affordability to the mainstream.”
With a 10.1? 1366x 768 capacitive touch screen and ultra thin design, the Cruz Tablet L510 is as feature rich as it is sleekly elegant. Key features include:
- NVIDIA Tegra 250 Chipset
- 1GHz dual core CPU
- Front and rear facing cameras
- 3G data options
- Bluetooth 2.1
- GPS and eCompass
- HDMI out
- Android 2.2/2.3
- Amazon Kindle application pre-installed
Featuring an 8? 1024×768 resolution capacitive screen and packed with tons of extras, the Cruz Tablet P38 is perfect for business travel, as a multimedia hub, or cruising the web from the couch. Features include:
- 802.11n wifi
- 4GB Internal memory
- Front and rear facing cameras
- Bluetooth 2.1
- HDMI out
- Android 2.2/2.3
- Amazon Kindle application pre-installed
With a 7? 1024×600 capacitive touch screen, the Cruz Tablet L37 fits in the palm of one hand for a unique combination of power and portability in a mobile device. Features include:
- 802.11n wifi
- 4GB Internal memory
- Front and rear facing cameras
- 3G data options
- GPS and ecompass
- Bluetooth 2.1
- micro HDMI out
- Android 2.2/2.3
- Amazon Kindle application pre-installed
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eLocity A7 – the tablet is in the mail no comments
Stream TV has announced that it finally started shipping its eLocity A7 tablet yesterday to pre-order customers. Sometime this week the A7 is supposed to start appearing at retail outlets. At the moment Amazon is still listing the eLocity A7 as temporarily out of stock. BJ’s has the lower price if you are a member.
From the press release:
CEO Mathu Rajan of Stream TV comments, "We’re confident that the A7 will provide a great mobile computing user experience. We worked very hard on the UI and software in recent months to ensure that we were integrating the newest and best solutions, but also met the added challenge of doubling original production targets due to high demand. We know that our customers have been eagerly anticipating this release and we look forward to receiving their feedback."
The A7 optimizes portability, connectivity, and computing power like never before in one sleek device. The first mobile tablet available in the U.S. running Android 2.2 Froyo, the eLocity A7 offers a wide range of mobile apps, supports Adobe Flash and is enabled for 3D gaming with the NVIDIA Tegra T-250 dual core processor. Sporting a high resolution seven-inch capacitive and multi-touch screen, 4GB of high speed internal flash memory, the eLocity A7 is a multipurpose device that provides a full entertainment solution along with business productivity and wireless connectivity. The tablet is equipped with a micro SD slot supporting up to 32GB of added storage, a USB port supporting up to 64GB of added storage and a 1080p HDMI output. With streamlined dimensions of 8.2 inches by 4.8 inches and weighing just over a pound, the new eLocity A7 tablet is more portable than the iPad and sports a striking design expected to appeal to a wide demographic of users.
The introduction of the eLocity A7 tablet is the first step in Stream TV’s strategic growth plan to bring to market innovative products featuring state-of-the-art technology designed to transform consumer communications and digital lifestyle.
The Elocity A7 will not have access to the Android Market. Stream TV is recommending GetJar for apps. I found Kindle and Kobo reading apps at Getjar that can be downloaded for the A7. Unfortunately there does not seem to be a Nook app at Getjar.
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eReader & Tablet News 9/11/2010 no comments
A roundup of some of the news from the past few days.
Kindle software update version 3.0.1 is now out of beta and is available for download.
Besides improving stability, the new update also adds the ability to create a new Amazon account directly from the Kindle, rather than having to do this with a computer.
Kindle 3 continues to sell well enough to keep pushing shipping dates out — new orders are now shipping on September 24.
* * *
Kobo has launched its first contest of the month. This one only lasts through September 16, 2010, and will give away 25 Kobo eReaders. Every ebook purchase counts as an entry. There is, of course, a non-purchase route of entry as well. Full details at Kobo.com.
* * *
Last month I wrote about a new tablet from Stream TV called the eLocity A7 that was supposed to launch the following week. Well, the eLocity missed its original launch date, but is now available for pre-order at Amazon.
The eLocity runs Android 2.2 and is built with the NVIDIA Tegra 2 SOC. No 3G, but you can connect with the built-in Wi-Fi. The price is $370.
* * *
Speaking of Froyo (Android 2.2) and tablets, Google says that Froyo is designed to be used on phones and is not meant for tablets. Tablets running Android 2.2 may not have access
to the Android Market and many apps won’t run on such devices. It is expected that we will have to wait for the Gingerbread release of the Android OS for a version that is designed to be used with tablets.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab runs on Froyo and does have access to the Android Market because it operates like a large phone rather than a tablet computer.
As the Android OS gains popularity it would probably be a good idea for Google to have some sort of certification logo program, otherwise some consumers are going to be disappointed when their shiny new Android-based tablet cannot access the Android Market.
* * *
Recent reports of the demise of Interead, maker of the Cool-er ereaders, were apparently somewhat exaggerated and premature.
Pocket-lint reports that Interead will be partnering with Elonex to produce five new Elonex Cool-er branded ereaders.
* * *
Also via Pocket-lint — Qualcomm is saying that there will be a device, most likely an ereader, with a Mirasol display announced at CES and then launched in Q1 of 2011.
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