Apple's current iPad is already cleared for China in WiFi trim, but those of us who've wanted to roam through Kunming on care-free 3G haven't had any officially approved choices. That's ending soon, as the Chinese government just gave the cellular version (A1430) the all-clear. Like in most parts of the world, Apple's slate won't use LTE given the lack of any established network in the area; HSPA's as good as it will get. The clearance is slightly odd given that the State Administration for Industry and Commerce is leaning in Proview's direction when it comes to iPad trademark ownership. With the iPad still legally available in the country, though, it's safe to say that official 3G iPad carrier China Unicom is happy to prepare for a rush of customers who want to buy a cellular iPad without using the zipline delivery method.

China greenlights Apple's third-gen iPad for 3G use, China Unicom smiles knowingly originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 May 2012 15:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We're very used to Apple prototypes showing up on eBay. It's not often that we see unreleased iPads get the auction treatment, however, which makes a new listing that much more interesting. A 16GB WiFi version of the original iPad has popped up sporting a second dock connector on its side, a feature that we'd previously only spotted in Apple design patents. The advantage, of course, would be to keep the iPad powered and synced while it's playing a favorite movie in landscape mode. While we don't know how one aaps69 managed to get hands on the tablet, there's some clear signs that the seller didn't just carve an extra hole in the aluminum for kicks: the slate is running the familiar SwitchBoard tool that Apple uses for in-house diagnostics, and there's a raft of old and incomplete part details that suggest this particular iPad was never meant for store shelves. We'll likely never know why Apple left us in a land of solo dock connectors, but we'd take a peek at the source link before it's gone, as more recent Apple prototypes at auction tend to return to the source quickly.

OG iPad prototype with dual dock connectors hits eBay, teases us with convenience we never had originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 May 2012 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Continue reading Refresh Roundup: week of May 21st, 2012

Refresh Roundup: week of May 21st, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 27 May 2012 20:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If we believe Japan's Nikkei, the decision by Hon Hai Precision Industry (that is, Foxconn's daddy) to buy a stake in Sharp was really just the start of a long, torrid love affair in LCD production. While Hon Hai is getting the rosy side of the deal for Sharp's TV-oriented Sakai plant, it's now thought to be paying Sharp for display technology that would go into a new factory in Chengdu for small- and medium-sized LCDs used for smartphones and tablets. If all dovetails as nicely as the two would like, the joint venture would see advanced mobile displays manufactured on the cheap -- the best of both worlds. Suffice it to say that there's a few companies that might be interested, as clients like Apple are no strangers to Chengdu. Before you let visions of IGZO-based LCDs on every iPad and iPhone dance through your head, though, remember that neither Hon Hai nor Sharp has confirmed anything -- and that the plant wouldn't be up and running until 2013 at the earliest, even if everything's in sync.

Sharp reportedly getting cozy with Hon Hai Precision, helping to make phone and tablet LCDs in Chengdu originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 15:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Did you see the Google+ 2.0 update for iPhone and wonder if Google's attention had drifted away from its own baby? Don't fret, as the Android app has just been given similarly loving treatment. The interface shares the reworked stream look that we saw on iOS while keeping the swipe-to-switch category filters that Google+ has used from the start. There's even small rewards for having to watch your iPhone friends go first: you can now start a Hangout video chat from the main menu, get ringing Hangout notifications, download photos directly from conversations and edit your posts after the fact. The new look has already proved polarizing, but if you're the sort who revels in the purity of a Google social network running on a Google platform, you can now try the overhaul for yourself.

Google+ on Android gets its turn at a UI remake, extra Hangout and photo features in the bargain originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As spring reaches full blossom, it's not just the flowers that are beginning to show -- so are the new slates heavy hitters teased back at CES. So, what does that mean? It means it's high-time that we cast a fresh glance over the tablet landscape, took in a deep breath of slate-infused air and exhaled a hearty Engadget tablet buyer's guide. We've been running the smartphone equivalent for a little while now, so we thought it only fair to give the now-mature tablet category one of its own. We're going to look at the main categories of fondleslabbery and carve out what we think are the finest offerings on the market right now. It doesn't matter if you're looking for something big, small, just good enough or so powerful that it could replace your laptop: we've collected our favorites and shepherded them safely into this one humble guide. Of course, if you want to cast your net a little wider, you can always check out our tablet review hub, but if you struggle with indecision, head on past the break to see what's hot right now in Tablet Land.

Continue reading Engadget's tablet buyer's guide: spring 2012 edition

Engadget's tablet buyer's guide: spring 2012 edition originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The UK might be champing at the bit for 4G auctions to finish and give the country a taste of sweet, sweet LTE, but O2 UK is at least offering a panacea with a launch of dual-carrier HSPA+ 3G, or DC-HSPA+ in less wordy form. The British carrier has started deploying a full 42Mbps to "major" cities on the isle, most likely including London as one of them. Vodafone would argue that going dual-carrier is old hat, having started a year earlier, but it's also peaking at 28.8Mbps -- and frequent data advocate Three doesn't start its own proper 42Mbps deployment until the summer. As such, if you're a Brit looking for the speediest path to the Internet for a new iPad or one of the few other devices that supports DC-HSPA+ at full bore, O2 looks to be your best bet for now.

O2 UK rolls out 42Mbps DC-HSPA+ 3G, gives that new iPad fast data in Old Blighty originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 10:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The corners of the Earth that don't have a new iPad have been quickly shrinking, and Apple's tablet is about to get nigh-on inescapable as of this weekend. A round of 23 more countries is getting the 2012 refresh on May 11, most of it being South American countries such as Foxconn's new manufacturing hub, Brazil. Parts of Africa and southeast Asia will be served as well, such as the home of our favorite unofficial hands-on sessions, Vietnam. Seven Persian Gulf countries will get their Retina Display fix one day later. By the time the weekend is up, the iPad will be available in nearly 90 countries on this planet, which makes it highly likely that anyone reading this article can find the slate in a local retail store.

New iPad to hit 30 more countries this weekend, work on its tan originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 May 2012 01:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Plugged your iDevice into an iTunes-equipped machine lately? You should. Apple has just let loose iOS 5.1.1, a seemingly minor point update that actually promises to fix quite a few (potentially) substantial quirks. Coming two months to the day after the iOS 5.1 software update, the extra 0.0.1 is said to improve reliability of the HDR option for photos taken using the Lock Screen shortcut, address bugs that could prevent the new iPad from switching between 2G and 3G networks and solve a few issues that were affecting AirPlay video playback "in some circumstances." There's also improved reliability for syncing Safari bookmarks and Reading List, and Apple has purportedly fixed an issue where 'Unable to purchase' alert could be displayed after successful purchase. Sucked the update down yourself? Let us know how it goes in comments below, and peek the full changelog just after the break.

Update: Looks like iOS 5.1.1 has already been jailbroken. Huzzah!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Apple's iOS 5.1.1 update for iPad, iPod touch and iPhone: fixes AirPlay and network bugs, jailbroken already

Apple's iOS 5.1.1 update for iPad, iPod touch and iPhone: fixes AirPlay and network bugs, jailbroken already originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 May 2012 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Deflated. Disappointed. Let down. Unsurprised. All of those emotions ran through my being at one point or another following Apple CEO Tim Cook's comments regarding "converged" devices, but if anything, his denial has made me all the more hungry for this particular device. For months -- heck, maybe even years -- I've waited for Sir Jonathan Paul Ive and co. to finally nail the concept of a laptop / tablet hybrid. In many ways, Apple managed to get right on a smartphone in 2007 what I felt was wrong holding a BlackBerry. I still think the iPad's screen is about 2.7-inches too large for my own personal tastes, but the world at large has affirmed that it nailed that design, too. Oh, and the MacBook Air? C'mon -- we all know it's the thin-and-light you always wanted, and given that it'll run Windows with poise, it's arguably the sexiest Windows laptop currently on the market.

The point? Apple has waited for companies to flounder about with certain designs before, all while perfecting its own take for a future release. Windows-based tablets were flooding out in the early noughties, and believe it or not, Toshiba was already giving the tablet / laptop hybrid thing a whirl in 2003 with the Portege 3500. Apple waited over half a decade to usher in the iPad, and the rest -- as they say -- is history. The iPhone followed a similar path; companies came before it and did their best to produced pleasing, long-lasting, highly usable smartphones, but the iPhone completely changed the trajectory of everything that came after. Love it or hate it, it's hard to imagine a 2012 with Windows Phone in it had Apple not pinned Windows Mobile in a corner back in '07.

So, if Apple has shown an ability to thrive with designs that others have experimented with, why is the "converged" laptop / tablet a nonstarter?

Continue reading Editorial: Apple isn't making a 'converged' laptop / tablet hybrid, but I still want one

Editorial: Apple isn't making a 'converged' laptop / tablet hybrid, but I still want one originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 May 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The iPad was made to do many things, but windowed multitasking wasn't one of them. Leave it to the Cydia Store to provide a new app that delivers individual, rotatable, scalable, untabbed windows. Quasar, from developer Pedro Franceschi, let's you do just that across multiple apps -- without relying on home button double-taps or tricky multi-finger gestures. The video below makes it seem pretty magical, so take a look and let us know what you think.

Continue reading Quasar gives the iPad untabbed windows for ten dollars and a jailbreak (video)

Quasar gives the iPad untabbed windows for ten dollars and a jailbreak (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Bummed that you won't be making it out to E3 this year? Well, at least you'll be able to console yourself with your very own tiny iPad arcade. According to Ion, the iCade Core, the latest in the company's line of nostalgia-inducing Bluetooth tablet controllers, will be shipping to UK customers in mid-June for ￡49.99 ($81) a pop. The iCade Mobile will be hitting right around the same time for the same price. Now you'll finally be able to experience Pac-Man the way it was meant to played: on a tablet attached to an oversized joystick.

iCade Core coming to a tiny arcade near you in June originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MIT's Media Lab is chock-full of cutting-edge tech projects that researchers create, then often license to manufacturers and developers. One such project is called NewsFlash, and uses high-frequency red and green light to transmit data to the built-in camera on a receiving device -- in this case Samsung's Epic 4G. The concept is certainly familiar, and functions in much the same way as a QR code, generating flashing light that's invisible to the human eye instead of a cumbersome 2D square. In the Media Lab's implementation, an iPad is used to display a static news page with flashing colored bands at the top, representing just a few vertical pixels on the LCD.

As the device presents the standard touch experience you're already familiar with, it also broadcasts data that can be read by any camera, but flashes too quickly to be distracting or even noticeable to the naked eye. A NewsFlash app then interprets those flashes and displays a webpage as instructed -- either a mobile version with the same content, or a translation of foreign websites. As with most MediaLab projects, NewsFlash is simply a concept at this point, but it could one day make its way to your devices. Jump past the break to see it in action.

Gallery: MIT Media Lab: NewsFlash hands-on

Continue reading NewsFlash uses high-frequency light to transmit data from iPad to smartphone, we go hands-on (video)

NewsFlash uses high-frequency light to transmit data from iPad to smartphone, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 10:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: Splashtop Win8 Metro Testbed for Apple iPad

Continue reading Splashtop brings Windows 8 Metro Testbed to Apple's iPad (video)

Splashtop brings Windows 8 Metro Testbed to Apple's iPad (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 02:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Comcast Xfinity TV iOS app adds integrated DVR manager so you don't miss Deadliest Catch originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Apr 2012 20:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ah, it's that old Apple chestnut, reception issues. Apple is investigating complaints from customers over poor WiFi-connectivity on its new iPad. According to a lengthy forum thread, many users are experiencing connection drops and poor performance. An internal AppleCare document has now leaked to 9to5Mac, explaining how Apple is to "capture" and replace 3rd generation tablets that suffer from the intermittent connectivity. The issues appear to affect the WiFi-only model of Apple's latest hardware, with SIM-connected variants apparently safe due to the black antenna panel. Employees are told to test that iPads aren't suffering issues due to software kinks and return wonky units to engineers for testing and a full health check. Check out the leaked internal memo (and compare symptoms) over at the source.

Apple 'captures' new iPads due to WiFi complaints originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 03:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Netflix iPad app upgraded with Retina quality icons and images now, HD video soon originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Mar 2012 19:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TiVo iOS app updated to v1.9 with a few new features, Android tablet app on the way originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Mar 2012 17:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple: don't worry about hot iPad reports, it's cool originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Apple's Tim Cook says 'pipeline is full of stuff,' AT&T affirms record sales of new iPad

Apple's Tim Cook says 'pipeline is full of stuff,' AT&T affirms record sales of new iPad originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 11:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: The new iPad's LCD under the microscope

Under the microscope: a closer look at the new iPad originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Mar 2012 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: iPad (2012) review

Continue reading iPad review (2012)

iPad review (2012) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Mar 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sky Sports for iPad 2.0 launches with live TV streaming, F1 Race Control companion originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Mar 2012 06:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Apple's new iPad shows up in Hong Kong, teases with sample photos and video clip

Apple's new iPad shows up in Hong Kong, teases with sample photos and video clip originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

New iPad inventory shipments spotted at Best Buy, backroom eye-candy until Friday originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Mar 2012 13:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading New iPad still coming to Apple Stores at 8AM on Friday, don't worry

New iPad still coming to Apple Stores at 8AM on Friday, don't worry originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

New iPad gets benchmarked: 1GB RAM confirmed, no boost in CPU speed originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Mar 2012 07:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading New iPad spotted in the wild, unboxing photos and video in tow

New iPad spotted in the wild, unboxing photos and video in tow originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Mar 2012 05:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Switched On: The iPad's landscape orientation

Switched On: The iPad's landscape orientation originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 11 Mar 2012 22:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Mobile Miscellany: week of March 5th, 2012

Mobile Miscellany: week of March 5th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 10 Mar 2012 14:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Phew! We managed to survive the unveiling of Apple's next iPad, and now we're back outside of the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, California in order to bring you our live, on-site wrap-up of today's bevy of announcements. It'll be Tim and Darren on the mics once more, and there's a video here that's just waiting for your attention. Can't catch it live? It'll loop ad nauseum once we've wrapped up and headed out for the evening. Which, naturally, translates into "going to find some really, really exceptional coffee."

P.S. - Have a look at all of today's iPad action right here, or relive the liveblog here!

Update: And we're done! But you can relive the magic after the break.

Continue reading Engadget's new iPad post-event wrap-up broadcast: live from San Francisco!

Engadget's new iPad post-event wrap-up broadcast: live from San Francisco! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Mar 2012 16:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here's the first sample shot from the new iPad's 5MP iSight camera originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Mar 2012 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading The new iPad vs. the tablet elite: ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity 700, Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 and Toshiba Excite X10 LE

The new iPad vs. the tablet elite: ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity 700, Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 and Toshiba Excite X10 LE originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Mar 2012 14:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: Apple new iPad hands-on!

Continue reading Apple new iPad hands-on (update: video!)

Apple new iPad hands-on (update: video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Mar 2012 14:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple drops iPad 2 price to $399 for the 16GB WiFi-only model, $529 for the 3G version originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Mar 2012 14:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple next-generation iPad liveblog! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Mar 2012 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple store closes its online doors, preps for next-gen iPad launch originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Mar 2012 10:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Engadget's iPad 3 pre-event broadcast: live from San Francisco!

Engadget's iPad 3 pre-event broadcast: live from San Francisco! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Mar 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: Apple's next-gen iPad launch event at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

Engadget will be broadcasting live outside of Apple's iPad event tomorrow! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: Apple's next-gen iPad launch event at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

Apple's next-gen iPad launch event is tomorrow, get your liveblog right here! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Mar 2012 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.