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Notion Ink Adam ships today
Well, what do you know: Notion Ink just announced that it will begin shipping its FCC and CE certified Adam tablet starting tomorrow today. If you pre-ordered, then you should see your delivery status update soon to the last week of January. That's a lot better than February and much, much better than never which is always the risk when David takes on the Goliaths. Now we'll see how it holds up to real-world usage -- here's hoping for some of that good JooJoo. P.S. For what it's worth, we're still not seeing the shipping version of Adam -- product NI3421A01 with guarantee code Y2G -- in the FCC database. Anyone else? [Thanks, Anthony]
Notion Ink Adam clears FCC, begins shipping 'around Wednesday'
We don't see it in the FCC database yet but Notion Ink's charming Rohan Shravan just penned a post on the company's blog with news that Adam has official clearance from the US government. That's right, after several delays the tiny startup will finally condense its occasionally vapory molecules into a solid slab of shipping tablet starting "around Wednesday" after the hardware receives its FCC tattoo. Remember, Adam was that tablet good enough to earn a Best of CES 2011 honorable mention at an event absolutely flooded with tablets from a who's who of consumer electronics companies. While our first impressions of the production unit were positive, we're holding off on making a final judgement until we've had the chance to perform a full review. Having said that, Adam's final NI3421A01 product code is so nerdy -- the "3421" continues Rohan's tradition of numbering product iterations along the Fibonacci number sequence -- that we're almost tempted to place an order ourselves. Almost. [Thanks, John]
Notion Ink Adam delayed pending FCC certification
Just when it seemed the Notion Ink Adam had escaped the pit of dubious pre-orders and moved onto the glowing preview stage, here comes another hurdle to trip up its 10-inch PixelQi screen. Android Police reports that US buyers have received email notifications that their orders are ready to ship out, except for that little matter of FCC approval. We've yet to see the Adam pass the FCC -- perhaps because it hasn't done so quite yet -- and the tablet will need to have its paperwork in order and be properly labeled before it can be imported into the US. Notion Ink insists that all the red tape will be taken care of "within this week," and that some international orders have already shipped out. We're hoping that's the case -- we'd hate to think of all those poor slates sitting in boxes, instead of getting some sun.
Best of CES 2011
Maybe, just maybe, you've noticed that Engadget relocated this past week to the City of Sin for CES 2011. Oh yes, we set up camp in a double-wide trailer, liveblogged our hearts out, combed the show floor, and worked our rear ends off to bring you more gadget news than you ever thought possible. It's true, we've written over 720 posts (40 or so about tablets alone!), shot more than 180 videos, and brought you over 350 photo galleries in the last seven days. That's a ton of technology news and products, but naturally, only certain ones have been able to rise above the rest and stick out in our scary collective hive-mind. With that said, we've complied our annual best of list for you, so hit the break and feast your eyes on what are bound to be some of the best products of the new year.
The Engadget Interview: Notion Ink's Rohan Shravan
We got a chance to hang out with Rohan Shravan after we played around with his ultra-anticipated Notion Ink Adam tablet. He talked up some pretty great early sales figures, and went over some of the partnerships his company is forming at this tangled web we call CES. Check it out after the break!
Notion Ink Adam hands-on preview (video)
You see that up there? Oh yes, that's the long-awaited Notion Ink Adam, and it's in our hands! Indeed, we got some very intimate time with the 10-inch PixelQi Android tablet this morning, and we have to say despite the doubts we've had, we're incredibly impressed with what this India-based start-up has achieved. With that, we suggest you hit the break for our in-depth impressions of what will soon be one of the most unique Android tablets on the market. %Gallery-112732%
Notion Ink releases Adam demo video, attempts to explain itself (update: second vid)
As promised, Notion Ink has just released a video of the Adam tablet in action, complete with that snazzy new Eden UI -- the first anyone's seen of the device since its first working prototype. While the footage itself is of disappointingly low quality, it seems to show a device somewhat worthy of the hype, with a responsive screen, a multitask-friendly interface and plug 'n play peripherals -- though we're holding out for Pixel Qi screen tests and some closeup shots before we place any orders ourselves. Notion Ink singled out vocal critic AndroidPolice to launch the (seemingly incomplete) video and gave the publication an exclusive interview too, so take your lingering doubts about the tablet's capabilities and head on down to our source links. Update: Now in 720p! Update 2: There's a brand-new video after the break, showing off more Eden UI, a speedy PDF reader, and the Adam's virtual keyboard -- and reportedly all shot in daylight to boot. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Notion Ink Adam pre-order to begin today, pricing starts at $375 (updated!)
It has certainly been a long long road for Notion Ink, but the company is finally opening the Adam tablet pre-sale gates today. Now before you run off and grab your wallet, it appears that initial pre-orders will only be open to tried-and-true fans (apparently, they exist!) -- Slashgear is reporting that at 1:30 p.m. EST registered commenters on Notion Ink's blog will be sent the pre-order links. Then, about six hours later, the general pre-order page will be launched. Naturally, along with this news NI team is revealing detailed pricing, and as expected, there are lots of models to choose from. The entry level Adam will start at $375.33 and will pack a regular LCD and WiFi connectivity. Adding 3G shoots the price up to $425.33. On the higher end there's the Pixel Qi model, which will start at $499.95 with WiFi and $549.99 with 3G. As for software, the company's also released a lot of details on the Android skin it's been working on, and we have to say it looks pretty snazzy, though we'd love to see this on a working unit. Either way, check out the screens in the gallery below. Of course, there's one major question left: when will the Adam finally ship? Well, you won't be getting it in time for Christmas, that's for sure -- if all goes as planned, they will be landing around January 6th. With that said, the tablet still hasn't cleared the FCC and we still haven't seen any live photos of this stuff in action, so click that pre-order button at your own risk. UPDATE: The order site is live now, but there appears to have been major issues with the pre-order process. AndroidPolice reports that the site was up and down and points to an incredibly suspicious return policy. Apparently, it has been changed quite a few times, but as it stands now, if you want to return the unit you will have to pay a five percent "repack" fee and a five percent "service fee." Oh, and there's no reimbursement on the return shipping fees to India even if the product is "dead on arrival." Crunchgear also says there were lots of payment issues. On top of that, Notion Ink is citing that the device will now ship in six to eight weeks -- that's longer than that January 6th date we heard. Like we said, be wary, very wary! Update 2: Notion Ink is fessing up to a lot of its missteps and telling its side of the story on its blog today. Apparently, they will be releasing a real video of the tablet on December 18th. We're not sure why they can't just do this today, but looks like we will continue to wait... %Gallery-109651%
Notion Ink Adam gets caught Photoshopping its bezel away
How big is the Notion Ink Adam's screen? Well, it depends on what time you looked at the company's site today. If you were one of the unlucky folks who saw the image titled "preordernow.jpg," the screen's a tiny bit smaller and the bezel a tad larger than it is for all the fortunate peeps pre-ordering from the "preordernow1.jpg" pic that's currently gracing the site. Now's your chance, guys -- go grab yourself the truly magical and revolutionary tablet whose specs change with the wave of a Photoshop airbrush. [Thanks, Andrew] Update: To be clear, we don't know which of the two 'shops is the real deal -- technically, neither is, they're both renders -- but earlier prototypes have shown some pretty slinky bezels. It'll be on Notion Ink to demonstrate just how slim the Adam's screen surround is when it finally unveils the real deal.
NFC certification program announced just in time for Android 2.3 Gingerbread launch on Monday?
Call it coincidence if you want, but a December 7th press conference to launch the NFC Forum's new Certification Program likely has something to do with NFC read / write support built into Google's new Android 2.3 "Gingerbread." An OS that could be officially unveiled as early as today according to a cheeky blog post by Notion Ink that includes this bullet: "6th December is another big day for Android and you will find out how fast Notion Ink can work. (Eden is extremely compatible with 2.3)." Recall how gung-ho Eric Schmidt was on the topic of Near Field Communication while demonstrating it using a still unannounced Nexus S with an embedded NFC chip at the Web 2.0 Summit. That was way back on November 16th when Schmidt promised a Gingerbread release "in like the next few weeks." According to the NFC Forum, a device must be certified in order to display the official "N-Mark" (pictured) -- a symbol for NFC that tells you where to touch in order to initiate NFC services on your device. So, Google... anything you'd like to announce before Tuesday? P.S. Almost forgot that Google's Andy Rubin will be kicking off the D: Dive into Mobile event later today. We'll be there live just in case Andy feels like introducing something pungent and tasty during the opening session scheduled for 6:30pm San Francisco time.
Notion Ink founder claims Adam tablet will go 15+ hours on a charge
The Pixel Qi and Tegra 2-packing Notion Ink Adam has long been one of our favorite pieces of perfectly plausible vaporware, but founder Rohan Shravan's just made a pretty fantastic claim -- he says he's getting a minimum of 15 hours of battery life from his personal tablet and calculates you'll get up to twenty with the 24Wh, potentially user-replaceable battery nestled in its frame. While those are the figures for the $498 transflective version of the tablet and not the $399 juice-gulping LCD, they're still so stellar that they could easily make or break the Adam's sales depending on their veracity. Oh Rohan, please don't let us down.
Notion Ink Adam a week ahead of schedule, adds comic book store and replaceable battery 'concept'
If you ask us, the whole Adam tablet is a concept until Notion Ink delivers something other than promises, but things are looking up for the less jaded among you. Rohan Shravan has updated the world on the Adam's latest condition, disclosing a new replaceable battery 'concept' and the addition of a comic book store. We're not sure whether that means the final retail unit will or won't have a user-swappable cell, but at least we now know that both the Pixel Qi- and LCD-equipped variants of the Adam will share one body design. The switch that turns off the Pixel Qi backlight will do the same for the LCD model, saving battery power when you're either downloading or listening to the Engadget podcast. We're also told things are moving faster than originally scheduled and the FCC should get a look at this long-awaited tablet a week early. As to the rest of us? Who knows, but maybe there is a tablet god.
Engadget Podcast 208 - 08.13.2010
It's the Engadget Podcast....to go! Would you like a little Joanna Stern with that? Easy on the Ziegler, buddy - and 86 the Paul, please. All that plus a special toy for kids ten and under that manage to listen all the way to the end. Update: If you've been unable to download the podcast in iTunes or Zune, it's because we had a naming issue -- it's since been fixed and should download properly once the cache breaks. Sorry for the inconvenience! Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel Guests: Joanna Stern, Chris Ziegler Producer: Trent Wolbe Music: California Gurls 00:01:30 - The Engadget Show - 011: Peter Molyneux, Fable III, Milo, BlackBerry Torch, Windows Phone 7 00:01:40 - BlackBerry Torch review 00:12:48 - Exclusive: Sony Ericsson to introduce Android 3.0 gaming platform and PSP Go-like smartphone 00:18:38 - Microsoft to open mobile games studio, develop and incubate Windows Phone 7 titles 00:24:42 - Exclusive: Upcoming Apple TV loses 1080p playback, gains apps... and will be renamed iTV 00:36:10 - iPod touch coming in a 'few weeks' with dual cameras and Retina Display, suggests John Gruber 00:39:49 - CDMA iPhone in engineering tests, may arrive in January, says John Gruber 00:43:05 - Plastic Logic kills QUE, 'shifts focus' to second-generation ProReader 00:43:56 - Notion Ink Adam delayed, this time investors are to blame (updated!) 01:47:00 - Notion Ink Adam priced at $498, lives up to promise of being below $499 00:50:20 - Dell Streak on sale August 13 for $300 on AT&T contract, $550 without 00:51:14 - Off-contract Dell Streak is still SIM-locked to AT&T, wrongs still being done in the world 00:52:40 - Exclusive: Dell Thunder prototype rumbles into the wild (video) 00:57:05 - Motorola Droid 2 (and R2-D2 edition!) finally official: Android 2.2, Swype, $200 on contract 00:57:50 - Droid 2 R2-D2 edition spied in the wild, ready to repair your X-wing 00:58:30 - Motorola's Droid 2 in the wild, looking as blue as ever 01:04:18 - Motorola's Jha says MOTOBLUR brand will fade from view 01:05:22 - Epic 4G coming August 31st for $249.99 on contract (updated) 01:06:14 - HP CEO Mark Hurd resigns over sexual harassment investigation (updated with liveblog!) 01:07:35 - Former HP CEO Mark Hurd rewarded with a $40m severance after being forced to resign over fraudulent expense reports 01:09:42 - HP tells employees webOS tablet coming Q1 2011 01:11:20 - Pre designer Peter Skillman latest to leave Palm, entire senior staff now in exodus 01:14:56 - Google and Verizon announcing something policy-related at 1:30PM ET -- we're liveblogging right here 01:16:00 - Google and Verizon publish joint policy proposal for 'an open internet' 01:17:00 - Google and Verizon's net neutrality proposal explained Hear the podcast Subscribe to the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace Download the podcast LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast 1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com. Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @reckless @engadget @zpower @joannastern
Notion Ink Adam priced at $498, lives up to promise of being below $499
Notion Ink, the plucky Indian startup intent on shaking up the tablet industry, was most recently spotted turning over the sofa cushions looking for spare change, but that isn't stopping the company from announcing pricing for its mythical first product. The Adam, it has now been revealed, will be available for $498 with WiFi, 3G, GPS, and a Tegra 2 system-on-chip powering things, with prices dipping down to $449 if you exclude either the 3G or Pixel Qi display option, and $399 if you drop both and make do with a WiFi-only LCD-based tablet. That certainly adheres to the promise of aggressive pricing, but the Q3 launch -- which in itself was a slip from a Q2 pledge -- has now also been definitively scratched off the board of possibilities, as the device won't be submitted to the FCC for certification until November. Notion Ink claims that from there on it'll be just a matter of waiting on the FCC to clear the Adam for its US launch, which could happen in late 2010 or CES 2011 at the latest. Or, you know, never.
Notion Ink Adam delayed, this time investors are to blame (updated!)
The last time we brought you news of Notion Ink's long awaited Adam things weren't looking good, but we had some hope since its CEO Rohan Shravan assured us that it would hit some markets in Q3. He also promised that a pre-order page for the Tegra 2-powered, Pixel Qi-sporting slate would launch soon. It really does pain us to say this, but it doesn't look like any of that's going to be happening anytime soon -- we've received word that the company has lost a great deal of cash and that some of its major investors walked away a few weeks ago. As we've heard it, the company missed its July / August timeline to ramp up manufacturing because of a very big loss from an early investor. As such, the India-based company had to look for new funding, and apparently seek out a new manufacturer. We're told they've secured more cash now, but things are on shaky ground. Shravan wouldn't comment on the news, but he did tell us that he still plans to bring the Adam to market before the end of 2010. We admire that persistence and certainly believe the Adam is one of the more innovative tablets out there, but we're gonna hold on to these tissues until we see an order page and some real evidence that things are turning around for the start-up. Updated: Slashgear has an in-depth rundown of Notion Ink's saga. We've still been told that the company has been delayed in bringing the Adam to market because of funding issues, though it has now acquired more cash. Apparently, if all goes as planned, it will begin manufacturing in November and ship later that month or in December. That lines up with what Shravan told us, but again, we will believe it when we see it. Update 2: Here's Shravan's official statement... "We will have the device before the year ends. It will be introduced at a major event after which you can order it online. It has to be placed strategically, as this is our maiden effort. Whatever has happened cannot be changed, but with the support we are getting from all, we might just become a part of the history. Also on the pricing, all the 3 devices will be lower than even the basic model of iPad."
Notion Ink Adam 'on track' for Q3 after all, may have 'more aggressive price'
Thought the Notion Ink Adam was delayed yet again? So did we, but founder Rohan Shravan just cleared up all that nonsense with a new update. If you've been pining for a Pixel Qi screen, you'll be happy to know the Tegra 2 tablet is still on track for Q3, and will be joined by a cheaper LCD version around the same period. Celebrating his good fortune at securing investment, Shravan teased lower prices and a third, more battery efficient Notion Ink as well, but on this last point even he agrees he might be getting ahead of himself. Honestly, at this point we'd be happy to see even a single retail unit -- we're already getting distracted by alternatives. Updated: We just heard from Rohan again and he tells us that the Adam will likely run Froyo. Instead of Google's Market for apps, Notion Ink has its own content and application store called Genesis. We pressed him for more exact timing and pricing, but apparently our charming personalities couldn't get him to give up anymore at the moment.
Shocker! Notion Ink Adam likely delayed (update)
Another day, another exciting tablet delayed. The Notion Ink Adam -- that 10-inch, Tegra 2-powered tablet with a Pixel Qi screen that we fell pretty hard for at CES -- is apparently going to be delayed. We can't say we're really at all surprised, but according to Slashgear, the company looks to be slipping past its Q3 ship date. Word got out that it wouldn't ship until November, though apparently there's still a sliver of a chance it could launch in some countries prior. The hold-up seems to have to do with "investor preferences," but Notion Ink CEO Rohan Shravan said it will be revealing the official launch date soon. We'll be waiting, but don't get offended if our doubts on a 2010 debut begin to swell. Updated: We heard from Rohan and apparently the Adam will hit only some countries in November, the initial list of target countires will get the tablet earlier. He tells us pre-orders in the US will start soon!
Notion Ink Adam still alive, working on Flash compatibility
It was three months ago, in the midst of the most tablet-centric CES in recent memory, that we first laid our hands on Notion Ink's impressive Adam prototype. Since then, we've been on the lookout for signs that the small Indian startup will actually deliver on the tablet's lofty promises, and while that still seems to be on track, the latest update from the company's founder is casting doubt on the originally planned June release date. Stressing the need to agree subsidization deals with telecoms for the 3G-equipped device, Rohan Shravan explains that "some want to give you Adam for Thanksgiving, some for summer holidays." Add in his resolute commitment to only going ahead with the tablet when it's fully capable of running Flash (seriously Adobe, the thing can do 1080p video, but Flash makes it wince?), and you have a significantly more elastic release window than we were originally led to believe. All the same, Rohan couldn't leave us without some titillation, and he also promises "amazing freedom" on the email front and a number of content collaborations that he's not yet allowed to announce. If you ask us, we just want something -- anything -- with a Pixel Qi display; we'll make up our own content, just give us the hardware already. [Thanks, Srikanth]
iPass? The best present and future alternatives to the Apple iPad
When Steve Jobs introduced the iPad he was quick to shake his finger in the nose of the other devices out there attempting to fill the gap between cell phone and full-sized laptop, and in particular those market-dominating netbooks. In Apple's opinion, the iPad may be the gadget for surfing the web, watching movies, reading books and running apps, but it's surely not the only game in town. And if you aren't sold on the iPad, but happen to be someone who's looking to buy a secondary computing device to use while traveling or while simply lying on the couch, your choices at the moment come down to netbooks and... well, more netbooks. And that's not such a bad thing, especially if you need a feature Apple's tablet can't offer, like multitasking, a keyboard, or Flash support. So, before you get up on Saturday morning and run off to purchase that iPad, you may want to peruse the best current (as well as coming) alternatives we've rounded up after the break.
Tegra 2 delay rumor makes the rounds, NVIDIA says 'everything's on track'
We bumped into NVIDIA at CTIA in Vegas last week, and even NVIDIA itself expressed some frustration at not having any finished Tegra 2-powered products to show us, but there was no talk of delays -- not that we really have many hard dates for any of the Tegra 2 devices to push up against. This morning, however, SlashGear ran a rumor from a "trusted source" saying that there were hardware and software "technical problems" with the platform, including a problem with Flash, which were delaying various tablets, including products from Notion Ink, Compal, and ICD. The source said that the Compal, which was due for a June release, has been bumped to September, while the ICD tablets won't hit until October. We asked NVIDIA for a statement, and they said that "The rumors aren't true. Everything's on track." With that sort of terse reply, we're not really sure which aspects of this rumor NVIDIA is rebutting, but we have to assume NVIDIA is at least saying that there aren't issues with Tegra 2 that are holding things back. As for when we'll see Tegra 2 tablets and smartbooks hit the market? That's anyone's guess.
