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Distro Issue 43 has arrived with Thomas Dolby: TED talks, cellphone deals and the Floating City
What's that? You've already worked your requisite 40 hours this week and you're ready to throw in the towel? Well, we've got something far more enjoyable for your Friday afternoon relaxation. Hot off of the e-presses, this week's issue of Distro is packed with a week's worth of leisurely readings. The focus this time around is on Thomas Dolby and our own Brian Heater details the '80s pop star's journey back to the stage with TED, cellphones and his own virtual world. As far as reviews go, we spend some quality time getting to know the latest Chrome OS arsenal from Google, ASUS Zenbook Prime UX21A and the highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy S III. Our hands-on section is still a young Padawan, but this week we breakdown Nokia 808 PureView sample shots and the recently outted Facebook Camera app. Do you have gaming on the brain with E3 less than a week away? If so, Reaction Time should hold you over with new releases and a discussion of the aforementioned gaming expo. Stat takes a look at copyright and piracy claims, we go eyes-on with the Lumia lineage, BAROBO's Graham Ryland stops by for the Q&A, Switched On tackles Cisco, IRL let's you get cozy with our gear and Rehashed looks back at the week that was in 140 characters or less. The days are winding down until it'll be too hot to enjoy that hammock, so don't waste any more time. Hit your weekly download link and snag a copy of our tablet mag. Distro Issue 43 PDF Distro in the iTunes App Store Distro in the Google Play Store Distro APK (For sideloading) Like Distro on Facebook Follow Distro on Twitter
Archos Internet Tablets get firmware updates, everybody gets a Froyo
Okay, maybe not everybody, but the vast majority of the Android offerings from Archos are receiving some guilt-free sweet treats. Models 23, 32, 43, 70, and 101 (you know, these guys) are all on the lucky receiving end of firmware updates that bring Android 2.2.1 to the table. That comes with improved performance, better battery life estimation, and support for external GPS adapters. All yours for the low, low price of free -- well, assuming you've already bought the tablet, of course. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Superchips turns an Archos into a vehicle interface, dubs it 'Vivid'
We've seen the awful, terrible, hideous things that an iPad can do to an otherwise respectable car interior, and now it's time to see what horrors Android can unleash. Superchips, makers of chips and flash units to summon a few extra ponies under the hood, has announced the creation of the Vivid "vehicle performance programmer" -- an Archos 43 Internet Tablet that's been... augmented with some software. Thanks to this, and a Bluetooth OBD-II module, the car can monitor car performance in real-time and display data while also acting as a G-meter and even a back-up camera. No word on what any of this will cost when it ships in early 2011, but those who already have a little Android buddy will be happy to know that a standalone Bluetooth dongle called the AVID will be releasing in the summertime, enabling all the same functionality without the need for another device. What'll we stuff in our headrests then?
