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Coby to intro five Ice Cream Sandwich slates at CES, satiate your budget tablet cravings
Not prepared to pony up for the ICS-ready Transformer Prime? No worries, Coby has five alternative flavors, each offering its own helping of Android 4.0. The quintet of tablets bear the same model number format as the outfit's Kyros tablets, and all share the same 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 CPU. Coby plans to debut the slates at CES 2012, making them available to consumers within the first quarter. The slabs range between seven and ten inches, and will offer up to 1GB of RAM with up to 32GB of expandable memory -- WiFi radio and HDMI-out come standard. Want to see the official details? Hit the break, we've got a good 'ol fashion press release just waiting for your peepers.
Official Galaxy Nexus dock accessories play pre-order, CarDock and HDMI included (video)
If holding one of the most pimpin' phones on the planet isn't enough to properly distinguish you from the pack, then it's time to accessorize that slab, ya dig? Four Samsung dock connectors for the Galaxy Nexus have entered pre-order phase, which include the standard horizontal station, a vertical option for HDMI, a CarDock that can be oriented in either direction, along with a simpler one that's used to charge an additional battery. The biggies each retail for £50, whereas the charger is going for £15. No word on actual ship dates, but you'll find videos for each item after the break. [Thanks, Denny] %Gallery-140966%
Blu-ray video encryption cracked using $260 kit
When a master key for HDCP encryption surfaced last year, Intel hardly broke a sweat. It declared that nobody could use the key to unlock Blu-rays or other protected sources unless they got into the semiconductor business and "made a computer chip" of their own. Oh Mann, didn't they realize? That sort of language is like a red rag to a German post-grad, and now Ruhr University's Secure Hardware Group has produced the ultimate rebuttal: a custom board that uses a field programmable gate array (FPGA) board to sit between a Blu-ray player and TV and decode the passing traffic. Student price: €200, and no silly bodysuits required.
xBounds adds HDMI mirroring to Android phones, lets you 'kill the pigs' on the big screen (video)
Forget DLNA, that pesky setup requires all of your electronic kit to match up with the same certification. If you want full HDMI-mirroring without the fuss, your go-to's going to be an innocuous little dongle from Dream Chip Technologies. The plain, white xBounds stick links up to your smartphone over WiFi using the outfit's xBeam encoder, transmitting mobile content via HDMI to an HDTV set or external monitor. Games and videos streamed to the big screen will also enjoy output in a higher resolution thanks to the company's xBounds ReMatch tech. But all of this ease of use comes at a price, as the RemoteGPU device is purported to cost €99 (about $134), with the full-on dev kit (which includes a Nexus S) ringing in at €998 (about $1,350). There's no word yet on an official release, so you'll just have to make due with the video after the break.
Commodore USA goes Extreme, stuffs a 2.2GHz quad-core i7 into its C64x
We've loved Commodore USA's C64 computer recreations ever since it began producing them back in 2010. Much to our delight, the company recently outed its third variant, the C64x Extreme. This unit features the '80s flair we've come to appreciate, but supercharged to 2011 spec. Crammed inside its case is a 2.2GHz Intel core i7 quad-core CPU (capable of turbo boosting to 3.3GHz), 8GB of DDR3 RAM, Intel HD integrated graphics and a spacious 2TB HDD. Externally, you'll find a duo of USB 3.0 ports, a triplet of USB 2.0 ports and an eSATA connection, along with HDMI, 3.5mm S/PDIF, VGA and DVI ports for A/V hookups. Best of all, it's loaded with Bluetooth, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, an Ethernet port and even a DVD-RW drive on its side. The C64X-Ex will initially come loaded with Linux Mint 11, and it'll fully support Windows once the company's "retro inspired" Commodore OS Vision becomes available. Of course, the C64x-Ex's blend of vintage looks and modern-day power will cost ya -- to a tune of $1,500. If that's cool by your books, Commodore USA plans to ship orders placed by November 25th before December 15th. Full press release after the break.
Dell Latitude ST tablet gets official with vague press release, dead links (video)
Remember that Latitude ST that Dell gave us a sneak peek at earlier in the week? Well it's slowly inching its way towards an official release, appearing on Dell's Corporate Blog early this morning. The Windows 7-based enterprise tablet is powered by an Intel Atom processor and includes a 10-inch multi-touch display with stylus, WiFi, mobile broadband options, front and rear webcams and a mic. There are also durability features like Gorilla Glass and a rubber bumper, enabling it to survive violent impacts with plush office carpeting. Port details are rather vague in the PR, though USB, HDMI and an SD card reader get their 15 seconds of fame in the promo video. There are also security features, like remote hard drive wipe, Microsoft Bitlocker support (this is a Windows 7 tablet, after all) and a Kensington Lock slot. Pricing details are absent and the product page isn't live quite yet (though that didn't stop Dell from linking to it from the blog post), but it looks like we could see these ship as soon as November 1st. Ready to get your tap and sketch on? Jump past the break for an enterprise montage, complete with doctors, educators and suit-sporting business pros. Update: Looks like the specs have leaked out overseas, so we're guessing it'll get official soon enough. Update 2: And here come the unboxing videos! Update 3: And Dell's business page is up! Thanks, One Love!
ViewSonic rolls out $200 ViewPad 7e Android tablet
We've already seen it available for pre-order at Amazon and spent a bit of time with it ourselves last month, but ViewSonic's only just now officially getting its ViewPad 7e Android tablet out the door. It'll be available by the end of the month if it hasn't hit retailers already and, as expected, it will set you back an even $200. That unfortunately only buys you Android 2.3 (with an SPB shell on top) and not Honeycomb, but the specs are otherwise somewhat decent for the price, including a 1GHz ARM A8 processor, dual cameras, a "RiteTouch" 7-inch capacitive display, 4GB of storage with a microSD card slot for expansion, and HDMI output. As is often the case with low-end tablets, however, one key omission is official support for the Android Market, but you do at least get access to Amazon's Appstore, as well as plenty of pre-loaded apps including Twitter, Kindle, and TuneIn Radio.
Ice Cream Sandwich supports USB game controllers and HDMI, turns your phone into full game console
Take that, Xperia Play. USB gamepads are already supported in Honeycomb, so we had plenty of hope that Android 4.0 -- also lovingly referred to as Ice Cream Sandwich -- would offer the same functionality. We finally have the answer, and it's a resounding yes, courtesy of Google framework engineer Romain Guy's Twitter account. The cool part, though, is that HDMI's playing nice as well. In short, you could hook up an external gamepad to a USB-to-microUSB adapter on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, connect it to your TV and transform your handset into a fancy portable gaming console. It's definitely something we can see developers flock towards, and we'll expect some cool stuff to come out of it. Just in case you thought the Nexus wouldn't let you get anything else done around the house already, this pretty much seals the deal. Move below the break to see a screenshot from the SDK.
Dell Latitude ST promo video shows off stylus, docking station
Looking forward to Dell's latest Windows slate? Point your peepers here, the outfit's Malaysian site just unleashed a promo video showing off the firm's Latitude ST tablet. The preview confirms that the 10-inch tablet will sport front and rear cameras, HDMI-out, a built-in stylus and an Intel Atom processor. The Latitude ST can also be paired with a familiar looking docking station, leaving us to wonder if we're looking at Dell's 'Peju' Tablet in its final form. Care to wonder with us? You'll find the video after the break.
Playstation 3D Display hits shelves November 13, Sony answers your burning questions
We'd imagine come November 13th, the above will be the scene inside many a PS3 owner's house. That's when Sony's hot little 24-inch PlayStation 3D display will officially be available in the US, Canada, Europe and parts of Asia. Sony took to its US PlayStation Blog today with the news, along with a lengthy FAQ to keep your GAS at bay in the meantime. If you'll recall, the 240Hz 1080p display packs a single set of component inputs, two HDMI 1.4 ports, stereo RCA outputs, a headphone jack, an integrated subwoofer, and of course, 3D-capability with supported titles. For five hundred bucks you'll get the PS 3D Display, one pair of USB-rechargeable 3D Glasses ($70 for each additional pair), a copy of Motorstorm: Apocalypse and even an HDMI cable. Notably, its fancy (and exclusive) SimulView feature will let two sets of 3D shades grab either the left or right side feed in supported 3D games for a private 2D view. Disappointingly, this puppy isn't wall-mountable, but hey, that 24-inch panel surely makes it ideal for a desktop setup, no? Full details at the links below, along with a refresher shot of those 3D specs just past the break.
iPad mirroring mode on your AppleTV 2: How to do it
One of the least publicized features in iOS 5 is the ability of the iPad 2 (and, apparently, the iPhone 4S) to wirelessly mirror its screen to a second-generation Apple TV. If both your iPad and your Apple TV are fully up-to-date, here's how you activate mirror mode. Don't look for the controls in the Settings app on your iPad. Instead, they are snuggled next to the iPod controls. Double-press your home button to see the multitasking bar, showing all your recent apps. Swipe your finger from right to left; you'll see the AirPlay icon. Tap on that, select your Apple TV and toggle the mirror button to 'on'. If everything is on the same Wi-Fi network, your iPad screen will appear on your Apple TV. It works well, and with a minimum of lag between the 2 devices. I checked dozens of apps, particularly games, and both sound and video made it just fine. Angry Birds looked great. So did Real Racing HD. Of course, the iPad doesn't sport a 16x9 aspect ratio, so there was black on either side of the video. On the other hand, Netflix ran in full 16x9 mode, fully sensing my wider TV screen. Of course, you can already run Netflix movies natively from the Apple TV, so there isn't much point in that exercise. Another video app, Movie Vault also worked well. Any movies I ripped to the iPad also played just fine. The science app Solar Walk looked great. When mirroring, the renderings move to the big screen, while the controls stay on the iPad. Impressive. Apple also sells an HDMI adapter cable to provide the iPad-to-TV link, but the wireless method is quick and easy, although the video doesn't look quite as crisp as the wired method. iPad mirroring is not a mind-blowing feature, but it's a handy way to demo something on your iPad to a group of people, or play some games using the iPad as a controller. Slide shows and quick video replays are also made easier... and certain apps (iMovie, GarageBand) may really shine on the bigger screen. It isn't obvious how to turn it on, but now you know; tell your friends. Give mirror mode a try and let us know how you like it.
Archos 101 G9 tablet goes on sale, 8GB version now $370
After popping up at IFA, and teasing us with the whole 'pre-sale' thing, the Archos 101 G9 is finally ready to empty your wallet. We've only seen it on the company's store so far, where the base model's available now bearing a $370 price tag, with no sign of the 250GB variant yet. For your cash you get Android 3.2, a 1.0GHz dual core processor, and even HDMI out for those times when the 10.1 inch screen just isn't big enough. Still not sure if the Archos slab's for you? Try checking out our hands-on to see if this slate with the French flair is worth your hard earned cash, and head on down to the source link if the answer is oui. [Thanks to OneLove]
Is this Dell's Windows 7 'Peju' Tablet?
A Blurrycam-equipped tipster sent in the above images of what's purported to be a 10-inch Windows 7 tablet from Dell. There's not a lot of info on the thing at the moment, and what we do have ought to be taken with a few pinches of salt. But here's the breakdown, according to the aforementioned tipster: the slate's got 2GB of RAM (though larger options will also be made available from the company), a USB and HDMI port and a stylus holder on the back of the device. Dell is apparently looking to make it available in December for around $900 to $1,000, just in time for that holiday tablet rush. Could this be the 10.1-inch Peju tablet that we caught wind of, back in July? We can't say for sure, of course, but it certainly seems like a possibility.%Gallery-135970% [Thanks, Anonymous]
iPhone 4S vs. the smartphone elite: Galaxy S II, Bionic and Titan
Now that we know how the iPhone 4S stacks up against the iPhone 4, let's take a look at how Apple's latest smartphone compares to its mightiest competitors on the other major platforms -- Android and Windows Phone. In Google's camp we chose the superlative Samsung Galaxy S II models (focusing on the announced US variants) along with the Motorola Droid Bionic for its qHD and LTE chops. We then picked the upcoming HTC Titan to bat for Microsoft's team. RIM's not included here since it's still stuck in the junior leagues. We left out the intriguing Nokia N9 because it's a niche player. Check out the fancy table after the break -- the results are pretty clear cut!
Droid Bionic mod brings HDMI mirroring and Webtop to your car, please drive responsibly
You're cruisin' in your sweet ride when all of a sudden you realize exactly what your set of wheels is missing: Webtop. While the vast majority of us may shrug off the thought, convincing ourselves that our 3.5mm jack or cassette player is plenty to keep us mindlessly entertained through the morning commute, one man with the know-how dared to be different. All of that blazing-fast LTE pumping out of his Droid Bionic was being wasted, after all, so why not outfit his car's AV setup with Webtop and HDMI mirroring capabilities to blast Netflix on his dash and multiple screens in the back for the kiddies? It's a clever mod, but we don't condone the use of Netflix whilst driving, of course; just keep the movies out of sight, please. Head to the source link for the full step-by-step.
Medion announces LifeTab P9514 tablet, mysterious Android smartphone at IFA
Medion enjoyed a pretty eventful weekend at this year's IFA in Berlin, where the German PC maker unveiled a new Android tablet and a rather obtuse Gingerbread smartphone. Known as the Lifetab P9514, the company's 32GB, 1.6-pound slate is powered by a 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, runs Honeycomb 3.2 and features a capacitive multitouch display with 1280 x 800 resolution. The device also supports both quad-band 3G and WiFi connections, along with the usual smattering of HDMI, microUSB, and microSD ports. Medion's new phone, meanwhile, remains decidedly more mysterious. At this point, we know that the 4.3-inch handset rocks a five megapixel shooter and comes pre-loaded with the manufacturer's GoPal satnav app, but further details remain murky. Both devices are expected to ship within Europe during Q4 of this year at unconfirmed prices, though rumor has it that the LifeTab will run for €399 (about $564). No word yet on whether we can expect to see either product hit the US anytime soon, but you can catch a glimpse of the freshly unveiled smartphone, after the break.
Hulu Plus app adds HDMI output for iPad 2
Hulu has updated its Hulu Plus iOS app, and this update provides the return of a feature that some users will really appreciate: HDMI output to video is back. That means that the Hulu app will now once again output HDMI video to a TV or monitor that you connect it to, so you can watch the service through your iPad wherever you are. Good stuff. The removal of the feature was likely the result of content restriction deals or platform issues, but Hulu has apparently resolved those problems, so HDMI away. The app itself is free, but of course requires a Hulu Plus subscription to access the content. Glad to see this feature is back in, so those with the right setup can use it.
Kanex's MHL HDMI adapter brings your smartphone content to an HDTV near you
Want to get content from your Samsung Galaxy S II to your HDTV, but don't want to shell out for the fancy new Toshiba Regza? Shortly after yesterday's announcement of the Australia-only WL800A, Kanex unveiled its $29 adapter, letting users connect their MHL-capable handsets to HDTVs via the HDMI port. The adapter is available now -- full PR after the break.
AMD refreshes E and C-Series Fusion APUs, adds DDR3-1333 support, better battery life
Looks like AMD is finally ready to spill the (official) beans on that 1.65GHz E-450 Fusion APU we heard about at Computex, today announcing refreshed chips for its Fusion E and C-series APUs. The updated "Zacate" and "Ontario" APUs sport DDR3-1333 and HDMI 1.4a support, snaring bragging rights to faster memory and 3D output for 3D-enabled televisions. The new chips also promise an increased resting battery life -- up to 10.5 hours for the E-Series, and a staggering 12 hours on the C-Series. Although it didn't name any specific manufacturers, AMD says that machines rocking the new APUs are available starting today. Hit the break for the full PR.
Andy Pad Pro makes film debut, shows off bird slinging skills (video)
Still waiting to get your affordable Android tablet on? You've got a little over a week to go, but here attempting to tide you over is a montage of the Andy Pad Pro. First made official in July (alongside a video of its lesser sibling), the Gingerbread tablet still rocks a 1.2GHz Cortex A8, a "powerful 3D GPU" and 1080p HDMI output. And at £179 (or about $290) the 7-inch capacitive slate won't break the bank. Ready to see it and its more affordable brother shred through a bevy of Android games? You know the drill: hop on past the break, bud.
