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Samsung rolls out Android 3.2 (again) to Galaxy Tab 10.1, fixes what it broke
And just like that, the Honeycomb begins to drizzle anew. It took Sammy a few days to sort things out after an available Android 3.2 update broke WiFi, Bluetooth and auto-rotate on some users' 10.1 slates. But now official word from the company has that planned OTA software upgrade aiming for a round two redux, rolling out with a fix in tow for affected tabs. Of course, if you were one of the few besot with crippled connectivity issues, you can download the software via the Kies desktop app and sideload it from there. So, no need to worry. Your happy tablet days are here again.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 visits FCC again, wants to show its 3G credentials
It was on, then it was off, but it looks like Samsung 7.7-incher could return from the ether of launch limbo, with a 3G-capable model knocking at the FCC's lab-door. Schematics are largely identical to the WiFi model spotted at the commission back in September, but the filing confirms that this particular slab of Android will be arriving with HSPA+ talents. Yes, the GT-P6800 will offer up some faux-G speeds alongside a sizable Super AMOLED Plus panel (1280 x 800) and the standard WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS bells and whistles. We are, however, still tapping our collective feet while waiting for confirmation on whether the device will ever land on American soil. What's in an inch, anyway?
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus review
We've already established that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is a great tablet. Then, just recently, we summarily found that the 1.2-inch smaller Galaxy Tab 8.9 is an even better tablet -- at least for anyone who wants to take their slate places. So, following that logic, the even more petite Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus should be the best of the three, right? Not so fast. We've been here before, and things weren't exactly great. The original Galaxy Tab was, of course, a 7-incher and wasn't universally well received thanks to a number of problems -- the first being a $600 MSRP. Another issue was an Android 2.2 build that tried its best but was ultimately ill-suited for tablet duties. This new 7-inch installment packs a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, a tablet-friendlier build of Android 3.2 Honeycomb and a somewhat more palatable $400 price tag. So, it's clearly better equipped than its predecessor, but that one shipped a whopping 12 months ago. How does the newer, fancier Tab compete in this newer, fancier present? Read on to find out. %Gallery-139780%
How would you change Sony's Tablet S?
As far as tablets go, Sony's Tablet S is about as innovative and unorthodox as it got in 2011. The Honeycomb-based device shipped with Android 3.1, and while there's no word yet on an Ice Cream Sandwich update, you can bet that Sony's pushing for one. As is, it's still in possession of quite the edge given the PlayStation Suite inclusion, which makes it the first tablet capable of playing PlayStation and PSP games via the included emulator. We found plenty of pros and cons during our time with the device, but now that it's out and about in plenty of nations worldwide, we're offering you -- the early adopter -- a chance to speak about your gripes and praises. Would you change up the wedge design? Throw a different display on here? Swap one thing for another? Go on and shout your advice below. But try speaking, first. Shouting is pretty rude.
Switched On: Between a Nook and a hard place
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. In the 1988 comedy Coming to America, a blatant McDonald's rip-off named McDowell's draws the legal ire of the empire built by Ray Kroc. In explaining his pathetic defense that includes noting that McDowell's uses golden arcs instead of golden arches, the eatery's manager notes that while both the Big Mac and his Big Mick both include the 1970s jingle-immortalized ingredients of two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles and onions, the McDowell's flagship burger bun has, in fact, no sesame seeds. This state of differentiation isn't a far cry from what characterized some of the earliest 10-inch Honeycomb devices -- a few fractions of an inch of thickness, a higher-quality display, a full-sized USB port, an hour or two of running time and some bundled apps constituted how many of the tablets asserted their competitiveness. Of course, there was the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer with its keyboard add-on and its follow up, the Eee Pad Slider, which finally brought an integrated one. But whether it's been from a lack of options for manufacturers or disadvantages of the overall Honeycomb approach, larger Android tablets have made limited inroads versus the similarly sized iPad and are now going after it more aggressively on price.
NVIDIA's Jen-Hsun Huang: quad-core, Tegra 3 tablets will drop to $299 in a 'couple quarters'
It's inevitable: the "latest and greatest" in tech (whatever that happens to be at the moment) always comes down in price as it makes way for something thinner, faster... better. Still, it's interesting to imagine that happening when a product is still basking in its glory days. That's exactly what what we're going to see with NVIDIA's new quad-core Tegra 3 chip, according to NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang. Over lunch today with a few tech journalists, he said he expects Tegra 3 tablets to plummet to $299 in just "a couple quarters." That's pretty incredible when you remember the Transformer Prime hasn't even gone on sale yet, and when it does it'll cost $500 -- a reasonable price in its own right when you stack it up against the aging iPad 2. So it's a bit dizzying to imagine 2012 ushering in a crop of high-end Honeycomb (or even ICS) tablets that cost just a little more than the Nook Tablet currently does. We'll be curious to see how such pricing might pressure the likes of Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Apple, but regardless, something tells us lots of you won't wait six months to get your hands on a half-price Prime.
Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus hits the FCC sporting AT&T-compatible HSPA+
So, you dig what Sammy is doing with Honeycomb on the 10.1 and the 8.9, but you're looking for something a little smaller. The Note has struck your interest, but perhaps its dimensions are just a tad too diminutive for your tastes. Well sir or ma'am, you're exactly the type of person Samsung is hoping to snag with its Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus. You can already order one with WiFi on board, but if it's cellular capabilities you're looking for, the latest model that just sauntered through the FCC might be the ticket. The GT-P6200 is sporting a little extra something in the way of an HSPA+ radio. Specifically the cellular modem comes supporting the 850MHz and 1900MHz GSM bands used by AT&T. So, perhaps Ma Bell is looking to refresh its tablet family, which is still hawking the OG Galaxy Tab (no Honeycomb on that bad boy). There's also 802.11n and Bluetooth 3.0 antennas on board. Hit up the source link for all the fun regulatory minutia.
Google's Android 'These Go To Eleven' liveblog from Los Angeles!
This is it! You've arrived! But it's a little early. Fret not, though, as you can bookmark this very page and return at the time shown below in order to join in on the liveblogging mayhem. We'll be bringing you every last point as it's unveiled in Los Angeles this evening (or afternoon, whatever), with Google Music firmly in our heart and T-Mobile looming over everything. It's going to be loony. %Gallery-139636% November 16, 2011 5:00:00 PM EST
Acer A700 and A701 tabs leak on support site, sporting Tegra 3 and full HD displays
Don't think that ASUS is going to be having all of the Tegra 3 fun by itself, Acer appears to have a pair of Iconia-branded tabs on the way also sporting NVIDIA's quad-core mobile chip. The A700 and A701 are showing up as hardware profiles over at the company's support site. The XML file doesn't give away too much in the specs department, but it does list the devices as having a screen size of 1920 x 1200. Seriously! We're talking about a panel of higher res than your 42-inch TV shrunk down to a portable device. The screen's physical dimensions aren't specified, but we imagine this is at least a 10-inch slate (otherwise, you're gonna be doing a lot of squinting). When exactly the WiFi-only A700 and GSM-equipped A701 might ship is anyone's guess, but it looks like they'll be doing so with Honeycomb instead of Android 4.0.
Google's 'These Go To Eleven' Android event starts at 5PM ET, get your liveblog here!
It's just about that time, kids. And by "that time," we mean "time for Google to pull some kind of LA-themed rabbit out of an LA-based hat." The Mountain View monster has rolled down I-5 today in order to throw a "These Go To Eleven" event, presumably in conjunction with T-Mobile. What's on the docket? A Google Music that actually sells stuff? A Galaxy Nexus for T-Mobile? A Google Music store that only runs on T-Mobile's Galaxy Nexus while positioned in the greater Los Angeles area? Feel free to let your imagination run (a little) wild in comments below, and check back right here at the time listed below (2PM local time, for the Californicators) for our blow-by-blow liveblog coverage. Wed Nov 16 05:00:00 PM EST 2011
Netflix reveals new user interface experience for Android tablets, iPad counterpart coming soon
You've already had a peek at it in the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet, but it seems that redesigned user interface is going to be hitting more than just the holiday's most-talked about duo. Netflix has made official a newly redesigned user interface experience for Android tablets -- one that "makes browsing and instantly watching unlimited TV shows and movies streaming from Netflix better than ever." The new look provides multiple rows of titles with larger artwork to scroll through, with Neil Hunt, chief product officer at Netflix, noting that the company has seen a "threefold increase in how long Netflix members are watching on their tablets." As of today, interested consumers can simply update their Netflix app in the Android Market, while iPad users are being asked to wait "a few weeks," after which the new tablet experience will be dubbed Tabster and led on Twitter by a 17-year old methamphetamine addict.
Adobe brings Touch Apps family to Android tablets, Creative Cloud looms on the horizon
Back in October, as you may recall, Adobe unveiled its Touch Apps family -- a collection of six tools designed to make life easier and more tactile for tablet-using creative types. Today, those apps are finally available on the Android Market, for tablets running Android 3.1 or higher. The sextet includes Photoshop Touch, Collage and Proto, among other Adobe products, each of which is priced at $9.99. These applications will also play a central role in Adobe's forthcoming Creative Cloud initiative, which will allow users to share, view and transfer files across multiple devices. That isn't expected to launch until the first half of next year, while the full suite of Touch Apps for iOS users should be released by "early 2012" (Adobe Ideas is the only member currently available on iTunes). Android slate wielders can get their hands on all the Touch Apps now, though Adobe says they'll need at least an 8.9-inch, 1280 x 800 display. Check out the source link below for more details, or head past the break for the full PR treatment.
Ice Cream Sandwich source code released, sync pending go-ahead from AOSP
If you're champing at the bit waiting to get your hands on a nice cool piece of Android 4.0, your wait may soon be over. Pending a final go-ahead from the Android Open Source Project, you'll be able to sync the now available Ice Cream Sandwich source code. Due to the "large push" (presumably because of all the changes), the roll out is going to take some time to complete -- project members will give the final word when things are good to go. If you try to sync prematurely, be forewarned that you'll get an incomplete copy that will be useless. The available flavor is 4.0.1 which will be the version to ship on the Galaxy Nexus, the first ICS device. This release also includes "the full history of the Android Code," signaling the first time Honeycomb source has seen daylight. Can't wait for a taste? The extremely impatient can hit that coverage link below, but we prefer our frozen treats to be properly chilled before consumption. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
WiFi-only Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 gets Android 3.2 update, loses WiFi connectivity (updated)
Anxious to get that Galaxy Tab 10.1 WiFi model updated with a fresh dose Android 3.2? You might want to hold your horses. It seems users are encountering a host of issues, including a lack of WiFi connectivity -- pretty essential for a WiFi-only device. In addition, auto-rotate functions no longer work correctly and a few have noticed Bluetooth loss (pun fully intended). Some are reporting that the download is failing after a partial install and a hard reset doesn't offer a fix. It seems what was supposed to be a sweet Honeycomb treat is leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of early adopters. Have you tried to install the upgrade for your Galaxy Tab 10.1? Let us know how it went in the comments below, but please -- keep the swearing to a minimum. Update: We've received word from Samsung Mobile that the upgrade has been pulled until the issues can be resolved. The company has confirmed that there is a problem with the update and is working actively to find a solution. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
HTC Jetstream review
When HTC entered the tablet game, it did so in reverse course. Where other manufacturers were jostling for elbow room in a 10-inch form factored world, the company opted for smaller, more familiar battleground, eschewing the rough-hewn Honeycomb OS for a Gingerbread-baked Sense overlay on the Flyer. Naturally, the time for that mini-slate to shine has come and gone. In its stead, we're treated to a flagship of sorts -- HTC's first 10-incher and AT&T's inaugural 4G LTE slate. Android 3.1 makes an appearance here, as does Sense 1.1 for tablets, but is the skinned experience really any different from the custom UX we've all come to love or hate on phones? Can the added Scribe pen functionality, repurposed here from its 7-inch brother, transform the Jetstream from third pillar offering to an always-on, on-the-go assistant? And will those newly hatched 700MHz speeds convince you to cough up for that weighty $700 price tag? Follow along past the break to see how it fared. %Gallery-137899%
Honey, at home: Philips urban beehive shrinks your ecological footprint, increases holes on belt
It's a first-world issue: running out of honey when we need just a little more to sweeten up that bowl of oatmeal or cup of coffee. What we need is a constant supply of the golden stuff, and Philips has thankfully come up with this urban beehive to provide precisely that. It's the latest addition to the company's germaphobe-unfriendly "microbial home" concept. The system is half flowerpot, half hive, with bees able to travel between flower pollination and your domestic honey factory their honeycomb house. Honey can be 'tapped' from the base, with a smoking system in place to "calm the bees" before opening the hive. Now, if Philips could fashion something to keep us in a constant supply of maple syrup, then maybe even bakery dreams have a future, after all. %Gallery-139021%
Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 review
What is the optimal size for a modern-day tablet? Is it 10 inches? Is it seven? Or, is it something smaller, like the economy-sized smartphone that is the Galaxy Note? We can't say for sure, but we surely can say that Samsung is as much in the dark as we are. Like a gadgety Goldilocks traipsing between an endless sea of options, that company seems completely unable to make up its mind, splitting niches into sub-niches and then cleaving those in twain again with a seemingly endless array of fractionally different tablets. Today we're looking at the Galaxy Tab 8.9. This powerful slate exists because, apparently, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is too big and the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus is too small. Is the $449 8.9 just right, then? Read on to find out. %Gallery-138970%
Huawei MediaPad, Vision get priced in sterling, will arrive in UK within months
We're still awaiting further details on the MediaPad's stateside arrival, but Huawei has already spilled the beans for those on the other side of the Atlantic. At an event in London this week, the Chinese manufacturer confirmed that its seven-inch, Honeycomb-plated slate will arrive in the UK by early 2012, with prices for the WiFi only version starting at £275 (around $437). The company also took the opportunity to announce the arrival of its Vision smartphone, which will invade Britain sometime before Christmas. Huawei says it'll cost around £25 (about $40), once provider subsidies are accounted for, though specific operators won't be announced until early next year. Rest assured, we'll keep you up to date.
Acer Iconia Tab A200 leaves the FCC larger than expected
The consensus was that the Iconia Tab A200 would be the intermediate device 'twixt the 7-inch A100 and 10-inch A500 -- not so if the ruler-wavers at the FCC are doing their job properly. The schematic above shows a diagonal measurement of 29.6cm, around 11.65-inches. Given Acer's love of a thick bezel, it's safe to assume this will carry a 10-inch (or thereabouts) display. Now that it's been passed fit for human consumption (as much as you can with WiFi and Bluetooth, anyway), we should be hearing a lot more soon --including whether it'll be running Ice Cream Sandwich or disappointing us with yet more Honeycomb.
ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime: 10-inch Super IPS+ display, 12-hour battery and quad-core Tegra 3, ships in December for $499
For three weeks now, Android fans have been fidgeting impatiently. Specifically, ever since ASUS chairman Jonney Shih took the stage at last month's AsiaD conference and teased the next-gen Transformer tablet. Though he only gave us a quick glimpse, he recited a laundry list of specs: a 10.1-inch display, 8.3mm-thick body, mini-HDMI output, microSD slot and an update to Ice Cream Sandwich by the end of the year, if not sooner. Not to mention, it'll pack NVIDIA's hot-off-the-presses Tegra 3 SoC, making it the first-ever quad-core tablet. We knew this: we'd learn more on November 9th. Well, that day has come, and so have the juicy details. We just got word that the tablet will go on sale worldwide in December, starting at $499 with a beefy 32GB of storage, moving up to $599 for a 64GB model. (That signature keyboard dock you see up there will cost $149.) In addition to those basic specs Mr. Shih revealed last month, we now know this has a 1280 x 800, Super IPS+ Gorilla Glass display with a 178-degree viewing angle and a max brightness of 600 nits. It also packs 1GB of RAM, GPS, a gyroscope, SonicMaster audio and a 1.2 megapixel front-facing camera. Rounding out the list is an 8MP shooter with an auto-focusing f/2.4 lens and a back-illuminated CMOS sensor that captures 1080p video. Touch-to-focus is also an option here, and ASUS claims a 30 percent boost in color enhancement over competing tabs. As for battery life, we initially heard reports of 14.5-hour runtime, but ASUS is now saying the tablet alone can squeeze out 12 hours thanks to a 22Wh battery, and that the dock will add an additional six hours of juice. In addition, the slimmed-down, 1.2-pound dock brings all the other benefits the last-gen model offered, including a touchpad, USB 2.0 port and full-sized SD slot. Software-wise, it'll ship with Android 3.2 and apps such as SuperNote and Polaris Office, and we're told we'll learn more about that ICS update in "early December." In terms of design, you may have already noticed the Prime sports the same spun aluminum digs as the company's Zenbooks, though this is the first time we're seeing clear, close-up shots of it -- and in two colors, no less! At 8.3mm (0.33 inches) thick and 586 grams (1.29 pounds) without the dock, it's a smidge skinnier than the iPad 2 and Galaxy Tab 10.1, which means, unsurprisingly, that your old Transformer dock won't be compatible. Finally, ASUS coated both the display and metal cover with a hydro-oleophobic coating that makes it more fingerprint-resistant. For now, we've got photos below and if you can wait a few more weeks, we'll most definitely be putting this thing through its paces in a full review. And if you're looking for something a little less expensive, well, the original Transformer should be getting Ice Cream Sandwich soon, and we wouldn't be surprised if Santa brought a few holiday rebates. %Gallery-138833%