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Notion Ink quietly releases Cain, a 10.1-inch Windows 8 tablet
The Notion Ink Adam was a tablet with big dreams, but it hit the market with a loud flop. It's successor, the Adam II, whooshed by with almost no public notice at all. Now the company is back, but it's not trying to redesign the Android tablet anymore. No, this time the company is building a Windows 8 tablet: the Notion Ink Cain. The Cain is a 10.1-inch, 1.8GHz Intel Atom-powered tablet with 2GB of RAM, 32GB of expandable storage and a detachable magnetic keyboard. Despite a sleek design and a rather snazzy folding keyboard case, however, the Cain appears to be a fairly straightforward implementation of Windows 8: no custom apps, or skinned interface included. Less bold than the company's other ventures, but less risky too. There's no mention of the new tablet on Notion Ink's website, but it's currently available for order at Snapdeal, one of India's most popular online marketplaces. Interested? The slate can be had for 19,990 Indian Rupees, or about $327. Check out the full product page at the source link below.
Notion Ink renders show Adam II, accessories and EVE smartphone
Notion Ink's been teasing the Adam II for well over a year now, and while the first generation left us cold, we're curious to see what the second attempt brings to the table. A series of renders recently surfaced that allegedly show the Android tablet, its accessories / packaging and a companion smartphone concept named EVE. It's unclear if the images -- which have since been pulled -- are legitimate, but the design appears to match previous leaks. The accessories include a collapsible docking station, USB charger, stylus and dual-tone leather carrying case. What's most intriguing, however, is the EVE smartphone which also runs Android and features a 4-inch capacitive touchscreen along with a secondary display mounted on its spine, just like the Adam II. Check out the gallery below for the complete set of pictures. %Gallery-194143%
Notion Ink Adam II teased at India's National Technology Awards (updated)
Remember the Notion Ink Adam? We'll forgive you if you don't -- the device fell a bit short of expectations, and news of its successor has been scarce. Save for a few teasing tweets, Notion Ink has kept the project pretty close to its chest. That changed this weekend, however, when the tablet's price and specifications were announced at India's National Technology Awards. According to the press release (after the break) and a pamphlet reportedly given to attendees, the Adam II will sell for 12,000 Indian Rupees (about $217) later this year, packing in a 1.5GHz Dual-Core ARM Cortex CPU, twin 2-megapixel cameras, 1GB RAM and up to 10 hours of battery life. The tablet also boasts a secondary screen, albeit a small one: a monochrome ticker that displays Android notifications on the Adam's book-like spine. HDMI, headphone and micro-USB ports crowd the device's adjacent edges, which wrap around a 10.1-inch 1,280 x 800 IPS display -- a concession that was apparently made to increase longevity. Local and international availability was sadly left out of the announcements, but it's nice to finally see this project gain some steam. Update: Notion Ink has reached out to let us know that the 12,000 rupee price cited in the PR is incorrect. We've asked the company to clarify the pricing and will let you know if we hear back. [Thanks, Anonymous] %Gallery-188088%
Notion Ink's Adam II greets Twitter with blurry eyes
Notion Ink's first generation Adam tablet was an undoubtedly intriguing, but fairly flawed device. But while the company offered the promise of fixing up some of those concerns with gen two, we haven't heard all that much about the device since we saw a profile pic much earlier this year. Ever the tease, the company's site is offering up a little more of the device. All that you're getting this time out is a blurry corner and a chipper "Hello world" greeting. More soon. We hope. [Thanks, Avreen]
Which devices have been updated to Ice Cream Sandwich?
It's mid-May -- do you know where your Ice Cream Sandwich update is? Six months after Android 4.0 made its debut on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, millions of owners of legacy Android devices are still anxiously awaiting the day the new firmware gets downloaded on their own electronic real estate. At least the scene today is much more pleasant than it was just a few months ago, as ICS is finally rolling out to several popular devices. But if you're shopping for a phone or tablet, how can you possibly keep track of which device has what version? Amidst the confusion, we've put together a handy list of the legacy devices (read: didn't ship with Ice Cream Sandwich natively) that have already been updated to Ice Cream Sandwich, as well as the ones that are promised an upgrade at a future date. Of course, many phones and tablets have ICS ROMs, leaked builds and other unofficial versions of the new firmware available, but we'll only discuss official downloads here. We plan to amend the list as the update rolls out to more devices, so be sure to check back from time to time. Head past the break to see how much of a reach Ice Cream Sandwich has. Note: If your device is listed as "available" but you're still waiting for that update to come through, keep in mind that many firmware upgrades are rolled out slowly, over a period of several weeks.
Notion Ink Adam 2 won't have HD screen due to battery constraints
Notion Ink has already revealed a few of the features its forthcoming Adam 2 tablet will have, and it's now also confirmed something it won't have: an HD (or higher res) screen like some of its competitors. In a post on the Designing Adam 2 blog, Notion Ink's Rohan Shravan explained that the company did have the option of a 10-inch 1920 x 1200 display, but that would come either with a significant hit to battery life or some other compromises the company wasn't willing to make (weight, size, charging time, etc). There's still no word on what resolution the Adam 2's screen will have. Shravan did add that a higher resolution screen is on the company's roadmap, but that will apparently have to wait for some battery improvements that don't also require a bigger battery.
Notion Ink's ICS build for Adam goes beta, adds 3G, GPS
Last month Adam owners got a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich after Notion Ink released an Alpha build, but if the limited functionality didn't do it for you, how about an improved Beta version? The developers hope that HDMI video, functional GPS, better WiFi and a working compass will keep you happy while they iron out the remaining niggles, like non-functioning camera and microphone. If this sounds a bit more like it, you should be able to get your hands on it over the weekend. Hit the source link below for the deets.
Notion Ink explains OMAP over Tegra decision for the Adam II
While which chip ends up in a particular device will significantly affect its performance and access to future upgrades, it's not often that we get to peek behind the curtain and find out why those decisions were made. A post on Notion Ink's new Adam II development blog adds some transparency to the process, discussing the switch from an NVIDIA Tegra chip in its first Adam slate to a TI OMAP solution in the just announced tablet. According to the blog, while theoretical performance marks are nice, the company decided its expertise and that of available programmers would let it squeeze the most out of a Texas Instruments chip, as opposed to its first effort that didn't "fully utilize" the power of Tegra. Hit the source link for more details and a breakdown of some of the tech packed into the OMAP4 CPU, and keep an eye on the blog for more details in the run up to the Adam II's release.
Notion Ink's Adam II promises TI OMAP CPUs, Ice Cream Sandwich, broken dreams
Notion Ink's teaming up with TI in order to get at its OMAP4xx silicon for the forthcoming Adam II tablet. It'll also be jamming in the company's Wi-Link 7.0 and Phoenix Audio gear onto the Ice Cream Sandwich-running slate. The chip was apparently chosen thanks to its modular setup, HD visuals and powerful low-energy multitasking. Novice owners will also get their hands on a modular software architecture which will let casual users develop specific applications using a drag-and-drop interface. It's pitching that functionality at home-brewers, students and professionals who can tailor the software to meet a specific need, casually mentioning that it could be used for signal processing, 3D modeling or medical imaging. Do we hear expectations being raised to unrealistic levels again? Given our experiences with the original, we suspect the answer is: "Yes."
Notion Ink releases ICS Alpha update for Adam tablet, teases new device (video)
We had mixed feelings about Notion Ink's Adam slate when it debuted last year, but if you're one of the converts who took one home, then it looks like your faith is being rewarded with an ICS update. Okay, it's only an alpha build, so not everything is working just yet -- that'd be the camera, 3G, USB storage and flash drive, oh and the light sensor. If these *cough* minor niggles don't phase you, the "upgrade" -- shown in the video after the break -- is yours for the taking. This isn't all that Notion Ink's been up to though, as it's also quietly teased a new device on its blog which it claims has been built almost entirely in-house this time round. Details are beyond sparse at this time, but with so much ICS tabletry on the cards for 2012, Adam's new partner will definitely need to have been eating from the tree of knowledge.
Refresh Roundup: week of January 9, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. 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 from 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!
Tech's biggest misfires of 2011
The past 12 months have been a boon of technological innovation, particularly in the world of mobile devices, where top companies have been waging an arms race for the top of the smartphone and tablet hills. Not everything has been smooth sailing, however -- 2011 has also been dotted by delays, false starts, security breeches and straight up technological turf outs. Check out some of the lowlights from the year that was after the break.
Notion Ink Adam update overhauls UI, provides a smidgen of extra stability (video)
We'd be lying if we said the Notion Ink Adam tablet wasn't a major disappointment, but the tiny Indian company that brought us the slate hasn't packed it in yet -- this week, Rohan Shravan announced a new round of sales, and issued a massive software overhaul for all existing Adams to go along with it. We've been playing with the new software for over a day now, and we can attest that the Eden 1.5 UI is much improved -- it's less flashy, but far more responsive, less prone to crashes, and generally more useful. We'd still call it a beta, mind you, as we still managed to find some nasty bugs and slowdown while browsing around, but we're digging the new Chords music player, the new To-Do list, and the multitasking-friendly App Manager you see above. Notion Ink also claims we'll see better battery life in this version, and we're putting the Adam through a thorough drain test right now. We're also hearing that Notion Ink is still working on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) builds. While you wait, why not click past the break for video of the new features in motion. Update: We're not sure about day-to-day use, but we're not getting better results in our battery drain test -- we're still looking at under 6 hours of juice with the backlight at roughly 65 percent brightness.
Notion Ink Adam review
The saga of the Notion Ink Adam is a tale like many we could name -- it's the story of a tiny company struggling to bring a vision to market, facing friction from investors, factories and the march of time itself. The difference is that the Adam captured the imaginations of gadget fiends like ourselves with ideas that were fantastic from day one and are still novel now that it's finally been released, including a paneled UI, full USB host functionality, and of course that Pixel Qi screen. But does the Adam deliver on the promises of unifying form and function with such technology? In two words: Not really. Update: With a new software update, the Notion Ink Adam is slightly better now. If you asked us, we'd definitely still call it beta, but there's progress being made on the UI front. %Gallery-120854%
The Engadget Show - 020: RIM's Ryan Bidan, gdgt's Peter Rojas, Ford CEO Alan Mulally, lots of tablets, Shredder test-drive
Welcome to the latest episode of the The Engadget Show, in which we change things up just a little bit. Everything starts with a trip to the New Mexico desert for a ride on the Shredder, love child of a tank and a skateboard. Next, Tim and Associate Editor Jacob Schulman sit down with RIM's Ryan Bidan to talk about the BlackBerry PlayBook. Then, Tim has a chat with Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally about the future of transportation, and just what'll be driving you in to work in 20 years. After that, Engadget founder Peter Rojas joins Tim and Managing Editor Darren Murph to look at a plethora of tablets. Favorites are chosen, lines are drawn, and allegiances pledged. There's also talk of Amazon's next play in the tablet space, the death of Flip, and what's up next for gdgt. It's an action-packed show and it's ready for you. What are you waiting for? Watch it now! The video stream is above, or download the show in HD below! Hosts: Tim Stevens, Darren Murph, Jacob Schulman Special guests: Ryan Bidan, Alan Mulally, Peter Rojas Produced and Directed by: Chad Mumm Executive Producer: Joshua Fruhlinger Edited by: Danny Madden Music by: Sabrepulse Visuals by: Paris and Outpt Shredder segment music: Minusbaby Taped live at AOL Studios Download the Show: The Engadget Show - 020 (HD) / The Engadget Show - 020 (iPod / iPhone / Zune formatted) / The Engadget Show - 020 (Small) Subscribe to the Show: [iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (MP4). [Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (MP4). [RSS MP4] Add the Engadget Show feed (MP4) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically. [HD RSS] Get the Engadget Show delivered automatically in HD. [iPad RSS] Get the Engadget Show in iPad-friendly adaptive format.
Notion Ink apps ported over to Viewsonic G-Tablet, promise not to brick it too
A few lucky souls managed to get their Notion Ink Adams early -- only to have them brick themselves. The rest were delayed and, well, it's all a bit of a mess. Now there's another way to get a taste of Ink but on some currently available hardware. User gojimi over at the inimitable xda-developers forums has ported seven applications from the Notion Ink suite to Viewsonic's G-Tablet, including the Calendar, Keyboard, QuickOffice, and the Browser. Some don't run perfectly and we have to say that's something of an unfortunate target, but gojimi does indicate it should be easy to move them to any other ROM. So, you know, make it happen!
Notion Ink delays some Adam shipments to February 14th due to touchscreens damaged in transit
The growing pains of being a small company dealing with big demand have bitten Notion Ink again, as the company has had to dish out a disappointing email to some Adam buyers informing them their delivery has been delayed to February 14th. The culprit in this sad case is a shipment of damaged touchscreens, which company chief Rohan Shravan estimates will affect just over five percent of all orders. Touchscreen supplier Sintek has promised to work through the Chinese New Year to refill that stock, so hopefully the bump back to Valentine's Day will be the last, seemingly fitting, one for the Adam. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Notion Ink Adam hits the FCC, torn apart in haste
Although Rohan told us that his Adam tablet had cleared FCC testing a few weeks ago, it's not until today, just now actually, that we've seen the filing go public. For our troubles the FCC has done us the solid of a full-blown teardown. And honestly, it's not pretty. Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised to see so many hand-soldered connections and individual strands of wire encompassing the NVIDIA Tegra T20-H-A0 application processor and embedded Ericsson F3307 HSPA broadband module -- it is, after all, the tiny startup's first mass-market device. But we've borne witness to many a splayings including the tidy tablet teardowns of the iPad and Galaxy Tab. As such, the Adam comes across as a bedraggled mess of suspect build quality -- great for modders, less great (potentially) for the average I-just-want-it-to-work consumer. Naturally, NI doesn't have the design or manufacturing muscle of Apple or Samsung and with the tablet having only just now shipped it'll be months before we have a good idea about the device's integrity. So kick back for now with a few of the more egregious components (like the swiveling camera) after the break with the rest piled up in the gallery below. %Gallery-115282%
PSA: Notion Ink Adam can be unbricked, and here's the 80MB fix
There were tears of joy at the Notion Ink Adam launch, but also tears of shame, as owners of the long-awaited Pixel Qi tablet who downloaded the very first OTA update had their slate brutally bricked. Thankfully, the Notion Ink team appears to have issued a speedy fix, as you can download the ROM directly from the company's website and flash it the comfort of your own home. Assuming you've got a Windows or Linux PC handy, it's only an 80MB download away, and you'll find file links and a detailed set of instructions right after the break. We'll also note that this gives the hacker community an intriguing opportunity to peek through the Adam's code -- if you find anything interesting, be sure to let us know!
Notion Ink Adams arrive to eager unboxers, first OTA brings new meaning to DOA
Well, would you look at that? Oh yes, that's a real life Notion Ink Adam on some lucky guy's table after being pulled from its fresh packaging. Sure, that's to be expected considering the 10-inch, Android 2.2 tablets were boxed up and shipped out last week, but after the numerous delays, we've got to say it's a true milestone for the India-based company. However, while the unboxing videos and pictures are flowing in -- there are two right after the break for ya -- there's sadly some rain pouring down on the company's parade today. According to the chaps at Android Police, a few people have encountered serious issues with an over-the-air update that was pushed to these new tablets. Apparently, hitting the update button and installing the software has caused the Tegra 2 Adam to stop booting (picture of that sad sight at the second source link). That's surely a FOF situation (frown on face, for those that haven't listened to the recent Engadget podcast), but word is that Notion Ink has stopped pushing out those updates for the time being and emailed customers about the issue. We'll be keeping an ear to the ground on this one, but in the meantime we'll be here waiting for our review unit to arrive so we can show those amateur, wobbly-cam unboxers how it's really done.
