tabletpcs
Latest
Google Play hits 600,000 apps, 20 billion total installs
Google during its I/O keynote hit a symbolic milestone: it now has 600,000 apps in the Google Play Store. As well, the store is clearly hitting a brisk pace in adoption, with 1.5 billion downloads every month and 20 billion since Android began. Free apps are available in 190 countries, with paid apps in 132. The app and download counts stack up fairly well to Apple's own claims, although not universally: it's just short of the App Store's 650,000 apps, but Apple can still point to 30 billion total downloads. Google also hasn't said how many apps are explicitly tablet-friendly versus 225,000 iPad-oriented apps. Either way, Google can say that it has largely erased the app quantity deficit, and that's no mean feat.
Ematic unwraps 9.7-inch eGlide Pro X tablet, widens its Android 4.0 horizons in a literal sense
Ematic has a tendency to release a lot of tablets, so what's one more? In the case of the eGlide Pro X, quite a bit. The newly shipping model uses a 9.7-inch, 4:3 ratio display that will be quite familiar to some, but which is still quite rare in the narrower, 16:10-happy world of Android 4.0. It's thankfully more than just superficials that get the boost. We'd say that the Pro X is just that slightly more pro than its XL Pro ancestor through a faster 1.2GHz processor and a doubled 8GB of built-in storage. A microSD slot, HDMI, Kobo's book app, and Ematic's own Google-replacing software all show their familiar faces. The $220 price currently makes this latest of eGlides a good bargain, but we have a hunch you might want to wait until Google I/O -- you never know what you might get.
Matrix One is a $99 ICS tablet that could ship to retailers next month... but probably won't (hands-on)
From Barcelona to Hanover to Vegas and Taipei, we've seen our fair share of low-end Android tablets, some of which actually offer a bit of promise, and get it done for under 200 bucks. And while even a few sub-$100 models have littered the exhibition hall floors, they're most often mere vaporware, never actually making their way to US and European retailers and online shops. The Matrix One, for its part, could actually get the nod of approval from big box execs, however -- according to company reps, at least. And it wouldn't be a half-bad option at $99, shipping with Android 4.0.3, a 2-megapixel webcam, 1.5GHz Cortex A8 processor and an 800 x 480-pixel 7-inch capacitive display. Those specs also make their way to a nearly identical $149 flavor, which ups its budget counterpart's 512MB RAM and 4 gigs of storage to 1GB and 16GB, respectively, while keeping the other components intact. While that display won't best any brand-name slab on the market, it's certainly usable, even in bright sunlight, as we experienced today at CE Week in New York City. The tablet performed just fine during our quick demo, which included navigating through some menus and watching a few HD video clips. The built-in speaker on the rear won't come close to filling a room (or even a noisy car, perhaps), but a headphone jack will let movie fans and youngsters alike appreciate content a bit more, especially if traditional tablets are priced out of reach. There's also an HDMI port for outputting 1080p video to a TV, along with one full-size USB port, a mini-USB connector for syncing and updates, a power port and a micro-SD card slot, for adding up to 32 gigs of extra storage. You'll also find a built-in mic and a two-megapixel webcam (no rear-facing shooter, however). All in all, the 11.1-ounce package is quite polished, especially given the price. We won't likely be adding the Matrix One to our personal collection, but if a $99 tablet is on your must-have list, this wouldn't be a bad choice -- let's just hope it does indeed pop up in stores, perhaps as soon as the tablet's ready to ship at the end of next month. There's a gallery below if you'd care to take a closer look, and do jump past the break as well -- that's where you'll find our hands-on video, with a lively Manhattan soundscape to boot.%Gallery-159196%
Toshiba Excite 13 review: a big-screened tablet with a price to match
Well, this lede pretty much wrote itself. A 13-inch tablet, seriously? Toshiba is pushing the form factor limits with the Excite 13, and while its dimensions make it stand out in a sea of 7- and 10-inch devices, that isn't necessarily what tablet buyers are looking for. More Info Toshiba announces Excite 10, 7.7 and 13 tablets, Thrive slates on their way out Toshiba Excite 7.7 review Toshiba Excite 10 review There's no shortage of skepticism about such a large slate -- "slab" seems appropriate here -- so the Toshiba Excite 13 needs to provide an exceptional experience, with a brilliant display and smooth graphics, to make 2.2 pounds seem more palatable. On paper, its specs are promising: there's a quad-core Tegra 3 CPU under the hood, a 1600 x 900 display at 138 ppi and a clean build of Android 4.0. The company already has the Excite 7.7 and Excite 10 in its arsenal, and their good performance and bright displays make for compelling tablets. But how does a 13-inch tablet that starts at $650 round out that trio? Read on for our full impressions. %Gallery-159048%
Apple sends iOS 6 beta 2 to developers
The wait between iOS 6's unveiling and its planned fall release just got a little bit shorter, as Apple has just pushed out beta 2. If you're in the developer crowd that can try it out, don't expect any revelations: the primarily focus is on the bug fixes that nudge the software closer to a final release. As in past years, multiple additional betas are expected between now and the time the iOS 6 is ready to come to the general public, so there's likely still lots of room left for Apple to polish the release to a shine. Those paid up on their developer accounts can grab the update through the usual means and see just how much luster has been added since WWDC. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Google Nexus tablet reportedly shows its pre-rendered face, packing Android 4.1 and a $199 price
There's been a longstanding rumor that Google liked ASUS' Eee Pad MeMO ME370T well enough to bestow it with an official Nexus badge and take it underground until it was ready to show its Jelly Bean face. If we're to believe a render and a raft of claimed training documents nabbed by Gizmodo, that face is getting its debut in about two days' time. As it's described, it could largely be what we'd expect from the ME370T being revived as an Android 4.1 reference device: a 7-inch, quad-core Tegra 3 slate with a front 1.2-megapixel camera, NFC, 8GB to 16GB of storage and a 1280 x 800 IPS-based LCD. If you're looking for gotta-have-it features that will have you rushing to fork over the cash, though, they may be limited to the OS and Kindle Fire-busting $199 and $249 prices for the two storage capacities. That image? There's a very distinct possibility that it's still a cleverly-done fake. Nonetheless, the prism-like backdrop has a whiff of Galaxy Nexus about it, and that textured, rounded back lines up neatly with what we've seen in an FCC filing for the ASUS design. We'll know soon enough whether or not it's real or just a fantasy -- if the tip (and others we've been hearing) is right, Nexus slabs will spread 'round the world come July.
Acer is skeptical of Surface tablets, thinks Microsoft isn't playing nice
We were worried that Microsoft might wind up with frenemies in the PC industry after introducing its Surface tablets. There hasn't been a lot of backlash so far, but the Windows 8 tablets clearly rankled some Acer executives -- they're lashing out at their OS partner in a very public fashion. Acer's EMEA senior VP Oliver Ahrens is accusing Microsoft of trying to copy Apple's business model and thinks the Surface line will struggle to get any traction. It could lead to a "defocus" at Microsoft as the software giant forgets the PC builders that got it to the top, he says. Meanwhile, frequently outspoken company founder Stan Shih isn't even convinced that Microsoft is serious about the whole affair. To him, Surface is just an attempt to spur tablet designers into action that will fade away if and when Microsoft deems it a success. It's entirely possible that either executive is right knowing Microsoft's very mixed track record in hardware. Just consider the source before you cast too much doubt of your own: Acer isn't exactly great with tablet market predictions.
Microsoft: Surface was developed in an 'underground bunker' at first, we can play the secrecy game too
We commonly associate extreme secrecy around a product design with Apple, but it now looks to be in vogue with all the major technology companies: just days after Samsung revealed the Galaxy S III's secret sauce, Microsoft has explained to TechRadar that it developed its surprise new Surface tablets under a similarly tight watch. A special wing of Microsoft's hardware unit initially worked in an "underground bunker," according to the division's Stevie Bathiche, before moving to a more conventional building with an 'airlock' door -- the company was just that concerned that Bob from Accounts Receivable might spoil the whole thing. As we all know by now, that level of secrecy proved effective almost until the last minute and let Microsoft design to its heart's content; we still don't know if other PC builders were aware. The practice is a sharp break from Microsoft's tendency to telegraph its strategy well in advance, and it emphasizes just how much importance Redmond places on its self-developed Windows 8 hardware.
Hitachi, NEC lead 70-strong coalition pitching iPad, iPhone for the business crowd
The Japanese must have more of a thing for Apple than we thought. A group of 70 local companies, led by heavyweights such as Hitachi and NEC, wants to spur iPad and iPhone app development for the corporate world. Along with helping to get the apps built in the first place, the alliance could help spread the work abroad. Members have even said they'll press Apple to get more information for writing business apps, although we wish them the best of success on that front -- Apple isn't exactly known for letting developers learn more about iOS' inner workings. With as many as 600 members joining over time, the coalition's success could shake up a Japanese suit-and-tie culture led by domestic cellphones and PCs. There also wouldn't be any shortage of irony from NEC partnering to support a platform that undermines its own tablets.
Motorola Xoom 2 says buongiorno to Alitalia's cockpits and cabins (video)
It won't just be Apple and Samsung cornering the in-air tablet market -- Motorola has scored a deal with Alitalia to put the Xoom 2 into every aspect of the Italian airline's flights. Passengers riding high in the Business and Magnifica classes on longer Middle Eastern and Russian flights will now get to use the Android slate if the aircraft doesn't already have an in-flight entertainment system. At the front, attendants will get a passenger manifest app that lets them scratch travelers' itches based on their flight history. And just to form the triumvirate that Italy loves so well, Alitalia will outfit 10 of its lounges with the current Xoom to keep well-heeled passengers on top of the news before they board. There's no word on expansion plans that would let us play FIFA on that next JFK-to-Rome trip, but we can always brush up on our Italian through an illustrative video below.
Microsoft's rumored tablet may be a Barnes & Noble collaboration with Xbox Live video streaming
Rumors swirling around Microsoft's mystery event on Monday have repeatedly centered on a tablet, but if TechCrunch sources are right, Microsoft may only play a partial role in the project. The unveiling, according to the claims, may instead be a tablet, e-reader or a crossover of the two built in teamwork with Barnes & Noble -- a company that just recently established a vague partnership with Microsoft after many months of legal wrangling over Android and the Nook. The slate may not include Windows 8 RT at all, despite earlier assertions, but that's not to say that Microsoft wouldn't be breaking ground in other areas. One of the reported insiders believes it could be the first device without the Microsoft badge to get Xbox Live video streaming, which might explain Redmond's eagerness to turn Xbox into a general media brand at its E3 keynote. It's still very much unknown if there will be any hardware at all, although decisions to host the event in the media capital of Los Angeles and detach the invitation from any existing Microsoft division provide at least indirect support for the notion. Whatever happens, we'll be there tomorrow to give you the lowdown.
More slides on Dell's Windows 8 Latitude 10 tablet surface, detail docking station and launch window
A slide detailing a Dell Latitude 10 tablet running Windows 8 surfaced late last month, and today more information about that slate has hit the internet. Neowin's "insider source" provided additional slides pertaining to the Dell Latitude 10, rounding out the product's specs and adding its time-to-market to the picture. According to the leaked roadmap, the 10.1-inch device is slated to ship between mid-November and mid-January, and it looks like Dell will offer a docking station with four USB ports, Ethernet, HDMI, built-in mobile broadband and even an optional stylus. Specs match up with those in the previously published slide, though Neowin says Dell may also release a Windows RT tablet around October. Head to the source link for the complete gallery of Latitude 10 slides. [Thanks, Brad]
Condition One immerses iPads and iPhones in 180-degree video, shakes up dreary apps (video)
Video in tablet magazines and similar apps sometimes -- okay, often -- comes across as a grafted-on extra. Condition One, a startup by war photographer Danfung Dennis, wants to make video an intrinsic part of the experience by taking advantage of the motion sensors in smartphones and tablets. Video shot from a DSLR or similar camera is converted into a 180-degree format that you can swipe or tilt through on an iOS device to get a more involving look. It's a lot more lively than plain movies, and Dennis sees the technique being used for documentaries and tours where it would help to put viewers directly in the action. Producers only need off-the-shelf hardware and software, too. There's a show-off app at the source link to get an overall sense of what the footage is like, but if you're looking for the first official projects, a pilot project has just started that's bringing apps from Discovery, Mercedes-Benz, Popular Science (below), The Guardian and XL Recordings.
ARM vows Mali-450 graphics will liven up mid-range smartphones
ARM is still cooking its next-generation Mali-T604 mobile graphics, but it has what could be a massive lift to performance coming considerably sooner through the Mali-450 family. The architecture is almost almost literally two Mali-400 chips (the same that powers the Galaxy S II) grafted together, and the maximum eight cores accordingly run up to twice as quickly as what we saw just a year ago. The real achievement might be just be targeting the Mali-450 at a more down-to-Earth audience: where the 400 was all about conquering the high-end, ARM wants the 450 to focus on mid-range and even entry-level phones. Design work for the new Mali video should be done before the end of 2012, although it'll be up to chip manufacturers to carry the torch and finish work that likely won't show in phones and tablets until 2013.
PSA: Which iOS 6 features can my device run? (update: more iPhone 3GS support)
So you're eagerly awaiting iOS 6 in the fall, but you'd like to know just how many features you'll end up skipping if you cling on to your existing iPad, iPhone or iPod touch for one more generation. Apple has gone to the trouble of alerting would-be upgraders just what features they'll get when they check for the update this fall, and we've compiled it in a chart for an at-a-glance view of what you'll need. The short answer: you'll want an iPhone 4S if you're craving every iOS 6 feature. Some feature gaps are defined by obvious differences like the absence of cellular hardware, but the performance limits of the iPhone 3GS or fourth-generation iPod touch turn their upgrades into a patchwork. There's also a pair of questions about iPod touch support and whether or not "iPhone 4 or later" explicitly rules out the media player; we'll update should we know more. Either way, it's evident that Apple is bending over backwards to support burgeoning markets, but also that anyone who bought in 2010 or earlier is feeling the pressure to pick up something new -- especially original iPad owners, who can't upgrade at all. iPhone 3GS iPod touch iPhone 4 iPhone 4S iPad 2 iPad (2012) Chinese service integration X X X X X X Facebook integration X X X X X X FaceTime over 3G/4G - - - X - X Flyover and turn-by-turn GPS - - - X X X Guided Access X X X X X X Made for iPhone hearing aids - - - X - - New content stores X X X X X X Offline Reading List - ? X X X X Passbook X X X X - - Phone replies and reminders X - X X - - Safari tab syncing X X X X X X Shared Photo Streams X X X X X X Siri - - - X - X VIP list, flagged/VIP mailboxes X X X X X X Update: Since we first posted this, Apple has updated its support to add Shared Photo Streams and the VIP list support going all the way back to the iPhone 3GS. Support is much more consistent now, even if it still leaves the 3GS lagging in some areas.
Verizon's Share Everything data plans go live June 28th, let you add family (or a tablet) for a little extra
Verizon has been promising shared data plans for awhile, so it's with some relief (and trepidation) we can say they're here. Share Everything, as it's called, starts off with the assumption you'll want unlimited voice and messages and then bolts on shared data along with a maximum of 10 individual devices: a core plan starts at $50 per month for 1GB of data and requires that you tack on $40 a month for every smartphone, $30 for basic phones, $20 for hotspots and $10 for tablets. Of course, Verizon will gladly let you pay for more data if your family loves to stream Netflix on 4G all day, up to $100 for a common pool of 10GB. A stiff price, but it also includes tethering or hotspot creation support on any device in the mix. The new plans will be ready to tempt you away from your unlimited data on June 28th.
Max Payne Mobile hits Android June 14th, metes out justice on your Galaxy Tab
We'd been wondering where Rockstar Games' promised Android version of Max Payne Mobile had gone after missing its original April release window, but the company has at last narrowed down a release for its third-person revenge shooter on Google's OS. The game swings by Google Play on June 14th, although the nature of the platform means Rockstar is only vowing support for certain phones and tablets. You'll find the whole list at the source link, but it's safe to say that you'll want a higher-end Android device made during the past year by Acer, ASUS, HTC, LG, Medion, Motorola, Samsung, Sony or Toshiba. Thankfully, the $2.99 price will cover either form factor and gives you every excuse to take down Valkyr-peddling thugs on New York City's streets.
Amazon Appstore reportedly travelling to Europe this summer, we hope its passport is up to date
Amazon had a successful first year with its Appstore; outside of a false start, however, no one beyond the US could enjoy it. That looks to be changing, if whispers to AllThingsD turn into shouts. The reputed insiders have Europeans getting their crack at the third-party Android store sometime in the summer, with app submissions starting as soon as next week. Amazon hasn't confirmed anything, so don't be surprised if the Appstore isn't packing its bags for the trip just yet -- especially as other services like Instant Video haven't made the jump. Should the Appstore go on a European vacation, though, it could be an early preamble to the Kindle Fire following suit.
Google's Andy Rubin: Android activations up to 900,000 a day, I'm staying put thank you
It's been awhile since we learned how many unique Android devices were switching on every day; the last time was at Mobile World Congress, when Google's senior mobile VP Andy Rubin confirmed 850,000 activations a day just as we were fruitlessly practicing our Catalan. He's now chiming in with word that the daily rate is up to 900,000 cellular-enabled phones and tablets as of June. That's a ways off from the breakneck pace of growth in 2011, but it certainly shows that Android is no shrinking violet just yet. Rubin's answer is ostensibly prompted by a need to debunk a rumor that he might be leaving Google -- there's "no plans" for that, he says. All the same, we're sure he doesn't mind ever-so-slightly deflating Apple's balloon before WWDC 2012 kicks off tomorrow. [Image credit: Jon Fingas, Flickr]
ComScore: Nearly a quarter of US smartphone owners have tablets, love their video
If you've got a smartphone, it's increasingly likely that you're also carrying a tablet as a sidearm. ComScore understands that 23.6 percent of American smartphone owners also have an iPad, Kindle Fire or some other large touchscreen slab as of April. That's only 16.5 percent of all cellphone owners in the land, but that's a huge jump from 9.7 percent of smartphone owners (4.7 percent of cellphone owners) just one year earlier. And if you do own a slate, odds are that you're watching your fair share of movies and cat videos. More than half of tablet users, 53 percent, fire up the likes of Netflix or YouTube at least once a month, with almost a tenth (9.5 percent) tuning in daily. Tablet lovers are unsurprisingly three times more likely to watch than their smartphone counterparts, suggesting that it's just a short hop from buying a tablet to catching up on Daily Show episodes.
