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Dell Streak 7 review
Let's be honest, the original Dell Streak had a bit of an identity crisis. The 5-inch device wasn't sure if it belonged in the tablet or smartphone world, and ultimately it was targeted at a pretty niche user. But its larger brother, the Streak 7, is more self-aware. It's a honest-to-goodness tablet meant for doing all those tablet-y things -- surfing the web, reading e-books, watching video and more. Sure, the Streak 7 may just look like an enlarged version of the 5-inch version, but they differ in more than just screen size: the 7 packs a powerful 1GHz dual-core Tegra T20 processor, 1.3 megapixel front facing camera, 5 megapixel lens on the rear, T-Mobile "4G" HSPA+ connectivity, and 16GB of internal memory. The tablet runs Android 2.2 with Dell's Stage UI for now, but Dell promises an upgrade to Honeycomb once it's ready. It sounds like one of the more well-rounded 7-inch tablets on the market right now and at just $200 on contract at T-Mobile (it's $450 without), it's actually quite well priced. However, there are quite a few things that are going to keep 7-inch tablet seekers from forking over the cash. What are those? We'll tell all in our full review -- read on for more! %Gallery-115437%
Droid Bionic appears on Amazon with $150 price tag, quickly disappears again
Something's seriously going on over at Amazon's Wireless store where the Droid Bionic, a Verizon sibling to AT&T's Atrix 4G, has today been spotted listed for sale with a $149.99 price. That matches the levy Amazon asked for the Atrix last week (before promptly yanking the page) and seems to confirm that the $150 price point is receiving some sincere consideration for these 4G-equipped handsets. The Bionic's page has now also disappeared into the ether, but the memory of its delectable promise remains. [Thanks, techcruncher]
Editorial: The rise of the notbook, the fall of the netbook
Notbook (n.) -- An affordable ultraportable laptop, typically with a 11.6-inch or 12-inch display that is not a netbook. It packs more power than a netbook (i.e. can handle 1080p video and Flash at fullscreen) and provides a more comfortable computing experience than the typical, 10-inch underpowered, shrunken Atom-based laptop. Most do not have optical drives, but do last for over five hours on a charge. Unlike pricey ultraportable laptops, notbooks are more affordable and start at around $400. About six months ago, the 11.6-inch Dell Inspiron M101z arrived on my doorstep for review. The AMD Neo-powered system looked like a slightly enlarged netbook, but in a briefing with Dell, the product manager reinforced quite a few times that the system was absolutely "not a netbook." I can't remember his exact wording, but he made it crystal clear -- the $449 Inspiron M101z was so much more powerful than an Intel Atom netbook that it could be one's primary machine. Obviously, I started calling these sorts of laptops "notbooks," and over the next few months, more and more of them started popping up. Some of them paired Atom with an NVIDIA Ion GPU (e.g. Eee PC 1215N), while others used AMD's Neo chip and more recently AMD's new Fusion Zacate APU. (Intel's Core ULV-powered systems are frankly too expensive to be considered in this category, though some Pentium / Core 2 Duo systems, like the Acer Timeline X1810T, could qualify.) Uh, so what? There's a new crop of more powerful, affordable, and highly mobile laptops -- what's the big deal? Well, while many think tablets are what will ultimately cut the netbook market down to size, it's the notbooks that will also seriously hit the Atom-based lilliputian laptops of today where it really hurts. Don't get me wrong, ARM-powered tablets like the iPad and Motorola Xoom are going to impact netbook sales in a big way, too (heck, they already have!), but mark my words, notbooks or affordable ultraportables will take a noticeable chunk of both the netbook and the mainstream laptop market. There's finally a class of laptops that provide a terrific balance between primary and mobile computing without breaking the bank. Think I'm crazy? Hit the break to understand what I'm talking about.
Dell Streak 7 launching at T-Mobile on February 2nd: $200 with two-year contract, $450 without
It's been an interesting few weeks of rumored Dell Streak 7 prices, but as promised, T-Mobile's setting the record straight with some official dollar figures. Yep, that predicted $330 price was indeed pretty far off -- turns out, T-Mobile will be offering the 7-inch, Android 2.2 tablet for just $200 (okay, $199.99 to be exact) on contract starting this Wednesday, February 2nd. Of course, you'll have to sign a two-year contract to get that sweet deal as well as send in a $50 mail-in rebate. Those looking for a bit more freedom can snatch up the NVIDIA Tegra 2-powered, T-Mobile HSPA+ slate for 450 bucks, which actually seems like a pretty sweet deal to us considering the Samsung Galaxy Tab is still about $500 off contract and $300 with two years of service. Sure, the Galaxy Tab has a few more things going for it, including a higher resolution display and bigger battery, but you'll just have to wait for our full review of the Streak 7 to find out if Dell's got a killer "4G" Android tablet hitting shelves later this week.
LG Optimus 2X and Optimus Black priced at €499 by Amazon Germany, not yet available to buy
Amazon's German outlet has started listing LG's two latest and undoubtedly greatest phones: the Optimus 2X (seemingly renamed the Optimus Speed here) and the Optimus Black. Both run Android 2.2 on 4-inch screens, with the former offering a dual-core Tegra 2 processor capable of 1080p video recording and HDMI output, and the latter cranking up the display brightness to a quite unreasonable 700 nits. The Optimus Black also has one of the thinnest profiles on a smartphone of its class at 9.2mm, and will be one of the first phones to offer WiFi Direct connectivity. Intriguingly, Amazon's Optimus Speed / 2X listing also shows a brown color option for the handset, though only its black SKU is subject to a neat €50 discount bringing its price to €499, the same as the cost of the Optimus Black. We don't know when either one will drop, but you can go and reserve yourself one (or a dozen) at the links below. [Thanks, Julian]
Motorola will enable Atrix 4G's 1080p video recording in post-launch software update
The software on Motorola's upcoming Atrix 4G has already been subject to some stern (and premature) scrutiny, but here's some rather more concrete information about it, courtesy of the company's own spec page for the device. As it turns out, Moto intends to launch the Atrix with some of its hardware capabilities clipped -- specifically its Tegra 2-derived power to encode 1080p content -- but will deliver them to users in an update (hopefully soon) thereafter. LG's Optimus 2X, which is built around the same dual-core chip from NVIDIA, has been spending its time before launch showing off exactly what those 1080p encoding skills can deliver -- both with video recording and through its HDMI connection -- so it'll be a downer for Moto fans to learn that their hallowed new superphone won't be able to match up at launch. Then again, when we think about how often phone makers fail to tap the full potential of their hardware, maybe we should just be happy that 1080p abilities are coming to the Atrix at all, eh? [Thanks, Mr. techcrunch]
Compulab makes a tiny Tegra 2 computer for the lilliputian community
It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that you can fit a Tegra 2 in your pocket -- how else could we have these phones? -- but it's still impressive to see the dual-core ARM Cortex A9 and GeForce ULP chip find its way into a bona fide fanless nettop that sips just three watts under load. This Compulab Trim Slice isn't nearly as powerful as the AMD Fusion model we saw last week, but it sure is svelte, with a die-cast metal case just six-tenths of an inch thick despite cramming in a SATA SSD, 1GB of RAM and most every I/O port you could want. You're looking at four USB 2.0 sockets, SD and microSD slots, HDMI, DVI, RS-232, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11n WiFi and Bluetooth, a pair of 3.5mm audio jacks and S/PDIF out for sound, not to mention JTAG, UART and SPI interfaces for extending the system on your own terms -- and analog video-in, for crying out loud. Look for it in April, priced "higher than a streamer, but lower than a tablet." Sound about right? Find another picture and the full PR after the break, while you make up your mind.
1.2GHz Tegra 2 3D chips suggested by leaked slide, coming 'spring 2011'
Darn, we've barely started getting acquainted with Tegra 2, yet NVIDIA seems to already be preparing the stage for a sort of Tegra 2.5 -- a 1.2GHz dual-core chip that'll be marketed as a 3D-capable mobile processor. This T25 silicon is apparently set for mass production in the first quarter of this year, with availability coming up in the spring. Given the noises we keep hearing about 3D going mobile, this is one rumor that makes a lot of sense -- and even if you're a staunch supporter of the 2D creed, you can't deny that a sped-up Tegra 2 CPU sounds pretty delicious. We've managed to also track down some technical chatter about adding support to Chromium OS for a 1.2GHz T25 from NVIDIA, seemingly corroborating the leaked image above. Oh boy, it's gonna be a hot summer for mobile computing this year!
LG Optimus 2X goes on sale in Korea, teases white version for February
No big surprises here, unless you count that snowy white number up above. Yep, LG's not only stolen a march on Motorola in introducing the world's first dual-core smartphone, it's also about to beat Apple to the white handset punch as well. The 1080p-recording, Tegra 2-wielding Optimus 2X is now available in its home market of South Korea and, if LG stays true to its roadmap, should be filtering through into Europe before this month is out. We don't know if its white variant will ever escape the clutches of Korea (and we sure hope it does), but it should be making its bodacious debut over there in February.
Toshiba launches Flashy tablet teaser site, still doesn't have a name for said tablet
Nope, Toshiba's recently announced Android 3.0 tablet doesn't have a name yet, but it does have its own Flash-based website. The site doesn't reveal anything all that new about the device -- we already knew it had a Tegra 2 processor, replaceable battery, and a 1280 x 800-resolution, 10.1-inch display -- however, it does provide a pretty nice tour of the tablet with a 360 view of the hardware. Speaking of that tour, Toshiba specifically points out that the tablet will in fact keep those "Quick-Key buttons," even though Google's Matias Duarte told us that they aren't required. You still have to wait until the spring to get this one in hand, but hit the source link to get a pretty nice virtual look at it right now. Updated: Ah, it really is all about Flash, isn't Toshiba? Ina Fried over at AllThingsD noticed that if you try and load Toshiba's new tablet site on an iOS device the following message appears: "Such a shame... if you had a Toshiba Tablet you would enjoy the entire internet. Yep, Flash sites too." That's true Toshiba, but we don't have your tablet right now, do we?
LG Optimus 2X 1080p video surfaces, captures a slow day at the docks
Since we reported that the Tegra 2-based LG Optimus 2X was slated to hit Korea and Europe this month, we've been dying to check out its 1080p video recording capability. Lucky for us, someone in Greece has uploaded a video to YouTube that was apparently recorded on the smartphone, and the results, well, decide for yourself. While we're impressed by the video quality (digital zoom excepted) the subject matter leaves something to be desired: a shaky camera slowly pans a port full of docked fishing boats. Sure, we'd like to see some more action, but this sample still has us excited about getting our hands on our very own Optimus 2X. HD video after the jump.
ViewSonic ViewPad 10 and 10s hands-on
Wait, doesn't the ViewPad 10 look oddly familiar? Remember when we reviewed the Tegatech Tega v2 back in October? Well, we think it's safe to say that the ViewPad is a rebranded version of the same tablet. ViewSonic swapped some internals and moved to a smaller 16GB SSD, but it's still the same 1.66GHz Intel Atom processor underneath. The tablet dual-boots Windows 7 Home Premium and Android 1.6 (sans MarketPlace access). Both operating systems run smoothly, and yes, you can pinch to zoom. Some inputs on the machine include USB 2.0, mini-HDMI, microSD and 3.5mm headphone jack. The 10-incher also sports a 1.3 megapixel shooter on the front for your video chatting needs. The company says it'll retail for around $629 when it ships next month. %Gallery-113533% The 10's sister, the 10s (also a 10.1-inch slate), is launching later this month. However, this tablet is running a skinned version of Android 2.2 on Tegra 2. On the top of the device you'll find the power button, orientation lock and back button. Don't ask us why the back button is up there -- we're just as puzzled as you are. On the right side, you'll find a hinged door hiding an HDMI, USB 2.0 and Micro SD slot. Don't worry, there's a 3.5mm headphone port and volume rocker so you can awkwardly rock out connected to the giant gadget piece. The 10s is only launching in Europe, Asia and Russia and is said to cost a rounded 430 smackaroos. %Gallery-113534%
Audi gets on the LTE bus, wants to make infotainment more modular
Another automaker getting on the bus with 4G? Yes, it's Audi, who doesn't actually make busses but is the latest to announce its LTE intentions, though not exactly what it intends to do with it. Mobile SkypeHD video calling? They wouldn't be the first. Audi has also indicated that its 2009 partnership with Elektrobit, dubbed e.solutions, is coming to fruition. The result is a way to build a layer of abstraction between the car and the hardware running the infotainment system. Currently Audi is down with NVIDIA's Tegra 2 but obviously that's not going to be the new hotness forever, the idea being that users could swap out units at their dealers whenever they want a taste of what's new and good. You know how you pulled the factory head unit and its big, scratched up knobs out of your ride in '96 and threw in that Clarion unit with all the blinkenlights? Like that -- but probably a lot more expensive.
NVIDIA and Fujitsu Ten's Android Car Nav hands-on (video)
We're seeing a few companies mixing a little Android on the dashboard, most notably Parrot, and while we think the little green guy certainly has a future in next-gen infotainment systems, we're not quite sure this is it. It's a prototype display, running on Tegra power and developed in conjunction with Fujitsu Ten. Right now it's offering little more functionality than a raw Android tablet, made more car-friendly only by the addition of big home, back, and menu buttons. The UI is showing only a simple maps app, centered in Tokyo, and overall things look... early. But, we're certainly eager to see what the companies can do with Android on the dash -- down the road a little.
Next-generation Audi MMI Touch dashboard with NVIDIA Tegra-power hands-on (video)
Wishing you could get a little closer to that next-generation Audi MMI Touch interface we saw yesterday, the one we're expecting to debut on the A3? Well, you can't -- unless you're at CES, anyway, in which case you can find it chilling out in the NVIDIA booth waiting for you to go play with it. We did, getting a feel for all the lovely things that Audi is doing with the power of its Tegra chipset. It has decidedly limited functionality at this point, but it's certainly enough to give you an idea of what dashboards in 2012 are going to look like, which is way closer to Gran Turismo 5 than we'd have imagined, like a fly-around tire pressure display with a real-time 3D view of the car. Check out the video below and see for yourself. %Gallery-113310%
NVIDIA shows us Tegra 2 gameplay on the Atrix 4G and Optimus 2X (video)
We can't imagine how this might have slipped your attention, but LG and Motorola used this year's CES to roll out the smartphone world's first dual-core devices in the shape of the Atrix 4G and Optimus 2X. Both are built around NVIDIA's 1GHz Tegra 2 chip, which has been the most popular thing out here in Vegas after the free food and shuttle rides (Moto even has the Droid Bionic, a 4.3-incher bound for Verizon, using it). But what does that extra core matter to you? Well, aside from facilitating 1080p video playback on both phones, it does make them quite formidable mobile gaming stations. NVIDIA took the time to show us a couple of games being handled with ease by the 2X and Atrix before noting that it isn't leaving it entirely up to Google to provide the compelling content for its hardware. Gaming is, after all, close to the GeForce maker's heart, and we were told that NVIDIA is working closely with developers to help them exploit the added firepower of Tegra 2 so as to deliver prettier, shinier things on screen. We were also informed of the introduction of a Tegra Zone, an Android app designed to serve as a showcase of Tegra partners' wares, whether they be video or gaming content, though you shouldn't fear the specter of fragmentation here -- it's not a separate app store, any purchases will be directed through the Android Market. Anyhow, enough talking, there's video to be watched after the break.
Dell Streak 7 official on T-Mobile's 4G network, bringing dual-core Tegra 2 and Froyo
Dell's Looking Glass tablet has just received its official papers, being dubbed the Streak 7 and packed off to T-Mobile HSPA+ network. Alas, unlike its fellow CES debutants from the likes of Motorola and LG, this slate only has Android 2.2 on board, no Honeycomb, but you do get a front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera, a Gorilla Glass-protected screen, 16GB of internal memory, and of course the greatness and glory of that 1GHz dual-core Tegra 2 processor. T-Mobile retail stores and Dell's direct online outlet should have the Streak 7 "in the coming weeks." Full PR and an introductory video follow after the break. %Gallery-113037%
Acer Iconia Tab A500 first hands-on! (update: video)
Acer's ten-inch Tegra 2 tablet with Verizon LTE? You're looking at it right now, courtesy of the NVIDIA booth at CES 2011's Digital Experience show. It's just the same engineering prototype with an early build of Android 2.2 we've seen before -- it'll run Honeycomb at launch -- but this time, we got to touch. The hardware seriously feels final, with a solid metal case and a supremely responsive touchscreen that tracks a full ten points of contact. There's an interesting array of ports, too, with a full-sized USB port (as well as micro-USB) on one side and a dedicated charging socket too, as well as a dock connector on the bottom. What's missing are the standard Android Home, Menu and Back buttons, as instead of those, you simply swipe the lower right corner of the screen to bring up a tiny pane of virtual alternatives. No LTE connectivity to be found at Digital Experience, we're afraid, so we'll have to bring you speed tests another day -- but we'll have video up soon. For now, peep the gallery below. Update: Video after the break! %Gallery-112872%
NVIDIA talks up the beginning of a new era, Tegra 2 'super phones'
NVIDIA's press conference at CES has just concluded and we were on site to hear what Jen-Hsun Huang and company had to say to the world. The Green Team's CEO wasn't timid in talking up the revolutionary nature of this year's CES, describing it as the harbinger of a change on a par with what we experienced way back in 1995 with the introduction of Windows 95. Unsurprisingly, Huang's vision of how we're going to leap into our ultra-modern new era involves NVIDIA's Tegra 2 hardware, a chip which is "less than the size of a dime and can leap tall buildings." Jen-Hsun sees the future of mobile computing in devices that move beyond phones with enhanced capabilities, or smartphones, to an entirely new category: "a computer first and a phone second." Tegra 2 announcements will be "sprinkled throughout the week," but the LG Optimus 2X did get a proper announcement and demo, including a quick game of Angry Birds with the phone hooked up to a HDTV via HDMI and the feed also being played on the giant projector screen alongside that. Biggest game of Angry Birds ever? Probably. %Gallery-112766% NVIDIA's calling these new machines super phones, not an entirely new or innovative name, but it conveys the point rather well. A highlight quote was also provided from LG's VP who joined Jen-Hsun on stage -- he described the motivation for putting the Optimus 2X and its internals together as "beauty outside, but monster inside." Adobe's Shantanu Narayen also hit the stage, to talk Flash. Just to thwart any misguided expectations of the rich web media format's oncoming demise, Shantanu told us that Flash Player 10.1 had the fastest adoption rate of any version in the software's history. A cool 120 petabytes of video was streamed last month, says the Adobe President and CEO, with the implication being that the vast majority of that came through Adobe's pervasive format. The Unreal Engine 3-based Dungeon Defenders also got a demo, neatly illustrating Jen-Hsun's point about Tegra 2 offering "console-like gaming." The game was shown playing on a PC, a PS3, and an Optimus 2X. All three had smooth frame rates, shockingly enough, but the a significant quote from the developer was that his team "didn't have to scale anything back" when porting the code to Android. NVIDIA closed the event on the bombshell that it's working on Project Denver, a high performance ARM CPU intended to challenge Intel and AMD in the personal computer and supercomputer realms. Somebody's playing for keeps! %Gallery-112765%
First HSPA+ and LTE tablets coming to AT&T in the second half of 2011, Motorola included
Hot on the heels of its trifecta of HSPA + smartphones (the Infuse 4G, Atrix 4G, and Inspire 4G), AT&T announced that both HSPA+ and LTE tablets are coming to its network in the second half of 2011. The first tablet is made by Motorola and features HSPA+ (or as AT&T calls it, 4G), Honeycomb, a 10.1-inch display. and a 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor. The second tablet features LTE, but AT&T was reluctant to share more specifics. These will be joined by more HSPA+ devices in the first half of the year (5 to 7 devices total), and LTE devices in the second half of the year, including phones, tablets and modems.