Technologer

Huawei’s 7-Inch MediaPad Tablet Gets Official AT&T Launch

Nir Ben Yona Shein — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:05:14 +0000

Huawei has officially announced a partnership with AT&T to distribute their latest and greatest 7-inch MediaPad tablet across the States. The tablet, which boasts a a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, along with a 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, an HDMI output and six hours of battery work, is said to support AT&T’s 4G HSPA+ network starting today, for those who are part of the carrier enterprise’s bundle. And while basic versions do carry a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera alongside a 5-megapixel on the back, OS wise, it won’t be loaded with an Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on board. Instead you’ll be getting the Android 3.2 Honeycomb platform, with a future ICS update coming, hopefully, in couple of months, or so. Hit the following link for the full PR announcement.

[via PRNewswire]

Why New Breed of 4G Smartphones Emerges at ICES

Technologer — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:57:41 +0000

A new breed of smartphones has emerged at the ICES (International Consumer Electronics Show) recently. In this giant gadget manufacturer meet that was portrayed as an amazing event as per the live reports from the event, a race of smartphones made a mark. This was an event where a lot of gadgets were on display, produced by different manufacturers all round the globe. The gadgets that were put on display in the event ranged everything from the head mounted headphones to a variety of amazing phones and computers.

But the same event also carried some bad and frustrating news for the customers of Sprint and AT&T who established a cutting edge for 4G smartphones in the previous year. So, the real problem vests with the fact that this phone will soon be outdated. When it came to tapping into the all new and faster fourth generation networks, Sprint Nextel and AT&T Mobility were the first two companies to have unveiled some of the first league of smartphones.

This new class of smartphones that emerged at the ICES may be an attempt to stand against its potential contemporaries. Over the time, launching 4G network from Sprint is continuously being talked about. And the talks had been doing rounds since the successful launch of the previous one, way back in 2008. This followed the launch of its premier phone, HTC’s Evo 4G in the preceding year. In the meanwhile, it was AT&T that begun adding the short, impressive yet a powerful word “4G” to almost all its smartphones names recently.

But the progress does not take a backseat here! AT&T and Sprint, two of the largest U.S. cellular carriers are actually working hard to get another 4G system on the front. LTE (Long Term Evolution) will be an additional thing to the two mobile carrier giants. This was made available so that it can compete with the wireless version of Verizon that was launched almost a year back.

If T-Mobile USA is to be believed then it has 4G that stands quite similar to the old 4G service of AT&T but the talks about the plans for the 4G LTE deployment is still pending. It’s unclear how AT&T and Sprint will be able to explain to their customers more on the investments they have made in order to have one of the most talked about technology. This seems unclear also because both AT&T and Sprint have earlier exhausted the usage of 4G in marketing.

Last year, it was at the CES where Verizon hosted two high profile news conferences and also went into operating huge sales promotion booth so that the official launch of its 4G network receives promotion too. On the contrary, things this year appeared different since it was visible how the company managed to keep a low profile at the most talked about event.

AT&T announced eight of the new LTE products at CES that included the smartphones and tablets. Now the first LTE based windows phone better known as Lumia 900 is expected to arrive in March. Before the announcement of the break-up of T-mobile, the first ever 4G LTE phones for AT&T already hit the stores in November, last year.

Sprint at the CES announced three new and amazing gadgets that included Samsung phones, a portable wireless hotspot and Galaxy Nexus that is a product of Samsung & Google partnership. It’s expected that Sprint’s new 4G LTE network will surpass its older versions with the elimination of slower 4G network too.

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This is a guest post by Emily Steves, who is associated with various internet security related companies as their freelance and staff writer. She has been linked with some of the best web media companies and offers various ways for internet solutions. She excels in writing articles related to internet security, internet plans, best broadband, comcast deals, etc.

Untethered iOS 5.0.1 Jailbreak for iPhone 4S and iPad 2 Finally Goes Live

Nir Ben Yona Shein — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:17:03 +0000

The moment we’ve all been waiting for is finally here. A “Dream Team” of iOS experts have just rolled out an untethered jailbreak for Apple’s dual-core A5 iDevices, dubbed Absinthe A5, and designed to target iPhone 4S and iPad 2 running iOS 5.0.1 on board. Please note that it’s for Mac users only, at the moment, but a Windows version is probably going to be out very soon. As usual with most hacks, proceed with caution, but definitely proceed. Click the following link to learn more about the new release, get jailbreaking file here or hit the jump to watch the video.

Update: Well, that didn’t take long. Shortly after the Absinthe A5 untethered jailbreak released for OS X users, the Dream Team further extended their hacking solutions and returned back with a new jailbreak file, designed for Windows aficionados. So either click the source link below, or get the real thing right over here. Once again, you should plan carefully every step.

[greenpois0n]

Click here to view the embedded video.

LG Optimus Pad LTE Tablet Officially Announced

Nir Ben Yona Shein — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:37:32 +0000

It’s been less than a year since LG launched their 8.9-inch Optimus Pad, locally, regionally and globally, and today the South Korean corp continues to celebrate with a fresh batch of Optimus Pad LTE tablets, due to arrive in the months to come. And while screen size is very similar to the one you can find in the previous model, the operating system running inside is an Android 3.2 (hopefully with a future Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade) and the processor, which apparently looks a bit stronger, is a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm. Other than that, we’re looking at a 1280 x 768 IPS display paired with an HDMI output, an SD card slot, a 2 megapixel front-facing camera and an 8 megapixel on the back, a 6,800mAh battery, 32GB of storage and last but not least, DLNA support. Full PR after the break.

LG TO INTRODUCE ITS FIRST LTE TABLET

Expanding LTE Leadership into Tablets to
Meet the Needs of Consumers’ Faster Lifestyles

SEOUL, Jan. 18, 2012 – LG Electronics (LG) today unveiled its first LTE-capable tablet, the Optimus Pad LTE. Initially launching in Korea, LG has equipped the tablet with both LTE technology and True HD IPS display, the two features that have helped LG differentiate its latest smartphone, Optimus LTE, from the competition.

“With tablets generating five times more traffic than the average smartphone, it’s not a huge jump to assume that tablet users need and want faster connectivity,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG Mobile Communications Company. “The combination of LG’s LTE technology with the tablet form factor is a clear advantage for consumers who use a tablet as their primary consumption device when on the move.”

Boasting the best-in-class in the tablets, LG Optimus Pad LTE provides the ultimate user environment to enjoy HD multimedia with a 1280 x 720 True HD IPS display and 8 megapixel camera for shooting high definition video. The Optimus Pad LTE is also the world’s first tablet to support an SD memory card expandable to 32GB, recognizing the importance multimedia would play for owners of this device.

Along with these features, the Optimus Pad LTE offers easy-to-use controls and functions such as the Smart Movie Editor for editing pictures and videos more easily. Moreover, Web Duet allows for e-mailing, messaging and SNS sharing with search functions, and On-Screen Phone (OSP) ensures compatibility with LG smartphones.

LG Optimus Pad LTE is extremely portable and aesthetically pleasing, weighing in at a svelte 479g and only 9.34mm thin. Equipped with a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor running Android 3.2 Honeycomb OS, LG’s newest tablet guarantees superior performance. It also supports High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) and Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA).

Key Specifications:
Operating System: Android 3.2 Honeycomb
Memory: User 32GB (Micro SD up to 32GB)
Size: 245 x 151.4 x 9.34 mm
Weight: 497 g
Display: 8.9-inch IPS True HD Display
Resolution: 1280 x 768
Camera: 8MP (Rear) / 2MP (Front)
Processor: Qualcomm 1.5GHz Dual-Core / Dual Channel Processor
Battery: 6,800mAh
Others: HDMI, DLNA

HP TouchPads Get Ice Cream Sandwich Thanks To a CyanogenMod 9 Alpha 0 Release

Nir Ben Yona Shein — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:10:34 +0000

If you’re one of those very lucky guys, who have managed to put their hands on HP’s “not available anymore” Touchpad devices, you need to pay close attention to possible opportunities arising from an early Alpha 0 build of CyanogenMod 9 that lets you run your own edition of Ice Cream Sandwich instead of the pre-loaded WebOS platform available on board. Of course you can have a triple boot tablet constructed from webOS, CM7 and CM9 all together, but that’s not really recommended. However, toying with the idea of bringing this new Android 4.0 into the Touchpad, definitely is (even though you may run into some minor issues when it comes to the camera, video acceleration and Android Market access). To learn more, please visit the RootzWiki link below, or click the jump to watch the video.

[via RootzWiki]

Click here to view the embedded video.

ViewSonic Announces Three New Low Budget Android Tablets

Nir Ben Yona Shein — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:36:29 +0000

At CES 2012, ViewSonic is announcing three new Android tablets for low-mid U.S markets. The first, known as the ViewSonic E70, runs the latest and greatest Ice Cream Sandwich platform on board, along with a 7-inch WVGA touchscreen on top of the slate and a 1GHz CPU, 4GB of internal storage, WiFi, micro-HDMI out, a front-facing camera, optional 3G connectivity, and micro-SD slot under the lid. This one will be ready for shipping somewhere towards the end of March for ONLY $169, which makes it very competitive price-wise, with the additional upgrades. The second, the ViewPad 10e, will go on sale by the end of the month for $299, and reportedly sports a 10-inch IPS display, paired with a robust 9.1mm chassis, a 1Ghz Cortex A8 CPU and either Honeycomb or Ice Cream Sandwich for the OS, to be determined later, after the show. And last but not least, is the 10-inch (1280×800) ViewSonic ViewPad 10pi, that houses a 1.5GHz Intel Oak Trail z670 chip, powered by dual-boot of Android 2.3 and Windows 7 OS. Now, frankly speaking, we’re not a huge fans of those two different platforms, running together under one slugish roof. It’s slow, very choppy and not a good user-friendly / user experience we, the gadget lovers, are striving for while we’re watching a video or surfing the net. That said, we leave it to your discretion, as long as you’re willing to pay $849 for it. Check out the videos after the jump.

Click here to view the embedded video.

[videos courtesy of phonearena.com]

Ainovo Makes It Out With a $79 Novo7 Paladin Ice Cream Sandwich Tablet

Nir Ben Yona Shein — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:29:04 +0000

You really can’t expect much in a tablet that is so cheap. That, however, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy yourself one, especially if you are struggling to end the month with a positive cash flow. for those who would settle for the second best or just the average tablet device, we would highly recommend getting this brand new $79 Ice Cream Sandwich slate from Ainovo, also known as the Novo7 Paladin tablet. And while we’ve already seen some NOVO7 creatures running an Android 4.0 OS inside their guts, this one, now available in China, runs a bit cheaper at around $79 or so. In addition to the lower rates, we’re looking at a 7-inch 800 x 480 multitouch display, packed with a MIPS-based 1GHz single core processor, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of storage, a GC860 GPU, a 3.5mm jack and miniUSB/microSD ports. Unfortunately $79 probably won’t actually buy you GPS or integrated cameras, but it doesn’t really matter for us, is it? Anyway, make sure to check out the video after the break.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Apps That Make The BlackBerry Bold 9790 Best For Business

Technologer — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 20:08:44 +0000

BlackBerry has built its reputation on its relationship with the business world. More than any other smartphone, BlackBerry’s long association with the corporate market has provided a good base for its success. The success of iOS and the growth of Android in 2011 has undoubtedly left manufacturer RIM in a weaker position in the UK, having been pushed into third place. However, the release of the new Bold range in 2011, with the Bold 9790 at the centre of the campaign, and the release of the new operating system, BB7, means BlackBerry is taking on its competitors and reinforcing its position in the business world.

The Bold 9790 includes many of the same features that have made BlackBerry a popular business brand, including the ability to set up different email accounts and instant messages, to multitask and browse the web while working on other platforms. It also includes some new features, like the ability to separate a personal and business profile within the one device. There are also different apps that can be downloaded to further utilize and maximise the ability of the Bold 9790 to meet the needs of the business community. Here are the top five.

Social Media networks like Twitter are becoming increasingly important for businesses as they allow people to share their commercial knowledge and connect their brand with consumers. Apps like UberSocial are ideal for BlackBerry as they allow users to manage multiple accounts and tweet easily on the move using the devices QWERTY keyboard.

Dropbox is a feature many will use day to day in work, allowing them to share documents and material remotely. BlackBerry App world has a version of the software that allows users to share and read documents on their drop box on their device.

Battery Booster is ideal for those who need their BlackBerry from the beginning to the end of the working day and might not have access to a charger. The app stops different applications which are draining the battery to ensure optimum performance and saving battery life for those apps you need most.

BlackBerry Traffic provides an up to date service which can be vital to make sure you get to meetings and appointments on time. The app gives information about roads that are closed and plans routes, gives an idea of traffic congestions and provides an estimated time of arrival making it easier to plan a journey.

The business day can be a busy one and often it is difficult to keep up to date with what is happening in the world. BlackBerry News is an app providing an RSS feed of the latest news headlines, allowing users to scroll through and get an update on developments. Easily to scroll through and read it makes it easier to catch up on the train or over lunch.

Apple and Android have both been making inroads into the business market over the last twelve months. RIM has seen its BlackBerry phone deals fall below a 20% share in the UK smartphone market. Their new launch of the Bold range, in particular the 9790 and the new OS7 is designed to catch up with its competitors and provide a new and improved platforms for the business market. These apps are designed for BlackBerry to make the working day a little bit easier.

Toshiba’s New Excite X10 Claims To Be World’s Thinnest Android Tablet

Nir Ben Yona Shein — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:35:47 +0000

Toshiba has officially announced a new sleek 10.1-inch tablet which sports a 1280 x 800 Gorilla Glass IPS touchscreen and said to be the world’s thinnest tablet in the market, to date, with a .3-inch thick and only 1.2-pound in weight. The new slate that goes by the name “Excite X10″ is planned to include a 1.2GHz dual-core TI OMAP 4430 processor under the lid, along with 1GB of RAM, Android 3.2 for the Os (ready for an Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade), WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, a microUSB, microHDMI, GPS support and microSD card slot. The way it looks, there are two cameras, one 5 megapixel camera in the back of the tablet, and a 1.3 megapixel camera in the front. Your choices among the Excite offerings are the 16GB that will run $529.99 while the 32GB version will retail for $599. Full PR and video, courtesy of Notebooks.com, just after the break.

Click here to view the embedded video.

TOSHIBA UNVEILS PLANS TO BRING THE WORLD’S THINNEST 10-INCH TABLET TO THE US MARKET
Excite X10 Tablet Paves the Way for Premium Tablet Design by Achieving Ultra-thin and Light Form, While Maintaining Essential Ports and Features
LAS VEGAS – Consumer Electronics Show 2012 – Jan. 9, 2012 – Toshiba’s Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today revealed plans to introduce the ExciteTM X10 tablet, the world’s thinnest 10-inch tablet, to the U.S. market. Measuring in at just 0.3 inches (7.7mm) thin and weighing just 1.18 pounds (535g)1, this next- gen tablet offers a premium design with essential ports and features needed for a more complete experience. The Excite X10 tablet will be available in the U.S. starting in the first quarter of 2012.

A More Premium Design
Ultra-thin, ultra-light and ultra-powerful, the Excite X10 features a high-resolution 10.1-inch diagonal AutoBriteTM display2, offering an ideal canvas for browsing and entertainment. Designed for durability and style, the device also features a high-quality magnesium alloy surface and scratch-resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass display with an anti-smudge coating for greater resiliency.

“Excite X10 pushes the boundaries of what a thin and light tablet is capable of, delivering elegant styling without sacrificing features or durability,” said Carl Pinto, vice president of product development, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division.

All the Essentials on Board
To connect with other devices, the Excite X10 tablet comes with all essential interfaces and ports onboard, including micro-USB and HDMI ® ports, a micro-SD slot to share content and files with other devices, plus Wi-Fi ® and Bluetooth ® connectivity. The micro HDMI port allows users to extend HD content from their tablet screen to a large screen HDTV. Front and back HD cameras provide convenient photo capture, plus 1080p video recording and conferencing. Stereo speakers enhanced with exclusive deliver superior entertainment capabilities.

“We see the tablet as a key device in a connected home ecosystem, so delivering not just a thin and light design, but one that also incorporates built-in ports, is a step toward making the connected home a reality,” added Pinto.

Smart Multicore Performance with Long Battery Life
Powered by the Texas Instruments OMAPTM4430 mobile processor3, the Excite X10 delivers smart multicore processing power without draining battery life. The multicore design features two ARM CortexTM A9 cores plus dual-channel memory for greater speed and efficiency, offering smooth web browsing and multi-tasking plus high definition video and entertainment.

To connect with other devices, the Excite X10 tablet comes with all essential interfaces and
ports onboard, including micro-USB and HDMI® ports, a micro-SD slot to share content and files with other devices, plus Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth® connectivity. The micro HDMI port allows
users to extend HD content from their tablet screen to a large screen HDTV. Front and back
HD cameras provide convenient photo capture, plus 1080p video recording and conferencing. Stereo speakers enhanced with exclusive deliver superior entertainment capabilities.

Powered by the Latest Android Technology
The Excite X10 tablet is powered by the latest Android platform technology. Also included is a full suite of familiar Google Mobile Service applications, including the Android Market, YouTube, Gmail, Google Maps, Music, Videos, plus select third-party applications including Netflix.

Specifications
– Latest Android technology
– 10.1-inch diagonal LED Backlit widescreen Corning Gorilla Glass display with IPS
technology and 10-finger multi-touch support
– 1280 x 800 resolution, 16:10 aspect ratio
– Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 processor; 1.2GHz with 1GB LPDDR2 RAM
– 16GB and 32GB configurations4
– 2 megapixel front-facing camera
– 5 megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash
– Micro USB, Micro HDMI ports
– Micro SD card slot
– Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n) and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
– Gyroscope, Accelerometer, GPS, eCompass and Ambient Light Sensor
– Stereo speakers with sound enhancements by Toshiba and SRS® Labs
– Built-in 25 watt-hour rechargeable lithium ion battery
– 10.1″ (W) x 6.9″ (D) x 0.3″ (H)  1.18 pounds (535g)

Pricing and Availability
The Excite X10 tablet will be available in mid-Q1 2012 for a starting price of $529.99 MSRP5 for the 16GB model and $599.99 MSRP for the 32GB model at major U.S. retailers, e-tailers and ToshibaDirect.com.

Acer To Launch Iconia Tab A200 In North America For $330

Nir Ben Yona Shein — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:39:48 +0000

Acer has just confirmed that it’ll be releasing Iconia Tab A200 Stateside, on January 15th, for merely $330. The 10-inch Android Honeycomb tablet which runs NVIDIA’s dual-core Tegra 2 SoC inside, along with a 1280 x 800 display, 8GB of internal storage (16GB version is $20 more), a 2MP front-facing camera and a built-in microSD card slot, is said to include a battery with up to eight hours of work time, and a full-sized USB 2.0 port, to shift your files from one place to another. In addition, we hear that Acer is said to be working on an Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) update that will go live somewhere around mid-February of 2012, but ’till then you can click the jump to read even more about it.

Update: We’ve added a quick walkthrough video after the break.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Acer Expands Popular Tablet Lineup with Iconia Tab A200, A Full-Featured HD Tablet at an Attractive $329 Price

SAN JOSE, Calif., January 5, 2012 – Acer America today announced availability of the Iconia™ Tab A200, the latest addition to Acer’s line of full-featured Android tablets. The new 10.1-inch Iconia Tab A200 is a portable activity hub for gaming, e-books, movies, music, photography, social networking and more. Offered at the attractive price of $329.99, the Iconia Tab A200 will be available to U.S. customers on January 15.

The new Acer Iconia Tab A200 tablet enables customers to interact with and enjoy technology in ways that are both truly natural and exciting. Loaded with the latest edition of Android™ Honeycomb™ 3.2 operating system, the Iconia Tab A200 is user-friendly and extremely interactive with resizable app widgets and fun features the whole family can enjoy. The Iconia Tab A200 also comes with a free upgrade to Android 4.0 (known as Ice Cream Sandwich), which will be available in mid-February.

“The Acer Iconia Tab family of tablets is an excellent example of Acer’s ability to deliver high-performance, full-function mobile devices at unbeatable values,” said Eric Ackerson, senior product marketing manager for Acer America. “Acer brings the Iconia Tab A200 to consumers at an affordable price, without making sacrifices on key tablet features such as expansion, connectivity to other devices, HD displays and cameras.”

High-Quality Performance for Hours of Fun
Sleek and easy to hold, the Iconia Tab A200 weighs 1.5 pounds. The tablet is wrapped in a slim, titanium gray-colored casing, with an eye-catching patterned back side, which is soft to the touch. On the front, the A200 showcases a beautiful HD multi-touch display featuring crystal-clear 1280 x 800 resolution for an outstanding viewing experience.

Made especially for multimedia enjoyment, the Iconia Tab A200 packs hardware and apps for loads of fun. The tablet provides an enhanced level of performance with its NVIDIA® Tegra™ 2 dual-core mobile processor and integrated GeForce™ GPU that allows users to enjoy HD gaming, 1080p video, Flash-based applications, faster browsing and multitasking.

Gamers of all ages will enjoy the preloaded Tegra Zone Android app, which allows users to search and download the best Android games that are optimized for NVIDIA Tegra powered tablets. The Iconia Tab A200′s fast gaming experience is also supported by a six-axis motion sensing gyroscope, essential for high-precision gaming so actions and animations are more correctly performed.

Users can enjoy up to eight hours of cable-free battery life , providing endless hours to surf the web, watch movies, play games and read e-books, far from the nearest electrical outlet. The Iconia Tab A200 comes pre-loaded with apps like Kindle for countless reading selections and Netflix for instant delivery of movie and entertainment titles. One tap on the Android Market allows users access to thousands of downloadable apps.

Packed with Practical and Fun Features
Offering superior expansion and connectivity, the Iconia Tab A200 has a full-size USB 2.0 port for hooking up other devices and a MicroSD slot and micro-USB port for passing data. A two megapixel front-facing web camera enables face-to-face chats or quick snaps for still photos. For an enhanced social networking experience, the Iconia Tab A200 includes Acer SocialJogger, which consolidates Facebook, Twitter and more into one spot.

The Iconia Tab A200 improves multitasking with the unique interactive Acer Ring interface, allowing users to customize their tablet experience by putting their most commonly used applications into one easy spot. Users can launch the ring by tapping the double circle located in the system bar, opening a series of key apps, settings, bookmarks or contextual menu options. The tablet also features Screenshot, which quickly captures web images, articles, Google Maps and even smiling faces from video calls. Screenshot can be used in any app for maximum convenience.

Acer clear.fi is installed on the Acer Iconia Tab A200 to connect with any other DLNA-compliant device to quickly and easily share digital medai. Clear.fi automatically connects all Acer devices on a network (smartphones, notebooks, desktops, HD media plays and storage devices) and gathers and organizes media files by type (video, music, photos, pre-recorded TV).

Affordable Pricing Starting at only $329.99
The Acer Iconia Tab A200 will be available in the U.S. on January 15 at national retail stores. The Acer Iconia Tab A200-10g16u with 16GB of memory has a manufactuerer’s suggested retail price of $349.99, while the Acer Iconia Tab A200-10g08u with 8GB of memory has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $329.99.