Continue reading Netbooks slip under tablet shipments, achieve has-bEeen status

Netbooks slip under tablet shipments, achieve has-bEeen status originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 02:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In July we got our first taste of Aliyun OS, running on the W700. Now, with the Gregorian calendar year coming to a close, Alibaba is prepping its second wave “cloud-powered” hardware. First up is the W800, the successor to the original Aliyun handset. As far as specs go, the two look more or less the same — with the latest version still rocking a 1GHz Tegra 2. The one obvious difference is the slightly larger 4.3-inch display gracing the front of the W800. Perhaps more interesting though, is the still unnamed tablet which also clearly bares NVIDIA branding. Speed and exact model of the CPU inside is anyone’s guess, but we’re assuming this isn’t a Kal-el device. Price and release date for both are a mystery, but the W800 is expected to land sometime before November is out. Of course, you probably shouldn’t expect these to show up in your local Best Buy, but you’ve got a friend in Hong Kong who can send you one, right?

Alibaba unveils W800, second-gen Aliyun phone, and unnamed ‘cloud-powered’ tablet originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What exactly is this mystery device that just shuffled through the FCC? Well, it’s definitely a Motorola tablet and a member of the Xoom family, but beyond that we can’t tell you much. The FCC ID, which ends in 56MJ3, makes it clear that this is part of Moto’s flagship tablet line, but whether this an upcoming Xoom 2 or simply a souped up variant of the original Honeycomb slate is unclear. The filing makes no mention of cellular connectivity, only WiFi and Bluetooth, but that doesn’t necessarily mean there isn’t any on board. We do know that, whatever this turns out to be, it sports an HDMI out, 1GB of RAM, a dual-core 1.2GHz CPU, a 1200 x 800 screen and comes in 16, 32 and 64GB varieties. If you’re in the mood to dig through the test reports yourself, check out the source link.

Mystery Moto tablet swings through the FCC, refuses to take any questions originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Oct 2011 12:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Well it looks like Netflix’s rumored UK launch was a lot more than just a rumor. Today, the company announced that it will indeed expand to the UK and Ireland “in early 2012,” promising to offer unlimited streaming on PCs, tablets and mobile devices at a “low monthly subscription price.” The company didn’t say what that price would be, nor did it offer any details on available content or supported devices, though more details will be announced closer to its launch. We’re also expecting to hear more from Netflix during its Q3 earnings conference call later today, when we should find out about the impact of its recent price hike and Qwikster turnaround. Whether or not its foray into the UK can loosen Lovefilm‘s grip on the domestic market, however, remains to be seen. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading Netflix to expand to UK, Ireland in ‘early 2012,’ looks to challenge Lovefilm

Netflix to expand to UK, Ireland in ‘early 2012,’ looks to challenge Lovefilm originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Oct 2011 03:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looking forward to Dell’s latest Windows slate? Point your peepers here, the outfit’s Malaysian site just unleashed a promo video showing off the firm’s Latitude ST tablet. The preview confirms that the 10-inch tablet will sport front and rear cameras, HDMI-out, a built-in stylus and an Intel Atom processor. The Latitude ST can also be paired with a familiar looking docking station, leaving us to wonder if we’re looking at Dell’s ‘Peju’ Tablet in its final form. Care to wonder with us? You’ll find the video after the break.

Continue reading Dell Latitude ST promo video shows off stylus, docking station

Dell Latitude ST promo video shows off stylus, docking station originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 23 Oct 2011 19:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

At AsiaD this week, Google’s Andy Rubin noted that there were at least six million Android tablets in use. That number included only those running Google services. One could question whether the briskly selling Nook Color — which is not open to Android apps at large — is relevant to that tally, at least from a developer perspective. It will certainly be the case, though, that the Kindle Fire — also expected to be a hot seller — will be an important addition to the number moving forward.

Still, Rubin conceded, it was a tally far behind that of the 30 million cumulative units of the iPad, which broke open the modern-day tablet category, extended its lead with the iPad 2, and will likely see another revision this coming spring. When Apple introduced its tablet device, it set a precedent for third-party developers by rewriting core applications to take advantage of the iPad’s larger display with “HD” versions. And while there are still far fewer native iPad apps than iPhone apps, Apple is far ahead in the race for native tablet software.

But not everyone wants to join that race.

Continue reading Switched On: Android’s tablet traversal

Switched On: Android’s tablet traversal originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 23 Oct 2011 16:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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 attips at engadget dawt comand let us know. Enjoy!

Official Android updates

• Given up on the HTC Thunderbolt’s mystical Gingerbread update? HTC’s still insisting that it’s on its way, despite multiple delays. This time, however, the OEM isn’t giving a timeframe for ETA. [Droid-Life]
• The T-Mobile G2 was boosted to Android 2.3.3 in July, but we’re glad to see the device getting yet another refresh. This time the G2 is getting hooked up with 2.3.4, which promises better battery life and improved data roaming, among other minor fixes. [AndroidCentral]
• What other device is getting 2.3.4 this week? The Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc, that’s what. It’s only rolled out to parts of Europe and the Middle East, so be patient if you haven’t seen an update show up for your unit yet. [AndroidCentral]
• Up north, the LG Shine Plus on Telus is getting Android 2.3.3. [MobileSyrup]
• Anyone using a Motorola Atrix or Milestone 2 in the UK should expect to have an update to Gingerbread sometime next month. [Unwired View]
• Motorola mentioned on its Facebook page that the Droid Bionic will receive Ice Cream Sandwich, though it wouldn’t share details on when. [Thanks, Grant]

Unofficial Android updates, custom ROMs and misc. hackery

• Amazingly enough, the Samsung Epic 4G is still missing Gingerbread (officially, at least). In hopefully what could be considered another step forward, Sammy’s pushed out the kernel source for Android 2.3. Keep those fingers crossed, Epic 4G owners. [AndroidCentral]
• Motorola released the kernel source for the Droid Bionic. [AndroidCentral]
• Speaking of kernel source, HTC’s also gone ahead and released code for the myTouch 4G Slide, Desire (Gingerbread), and the Raider 4G. [AndroidCentral]
• Three days after its kernel was made public, T-Mobile’s version of the Samsung Galaxy S II has now been successfully rooted. [Phandroid]
• Looking down at your HTC Sensation 4G (or any other Sense 3.0 or higher device) filled with Dre envy? Wish you had the cool Beats that’s starting to trickle out to the latest HTC handsets? Leave it to XDA to find a way to port the new audio functionality over to any Sense 3.0 or 3.5 phone without having to ditch your current ROM. [Droid-Life]
• Anyone frustrated by the news about the HTC Thunderbolt above and is savvy to the rooting world may want to check out a new Gingerbread RUU just leaked for the device. [Android Police]

Other platforms

• Select Symbian Anna devices are currently getting a bug fix. Sadly, it’s not Belle. [Unwired View]
• The Windows Phone Team has reported that the Mango update is available to nearly everyone now. [Windows Team Blog]
• The iPhone Dev Team brought out a new version of Redsn0w, 0.9.9b7, which was designed to significantly reduce the amount of time it takes to jailbreak your iDevice. [Pocketnow]

Refreshes we covered this week

• HP TouchPad gets webOS 3.0.4 update
• Kindle 3 gets software upgrade, ready to soar into the cloud
• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich roundup
• Android 4.0 now official, includes revamped design and enhancements galore
• HTC: we’re reviewing ICS and determining future plans
• Motorola RAZR to get ICS in early 2012
• ICS unofficially ported to Samsung Nexus S 4G
• Sony Ericsson bringing ICS to Xperia handsets?
• ASUS: Android 4.0 tablets coming by end of this year
• HTC’s new audio API beats OpenSense into developers

Refresh Roundup: week of October 17, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 23 Oct 2011 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s taken a long time for Nokia’s MeeGo-packing N9 to make its way into our top secret labs (the N9 moniker was first applied to early E7 prototypes), but it’s here in our dirty little hands, at last, and it’s glorious — well, as glorious as a stillborn product can be, anyway. The N9 is the latest and greatest in a long line of quirky, interesting, yet ultimately flawed touchscreen experiments from Nokia that includes the Hildon-sporting 7710, a series of Maemo-based “internet tablets” (770, N800, N810, N900) and most recently, the N950 MeeGo handset for developers. What makes the N9 special is that it represents Nokia’s last flagship phone as an independent player. MeeGo is already dead, and future high-end devices from the manufacturer will run Windows Phone and use Microsoft’s services. So, is this the company’s final bittersweet hurray? Did MeeGo ever stand a chance against Android, iOS and Mango? In its attempt to stay relevant, is Nokia throwing out the baby with the bathwater? Most importantly, how does the N9 fare in today’s merciless dual-core world? Find out after the break.

Continue reading Nokia N9 review

Nokia N9 review originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 22 Oct 2011 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If Apple is that paranoid friend that has four deadbolts on his door and a loaded weapon in every room, then Microsoft is the over-sharer who tweets where, when and what he had for lunch — including both before and after photos (and we’re not talking about pictures of a clean plate). Redmond wants you to know about everything it does — no accomplishment is too minor for a lengthy explanation of the what and why. Take for example, portrait mode. Windows 8 will have one. We know what you’re thinking, “well I would frackin’ hope so,” but the devs want you to know this isn’t just some feature they slapped in the OS knowing people would expect it. The team studied users both familiar with and new to the tablet form factor. They looked at grip, posture and when people chose to rotate their slates. And, if you’re some weirdo who likes reading things on their side, there’s a rotation lock option. For more details hit up the source link and the video after the break.

Continue reading Microsoft talks Windows 8 portrait mode, really wants you to be proud of it (video)

Microsoft talks Windows 8 portrait mode, really wants you to be proud of it (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 11:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After getting its first showing at AsiaD, we know ASUS’ Transformer sequel is super thin, powered by NVIDIA’s quad-core Tegra 3 chip and coming soon. And now we really know it, because the Transformer Prime has been gifted an official landing page, along with a requisite shadowy product shot. There’s no trace of the original’s mocha hues, which have been replaced with something brighter, and we think it looks mightily enticing. Those with a similar fetish for modular tablets can ensure they’re up-to-date by bookmarking the source link below.

Transformer Prime gets official landing page, shows mostly bezel originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 13:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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