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Sovan Mandal
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May
24
Rumor: Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Design Revised
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The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 has made some small enhancements that will have a little bit more appeal. One of the main additions is a new slot that would house the stylus, a nice development especially for the forgetful types. The Stylus pen itself has been slimmed down to make it easier to write with and to fit the new slot. Further, the stylus itself might have been revamped to include erasing functionality.
Unofficial sources are pointing out that the Note 10.1 has received a solid hardware upgrades — the original dual-core chipset is being scrapped for the new Exonys quad-core CPU. Most of Galaxy Note 10.1′s competitors sport the quad-core chipset and it would be really silly of Samsung to continue with a dual core processor if adding two extra cores can boost performance even more.
Samsung had revealed the Galaxy Note 10.1 during Mobile World Congress held in February and has since been portraying the device as one that would be able to handle mobile computing needs of professionals, students or the business people alike. However, price or the exact release dates have always been kept under wraps.
In the end, it will be worth mentioning once again that all of the above are rumors at best though we hope to com across the official statement soon enough.
via slashgear
May
23
Genius’ Kids Designer II Tablet
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There is a new kid on the tablet block and the tablet too is meant for use by the children everywhere! Named Kids Designer II, the tablet from Genius breaks new ground in the tablet segment with its unique design that makes the entire device resemble the color palette of an artist. The main display area is made up of a 5 x 8 inch display. The tablet is aimed at the 3 to 8 age groups.
Pre-loaded in the tablet will be games and a other apps that the company claims will boost the child’s creativity and learning abilities. There is also a stylus included in the package that which will come in handy for the little minds to dive vent to their drawing and writing sills. These apart, large volume keys dominate the front of the tablet that otherwise is quite uncluttered. The tablet is currently available in the US and Canada for $64.99.
May
23
Asus Releases Tool to Unlock Transformer Pad Bootloader
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Asus has made available the tool required to unlock the bootloader on the Transformer Pad TF300 device. This will be a welcome relief for many who are keen to install custom firmware on the device. With the bootloader unlocked, there is no stopping users from installing other versions of Android, or maybe even other operating systems if they wish.
However, there is a small price to be paid for all the freedom that comes with an unlocked bootloader; the standard company warranty will be deemed null and void. Asus will only continue to provide all the software assistance as long as the bootloader is intact.
Surely, this won’t deter many out there who have been waiting eagerly for Asus to release the unlocking tool. With the Transformer Pad Infinity next in line, a similar sort of thing is also expected for the new upcoming tablet.
via android police
May
23
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 310 Launched in India
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Samsung announced the availability of the Galaxy Tab 2 310 in India, making it the first tablet offering from the Korean manufacturer to sport Android 4.0 right out of the box. The 7 inch tablet has been priced at INR 23,250 and is inclusive of an attractive data plan from Tata Docomo that will provide 3 GB of data over a period of three months completely free.
Specs wise, the tablet that is also known as the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, sports a 1 Ghz dual core processor, 1 GB of RAM, and 16 GB of internal memory. There is a microSD card slot for more storage with power coming from a 4,000 mAh battery unit. The tablet is both Wi-Fi and 3G enabled, while the 7 inch PLS display packs in 1024 x 600 pixels.
Coming to contents, the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 packs in plenty of it, what with the tablet coming pre-loaded with readers, games and movie hubs. So while the Games Hub provides access to all the latest games to be played on the tablet, the Movies Hub will make available more than 500 movies or 2,500 music videos. Similarly, the Readers Hub opens up more than “2 million ebooks, 3,500 magazines in 25 languages, and more than 2,000 newspapers in 51 languages.”
Refer to the press release below for more info.
May
22
PlayBook 4G Gets Past the FCC
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We all knew that a 4G version of the PlayBook has been in the making for the last few months and soon the tablet may be seen on store shelves. The tablet has just received the necessary FCC certifications, however, as usual, details of the tablet have been kept under wraps and the only thing we know of the tablet right now is that it is both NFC and Bluetooth capable. The PlayBook is not likely to sport anything radical, apart from being 4G ready, which again has led many to speculate if the tablet might be too little too late. An affordable price point for the 4G PlayBook can ensure the tablet remains in contention.
via allthingsd
May
21
Asus Transformer Pad Infinity Reaches FCC
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The Asus Transformer Pad Infinity can be considered the Taiwanese company’s answer to the ongoing pixel war unleashed by the iPad 3. The tablet, an improvement over the Transformer Prime, has made it past the FCC strictures. The device is all set to storm into the markets soon, not too long after the tablet first made its public appearance at the CES event in January.
Formally labelled TF700T, the tablet that cleared the FCC formalities is Wi-Fi only, leaving the 4G version for another day. As for specs, while not much is revealed as of now, the Transformer Pad Infinity is believed to be built on the Transformer Prime with a few enhancements here and there. Of course the biggest if them will be the 1920 × 1200 pixel resolution, which is less than the 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution of the iPad 3, but is still a nice improvement over the 1280 x 800 pixel display that the Transformer Prime has.
The Transformer Pad Infinity will (most likely) be based on the Tegra 3 chipset, will run Android 4.0 ICS, and will have a 8 and 2 megapixel webcam at the rear and front of the tablet.
Watch this space as we track development on this.
via engadget
May
19
Sony Tablet P to Get Android ICS on May 24
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The Sony Tablet P has been one of the most unique tablet devices, and it takes a lot to stand out in the world of tablets. Now Sony has announced the update to Android ICS starting May 24 for the twin display device. The domestic consumers in Japan will be getting the upgrade before anyone else, and its not known when users of the Tablet P elsewhere in the world can consider themselves as lucky.
Sony has also announced that users will get to enjoy the “small apps” feature as part of the update. “Small apps” allows users to use other apps, such as a calculator, in a miniature window on top of the app currently in use and without first requiring to close or minimize the app in use. Another nice feature of the update will be the way users will get to use the camera straight from the lock screen and start clicking images.
Sony had earlier announced the Android ICS update to be made available to both the Tablet P and Tablet S back in April, though for reasons best known to them, only the Tablet S received the ICS update while Tablet P continued with Android Honeycomb for another month. Also, with Sony, all domestic and international releases are rolled out on the same day. So it’s worth checking for the update manually all over the globe on May 24 just in case the the update is available for download.
via the verge
May
19
PlayBook Users Will Be Able to Upgrade to BB10
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The BlackBerry Developer team has now confirmed the rumors that the PlayBook tablet will be able to run BB10 OS without requiring any hardware modifications. However, of course there is a delay, and RIM stated the BB10 update won’t be coming to PlayBook until after the first BlackBerry 10 smartphones are out in the market. This translates to a wait until the beginning of 2013, as the first BlackBerry 10 smartphones aren’t expected before fall this year.
BB10 is the next generation operating system that RIM is readying and will act as a single platform for both its upcoming smartphones and tablet devices. RIM is also banking a lot on this OS after having lost much of its ground to iOS and Android. It will be really interesting to see how the new generation tablets running the new OS perform in a market that is flooded with the iPad and a host of Android tablets.
via n4bb
May
19
Rumor: Amazon to Build 10.1 Inch Kindle Fire Variant, Ad Supported Kindle Fire Coming
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Amazon, it seems is more keen to take on the iPad than anything else. At least, that is how industry experts are explaining the latest rumors claiming the online retail giant is more eager to proceed with the development of a 10.1 inch sibling of the Kindle Fire than an 8.9 inch sized device. The Kindle Fire was launched amid much fanfare in the middle of November. The 7 inch device has not disappointed Amazon, as the tablet went on to become the highest selling Android tablet (though its sales figures never could match up to the iPad). Kindle Fire sales have since dwindled, which means Amazon has to do something special to ensure it remains in the tablet race. A 10.1 inch sized Kindle Fire variant, along with a spruced up 7 inch version that we already know is in the making, might just be it.
Another method of increasing sales of the Kindle Fire is to introduce an ad supported Kindle Fire. This would entail lowering the price even more for a device that is believed to already have been subsidized to keep initial costs low. Amazon is already reported to have initiated talks with a number of advertising agencies to get them on-board to support a Kindle Fire that would display their ads. Sources following developments on this claim Amazon is asking for $600,000 for ads that will be displayed on the home screen of the Kindle Fire, while for a million dollars advertisers can have the welcome screen along with enhanced ad inventory. Plus the advertiser will also be included in Amazon’s public-relations push.
Amazon isn’t revealing how many devices will be allowed to carry the ads, though for advertisers, the prospect of having their wares displayed on a device that has already reached millions of users might be too tempting to ignore. Then again, Amazon hasn’t yet stated whether the move is applicable to the Kindle Fire’s already sold or for the upcoming lot of Kindle Fires. The latter seems more likely as existing users of the Kindle Fire have already paid the full amount for the tablet and a reduced price structure for an ad supported version can’t be made applicable to them. Another model Amazon can approach is to upgrade to a better speced Kindle Fire while continuing to offer the present version with ads displayed at a reduced cost.
Amazon has already tasted success with that a formula on a version of it’s Kindle e-reader and is hoping to replicate the same with the Kindle Fire. For the Kindle e-reader, the ads appear as a screen saver when you are not reading any books and don’t appear to the users when they are actually reading ebooks. What remains to be seen is how the model is emulated on the Kindle Fire, which is more of a tablet device.
via adage
May
17
New Update for Transformer Prime Has Face Unlock Feature
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What if you could unlock your Transformer Prime device just by gazing at its front facing camera? Well, the latest update that Asus has made available will enable you to do just that. Version 9.2.1.24 has been unveiled on the 16th of May and has already made it to many devices. However, if some Transformer Prime users are yet to get the official notifications, they can still try and download the update manually by hitting the Software Update section under Settings.
Meanwhile, the face unlock feature isn’t the only thing that the latest update is introducing. Asus has also included a few other goodies, such as the ability to lock the system bar (which will prevent any unwanted tab press from making any untoward responses). This would come in handy during gaming. Overall, system stability is another plus that the update promises, along with some new options in the e-mail app.
The update is currently being rolled out for users in the US and Canada, but should make it to rest of the world soon enough.
via liliputing
May
13
Asus Eee Pad Slider Receiving Android ICS Update
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The Eee Pad Slider is another tablet offering from Asus that also incorporates a slide out keyboard. This appeals to those who’d like to have the benefits of a tablet device but also need to type on a physical keyboard. The Eee Pad Slider mimics a mini laptop when the keyboard is fully deployed, but the tablet never garnered the same attention that the Transformer Prime had enjoyed. Sales of the Slider have never been impressive.
Nevertheless, Asus has shown its commitment in supporting the device and has started pushing an update for the Slider that will allow it to run the latest Android ICS. The Slider is pretty late in getting the Android ICS update, but better late than never. Currently, the update is only being pushed via WiFi to residents of the USA. International users should expect it in the coming week. The update will bring the firmware version up to 9.2.1.21.
However, the best way to find that out is hitting the update button on your Slider if you haven’t yet received any notifications. If you received the update, drop us a line and let us know what country and region you are in, so others can check for the update.
May
13
HP Confirms Their Upcoming Slate 8 Windows Tablet
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Top brass at HP have officially confirmed one of their upcoming tablet computers will be based on Microsoft’s newest operating system, Windows 8. This should put to rest a long standing rumor that the company was developing one in the shadows. The new device is going to be known as the Slate 8.
HP has clearly made some ground making up for the TouchPad debacle of last year. It has spent billions of dollars in acquiring the WebOS platform and making enough changes in it to suit their requirements. HP has since made WebOS an open source platform, but has failed to gain any real traction. The company has had small success in their enterprise segment of tablets and are hoping for a mainstream win with the Slate 8.
CEO Meg Whitman and executive vice-president for Printing and Personal Systems Todd Bradley revealed at its Global Influencer Summit this week in Shanghai, China that the tablet will also come equipped with HP’s cloud solution that will allow users to store data online for use later via multiple devices.
Unfortunately, there is no specific time frame or price structure available just yet.
May
12
Winners Of DataWind App Contest Announced
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Datawind, makers of the ultra cheap UbiSlate 7+ tablet devices has just announced the winner of the App contest ‘AapKiApp.’ The contest involved the student community in India and was conceived to test their innovative abilities in developing suitable software application for the Aakash II tablet device. Of course the advantages are manifold as not only eould such an exercise allow the student community — the tablet’s intended clientele — to be more familiar with the device but will also bring to fore any flaws that the device might have. Also, the app contest will allow the students to explore more applications of the UbiSlate to not only among students but the general populace as well.
That the contest did help achieve the desired result can be made out in the words of Datawind CEO Suneet Singh Tuli who said while announcing the results of the contest, “We have received a lot of great entries with very creative ideas from across the country. We wanted to engage the creative energy of India’s brightest minds and give them an opportunity to think outside the box to create solutions that add value to the life of an average Indian. The best five applications will get an award of Rs. 1 lakh each, apart from getting a share of the advertising revenue from these applications. This would allow these students to start and advance their entrepreneurial journeys.”
The top 5 apps (INPO) that have been declared winner are:
My Jobs: Created by Hemen Parekh from Mumbai, the app, as it name should imply, allows the user to search and apply online for jobs that have been drawn from a database of all vocational jobs available in the country.
Learn English: Created by Rajiv Kaul from Chandigarh, the app allows kids to pick up the nuances of the language English using finger tracking techniques with an intelligent voice guidance system to ensure the kids are picking up the right skills.
Axon is a quiz based app for students. The app will ask questions on mathematics, logic and verbal reasoning and will test the student’s ability with different levels of difficulty built into it. The Axon has been the handiwork of Nagpur based Saurabh, Sujay Anjankar, Tanya Tiwari and Umesh Chandani.
Release my Food is another interesting app and as the name signifies, it is about the food one eats and the nutritional value and calories it contains. The app will let users to have an idea of the calories and nutritional values one has gained from the food they have eaten. The app is based on the criteria laid down by the Indian Council of Medical Research’s (ICMR) for daily allowances required by people based on their gender and age. The app has been developed by Kedar Radhakrishnan, Avin Agarwal, Abijeet Waghmare and Najmul Islam from Bangalore.
Another nice app that has made it to the top 5 and which could open up the UbiSlate 7+ tablet’s application is Krishi Ville. Designed by Manav Singhal and Nishant Rai from Meerut, the app is aimed at the Indian farmers who will be provided with all important information pertaining to farming. The data sourced from the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) database will include such agricultural information like prices of grains, pulses, seeds and other commodities in the local markets, latest weather updates or any other news from the agriculture sector that could be of benefit to the farmers.
Catch up the official press release below for more on this.
