Laptop-DRV » Tablets and E-Readers

Farcical Xoom 4G Upgrade Plan Requires Mail-In, Six-Day Operation

admin — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 23:21:18 +0000

Verizon’s Motorola Xoom 4G ascent discipline. Image: Droid Life

It’s not mostly I giggle out loud when researching a post, but when understanding up upon a Motorola Xoom 3G to 4G ascent procession, I sounded like barking dog. If anyone has ever written a more involved, ridiculous way to pour out an unprepared product to market then I have nonetheless to see it. But more upon which in the moment.

You will know by now that you can buy Motorola’s Android 3.0-powered Xoom currently, and upgrade it — gratis — to 4G in a prospect. The “future” is right away pegged as May (officially “90 days after launch”), as well as a ascent involves shipping a tablet back to Motorola (also free) as well as waiting for up to six business days (translation: some-more than a week).

For clientele who are happy to be without their tablets for a while, this is obviously great news: you get the gratis strike to make use of faster 4G networks. It’s good for Verizon, too, as you competence sign up for a 4G devise (although you don’t have to). But for Motorola it’s solid dumb.

I don’t know how much it costs to pay for two-way shipping, opening up a inscription as well as replacing the partial, though I can bet it isn’t cheap. After all, there’s a reason that replacing gadgets is often cheaper than repair them. Add to this a actuality that Motorola will have cut profit margins to a bone to try to compete with the iPad, and I can see this attempt losing the lot of money.

So why do it? Why not wait until it is ready as well as launch it in the summer? Two words: iPad 2. The iPad 2 will be here in April, as well as maybe even as early as next week, during which time many of a Xoom’s “advantages” will vanish. If the guesses are right, the Xoom’a camera and fast processor will no longer be unique, and a usually extra will be 4G, aka. a capability to connect to a sparsely deployed data network. It seems rather viewable that Motorola was absolutely desperate to get its tablet out a doorway before Apple creates it not pertinent.

So, wish to listen to about what had me chuckling? Take a look during a “Getting Ready Guide” for a ascent. Sandwiched in the middle is rather huge territory on backing up your data prior to promulgation it off to Motorola. It boils down to this: Connect your X around USB, dig down through the file system as well as then copy, via draw towards as well as dump, a files and folders onto your mechanism.

Then, when your appurtenance is eventually returned after operation, you put it all behind again. Just a kind of thing Auntie May will find passed easy to do. And that’s prior to we even get to encrypting a contents to keep it protected in transit (“If you interrupt the encryption routine, you will remove a little or all of your data”). Remind me because nobody is shopping Android tablets, again?

Motorola Xoom Upgrade module [Verizon via Droid Life]

Teardown: What’s Inside The Motorola Xoom

admin — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 18:40:35 +0000

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From a outside, tablets are roughly all the same, generally when seen from a front. But similar to a pretty actor in a being TV uncover, once you get under their skin you find out what unequivocally creates them tick. So it is with the Motorola Xoom, that has been non-stop up as well as photographed by — you guessed it — iFixit.

First off, it’s surprisingly easy to get in, requiring nothing though a Torx screwdriver to get the bulk of a cover off. This creates sense, as Motorola is starting to be taking the lot of these detached to swap in 4G chipsets in a summer.

In actuality, the lot of a pattern seems shabby by this funny devise. To perform the barter, all a technician needs to do is mislay those Torx screws, slip the rear cover open, mislay the manikin chip-board as well as barter in the new a single, reconnecting the antennas. It sounds a lot like swapping out Wi-Fi cards in the netbook, only with less screws. Here’s what iFixit has to contend:

A seasoned technician can perform this barter in reduction than 10 minutes. Heck, the donkey could probably lift it off in reduction than two hours. We have no thought why a client couldn’t only go to a Verizon store as well as have on-site representatives enable 4G on the mark, just like they’re able to transfer mobile contacts as well as perform alternative activation procedures.

Once inside, the initial thing which you see is a outrageous battery, that is only as it should be: A tablet that doesn’t final all day is a tablet which isn’t worth shopping. Then it’s onto the cameras (connected by separate cables for easy deputy, a speakers as well as then the main circuit board. As you already know, this contains a Nvidia Tegra T2 dual-core ARM A9 CPU and GeForce GPU. There’s not the lot of magic inside of any of these tablets — a pretence is just to keep sufficient space gangling to fit in a big battery.

IFixit rates the Xoom flattering tall for fixability, and everything can be gotten out with “a spudger and the integrate of Torx screwdrivers.” You’ll need some patience to rip everything down to the bare steel, yet, since “there’s only the lot of labor concerned with stealing that many screws.”

Motorola Xoom Teardown [iFixit. Thanks, Miroslav!]

Apple Likely to Introduce New iPad during March 2 Event

admin — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 13:40:13 +0000

Apple is likely to introduce a brand new iPad at the San Francisco press discussion scheduled for subsequent Wednesday.

The association this sunrise sent e-mail invitations to members of a press with a not-so-subtle picture of the monthly calendar entry peeled back to exhibit a dilemma of an iPad shade.

The eventuality comes at the scold timing, as Apple’s original iPad was expelled April of 2010, and Apple’s mobile products typically get rested after one year. The event date puts to rest rumors which a iPad would be “delayed” until summer. (Never thoughts that it’s unfit to check an unannounced product.)

Apple has not officially commented upon details about a iPad 2, but a little credible publications claim the tablet will have front- and rear-facing cameras, a thinner physique as well as the more powerful graphics processor.

Wired.com will provide news coverage from a eventuality, that kicks off 10 a.m. upon March 2. Stay tuned.

Rumor: iPad 2 Event Scheduled for March 2

admin — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 13:21:29 +0000

A client binds the first-generation iPad outside an Apple store. Photo: Bryan Derballa/Wired.com

Apple is scheming to deliver a second-generation iPad in a special event next week, according to a inform.

Multiple sources close to a incident say Apple is set to betray a ascent for a popular tablet on March 2 in San Francisco, according to the well-sourced Kara Swisher of All Things Digital.

“The Wednesday date in the little some-more than the week is organisation as well as will take place in San Francisco, the stage of most such Apple events,” Swisher writes.

Apple does not comment upon rumors or conjecture, though tiny clues spirit during a possibility of a iPad 2 gaining front as well as rear-facing cameras (similar to the iPhone 4) and the more powerful graphics processor. The Wall Street Journal earlier reported the gossip which a resolution of the iPad 2 would not be significantly softened, that could come as the beating to clientele.

If the March 2 launch date turns out to be loyal, a iPad 2’s debut will come just days after Motorola’s first tablet, the Xoom, is set to hit stores on Feb. 24.

Motorola Xoom $600 With Verizon Contract, $800 Without

admin — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 10:51:40 +0000

Motorola Xoom spec sheet, Mobile World Congress 2011. Photo Charlie Sorrel

We knew which Motorola’s Xoom inscription was starting to price $800 in the easy, contract-free state, though now Verizon has suggested the cost for those peaceful to pointer up for data: $600.

To get which $200 savings, you’ll need to oath dual years to Verizon, at the minimum of $20 per month. For that you get a 3G Xoom as well as 1GB interpretation. Totting which up over a life of a contract is $600 + (24 x 20) = $1,080. Being Verizon, you’ll probably have to toss in the one-off activation fee, too.

And what about 4G LTE? The Honeycomb-based tablet supports it, after all. The great headlines is which a upgrade will be gratis in a “second entertain of 2011″. Maybe it’ll come out during around a same time as Flash is hoped to be ready for a inscription.

The Xoom will be accessible from Verizon this Thursday, February 24th.

Motorola XOOM Tablet to Be Available upon the Verizon Wireless Network upon Feb. 24 [Press Release]

Motorola Xoom Launches Without Flash

admin — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 01:48:46 +0000

Motorola’s Flash-free Xoom tablet at the Mobile World Congress. Photo: Charlie Sorrel

Motorola’s $800 white elephant, a Xoom inscription, will boat but Adobe’s Flash browser plugin. The headlines, gleaned from small imitation upon Verizon’s new Xoom per-order page, has been confirmed by both Motorola as well as Adobe.

If you remember, Motorola has promised us a “full web”, in the form of Flash await. It seems that Adobe still hasn’t accomplished a 10.2 version of its exclusive plugin, though. The Verizon ad says which “Adobe Flash [is] approaching Spring 2011.” Motorola is even less specific in the official statement “Motorola XOOM will embody full support for Adobe® Flash® Player® for accessing the rich video as well as animations of a web, to be available after launch.” [emphasis combined.

And what about Adobe? Here’s the central line:

Adobe will offer Flash Player 10.2 pre-installed upon some tablets as well as as an OTA download upon others within the couple of weeks of Android 3 (Honeycomb) inclination apropos accessible, a initial of that is expected to be the Motorola Xoom.

I had a little hands-on time with a Xoom during a Mobile World Congress in Barcelona last week. I (and some accessible German journos I ran into at the Motorola counter wondered about Flash support. I surfed to the restaurant website (these have been clearly a only sites left upon a web which require Flash) as well as got a familiar blue Lego “Flash not installed” pitch. We checked the settings, as well as Flash was indeed absent.

Flash is largely aged headlines. Most of what anybody thinks they need Flash for has already been re-optimized for tablets. But if you have it a title underline for your brand new device, and can’t broach until a deceptive prospect date, then it’s a small annoying. But not, I think, as annoying as the battery life of a inscription with Flash enabled.

Update for Flash Player 10.2 Support upon Tablets [Adobe Flash Blog]

Xoom product page [Verizon around Engadget]

Motorola Thinks You’ll Pay $800 for a Xoom Tablet

admin — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 05:12:11 +0000

Motorola’s Xoom inscription will price some-more than a iPad, but the mobile company feels confident which it can contest with Apple.

The Xoom will go upon sale for $800 in the United States, Motorola mobility chief Sanjay Jha told The Wall Street Journal, as well as it will embody 32GB of storage as well as harmony with the new 4G network.

Jha believes which 4G compatibility will make a Xoom value a additional money for consumers. By approach of comparison, the 32-GB iPad with 3G compatibilty costs $730.

“We felt which our capability to deliver 50Mb/s would justify a $799 price indicate,” Jha pronounced. “It is 32GB with 3G as well as the free ascent to 4G. Being competitive with iPad is critical. We feel which from a hardware and capabilities we broach we are at least competitive as well as in a series of ways better [than the iPad].”

While a inclusion of 4G harmony does appear to add extra value to a Xoom, Motorola still can’t compare the lower starting price of Apple’s iPad: $500 for a Wi-Fi representation. Jha said Motorola would eventually offer a 32-GB Wi-Fi-only representation as good which would price around the same as Apple’s 32-GB iPad with Wi-Fi, which costs $600.

It’s misleading when the Xoom will boat, though a leaked Best Buy ad suggests Feb. 24.

I’m not assured customers will be attracted to a Xoom’s $800 price tag since of the 4G spec. U.S. carriers only not long ago launched their 4G networks, as well as until they grownup, I don’t consider people have been starting to caring about 4G contra 3G. The normal client is going to be captivated to the starting price, as well as $500 seems to be the honeyed mark which Apple has nailed.

What have been your thoughts upon Xoom pricing? Chime in with your comments below.

HTC Flyer: A Tablet With the Pressure Sensitive Pen

admin — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 01:24:19 +0000

BARCELONA — HTC’s take on tablets is a single of a many interesting at this year’s Mobile World Congress. The little seven-inch aluminum unibody package comes with the pressure-sensitive stylus. This competence be enough to set the Flyer detached in the increasingly crowded (and dull) “me too” Android inscription universe.

Inside a fat (415 gram) little box is the 1.5GHz single-core processor, 1GB RAM as well as 32GB storage. There is also an SD-slot to add some-more. Round back there’s the 5MP camera, as well as on the front row there’s a 1.3MP webcam. The screen gives a rather respectable 1024 x 600 resolution, as well as is your common multitouch panel. These have been still handmade prototypes, so the last version is expected to be lighter as well as thinner.

But we came for the coop, right? Because a capacitive panel doesn’t register pressure, a coop does a measuring instead, and passes the information wirelessly back to the inscription. This is clearly meant for handwriting approval (the inscription will ship with Evernote built in), though is additionally perfect for painting and drawing apps. Using a stylus with a capacitive screen is the good approach to draw, but a miss of pressure-controlled line density as well as other parameters means it’ll never opposition the correct graphics desk pad.

The Flyer will launch in the second half of a year, and will ship with Android 2.3 Gingerbread. What, no Honeycomb? That will come later, as an over-the-air ascent. Because HTC uses its own heavily tweaked Sense UI in the Android handsets, a interface is some-more matched to a tablet than which of, contend, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab. In actuality, time indispensable to tweak a mark new Honeycomb is a reason which the Flyer will boat without it.

As for cost, HTC isn’t observant. Keep it poor, yet, and this Kindle-sized, pocket-friendly could have the good artist’s sketchbook.

Hands-On With LG’s Eye-Crossing 3D Optimus Pad

admin — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 10:26:11 +0000

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Barcelona – Tablets have been what we wanted to see at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, and tablets have been what we’ve got. They all have their gimmicks. Samsung’s Tab 10.1 facilities a plasticky feel, for e.g., and LG’s Optimus Pad has 3D. It also has the new screen size of 8.9-inches.

First, the 3D. The Optimus has the pair of cameras in the behind for sharpened stereoscopic 1080p. This footage can be played back later on the large TV (the Optimus has an HDMI-out port) or piped approach to the big-screen as you shoot (as you see in a picture on top of. I tangled a span of 3D eyeglasses over my unchanging eyeglasses, hold a camera in my other hand and attempted to snap a picture while balancing upon my crutches. Despite these various handicaps, a picture is the pretty good representation of a headache-inducing footage you’ll see but a 3D-specs.

Put them on and things don’t get most improved. The 3D-effect is there, though it has none of the sharp fibre you’ll see from a properly-shot shave. There’s no approach you’ll ever inapplicable designation the footage for anything but cellphone video, even yet both cameras have been 5MP.

And if you wish to perspective your 3D video upon the screen, great fitness. LG touts the Optimus Pad as means to monitor 3D, though see it you’ll need to travel back to 1955. The “3D” picture is displayed as red and blue anaglyph, the kind which you need colored eyeglasses to look during. Given that any tone shade, ever, can do this, LG is pulling the truth the little here.

The rest of the Optimus Pad is honeyed sufficient, with dual-core Tegra 2 chip, 32GB storage, 3G radio, 2MP front-facing camera (even worse than a alternative two) as well as Android 3.0 Honeycomb. The 8.9-inch distance is actually flattering great, nonetheless all the cameras seemingly move a weight up to an iPad-alike 630-grams. Take the closer look and you’ll see LG has opted to have a screen prolonged as well as thin. Great for wide-screen movies, distressing for everything else (except, surprisingly, two-pane plane e-book reading). Finally, a 1280 x 768 pixel shade sounds great, but in perform it isn’t so good. Samsung’s Tab displays are approach nicer.

My prediction for a Optimus Pad? Lots of (digital) ink spilled by hacks similar to me during a MWC this week, followed by terrible sales as well as the quiet genocide. You listened it here first, folks!

BBC iPlayer for iPad to Launch Thursday

admin — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 04:05:30 +0000

The BBC iPlayer app for a iPad will be expelled this Thursday. It has been years in the making (Gadget Lab initial reported on the programmed iPhone app in February 2008), though now BBC iPlayer operative Geoff Marshall has done it all though central. Here’s his Tweet:

iPlayer App for iPad is being expelled this Thursday – 10th Feb. 3G tie is crop only. Browse+Playback requires Wi-Fi. #iplayer

The iPlayer is the BBC’s online “DVR”. Only accessible in the UK, it lets viewers watch the final 7 days value of shows upon direct in a browser. As we saw back in December, an general iPad app – that would let anyone tide the shows – will be subscription-based with a monthly price similar to Hulu.

The international chronicle was not due until a center of this year, so it seems expected that Thursday’s launch will be UK-only. The BBC is forbidden from charging for its calm in a UK as well as is instead funded by the mandatory permit price.

If it has full entrance to a complete week’s catalog, a app should be the leader. But precipitate up and roll it out to the total universe, BBC. And recollect, there are plenty of other places to get your shows already.

Original Photo: HeatedGroundPhotography
Illustration: Charlie Sorrel / CC License