Nexus 7 arrives in Japan, better late than never

Nexus 7 arrives in Japan, better late than never

Well, it took a while, but Google has finally launched the Nexus 7 in Japan. The tablet made its state-side debut in July, but it took almost three months for it to cross the Pacific and land in the east Asian nation. Pricing is a little higher than what we've seen everywhere else, with the 16GB model selling for ¥19,800, or about $312. It makes a perfect companion for the recently updated Play Books app that also just made its debut in the Land of the Rising Sun.

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Nexus 7 arrives in Japan, better late than never originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Sep 2012 15:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Nexus 7 mod unlocks 720p recording on front-facing camera

Google Nexus 7 mod unlocks 720p recording on frontfacing camera

To the delight of live event crowds everywhere, the ASUS-made Nexus 7 sidestepped the primary camera route, only furnishing the slab with a 1.2-megapixel front-facer. While it didn't take long for app-makers to tweak their wares especially for Google's statement tablet, users over at XDA Developers have dug a little deeper to unlock the shooter's 720p recording potential, removing the previous 480p cap. There are several (relatively simple) ways to get it done -- visit the source for the full instructions.

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Google Nexus 7 mod unlocks 720p recording on front-facing camera originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Sep 2012 06:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Engadget Show 35: EVs in Portland, hacked bicycles and a Tesla Model S test drive

With a transportation themed episode, it only seemed natural to take the Engadget Show out of our traditional digs -- it was also a great excuse to visit one of our favorite cities in the world: Portland, Oregon. We drove Mitsubishi's i-MiEV EV around the Northwestern green mecca, stopping at some great PDX spots along the way, including the amazing Ground Kontrol arcade, Hand-Eye Supply and the hackerspace, Brain Silo. We also took the time to speak to some PDX residents, including Core77 co-founder Eric Ludlum and some local modders showing off their homebrew projects.

Also, Brian travels out to Boston to ride along with a gang of bike hackers, Myriam takes the Tesla Model S for a spin around the streets of San Francisco and Michael does his best not to fall off the DTV Shredder in the California desert. And, as always, we got a pile of the month's latest and greatest gadgets, including the Google Nexus 7, Hasbro's new Lazer Tag guns and a quick trip around OS X Mountain Lion. Also: comic books, donuts and plenty of EV road trip shenanigans. Click through the break to tune in!

Continue reading The Engadget Show 35: EVs in Portland, hacked bicycles and a Tesla Model S test drive

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The Engadget Show 35: EVs in Portland, hacked bicycles and a Tesla Model S test drive originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Aug 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Nexus 7 overclocked to 2GHz, punches well above its weight

Google Nexus 7 overclocked to 2GHz, punches well above its weight

The stock Nexus 7 peaks at a 1.3GHz clock speed when it's at full burn. That's certainly good enough for the $199 price tag, but eager adopters have just hit a new record in trying to wring out even more of a bang for the buck. Courtesy of a custom Elite kernel from XDA-Developers' Clemsyn, the Tegra 3 in the mini tablet will scale all the way to a heady 2GHz. You'd be right in suspecting that it leads to some dramatic speed boosts: the Nexus 7 at this pace can put a Transformer Prime to shame in common benchmarks, let alone most smartphones. Reaching the loftier heights of performance does require nerves of steel, however. The Elite kernel is very much a rough build that the creator doesn't yet trust with the public, and NVIDIA's processor is already known to get toasty under significantly added stress. There's hope a refined kernel will make for a safer venture into unknown territory. If you can't wait to throw at least some caution (and the warranty) to the wind, though, hit the second source link for code that will reach a slightly less melt-prone 1.8GHz.

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Google Nexus 7 overclocked to 2GHz, punches well above its weight originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Aug 2012 00:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CM10 nightly builds now rolling out to select devices

CM10 nightly builds now rolling out to select devicesLike Jelly Beans, custom Android ROMs tend to have different flavors -- and CyanogenMod happens to be a fan favorite. Good thing then, that the CM10 team is now serving nightly builds of its Jelly Bean-based custom ROM update. According to the CyanogenMod Google+ page, CM10 nightlies are now available for the US Samsung Galaxy S III variants, the original Galaxy S and the Galaxy S II (i9100g), the Galaxy Nexus, the Nexus S and Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 (P3), Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 (P5), Nexus 7, Transformer and Transformer Prime tablets. The list will fill out with more devices when they are ready, the team says, and will continue to have CM9 updates (now weekly, rather then nightly) at their disposal.

CM10 nightly builds now rolling out to select devices originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Aug 2012 04:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rovi lands Google Fiber patent license deal, keeps program guides flowing

Rovi strikes Google Fiber patent license deal, keeps program guides flowing

Rovi considers itself the master of TV program guides everywhere -- even if some disagree -- so it's almost inevitable that the company would negotiate a new patent license with Google. The deal puts all of Google Fiber's TV interfaces in the clear, whether it's the set-top box near the TV or the less traditional interfaces found on the web and the Nexus 7 remote. Considering Rovi's existing connection to Google TV, the new pact may cement the company and its partner in Mountain View as surprisingly close friends.

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Rovi lands Google Fiber patent license deal, keeps program guides flowing originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Aug 2012 17:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nexus 7 dock and covers leak, promise high style in small sizes (update: source goes down)

Nexus 7 dock and covers leak, promise high style in small sizes

There have been teases here and there that Google's Nexus 7 was going to get a full, official accessory treatment from ASUS, but actual details have been scarce. Consider ASUS' cover blown, almost literally. Presentation files finding their way to Nordic Hardware show the known Smart Case-like, $20 Travel Cover that's already lurking on the ASUS and Google websites, but they also spoil a leather Premium Cover that will reportedly cost $40. As for a cradle to round out the set? While the company had previously confirmed that a dock was coming, we're now getting a glimpse of the $50 Nexus Dock's super-simple wedge design and audio output. With the exception of the Travel Cover, the accessory bonanza is pegged by the slides as arriving in late August -- just in time for that last-gasp summer vacation.

Update: Nordic Hardware has since taken down its original post "at the request" of an unnamed party.

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Nexus 7 dock and covers leak, promise high style in small sizes (update: source goes down) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 01:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google posts Android 4.1 Jelly Bean images for Nexus devices, modders rejoice

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean on Google Nexus S

If you're the sort to get a little too adventurous with CyanogenMod 10 or other custom ROMs, Google just gave you a crutch. Android 4.1.1 factory images are now available for every Nexus device that can currently get a taste of Jelly Bean: the HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S and the expected Nexus 7. While it's not a complete safety net, the gesture will let dedicated modders flash their phones and tablets knowing that they can almost always jump back to the pure OS if someone's definition of "alpha build" is a little too rough. CDMA users are unfortunately left out of the loop; let's just hope they're brought up to speed before too long.

[Thanks, Vince]

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Google posts Android 4.1 Jelly Bean images for Nexus devices, modders rejoice originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jul 2012 21:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CM10 preview builds out for Nexus 7 and Galaxy Note: official but experimental

CM10 preview builds out for Nexus 7 and Galaxy Note: official but highly experimentalReady for the latest bout of XDA Recognized goodness? If you own a Nexus 7 or global Galaxy Note (oh yeah) then you'll find official preview builds of CyanogenMod 10 for each device at the source links below. They'll bring some added sparkle, like an almost-buttery version of Jelly Bean on the Note and USB storage on the Nexus 7, but neither build is ready for daily dependence -- so tread carefully or just consider them proof that the CM and Team Hacksung folks are almost there.

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CM10 preview builds out for Nexus 7 and Galaxy Note: official but experimental originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jul 2012 08:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google takes Nexus 7 camping for its first ad, can afford to pack light (video)

Google takes Nexus 7 camping for its first ad, doesn't need to pack bug repellent video

There's more than a small amount of fervor swirling around the Nexus 7, so it only makes sense that Google wants to seize the moment and pitch its first Nexus tablet to the world. Its first commercial is a very Norman Rockwell-like, father-and-son camping trip -- if Rockwell replaced Boy Scouts with Jelly Beans, that is. The 7-inch slate handles just about every task the two could care for, whether it's learning about (and exaggerating) the local fauna as well as keeping busy on a rainy day. We'll let you witness the slight twist of an ending first-hand, although we'll add that Google is careful to use a lot of Nexus 7 features that don't demand always-on WiFi: the search giant wants us to know that we can head to the boonies without the tablet becoming a paperweight. The one shock is the absence of that all-important $199 price, which you'd think would help trigger some impulse shopping. You can reconcile your disbelief and enjoy some family bonding by catching the full commercial after the break.

Continue reading Google takes Nexus 7 camping for its first ad, can afford to pack light (video)

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Google takes Nexus 7 camping for its first ad, can afford to pack light (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 10:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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