Tag Archives: AndroidTablet

Insert Coin: Chameleon adaptive home screen replacement for Android tablets

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In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.

Insert Coin: Chameleon adaptive home screen replacement for Android tablets

If you're an Android tablet owner, you're likely very familiar with the drill: after you unlock the device, you're presented with a static home screen full of apps and widgets, which may or may not be relevant to your current need. The creators of Chameleon, a home screen replacement for Android 3.2 / 4.0 tablets, would like to change all that with a dynamic environment that'll adapt to your current GPS location, WiFi network or the time of day. Users may design and customize their ideal layouts, which may include news and social feeds in the morning, a calendar and tasks for the work environment and an assortment of entertainment options for the evening at home. Switching between these layouts isn't a problem, either, as you'll be able to flick between home screens just as you would with the standard Android interface.

Like a good rug, the interface is attractive and really pulls everything together. Chameleon is currently a Kickstarter project, and its creators intend to unleash the creation into the Google Play Store this September. Those who donate $5 or more can expect early delivery of the app, which is currently slated for August. It never hurts to be early in line, and Chameleon might just rekindle your love for Android tablets. For a quick peek of what's in store, check the video after the break.

[Thanks, Greg]

Continue reading Insert Coin: Chameleon adaptive home screen replacement for Android tablets

Insert Coin: Chameleon adaptive home screen replacement for Android tablets originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 08:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 review

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When we review a second-generation product there are certain things we tend to take for granted: this new thing, whatever it is, will be thinner, faster, longer-lasting, maybe even with more bells and whistles in tow. With Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1, though, it's a little less obvious why its sequel is here. It offers near-identical specs, including a 10-inch, 1280 x 800 PLS display, dual-core 1GHz chip, 1GB of RAM and a minimum of 16GB of internal storage. What's more, this generation is slightly thicker and heavier, and sheds the LED flash that used to sit on the back side. But there's one detail we haven't mentioned yet: in addition to softening the specs, Samsung dropped the price by about hundred bucks, so that it now starts at $400.

Clearly, then, the 10.1 has evolved into a mid-range tablet, whereas it used to be the best Samsung had to offer. That's good news for penny-pinching shoppers, but Samsung has a bit of a problem on its hands: it's jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire, dodging direct competition with the new iPad, only to find itself competing with a raft of affordable tablets made by Acer, ASUS and even Apple. So how does Samsung's warmed-over 10.1 compare? Can it be a winner in the mid-tier category, at least? Let's see.

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 review

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 review

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, Galaxy Player 4.2 now available online

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PSA: Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, Galaxy Player 4.2 now available online

Not willing to give up your old dumbphone, but still need something to feed your Android addiction? You're in luck: Samsung's serving up two devices today rocking Google's dessert themed OS, the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and the Galaxy Player 4.2. Sammy's latest slate rings in at $400, buying 16GB of internal memory (expandable to 32GB via microSD), a 1GHz dual-core processor and a serving of Ice Cream Sandwich. The Galaxy Player 4.2, on the other hand, can be found munching Gingerbread for a mere $200. If you're looking for a new Galaxy that makes phone calls, however, you'll have to wait for the Galaxy S III.

PSA: Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, Galaxy Player 4.2 now available online originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 May 2012 19:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and Galaxy Player 4.2 come stateside on May 13th

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and Galaxy Player 4.2 come stateside on May 13th

The last we heard, Samsung's Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 was in pre-order limbo at Office Depot. Now we have official word that the slate will launch at that outlet -- and also at Amazon, Best Buy, Tiger Direct and others -- on May 13th. As expected, the 16GB WiFi version will go for $400, and if you've followed our coverage, you'll know it's a solid dual-core slate that nonetheless doesn't make huge spec improvements over the original Tab 10.1 (barring that Ice Cream Sandwich OS, of course). The Galaxy Player 4.2 will also make its debut this Sunday, for an asking price of $200. Android-loving moms: rejoice.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and Galaxy Player 4.2 come stateside on May 13th

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and Galaxy Player 4.2 come stateside on May 13th originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2012 17:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CloudOn brings its Office to Android tablets, adds support for Google Drive (video)

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CloudOn brings its Office to Android tablets, adds support for Google Drive (video)

Indirectly or not, the other guys seem to enjoy their time spent with CloudOn's unorthodox delivery of Microsoft Office. Fortunately for you, the service just announced it's now available to the Android folk -- at least to those with a Google certified slate. The CloudOn application comes as a freebie and it's compatible with tablets running Honeycomb or Ice Cream Sandwich. Keep in mind that, aside from creating / editing docs on Word, Excel and PowerPoint, you'll also be able to open almost any file thanks to Adobe Reader. Furthermore, the company revealed it now offers support for Google Drive, joining the likes of Dropbox and Box as part of the cloud lineup. Ready to give it a go? It's up for grabs now via Google Play, but before you do that, there's a vid waiting for you past the break.

Continue reading CloudOn brings its Office to Android tablets, adds support for Google Drive (video)

CloudOn brings its Office to Android tablets, adds support for Google Drive (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 May 2012 18:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung releases… Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 and 10.1 source code

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Samsung releases... Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 and 10.1 source code

Did you hear the news? Y'know, about Samsung's latest release? No, not the Galaxy S III -- that's officially yesterday's news. No, today's story is all about tablets, Galaxy Tab 2's more specifically. The Korean tech giant has released the source code for both the seven- and ten-inch varieties, effectively handing developers the keys to the customization kingdom. So if you love the technology, but the interface less so, you might not have to wait all that long for a better option. The exact models that have been opened up are: GT-P3100, GT-P3110, GT-P3113, GT-P5100, GT-P5110, and GT-P5113. Got a feature you'd really like to see? Better get poking the fine chaps at xda-developers with your requests.

Samsung releases... Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 and 10.1 source code originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 May 2012 12:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer Iconia Tab A510 review

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We'll stop just short of quoting Top Gun here, but if it's speed you crave, these next thousands of words could have you emptying your wallet. How's that for an opening line? To be honest, it's been quite some time since any of us Engadget editors booted up a brand new device and immediately let loose a stream of expletives -- all expressing unbridled delight, of course. Such was the beginning of our meet-cute with Acer's Iconia Tab A510, the company's first Tegra 3 slate, and the second to ship with Ice Cream Sandwich.

Apart from that 1280 x 800 TFT LCD display, this 10-incher looks, feels and performs nothing like its predecessor, the A500. Turbocharged with that quad-core CPU and 1GB of RAM, this Android 4.0 tablet joins a crowded category with a generous 32GB in built-in storage and a reasonable $450 price tag to match. So, does that excellence lose its luster with more extensive use? Is your money better spent on any of the other umpteen tablets running ICS? Will the lack of a higher-quality display prove too much of a con for your exquisite tech tastes? Follow on as we probe the A510 for answers.

Continue reading Acer Iconia Tab A510 review

Acer Iconia Tab A510 review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer releases app to hurry the ICS-ification of Iconia slates (video)

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Acer releases app to hurry the ICS-ification of your Iconia A500 (video)

Patience, they say, is a virtue. Try telling that to a tech-savvy tablet owner, whose friend already got an ICS update. Acer started pushing out an Android 4 update to lucky Iconia 500 owners earlier in the week, but for those who've yet to receive it, all is not lost. The tablet maker has taken the unusual step of releasing an app dedicated to getting you the upgrade asap. Can't wait a moment longer? Point your slate at the Play store and search for "Acer" and then simply look for the free Iconia Tab Update Enhancement app. Virtues are overrated anyway.

Continue reading Acer releases app to hurry the ICS-ification of Iconia slates (video)

Acer releases app to hurry the ICS-ification of Iconia slates (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Apr 2012 14:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Droid Life  |  sourceGoogle Play  | Email this | Comments

Some Iconia Tab A500s getting Ice Cream Sandwich early, Acer Ring is MIA

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Some Iconia Tab A500s getting Ice Cream Sandwich early, Acer Ring is MIA

Last week, Acer announced that Ice Cream Sandwich would make its way to Iconia Tabs A100 and A500 in Canada and the US starting April 27th, but Phone Arena reports that some owners of the 10.1-inch A500 are getting the option to update a day ahead of schedule. If you're one of the lucky few to be in on the early upgrade, you should be ready to rock with Android 4.0.3 after a 30-minute install. The one potential downside to getting ICS ahead of time? You'll have to wait for the Acer Ring hub, which didn't make the cut for this update.

Some Iconia Tab A500s getting Ice Cream Sandwich early, Acer Ring is MIA originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 18:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ComScore pegs Kindle Fire at more than 50 percent of the US Android tablet market

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We've seen some pretty clear indications that the Kindle Fire was rapidly gaining market share among Android tablets, and ComScore is now out with a new report that indicates it recently crossed a big milestone. According to the research firm, the Fire's market share in the US fully doubled from December to February, with it standing at 54.4 percent as of the end of the month. Counted together, the Galaxy Tab family sits in second at 15.4 percent, while the Motorola Xoom and Asus Transformer come in at 7 and 6.3 percent, respectively. Of course, the Kindle Fire isn't quite your ordinary Android tablet, so this is likely better news for Amazon than Google. In addition to that, ComScore also looked at the browsing habits of tablet users, and unsurprisingly found that larger screens tended to lead to more content consumption, with 10-inch tablets boasting a 39 percent higher consumption rate than 7-inch devices. You can find all the numbers at the source link below.

ComScore pegs Kindle Fire at more than 50 percent of the US Android tablet market originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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