Ergo Electronics outs trio of budget-friendly GoTab GTi slates in the UK

Ergo Electronics outs trio of budgetfriendly GTi tablets in the UK, starting at 79

It would appear that a handful of tablet manufacturers want to take a piece of Apple's marketshare pie by tempting consumers with low-priced slabs. And, well, such is the case with small UK company Ergo Electronics. The Euro outfit recently introduced a trifecta of relatively economical GoTab GTi tablets; two of which come pre-loaded with Ice Cream Sandwich and one with Google's 4.1 treat. For starters, the top-of-the-line, Jelly Bean-loaded GTi97 boasts a 9.7-inch, IPS display alongside a dual-core, 1.6GHz RK3066 CPU and 1GB of RAM. Meanwhile, the GTi8 (8-inch) and GTi7 (7-inch) are both designed to be "super portable and lightweight," though the GTi8 packs a heavier punch thanks to a "high resolution" 160 ppi screen, same amount of RAM as its GTi97 cousin and a single-core, 1.2GHz CPU. Ergo Electronics is pricing these starting at £79 (around $128), with availability expected to be later this holiday season across the United Kingdom.

Continue reading Ergo Electronics outs trio of budget-friendly GoTab GTi slates in the UK

Filed under:

Ergo Electronics outs trio of budget-friendly GoTab GTi slates in the UK originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Sep 2012 12:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceErgo Electronics  | Email this | Comments

Editorial: Bring on the ads, Amazon

Editorial Bring on the ads, Amazon

Huge week for Amazon, last week. But all that Kindly goodness was nearly upstaged by lock-screen ad nonsense. When I searched on the keyword "amazon" in my RSS tech folder, Friday and Saturday of last week looked like two big parade floats: "OMG, there are ads on the new Kindle tablet!" and "Praise the heavens, you can disable the ads!"

Tempest in a teapot, those ads. And Amazon took the wrong approach to removing them.

Continue reading Editorial: Bring on the ads, Amazon

Filed under: ,

Editorial: Bring on the ads, Amazon originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Sep 2012 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Sony Xperia Tablet S hands-on (video)

Sony Xperia Tablet S handson video

Sony officially launched its new tablet here at IFA -- and it's keeping that folded-over profile. Happily, it's running Android ICS. We've just spent some time with the Xperia Tablet S here in Berlin and it's looking like Sony wants this to be the center of your media-consuming world. The new tablet pals up with the company's range of phones, bearing that familiar Xperia branding on a freshly hewn metal slab. Yes, the new tablet sidesteps the plastic build of Sony's last two tablets going for a solid metal build. Fortunately, it feels just as light in the hand, while that folded design also remains well-balanced. We're particularly pleased with the tactile finish on the folded-over surface of the tablet -- it's very grippable. Internally, we're dealing with a quad-core Tegra 3 processor, while a 10-inch 1,280 x 800 IPS display will be showing off all that media and gaming content. Browse our gallery of images below and check out our hands-on video and first impressions after the break.

Continue reading Sony Xperia Tablet S hands-on (video)

Filed under:

Sony Xperia Tablet S hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 11:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Sony Xperia Tablet S official: slimmed-down design, Tegra 3, IR remote and Android 4.0, starts at $400

DNP EMBARGO Sony Xperia Tablet S official Tegra 3, IR remote and Android 40, starts at $400

Looks like those leaked slides showing Sony's Xperia-branded tablet were right about pretty much everything. (Well, everything except the price, anyway). The company just formally announced the Xperia Tablet S and, as rumored, it features a Tegra 3 chip, Android 4.0 and up to 64GB of built-in storage. Like last year's Tablet S, it has that distinctive folded-over magazine shape, except this go-round it's made of metal, and measures between .35 and .47 inches thick (the weight, too, has dropped to 1.26 pounds, down from 1.31). Sony also kept the Tablet S' IR emitter, which allows the tablet to double as a universal remote, and this time you can program shortcuts to do things like watch sports. Rounding out the spec sheet, there's a full-size SD slot, a 9.4-inch (1,280 x 800) IPS screen and a 6,000mAh battery promising 10 hours of runtime.

As we mentioned, the tablet will ship with Ice Cream Sandwich, but Sony is promising an upgrade to Jelly Bean as soon as it can optimize all its custom apps. And indeed, there are quite a few specialized applications here. For starters, there's a new Watch Now app that allows for live TV-viewing (cable subscription required), with the option to "check into" shows and share comments on Facebook and Twitter. Meanwhile, Sony added a Guest Mode that lets you create custom user profiles, forbidding the use of certain apps -- a handy parental control tool, we say. Naturally, Sony also threw in Music and Video Unlimited, where you can buy content from Sony's vast movie and song catalogs. Finally, the tablet comes with 5GB of space in PlayMemories, Sony's new cloud storage service.

The tablet will be available September 7th, though Sony is accepting pre-orders starting today. It will start at $400 for the 16GB model, with the 32GB going for $500 and the 64GB for $600. And yes, as those leaked slides indicated, there will most certainly be accessories. For starters, there's that optional Surface-like keyboard we heard about, priced at $100. There's also a three-position stand, with HDMI output and a USB adapter for a charging. That, too, costs $100. Sony is also selling a charging cradle ($40), a plain-Jane stand ($25), a dock speaker ($130) and a carrying case, priced at either $51 or $80, depending on whether or not you get it in leather. We very much expect to get some hands-on time at IFA, so stay tuned for first-hand impressions.

Continue reading Sony Xperia Tablet S official: slimmed-down design, Tegra 3, IR remote and Android 4.0, starts at $400

Filed under:

Sony Xperia Tablet S official: slimmed-down design, Tegra 3, IR remote and Android 4.0, starts at $400 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 10:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Archos unveils 7-inch GamePad with physical controls, Ice Cream Sandwich for ‘less than €150’

DNP EMBARGO  Archos unveils ICSrunning GamePad with physical controls

Archos already has its hands in the kiddie-tablet market, with its 7-inch Arnova Child Pad, and it's taking on the productivity-minded crowd with its keyboard-toting 101 XS. Now the company is going after another niche segment with the just-announced GamePad. The 7-inch slate runs Android 4.0 with a dual-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz and a quad-core Mali 400 MP GPU, and it sports physical gaming controls in addition to the standard touchscreen. Archos includes its own "game recognition and mapping tools," which ensure that the physical buttons are compatible with Android games that use virtual controls (some 1,000 titles are apparently compatible with the GamePad at this point). Of course, this is an internet-enabled device as well, and it will include full access to the Play market and WiFi connectivity when it goes on sale at the end of October. Other specs include 8GB of internal storage, plus a microSD card slot that adds up to 64GB. There's also a mini-HDMI connection for outputting content to your TV. For now, Archos is only announcing pricing as "less than €150", and the device will drop in the US and Europe at the same time. For now, the below-the-break press release will have to satisfy your curiosity.

Continue reading Archos unveils 7-inch GamePad with physical controls, Ice Cream Sandwich for 'less than €150'

Filed under: ,

Archos unveils 7-inch GamePad with physical controls, Ice Cream Sandwich for 'less than €150' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 08:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Lenovo’s 9-inch IdeaTab A2109 shows up at Best Buy, flaunts Tegra 3, $300 price tag

Lenovo's 9-inch IdeaTab A2109 shows up at Best Buy, flaunts Tegra 3, $300 price tag

Lenovo's upcoming IdeaTab A2109 didn't drop in on the FCC with its seven-inch brother, but that hasn't stopped it from reaching stores. The nine-inch device appears to be in stock on Best Buy's online store, offering 16GB of storage, an NVIDA Tegra 3 processor and a standard serving of Ice Cream Sandwich for $299. The slate isn't just available for order, either -- according to Best Buy's stock locator, it can be found in brick and mortar stores too. The A2107, on the other hand, isn't so readily available, but we'll let you know when Lenovo lets it come out to play.

[Thanks, Justin]

Filed under:

Lenovo's 9-inch IdeaTab A2109 shows up at Best Buy, flaunts Tegra 3, $300 price tag originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Aug 2012 02:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceBest Buy  | Email this | Comments

Lexibook kids-tablet coming to the US, makes fifth-graders dream of an Aakash

Lexibook

French educational tech maker Lexibook is bringing its eponymous kiddy-tablet to the US from next month. It's not talking specs or price, but we're expecting it to be close to the Lexibook First currently available in Europe. The seven-inch slate packs a 600MHz processor, 256MB RAM, 4GB storage (expandable to 16GB with an microSD card), parental controls and 802.11 b/g WiFi. The FroYo-running device retails for £150 ($237) over the pond, but if the company tries something similar over here, we suspect people might plump for something a little more powerful, or less expensive, or both.

Continue reading Lexibook kids-tablet coming to the US, makes fifth-graders dream of an Aakash

Filed under:

Lexibook kids-tablet coming to the US, makes fifth-graders dream of an Aakash originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Aug 2012 23:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Lenovo’s seven-inch Android 4.0 tablet passes federal testing, on course for September release

Lenovo's seveninch Android 40 tablet passes federal testing, should be ready for September release date

While pricing hasn't revealed whether it'll spar with the Nexus 7 for the hearts of bargain tablet shoppers, Lenovo's smaller Android 4.0 slab, the A2107, has called in at the FCC. Again, there's not all that much we can glean from a tablet that's prone and turned off, but it does give the product another nudge towards launching next month. Fans of all things radio and wireless can peruse the official filing at the source below.

Filed under:

Lenovo's seven-inch Android 4.0 tablet passes federal testing, on course for September release originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 15:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceFCC  | Email this | Comments

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 hits the UK on August 22nd, starts at £300 for WiFi-only model

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 hits the UK on August 22nd, starts at £300 for WiFi-only model

It's 'bout time, right? Having been up for grabs here in the US since way back in May, it's now looking like Sammy's second-gen Tab 10.1 is finally ready to make its official retail debut across the pond. According to Carphone Warehouse, the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1's "expected" to be in stock as early as next week -- or, August 22nd to be exact -- in the United Kingdom, with the base 16GB, WiFi-only flavor set to be priced at a mere £300, while £100 more gets you the model that's also sporting 3G connectivity. Better yet, the retailer's taking pre-orders as we speak, so click on either of the source links below and choose the Tab 2 10.1 variant best suited for your slate needs.

Filed under:

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 hits the UK on August 22nd, starts at £300 for WiFi-only model originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 13:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceCarphone Warehouse (1), (2)  | Email this | Comments

Engadget’s back to school guide 2012: tablets

Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! The end of summer vacation isn't nearly as much fun as the weeks that come before, but a chance to update your tech tools likely helps to ease the pain. Today, we're leaning back with our tablets -- and you can head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back -- at the end of August we'll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides -- you can hit up the hub page right here!

DNP Engadget's back to school guide 2012 tablets

Your back may be straining from the textbooks, laptop, gym gear and lunch in that dangling overstuffed messenger, but you're still gonna want to save room for one more item -- a tablet. After all, while you can surf, tweet, play games and watch video from your other devices, there's nothing like doing it from a simple glass window that sits in the palm of your hand. As the hardware gets more powerful, these devices are rapidly becoming versatile enough to let you justify leaving the laptop at home on less-intensive days, so why not check out our picks of the finest devices you should be using and abusing before, during and after class.

Continue reading Engadget's back to school guide 2012: tablets

Filed under:

Engadget's back to school guide 2012: tablets originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments