DirecTV Android tablet app knows it’s late, makes suitably low-key entrance

DirecTV Android tablet app knows it's late, makes suitably low-key entrance

We bet you thought your DirecTV receiver and Android tablet would never get along, didn't ya? Well, it has been over two years since the satellite provider released an iPad app, and although software for both Android and Apple smartphones were available long before that, Android slates have curiously been neglected. That's all changed now, however, as "DirecTV for Tablets" quietly snuck onto the Play store yesterday. Better late than never, we suppose, and at least it's got the functionality you'd want to make up for its tardiness. The app allows you to use your tablet as a remote, stream various channels (including the Audience Network), manage your DVR, access a bunch of TV-related content, and overshare your viewing habits on several social networks. If you've been waiting for the app so long you refuse to believe it's actually here, don't trust us. Head to the source link for proof.

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Via: Solid Signal Blog

Source: Google Play store

eFun’s Nextbook Premium 10SE tablet with ICS now available for $280

eFun's Nextbook Premium 10SE tablet with ICS now available for $280

In a market slightly populated by some great well-priced tablets, and one that eFun is quite familiar with, the company decided now was a good time to add yet another slate into the mix. And while the Premium 10SE is slightly pricier than, say, the entry-level Nexus 7 model, eFun's latest Ice Cream Sandwich slab does sport a larger 9.7-inch, 1024 x 768 display. Still, the Premium 10SE won't impress many with the rest of its run-of-the-mill internals, which include a 1GHz CPU alongside 1GB of RAM, 8GB of built-in storage (expandable via microSD) and a front-facing 0.3-megapixel shooter -- it's also worth mentioning that eFun is kind enough to bundle in 25 eBooks at no extra cost. The Premium 10SE is available now for $280, though you can save a little cash by heading to your local Radio Shack or Hastings shop, where the Nextbook tablet's priced at a more affordable $250.

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eFun's Nextbook Premium 10SE tablet with ICS now available for $280 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Oct 2012 23:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo IdeaTab S2110 review: a competent Transformer competitor running Android 4.0

DNP Lenovo IdeaTab S2110 review

It's taken nearly half a year for Lenovo's transforming IdeaTab S2110 to go from CES reveal to retail shelves and it's arrived barely unchanged. But despite the initial fanfare, the company chose to slip this slate into the marketplace quietly, ahead even of its official launch at IFA. In that time, ASUS managed to announce and ship a new hybrid tablet of its own, the Transformer Pad TF300 -- a keyboard-optional rival offering the same 10-inch, 1,280 x 800 IPS display and Android 4.0 experience, along with a quad-core Tegra 3.

While Lenovo's offering may not come with four cores or an unskinned version of Ice Cream Sandwich, there is a very contemporary dual-core S4 inside, clocked at 1.5GHz and buffered by 1GB of RAM. Alongside that, the tab's also outfitted with a 1.3-megapixel front-facing shooter and 5-megapixel rear camera capable of 1080p video capture. Other specs include radios for WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0, a battery rated for up to 10 hours of browsing (augmented to 20 hours when connected to the dock) and either 16GB or 32GB of built-in storage. At $430 for the base model alone, it's already positioned as a higher-priced alternative to the TF300. Add the dock and full storage, and you're looking at a cool $580. So, will this be a case of "too little, too late" for Lenovo? Can the S2110 lure undecided customers away from cheaper similarly specced offerings? Read on as we attempt to answer all that and more.

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Lenovo IdeaTab S2110 review: a competent Transformer competitor running Android 4.0 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Oct 2012 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Xperia Tablet S review: Sony’s second-gen Android slate has a slimmer design, faster guts

Sony Xperia Tablet S review

For Sony, it's all about the presentation. To be sure, since the company put all of its mobile products under one roof, it's achieved more of a balance between style and substance than it did with the original Tablet S and Tablet P -- two devices that had a lopsided emphasis on unique, proof-of-concept designs over user experience. It's fair to say those initial tablet efforts failed to resonate with consumers, leaving the company with little recourse other than an all-out do-over.

Which is why the new Xperia Tablet S has a lot to prove: it can't get by based on looks alone. Running skinned Ice Cream Sandwich and packing a quad-core Tegra 3 SoC, this 9.4-incher maintains the same 1,280 x 800 IPS LCD panel used on the first-gen S, and even assumes the same folded-over magazine shape -- albeit, in thinner form. Yes, that full SD slot remains, but you might not need to rely on it now that the tablet comes with up to 64GB of built-in storage. So, will an emphasis on OS, ecosystem (Video Unlimited, Music Unlimited, Crackle, Reader, etc.) and a slimmed-down build make up for the blunders of the first-gen Tablet S? Will a $399 starting price help this WiFi-only tab stand out amongst the Android competition? Stick around as we find out whether this S is more than initially meets the eye.

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Sony Xperia Tablet S review: Sony's second-gen Android slate has a slimmer design, faster guts originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Sep 2012 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Xperia Tablet S review: Sony’s second-gen Android slate has a slimmer design, faster guts

Sony Xperia Tablet S review

For Sony, it's all about the presentation. To be sure, since the company put all of its mobile products under one roof, it's achieved more of a balance between style and substance than it did with the original Tablet S and Tablet P -- two devices that had a lopsided emphasis on unique, proof-of-concept designs over user experience. It's fair to say those initial tablet efforts failed to resonate with consumers, leaving the company with little recourse other than an all-out do-over.

Which is why the new Xperia Tablet S has a lot to prove: it can't get by based on looks alone. Running skinned Ice Cream Sandwich and packing a quad-core Tegra 3 SoC, this 9.4-incher maintains the same 1,280 x 800 IPS LCD panel used on the first-gen S, and even assumes the same folded-over magazine shape -- albeit, in thinner form. Yes, that full SD slot remains, but you might not need to rely on it now that the tablet comes with up to 64GB of built-in storage. So, will an emphasis on OS, ecosystem (Video Unlimited, Music Unlimited, Crackle, Reader, etc.) and a slimmed-down build make up for the blunders of the first-gen Tablet S? Will a $399 starting price help this WiFi-only tab stand out amongst the Android competition? Stick around as we find out whether this S is more than initially meets the eye.

Continue reading Sony Xperia Tablet S review: Sony's second-gen Android slate has a slimmer design, faster guts

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Sony Xperia Tablet S review: Sony's second-gen Android slate has a slimmer design, faster guts originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Sep 2012 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kobo Arc tablet hands-on (video)

Kobo Arc tablet handson video

When Kobo released the Vox, its first tablet, Engadget had just recently abolished review scores. In retrospect, that was a good thing for the company, as we didn't have very many nice things to say about it. The product suffered from short battery life, for one, along with sluggish performance and WiFi connectivity issues. It's no wonder, then, that Kobo is loathe to call its new Arc tablet a "follow-up" to the Vox so much as a "re-thinking." The tablet, which will go on sale in mid-November starting at $199, brings a faster 1.5GHz TI processor, a battery rated for 10 to 12 hours of runtime and a re-tooled software experience built on Ice Cream Sandwich. Is that enough to unseat the new Kindle Fire HD or the Nexus 7? That, friends, is a question best answered in our forthcoming review, but after a few minutes of hands-on time we can at least say that we're pleasantly surprised. Meet us past the break to find out why.

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Kobo Arc tablet hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 10:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kobo Arc tablet hands-on (video)

Kobo Arc tablet handson video

When Kobo released the Vox, its first tablet, Engadget had just recently abolished review scores. In retrospect, that was a good thing for the company, as we didn't have very many nice things to say about it. The product suffered from short battery life, for one, along with sluggish performance and WiFi connectivity issues. It's no wonder, then, that Kobo is loathe to call its new Arc tablet a "follow-up" to the Vox so much as a "re-thinking." The tablet, which will go on sale in mid-November starting at $199, brings a faster 1.5GHz TI processor, a battery rated for 10 to 12 hours of runtime and a re-tooled software experience built on Ice Cream Sandwich. Is that enough to unseat the new Kindle Fire HD or the Nexus 7? That, friends, is a question best answered in our forthcoming review, but after a few minutes of hands-on time we can at least say that we're pleasantly surprised. Meet us past the break to find out why.

Continue reading Kobo Arc tablet hands-on (video)

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Kobo Arc tablet hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 10:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kobo cuts 8GB Arc tablet in favor of larger models, pricing still starts at $200

Kobo cuts 8GB Arc tablet in favor of larger models, pricing still starts at $200

It's only been a couple of weeks since Kobo took the wraps off of its new lineup of readers and tablets, but someone must have told the company spacier Arcs were in need. Today, the outfit announced it's bringing a fresh pair of 32 and 64GB models to its Ice Cream Sandwich slate, opening the door to those who thought the 8 and 16GB flavors simply didn't offer enough storage space. Kobo's pricing the 32GB Arc at a decent $250, while the larger 64GB unit will carry a $300 tag -- both are set to be up for grabs in November alongside that entry-level 16GB model, with the 8GB getting the boot altogether.

Continue reading Kobo cuts 8GB Arc tablet in favor of larger models, pricing still starts at $200

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Kobo cuts 8GB Arc tablet in favor of larger models, pricing still starts at $200 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Sep 2012 15:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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