Acer Iconia Tab A110 allegedly caught brandishing Jelly Bean in press shots

Acer Iconia Tab A110 allegedly caught brandishing Jelly Bean in press shots

When we last left Acer's Iconia Tab A110, it was going to be yet another 7-inch Android 4.0 tablet. No big deal. The proposition just became a little more intriguing now that online shop Ebuyer has posted what might be formal press shots of the A110 sporting a fresh coat of Jelly Bean, making it one of the first third-party Android 4.1 tablets that we've seen. Assuming the gallery isn't just a clever attempt to whip customers into a frenzy, the posting suggests Acer's design will follow the Nexus 7 formula all the way through to the stock interface. About the only differences are that empty home screen and incredibly generic wallpaper. Where it goes awry is the timing: without any hint of a release date, we don't know if a Jelly Bean update would push the A110 beyond its original summer launch target. Any truth to the story, however, can only mean good things for the tablet's larger A210 sibling.

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Acer Iconia Tab A110 allegedly caught brandishing Jelly Bean in press shots originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 01:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OUYA’s Kickstarter funding is complete: over $8.59 million raised, starts shipping in March

It's a wrap! Suffice it to say, it's a been a relatively short, yet astoundingly fruitful -- and initially record-breaking -- funding run for OUYA, the hackable, Android-based gaming console. With just 29 days to work with since being announced, the Yves Behar-designed system has raked in over $8.58 million thanks to just under 63,300 backers on Kickstarter as of its official 1AM ET funding deadline today (You'll find the final tally below).

Those who opted for developer editions will be able to start tinkering with their own units around December, while the majority of backers should receive the console as early as March 2013. Missed the Kickstarter bandwagon? Don't fret, because OUYA plans to take pre-orders from the general public over the web soon, expecting those units to arrive at doorsteps near April.

The numbers are only part of the picture, of course. If you'll recall, OUYA swiftly acquired a slew of partnerships from companies like OnLive, Square Enix, XBMC, Vevo, and Robotoki -- and as if that wasn't enough, just yesterday Namco Bandai and Plex officially joined the content-providing party as well. What's more, we now know that each console will support up to four of those touchpad-equipped controllers for local multiplayer action. Even with all that, this story is far from over, as Joystiq points out that Julie Uhrman and company "promise" to have more updates before its official launch. Naturally, it still remains to be seen how OUYA's (literally) tiny, Tegra 3-powered footprint will fare against the big three in gaming, but we're cautiously optimistic.

So, while the final, mass-produced product is still months away, in the meantime you'll find a recap of all the highlights from OUYA in the nifty saga module below. You can also hit up our friends at Joystiq here for extra insight from the company about its successes so far.

Update (1:15AM): Despite the timer hitting zero, it appears that pledges are still being accepted past the 1AM deadline -- better be quick! We'll be sure to update the numbers again as soon pledging is officially halted.

Update 2 (7:30AM): It took a bit of time, but OUYA's Kickstarter is officially not accepting any more pledges. The final numbers? 63,416 backers helped to raise a final sum of $8,596,475.

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OUYA's Kickstarter funding is complete: over $8.59 million raised, starts shipping in March originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 01:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kontron preps first Tegra 3-based Mini-ITX board, homebrew gets an ARMful

Kontron preps first Tegra 3based MiniITX board, homebrew gets an ARMfull

Believe it or not, there's a potentially cheaper (and more customizable) way to get NVIDIA's quad-core Tegra 3 into your life than to spring for a Nexus 7. Kontron is readying a rare Mini-ITX motherboard, the KTT30, that combines the ARM-based chip with expandable RAM and a trio of mini PCI Express slots for expansion like a micro SATA drive or a 3G modem. The external ports are more the kind you'd find on a do-it-yourself x86 PC, too: full-size HDMI, USB and even Ethernet make a show at the back. The only hurdles are an unusually throttled back 900MHz processor speed and, quite simply, the lack of release details. Kontron hasn't promised more than a release "coming soon" -- with much more complete Tegra 3 devices now hitting the $199 mark, though, we can't see the KTT30 putting much strain on any budding hobbyist's wallet.

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Kontron preps first Tegra 3-based Mini-ITX board, homebrew gets an ARMful originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Jul 2012 23:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink FanlessTech, Blogeee (translated)  |  sourceKontron  | Email this | Comments

HTC Vertex pops up in benchmarks, might bring a slice of One X muscle to tablets

HTC Vertex pops up in benchmarks, might bring a slice of One X to tablets

HTC has been stoking the fires of anticipation for its return to tablets, and that small flame is quickly turning into a full conflagration. A slab nicknamed the Vertex has surfaced in benchmarks with a 1.3GHz NVIDIA Tegra 3 and a 1,280 x 752 usable resolution that's noticeably wider than the similarly Tegra 3-equipped One X's 720p display. Other than Android 4.0 (and a probably Sense 4.0), however, there's scant else to go on. The last murmurs of a Vertex from the fall had it carrying a rear 2-megapixel camera and a front 1.3-megapixel shooter, but it's been long enough now that we wouldn't count on that still being true -- or that the new benchmarks necessarily reflect what we might get. Let's just hope that the resulting device is more competitive than the pricey Jetstream.

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HTC Vertex pops up in benchmarks, might bring a slice of One X muscle to tablets originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 13:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Blog of Mobile (translated), Notebook Italia (translated)  |  sourceNenaMark  | Email this | Comments

Ouya’s $99 Android-based gaming console meets Kickstarter goal: $950k in under 12 hours (update: it’s a record)

The gaming public at large has spoken. In less than 12 hours, Yves Behar's Android-based Ouya gaming console has reached its lofty funding goal of $950,000 on Kickstarter. To refresh your memory, the $99 system (which was only $95 for 1,000 swift early adopters) packs a Tegra 3 CPU, 8GB of storage, 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, a USB 2.0 port and an SD card slot -- that price also grants you a single controller with a touch sensor. Most notably, the system is aimed at being extremely developer-friendly, having open hardware and software with a push for free-to-play content. There are only about 5,000 units (out of 10,000) (update: that number has been bumped to 20,000, with just under 10k available) left at the $99 price, so feel free to check out our in-depth chat about Ouya with Behar himself here before you head over to Kickstarter. It appears that the traditional business model for gaming consoles just got rocked, and we can't wait to see the final results.

Update: If you thought that was fast, you'd be right: Kickstarter has confirmed that Ouya achieved the biggest first day ever for one of its hosted projects, and it's just the eighth project ever to crack the million-dollar mark, joining an esteemed company that includes Double Fine's upcoming adventure game and the all-time champion, the Pebble smartwatch.

Ouya's $99 Android-based gaming console meets Kickstarter goal: $950k in under 12 hours (update: it's a record) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 16:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ouya’s Android-based, hackable game console now official: we chat with designer Yves Behar

Boxer8's Androidbased, eminently hackable Ouya game console becomes official, we have a chat with Yves Behar

A handful of details briefly slipped out about the project earlier, but now it's here: the Ouya, an attempt not just to delve into the cutthroat world of TV game consoles but to try and shift the goal posts. At its heart, the design sounds more like a smartphone than a gaming rig with a quad-core Tegra 3 and 8GB of storage running Android 4.0. The upscale, RF wireless gamepad's standout is a built-in trackpad for playing mobile games alongside the familiar sticks and buttons -- clever, though not entirely new. But with completely open hardware and software, an emphasis on free-to-play gaming and an all-important $99 price, the system is a gamble by a handful of game industry luminaries that at least a subset of players are frustrated with the status quo enough to want a real break. Read on for the full details, including a Kickstarter project as well as added details from our chat with Ouya (and Jambox) designer Yves Behar.

Continue reading Ouya's Android-based, hackable game console now official: we chat with designer Yves Behar

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Ouya's Android-based, hackable game console now official: we chat with designer Yves Behar originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 07:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG Optimus 4X HD review: runner-up to the quad-core throne

DNP  LG Optimus 4X HD review runnerup to the quadcore throne

LG has an ongoing smartphone problem: despite a few valiant efforts (the G2x comes to mind) the company continues to live in the shadow of rival Samsung. Most of this malaise can be attributed to hit-and-miss hardware combined with lackluster software (we're looking at you, Spectrum). Last February, at Mobile World Congress, LG spiced things up with an attractive collection of devices including the Optimus L7, Optimus Vu and Optimus 4X HD -- the latter being one of the first quad-core handsets announced. Now, six months later, we live in a world where the global versions of HTC's One X and Samsung's Galaxy S III dominate the superphone market and share the quad-core crown. With me-too features like a Tegra 3 processor, 4.7-inch HD display, 8-megapixel camera and Ice Cream Sandwich on board, the Optimus 4X HD appears ready to play in the big leagues. Does it succeed or is it just a flash in the pan? Is it all style over substance or does it bring something unique and meaningful to the table? Hit the break for our full review.

Continue reading LG Optimus 4X HD review: runner-up to the quad-core throne

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LG Optimus 4X HD review: runner-up to the quad-core throne originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Jul 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google makes the Nexus 7 tablet official: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and a $199 price (video)

Google makes the Nexus 7 tablet official Android 41 Jelly Bean and a $199 price

Some of the mystery has been taken out of it, but Google has officially taken the wraps off of the Nexus 7, its first reference-grade tablet. The 7-inch slate is the first and currently only device shipping with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, and takes advantage of its optimization for smaller tablet screens, magazines and movies -- it's also the first to ship with a finished Chrome for Android. Like what was widely suspected, the tablet is built by ASUS (shades of Eee Pad MeMO ME370T, anyone?) and mostly draws our attention in terms of what we get for the money: that quad-core Tegra 3, 1.2-megapixel front camera, NFC and 1280 x 800, IPS-based LCD are traits we'd normally look for in a pricier tablet. How much pricier, you ask? Google is asking just $199 for a dainty 8GB model and $249 for a 16GB version -- that's a lot of speed for the money, especially with a $25 Google Play credit and a slew of bundled content. There's no SD card slot, however. We'll test the Nexus 7 as soon as we can, but you can swing by Google Play (and possibly local stores) to order one in Australia, Canada, the UK and the US with a mid-July shipping window.

Check out our full coverage of Google I/O 2012's opening keynote at our event hub!

Continue reading Google makes the Nexus 7 tablet official: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and a $199 price (video)

Google makes the Nexus 7 tablet official: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and a $199 price (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 13:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba Excite 13 review: a big-screened tablet with a price to match

Toshiba Excite 13 review a bigscreened tablet with a price to match

Well, this lede pretty much wrote itself. A 13-inch tablet, seriously? Toshiba is pushing the form factor limits with the Excite 13, and while its dimensions make it stand out in a sea of 7- and 10-inch devices, that isn't necessarily what tablet buyers are looking for.

There's no shortage of skepticism about such a large slate -- "slab" seems appropriate here -- so the Toshiba Excite 13 needs to provide an exceptional experience, with a brilliant display and smooth graphics, to make 2.2 pounds seem more palatable. On paper, its specs are promising: there's a quad-core Tegra 3 CPU under the hood, a 1600 x 900 display at 138 ppi and a clean build of Android 4.0. The company already has the Excite 7.7 and Excite 10 in its arsenal, and their good performance and bright displays make for compelling tablets. But how does a 13-inch tablet that starts at $650 round out that trio? Read on for our full impressions.

Continue reading Toshiba Excite 13 review: a big-screened tablet with a price to match

Toshiba Excite 13 review: a big-screened tablet with a price to match originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jun 2012 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Nexus tablet reportedly shows its pre-rendered face, packing Android 4.1 and a $199 price

Google Nexus tablet reportedly shows its prerendered face, packing Android 41 and a $199 price

There's been a longstanding rumor that Google liked ASUS' Eee Pad MeMO ME370T well enough to bestow it with an official Nexus badge and take it underground until it was ready to show its Jelly Bean face. If we're to believe a render and a raft of claimed training documents nabbed by Gizmodo, that face is getting its debut in about two days' time. As it's described, it could largely be what we'd expect from the ME370T being revived as an Android 4.1 reference device: a 7-inch, quad-core Tegra 3 slate with a front 1.2-megapixel camera, NFC, 8GB to 16GB of storage and a 1280 x 800 IPS-based LCD. If you're looking for gotta-have-it features that will have you rushing to fork over the cash, though, they may be limited to the OS and Kindle Fire-busting $199 and $249 prices for the two storage capacities. That image? There's a very distinct possibility that it's still a cleverly-done fake. Nonetheless, the prism-like backdrop has a whiff of Galaxy Nexus about it, and that textured, rounded back lines up neatly with what we've seen in an FCC filing for the ASUS design. We'll know soon enough whether or not it's real or just a fantasy -- if the tip (and others we've been hearing) is right, Nexus slabs will spread 'round the world come July.

Google Nexus tablet reportedly shows its pre-rendered face, packing Android 4.1 and a $199 price originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jun 2012 09:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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