xoom

Beware of counterfeit tablets, warns security vendor

Buyers looking for the latest hot tablet should be careful where and how they do their shopping.

As almost 100 new brand-name tablets wend their way through CES this week, OpSec Security is cautioning that a lot of phony tablets are popping up on certain e-commerce sites and business-to-business marketplaces.

In a study released yesterday, the security and brand protection vendor said that such Web sites as Alibaba, DHgate, EC21, Made-in-China, and TradeKey can be home to counterfeiters who sell fake items in bulk or at unrealistically low prices.

Citing specific examples, OpSec Security discovered that listings for Motorola's … Read more

Motorola plans fewer phones to get bigger bang for its buck

LAS VEGAS--Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha believes less may be more when it comes to the company's smartphone business.

Jha, speaking at a roundtable discussion with reporters today, said he plans to release fewer models of phones this year than in the past. The company will focus a more concentrated amount of resources on a smaller number of products with the goal of creating better products.

"There's a recognition of a lot of good ideas, but none have broken through," he said. "We're going to present fewer ideas, but we're going to push them … Read more

CES not always the greatest guide for commercial success

LAS VEGAS--We've seen it more than a few times.

A company at the Consumer Electronics show wows the tech crowd in Las Vegas with its new product. It's sure to be a hit, the tech press concludes. Then everyone heads home, gets some sleep, and months later we ask ourselves, "Whatever happened to (fill in the blank)?"

Despite the massive size and reach of CES, the show can actually be quite insular. With so many companies looking to display their latest and greatest products, the media is left scrambling to cover as much as they possibly … Read more

'Xoom 2' is no iPad 2--and that can also be a good thing

Though the Android-based Motorola Xyboard tablet from Verizon has taken its lumps from reviewers, my initial take is a bit more upbeat.

So, let's get the bad news out of the way first. CNET Reviews didn't like the price (among other things) for this follow-on to the original Xoom tablet.

I agree. If you opt for a month-to-month broadband connection for a 10-inch 16GB Xyboard, you have to pay $699 plus the first month ($30 for 2GB). That's about $730 just to walk out of the store--and about $100 more than the initial outlay for the 16GB … Read more

Motorola Droid Xyboard 8.2 review: Stopgap or worthy Xoom successor?

The original Xoom arrived in a pre-iPad 2 world. Given that context, Motorola's original tablet was well-designed, with great hardware, and since it marked the debut of Honeycomb, it was arguably the first Android tablet with a capable operating system.

So, as we prepare to enter yet another year of constantly advancing technology, the release of the Droid Xyboard 8.2 demands the question: did Motorola push the design, performance, and features of its follow-up to the Xoom far enough to make it worth considering, or is this a stopgap on the road to something far more impressive?

Reading … Read more

The Apple blogs vs. Android

Apple-centric blogs play an important role in disseminating information about what is probably the most important consumer-electronics company in the world. But the coverage is hardly neutral.

While not all that surprising, the FUD factor can get pretty hot and heavy sometimes. You know, that tendency to try to discredit any major threats to Apple's dominance. Namely, Android.

Take the blog Daring Fireball. It offers some solid analysis. But in the end it's a fanboi site, assailing the misinformed or pointing out how wrong or disliked the Android competition is. That kind of attitude gets in the way … Read more

Motorola details Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade process

Every time the Android team unveils a new version of the platform, users immediately start asking when they will see the update on their respective hardware.

Of course, the question is quite understandable. It doesn't matter whether your smartphone or tablet is one week old or one year old, we want the hot new Android and we want it now. So we wait. And we wait. And we wait.

Unfortunately, a firm release date, not to mention an answer as to why it takes so long, usually isn't available. That's why I'm glad that Motorola has … Read more

Verizon announces pair of Droid Xyboard tablets

Just as CNET reported last week, Verizon Wireless has officially announced a pair of new 4G LTE Android tablets for release in December.

Carrying the name of Droid Xyboard, the two devices are successors to the Motorola Xoom released earlier in the year. Specifications include dual-core 1.2Ghz processors, 1GM RAM, a 5-megapixel main camera, and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera. Powered by Android 3.2 Honeycomb, Verizon promises Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich for the pair at some point in the future.

The smaller, 8.2-inch media-centric model comes with two capacity options, 16GB for $429.99 and 32GB for $529.99. The 10.1-inch edition is available in three storage sizes, 16GB ($529.99), 32GB ($629.99), and 64GB ($729.99). … Read more

Apple, Amazon, Asus: Three awesome tablet choices

Apple made the tablet viable. Amazon showed that a populist concept can work. Now Asus may bring the latest wrinkle to the market.

Before we get to Asus, let's look at two of the most prominent players as of December 2011.

Apple's iPad 2:

Screen: A gorgeous 9.7 inch screen: the perfect size for me. Interface: Ditto. iOS-based interface is the gold standard. Speed: Apple's A5 chip delivers good performance for a tablet. Responsiveness: No lag to speak of jumping between apps. Apps: Plenty of those. Battery: Acceptable but worse than the original iPad. Features: Two … Read more

Minor update for Xoom adds pay-as-you-go 4G LTE option

Motorola and Verizon may be prepping a pair of new 4G LTE tablets for release later this month, but that doesn't mean the companies have stopped supporting their first collaboration.

A new software update (PDF) is supposed to begin rolling out to the Motorola Xoom, an update that will allow customers to purchase no-contract 4G data service on a month-to-month basis.

Xoom owners will receive a notification when the HLK75F update is ready for download in the coming days. The file update is 7.8MB in size and takes approximately 5 to 10 minutes to download and install, according to Verizon.

Though it's not Ice Cream Sandwich, I'm pleased to see support for a continually improved Xoom experience. Hopefully Verizon's Black Friday sales went well and enough heavily discounted tablets were sold to merit long-term support into 2012.

As a Xoom owner myself, I'm anxious to see how much of an impact Android 4.0 will have on the tablet. I've slowly fallen back in love with the 10-inch device and would certainly appreciate continued software updates. … Read more