Tablets

The folks at Android Police have taken the wrapper off Google's Ice Cream Sandwich.

The tech news site yesterday revealed several new details and a couple of screenshots of the upcoming edition of Android.

Showing Ice Cream Sandwich running on a Nexus S, the screenshots seen here are a bit dark but do point to changes in the user interface. As noted by Android Police, blue seems to be the theme color of the new OS, while the notification bar has gone through a major revamp.

Other screenshots published by tech site RootzWiki, as seen here, also show several … Read more

Samsung and Apple are prepping themselves for a key battle later this month over the Galaxy Tab 10.1.

On August 25, a German court will hear arguments on whether it should overturn a temporary ban on the sale of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 across the European Union.

Earlier this week, the court granted Apple a preliminary injunction banning the sale of Samsung's tablet in all European Union countries, except for the Netherlands. Apple, obviously pleased with the result, reissued a statement it has released several times over the last few months, charging that Samsung knowingly copied the … Read more

I now understand why girls are attracted to "bad boy" types. They're just more interesting. Sure, they can be erratic, impractical, self-absorbed, or just plain broken--but at least there's a story to tell your friends.

This insight hit me after finishing CNET's review of the Lenovo IdeaPad K1 Android 3.1 tablet ($499, 32GB). If there's a bad boy of tablets, this is not it. Nope, you're looking at the perfectly sensible "nice guy" tablet here. It does all the right things, has all the expected specs, comes from a good … Read more

By the year after next, we'll buy more consumer devices that connect to the Internet than PCs, according to market research firm IHS iSuppli. Wow, more Internet-connected set-top boxes and game consoles than PCs? Actually, no. But there's an exciting story behind the story.

The study puts tablets in the consumer devices category, which is usually limited to devices like TVs, set-top boxes, DVD players, game controllers, and sound systems. IHS iSuppli already counts tablets in the separate category of mobile devices. Counting them again in the consumer devices category is questionable.

Counting tablets, a type of computer, in with devices gives a false impression. According to the study:

Internet-enabled consumer electronics devices... will surge to 503.6 million units in 2013, up from 161 million in 2010. In comparison, PC shipments during the same period will amount to 433.7 million, up from 345.4 million. In 2015, shipments of Internet-enabled consumer devices will [be] 780.8 million units, massively exceeding PC shipments of 479.1 million.

But half of the increase in Internet-enabled consumer device shipments is due to tablets. Put tablets back in mobile devices where they belong, and PC shipments still beat consumer devices--through 2015 anyway.… Read more

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1's beautiful 1,280x800-pixel screen is great for watching movies. The Honeycomb tablet supports WMV9, WMV7, WMV8, H.264, MPEG4, Xvid, DivX, H.263, and VP8 video codecs. If your movie isn't already in one of the supported formats or it's still on a DVD, you'll need to encode/re-encode it first. Here's how:

Step 1: Download and install HandBrake.

Step 2: Click on the Source button, and select your movie. For DVDs, select "Folder" then select the "VIDEO_TS" folder from your DVD drive. HandBrake does … Read more

If you've found a new travel companion in your iPad, you are no doubt charmed by its various entertainment features, from its prowess at playing movies, music, and games to its roles as e-reader, photo viewer, and news gatherer. The iPad, however, can be more than an entertainment device. There are a number of remote desktop apps, for instance, that let you use the iPad to tunnel into your PC or laptop. So, in addition to Angry Birds Rio HD, use can use your iPad to gain control of your Mac at home or your PC at work. In this tutorial, I will walk you through using LogMeIn Ignition.

You may have used LogMeIn before to access a remote PC from another PC via a Web browser; Ignition is the company's iOS app that lets you use an iPhone or iPad. Priced at $29.99, LogMeIn Ignition is one of the more expensive apps you'll find in the app store. Considering its many features and the fact that it doesn't necessarily saddle you with a monthly subscription cost, the $30 charge begins to look reasonable. For this tutorial, I used an iPad 2 and the latest version of Ignition (2.1.299).… Read more

Sprint today announced the availability of two McAfee security apps for select Android smartphones and tablets. Now in the Sprint Zone in the Android Market, the McAfee Mobile Security and McAfee Family Protection Android Edition promise additional virus protection, parental controls, and the ability to secure information on lost or stolen devices.

McAfee Mobile Security will support both smartphones and tablets. You can get a free trial for seven days, but you'll need to get a $29.99 yearly subscription after that. Features on the app include device location and tracking, backup and restore for contacts and data, remote … Read more

Honeycomb tablet and iPad users are in for a new Google News experience, as Google took to its news blog last night to announce a number of tablet-optimized enhancements to the popular news Web site.

Google News now features a slightly modified UI with colors and buttons that fall closely in line with other recent changes to the tablet user experience. The news site also renders well in both landscape and portrait orientations, taking full advantage of available screen space without feeling cluttered.

Additional features include support for finger swiping across images when viewing the multimedia strip in the expanded … Read more

Logitech is putting a new spin on its Zagg wireless keyboard case by offering a version made specifically for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. The handy case/keyboard combo is currently available for preorder, and is due out in September for $99.

I've had some hands-on time with the case and can safely say that it is more than just a reshaped version of the iPad 2 case. There are more than a few shortcut keys that are specific to the Google Android Honeycomb OS. Across the top you'll find buttons for cut, paste, voice command, e-mail, and more.

Like the iPad 2 version, though, the case can be used as a stand to prop up your tablet in either portrait or landscape orientation. The keyboard works wirelessly over Bluetooth and recharges an internal battery over Micro-USB. To really get that mobile office experience, Logitech also offers an Android tablet Bluetooth mouse.

If you're a Tab 10.1 fan with some serious typing to do, I definitely recommend giving this a try. It's not as broadly practical as a generic Bluetooth keyboard, but the dedicated Android keys and the added advantage of protecting your tablet screen make it a great solution. … Read more