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9.1
Apple iPhone XS
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9.0
Panasonic LUMIX LX100 II
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10.0
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10.0
Nikon Z 7
Galaxy Tab 8.9 gets a taste of homemade Ice Cream Sandwich
Like UnlikeFiled in: TabletsSamsungGALAXY Tab 8.9
So we know that Google's latest and greatest OS is headed to the Galaxy Tab 8.9 at some undefined point in 2012. But Samsung's promise of a future update just isn't enough to sate the appetites of a certain enterprising subset of Android users. With their hunger for Ice Cream Sandwich guiding their hands, a trio of XDA members decided to whip up a homebrew version of 4.03 for their Sammy tabs. While the bootable builds, of which there are now three, are far from complete, an update over on the site's dedicated forum notes that Bluetooth, GPS, hardware acceleration and the accelerometer are now functioning, with efforts continuing to enable WiFi. If you were hoping to sample a slice of these ...
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Sony Tablet S to get Android 4.0, but no release date yet
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Sony Ericsson has already jumped ahead of the rest of the Android manufacturer pack by committing itself to releasing Android 4.0 on a slew of smartphones and even going so far as to to release "preview ROMs" for several of them. On the tablet side, Sony looks like it's being equally aggressive. In a post on its official Sony forums in the UK, a staffer posted a message proclaiming that "Android 4.0 will be available for Sony Tablet." The language was a little vague, but a follow up post narrowed it down to the Sony Tablet S. Unfortunately, Sony didn't announce a time frame for release of Ice Cream Sandwich or even when it might announce a time frame, saying only that those details would "be...
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New Kindle Fire root dodges Amazon's 6.2.1 update roadblocks
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Amazon's attempts to close down root access on the Kindle Fire were skipped again after a new root app was published on Friday. The new version from Android Police uses a different approach altogether and is more universal. To date, it should patch not just the current Kindle Firs code but every version before it.
Implementing it requires a pair of apps and using Google's ADB to crack it.
The update, as usual, carries typical risks. It voids the warranty as long as it's active, and could potentially cause problems. Amazon will probably try to patch the exploit that allowed the root and, unlike with other Android tablets, can force the updates to come without permission.
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Huawei working on Ice Cream Sandwich update for T-Mobile SpringBoard according to photo
Like UnlikeFiled in: Operating SystemsTabletsT-MobileHuaweiGoogleAndroid 4.0SpringBoard
A Chinese web site is showing leaked photographs of the Huawei MediaPad running Android 4.0.1. While no definitive word has come out of Huawei yet, it certainly does indicate that the manufacturer plans on updating the tablet to Ice Cream Sandwich from the Android 3.2 build of the OS that was installed for the launch of the device. After the update, the tablet will have the ability to make voice calls and one of the leaked spyshots shows the dialer on the tablet.
So far, the Huawei MediaPad has been offered by one carrier in the U.S. where it is known as the T-Mobile SpringBoard. The 7 inch tablet (217ppi pixel density) has a dual-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm MSM8260 processor under the hood along w...
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Acer to stick with tablets despite poor sales
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Acer will continue to launch new tablets in 2012 despite slow sales of the company’s current tablet models. Commenting on rumors that Acer might slow its tablet efforts in 2012 or even exit the emerging market completely, company founder Stan Shih stated that Acer would not be giving up on tablets just yet. He added that the company will continue to build smartphones as well, and that there are currently no plans to make personnel cuts in its tablet or smartphone divisions as had been previously rumored. Shih conceded that sales of Acer tablets have been poor thus far, DigiTimes reported, but the Taiwan-based computer vendor seemingly sees too much potential in the tablet market to give up. ...
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Google's rumored Nexus tablet could cannibalize sales of partner tablets
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Google’s chairman Eric Schmidt made comments during a press conference in mid-December that suggested his company was working on building its own Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich tablet. It’s entirely possible that Schmidt’s comments were taken out of context, so we’re still chalking the slate up as a rumor. If Google does in fact decide to launch a tablet, however, sources speaking to DigiTimes believe it could have an adverse affect on tablet sales for Google’s Android partners. DigiTimes’s sources said Google may deploy a newer Android 4.1 operating system on its tablets while forcing other vendors, such as Acer, Lenovo and Asus to launch devices powered by an older Android 4.0 build. As on...
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Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab not getting ICS
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Just recently, Samsung updated us on its Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) update schedule and which devices are getting it and to our great disappointment the Samsung Galaxy S and the 7-inch original Galaxy Tab are not in there. The latest models of the company are, of course, getting the update: the Samsung Galaxy S II, S II LTE, Galaxy R, Galaxy Tab 10.1, Galaxy Tab 8.9, Galaxy Tab 7.7 and Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus. But that’s little consolation for those owning Samsung’s 2010 flagship or Samsung’s first tablet.
Interestingly, the Nexus S, which is very similar to the Galaxy S, is getting ICS. Why is it so then that the Galaxy S is not? Samsung explains that it’s because of a combination of factors: usi...
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Hasbro sues Asus over Transformer Prime tablet
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Don't say we didn't tell you so: Hasbro sued Asus over the name of its Transformer Prime tablet last week, in a federal district court. The toymaker is no doubt worried that the name could be confused with that of its Transformers franchise, not to mention Optimus Prime, the lead protagonist of the animation and film series... though we're not quite sure how a robot that transforms into a semi truck could be confused with a tablet and detachable keyboard. Perhaps Hasbro is worried that tablet buyers might see it as a licensed product. Hasbro has already sent out a generic statement about its willingness to "aggressively protect its brands," and we're reaching out to Asus right now. According...
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App Store generates 6 times more profit than Android Market
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We all knew the App Store was the most profitable app catalog out there, but recent findings from Distimo show just how shockingly more cash it yields for developers. The top 200 apps in the App Store generate 6 times the profits of those in the Android Market. This makes it obvious why most programmers focus on iOS first and Android is usually only second-best.
The stats were all published by Distimo reporting about the January to November state of the application markets. Other interesting findings include the fact that Microsoft’s Windows Marketplace has outgrown the Nokia Ovi Store and the RIM BlackBerry App Worlds.
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Archos launches 70b Honeycomb tablet, expected to ship next month for $199
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There's something good waiting in the desert at CES -- and you won't need an interesting vision quest to find it. Archos has announced its 70b Internet Tablet, the company's first Honeycomb-based slate for less than two hundred bucks ($199, to be exact). The 70b IT will be lightweight (though we're not sure exactly how lightweight), and ship with a 1.2 GHz processor, 1024 x 600 capacitive touchscreen, 8 gigs of flash storage, 512MB of RAM and WiFi connectivity. There's also Android Market access, unlike with some tablets, along with HDMI output and a microSD slot. Are you sold? You'll need wait only a few more weeks to take one home -- the 70b is expected to hit stores in January, and those ...
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B&N NOOK Tablet firmware update blocks app sideloading
Like UnlikeFiled in: TabletsBarnes & NobleNOOK Tablet
Barnes & Noble has slammed shut the loophole allowing NOOK Tablet owners to install third-party apps, pushing out a new firmware update – v1.4.1 – that closes the door on all but the retailer’s own, approved software. Described as making “minor system enhancements” to the Android-based ereader by B&N itself, the software significantly limits the general usefulness of the NOOK Tablet for those wanting to do more than basic reading and browsing.
The Ebook Reader found that existing apps side-loaded onto the NOOK Tablet are still present and functional after the v1.4.1 firmware has been installed. However, attempting to run a package installer for a new app prompts an error message saying onl...
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Intel Android smartphone and tablet prototypes tested by MIT, looking promising
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Intel's 32nm Medfield system-on-chip has been teased all year as the platform for the company's big leap into mobile devices, and now we finally have some real hands-on feedback to report about it. The MIT Technology Review team was allowed to have a brief play with a pair of Medfield prototypes running Android — a phone similar in size to the iPhone that was on Gingerbread and a tablet close to the iPad 2 in thickness running Ice Cream Sandwich — and came away impressed. Responsiveness, we're told, was pleasing on both devices, though it was the ICS-equipped tablet that invited the greatest praise in being evidently faster and smoother than its Honeycomb brethren. The phone was described as...
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Amazon gives the gift of free 2-day shipping on Kindles for the Xmas procrastinators
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If your one of those people who end up at the mall on Christmas Eve shopping and you’ve been thinking about getting a Kindle for someone on your list, Amazon is giving you another chance to place your order and get it in time for the holidays.
In a press release today, Amazon announced it would throw in two-day shipping on all Kindles, including the Kindle Fire. All orders placed before 8 pm PT on December 21 will receive this offer and the items will arrive in time for Christmas.
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Amazon Kindle Fire update fixes bugs, improves performance
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Amazon has released the promised software update for its Kindle Fire tablet. The update, according to Amazon,improves performance and fixes bugs on the device. The company has also taken steps to make it more difficult to make purchases on the tablet.
Version 6.2.1 of the Kindle Fire's software adds the ability to remove books, apps, bookmarks, and other content from the carousel of the homescreen. Amazon has also improved scrolling throughout the system so that it is smoother. Finally, there is now an option to require a password to connect to a Wi-Fi network. The idea behind the password is to make more difficult for a child or a thief to purchase apps and products on the tablet without p...
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Schmidt suggests Google tablet could launch within six months
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Google chairman Eric Schmidt may have let slip a Google-branded tablet that will launch in the first half of 2012. In the “next six months we plan to market a tablet of the highest quality,” Schmidt reportedly said during an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. Schmidt’s quote could mean many things. First, that Google has plans to develop, market and sell its own tablet (possibly in partnership with Motorola) within the next six months. Or second, and perhaps more likely, Schmidt’s statement could mean that Google is planning to begin pumping up the marketing around Ice Cream Sandwich and improving the experience that Google offers on Android tablets. Currently, Android 3.0...
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