ViewSonic G Android tablet rocks Tegra 2, 10-inch screen, $400 price

 Where should you go for a high-end tablet? No, you shouldn’t go to TJ Maxx, you should head over to Office Depot to pick up the ViewSonic G tablet because this Android-powered device looks pretty powerful.

How powerful? Well, the ViewSonic G Android tablet is powered by the Tegra 2 processor, which has performed quite admirably on Android benchmarks. This should just be the first tablet to utilize Tegra 2, as we’re expecting a slew of devices to emerge next year.

Like the Apple iPad, the ViewSonic G tablet will feature a 10-inch screen. You can look for 1080p HD video playback and 1024 x 600 resolution.

You can also look forward to a front-facing camera for video calls, Bluetooth and WiFi (including 802.11n), a microSD slot and USB connectivity. There should also be 16 GB of onboard storage and 512 Mb of RAM.

The ViewSonic G tablet will be powered by Android 2.2, or Froyo. While Google has said this isn’t optimized for tablets, we’ve found it to be very solid on devices like the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

Some of you may be hesitant to buy a computing device from ViewSonic, which is mostly known for high-quality monitors. We’ve had a chance to check out the company’s other tablets and we came away impressed with the build quality and overall polish of the device.

One of the best things about the ViewSonic G tablet is that is should cost $399 from Office Depot and the online stores. That’s about $100 cheaper than the Apple iPad (unless you’re able to snag it from TJ Maxx) and it should also be cheaper than the WiFi-only version of the Galaxy Tab, which should hit Best Buy early next year.

As tempting as this device is, I’d still advise most people to wait a few months before diving into this market. After CES in January, we should know more about the competitive landscape.
Source: intomobile

Other products

Apple rejects magazine app about Android from App Store

Apple app rejection stories are about a dime a dozen at this point (though we do cover the most confusing rejections from time to time), but this one is just too darn funny to not pass onto you.

A Danish magazine publisher called Mediaprovider submitted an iOS app to the Apple App Store recently – with probably a pretty good idea that it wouldn’t get approved. Why? Because the app was a digital magazine all about Android called ‘Android Magasinet’. Eventually, Apple gave Mediaprovider’s managing director, Brian Dixen a phone call that went like this according to Denmark’s MediaWatch:

Dixon: “So what’s the problem?”

Apple rep named Richard: “You know…your magazine…it’s just about Android…we can’t have that in our App Store.”

Hi-larious, though probably within Apple’s terms of service as one commenter points out that Apple probably doesn’t allow developers to “promote a competing product”.

Dixen went on to tell MediaWatch, “It’s funny really because I don’t think we would sell many magazines on Android through Apple App Store…” going on to say how frustrated he was about the process (him and countless others). At least there is a silver lining: Mediaprovider produces another magazine called ‘iPhone Magasinet’ – which we’re guessing Apple won’t have any problems with.

App - Google Sky Map: Search for Heavenly Bodies

Just like a magic wand, point out your Android to the sky and you are given a glimpse of heavenly bodies, your window to the skies. This wonderful app called Google Sky Map is compatible with devices running on Android 1.6 and up. This app could be quite addicting because you would always want to know more about the stars. It is like a portable planetarium. It gives you the position of celestial bodies in real time using the GPS of your phone, its accelerometer and compass sensors.

As mentioned earlier, you can check the positioning of the stars in real time but do you know that with Google Sky Map, you can get a view of how the sky was way back 1800’s or maybe how the sky looked like when you were born. At the same time you can also check out the alignment of the planets or how the sky would look like, in advance. It is as if you have gotten a device that would let you travel in time.

Source: androidtrek.

Amazon offering amazing deal on Droid devices

This month, Amazon is offering amazing prices on Verizon’s Droid line, which includes the Droid Incredible for a jaw-dropping price of 1 cent! Other prices include the Droid X which can be yours for a very reasonable price of $99, the Droid 2 (the regular edition, not the Global) which goes for $80, and the Droid Pro which sells at $150.

If you’re interested in any of these deals, you would need to order between 12 midnight PDT on November 19, 2010 and 11:59 p.m. PDT November 29, 2010, which also gives you a lot of time to choose which one would be best suited for your needs and your budget. Also, all of these deals require a 2-year contract, so if you are looking around for one of the best deals on the market for a new Droid and a new contract, you can check out Amazon for their really great deals.

awsome number - 600,000 Galaxy Tabs sold worldwide in first month

Samsung told the Korea Herald newspaper over the weekend that it has sold more than 600,000 units of its Galaxy Tab 7-inch Android tablet in the first month of its launch. Available in more than 30 nations in North America, Europe and Asia, the Galaxy Tab essentially is an  upscaled Android device, running Froyo on a 1GHz processor, Some 30,000 units were sold in Korea since Nov. 14, the newspaper wrote. By comparison, Apple announced it had sold somewhere in the neighborhood of 1 million iPads in its first month. 

Source: koreaherald

On November 26th - NTT Docomo will begin selling the Samsung Galaxy Tab

While the numbers are still rolling in regarding just how many units Samsung has moved of the Galaxy Tab, that hasn't stopped the flurry of carriers popping up to state they to will be making the device available for customers. NTT Docomo is the latest know addition. As announced on their press release website, NTT Docomo will begin selling the Samsung Galaxy Tab nationwide throughout Japan as of November 26. No pricing details were announced at this time.

The advantages of the Optimus One on MetroPCS

Sometimes the best move in a rivalry is to bide your time. That’s what MetroPCS did to counter its rival, Cricket. During the summer Cricket launched the Kyocera Zio, a low-end Android handset. It recently added the Huawei Ascend. Both of these devices came before MetroPCS added an Android handset. That changed today, as MetroPCS go the Optimus M. I’d say that it’s a big victory for both MetroPCS and prepaid-seeking smartphone users.

Instead of going with a cheap, lesser known Android handset, MetroPCS went right for a hugely popular model. Over a million Optimus One units have already sold, so they’re taking in a proven winner. That should make the handset more attractive to subscribers. The Zio looks a bit cheap, and few consumers recognize the name Huawei. But they do recognize LG, and a quick Google search will show how well the Optimus has sold. I expect this to sell better on MetroPCS than the other two combined on Cricket.

The downside is that the Optimus M costs $230, which is considerably more than its Cricket Android counterparts. Again, the name recognition should help MetroPCS overcome this price point. Consumers are willing to pay for quality.

What, then, of its competition with postpaid carriers? As we saw, both T-Mobile and Sprint are offering the Optimus for rather cheap — $50 or even free. That’s the price consumers will have to pay for an unsubsidized handset. Even still, it’s just $30 more than the upper tier Android handsets on contract, so it’s not that big of a leap. MetroPCS also offers unlimited everything at $60 per month, which beats the bigger carriers. Even with my Everything 500 plan on T-Mobile I’m paying over $90 per month with taxes and fees. With MetroPCs you just plop three twenties down on the counter and your bill is paid.

In this case, waiting appears to be the best strategy. It helps MetroPCS against its biggest rival, because now MetroPCS has the clearly superior Android handset. It helps in competition against contract carriers, because the per-month rate is quite a bit cheaper. Even then, the two-year cost of ownership is much cheaper on MetroPCS. The Optimus T is free on T-Mobile, but again the bill comes to around $90 per month. If you buy the Optimus M for $230, you make up the difference in about eight months. MetroPCS should market the hell out of that fact.

On facebook, Verizon has officially confirmed the Droid 2 Global

Verizon has officially confirmed the Droid 2 Global on their facebook page, even though people have been able to order them online for a couple weeks now. The rumors of the Droid 2 Global getting a faster processor appear to be true, giving it a 1.2 GHz, as well as a 3.7 inch display, 5 megapixel camera with flash, swype, Android 2.2, 8GB onboard storage, supporting up to 32GB micro SD, and option of white or dark sapphire color option. processor. The Droid 2 Global is now $199 after a $100 mail-in rebate on a 2 year contract.

Source : talkandroid

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Get voice calling on Samsung Galaxy Tab (AT&T)

If you have recently purchased a Samsung Galaxy Tab on AT&T, Rogers or Bell and wished that you could use it to make voice calls, you are in luck. XDA member ClubTech has released a method that works on these carriers that will allow you to bring voice calling to your tablet. Unfortunately this method will not work on T-Mobile due to its IMEI block (you'll need this method for that), and will not work on CDMA carriers, either, for the semi-obvious reasons. (Hint: They're not GSM.) Hit the source link for full download links and instructions to bring voice calling to your tablet

More detail:  here

Source : androidcentral

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Have you ever heard about Motorola Droid Pro - Check it out right here - right now.

How do you differentiate between a "consumer" smart phone and a "business" smart phone? Motorola attempts to answer that question with the Droid Pro ($179 on Verizon), an Android 2.2 device with a physical QWERTY keyboard, a pre-installed light version of the Quickoffice Mobile Suite, and Microsoft Exchange support for secure corporate e-mail. But while Motorola has added these pro amenities, you'll need to make some sacrifices to carry this BlackBerry alternative, including a half inch of screen size. So should business users opt for the Droid Pro over consumer-focused Droids and RIM's latest devices? It depends on your priorities.

Design

In many ways, the Droid Pro is a throwback, design-wise, to the many BlackBerry black slab imitators--an elongated 3.1-inch 480 x 320 HVGA touchscreen situated above a three-line QWERTY keyboard. Inserted into the silver-banded perimeter are a volume toggle and the micro USB jack on the left side, an assignable function key on the right, and a screen on/off and 3.5mm headphone jack up top. Around back, the 5-megapixel camera/LED flash assembly forms a bit of a hump, which makes the Pro a bit thinner than its stated 0.46-inch thickness.
The Droid Pro and Droid 2 have nearly identical dimensions, but the latter weighs more than a ounce more (4.7 vs. 6 ounces). But in addition to its larger display, the Droid 2 includes 8 GB of built-in memory and includes a built-in 8 GB microSD card, versus the 2 + 2 GB in the Droid Pro. This Droid has four capacitive buttons above the keyboard, which, while responsive, felt like a disconnect in that this handset has physical keys.
Behind the easily pried-off battery cover is the microSD card slot, which is guarded by a springy plastic bumper clip that's difficult to remove. However, you'll want to do this because you only get 2 GB out of the box.

Display

By adding a QWERTY keyboard to its face, Motorola has reduced the space for a screen, thus the 3.1-inch 480 x 320 (HVGA) TFT display is larger but has a lower resolution than on the BlackBerry Tour and Torch (2.4 inches, 480 x 360), and 0.6 inches smaller than the 3.7-inch 854 x 480 WVGA screen on the Droid 2.

The Droid Pro's screen is not only smaller than other Droids', but it's not as crisp, either. Small text on websites is squint-inducing. You'll definitely need to zoom in on this device. On the other hand, apps such as Angry Birds looked fine on this scrunched display.

Keyboard

The Droid Pro's most important differentiating physical feature is its QWERTY keyboard. The tall rectangular keys are wedged, with the wedge ridge located on the right side of each key on the left-hand side of the keyboard, and toward the left on the right side. Keys and rows are arranged checkerboard-style rather than staggered and, even though they are jammed together, the wedge ridges help avoid accidental adjacent key presses.

Overall, the keys are large enough that you'll likely type with more accuracy and confidence on this layout than you would on a touchscreen-only phone. We also like that the keyboard never gets in the way of content. However, the keys felt a bit stiff, and required more effort than we'd like to type. The humped keys on the Droid 2 are larger, staggered, and slightly easier to use, but you have to slide out the keyboard to enter text, which can be a pain. And the Droid 2's layout doesn't offer as much travel. Having the keyboard always accessible can make a big difference, too, whether it's typing a quick tweet or using Android's universal search feature.
By comparison, keys on the typical BlackBerry are spaced apart a bit in slightly curved rows. This approach results in speedier typing on candy bar designs such as the BlackBerry Tour, but the Torch slider phone's keyboard feels flat compared to this device. We prefer the Droid Pro for typing.
Source : laptopmag

 

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Samsung Galaxy Tab : VZW Brings Strong 3G Data and Free Mobile Hotspot Feature to the Tab

Each and every upcoming tablet – be it a hybrid Windows 7 notebook-slate, a touch-ready Android slab, or something else all together – should look to the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

This 7-inch tablet is smaller, lighter, and slightly more mobile than the Apple iPad’s 9.7-inch-footprint, plus it packs long-lasting battery power (over 8 hours in our tests). The iPad lasted 90 minutes longer, but 8 hours is nothing to sneeze at. And the Galaxy Tab has a front-facing camera for video calls and, thanks to a smaller frame, is easier to type on.

We lauded all of the above in our review of the Galaxy Tab available on Sprint, and we’ve just posted our review of the Verizon version. What tweaks does the number one carrier in the country bring to the standout gadget? On deck is a Verizon branded app store, noteworthy 3G connection speeds, and wallet-friendly monthly data prices. Another nice point: Verizon’s version of the Galaxy Tab throws in a mobile hotspot feature for free.

Source: laptopmag

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Video - Mobile editing in Google Docs

Google have released an update to Android (and iOS) that now enabled you to edit your Google Documents online, in real time along with colleagues and friends who are using desktop or non-mobile devices. Edits that someone else makes on the browser will also appear directly on your Android device. One of the particularly neat features that I like about this update is the tabular editing features provided on Android. You can pan a table from right to left while at the same time keeping the rest of your editing window stationary so you can read other text on the document too. Oh, and one other thing,

“If you are using Android comma you can enter text using your voice period”

This is a pretty neat update form Google and certainly one that will have Microsoft thinking. “In the next few days, we’re rolling this out to English-language users around the world on Android with Froyo (version 2.2) and on iOS devices (version 3.0+) including the iPad”

Source: Google blog

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LG Apex landing with US Cellular this week for $80

Between the Desire, the Mesmerize, and the Galaxy Tab, US Cellular's already made it clear that they're pretty committed to Android, and the latest evidence of that comes this week in the form of the LG Apex. The QWERTY slider features a 3.2-inch display, 3 megapixel autofocus camera with flash, and Android 2.1 -- hopefully with a Froyo or Gingerbread upgrade in the works -- for $79.99, launching this Friday in US Cellular stores. Kind of looks a little bit like a keyboard-equipped version of the Optimus One, doesn't it? Well, just like T-Mobile, Sprint, and Verizon, USCC will be picking up its own version of the One next month, this time known as the Optimus U; we don't have pricing on it just yet, but we imagine it'll be a bit less than the Apex. Follow the break for the full press release.

Source : engadget

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