Saturday, April 28, 2012

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ARCHOS 80 G9 Turbo ICS review: Cheap with Ice Cream Sandwich

Posted: 27 Apr 2012 12:14 PM PDT

ARCHOS released the G9 tablets in October of last year, but since then released Turbo versions with Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich in the box. I thought I would give one a shot since it’s one of the few tabs with ICS and it’s priced right. ARCHOS hasn’t been known for quality, but this newer G9 series is supposed to be a step in the right direction for them. Still, with many tablets to choose from in the 7 to 8-inch screen size, how does it stack up? Without looking at anything else, the price is right at $249, but what about the rest?

Design

As soon as you take the G9 Turbo ICS out of the box, you quickly see how this is an economy tablet. It’s full of plastic, even more so than a Samsung device. It does feel solid, but the overall look and the size of the bezel doesn’t scream incredible quality. One of the highlights is a kickstand on the back, which works great and tucks in nicely when not in use. Also on the back is a compartment that has a USB slot. This isn’t for transferring data, but instead for an optional 3G stick so you can get data anywhere. This is the first tablet I’ve seen with this feature and it’s nice because it allows ARCHOS to produce one tablet, but at the same time give flexibility to the consumer whether they really need a mobile data connection or not.

There is one other highlight, and to me this might be better than the kickstand. It features a microUSB port for charging. This is refreshing because so many tabs are going to a proprietary connection which is very annoying especially when traveling. They also included a mini HDMI port for all your big screen needs.

This isn’t the thinnest tab at 11.7mm. Many competing tabs are in the 8 to 9mm range so it’s not close, but it doesn’t feel all that terrible. As far as weight goes it comes in at a hefty 465 grams, which again is a little heavier then most of the competing tabs.

Overall, I’m not in love with the look of the G9 80, but it does feel comfortable in the hands.

Hardware

The G9 80 Turbo ICS features an 8-inch 1024 x 768 LCD display, a 1.5 GHz dual-core OMAP4 processor, 1GB of RAM, choice of 8GB or 16GB of internal storage, front facing 720p camera (no rear facing), microSD for up to an additional 32GB, mini HDMI, GPS, Bluetooth, and Wifi. There are number of variants available like non-turbo versions that have a 1 GHz dual-core as well as another Turbo (sans ICS) version with a 1.2 GHz dual-core and a 250GB hardrive. Frankly it’s a little confusing, but the one that this review is based on is the Turbo ICS with 8GB of internal storage. It should also be noted that they offer 10.1-inch versions which are called the G9 101.

Battery

The battery life is rated at 7 hours of video or 10 hours of web surfing. I always do a video rundown test in which I play continuous video with the display turned up to about 2/3′s. I was able to get 6 hours and 50 minutes so not bad at all. It’s not as incredible as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 LTE, but should satisfy most people.

Performance

The 1.5 GHz dual-core performs very well, but once in a while, I did notice an occasional lag. What it’s from I’m not sure since this is pretty much a stock ICS device. I’m not into benchmarks, but to appease the audience I usually run an AnTuTu, which came in at 5328, which was better than the Galaxy Tab 7.7 LTE I recently reviewed, and has a 1.4 GHz dual-core Exynos. All in all for a $249 tablet, I don’t have any complaints.

The display is adequate, but doesn’t have the wow factor of the Galaxy Tab 7.7 LTE’s 1280 x 800 display. Again, this is a $249 tablet. Based on that, I think it’s more than adequate for the average user.

For speakers, you only get one so no stereo sound, but it doesn’t sound bad.

Software

The G9 is basically stock Ice Cream Sandwich and let me tell you it’s a treat. The UI is pretty much untouched, but ARCHOS added in some of their own apps for music and video which are very nice. The music app has a nice navigation feature, which lets you swipe all your cover art. The video app plays anything you can throw at it. Before Android, ARCHOS was always known for personal media players so it’s nice that part of the business transferred to these tablets. You will find your usual bloatware like Nook and Evernote, but it’s not to daunting.

Camera

ARCHOS was smart enough to leave out the rear camera. It’s nice to have for emergencies, but it seems better to omit for cost purposes. The front facer is a 2MP, which is right up there with the higher quality tabs and is good for any of your video chatting needs.

Closing

The ARCHOS G9 80 Turbo ICS isn’t bad at $249, plus it has Ice Cream Sandwich. I would take it over the Amazon Kindle Fire, but the question is if it’s a better buy than the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, which has a some lower specs, but made by a more reputable company? I will be reviewing that one shortly, but for now, if you’re looking for something inexpensive that can get the job done, the G9 80 Turbo ICS isn’t a bad buy.

 

 

 

Was Sony Pondering Development Of A Playstation Phone With Two Keyboards? A Patent Filed In 2010 Suggests It Was

Posted: 27 Apr 2012 11:56 AM PDT

Well well well, what do we have here? This device looks as if it is the Playstation Phone that never came to fruition. Sony was apparently out to show it still has some tricks up its sleeve back in 2010 by filing a patent for not one, but two sliders on its devices such as the Xperia Play. Many of you are wondering why in the world Sony would file a patent for two sliding keyboards. Basically, Sony was interested in creating a technology that allows for a separate gamepad and full QWERTY keyboard, so it filed for patent approval with the USPTO which is described as:

“A device comprising: an upper unit having a display screen thereon; a first slidable unit having a first keypad thereon, the first slidable unit being slidably connected to the upper unit on a side opposite the display screen, the first slidable unit being movable between a closed position in which the upper unit generally overlies the first keypad and an open position in which the first keypad is positioned generally adjacent the display screen; and a second slidable unit having a second keypad thereon, the second slidable unit being slidably connected to the upper unit and the first slidable unit; the second slidable unit being movable between a closed position in which the upper unit generally overlies the second keypad and an open position in which the second keypad is positioned generally adjacent the display screen”

As you might imagine, the design shows users would allow you to slide out the QWERTY keyboard and then pop that up in order to reveal the actual gamepad keyboard right below that. Pretty neat isn’t it?

We don’t know if there was ever patent was approved nor do we know if there’s a model or prototype out there, but hey— you have you admit the concept sure is sweet. Hit the break for an additional idea of what this concept may have looked like.

 

 

source: USPTO
via: Engadget

Sony ST21i Entry-Level Smartphone Outed

Posted: 27 Apr 2012 11:11 AM PDT

Hello friends, we have the first idea and glimpse of what will be the new standard-bearer for entry-level smartphones. The long-rumored Sony ST21i (also known as “Tapioca”) looks to be the newest addition to the Xperia family. It was recently outed by tech blog Techblog.gr and reveals an impressive design of the device. As you can see, the ST21i seems to be based off its big brother the Xperia S and will have 3 capacative buttons on the front. In addition, the Android 4.0-powered smartphone will feature:

  • A 3.2-inch screen
  • Qualcomm MSM7227 800MHz processor with an Adreno 200 GPU
  • 512MB of RAM
  • 3MP camera

 

There are no further details of the device for now, but we suspect it won’t be long before we have additional details. Hit the break for an additional shot of the intriguing entry-level device.

 

 

 

source: Xperia Blog

Australia Finally Gains Access to Movie Rentals Through the Google Play Store and YouTube

Posted: 27 Apr 2012 11:06 AM PDT

Great news for you Aussie folks! Google Australia’s blog recently announced the availability of movies for rent through the Google Play Store and even YouTube. Previously this option wasn’t available to Australian Android users but as of yesterday they now have access to thousands of movies from both U.S. movie studios and Australian studios alike. Rental pricing starts at $3.99 for standard definition titles and $4.99 for High-def movies. New release flicks are going to cost a buck more for both the standard and HD versions of the movie. Once you click on that “rent” button you will have 30 days to begin watching your rental and once it has begun you only get 48 hours to complete your selection. To check out the titles that are available go ahead and visit both the Play Store and YouTube.

source: Google.au
via: Android Police

Next Sony flagship phone set to knock your socks off

Posted: 27 Apr 2012 10:36 AM PDT

If you’re a motorcycle aficionado then you’ll know the Suzuki Hayabusa to have been the fastest production bike in the world when it hit the roads back in 1999. The Japanese superbike was a symbol of speed and power, capable of top speeds close to 200 mph. With that in mind, the Hayabusa badge is one that shouldn’t be worn lightly and it just happens to be the codename Sony is using for its next flagship smartphone.

We’re pleased to report that the rumoured spec sheet lives up to the name. The following is a list of headline specifications :

The above image is a prototype of the device and even more exciting is that it may be due to hit the shelves as early as this summer. This could be huge for Sony if the rumours are true. Would this device sway you away from a HTC One X or a Samsung Galaxy S III? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

 

source : Baidu Forum

Droid Incredible 4G Launching on Thursday, May 10th?

Posted: 27 Apr 2012 09:25 AM PDT

A few days ago we got a sneak peak at Verizon’s Droid Does landing page for the Droid Incredible 4G. According to sources close to PhoneDog, the device may actually be released in just a couple weeks, on Thursday, May 10th. Unfortunately their sources don’t have any pricing information, but according to what we’ve already seen on the Droid Does website, it should be listed at $299.99 on contract. This is pretty standard fair for Verizon when they release a new Droid device.

As it goes with anything unofficial, we need to take this launch date with a grain of salt. Although the premature showing on the Droid Does website leads me to believe that the launch can’t be too far off, and May 10th is a Thursday which has historically been the day Verizon likes to launch phones. Luckily for us the 10th isn’t too far off and we should know more soon enough – we will keep you posted. Anyone looking to get this new Droid phone?

source: PhoneDog

 

Dropbox extends automatic photo uploads to PC and Mac and throws in an additional 3GB if you use it

Posted: 27 Apr 2012 08:51 AM PDT

With the Google Drive announcement this week, Dropbox isn’t going to lay low. They already launched a beta in February that enabled automatic uploads of your pictures and video from your Android phone, but now they’ve extended it to any smartphone, camera, SD card, or tablet. With the newest version for PC or Mac. All you have to do is connect your device, and with a few clicks, your photos and videos will be uploaded to Dropbox. Of course, if you have an Android phone, all your photos and video can still be automatically uploaded to your Dropbox account via the beta app.

As with the Android beta version, Dropbox is giving you the opportunity to grab an additional 3GB of storage for free (a total of 5GB). They will give you an additional 500MB for your first upload of photos or video, and then for each 500MB you upload, you will get an additional 500MB up to a total of 3GB. This still works with the Android app, but it now works with the new PC and Mac versions as well.

source: dropbox

 

DirecTV app now provides premium cable streaming to Android

Posted: 27 Apr 2012 08:47 AM PDT

More and more, people are turning to their mobile devices for a large part of their entertainment. Gaming, movies and catching up on the current events are now more convenient to enjoy when you can have it anywhere. The DirecTV app for Android has now released an update that will allow subscribers to stream premium cable content from HBO, Cinemax, STARZ, and Encore directly to their Android phone or tablet. The app already allowed you to browse and schedule recordings, so with this new update, you will no longer have to miss another Eastbound and Down episode. Hit the Play Store link below to get the goods.

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Play Store Download Link

Amazon’s Kindle Fire Makes Up Over 50% of the Android Tablet Market

Posted: 27 Apr 2012 08:19 AM PDT

According to a recent comScore report, the Amazon Kindle Fire makes up over 50% of the Android tablet market. A recent study shows that the 7-inch slate nearly doubled its sales from December to February 2012, maintaining 54.4% at the end of the month. Samsung’s family of Galaxy Tabs take the second spot and sits at only 15.4% of the market, down from 23.8% in December. Following at quite a bit of distance away is the Motorola Xoom and the ASUS Transformer with a score of 7 and 6.3% respectively, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Tablet K1 holds the bottom spot at only 1% of the market.

Included is the comScore test is Browser statistics, ie. which devices  access the web more frequently. Although Amazon’s 7-inch Fire holds the top spot in market share, it isn’t the one that access the web more frequently. comScore’s report shows that the larger 10-inch tablets are visiting web sites more often, with the 10-inch tablet market holding a 39% higher browser rating than 7-inch field.  This is most likely because of the larger real-estate and easier readability on the larger screens. Click the source link below to see comScore’s full report.

source: comScore

The Water-resistant Panasonic Eluga is now available in Europe

Posted: 27 Apr 2012 07:13 AM PDT

 

The Panasonic Eluga is now available unlocked via Expansys. Back in February right around Mobile World Congress time we posted an article about this water-resistant device. Stating that it was a very sleek, eye pleasing phone, but it left many visitors to the booth less than impressed. The Eluga is powered by a TI OMAP 4430 CPU. Specs also including a 4.3-inch qHD display, 1Gb RAM, 8Gb internal storage, and Gingerbread 2.3.5, with plans to upgrade to ICS.

This GSM device may not appeal to those state-side as it only runs on 2100MHz and 900MHz bands, which would only get you a decent 3G signal. As mentioned, it can be purchased unlocked at Expansys, at the price of £369 or $590 in the US. If you do purchase the Panasonic Eluga, let us know your thoughts on it in the comments.

source: engadget

 
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