Monday, November 05, 2012

Kobo Arc tablet hits the FCC, just in time for stocking-stuffing

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/05/kobo-arc-fcc-filing/

Kobo Arc tablet hits the FCC, just in time for stockingstuffing

It looks like the Kobo Arc (Model K107) has hit the FCC just in time for its November launch. Not much else is gleaned from the filing, but judging from our earlier hands-on, the Arc is not to be ignored. The 7-inch ICS tablet brings a 1.5GHz TI OMAP 4470 processor to the table, along with 10-12 hour rated battery life, a 1,280 x 800 resolution IPS display, a 1.3-megapixel front camera (sorry, no lens on the rear) and a custom UI that the company hopes will elevate it above the increasingly crowded tablet space. Starting at $199, it'll face stiff competition from the likes of the Nexus 7 and the Kindle Fire HD, but maybe the Arc's combination of a low price point and Google certification will win it a few add-to-cart clicks.

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Kobo Arc tablet hits the FCC, just in time for stocking-stuffing originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Nov 2012 19:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell XPS 12 Review: Beautiful Screen, Flimsy Frame

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5957785/dell-xps-12-review-beautiful-screen-flimsy-frame

Dell XPS 12 Review: Beautiful Screen, Flimsy FrameAmong all the Windows 8 convertibles coming out, the Dell XPS is unique. Because it's insane. It's a full-on, regular laptop, with a trapeze artist screen that flips on an axis to convert into a slate. Is that something you'd actually want?

What Is It?

A 12.5-inch touchscreen laptop that converts into a slate tablet.

Who's It For?

Someone who wants a solid, sturdy laptop that can double as a tablet in a pinch.

Design

Dell basically built an XPS ultrabook, only with a swiveling screen. That means a carbon fiber bottom and lid, a soft-touch interior, and an IPS screen. And a display that does backflips.

At 12.5 inches, the XPS is a tweener—falling between the typical 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch models. It's a perfectly usable size as a laptop, and the slightly smaller screen sort of makes up for the XPS being a little thicker than a lot of ultrabooks.

Using It

The XPS has the right idea, mostly. Using it feels like using a laptop. That's good. After spending enough time with a convertible, you notice that you really want it to do one thing really well—and you want the other options to be easy to ignore. While you can't ever really ignore the XPS's hinge (more on that in a bit), the laptop feels like a good XPS laptop—a top-notch, tappable keyboard with just the right spacing and travel distance; a gorgeous display with vibrant, accurate colors and a wide viewing angle. The touchscreen is extremely responsive, and gestures worked better on it than on other convertibles we've used.

That said, using this thing as a tablet is not fun. To start, it's heavy! Even by x86 convertible standards, the XPS 12 is the least comfortable tablet to use, especially when working one-handed. The saving grace is that the rounded metal edges actually do make it comfortable to hold if you don't mind the weight (but that's a big, unlikely "if"). It's a shame, because its tablet-based software—gestures, accelerometer, touch response—is really great.

Dell XPS 12 Review: Beautiful Screen, Flimsy Frame

The Best Part

The display, no question. It's not just how gorgeous the 1080p screen is, but how responsive it is to touch, and how (relatively) little smudging the Gorilla Glass panel picks up.

Tragic Flaw

The hinge design. The idea for a swinging hinge is a novel one, but it just doesn't work out in practical use. To start, opening and closing the lid—one of the most basic things you're going to be doing with a laptop—feels unsure. Any time you touch the display, you start to get tentative, since you don't want to swing the screen around. Even when you intend to flip it around, you worry that one push in the wrong direction will totally wreck your laptop. Also, being able to see through the spaces along the edges of the display (inside of the frame) is more distracting than you might think.

This Is Weird...

The carbon fiber lid (as opposed to the aluminum of other XPS laptops) collects dust and dirt at a pretty annoying rate.

Dell XPS 12 Review: Beautiful Screen, Flimsy Frame

Test Notes

  • As a laptop, performance was in line with other Core i5 Ivy Bridge ultrabooks. Meaning it plays modern games like Diablo 3 reasonably well at lower resolution (though it ran very hot), and will run Photoshop and other programs just fine. But don't expect a performance monster.
  • In addition to ergonomics, the XPS suffers from the same issue facing most convertible x86 laptops—small text looks odd when formatted on such a large touchscreen while you're using it as a tablet.
  • After being pretty excited about the XPS's trackpad drivers the first time we used it, the trackpad performance in the final product was pretty average. Not awful, but it frequently lost track of fingers and didn't recognize gestures.
  • The home button on the display is the only part of the device that feels totally flimsy. It doesn't help that, while holding the XPS in tablet mode, you have to grip it more tightly since it's heavier than even most convertibles. That makes accidentally triggering the home button easier than usual.
  • The on/off switch is a good and thoughtful design for a convertible. Instead of being a simple button you might accidentally hit in tablet mode, it's a switch you push to the side.
  • Battery life quite good compared to some other convertibles. In our punishing meat grinder of a battery test, it almost reached three hours (2:49), which is an impressive mark.
  • The battery indicator on the right side of the laptop (five small white LED lights, activated by a button) is actually quite handy. You don't have to power up to see how much battery you've got left, at a glance.
  • Startup time: 9.4 seconds.

Dell XPS 12 Review: Beautiful Screen, Flimsy Frame

Should You Buy It?

You have to be a very specific kind of computer user to really love this one. The XPS's main virtue is that it's a great laptop that you can use like a real laptop—along with an awesome, touchable display.

But its ergonomics as a tablet just don't make much sense, and the flaky hinge design undermines the XPS's otherwise very good build quality.

Dell XPS 12 Specs (as reviewed)

• Display: 1920 x 1080 400nit IPS touchscreen
• Processor: Intel Ivy Bridge Core i5
• Storage: 128GB SSD
• Memory: 4GB
• Dimensions: 8.4" x 12.5" x 0.8"
• Weight: 3.5 pounds
• Price: $1200
• Gizrank: 3.0 Stars

Photos by Nick Stango

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BII REPORT: How 4G LTE Is Transforming The Mobile Ecosystem

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/bii-report-how-4g-lte-is-transforming-the-mobile-ecosystem-2012-11

The dream of digital media at our fingertips has historically been hampered by slow wireless networks and disparate standards. 

biiBut the entire mobile ecosystem took a big step forward when Verizon, the largest U.S. carrier, launched LTE in early 2010. Modern smartphones are increasingly engineered to take advantage of LTE network speeds. 

In a new report from BI Intelligence, we analyze the impact LTE can have on consumer behavior, device preferences, and data usage and pricing, explain how LTE has the potential to add new layers of functionality to entire app categories such as games and maps, and look at the build out and availability of LTE in the U.S. and around the world. 

Access The Full Report And Data By Signing Up For A Free Trial Today >>

Here's a brief overview of how LTE is transforming the mobile ecosystem:

In full, the report:

To access BI Intelligence's full reports on 4G LTE, sign up for a free trial subscription here.

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Over 1 million Samsung HDTVs sold in the US last month

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/05/samsung-sold-over-1-million-hdtvs-last-month/

US Samsung TV sales top 1 million per month

If it wasn't busy enough selling millions upon millions of smartphones, Samsung's TV department has proven it's no slouch either, with a record 1.15 million sets sold last month in the US alone. After noting "potential demand for super large TV," Samsung's focusing its attentions on the 75-inch ES9000 to help it sell the next million. Trumping its first million-selling month one year ago, it's pretty good going at a time when plenty of viewers are now happily settled with their HDTV setup.

Continue reading Over 1 million Samsung HDTVs sold in the US last month

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Over 1 million Samsung HDTVs sold in the US last month originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Nov 2012 09:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung ATIV Smart PC and Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 hit AT&T on November 9th at $800 and $500 prices

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/05/samsung-ativ-smart-pc-and-galaxy-tab-2-10-1-hit-att-on-november-9/

Samsung ATIV Smart PC for AT&T

If you like your tablets of the Samsung persuasion, AT&T has just promised an abundance of riches. The carrier has confirmed that both the Android-toting Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and the Windows 8-based ATIV Smart PC will reach its stores and LTE network by November 9th at respective contract-free prices of $500 and $800. Those who spring for the ATIV-badged hardware can deck it out with a $49 Stand Dock and a $40 VGA adapter, both available in late November, if they're keen to transform their 11.6-inch slates into tiny desktops. And if you'd really, really like to go all-in with Samsung, there's a promo running through the holidays that knocks as much as $100 off the tablet price if you're willing to buy a Samsung phone (and the matching two-year contract, naturally) at the same time.

Continue reading Samsung ATIV Smart PC and Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 hit AT&T on November 9th at $800 and $500 prices

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Samsung ATIV Smart PC and Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 hit AT&T on November 9th at $800 and $500 prices origin! ally app eared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Nov 2012 10:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google: Nexus 10 Is an Experiment to Rescue an Underpowered Tablet Market

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5957668/google-nexus-10-is-an-experiment-to-rescue-an-underpowered-tablet-market

Google: Nexus 10 Is an Experiment to Rescue an Underpowered Tablet MarketInteresting, if damning, commentary from Google suggests that the Nexus 10 is an experiment in resuscitating a tablet market which is overcrowded with expensive and underpowered 10-inch tablets.

Speaking to the New York Times, Google's director of business development for Android, John Lagerling, explained that the 10-inch tablet market is "overpriced and underpowered, and we wanted to see what we could do."

Our initial impressions suggest it might not have quite managed to do a whole lot better than its competition in terms of power, with its dual-core 1.7GHz processor falling a little short over hardcore graphics work. It is, however, great value. Like most experiments, then, it may not have achieved the desired results first time round. [New York Times]

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AMD unveils Opteron 6300, hopes to put servers in a Piledriver

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/05/amd-unveils-opteron-6300-hopes-to-put-servers-in-a-piledriver/

AMD Opteron in hand

AMD's advantage these days most often rests in datacenters that thrive on the chip designer's love of many-core processors, so it was almost surprising that the company brought its Piledriver architecture to the mainstream before turning to the server room. It's closing that gap now that the Opteron 6300 is here. The sequel to the 6200 fits into the same sockets and consumes the same energy as its ancestor, but speeds ahead through Piledriver's newer layout and instructions -- if you believe AMD, as much as 24 percent faster in one performance test, 40 percent in performance per watt and (naturally) a better deal for the money than Intel's Xeon. Whether that's true or just marketing bluster, there's a wide spread of chips that range from a quad-core, 3.5GHz example to a 16-core, 2.8GHz beast for massively parallel tasks. Cray, Dell, HP and others plan to boost their servers before long, although the surest proof of the 6300's success from our perspective may be that everything in the bacrkoom runs just as smoothly as it did yesterday.

Continue reading AMD unveils Opteron 6300, hopes to put servers in a Piledriver

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AMD unve! ils Opte ron 6300, hopes to put servers in a Piledriver originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Nov 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sunday, November 04, 2012

Nexus 4 review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/02/nexus-4-review/

Nexus 4 review

Movie sequels often don't live up to the hype of the original blockbuster, but the same isn't always true of smartphones -- on the contrary, they typically get even better. The Nexus lineup, initially thought of as a "playground" for Android developers to test their apps on, has continually gotten better at its craft (and popularity). Not only that, it's picking up momentum: in less than five months, Google has crafted two Nexus tablets as well as its latest and greatest smartphone known as the Nexus 4, and the attractively priced devices are now facing more interest than they ever have before.

The Nexus 4 is a veritable dreamboat when it comes to looks and specs. It's a smooth, elegant-looking device that comes with a large, 4.7-inch, HD display, a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor and plenty of other appealing components. It exhibits a lot of commonalities to LG's current flagship, the Optimus G. And for a starting price of $299 unlocked, it's sure to attract a whole new demographic that until recently had never even heard of a Nexus. But is this a flagship smartphone that everyone will want to buy, or should the fourth-generation offering just be another target of developers' envy? Stay tuned past the break to find out.

Continue reading Nexus 4 review

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Nexus 4 review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Nov 2012 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nexus 10 review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/02/nexus-10-review/

DNP Nexus 10 review

When Google unleashed the Nexus 7 upon us earlier this summer we were caught completely off-guard. A $200 tablet that was legitimately good in every regard? It was unheard of at the time, and even five months later it's still a really nice slate. Now it has a big brother, the Nexus 10, this time coming courtesy of Samsung. At $399 it arrives with less fanfare and a higher price, but it also comes with a very distinctive selling point: a stratospherically high resolution.

This 10.1-inch panel has an eye-watering 2,560 x 1,600 resolution -- the very same as the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display but in a much smaller package. Is Google's second reference tablet the ultimate Android 10-incher at a bargain price, or is it simply another big tablet with a lot of pixels? Your answer awaits after the break.

Continue reading Nexus 10 review

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Nexus 10 review originally appeared on ! Engadget on Fri, 02 Nov 2012 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google explains how its Android 4.2 malware scanner guards the side door

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/02/android-malware-scanner/

Android's new malware scanner

Sideloading apps on Android implies a whole set of security holes, but the new malware scanner included in Android 4.2 could provide a much-needed plug. Talking to Computerworld, Android VP of Engineering Hiroshi Lockheimer revealed that Google's been analyzing APKs that crop up online, regardless of whether they're official market apps or not, in order to maintain a growing database of good and bad code. The scanner -- shown above -- then works in a similar way to the Bouncer on the front gate, comparing all the apps on your phone to that database. The new sentry helps Google build upon other Android 4.2 security features such as an improved app permission screen and a block against apps sending premium SMS messages in the background. On the other hand, some might say that collecting samples of existing malware will never be as powerful as truly understanding its DNA.

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Google explains how its Android 4.2 malware scanner guards the side door originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Nov 2012 11:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Late 2012 iPad carries new PowerVR SGX 554MP4 graphics, muscles ahead in video speed

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/02/ipad-4th-generation-found-carrying-new-powervr-sgx-554mp4-gpu/

iPad 4thgeneration found carrying new PowerVR SGX 554MP4 graphics, muscles ahead of all comers

It's well established that the A6X chip in the fourth-generation iPad is about twice as fast as its predecessor in pure number crunching, but how about those reportedly doubled graphics amid some increasingly fierce competition? Thanks to some help from Kishonti, AnandTech has learned that Apple may still have an ace up its sleeve. The new tablet carries a new, quad-core PowerVR SGX554MP4 with twice the raw potential as the already quick 543MP4 graphics in the A5X. While that doesn't always lead to a literal doubling of 3D performance, it unambiguously puts the new new iPad on top in GLBenchmark, with even the imminent Nexus 10's new Mali-T604 video left in the middle of a large pack. We're somewhat surprised when the Samsung-made Nexus is using a brand new chip architecture that many had thought would represent a fundamental leap in speed. Visuals aren't the only factors in buying tablets, so take the results with the appropriate grains of salt; if gaming or sheer responsiveness matters most, however, there's now a clear frontrunner.

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Late 2012 iPad carries new PowerVR SGX 554MP4 graphics, muscles ahead in video speed originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Nov 2012 15:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Barnes & Noble cut the price of Nook Tablet, Nook Color once more, really wants to be on your Christmas list

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/03/barnes-and-noble-cut-the-price-of-nook-tablet-nook-color-again/

Barnes & Noble cut the price of Nook Tablet, Nook Color once more, really wants to be in your Christmas list

Barnes & Noble recently took the wraps of two new tablets, updating its range (along with everyone else it seems) in preparation for next year. That doesn't mean it's washed its hands with the OG Nook tablet and Nook Color -- in fact, both just got another price cut. Starting tomorrow, you'll be able to pick up the original 8GB tablet for $159, the 16GB version for $179 and the Nook Color for $139. With two price cuts in three months, anyone would think it was trying to get rid of stock. This still puts last year's lower capacity model shoulder to shoulder with Amazon's 2012 Kindle Fire (with ad subsidies), but with Christmas just around the corner, we're not complaining about more choice for less dollars.

Continue reading Barnes & Noble cut the price of Nook Tablet, Nook Color once more, really wants to be on your Christmas list

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Barnes & Noble cut the price of Nook Tablet, Nook Color once more, really wants to be on your Christmas list originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 03 Nov 2012 14:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Simple.TV review: a set-top box that streams broadcast TV to mobile devices

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/03/simple-tv-review/

SimpleTV review

Anyone who follows the home entertainment space closely probably agrees that TV is broken: archaic user interfaces, pricey bundles, six remotes that each do one thing, all limited to the confines of your home. Of course, realizing it's broken and knowing how to fix it are two different things. One attempt at a fix is Simple.TV. This $149 box (plus $59 a year for service) bridges the gap between the various devices you already own and the world of broadcast television. It allows you to access the plethora of content available via unencrypted digital cable, or for free via an antenna, on just about any device you own -- tablet, smartphone, PC or even a TV. Sounds pretty great, huh? But does it deliver? And can it replace your cable box and the high-priced service that goes with it? Just click on through, and you'll find out.

Continue reading Simple.TV review: a set-top box that streams broadcast TV to mobile devices

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Simple.TV review: a set-top box that streams broadcast TV to mobile devices originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 03 Nov 2012 11:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A*STAR unveils 5mm-thick hybrid hard drive, touts affordability and improved energy efficiency

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/03/astar-5mm-hybrid-hard-drive-adrive/

A*STAR unveils 5mm-thick hybrid hard drive, touts affordability and improved energy efficiency

Move over, Western Digital. A*STAR's Data Storage Institute (DSI) has developed its own 5mm-thick hybrid hard drive, and it's packing a 1TB HDD and a 32GB SSD within its 2.5-inch confines. Aptly dubbed A-Drive, the firm's razor-thin hardware relies on a new proprietary motor and 30 additional design patents to lower power consumption and achieve its diminutive form factor. The outfit envisions the drive being put to work in tablets, where it could stretch battery life by up to 30 percent, and in ultrabooks or business-centric storage solutions. To top things off, A*STAR says its hybrid drive will be cheaper than SSDs currently used in ultrabooks, and Yahoo! News reports the device could ring up at roughly $73. Can't wait to have the hardware in a machine of your own? Hold your horses, vaquero. According to DSI Executive Director Pantelis Alexopoulos, it might take six to eight months to kick off production after they strike a deal with a manufacturing partner, which hasn't happened quite yet.

[Image Credit: Yahoo! photo/ Deborah Choo]

Continue reading A*STAR unveils 5mm-thick hybrid hard drive, touts affordability and improved energy efficiency

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A*STAR unveils 5mm-thick hybrid hard drive, touts affordability and improved energy efficiency originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 03 Nov 2012 15:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Friday, November 02, 2012

WSJ: Microsoft testing homegrown handset designs with suppliers, may not see mass production

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/02/wsj-microsoft-testing-homegrown-handset-designs-with-suppliers/

WSJ: Microsoft testing homegrown handset designs with suppliers, may not see mass production

Until very recently, Microsoft wasn't known for making hardware. Sure, it put out the occasional Zune, but most of the tech running Redmond's desktop and mobile operating systems traditionally comes from its partners -- the Surface being the exception, of course. According to the Wall Street Journal, Microsoft might consider making that exception a rule: some of the firm's part suppliers say that the company is experimenting with a smartphone design of its very own. Folks familiar with the matter say the device in question is between four and five inches, putting it in a sweet-spot that's larger than the iPhone 5, but not quite as daunting as a Samsung Galaxy Note II. Don't get too excited, however, sources aren't sure the if the device will go into mass production, and Microsoft is expectantly tight-lipped about the rumor. Still, we wouldn't scoff at a smartphone with a build quality to match the Surface -- though it might rub some of Redmond's hardware partners the wrong way.

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WSJ: Microsoft testing homegrown handset designs with suppliers, may not see mass production originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Nov 2012 01:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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