Category: Tablets

Qualcomm Android Tablet Prototype

Posted by Charbax – February 15, 2010
Category: Tablets, Exclusive videos, Qualcomm, MWC, Android

Thunder Soft has customized a version of Android for this Qualcomm Snapdragon based Tablet prototype.

I am going to film 50 videos at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona

Posted by Charbax – February 10, 2010
Category: Tablets, Laptops, Smartphones, MWC, Pixel Qi

Mobile World Congress 2008
Image by Mark Wiewel via Flickr

Olé! I am going to Barcelona for the worlds biggest and most influential conference on Mobile phones, mobile Internet devices and future technology in the mobile world. This is going to be my first Mobile World Congress, so I am really looking forward to it.

Please do subscribe to my RSS feed or follow be on http://buzz.google.com/charbax to keep updated with my latest video posts in real-time just as I upload them in HD quality to Youtube and post them here to this blog.

You can follow me through Buzz on my Google profile http://www.google.com/profiles/charbax

If you enjoy any of my videos, please do “Like” them in Google Buzz, please do submit them to influential blogs and other sites so more people watch my best videos.

I am looking forward among other things to film videos of amazing new products and technologies among these:

– ARM Cortex A9 powered stuff, I expect Texas Instruments will have awesome demonstrations of this, and for sure more Nvidia and I wonder who else will show this technology.

– Nexus Two, Three and Four. What I mean by that are alternatives to HTC in making at least 3.7″ WVGA AMOLED, Android 2.1 and 1ghz ARM Cortex A8 or faster smart phones. Those are likely to be on display by manufactures among others that are Samsung, Motorola, Acer.

– ARM Powered laptops are getting even closer to worldwide release. I would like to film more demonstrations of awesome looking Android laptops like the HP Airlife 100, Quanta manufactured prototypes, Marvell reference design prototypes and many more. It would be nice to see some of them run smooth Google Chromium OS and fast and smooth web browsers.

– May this be a perfect opportunity for big manufacturers to officially announce and launch Pixel Qi screens in new Laptop and Tablet form factors at affordable prices and with amazingly long batterz runtimes.

– I expect to see huge things from Google and from all the Open Handset Alliance and ARM Solutions Center for Andriod providing new amazing hardware acceleration solution in new software updates, demonstrating next generation Android solutions, showing more high resolution large screened Android solutions.

– Chrome OS demos, show those. Anything that is ARM Powered and that runs Chrome OS smoothly will be very interesting to see and interview software engineers about the status of running a full speed Chrome browser on ARM devices, what they plan to do and how soon it will be released and for how much. Can they run unlimited amounts of tabs on a $150 ARM Powered laptop with only 128MB RAM inside?

– How cheap can the cheapest Android phones be at this point? Will we see huge amounts of new manufacturers from around the world demonstrate cheaper Android phones and that still perform pretty well? Can we see $100 unlocked Android phones already, or at least below pointing at well below $200?

Please do contact me or post comments here if you hear about any specific awesome ARM Powered devices that I should film at the Mobile World Congress, I will try to film all the requests that I get in comments, by email and to my Google Buzz threads.

Related articles by Zemanta
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Archos opens up Linux Tablets for developers

Posted by Charbax – February 5, 2010
Category: Tablets, Texas Instruments, Archos, Android

Dozens of awesome open ARM Powered Linux Tablets coming to the market from MSI, Asus, ICD, Notion Ink, HP, Dell and others, most are based on Android and are likely to foster competition that can provide cheaper and better Tablets than Apple. Archos is the only manufacturer with powerful Android Tablets on the market since October 2009, the Archos 5 Internet Tablet (8GB) is now available for $249 in Radio Shack and (16GB) for $279 in Best Buy. Today, Archos is releasing the Special Edition Firmware that adds Ångström Linux as a dual-boot for their latest Archos 5 Internet Tablet generation so that developers can start developing powerful Linux solutions for the Archos Linux tablets and not only do Android stuff.

Read more and download the Special Edition Firmware: archos.com

You can discuss this in the ArchosFans.com forum: http://forum.archosfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=30431

Exclusive video review: First non-Nokia Maemo Tablet device, installing apps on the Optima OP5-E

Posted by Charbax – February 4, 2010
Category: Tablets, Smartphones, Exclusive videos, Reviews, Marvell

After my unboxing and review video and my video-interview from IFA, hyere’s my third Optima OP5-E video where I test the installing of some of the .deb Maemo Linux applications (found at http://www.woojoy.com/repository/) from the File manager directly onto the Optima OP5-E.

This device is now being released with 3G access in China through China Mobile and is being integrated with HSDPA for release to the European market, if distributors or telecom service providers approach Optima for the release of this device. If you are a distributor, Optima has told me that they can be contacted directly about any enquiries on this device at Stephen Kwan’s email address: shkwan@wtpacific.com or through their website: http://en.optima-china.com/

This is the first example of a Maemo Linux based device that is not manufactured by Nokia. I think this device might be sold below $300 unlocked while consider that the Nokia N900 costs over $600 unlocked.

My previous Optima OP5-E videos have had coverage on these sites among others:

http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/04/optimas-maemo-running-op5-e-mid-demoed-on-video-priced/
http://nexus404.com/Blog/2009/12/08/optima-op5-e-mid-reviewed-optimas-maemo-mid-comes-with-4-3-inch-screen-3-2-megapixel-camera-3g/
http://pocketnow.com/tech-news/optima-op5-e-runs-maemo-linux-just-like-nokia-n900
http://www.softsailor.com/news/13436-optima-op5-e-tablet-is-running-maemo-5soon-starting-from-300.html
http://www.jdmag.com/optima-op5-e-mid-the-first-non-nokia-maemo-device/
http://www.journaldugeek.com/2009/12/08/optima-op5-e-maemo/
and many more sites…

Related articles by Zemanta
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Chromium and Firefox within Android

Posted by Charbax – February 3, 2010
Category: Tablets, Laptops, Software, Opinions, Archos, Google, Android

The default Android web browser is really awesome in terms of speed, it even works amazingly fast on the ARM9 Powered web browser of the Hivision PWS700CA that I tested in my video-review a few days ago. Though for Laptop form factors, also known as ARM Powered Netbooks or Smartbooks, and for Android Tablets like the Archos 5 Internet Tablet that has a HDMI output and supports USB and Bluetooth keyboards and mice, the default Android web browser might not be enough.

This is why the support of the full desktop-like experience using Chrome and Firefox web browsers within Android are really going to be nice. Perhaps the June 2009 release of the Native Android SDK can help developers reach this goal.

The Mozilla team is showing this screenshot of Firefox running within Android (check also Mozilla’s wiki entry on Android: https://wiki.mozilla.org/Android):

Since Google is now working on releasing the full Chrome OS for ARM Powered devices, perhaps it would make sense to take the source code of that Chrome web browser for ARM, and make it into an Android application. This way on a Pocketable Android tablets or phones the default Android web browser would still be used, but when in HDMI output mode to a HDTV and when using USB or Bluetooth keyboards and mice, the Chrome browser or Firefox would thus be the browser of choice.

I think it would be nice as well if it was possible to provide a full speed browser experience even on cheap ARM Powered Android devices that come with little RAM memory such as only 128MB or RAM, still enable the use of unlimited amounts of opened tabs by somehow perhaps saving the state of each tab into ROM memory and be able to quickly in few milliseconds be able to pull that back into RAM memory when the specific tab is selected.

On the other hand, I also think it would make sense to support all Android applications within Chrome OS, thus this might mean that eventually Android and Chrome OS will merge.

Related articles by Zemanta
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Pricing and availability on Archos 7 Internet Tablet (8GB) leaked

Posted by Charbax – February 1, 2010
Category: Tablets, Opinions, Texas Instruments, Archos, Google, Android

If the leaked pricing rumor of £149 for the Archos 7 Internet Tablet is correct, this may mean that it will be sold for only $199 in the USA. Consider that European retail pricing always includes around 20% VAT taxes which are not included in US retail pricing.

In September 2009, Archos did announce that they would upgrade to 1ghz processors, thus I expect it may be the new Texas Instruments OMAP3640 that is a 45nm process or a 1ghz version of the current OMAP3440 processor.

Archos 7 Internet Tablet (8GB)

The cheaper $199 Archos 7 Internet Tablet, means the Archos 5 Internet Tablet will probably also be available $50 to $100 cheaper. It is currently sold at $249 at Radio Shack. Thus by March, pricing for the Archos 5 Internet Tablet (8GB) may be lowered to around $179 (I am speculating here).

Archos 7 Internet Tablet (8GB) specifications

It’d be really nice to see Archos come during the next few months with more screen sizes from 4.3″, 4.8″, 7″, 8.9″ and even 10.1″ Android Tablets. I speculate on what the overall pricing of those may be in this post: http://archosfans.com/2010/01/29/my-recommendations-on-archos-cheap-android-tablet-revolution/

Most importantly, if full Google Marketplace can officially be supported on larger screened Android Tablets, and if all bugs are fixed soon for very stable full Android and VOIP usage, I think this positions Archos and the whole Android Tablet segment as a really good value alternative to the $499-$829 Apple iPad.

Related articles by Zemanta
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Archos 5 Internet Tablet competition from Dell in Dell Mini 5

Posted by Charbax – January 29, 2010
Category: Tablets, Archos, Android

I provided Michael Arrington founder of TechCrunch with the Archos 5 Internet Tablet at the LeWeb conference in Paris last December, when I convinced Paris-based Archos to provide review units to some of the most influential bloggers at that conference.

Yet, so far it doesn’t seem Michael Arrington has wanted to post any review or any of his impressions of the product on any of his sites.

He did make a video of Michael Dell using a Dell Mini 5 competitor at the World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland:

It would be interesting to hear if it uses a capacitative 4.8″ touch screen, what the price might be, which version of Android it might use and if Google allows for the full Google Marketplace to be included.

Related articles by Zemanta
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Apple A4 may be an ARM Cortex A9 processor

Posted by Charbax – January 28, 2010
Category: Tablets

Engadget.com is speculating that the new processor in the new Apple iPad is an ARM Cortex A9 processor at 1ghz. Which could explain how Apple can claim it to have very fast web browsing, Youtube HD playback and games support.

How soon until we see Apple iPhones, iPod Touches and Laptop form factors using this new faster ARM Powered processor? Will Apple also support Flash 10.1 contents on its new processor? Did Apple customize the Youtube HD application?

Related articles by Zemanta
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Tim Sweeney talks about Unreal Engine on ARM Powered devices

Posted by Charbax – January 25, 2010
Category: Tablets, Laptops, Smartphones, Set-top-boxes, Software, Exclusive videos, Nvidia, CES, Android

Tim Sweeney is the founder of Epic Games, he is in charge of the Unreal Tournament, Gears of War and plenty more very famous game franchises. But not only does his company make games, Epic makes the most famous and most popular 3D game engines on which hundreds of other games all over the industry are based on.

Now the Unreal engine is being launched for the Nvidia Tegra2 processor and has been showcased to run on other OpenGL ES based ARM Powered devices like the ipod touch.

In this interview, I ask when we will see Android devices with support for the Unreal Engine, and how many games does he think will work on all these ARM Powered devices that have the advanced 3D acceleration built-in.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

HP Compaq Airlife 100 hit the FCC

Posted by Charbax – January 21, 2010
Category: Tablets, Laptops, Exclusive videos, Qualcomm, CES, Android

Wow, so HP is likely going to be pushing the awesome looking Qualcomm Snapdragon powered Android laptop on 3G networks! See my previously posted video of it:

Source: engadget.com

See more videos of this product from CES:

Netbooknews.com‘s video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIm5BQhvhgk

JKKmobile.com‘s video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5RdVAEXqCc

Liliputing.com‘s video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_o3T5w9NDvA

HP’s official CES video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXMl0XISYnY

Andy Clipsham, Product Manager on the HP Android Smartbook, unveils it at the Qualcomm keynote at CES 2010: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSvGhXa6RdY

Google Marketplace on Archos 5 Internet Tablet with Android using hack on Firmware 1.7.33 (and all newer ones)

Posted by Charbax – January 21, 2010
Category: Tablets, Exclusive videos, Reviews, Texas Instruments, Archos, Android

Here is a video that shows you how easy it now is to install the full Google Marketplace experience on a Archos 5 Internet Tablet with Android with the new firmware 1.7.33 that integrates a whole bunch of the Android 1.6 software features from Google that optimize everything better for Archos’s larger screen:

Discuss this video in the forum: http://forum.archosfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=29833&p=195177#p195177

Related articles by Zemanta
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

NetbookNews.com: Yi Fang M5 at CES 2010

Posted by Charbax – January 21, 2010
Category: Tablets, Rockchip, CES, Android

Yi Fang M5 is a 4.8″ Android tablet based on a ARM9 Rockchip processor. Comes with webcam, MicroSD, announced price for distributors is $128:

Posted by NetbookNews.com, found via android-france.fr

4.8″ WVGA should be the sweet spot for more pocketable devices

Posted by Charbax – January 19, 2010
Category: Tablets, Smartphones, Opinions, Archos

As you would know from checking out my other fansite http://archosfans.com I am a fan of the 4.8″ 800×480 resolution screens. I just wonder why we still haven’t seen any so called “smart phone” with such screen size and pixel densities. I posted this opinion at crunchgear:

5″ is about the perfect sized screen at WVGA resolution because it fits in mostly all pockets and provides enough resolution with large enough pixels to provide near full PC-like web browsing and movie watching experience. I also think that it can provide near desktop-like applications experiences.

Normally, even with a kick-stand like on the Archos, you will hold the 5″ Tablet at about half arms length from your eyes, while the laptop screen usually is nearly at twice the distance from your eyes down on your lap or on a table further away (also because you have the keyboard and mouse pad).

So basically, the Archos 5 Internet Tablet pretty much provides you 75% the full resolution experience of web browsing on a Laptop and 75% the experience of watching a movie on a laptop. In terms of number of visible and reachable pixels per degree of angle of vision.

While the iphone only provides you with 33% the resolution/experience in both browsing and video watching compared to a laptop. That is why most of the actual use of iphones and other similar sized smart phones are mostly for actually only doing phone calls and playing music and running random low definition apps (with few buttons and little screen size to actually use).

You may count screen size difference between 3.5″ and 4.8″ as “only” 1.3″ difference. Another way to compare screen sizes is the mathematical way, which is to say the truth that Archos 4.8″ screen is 2x the surface area of the iphone screen. Basically it is really a huge difference.

Archos 5 next to the iphone

Archos 5 next to the iphone

And I just don’t think it is right to say that 4.8″ screened devices don’t fit in most people’s pockets. Wallets and Passports are all larger than 4.8″ in diagonal and they are designed to be transported in pockets all over the world. Walking around with business card sized LCD screens is just not good enough in my opinion if you really care to take the Web and Video with you everywhere.

Pegatron Neo Android Laptop at CES 2010

Posted by Charbax – January 19, 2010
Category: Tablets, Exclusive videos, Nvidia, CES, Android

A cool looking Tegra2 powered Android laptop.

Asus Tegra2 Powered Tablet at CES 2010

Posted by Charbax – January 19, 2010
Category: Tablets, Exclusive videos, Nvidia, CES

Asus is showing a mockup of a Tegra2 powered tablet. It did seem to be the one with the least screen bezel but it was not demonstrated with a functioning user interface. this may be a clue that Asus is working on an ARM Powered Android or Chromium OS based devices? Is this the Asus EeePad?

Touch Revolution demonstrates Android washing machine, Android micro-oven, Tablets and more

Posted by Charbax – January 17, 2010
Category: Tablets, Other, Exclusive videos, Marvell, CES, Android

They have a reference design and development kit for a 7″ Capacitative Android tablet running on a Marvel PXA310 processor for manufacturers to integrate Android in any type of applicances including Washing Machines, Micro-ovens, Printers, Tablets and VOIP phones.

Entourage Edge Android dual-mode Tablet e-reader at CES 2010

Posted by Charbax – January 17, 2010
Category: Tablets, E-readers, Exclusive videos, Marvell, CES, Android

Here’s an overview with one of the product engineers on the Entourage Edge which was a big hit with attendees of the CES 2010 and it seems to work pretty fine and should be released already next month.

Astri dual-mode Android e-ink e-reader

Posted by Charbax – January 17, 2010
Category: Tablets, E-readers, Exclusive videos, Marvell, CES, Android

Marvell was showing this interesting dual screen with a 5″ e-ink wacom touchscreen on one side and a 4.8″ WVGA LCD touch screen running Android on the other side.

ICD Tegra2 powered Tablet

Posted by Charbax – January 17, 2010
Category: Tablets, Exclusive videos, Nvidia, CES, Android

Here’s one of the Tegra2 powered 7″ Tablets shown to be distributed by Verizon including 3G internet access.

$109 Tablet by Menq at CES 2010

Posted by Charbax – January 16, 2010
Category: Tablets, Laptops, E-readers, Exclusive videos, CES, Windows

They have Windows CE on it for now, but they plan to have Android running on it soon. Check also my previous Menq video review of the Menq EasyPC E790 which is based on the same hardware as this Menq Tablet.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]