tech.nocr.at » tablet

A Look At Android 3.0 – Honeycomb

Frank — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 01:17:27 +0000

Google gave everyone a sneak peak of the next version of Android (Honeycomb) at CES earlier this year. Today they released the SDK for the upcoming tablet geared OS. Here’s a look at what we all can expect from Honeycomb.

The biggest change is the UI. Older versions of Android weren’t geared towards tablets, Honeycomb changes all of that. You will now have more space on your home screen to accommodate more widgets and icons. As you can see from the image above, you will be able to fit all sorts of things on your home screen(s)

Home Screen(s)

The layout of the screens look much like older versions. There is a new 3D look to all of it that might cause problems with older hardware, the new Tegra 2′s should be able to handle it without much effort.

Notification Bar

The notification bar has been moved to the bottom ala Windows and they have added some new buttons that work like the capacitive hardware buttons on most Android devices. They have also added a recent apps button that will show you the current state of apps running the background.

Keyboard

The new keyboard is a great improvement over the older iteration with larger reshaped keys. They also include keys like “Tab” which should make the transition for desktop users easier. Copy and Paste has also seen some change. Much like iOS, a long press will select a word and you can drag the selector to choose more text.

Over all it looks like a great improvement, especially if you are running 2.2 on a tablet currently (like I am). A welcome upgrade if I ever saw one.

A Look At Android 3.0 – Honeycomb originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2011/01/26. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Tiny Computer Looks More Like A Card Reader

Frank — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 03:46:22 +0000

This is one small computer, actually it looks more like a memory card reader than a computer. Don’t be fooled by it’s incredibly small size, this thing is more powerful that my netbook. CompuLab’s TrimSlice packs one hell-of-a punch for such a small unit.

NVIDIA Tegra 2 Dual Core ARM Cortex A9 1GHz

Integrated ultra-low power GeForce GPU

1 GB DDR2-800 RAM

ATA SSD (up to 64GB)

WiFi 802.11n + BT

DMI 1.3 full-HD + DVI (dual head)

Stereo line-out, line-in, 5.1 digital S/PDIF

4 USB Ports

Serial Port

Full size SD and Mirco SD reader

The unit comes in a solid metal case that can take some abuse, doesn’t need a fan to keep it cool and uses only 3 watts of power. CompuLab will be gearing this unit to the HTPC market and hasn’t announced an OS for it yet, but I’m sure the modding community will jump all over this once it’s released. This would be great for a small server connected to your TV running something like XBMC or a MythTV frontend.

No official pricing has been announced yet, but CompuLab is aiming for a sub-tablet price and it should be shipping sometime in April.

[Link to TrimSlice]

Tiny Computer Looks More Like A Card Reader originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2011/01/25. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Kensington’s PowerLift Backup-Up Battery

Frank — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 22:33:09 +0000

I was just talking to someone from Steam TV Networks about the need for a sturdy dock that can hold up a tablet or phone, something that keeps the device propped up when using it to watch video. Kensington has release just such an item built for the iPhone.

Kensington’s new PowerLift is a sturdy dock that also contains a 1,200 mAh lithium-ion polymer backup battery. This bulky yet small unit is perfect for those long flights; prop it up on the fold out tray and you can enjoy countless hours of media goodness. 20 additional hours of music playback, 5 additional hours of video and even an extra hour and a half of FaceTime.

The unit also has a built in USB cable, perfect cable management, and it has some LEDs to let you know where the charging level is at. Its up for pre-order on Kensington’s site and will run you about $50.

Kensington’s PowerLift Backup-Up Battery originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2011/01/19. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Review: eLocity A7 Android Tablet

Frank — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 04:18:35 +0000

I’ve been playing with this surprisingly fast Android tablet for about a week now and so far I am impressed. Stream TV’s eLocity Android 2.2 powered tablet might not be an iPad killer, but it sure puts up a good fight.

The solid 7-inch tablet is powered by NVIDIA’s dual core Tegra 2 processor, comes with Froyo out of the box, is rooted by default and can output a crazy amount of video formats at 1080p via it’s included HDMI port. Although it shows some impressive stats in the video arena, the eLocity does more than that. 4GB of internal storage, a USB port and a MicroSD expansion slot coupled together with the super beefy Tegra 2, the A7 acts more like a powerful computer in your pocket than a PMP.

Not only is the video playback smooth and crisp, this is the only Android device I have ever used that can actually do Flash well. Even when you are on a website with multiple Flash ads watching a video, the A7 came through without a single hiccup. Mix that in with the fact that the device is rooted out of the box, you have one powerful device that is open and free, unlike the “other” guy’s tablet. The only problem I have seen so far is the unit’s battery life. I’ve been able to get about 4 hours out of it with moderate use and only about 2.5 hours of video play. This is more than likely due to the processor as the dual core Tegra 2 could easily power a full size laptop.

The unit doesn’t come with the Android Marketplace out of the box, but a crafty hacker has already created an alternate ROM that offers the Marketplace as well as Ad Hoc networking support. The eLocity A7 is currently WiFi only, by using the Ad Hoc network you can tether your unit to an existing smartphone’s 3G connection. Stream TV is toying with the idea of partnering up with a carrier and offering a 3G model.

At time of print there still is no word on any accessories for the unit, but it does have an expansion port on the bottom that will probably be used for a dock at a later day. A dock would be greatly welcomed, the fact that it can do 1080p without a problem makes this device a perfect addition to your home theater setup.

If your looking for an alternative to the iPad and don’t want to pay a monthly cost for something like the Galaxy Tab, Stream TV’s eLocity A7 is perfect. Priced at $350 it’s a great deal for such a powerful little unit.

[Link to eLocity A7]

Review: eLocity A7 Android Tablet originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2011/01/12. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Shogo Linux Powered Tablet

Frank — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:45:24 +0000

Looks like someone is trying to de-throne Apple’s iPad. Japanese company Redstar are taking pre-orders on their Linux powered tablet.

The 10″ tablet is multi-touch friendly, comes with 1024×600 resolution and is powered by a Freescale iMX-37. It will also include 4GB of internal memory, 256MB of RAM, WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G and a SDHC memory card slot.

No pricing information or shipping date has been set yet, but I know as a happy hacker I can’t wait to get my hands on one, especially since it will run Linux. Imagine all the possibilities. If you know Japanese, then you can hit their website to get more info, otherwise, check the video below of the unit in action.

Shogo Linux Powered Tablet originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2010/08/30. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Mini Arcade Machine

Frank — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:11:32 +0000

Master modder Marcelo Souza of São Paulo, Brazil has built one cool tabletop arcade machine emulator. This isn’t your average mame cabinet. Marcelo has added custom optical sensors to catch coin inserts and built the unit off of a Arduino board. Check out the video of the unit in action.

If you know how to read Portuguese you can head on over to Marcelo’s site and read up on how he built it. Looks like Marco will also be selling kits for those of you who might want to build your own!

Mini Arcade Machine originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2010/08/17. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Vega Tablet With Android 2.0

Frank — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:57:00 +0000

With all the hype surrounding the “maybe possibily” release of the Apple tablet, other possible tablet like devices have been over shadowed. Take this uber sexy looking Innovative Converged Device called the Vega.

The Vega will be offered in 7, 11 and 15-inch models and will all run Android 2.0 software. The largest of the bunch will have a 15.6-inch resistive screen that supports a resolution of 1366 x 768, come with a Tegra processor, 512MB DDR DRAM, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi (no N), and Bluetooth 2.1. The built-in 512MB NAND Flash storage can be expanded via MicroSD cards. It’ll weigh about 45 ounces and have a battery life of around 4 hours.

Look for them to hit tier one cell phone carriers sometime in early 2010. No pricing is available on them yet, but the company does say that they intend to let them go for little cost, so it looks like the carriers might be subsidizing them.

Vega Tablet With Android 2.0 originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2009/11/13. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Dell Mini 9 Tablet

Frank — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 05:50:23 +0000

Hardware mod Rob928 has done a great job converting his Dell Mini 9 netbook into a tablet. He has also added some more features to his unit; an SSD hard drive, relocation of all ports and of course, a touch screen.

The final product looks quite nice and without deep inspection you would never be able to tell that this was a one of a kind mod.

He’s got a crap load of picture of the unit and even some step by step pics on what he did over on the mydellmini.com forums.

Dell Mini 9 Tablet originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2009/10/17. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Mobile Firefox Alpha

Frank — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 03:09:20 +0000

The first Mobile Firefox Alpha codenamed fennec is up for download on Mozilla’s site. Currently, the only mobile device that it actually runs on is Nokia’s N810 tablet, but you can play with it on Windows, OS X and Linux. I’m sure it will only be a short amount of time before we start to see this thing complied to run on everything from an iPhone (I hope) to a Blackberry (I REALLY Hope).

If you download and play with the alpha let us know how you made out in the forums

Mobile Firefox Alpha originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/10/17. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Make your own Mac Tablet

Frank — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 03:42:56 +0000

Can’t wait for the modbook to hit the store shelves? Jealous of seeing all of those PC lovers show off there super cool Tablet PC’s? Crafty c4l3b over on Instructables has posted a cleaver how-to on crating your own Mac Tablet. All you need is an old mac laptop and a cheap wacom intuos2 tablet and hacked together you’ll get your very own modbook, okay well not quite that portable but it should serve you quite well.

Link to Instructables

Make your own Mac Tablet originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/01/02. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Modbooks begins shipping

Frank — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 00:38:44 +0000

The first fully functional Apple-authorized tablet Mac, the Modbook from Axiotron, which is highly anticipated will begin to ship soon. The Modbook integrates a Wacom digitized pen-sensitive LCD slate style display making it easy for designer and artists to preform all of their work with ease. The Modbook will come preloaded with Leopard and will be powered by either a 2GHz or 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor. Other goodies include an iSight camera, an integrated 24x DVD combo drive, and built in GPS. With a 13.3″ display and higher contrast ratio people will be able to see the screen from virtually anywhere.

The unit will retail for $2,290US.

Modbooks begins shipping originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/01/01. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Phillips Prestigo Tablet Remote: One remote to rule them all

Frank — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

If you ever lose this remote control, something is serious wrong with you. The Phillips Prestigo is about the size of three normal remotes smashed together, almost a throw back to the click wire remotes of the late 70′s and early 80′s.

The massive tablet-sized remote offers a bunch of physical instead of those wimpy soft buttons that plague so many universal remotes these days. The remote will control up to 15 individual units, and offers a colour LCD screen in the middle that offers access to a handful of user-configurable buttons.

No release date yet, but it’s expected to hit the shelves with a $150 USD price tag.

Phillips Prestigo Tablet Remote: One remote to rule them all originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Clean up cable clutter

Frank — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

How many of us have a cables cluttering up desks, tabletops and nightstands. Below is a video showing a simple and easy way to clean up the cable clutter. I would warn you that almost every powerbrick produces heat so make sure you don’t end up with a neat box that catches fire and burns you house down.

How To Make A CHARGER BOX Very Easy – No More Cable Mess! – Funny videos are hereLink: How to make a Charger Box via Lifehacker

Clean up cable clutter originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Un-Portable Nintendo DS

Frank — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Feel like your Nintendo DS’s screen is a little small? Hacker Loopy decided that his DS needed a bit more real estate and did something about it. By pairing together two 15″ tablet PC screens he turned his tiny Nintendo DS into a behemoth. The bottom screen remains touch sensitive just like the DS while the top screen just displays what the top screen on a DS would. By using a FPGA to translate the input from the tablet screen back into data that can be used by the DS. I can just image what play Super Mario Kart on this would be like.

Un-Portable Nintendo DS originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Awesome chameleon furniture

Frank — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

The Fuwapica furniture, which is currently on display at the Siggraph show, uses sensors embedded in the top to figure out the color of any item that is placed on it.

The color of the stools then change to match the color of whatever has been placed on the sensitive tabletop.
Sensors in the stools also work out the weight of anyone sat on them – heavier people are treated to darker shades (I see a really bad joke forming somewhere here).

This would be perfect at my house since my wife is always coming up with color combination ideas for our rooms. Want the room to have a darker tone, invite some heavy people over for dinner.

An Apple Mac buried in the table then sends wireless messages to the four stools, which project light through their translucent shells to match, as closely as possible, the color of the object on the tabletop.

The colors are also made to pulse lighter and darker at about the same tempo of human breathing in a bid to make the stools seem more life-like.
Placing many objects on the tabletop makes the system mix and merge colors to match the shades seen in the collection of artifacts.

Awesome chameleon furniture originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.