Tablets

At CES 2011 we saw several examples of a new kind of hybrid product that straddles the line between laptop and tablet. We're not talking about convertible laptops, which have been around for years and are generally Windows laptops with screens that rotate around and flip down over the keyboard. We're instead talking about slate-style tablets, commonly running Android, but also Windows, that add laptop-like features in an unexpected way, such as using a hidden slide-out keyboard.

We saw examples of this design concept recently from Lenovo, Samsung, Asus, and others. The ones that stood out in particular (… Read more

Boy Genius Report reported today that RIM may be considering a way for its PlayBook tablet to run Android applications, primarily to gain access to the Android marketplace and reduce the need for native app development.

According to BGR, this could be done via a Dalvik virtual machine, which is the same VM that the Android OS uses, and could allow QNX devices to run Android apps.

We tend to think it's a lot of wishful thinking, and here's why: RIM has put a lot of time and effort into its own developer program, and moving toward Android … Read more

Samsung's Galaxy Tab is now selling from T-Mobile for a new low of $249 after a $50 rebate. The only catch? You'll still have to opt for a two-year contract.

The price of the Galaxy Tab through T-Mobile is a significant drop from the $399 it originally cost when it made its debut in November. But the data plan will still set subscribers back $24.99 a month for 200MB worth of access and $39.99 for 5GB.

Samsung's 7-inch Tab is being offered by all of the core U.S. carriers, including T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, … Read more

Last year I slipped on the ice and landed on my back, with my iPad in an over-the-shoulder canvas bag between me and the hard surface. The device was damaged, but thankfully I got it fixed. The experience, though, has me eyeballing new cases to keep my tablet safe from the elements and myself, and a new line from Assero Industries might be just what I was looking for--except I'm not sure I'm ready to go around looking like a cyborg kangaroo.

The company has a pair of pouches, or "frontpacks," that it plans to unveil this week at Macworld, where you can expect to see many, many iPad cases. They are basically backpacks worn around the belly that feature quick-release clasps so a mobile iPad owner can walk around iPadding while standing up.

Honestly, it's not a problem I've found myself in need of a solution for, but I could definitely see construction workers, architects, sports coaches, and others out in the field using them. … Read more

After first breaking cover less than a week ago, the first details for the upcoming HTC Flyer are starting to emerge. And as it turns out, the 7-inch tablet will feature hardware very similar to the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

Norwegian site Amobil was the first to publish the specs, which include a 7-inch 1024x600-pixel resolution screen, a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 5-megapixel rear camera, and a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera. Other details, later confirmed by a second source, include support for HDMI and DLNA (media streaming) as well as Skype preinstalled (video conferencing). Just like the Galaxy Tab is often considered … Read more

The growing wave of tablets is spurring mobile app developers to put the devices at the top of their priority lists, according to a new survey.

An IDC and Appcelerator survey of app developers (PDF) found that interest in Android tablets shot up 12 points over the past three months with 74 percent "very interested" in developing for the Google OS-based devices.

But the iPad is still king, with 87 percent of those polled "very interested" in developing for Apple's tablet. Interest in Research In Motion's upcoming BlackBerry Playbook nearly doubled to 28 percent. … Read more

This week: CNET television guru David Katzmaier joins us to talk about Dan's back-from-the-dead TV repair tale, while Scott goes over his impressions of Nintendo's new 3DS handheld and mourns for his beloved Jets.

Bonus: You can download the show's theme song as a free MP3 here for a limited time!

… Read more

I have a lot of hope for Motorola's Xoom tablet. With its Android 3.0 operating system, 10-inch screen, and 4G network compatibility, it's the most eagerly awaited tablet of the year (for me, at least). Unfortunately, greed will probably screw it all up.

Pessimism isn't an approach I typically take. If anything, I love underdogs to a fault. I'm the guy who owns both a Zune and a Chumby. No joke.

For the record, I think Motorola is going to make a great product. Using a deadly combo of marketing firepower and killer hardware, Motorola fashioned the Droid smartphone into an iPhone-terrorizing antihero. With all the advantages Motorola has (including Google's coveted Android 3.0 blessing), there is little to no chance the Xoom will suck.

Unfortunately, it's exactly this kind of can't-fail thinking that will probably have Motorola and its partners shooting themselves in the foot. Here are all the ways greed may hold the Xoom back from greatness. Let's hope I'm wrong. … Read more

As February 9 draws nearer more details about HP's slate of WebOS tablets that the company is expected to announce keep leaking out.

Today's edition is brought to us by PreCentral.net, which obtained a very detailed spec sheet for the Topaz tablet HP is reportedly working on. PreCentral's document is about a year old, but appears to jibe with one that Engadget posted last week. Both note that the Topaz is set to have a 1024x768 resolution 9-inch screen; have premium audio, sporting the Beats by Dre branding, and a wireless dock.

Today's document shows … Read more