honeycomb

Yesterday, a Lithuanian mobile phone and accessories Web site posted a leak of what appears to be details for a number of upcoming Samsung mobile devices. As one would expect, Android tops the list, along with a few midrange devices, a Galaxy Tab (7-inch) successor, and a couple of handsets with display sizes the likes of which we've never seen before.

Perhaps the most notable of the phones listed in the leak is the GT-I9250, as it's expected to be among the company's first Androids to run Ice Cream Sandwich. Specifications are light at the moment but … Read more

Android tablets have captured 20 percent of the market from the iPad over the past year, but no single tablet has yet been able to challenge Apple's flagship product, says ABI Research analyst Jeff Orr.

In a report out yesterday, Orr pointed to high prices as one factor that has stifled demand for individual Android tablets.

"Many vendors have introduced media tablets, but none are separating themselves from the pack to pose a serious threat to Apple," Orr said in a statement. "In fact, most have introduced products at prices higher than similarly-configured iPads. Apple, never … Read more

I now understand why girls are attracted to "bad boy" types. They're just more interesting. Sure, they can be erratic, impractical, self-absorbed, or just plain broken--but at least there's a story to tell your friends.

This insight hit me after finishing CNET's review of the Lenovo IdeaPad K1 Android 3.1 tablet ($499, 32GB). If there's a bad boy of tablets, this is not it. Nope, you're looking at the perfectly sensible "nice guy" tablet here. It does all the right things, has all the expected specs, comes from a good … Read more

Nvidia's CEO boasted about the power frugality of an upcoming quad-core chip, as the company reported better-than-expected earnings today.

The graphics chip supplier swung to better-than-expected earnings in the fiscal second quarter ended July 31, buttressed by revenue from laptop graphics processing units used with systems built around Intel's "Sandy Bridge" processors.

Nvidia reported a profit of $151.6 million compared with a loss of $141 million in the year-earlier period. Revenue surged 25 percent to $1.02 billion. And gross margin--a critical profit indicator--jumped to 51.7 percent from 16.6 percent compared to last … Read more

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1's beautiful 1,280x800-pixel screen is great for watching movies. The Honeycomb tablet supports WMV9, WMV7, WMV8, H.264, MPEG4, Xvid, DivX, H.263, and VP8 video codecs. If your movie isn't already in one of the supported formats or it's still on a DVD, you'll need to encode/re-encode it first. Here's how:

Step 1: Download and install HandBrake.

Step 2: Click on the Source button, and select your movie. For DVDs, select "Folder" then select the "VIDEO_TS" folder from your DVD drive. HandBrake does … Read more

Honeycomb tablet and iPad users are in for a new Google News experience, as Google took to its news blog last night to announce a number of tablet-optimized enhancements to the popular news Web site.

Google News now features a slightly modified UI with colors and buttons that fall closely in line with other recent changes to the tablet user experience. The news site also renders well in both landscape and portrait orientations, taking full advantage of available screen space without feeling cluttered.

Additional features include support for finger swiping across images when viewing the multimedia strip in the expanded … Read more

Logitech is putting a new spin on its Zagg wireless keyboard case by offering a version made specifically for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. The handy case/keyboard combo is currently available for preorder, and is due out in September for $99.

I've had some hands-on time with the case and can safely say that it is more than just a reshaped version of the iPad 2 case. There are more than a few shortcut keys that are specific to the Google Android Honeycomb OS. Across the top you'll find buttons for cut, paste, voice command, e-mail, and more.

Like the iPad 2 version, though, the case can be used as a stand to prop up your tablet in either portrait or landscape orientation. The keyboard works wirelessly over Bluetooth and recharges an internal battery over Micro-USB. To really get that mobile office experience, Logitech also offers an Android tablet Bluetooth mouse.

If you're a Tab 10.1 fan with some serious typing to do, I definitely recommend giving this a try. It's not as broadly practical as a generic Bluetooth keyboard, but the dedicated Android keys and the added advantage of protecting your tablet screen make it a great solution. … Read more

Google is reportedly in a hurry to unfreeze Ice Cream Sandwich.

The company is hoping to take away a little heat from Apple by trying to roll out its next of version Android before the iPhone 5 debuts, says AppleInsider.

Dubbed Ice Cream Sandwich, the next flavor of Android was initially slated to appear toward the end of the year. But Google has apparently been working hard to push up the launch date, with the first devices aiming to reach consumers as early as October, according to Boy Genius Report.

Citing information from a "source with knowledge of Google'… Read more

Keeping your browsing history from prying eyes is difficult on a device that you may share with family or friends. Whether you're shopping for a surprise present or an engagement ring or surfing the Web for some other personal reason, you may want to keep your activities private. If you're looking to erase the sites you've visited from the memory of your Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, follow these quick steps:

Step 1: Open the Web browser on your Samsung Galaxy Tab.

Step 2: Click on the menu in the top right corner, and choose Settings.

Step … Read more