high tech roadshow

Showing posts with label Samsung Galaxy Tab. Show all posts

Ubuntu for Android Running On Motorola Atrix 2

haytham ahmed // Android, Canonical, high tech cell phones, Laptop Magazine, Mark Shuttleworth, Mobile Phones, Motorola Atrix 4G, Operating system, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Ubuntu 0

Canonical is giving attendees a chance to check out how well Ubuntu for Android works in person. Ironically, they’re demoing the operating system on the Motorola Atrix 2, which has existing desktop-esque functionality. Hey, it comes with a dock, so why not?

Sarah Silbert of Laptop Magazine went hands-on with the Android phone turned desktop and liked what she saw, though the system wasn’t lightning fast.

“…the demoed version wasn't the fastest phone on the block–we noticed a few seconds' delay between clicking and launching Android apps on the Ubuntu desktop ecosystem–we're sure the handsets that make it to market will be a few notches better.”

Ubuntu for Android

The Atrix 2 does meet the minimum hardware requirements (dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM), which makes me think that when Canonical said they were excited about quad-core phones, they meant that as a big hint. Of course, it’s also possible that the OS wasn’t fully tweaked to run the fastest with that particular hardware. See it in action in Silbert’s hands-on video below.

It would please me to no end to discover that Canonical is working with Motorola to replace their Webtop experience with Ubuntu for Android. Let’s hope this collaboration doesn’t also produce prohibitively expensive accessories, too.

Since Canonical’s Mark Shuttleworth is already on record as saying he wants to put Ubuntu on tablets as well as smartphones, I’m hoping to see Ubuntu for Android working on a Samsung Galaxy Tab (or Note) or another sweet Android slate in the near future as well.

keep up with the newest technologies and contemplate about how these will be used in the future. On this blog I'll share my thoughts about the future of technology, based on the high Tech Road Show Blog inventions of today.

It’s Official: Samsung Has a 10.1 Inch Galaxy Note

haytham ahmed // Android, Barcelona, high tech cell phones, Inch, Mobile Phones, Mobile World Congress, Samsung, Samsung Galaxy Note, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Tablet computer 0

BARCELONA: We’re getting set for our first big meeting of Mobile World Congress, but Samsung is making no secret about what they plan on showing us this morning. A substantial portion of the first floor of the Fira Palace Hotel in Barcelona is festooned with giant images of Samsung’s latest Android Tablet: the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. Like the 5-inch Samsung Galaxy Note, this 10.1-inch tablet has a stylus.

And that may be the only difference between it and the 10.1-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab. We’re waiting to get more details, since we can’t tell much from the image (is it an Android 4.0 device? Does that 3G in the lower left-hand corner mean no 4G?) and, perhaps, some hands on time. Until then, you can feast your eyes on the image above.

Samsung has also announced a new Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 inch tablet and an interesting device called the Samsung Galaxy Beam projector smartphone combo device. We’ll have more on both of those products, shortly.

Samsung Announces 10.1 Galaxy Tab 2

haytham ahmed // Android, Android version history, Barcelona, Galaxy Tab 2, Hertz, high tech cell phones, Mobile Phones, Samsung, Samsung Galaxy Note, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Video Graphics Array, Wi-Fi 0

BARCELONA: Samsung is expanding its Galaxy Tab tablet line with the brand new Galaxy Tab 2 lineup: a 7.0-inch variant and a 10.1-inch variant.

While the smaller tablet was announced a week ago, its big brother, the 10.1 is entirely new. It sports an 1280×800 resolution screen (the 7-inch model has a 1024×600 pixel screen), and the rest of the specs between the two tablets are nearly identical: a 1 GHz dual-core CPU, 1 GB of RAM, a 3-megapixel camera on the back and a VGA one on the front.

The tablets are available as 3G models (meaning HSPA) or as WiFi-only, and they’re both equipped with the latest flavor of Android – 4.0 or Ice Cream Sandwich.

The devices should hit the global market in March, starting with the UK, at a yet-unspecified price. g-tab-2_101

Samsung is also announcing a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. It’s a big tablet with a stylus.

Samsung Galaxy Beam Is Both a Smartphone and Projector

haytham ahmed // Android, Barcelona, Hertz, high tech cell phones, Mobile Phones, Mobile World Congress, Random-access memory, Samsung, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Smartphone 2

BARCELONA: The Mobile World Congress hasn’t even officially kicked off yet, and Samsung is already on fire, announcing devices left and right. After the 10.1-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 2, next in line is a smartphone/mobile projector combo called Samsung Galaxy Beam.

The device’s dual-core 1 GHz CPU, 4-inch, 800×480 screen, 5-megapixel rear camera (with an additional VGA one on the front) and Android 2.3 don’t do much to differentiate it from the other mid-to-high-range Androids out there.

What makes it different from most other smartphones on the market is its ultra-bright, 15-lumen projector, which lets you project a 50-inch wide image on a wall – really handy for presentations or those moments when you want to share your holiday photos with your family and friends.

Interestingly enough, Samsung says the device has 6 GB of RAM memory, but we’re seriously doubting that, and will update the article when we learn more.

Samsung Pushes Galaxy Tablet With Same Child Actress From iPhone 4S Ad

haytham ahmed // Apple, high tech cell phones, IPad, IPhone, Mobile phones, Samsung, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Samsung Group, South Korea, YouTube 0

Image via WikipediaConsumers and blogs are criticizing Samsung for not only stealing the look and feel of Apple commercials, but for blatantly borrowing the same child actress who appeared in the commercial for the Apple iPhone 4S to sell the company’s Samsung Galaxy 8.9 LTE Tablet.

In the Samsung Galaxy 8.9 LTE Tablet commercial (above), she is used to boost the fun you can have reading, playing games and watching movies with the new under 1-pound tablet.

In the Apple iPhone commercial (above), she’s seen brightly dressed on the phone screen as photos of her are displayed to showcase the phone’s advanced optics system and on-screen editing options.

The Samsung Galaxy 8.9 LTE Tablet, unveiled in August 2011, debuted as a 8.6 mm thin and 453 g tablet with a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 8.9-inch display and Android 3.2 Honeycomb system.

Samsung pulled the advertisement from its official YouTube page, since publications have scrutinized the South Korean tech conglomerate’s commercials.

We’ve reached out to Samsung for a comment.

The two companies have been duking it out since last April after Apple filed patent infringement claims regarding the alleged likeness between the iPhone and iPad and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1. And an ad from Samsung late last year lampooned Apple fans.

Watch for yourself. Did Samsung blatantly copy Apple advertisements?

Samsung to launch 11.6-inch Galaxy Tab in Q1 of 2012

haytham ahmed // Barcelona, Galaxy Tab, high tech cell phones, IPad, Mobile Phones, Mobile World Congress, Retina Display, Samsung, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Samsung Group, South Korea 0

Gossips are signifying that the Apple iPad 3 being arrived with true retina display and advanced resolution has been balanced around for pretty a long time.

But it looks like that this time Samsung will be coming first by launching their ultra high resolution tablet before iPad 3 enters to the global industry. Samsung is preparing its latest 11.6-inch Galaxy Tab and getting ready to launch it by the end of February 2012, a report suggested. The South Korean handset maker has unveiled recently that currently it is making the gigantic Galaxy Tab, which will bring the largest 11.6-inch HD touch display with 2560 x 1600 pixels screen resolution.

Samsung to launch 11.6-inch Galaxy Tab in Q1 of 2012

At this resolution, the screen of the detailed newest tablet will only have a pixel density of 260 pixels per inch but nevertheless would still be incredibly fine. As well as, the upcoming tablet from Samsung is anticipated to ship with a native phase fraction of 16:10. The device would also be holding wireless docking aspect which would permit simple sharing files and easy watching HD contents. The company will be introducing its upcoming tablet PC at Mobile World Congress in February 2012 to be held at Barcelona.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 review

haytham ahmed // Apple, Australia, Best Buy, high tech cell phones, IPad, Mobile Phones, New York City, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Samsung Group, Union Square 1

When we met with Samsung in late May, company representatives didn't seem entirely sure that the company would meet the rumored June 8th ship date here in the US, but lo and behold, it's done just that. The tablet's launching at noon today at the Best Buy in New York City's Union Square, and if you can't make it up to the Big Apple, it'll hit the rest of the nation on June 17th. But here's the real question: is it worth making an effort to snag it on either date? The Galaxy Tab 10.1, much like its Limited Edition sibling that we reviewed last month, is ever-so-slightly thinner than the iPad 2, a slate that most sane individuals (and competitors, for that matter) would confess is the market leader today.

BERLIN - SEPTEMBER 03: (FILE PHOTO) Visitors ...

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeNaturally, everyone and their sister is gunning for Apple in this space, and Honeycomb's the first mobile OS we've seen that has the potential to put any sort of damper on Cupertino's ongoing rave. By and large, the consumer version of the Tab 10.1 is the same as the device launched at Google I/O, but there's two key differences that we'll focus on here: the tamed design, and the thoroughly different OS version (v3.1 here versus v3.0 before). Head on past the break for an in-depth look into both of those, but be sure to first take a gander at our Limited Edition review to wrap your noodle around the basics.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 unboxing and hands-on

Hardware and design

You're going to hear this a lot throughout the review, but every opinion we drew from using the Tab 10.1 Limited Edition applies here. Every. single. one. Why? The consumer model is is a spitting image of the LE variant, save for the motif on the rear; the one you'll pick up this month has a glossy white plastic rear, while the LE model had a glossy white plastic rear... with an Android army adorning it. Weight's the same, size is the same, build quality is the same. It's a tremendous thing to hold, and it truly oozes quality from corner to corner.
Outside of the color scheme on the rear, nothing is different this go 'round. We promise.

Performance and battery life

While the internals remain the same here as on the Limited Edition build (1GHz Tegra 2, 1280 x 800 resolution display, front- and rear-facing cameras), something's changed with Android 3.1. Google claimed that the newest build of Honeycomb would perform even faster than 3.0, and in practice, thingsdid seem to operate at a subtly brisker pace. Animations were a pinch quicker, and transitions were ever-so-slightly faster. Web browser performance was noticeably better, although we did see a few videos load up in a smaller window while the same video expanded out to fill the screen within Android 3.0.

But that said, we're having a difficult time aligning our real-world experience and our benchmarks. The Tab 10.1 Limited Edition (which shipped with an admittedly wonky version of Android 3.0) managed to hit an average of 1,970 within Quadrant benchmark -- a standard benching tool that was also used in ourG-Slate and Xoom review. You'd expect the streamlined Android 3.1 sibling to perform better, but alas, that wasn't at all the case. After running the same test five times on the Tab 10.1, we hit an average score of 1,540. The highest we saw was 1,546. That's off of a fresh reboot with nothing spinning in the background aside from the occasional widget update. It's as baffling to us as it likely is to you; we're guessing that Quadrant just reacts dramatically different to v3.1 than v3.0, and we're obviously eager to see if future Android 3.1 slates score lower across the board than the 3.0 devices that came before.

When we sat down to our video loop test, with WiFi on and display brightness at about 65 percent, we scored just under ten hours (again!). That's second only to the iPad 2, and by merely half an hour. Jack that brightness down a bit, and you could probably squeeze 11 hours out. The upside is that Android 3.1 doesn't seem to have a negative impact on battery life; the downside is that Android 3.1 doesn't seem to be any more power efficient than Android 3.0.

As for audio and video playback? It's what you'd expect; Music Beta streamed our cloud library sans issue over a home WiFi network, and the audio output is on par with every iDevice you've ever tested. It's not quite up there with Cowon or anything, but then again, neither is anything else in this field. Flash, DivX, MPEG4 and H.264 files all played back exceptionally well. Even 720p content seemed to cause no strain whatsoever on the system, though we'd still probably recommend transcoding any of those files you've got sitting around in esoteric containers. Again, this isn't a Cowon, so it ain't going to support everything you throw at it.

Software

At long last, the primary differentiator between the Tab 10.1 LE and the far-less-limited Tab 10.1: 0.1.Android 3.1 brings along widgets that can be resized vertically and horizontally, access to the newfangled Movies section of the Android Market, improved overall performance and support for a host of USB accessories. Unfortunately, the Movies department is only open for Android 3.1 tablets with 3G radios, hence, our 16GB WiFi test unit still showed it as unavailable. That said, we've already tested that particular aspect with a Motorola Xoom, which can be seen here.

The performance improvements, however, are here. They're subtle, sure, but you won't find us kvetching about extra speed, regardless of how minor it is. Granted, we didn't have any real qualms with performance on the Tab 10.1 Limited Edition, but it's safe to say we've even fewer qualms here. Resizing widgets worked, and worked well, but it's mildly annoying that it only supports a smattering of 'em right now -- we're hoping to see more apps updated soon to take advantage, and when that happens, homepane tweakers will no doubt find these remarkably useful. It enables each pane to be full of useful, glanceable information -- a sizable calendar prevents you from having to load the app each time, for example.

Outside of that, the software's largely unchanged from where Honeycomb began. Those anticipating a significant overhaul will be sorely disappointed, but we're thrilled to say that Google's polished up an already excellent foundation. Unfortunately, the Android Market still isn't home to many tablet applications; Apple just announced at WWDC that the App Store is home to some 95,000 tablet programs. El Goog hasn't shared its numbers in this regard, but it doesn't take an awful lot of poking around to see that it's nowhere near. Honeycomb still has a lot to prove, and it's up to developers to prove it. For now, those looking for a wealth of options will have better luck wading through the App Store, but hopefully things will be drastically different as the year churns on.

We'd also like to point out a huge, huge issue with using the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in conjunction with OS X. For whatever reason, Android File Transfer still hasn't been updated to support this slate, which means that you cannot (easily) use your Mac to transfer files onto your device. We have to wonder what Google was thinking when it fundamentally changed how Macs could interface with Android; our Nexus One (Android 2.3) simply pops up as an external drive on the desktop of a MacBook Pro, while Honeycomb devices require a dedicated piece of software that may or may not work. Blech. We're hoping Google updates AFT in the hours ahead; otherwise, you can expect the forums to come alive as Mac owners struggle to make contact with the $500+ slate they just bit on.

Camera

No shocker here -- the 3MP rear camera on the Tab 10.1 impressed us just as much as the camera on the Tab 10.1 Limited Edition. We still aren't sold on using a slate to take photos, and we still aren't overly impressed with the image quality here. It's hard to knock something that most folks aren't going to take advantage of, though, so we'll just let the below sample shot gallery speak for itself.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 camera sample shot gallery

Wrap-up

The conclusion we came to after using the Tab 10.1 Limited Edition mimics the conclusion we've drawn here: this is the best Honeycomb tablet to date, and lucky for you, this one's available to purchase! Only time will tell if the Android Market will prove to be as well-stocked as the App Store, and if you're willing to wait, this here slate provides a world-class Gmail experience, better handling than the iPad 2 (in our humble opinion, anyway) and a higher resolution display.

The 16GB WiFi model will hit for $499 -- exactly in line with the iPad -- while the 32GB variant will demand $100 more (we're still awaiting word on 3G prices). If you're sold on Android, and you aren't too concerned with having an LTE radio in your tablet, there's really no need to look elsewhere. Of course, the impending release of iOS 5 makes it awfully hard to ignore just how good the iPad 2 will be this fall, but who's living in the future, right?

We'd still prefer Music Beta to be more more like iTunes in the Cloud, and we'd love a microSD slot, but we can't help but applaud Samsung for pushing Android tablets to a level they've never reached prior to now.