GADGET REVIEWS Just another GADGET NEWS

Archos announced it was working on Android-based multimedia tablets in lots of form factors long before the iPad got everyone tablet-crazy. This week, the company began shipping its 4.3-inch and 7-inch models to customers in the US and Europe, while some Europeans may have gotten their 10.1-inch units early.

The Archos 43 is straightforward: 4.3″ FWVGA screen (480×854 pixels), Android 2.2 OS with an Archos skin, 1GHz ARM processor and 16 GB of flash memory for $250. (The tech specs say it also comes in an 8GB version, but that’s not an option now at the Archos store.)

The Archos 70 is a little more interesting, if only because it’s actually slightly more retro. It’s got the same guts as the 43, but a slightly lower-resolution screen (800 by 480) and a 250 GB hard drive (the kind that spins) option that’s forthcoming for $350. (Right now, only the 8GB flash model for $280 is available — which doesn’t seem like so much of an upgrade over the 43, with fewer pixels and less memory.)

Archos also has a 2.8-inch Froyo PMP for $100 — a nice little iPod Touch/Nano replacement — but most of its Android units are still officially unavailable. The 10.1-inch version was briefly reported to be shipping in Europe, but has since either been pulled or sold out. There’s also a 3.2-inch PMP with a video camera that’s still on the way.

That 250 GB hard drive reminds me that most of the companies releasing Android tablets now have been developing them for years — long enough that they were never really designed to compete with the iPad, but the iPod Classic and iPod Touch. It’s as if the iPhone’s touchscreen created an evolutionary fork in media players, with the slim, oversized iPad going one way and the square, high-capacity Archos 70 going another.

jQuery(‘#inf_widget’).load(‘http://www.wired.com/ajax/widgets/related/content/blogPost/gadgetlab_53594′);

Source:wired.com

Posted under Gadget Reviews

Motorola has a tangled history with hardcore Droid X fans as the company in the past has tried to crack down on attempts on to tweak the device. In its latest move, Motorola has sent cease-and-desist letters to websites that hosted a leaked version of the Android 2.2 Froyo update for the pohone.

The leaked files contain Motorola copyrighted software, says the letter sent to the My Droid World, which was one of the sites that hosted the update files. My Droid World says it has now removed the software from its servers.

Motorola introduced the Droid X as a large touchscreen Android phone with a focus on high-definition video and Flash compatibility. On July 15, the Droid X debuted exclusively on Verizon Wireless but it launched with Android 2.1 operating system instead of Android 2.2 Froyo. Motorola planned to offer over-the-air firmware updates to bring Froyo to the Droid X but some users tried to get a step ahead.

The Droid X has been mired in controversy since its launch. Motorola used a bootloader and chip combination that made it difficult for hackers to mod the phone and install custom versions of Android. The bootloader is the software component that loads the operating system in a gadget. Despite that, Android developers have been able to root the device.

For now, intrepid Droid X users have no choice but to wait for the official Froyo update to the Droid X, which is scheduled for early September.

Photo: Droid X (Stefan Armijo/Wired.com)

[via PCmag.com ]

Source:wired.com

Posted under Gadget Reviews

runMobileCompatibilityScript(‘myExperience115600501001′, ‘anId’);brightcove.createExperiences();

In this week’s Gadget Lab podcast, we discuss the top stories from the world of gadgets.

First up: new technology to bring 3-D to your cellphone’s screen.

It’s not quite fully-baked yet, but as Priya Ganapati reported earlier this week, cellphone manufacturers are already looking into technology that will enable cellphones to sport 3-D displays that don’t require special glasses, much like the Nintendo 3DS screen.

Reports continue to pour in about reception problems with the iPhone 4’s antenna design. We think it’s time Apple fessed up to the problem and fixed it, already. (Note: This podcast was recorded before Apple’s Friday press conference, at which the company admitted to the problem — sort of — and offered free cases to all iPhone 4 customers.)

In addition, Gadget Lab’s Dylan Tweney and Brian X. Chen show off two new headsets: The $60 Jabra Halo and the $80 Nox Audio Specialist.

And then we tackle a few reader questions about 3-D displays, how not to hold an iPhone, and the future of digital tablets.

Like the show? You can also get theGadget Lab video podcast via iTunes, or if you dont want to be distracted by our mugs, check out theGadget Lab audio podcast. Prefer RSS? You can subscribe to the Gadget Labvideo or audio podcast feeds.

Source:wired.com

Posted under Gadget Reviews

In this week’s Gadget Lab video podcast, Brian X. Chen and Priya Ganapati touch on more wireless woes reported by iPhone users. Apparently in some cities the iPhone’s upload speeds were slowing down to a crawl. AT&T has responded and said the drop was due to a software bug that will be addressed but not before angry conspiracy-theorist customers accused the telecom company of purposely capping speeds for the device.

runMobileCompatibilityScript(‘myExperience110959447001′, ‘anId’);brightcove.createExperiences();

In brighter news, Ganapati shares her hands-on experience with the Dell Streak, a 5-inch touchscreen tablet device that feels like a supersized smartphone. Perhaps this Dell is aiming to offer a tablet that will actually fit in a woman’s purse unlike the iPad?

And looking further in the future, Chen talks about recent credible rumors that the Apple TV may be getting a software overhaul to run iOS, the same operating system that powers iPhones and iPads. Such a change would pose interesting implications for videogames, TV apps and more.

Like the show? You can also get theGadget Lab video podcast via iTunes, or if you dont want to be distracted by our mugs, check out theGadget Lab audio podcast. Prefer RSS? You can subscribe to the Gadget Labvideo or audio podcast feeds.

Source:wired.com

Posted under Gadget Reviews

runMobileCompatibilityScript(‘myExperience107202497001′, ‘anId’);brightcove.createExperiences();

In this episode of the Gadget Lab video podcast, the usual nerds talk about all things mobile. First, they mourn over the death of the Kin while reflecting on what Microsoft did wrong. They also talk about what Apple apparently did wrong with the iPhone 4 antenna, which loses signal when held the “wrong” way.

Elsewhere in the mobile world, Intel says it’s hoping to ship its first mobile chips in phones starting next year. We’ll see if that ever happens and if their efforts will even matter by then. On the other hand, something we’ve wanted on mobiles devices for a long time has finally arrived: Hulu. Unfortunately it comes at a price.

You can also get theGadget Lab video podcast via iTunes, or if you dont want to be distracted by our mugs, check out theGadget Lab audio podcast. Prefer RSS? You can subscribe to the Gadget Labvideo or audio podcast feeds.

Source:wired.com

Posted under Gadget Reviews

Motorola’s Droid X is not out in retail stores yet but one phone enthusiast had taken a screwdriver to the device already.

Max Lee tore down the Droid X to expose its innards and show what’s inside the smartphone. It took Lee about 10 hours to figure out how to take the back cover off but he says it was well-worth the effort.

“You can easily disassemble and assemble the Droid X once you figure it out,” he says. “This should be good for consumers to replace parts if they happen to drop the phone.”

And you can see in the video, overall it’s a pretty easy process for those who may be inclined to do it. Just one tip from Lee: “It’s good to grow your fingernails before you do this. Makes it easy to take the things out.”

It’s also fascinating to watch the camera module pop off and all the components come apart like they are just pieces in an elaborate electronic jigsaw puzzle.

The $200 Droid X (after a $100 rebate and with a two-year Verizon contract) will be available starting July 15 on Verizon Wireless network. The phone has a 1 GHz processor, a 4.3-inch touchscreen and a 8-megapixel camera.

Lee says once he took the phone apart, he found the bottom of the Droid X “has a lot of room to play.”

“Motorola could have made the phone a bit shorter but there would be something sticking out,” he says. “They probably did that for the overall design of the phone.”

Check out Lee’s teardown of the Droid X through step-by-step photos on his blog.

Photo: Droidx.net

Source:wired.com

Posted under Gadget Reviews