Category Archives: Tablet related

ZiiLabs Jaguar3 Quickly Becomes the World’s Lightest Tablet… a Mere Design for Now

Posted by on September 15, 2011 1 comment

ZiiLabs is a company that makes reference designs for OEMs, so maybe the next XOOM or PlayBook will be inspired by their ideas… Thus, it’s good to keep an eye on their latest prototype, the Jaguar3, a 10.1 inch tablet with a 1.5GHz dual core CPU.

The ZMS-20 dual core CPU mentioned before is only a version of the slate, since there’s also a quad core ZMS-40 SoC solution. Both models have available front and rear cameras of up to 12 megapixels, plus a magnesium case with an incredibly slim 8.1mm or 7.4mm thin profile. This model comes with a 1200 x 800 pixel capacitive multitouch display and Android 3.2 as the OS of choice.

ZiiLabs also promises audio upgrades through the Creative Sound Blaster technology, as well as custom software for HDR features and panoramic photos. Don’t be surprised if devices such as the Grid 10 or the Amazon Kindle tablet started off as reference designs and then reached finished product phase. Imagine a quad core tablet with 12 megapixel camera and an incredible HD display now… sounds good, right?


Amazon Preparing “Netflix for eBooks” Service Ahead of Kindle Tablet Launch

Posted by on September 12, 2011 No comments

Amazon is not only preparing a Kindle Tablet for us all, but also a Netflix-like service based on subscriptions and designed for ebook delivery. This service will charge an annual fee for accessing content and it will be part of the Amazon Prime Scheme.

This idea is based on the unlimited two day shipping and streaming access to the company’s digital TV and movie offer. The info is very solid, since it comes from WSJ, but the problem here is that the publishers Amazon is working with haven’t been very eager to get on board with the idea. Prime subscribers will pay $79 per year membership and even get access to older titles, if they want to.

Rumors say that Amazon could limit the number of titles that readers can access each month, but that’s unconfirmed. The publishing executives fear that this Amazon service could devalue the reader’s attitude to ebooks. Also, we’re to expect a tie-in of the service with the Kindle Tablet, so maybe a special offer will push the Prime to its users in a more friendly package.


Back to the Future XX: First iPad Clone Dates From Early 20st Century

Posted by on August 29, 2011 No comments

Mark this one as yet another iPad clone that’s… not, although Apple could say that it is, as are all things that look even a bit like the iPhone and iPad. I’m talking here about the “tablet” below, dating from early 20st century and found at the Prejmer Citadel, in Brasov, Romania.

Some might even remember good old Moses from the Bible… he also had not one, but two tablets. How about that? And how about this Samsung photo frame, that looks scarily much like the iPad, although it’s from 2006. Maybe the Samsung copyists went back in time and cloned the Apple gear. That would be sacrilege!

Notice that the tablet pictured here even has a Home button and the surface looks quite glossy. Plus, it was used for educational purposes, just like most of the iPads are nowadays… aside from those filled with fart apps. I say Apple takes a good hard look at sumerian tablets from thousands of years ago, since those look like clones too.



“Holy iPad” on Car Dashboard May Pave One’s Road to Heaven… Maybe

Posted by on August 25, 2011 No comments


Well, the tablets are getting pretty generic these days and it’s easy to pull off a meme with them. Thus, after seeing a tablet used by a priest here for a sermon, now a presumed iPad surfaces attached to a car’s dashboard as shown in the pic below. I wonder what the driver was trying to do here… maybe find a quicker way to heaven via GPS?

Kidding aside, it was only a matter of time till cars started getting special customizations for tablets. People were already tweaking their vehicles for laptops, iPhones and consoles, so why not give a tablet a chance. However, a tablet is a totally different matter and placing it in the front seat isn’t really the best way to drive, since it can distract you.

Since this photo was most likely taken in Romania, according to my source, there’s a pretty funny explanation for the tablet with icon on the screen. First, in this Eastern European country people are very religious and some of them adorn the windshield with lots of crosses, icons and whatnot. Well, replacing these icons there’s this supposed iPad… Smart way to get some holy vibe, right?


Kno Makes Books Come Alive With 3D Graphics (Video)

Posted by on August 23, 2011 No comments


Remember the Kno, a tablet textbook that was supposed to take over universities and schools? Well, now the person who started the Kno company, Osman Rashid shows us a very cool feature, that seems to bring textbooks to life. We’ve got Facebook integration, activity streams and a 3D modeling feature.

This 3D feature works great with chemistry textbooks as shown in the video below. It displays chemistry models, detailing the atom’s bonds and molecules, all in a spinning 3D model. You can interact with the model, enlarge and rotate it, to give the students a better understanding of the idea.

While some people still argue that students need pen and paper for a better learning process, this single example of 3D graphics is good enough to convince me to adopt Kno and its 3D features. There’s a Kno iPad app out there, that has recently received an update, most likely including the 3D feature as well. Other new stuff added is the video note system, audio notes, photos, highlight stream and the ability to add videos recorded with the iPad’s camera.


TabCo Gets Rid of Bad JuJu With New Product: JooJoo 2 aka Grid 10

Posted by on August 15, 2011 No comments


Some of you may remember the whole scandal surrounding the JooJoo tablet, that at some point was called the CrunchPad, as its maker worked with TechCrunch and Michael Arrington. Well, now the device got a successor, the famous TabCo being revealed to be in fact this newcomer, also called the Grid 10.

After months of huge teasers, such as the planes writing on the sky or the skyscraper with lights spelling the date August 15 2011, it’s time to learn what TabCo really is. Unfortunately, it’s not Nokia, or HP, or Microsoft as some people speculated, instead it’s Fusion Garage and their latest project, the Grid 10. There’s also a smartphone in the making, called Grid 4.

What sets this apart from other tablets is the resolution, an incredible 1366 x 768 pixels of fun. The price of the Grid 10 is also pretty good, $499 and an extra $100, if you want 3G on the device. You’ll find the tablet on Amazon today and as far as the smartphone goes, the Grid 4 will come with a 4 inch display, 480 x 800 pixel resolution and 16GB of internal memory. The price will get $399.

Back to the tablet, the new Fusion Garage slate will pack dual core Tegra 2 processor and most likely 16 or 32 GB of storage. The platform on board is Grid OS, a pretty unique ecosystem, that seems to be fond of rows of flowing icons, that for a while reminded me of MeeGo in teasers.

Related posts:

  1. TabCo Tablet Identity Revealed Tomorrow: Here’s the Countdown
  2. Tabco Tablet Based on Predictive Technology, Knows What the User Wants
  3. CrunchPad is Dead, Long Live JooJoo


Vinci Tablet, the Portable Device for Babies

Posted by on August 2, 2011 No comments


With the current evolution of tablets, it won’t be long till they replace books and school manuals. Also, babies will start their lives with their Facebook accounts already set up, YouTube at hand and a tablet near the bed. The question is: what will that tablet be? An answer could be the Vinci, a touchscreen device for babies and infants up to age 3.

This unit helps them learn everything about the world and builds up their curiosity. This model was unveiled back at CES 2011 and it was launched in the first half of this year. The slate comes with a silicone handle created for the little ones’ hands, a 7 inch display, a microSD card slot and USB connectivity.

There’s also a built-in speaker and microphone, a 3 megapixel camera, but no WiFi, because the device is meant to protect the young one from radiation. Considered an active learning platform, the  Vinci Tablet shows 3D environments, such as farms and zoos, plus cartoons. These are meant to develop the emotional and social skills of the baby.

You also get music instruments, music videos with Mozart backgrounds and much more. The price of the device is $479 and the unit is found at Barnes  Noble and Skymall.

Related posts:

  1. VTech Introduces InnoPad Tablet for Kids
  2. Asus Eee Tablet is Not the Eee Pad, Still a Great Note-Taking Device
  3. Shenzen Portable Device is as Close to the Apple Tablet as it Gets