Intel even wants to dictate the components in displays—it wants manufacturers to begin putting small amounts of RAM into their display panels to make them capable of storing static images. That way, if a user is reading a document or webpage but not interacting with anything on the screen, the computer could display a static image of the screen rather than continuously refreshing it for no reason.
via Intel wants to micromanage tablet makers in the name of battery life | Ars Technica.
The Nook HD features a 7-inch display (1440 x 900 resolution), a dual-core 1.3GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, expandable microSD storage, an 11.1-ounce weight, and advertised battery life of 10.5 hours of reading and 9 hours of video. In its publicity materials, Barnes & Noble didn’t exactly pull its punches against archrival Amazon, claiming the Nook HD is 20 percent lighter, a half-inch narrower, and armed with a sharper-resolution screen than the Kindle Fire HD.
via Barnes & Noble’s Nook HD Tablets Face iPad, Kindle Fire HD.
A South Korean court has ruled that Apple and Samsung both infringed each other’s patents on mobile devices.
via BBC News – Apple and Samsung get South Korea bans.
Can’t we all just get along?
The Kindle was identified as the only product that met the department’s requirements, according to the Justification and Approval (J&A) for other than full and open competition. Apple’s iPad was rejected because it fell under the tablet or computer category rather than as a single-function e-reader, and had additional features that “are not only unnecessary, but also present unacceptable security and usability risks for the government’s needs in this particular project.”
via U.S. Department of State cancels large Kindle contract | ITworld.
In short, yes, even though the N7 doesn’t obviously have phone-related user interfaces, you can use the N7 as a phone for both outgoing and incoming calls via VoIP, and this can be accomplished completely for free via Google Voice accounts.
The fairly easy steps:
Obtain and install the GrooVe IP Lite (GIPL) app via Google Play. This version is free and has everything you need for this situation. You still might wish to purchase the full version for $5 to support the fine work of the developer.
via Lauren Weinstein’s Blog: Using the Google Nexus 7 Tablet as a Phone, For Free (+ a Privacy Hint).
So the problem with the Kindle Fire — and the Nexus 7 — is the same problem that’s plagued the PC industry. Deep and extreme price cuts give the makers no wriggle room to innovate. There’s no doubt that a $199 was an attractive price point for a tablet, but it’s possibly that it was unsustainably low, and that by driving prices down to this level so rapidly, both Amazon and Google have irrevocably harmed the tablet market by creating unrealistic price expectations. It’s quite likely that these impracticable price demands could harm Microsoft and its tablet ambitions.
via How the Kindle Fire and the Nexus 7 harmed the tablet market | ZDNet.
MIPS is a processor licensing company that battles ARM, which dominates the tablet and smartphone market. But MIPS late last year sprang a surprise by announcing a US$99 tablet, in conjunction with a manufacturer called Ainol, based on its processor and running Android 4.0. The tablet was among the cheapest and among the first at that time with Android 4.0, but this year Google took the honors of releasing the first Android 4.1 device with Nexus 7, which runs on a quad-core ARM processor.
Electronic paper only draws power when the display is updated, making it very energy-efficient. It also reflects light in the same way as ordinary paper, so there is no need for a backlight.
via Plastic Logic demos colour video animation on electronic paper – Techworld.com.
While Microsoft’s unveiling of two own-brand tablet PCs has surprised the supply chain in Taiwan and brought worries on PC vendors, Acer founder Stan Shih has commented that Microsoft has no real intention to sell own-brand tablet PCs and the offering is an ploy to boost adoption of Windows 8.
via Microsoft own-brand tablet PCs a ploy to drive Windows 8 adoption, says Acer founder.
As mentioned above, Surface will be available in two flavors. One tablet will run Windows 8 Pro, and rely on a third-generation Intel Core processor. The other will feature Windows RT and run on an ARM processor. Both will feature 10.6-inch screens along with a kickstand and keyboard, but many of the other internal specs vary wildly:
via Microsoft’s Surface: Windows for a Cloud World.
As a result, she added, “Microsoft and its partners need to articulate a compelling strategy for how they will manage consumer expectations in the channel. Consumers aren’t used to thinking about chipsets.”