Engadget's holiday gift guide 2011: tablets

Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! We're well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties surrounding the seasonal shopping experience, so we're here to help you sort out this year's tech treasures. Below is today's bevy of curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season.

Of all the electronic gifts you could buy someone right now, a tablet seems like one of the safer bets. It's a cheaper way of saying "I love you" than bestowing a $1,000 laptop, and it takes less chutzpah than signing someone up for a smartphone (along with two years of data fees). And let's be real here: what's more festive than flopping onto the couch in pajamas after opening gifts and lazily playing Angry Birds while It's A Wonderful Life airs in the background? Yeah, we can't think of anything either.

Sadly, we don't have any webOS-flavored tablets this time around, and we couldn't include some hotly anticipated numbers like the Transformer Prime, since they're not shipping yet and we don't even know much they'll cost. Still, we managed to find a slew of Android tablets (and one iPad) across a range of budgets. Been on the fence about what to get? Skip past the break for some ideas.

Continue reading Engadget's holiday gift guide 2011: tablets

Engadget's holiday gift guide 2011: tablets originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Nov 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Daily Crunch: Animal TV Edition

Video: Super-efficient Chicken Breast Deboning Robot Colorfly’s “Audiophile-Quality” Audio Player Is Made Of Wood Video: A Scary Realistic Iron Man Mark I Suit The 4:20 Watch From Cadence Panda Itazura Bank: Super-Cute Piggy Bank (Video) This Wooden iPad Frame Does Retro Right

Source: http://www.crunchgear.com/2011/06/16/daily-crunch-animal-tv-edition/

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Siri, Why Are You So Underwhelming?

When Apple first unveiled the iPhone 4S, there was one feature that left every jaw in the room on the floor. Her name is Siri. Scott Forstall demoed the personal assistant at Apple's media event, and the entire presentation went off without a hitch. Then, as expected, Apple released their commercials, which were equally impressive. In short, everyone and their brother was amped for Siri. Then the iPhone 4S was released. Save for some battery life issues and my own mini-rant on Siri's gender and humility, there really weren't many complaints. Now, however, I find myself more bothered by my own expectations than anything else. Why? Because Siri isn't perfect, and perfect is what I expected.

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IntoNow App Turns iPad into ‘Intelligent’ TV Companion

Chances are, you use your iPad while watching TV. And if you use your iPad to complement your TV experience, you might as well have an app that acts as a friendly companion — nay, an intelligent companion — to what's happening onscreen. That app is IntoNow. It analyzes the audio from TV (or even YouTube) to figure out what you're watching and deliver specifically tailored media to complement your video content. IntoNow has had smartphone apps for a while, but today, it introduces a new iPad app to take advantage of the 70 percent of us who use tablets while watching the tube.

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/11/intonow-ipad-app/

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Quantum Computers, Part 1: A Simple Understanding

The goings-on of the quantum world elude our sight and, for a lot of us, our understanding. But you don't need an Einsteinian grasp of physics to see that the quantum world is playing a bigger and bigger role in modern technology. Be it the researcher in Denmark controlling atoms with lasers or the company already building quantum computers, the quantum world has begun its migration from theory to technology.

Source: http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/73655.html

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Google Nips and Tucks at Gmail for Lighter Reading

Google is rolling out a revamped Gmail, as it indicated it would earlier this year. Users can opt to use the new look immediately by clicking on the switch icon on the bottom-right corner of the Gmail page. The core changes focus on better readability and as well as stepped -up search functionalities.

Source: http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/73656.html

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Why Microsoft Chose Windows 8 Over Courier [Microsoft]

Cnet is delving further into the death of the Microsoft Courier, looking at the differences between Steven Sinoksky and J Allard, who ran the Windows 8 and Courier projects respectively. They say that Sinofsky's business-minded pragmatism and Windows 7 salvage job ultimately swayed Ballmer to follow his vision. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/vd2zXirW4_o/why-microsoft-chose-windows-8-over-courier

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Nest – A Thermostat for the 21st Century

Only in the last year did I finally replace my older than dirt mercury switch type thermostat with a programmable model. Although I’ve enjoyed the convenience of having the heat automatically come on in the morning before I wake up and then not come on while no one is home during the day, changing the [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2011/11/01/nest-a-thermostat-for-the-21st-century/

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CrunchGear Week In Review: Independent Edition

Here are some stories from the past week on CrunchGear: Weekend Giveaway: Toshiba 47-inch TL515 Series 3D LED TV Starbucks Merges Their Two iOS Apps, Lets You Gift Your Friends Coffee From Your Phone Warn Friends And Foes With These Nine Aperture Science Test Chamber Labels SocialBicycles Bike Sharing Is Now A Kickstarter Project Ricoh [...]

Source: http://www.crunchgear.com/2011/07/04/week-in-review-independent/

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Windows 8 getting a built-in PDF reader, Metro-style

For what seems like an eternity, Download Squad readers have reacted to news of security exploits targeting Adobe Reader with a common sentiment: why doesn't Microsoft build its own secure PDF reader into Windows? Apparently the Windows 8 team agrees, and they're working away at an application called Modern Reader which is exactly that.

From the handful of screenshots Paul Thurrott has shared, it's clear that Modern Reader has been built with Metro in mind. You can see the Reader back button in the top-left corner of the yellow image and the minimal page navigation bar on the right. We've posted some larger images we managed to scrape from Google's cache after the break.

Thurrott also mentions that Modern Reader is the first program spotted which is built using AppX -- a packaging technology that may allow developers to roll a single build to both Windows 8 desktops and Windows Phone 8 mobile devices.

Continue reading Windows 8 getting a built-in PDF reader, Metro-style

Windows 8 getting a built-in PDF reader, Metro-style originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/04/windows-8-getting-a-built-in-pdf-reader-finally/

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Engadget HD Podcast 272 - 11.01.2011

A year after its debut, Google TV is finally getting a fresh UI, its first taste of Market apps, and all-new Honeycomb underpinnings, so naturally that gets most of our attention this week. Of course, it seems like everyone is doing what they can to shake up the TV industry, putting Sony, Roku, Plex, Microsoft, DirecTV, and Redbox in the news as well. The one common thread joining these companies is that they can't do it without content, and it appears Warner Bros. and other studios may be locking the windowing gates tighter than ever. After all of that, we'll dig into what we have been and will be watching, so press play and see if you agree with our choices this week.

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Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh (@bjdraw), Richard Lawler (@rjcc)

Producer: Trent Wolbe

07:20 - Google TV, take two, arrives next week with Honeycomb, Android Market
18:43 - Sony to divide TV division into three-headed monster, looks to bounce back
29:28 - Roku adds more games, cleans up the PQ on its latest streamers
30:34 - myPlex makes streaming your media simple, gives you one queue to rule them all
33:20 - Xbox Companion app for WP7 shown off at Nokia World, leaks Vudu integration (video)
41:22 - DirecTV's iPad app updated with live TV streaming, as long as you stay at home
44:08 - Redbox's $1 per night DVD rentals jump to $1.20 October 31st, Blu-ray and games stay the same
47:08 - Warner pushes 28-day new release delay on Blockbuster, matches Redbox and Netflix
58:55 - Must See HDTV (October 31st - November 6th)

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Engadget HD Podcast 272 - 11.01.2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/57ZMa1OlOfM/

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Daily Crunch: Moon Phase Edition

The Legend Of Zelda: A Generation’s Awakening Sega Toys’ R2-D2 Homestar Planetarium Shows The Death Star Surveillant Society “Rotary Mechanical” Cell Phone Concept Isn’t Practical, But It Looks Great 11 Great Last Minute Geeky Father’s Day Gifts Weekend Giveaway: Man Cave Gear For Pops

Source: http://www.crunchgear.com/2011/06/18/daily-crunch-moon-phase/

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PSX games now available in the Android Market, if you own an Xperia Play

If you're lucky enough to own an Xperia Play -- Sony Ericsson's new Gingerbread-powered smartphone-cum-gamepad -- you can now buy PlayStation (PSX) titles from the Android Market.

There are five titles currently available, all priced at £3.99: Syphon Filter, MediEvil, Cool Boarders 2, Destruction Derby, and Jumping Flash. They don't have an American price yet, but that will surely change once the Xperia Play launches in the States.

Two important questions remain unanswered: How big are these games? The Market descriptions say the games are only 5MB, but that sounds incredibly unlikely -- and more importantly, will it be possible to 'spoof' the Xperia Play and download PSX games onto other Gingerbread-powered phones, like the Nexus S?

In other news, the PlayStation emulator PSX4droid was recently removed from the Android Market. This obviously has nothing to do with today's release of first-party PlayStation games.

PSX games now available in the Android Market, if you own an Xperia Play originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 04:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/01/psx-games-now-available-in-the-android-market/

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Seagate merges Barracuda range, renounces small platters for hungry storage diners

Seagate's decided its desktop drives were getting a bit flabby. It's ditching the Green and XT brands, and in turn, deeming the entire range Barracuda. The revamped series now carries 1TB platters rather than the five 600GB layers in the older models and all will run at 7200RPM with a 64MB cache. It's part of an initiative to slim a bloated inventory channel for the company's OEM partners. Those with an environmental bent should know that the new drives more than match the Green's environmental prowess, whilst those who are speed hungry will be excited to hear news on the mooted new Barracuda XT. This replacement XT will match the hybrid stylings of the Momentus XT, a hybrid HDD that includes a 4GB SSD to increase cache speed. The 3TB monster will be available for $179.99 as soon as it hits the shipping channels -- which, so far as we can tell, should be anytime between next week and next year.

Continue reading Seagate merges Barracuda range, renounces small platters for hungry storage diners

Seagate merges Barracuda range, renounces small platters for hungry storage diners originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 17:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/01/seagate-merges-barracuda-range-renounces-small-platters-for-hun/

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iPhone 4S arriving in Hong Kong, South Korea and a number of other locales on November 11th

Apple is getting ready to add a whole slew of new locations to its iPhone 4S world domination plan. Starting November 11th, the company's latest smartphone will be available in Hong Kong, South Korea and 13 additional countries, including Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, El Salvador, Greece, Guatemala, Malta, Montenegro, New Zealand, Panama, Poland, Portugal, and Romania. Pre-orders for those locations (save for Albania, El Salvador, Guatemala, Malta, Montenegro and Panama) will begin on the 4th. The handset is currently available in 29 countries -- that number will increase to more than 70 by year's end. Press info can be found after the break.

Continue reading iPhone 4S arriving in Hong Kong, South Korea and a number of other locales on November 11th

iPhone 4S arriving in Hong Kong, South Korea and a number of other locales on November 11th originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 09:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Daily Crunch: Space Bird Edition

Review: Kobo eReader Touch Edition Video: A Massive OLED Globe Fit For, Well, A Museum The Opena iPhone 4 Case Hides/Showcases Your Drinking Habit SugarSync Adds Mobile Device Management To Send Files To Devices From The Web Chair + Skateboard = Isukebo

Source: http://www.crunchgear.com/2011/06/14/daily-crunch-space-bird/

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iPhone 4S arriving in Hong Kong, South Korea and a number of other locales on November 11th

Apple is getting ready to add a whole slew of new locations to its iPhone 4S world domination plan. Starting November 11th, the company's latest smartphone will be available in Hong Kong, South Korea and 13 additional countries, including Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, El Salvador, Greece, Guatemala, Malta, Montenegro, New Zealand, Panama, Poland, Portugal, and Romania. Pre-orders for those locations (save for Albania, El Salvador, Guatemala, Malta, Montenegro and Panama) will begin on the 4th. The handset is currently available in 29 countries -- that number will increase to more than 70 by year's end. Press info can be found after the break.

Continue reading iPhone 4S arriving in Hong Kong, South Korea and a number of other locales on November 11th

iPhone 4S arriving in Hong Kong, South Korea and a number of other locales on November 11th originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 09:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/01/iphone-4s-arriving-in-hong-kong-south-korea-and-a-number-of-oth/

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Of Course the Pentagon's First Android Phone Is the Dead Dell Streak [Government]

The Pentagon has decided on its first secure mobile device running Android. The no-longer-available Dell Streak 5. Way to speed the process along Uncle Sam. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/VgC8K_l2ih8/of-course-the-pentagons-first-android-phone-is-the-dead-dell-streak

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Jetbus is a retro-tastic physics game, with a bus

Once upon a time, there used to be a DOS game with a caveman and a human powered helicopter. The caveman would shuttle around the screen, madly trying to get customers to where they wanted to go.

Jetbus is not that game, but it's obviously inspired by it. You're driving a yellow school bus which has jets. I guess the jet engine takes quite a bit of space inside the bus, because you can only pick up one person at a time.

There are several doors on the screen, each with its own number. As you pick up a person, the status bar at the bottom of the screen shows you which number door you have to take them to.

You must fly your bus carefully, because if it gets bumped around too much, you lose. You earn money on each level, and can visit the garage to buy better jets and damping, power-ups, or even a whole new vehicle.

So while this game isn't made as well as the original that inspired it, it does provide a few minutes of fun. And now, which one of you guys remembers the original and feels like pointing to it in the comments?

Jetbus is a retro-tastic physics game, with a bus originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/15/jetbus-is-a-retro-tastic-physics-game-with-a-bus/

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Google Cleans Up Gmail With New Design And Better Search

Google is rolling out a new design for Gmail over the next few days. It features more white space, less clutter, threaded conversations, new themes, and better search. Messages aren't as bunched up as before and easier to read. Adding a social element, Google is adding profile pictures beside each message, and the labels pop out more. The density of the text also adjusts depending on your screen size and resolution, making it easier on the eyes. The new design is in line with some of the changes Google just made to Google Reader in terms of spacing and overall feel.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/xov_omcW7N0/

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FL Studio coming to Android, Google fans can make phat beats too

Be jealous no more Android fans! (OK, maybe a little bit longer.) FL Studio is coming to your mobile OS of choice. No longer will it just be iDevice owners who get to channel their inner 9th Wonder on the go. Soon enough the company will release a version of its loop-based music-creation suite designed to work on both phones and tablets running Google's portable platform. We don't have a price or release date yet but, as a consolation prize, there's a video of the progress being made on the port after the break.

Continue reading FL Studio coming to Android, Google fans can make phat beats too

FL Studio coming to Android, Google fans can make phat beats too originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/31/fl-studio-coming-to-android-google-fans-can-make-phat-beats-too/

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Novatel celebrates sale of 3 millionth MiFi Intelligent Mobile Hotspot with an intelligent rager

Today marks a momentous occasion for Novatel Wireless, because shipments of its MiFi Intelligent Mobile Hotspot have now surpassed the 3 million mark. The company confirmed the milestone in an announcement yesterday, and took a moment to look back on how far their router has come since it was first introduced in 2009. Since then, Novatel has launched its family of MiFi devices with 25 operators across the world and is looking to build upon its record. For now, though, just grab a bottle of bubbly and join the PR party, after the break.

Continue reading Novatel celebrates sale of 3 millionth MiFi Intelligent Mobile Hotspot with an intelligent rager

Novatel celebrates sale of 3 millionth MiFi Intelligent Mobile Hotspot with an intelligent rager originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 07:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/01/novatel-celebrates-sale-of-3-millionth-mifi-intelligent-mobile-h/

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FoneStand Smartphone and Tablet Stand Review

When you want to use your smartphone or tablet hands free, you really need some sort of stand for it. Just like cases, there are a wide variety of device stands on the market. Today I want to show you the FoneStand. It’s an inexpensive plastic stand that can be used for iPhones, Android phones [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2011/10/30/fonestand-smartphone-and-tablet-stand-review/

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AVG launches LiveKive cloud sync and backup tool

A while back, we told you about AVG's new LiveKive service, a new cloud synchronization and backup tool which appears to have been named after a vat in which mash is made during the brewing process. But enough about AVG's odd choice of monikers -- LiveKive has launched and is now ready to accept your files into the AVG cloud.

LiveKive takes aim at services like Dropbox and SugarSync, though at the moment it's lagging behind in terms of features. As it stands, LiveKive is only compatible with Windows and OS X. There are no mobile clients yet, though with AVG's strong presence on Android we wouldn't be surprised to see an app arrive in the near future.

The company is offering a heck of a deal right now, however. If you sign up for a paid account during the launch phase, you can score unlimited storage for $80 for a whole year. You can't even score 50GB per year at that price from Dropbox, so if cost and space are more important to you than cross-platform availability, LiveKive might be worth checking out.

If you're not interested in ponying up any cash at the moment, you can still get a 5GB account free of charge. Just head on over, and create a LiveKive account.

AVG launches LiveKive cloud sync and backup tool originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 10:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/07/avg-launches-livekive-cloud-sync-and-backup-tool/

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Windows 8 desktop interface swaps classic theme for Metro, gets with the times

Microsoft's Windows 8 developer preview greeted us with an interface steeped in Redmond's new Metro style -- its tile-centric start screen is sleek, fresh, and downright pretty. Imagine our surprise then, when the preview's desktop default view punted us straight back to the contemporary "Aero" dressing of Windows 7. It's not an ugly interface by any means, but shiny, translucent window frames are so last generation. Where's the style? In the big M's latest Building Windows 8 preview, of course. The MSDN blog's latest Task Manager update shows the familiar feature in a clean Metro suit. Although Aero is still the OS' default look, the Windows 7 basic theme has been substituted for a style heavily inspired by Metro's clean tiles. The post doesn't say much on the matter (nothing at all, in fact), but it's nice to see the classic interface getting a facelift to match Microsoft's new look. Want to see more? Hit the source link below, it's got all the Metro window frames you could ask for.

Update: This post originally misstated that the updated Basic theme was a new style, but in fact, it is already available in the Windows 8 developer preview.

Windows 8 desktop interface swaps classic theme for Metro, gets with the times originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 08:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/31/windows-8-desktop-interface-kills-aero-for-metro-gets-with-the/

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