Lucky Android fans could get their Nexus 7 tablets as soon as July 13th

Android fans who preordered Google's flagship Nexus 7 tablet through the Google Play store could get a nice big treat in the mail as soon as Friday. DroidMatters reports that Google has started shipping Nexus 7 preorders and some customers could see their tablets arrive as soon as July 13th. The site discovered that some tablets were arriving on Friday through a posting on the XDA-Developers forum showing an order sheet for the Nexus 7 with a scheduled delivery time of July 13th between 2:15 pm and 6:15 pm. DroidMatters speculates that other retailers will start shipping their own Nexus 7 preorders now that Google got the ball rolling.

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Kouziro crafts wired-only, 21.5-inch Android 4.0 mega tablet

We're wondering if Kouziro saw the ASUS Transformer AIO and developed a little Freudian envy. That would certainly help explain the company's FT103 tablet, which at 21.5 inches is one of the biggest devices running Android 4.0 without veering into full-size TV territory. If you're having sudden flashbacks to the Toshiba Excite 13 and dreading the thought of lugging around all 11 pounds of this slab, you'll breathe a sigh of relief knowing that Kouziro doesn't make any pretenses surrounding portability: there's no battery, and a kickstand keeps it upright on a desk rather than crushing your lap. The lackluster 1GHz TI OMAP 4428 processor and 8GB of storage certainly won't do much to draw attention, though. All the same, the HDMI input and 1080p screen resolution could make it a very clever secondary display for another device, and the extra-extra-extra-large size lets it stuff in two full USB ports and Ethernet along with the usual front camera and mobile expansion. The late July release in Japan and the ¥34,800 ($437) price aren't outlandish for what's in the box — just brace yourself for psychoanalysis from friends and family after taking the FT103 home.

Le Pan II receives Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich update at long last

 
Earlier this year at CES 2012, the world was introduced to yet another Android-powered tablet (which frankly, has flooded the market by the dozens, making it rather tough to pick out one that is very different from the rest) in the form of the Le Pan II. Half a year ago, it ran on Android 3.2 Honeycomb which was a tablet-centric version of Android, and we are pleased to announce that from July 15th onwards, the Le Pan II is on the receiving end of the Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system update.

This operating system update will introduce recent tabs when you press the home button, making life far easier whenever you are working on the tablet itself. Not only that, users will be able to benefit from the NFC feature thanks to the inclusion of Android Beam, letting you share content wirelessly with other compatible devices. In addition, we ought to be able to see an improved battery life, better and more stable Wi-Fi connectivity, better processing performance, and the ability to adjust the usage of RAM automatically while freeing up additional internal memory space. Your camera on the Le Pan II should also work in a faster and smoother manner.

There are also whispers that this holiday season, we could be looking at a third generation Le Pan tablet with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean in tow. Time will reveal all rumors, so let us sit out on this one and wait.

Nexus 7 tablet receiving Android 4.1.1 update

Android 4.1.1 just made itself available on the AOSP servers yesterday, and evidently it's wasting no time in heading towards the world's first Jelly Bean tablet. The ASUS-built Nexus 7 is now receiving the update — a 12.6MB download that boosts the version number to 4.1.1. Our in-house unit isn't pulling down the new edition just yet (nor is our Galaxy Nexus), so it seems to be one of Google's typical phased releases. At any rate, Android Central is reporting that the code “improves performance and responsiveness system wide,” while also adding Google Wallet to your app library.

Hyundai reportedly launching three Android tablets in Russia this year

It seems that Lamborghini isn't the only car manufacturer interested in expanding its business to mobile devices. According to a Russian blog, Hyundai will be launching three tablets running Ice Cream Sandwich this year in Russia. Interesting isn't it? One of the three is a 7-inch Kindle-like tablet dubbed as Hyundai HT-7B. This tablet will reportedly sport a 1024x600 display and a 1 GHz Samsung CPU. Other purported features of the tablet include a 1 GB RAM, Wi-Fi and GPS support, a 2-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 3-megapixel camera, 8 GB built-in storage, and a 4000 mAh battery.

Another tablet is the Hyundai HT-9B. This 9.7-inch tablet will feature a 1024x768 IPS display, a 1.2 GHz Cortex A8 CPU, and a Mali-400 GPU. Other features will include a 1 GB RAM, 16 GB storage, 2-megapixel rear and 3-megapixel front cameras, GPS/ Wi-Fi/ Bluetooth support, USB 2.0, HDMI and a 5600 mAh battery. Last but not the least is the 10.1-inch Hyundai HT-10B. This large tablet, also running Ice Cream Sandwich, will be powered by a 1.2 GHz Cortex A8 CPU and Mali-400 GPU. Notable specs will include a 1 GB RAM, 16 GB storage, 2-megapixel rear and 3-megapixel front cameras, built-in 3G, GPS/ Wi-Fi/ Bluetooth support, USB 2.0, HDMI, and a 5600 mAh battery.

Nexus 7 tablets now shipping to pre-order customers

 
To those of you who've pre-ordered a Nexus 7 tablet and you've been holding your breath waiting for it to arrive at your doorstep, well it looks like the wait is finally over. According to a post on the official Nexus Google+ account, it looks like the very first Android Jelly Bean tablet will be arriving at some of your doorsteps today. The Nexus 7 is officially shipping out to pre-order customers, so some of you might be coming home (or staying in and waiting by your doorstep) for a big surprise.

The Nexus 7 has been well received by many blogs (including ours) so we're just as excited as you are about the tablets finally shipping out. For those of you who get your hands on it today, do drop us your first impressions in the comments below, we'd like to know what you think about it.

Hot start for Nexus 7: Major chains report quick sellouts

Reuters reports that some major retail chains have been running out of Google Nexus 7 tablets on the device's first day of availability. According to Reuters, customers have already ripped all the Nexus 7 tablets out of GameStop's inventory while both the Sam's Club and Walmart websites list the device as out of stock as well. While GameStop would not specify the exact number of Nexus 7 tablets it had ordered, a company spokesman told Reuters that it ”blew through the first two allotments,” meaning GameStop won't have any more Nexus 7s to sell until a third allotment becomes available in August.

CyanogenMod Alpha 0.05.1 on NOOK Tablet

 
It is not a week after Barnes & Noble rolled out the latest software version 1.4.3 for the NOOK Tablet and you can say that the developers who worked on an unofficial port of CyanogenMod 9 for the NOOK tablet have wasted no time at all, having updated their version of the software, too. Known as CyanogenMod Alpha 0.05.1, you can tell by the version number alone that this is still a potential diamond in the rough. Forget about enjoying official support for Netflix, YouTube HD, as well as other tasks that have need for hardware video acceleration. In addition, you will find that the microphone in the NOOK Tablet is pretty much useless in CyanogenMod Alpha 0.05.1, so no point speaking to it.

What makes CyanogenMod 9 Alpha is the fact that it delivers Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on a silver platter to the NOOK Tablet, not to mention the ability for you to access the Google Play Store – and subsequently, opening up the door to hundreds of thousands of apps, is worth having a closer look at.

Samsung loses appeal to lift Galaxy Tab 10.1 sales ban

A judge with the United States District Court for Northern California has rejected Samsung's appeal to a lift a sales ban of its Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet, Reuters reported. The rulings is the third and latest legal setback to hit the South Korean manufacturer over the past week. “Samsung is disappointed with the court's decision that denied our motion to stay,” the company said in a statement. “We believe today's ruling will ultimately reduce the availability of superior technological features to consumers in the United States.” U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh on Friday also banned sales of Samsung's Galaxy Nexus smartphone; the move reportedly enraged Google, which then rushed to its partner's aid.

Google's Nexus 7 tablet hits the iFixit teardown labs

We can always count on iFixit to get down and dirty with its spudger and the latest tablet tech, and we're not going home empty handed today. The latest victim happens to be Google's recently announced Nexus 7, which has achieved a “repairability score” of 7 out of 10 (the Kindle Fire squeaked one notch past with an 8), with many accessible components including a replaceable battery and standard Phillips screws. While the site's ultimate goal is to illustrate the delicate process of opening our gadgets while leaving them unharmed, the good folks at iFixit never fail to entertain us in the process, with two dozen high-res photos of the Nexus 7′s innards littering the 21-step repair guide. The most disappointing discovery appears to be the display, which is permanently affixed to its Corning glass covering, but given the tablet's $200 price tag, replacing such a component is not likely to be a cost-effective proposition. There's plenty more to gawk over, but you'll need to head to iFixit to, well, get your fix.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 GT-P6800 getting Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich now?

As reported not long ago, Samsung plans to upgrade many of its Galaxy tablets to Android 4.0 ICS starting this month. It looks like the first to get the update is the Galaxy Tab 7.7 GT-P6800.

According to SamMobile, owners of the Tab 7.7 GT-P6800 are getting ICS (via Samsung Kies) as of yesterday, July 3. This, however, seems to happen only in Austria for now.

In case you don't know yet, the GT-P6800 is the 3G version of the Galaxy Tab 7.7. There's also a Wi-Fi-only version (GT-P6810), and an LTE one (i815 - sold in the US by Verizon). These will probably taste ICS pretty soon, too.

Acer's Iconia Tab A210 Android tablet hits the FCC

Acer wasn't divulging much about availability when we first caught sight of its Iconia Tab A210 at Computex last month (beyond a general "Q3"), but the 10-inch Android tablet has now at least cleared one hurdle on its way to a release. The device has just passed through the FCC, which could indicate that it's headed for stores sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, there's not much else to be found beyond the tablet's label and a few test reports, so you'll have to wait for a future filing if you were hoping for a peek inside the device - feel free to revisit our hands-on in the meantime.

NEC Japan introduces the LifeTouch L, its first Android 4.0 Tablet

Here you are NEC new Android Tablet the LifeTouch L. Announced for a July launch across Japan this B2B tablet will come by default with Android 4.0 and will be sold at around 40,000 Yen in its 16GB version and around 50,000 Yen in its 32GB version. The LifeTouch L will come with an Dual Core 1.5GHz TI OMAP 4460 CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 10.1" IPS Screen with a 1280×800 resolution, WiFi, BLuetooth 2.1+EDR, GPS, DLNA… with a size of 257x181x7.99mm, a weight of 540g a a 7,400mAh batter offering up to 13h of continues web browsing.

Microsoft and Barnes & Noble to announce tablet with Xbox Live streaming, report claims

Microsoft announced this past April that it acquired a 17% stake in a newly-formed Barnes & Noble subsidiary that will focus on Nook tablets and eReaders. What the company may not have mentioned at the time is that the new partnership might also yield a line of Microsoft-branded tablets. Microsoft sent out a last-minute invitation to a press conference late last week, and multiple subsequent reports have suggested that this event will see Microsoft unveil a new line of own-brand tablets powered by Windows RT. According to a recent report from TechCrunch, however, the Redmond-based company plans to take the wraps off a Barnes & Noble joint effort. The site's sources claim the new tablet will be an eReader-media tablet combo, and it will focus on entertainment thanks to the inclusion of Xbox Live streaming support. Microsoft's event begins at 6:30 p.m. Eastern, 3:30 p.m. Pacific, and BGR will be on hand to cover the press conference live.

NEC annonces LifeTouch L tablets for individual and business users

 If you're in the market for a couple of new tablets, NEC has recently announced two new tablets dubbed the LifeTouch L. Yup, you read it right, both tablets will be known as the LifeTouch L but the difference between them is that one will be aimed at regular consumers like you and I, while the other will be aimed at the business user. However the difference only comes in the software, with the business version sporting an additional security software suite which will aid in the prevention of loss or in the case of theft. The ones intended for regular consumers will get a software suite of its own which will help parents protect their kids from certain websites online.

As far as hardware is concerned, both tablets will feature the same hardware which is a TI OMAP4460 1.5GHz processor, a 10.1x1280×800 IPS display, a battery capable of lasting 13 hours, WiFi and storage options of 16GB or 32GB (the business version will only sport 16GB) and will run on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. No word on pricing just yet, but the tablet aimed at individual users is expected to see a release on the 5th of July.

‘Xbox Surface' 7-inch tablet said to be on tap for Microsoft event

Rumors and speculation have been flying since Microsoft announced last week that it was hosting a press conference in Los Angeles on Monday, and that might be exactly what the Redmond-based company was hoping for. Early well-sourced reports indicated that a Microsoft-branded tablet is on tap for the event, and a number of subsequent reports have said much of the same. TechCrunch later reported that we should expect a Barnes & Noble collaboration, but B&N squashed that rumor relatively quickly. Next up from the rumor mill? An “Xbox Surface” tablet with a 7-inch display, an ARM based TI processor, full HD 1080p-output and a 28-nanometer AMD graphics processor. An an interesting side note, Microsoft insider “MS Nerd” reported earlier this year that Microsoft would unveil an ARM-based “Xbox Lite” in the near future ahead of a full-fledged next-generation Xbox console, and this very well could be the device his sources were referring to.

Live from Microsoft's tablet event!

After saving things for the very last minute in an effort to keep today's news under wraps, Microsoft is finally ready to get the show under way here in Los Angeles, California. The topic of today's event is still something of a mystery, though a pair of well-sourced reports from last week suggest Microsoft is about to enter the the tablet game with its first own-brand offering. Microsoft is no stranger to hardware, though it has seen mixed results in the past; the Xbox 360 is still the best-selling console in the world seven years after its 2005 debut, but the Zune player was a mess from start to finish. Nothing is confirmed until we hear it straight from the horse's mouth, however, so hit the jump to follow BGR's live coverage of today's event, which is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. Eastern, 3:30 p.m. Pacific.

Microsoft unveils Surface tablet

Microsoft on Monday announced the Surface tablet during a press conference in Los Angeles, California. Rumors leading up to the event suggested that the Redmond-based company had an own-brand tablet in store, and a leaked spec sheet that emerged on Monday pointed to an Xbox-focused slate that would merge entertainment, gaming and high-definition output into a 7-inch tablet that would mark Microsoft's premiere entry into the market. Bits and pieces of various rumors ended up panning out, and Microsoft unveiled its first Windows RT tablet.

Developing… “Surface fulfills the dream of working anywhere,” Microsoft said of the 9.3-millimeter thick tablet, which includes a magnesium case that weighs less than 1.5 pounds and features an integrated stand to prop the device up while watching videos or typing on a Bluetooth keyboard. The face of the Surface is covered with Corning Gorilla Glas 2, and it includes a magnetic connector to hold a case in place.

The new Surface tablet ships with a number of popular Microsoft apps, including Xbox live, and it includes a native Netflix app as well. USB 2.0 and HDMI-out ports are both on board, as are rear and front-facing cameras. An Intel Ivy Bridge Core i5 processor powers the Surface along with a unique vented active cooling system.

Microsoft's Surface tablet supports both finger and stylus input, as well as 600 dpi “Digital Ink” for drawing, writing and marking up documents.

Microsoft Surface tablet hands-on

Microsoft's mystery event is finally over and considering the flurry of leaks that piled up ahead of this evening's press conference, we can't say were entirely surprised by the announcement of the company's first own-brand tablet. BGR was on hand reporting live as Microsoft took the wraps off the Surface tablet, a 9.3 millimeter-thick magnesium slate intended to set the stage for Windows 8 and Windows RT. We managed to fight our way through the crowd for a quick hands-on look, and Microsoft's new tablet shows some serious promise. Hit the jump for more and be sure to check out our hands-on photo gallery linked below. First, there's the design of the device itself. Microsoft has tried to make Surface into a Swiss Army Knife type of tablet that features both a kickstand and a snap-on keyboard. The good news is that neither of these features are terribly obtrusive as the kickstand just slides right back into the tablet and the keyboard can be either snapped off or flipped over like a book. There are two types of keyboards that Microsoft is selling with the device, called the Touch Cover and the Type Cover. The Touch Cover is a pressure-sensitive pad that can pick up on your keystrokes and is only 3 millimeters thick. The Type Cover is more of a traditional keyboard with fully embossed keys that press down and is slightly thicker at 5 millimeters. I have to admit that the Touch Cover felt somewhat alien to me at first when I was playing around with it, but that could be due to the fact that I didn't have a lot of time to play around with it - Microsoft was really herding reporters quickly through the line. The Type Cover did feel quite natural as a keyboard should, however, so at the very least, there should be one strong option for people who prefer traditional keyboards. The tablet's 10.6-inch display screen looked gorgeous, although Microsoft was being weirdly evasive when asked what the exact screen resolution was. The tablet's “VaporMg” casing is extremely solid, and the tablet feels very strong in your hands. Despite being 9.3 millimeters thick, the Windows RT version of the Surface is in no danger of bending under pressure. In terms of software, Windows RT brings some cool new capabilities to the tablet form factor, including the ability to run two apps on the same screen simultaneously. One Microsoft rep, for instance, demonstrated how to have Outlook email on one half of the screen while having sports scores on the other half. And of course, the home screen on both versions of the Surface tablet features Windows 8′s Metro UI that is significantly more intuitive, colorful and user-friendly than past editions of Windows. So what's the bottom line here? Well, Microsoft didn't let me spend nearly enough time with its Surface tablets to write a comprehensive review and since the devices are still a long way from being released, I'm going to assume that's because Microsoft is still putting a lot of finishing touches on them. But what I saw looked really intriguing, and Microsoft has at least in concept created a tablet computer that can also double as a PC. While this alone certainly won't be enough to help Microsoft compete with the mighty Apple iPad, it does breathe some much-needed life into Microsoft's mobile product line.

Image taken by Google Nexus Tablet appears in Picasa

Excited about the rumored 7" Google Nexus tablet that might be making its way to the upcoming Google I/O Conference happening later this month? As Google's developer conference is drawing near, it looks like more and more news about the company's very own tablet manufactured by Asus are leaking out. The latest leak is an image purportedly taken by the Google Nexus tablet that appeared in Google's image sharing service - Google Picasa, according to the EXIF information at least.

There's nothing special about the picture though, no image of the actual tablet has been revealed – it's only a lousy and boring image of partition ceiling and lights; I've never been fond of cameras found in tablet devices anyway. This new leak suggests that the tablet could really be on its way to the conference. Feel free to check out the image on Picasa, it's still up and available on the photo sharing service by Google, do you think it's the real deal?