AT&T To Launch Pantech Element LTE Tablet

AT&T gears up in introducing more LTE-capable devices, one of which has been leaked prior to launch. The Pantech Element, AT&T's newest LTE tablet, features an 8-inch display, dual-core 1.5GHz processor, Android Honeycomb, and 16GB of internal storage. The Element also comes with two cameras: a rear-facing 5-megapixel camera with 1080p video capture, and a 2-megapixel front-facing shooter for video chat. This tablet is also supposed to be ruggedly-designed as it is “waterproof for real life.” We think it means it can tolerate the occasional splashes, but do not dare bringing it into the pool. This despite the claims that Element has an IP57 waterproof rating (submersible in up to one meter of water). The Pantech Element is expected to be officially unveiled on January 8, with a reasonable $299 price tag plus contract.

Kindle Fire's Silk browser hacked to run on other Android devices

Amazon's Silk Web browser has received mixed reviews from the media and from consumers. In our review of the Amazon Kindle Fire, we noted that loading Web pages in the cloud-assisted browser on the tablet seemed to stall at first but once content finally began downloading, it indeed seemed to move very quickly. Other reviews found Silk to be much slower than other comparable browsers, however. Curious Android device owners who aren't among the millions who purchased the Kindle Fire ahead of the holidays can now install Amazon's Silk browser on a variety of rooted handsets and tablets thanks to the work of an xda-developers forum member. Results are mixed so far, and the port will not work on the Galaxy Nexus, among other handsets. Many users have successfully installed the browser on a variety of devices including the Motorola ATRIX and the Samsung Galaxy Tab, however.

ASUS to debut 7-inch Eee Pad tablet at CES

ASUS took the Android world by storm when it launched the Eee Pad Transformer last year. The Taiwanese company again shook things up with a sequel, the Transformer Prime. Both devices featured a 10.1-inch display with the ability to dock into a keyboard, transforming the tablet into a netbook. However, newly-leaked promotional images obtained by Notebook Italia suggest that ASUS is readying a 7-inch Eee Pad tablet that is set to debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in just a few weeks. It is unclear whether this new device is the delayed Eee Pad MeMO, that debuted at last year's CES, or perhaps a smaller Transformer tablet. Luckily for us, we won't have to wait long until this mystery device becomes official. Read

Classpad enters budget tablet market in India

As we are now in 2012, austerity measures are being put in place just about anywhere and everywhere you turn to. After all, the world economy is not exactly booming, and there is plenty of firefighting to be done by governments worldwide to make sure they do not go under. India, however, is set to continue on a boom, and the budget tablet market scenario heats up with the introduction of yet another player – the Classpad, targeting schools and young students. Developed by Classteacher Learning Systems, the Classpad's main function is to improve learning and interaction in the classroom. Needless to say, should it take off successfully, Classteacher Learning Systems is not going to lose the chance of it being released to the masses. Pricing for the Classpad starts from $140 thereabouts, hitting a high of $265 with all the bells and whistles thrown into the mix. That makes it pricier than the $45 government-sponsored Aakash, but you get what you pay for in this case, considering the Android 2.2 Froyo powered Classpad will feature up to 8GB of internal memory, sporting a superior 6-hour battery life and a more refined touch-screen user interface. Where will the Ubislate 7 fit in this new scenario? Only time will tell.

7-inch Asus Eee Memo Pad gets leaked, 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon inside

The Asus news, it just keeps on flowin'. Shortly after getting a sneak peek at the Eee PC Flare, in flies yet another leaked image of yet another leaked ASUS product. This go 'round, we're looking at what's purportedly the 7-inch Eee Memo Pad, a handy little fellow that we've actually heard about before. We're told that it'll ship with a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 16GB to 64GB of internal storage space, built-in 3G, WiFi and a 1,280 x 800 screen resolution, and it's apt to be revisited at CES 2012 before launching as an Asia-only product later in the year. It's hard to say what edition of Android will pop up when this is formally unveiled next week at CES, but we're guessing that it'll stick its tongue out at the long-awaited Padfone when it's introduced.

7 inch Asus Transformer Prime and new Eee Pad Memo tablet to be announced at CES 2012?

Asus is reportedly getting ready to launch a 7-inch version of its Transformer Prime Android tablet (the first in the world to feature a quad-core processor). According to Notebook Italia, the 7 inch Transformer Prime will be officially announced at CES 2012 (January 10 - 13). With it, a redesigned Asus Eee Pad Memo (initially announced last year) should be unveiled, too. The Italian website has an image of a new Asus tablet, but it's not clear if this is the 7 inch Transformer Prime, or the refreshed Eee Pad Memo: Both the 7 inch Transformer and the Eee Pad Memo will most probably come with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on board. The new Pad Memo should also have a 7 inch (1280 x 800) display, plus 3G, Wi-Fi, 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, and up to 64GB of internal memory.

All BlackBerry PlayBook tablets going for $299

Looks like the BlackBerry PlayBook is now going up for sale with yet another massive discount. While it's no HP TouchPad firesale, you can now purchase any BlackBerry PlayBook for $299. Yes that's right - regardless of whether your choose the 16GB, 32GB or 64GB model, the PlayBook will cost the same price - which basically means: don't expect the 64GB model to stay in stock for long (assuming the tablets sell well). We're talking about savings of up to $400 here! The BlackBerry PlayBook sale promotion will end on February 4th, so head over to RIM's online store now if you'd like to pick one up. Be sure to read our review of the BlackBerry PlayBook if you're on the fence about making a purchase.

Windows 8 tablets from Acer and Lenovo arriving in the second half of 2012?

Windows 8 doesn't have an official release date, but it looks like we'll be seeing it in the second half of this year - according to the folks over at DigiTimes. They've reported that Acer and Lenovo are reportedly working on Windows 8 tablets that will be released in Q3 2012. The tablets will be running on Intel's upcoming Clover Trail processor as opposed to the new Medfield processors that will be released in the first half of the year. A new version of the Windows operating system, and new processors to go along with it - 2012 is sure shaping up to be an interesting year. Stay tuned for more details.

Secret Motorola XOOM project hints at Android 4.0 update

Motorola recently posted a message in its XOOM owners forums alerting customers that the company is working on a confidential project for the XOOM. Any owner of the Wi-Fi-only “Google Experience Device” version of the XOOM can choose to participate. What remains unknown, however, is what the “confidential project” exactly is. We doubt Motorola would spend too much time adding new features or making too many tweaks to the tablet now that a new model has launched, so we think it's more likely that the company is working on a test version of Ice Cream Sandwich. Motorola confirmed that in October that it plans to issue an Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update to the XOOM, RAZR and DROID BIONIC. The full letter from Motorola follows after the break. Hi, Thanks for joining the Motorola Feedback Network. We are preparing a project for owners of the "Google Experience Device" version of the WiFi-only Motorola Xoom. (This is the U.S. version only.) If you own this particular model, we would like to invite you to participate. Click this link to take a short enrollment survey for this project. Please note that you must be a member in good standing of the Motorola Owners' Forums to take part. We have recently moved our forums communities to a new site, and YOU MUST RE-REGISTER to be considered a member. Please visit our new site and complete your registration update if you have not done so already. Be sure to fill out the MFN opt-in information on the new site. This is a confidential project under the terms of the Motorola Feedback Network. Do not post any details or information about this project on any public sites. Thanks - please understand that project start times are always fluid. We ask for your patience if you register but don't hear from us right away. - Matt Motorola Owners' Forums Motorola Feedback Network

Samsung to re-examine Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab Ice Cream Sandwich update

Late last week, Samsung announced that the highly-popular Galaxy S line and original Galaxy Tab would not be updated to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Outraged customers took to the web en masse to express their disapproval of Samsung's decision. The technology giant originally claimed that the Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab were having trouble fitting Samsung's entire Android suite, which includes its custom TouchWiz user interface, because of the device's limited memory. Due to customer demand, however, the company is now backtracking from its original announcement and re-examining the devices, MSN Korea reports. Samsung did not immediately respond to a request for comment.