Motorola Xoom Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update starts rolling out

The Android 4.0 update for the Motorola Xoom has started rolling out already. It looks like the first to get it are Wi-Fi-only Xooms in the USA. That makes sense, since the US-sold Xooms are ‘Google Experience Devices', whereas Xooms sold elsewhere aren't (then again, the first tablet to receive this update was the Asus Transformer Prime and that isn't a Google Experience Device). The update is about 81 MB in size and will bring your Xoom up to Android build version IML77. The update shall arrive over-the-air, and as such your tablet will notify you when it becomes available. As always with these things, the rollout may be staggered, meaning that it may take a few days (at least) for the update to reach your particular unit. Even more than that, we're guessing, if you're outside the US and/or you have a Xoom with mobile data connectivity (since in that case your carrier probably has to accept the update as well). Still, it's on its way starting today, and that can only be good news. By the way, Settings > About tablet > System updates is your friend in case you're feeling lucky.

Toshiba waterproof tablet is wirelessly powered

At the recently concluded CES 2012, Toshiba paraded a fair number of new gadgets in addition to prototypes – and one of them is this waterproof tablet which can also be powered sans wires. It resided inside an aquarium most of the time on the showfloor, to show to the world just how its internal hardware is dammed up against any leaks. Toshiba came about this tablet by prototyping one based on its “Regza Tablet” that comes with a 10.1″ LCD display. According to Toshiba, “We prototyped it for displaying our technologies. We are not planning to commercialize it at this point.” In order to send power wirelessly, Toshiba used the magnetic resonance method that has a relatively long range of transmission. With the distance between the prototyped tablet computer and a power-transmitting device measuring several centimeters, this allows the tablet to remain juiced while swimming with the proverbial sharks. There was no disclosure on the efficiency of the power transmission, although the efficiency level is not high.

UK Asus Transformer Prime models is free of Wi-Fi bug

If you happen to pick up an Asus Transformer Prime in the UK, then you can be sure that your particular unit has no Wi-Fi bug to worry about, although those of us living in the US and have a Transformer Prime to call our own are not exempt. Asus UK recently released a statement, saying, “As part of our unwavering commitment to our customers, we wish to allay some recent concerns regarding the Eee Pad Transformer Prime TF201. After extensive checks we can confirm that no units have been supplied to the UK with a known WiFi issue. Any customers experiencing WiFi issues specifically are advised to contact our support hotline on tel. 0870 1208 340.” Of course, if you happen to pick up a Transformer Prime TF201 and are not happy with the performance of the GPS module, there is still a window of opportunity for you to return the unit at your point of purchase in order to claim a full refund as per standard consumer rights that are applicable in the UK. If you prefer to hold on to your unit instead, here is a little bit of news that might just uplift your spirits in the middle of a work week – an extension will be granted to the standard ASUS warranty from 12 to 18 months. [Press Release]

HP TouchPad receives extremely Alpha CyanogenMod 9 build

While seeing CyanogenMod 7 on the HP TouchPad is pretty great already, what would be even greater would be seeing Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich-based CyanogenMod 9 on the HP TouchPad instead. If that's what you've been looking forward to ever since you picked up at $99 HP TouchPad during its fire sale, well you're in luck as XDA forum member dalingrin has released an extremely Alpha build of CyanogenMod 9 AOSP-built ROM for the HP TouchPad tablet. The ROM appears to be usable, but given how it's considered to be an extremely Alpha build, there are quite a ton of features that do not work just yet which includes hardware video (which prevents Netflix or HD YouTube videos from playing), the camera, and audio just to name a few. However if you just cannot resist CyanogenMod 9 on your HP TouchPad, you will be able to find the download at RootzWiki along with additional information on what works and what does. Alternatively there's a thread going on at the XDA forums where users are discussing their experiences with the Alpha build of CyanogenMod 9 for the HP TouchPad.

Fujitsu M532 tablet revealed in video, has Ice Cream Sandwich in store

Now here is a tablet from Fujitsu – the Fujitsu M532, which is surprising to stumble upon simply because Fujitsu is not exactly well known for its prowess in the tablet department to date. It seems that the Fujitsu M532 has a statement of intent to make, considering how it comes with a Tegra 3 chipset within, with word that it will hit the market this May (no idea if that is the Japanese market or otherwise). Apart from the NVIDIA Tegra 3 chipset, the M532 will also come with a display that packs in 1280 x 800 pixels, 16GB of internal memory, a 3-megapixel camera in front and an 8-megapixel shooter at the rear. Word on the street has it that this will carry a €499 price tag, although that has yet to be finalized. We do look forward to it arrive with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Verizon drops price of Motorola DROID RAZR to $199.99

Verizon announced on Tuesday that the Motorola DROID RAZR, which originally launched a few months back for $299.99, is now available for $199.99 with a new two-year contract. The DROID RAZR is equipped with a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, support for Verizon's 4G LTE network, 16GB of storage, an 8-megapixel camera capable of recording 1080p HD video and more. The slim smartphone will also become available in new white or purple color options on January 23rd. Verizon's full press release follows after the break. DROID RAZR™ By Motorola Now Available For $199.99 Online On The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Network  Customer Inquiries The DROID RAZR™ by Motorola in Black is now available online atwww.verizonwireless.com for $199.99 with a new two-year customer agreement. Equipped with 16 GB on-board memory, the DROID RAZR is 7.1 mm thin, made with KEVLAR® fiber for strength and Corning® Gorilla® Glass for scratch resistance. DROID RAZR customers can expect to rip through the Web at blazing speeds with a dual-core 1.2 GHz processor and Verizon Wireless 4G LTE. Verizon Wireless leads the way in 4G with the fastest and most reliable 4G network in the United States, covering more than 200 million people in 190 markets. Additional features: Powered by Android™ 2.3.5 Gingerbread, upgradable to Android™ 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with 1080p HD video capture and image stabilization technology for crisp and clear videos Front-facing HD camera for video chat over 4G LTE, 3G or Wi-Fi 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot capable - customers can share 4G LTE speed with up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices Remote wipe, pin lock and government-grade encryption for email, calendar and contacts, as well as voice and video chat conferencing 16 GB on-board memory microSD™ card slot with support for up to 32 GB memory card The DROID RAZR in White and Purple will be also available for $199.99 in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online atwww.verizonwireless.com on Jan. 23. Customers that purchase a DROID RAZR will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan beginning at $39.99 monthly access and a smartphone data package starting at $30 monthly access for 2 GB of data. For more information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

LG Optimus Pad LTE announced

Today LG announced the launch of its first LTE-capable tablet, the Optimus Pad LTE. The tablet features LTE connectivity, an 8.9″ True HD (1280 x 720) IPS display, an 8-megapixel rear camera, a 2-megapixel front facing camera, a Qualcomm 1.5GHz dual-core processor, Android 3.2 Honeycomb, 32GB of internal storage, microSD card slot (up to 32GB), HDMI output, DLNA, and a 6,800mAh battery. No word on whether the tablet will be receiving Ice Cream Sandwich, but the tablet will be initially launched in South Korea before it makes its way to the rest of the world. The True HD display and LTE connectivity will definitely draw a lot of people, but the lack of Ice Cream Sandwich might turn off folks who don't want to wait for an upgrade for the tablet.

Kindle Fire update 6.2.2 released

Users who haven't rooted and blocked software updates on their Kindle Fire tablets will probably realize a new update being pushed out by Amazon today. According to reports online, the Android tablet is now receiving an update that brings the tablet up to version 6.2.2. The update is touted to be a minor one, with the only noticeable difference being the ability to go into full screen mode when using the Silk web browser. And in case you were wondering - yes, it breaks root. However, if you use BurritoRoot to root the device, the utility has already been updated to support the latest version of the Kindle Fire. For those of you who aren't bothered about it can proceed with the update without any worry. And if you haven't received the notification, you can head over to Amazon's website to grab the update.

Asus Transformer Prime experiences Ice Cream Sandwich failure for some

While the majority of Asus Transformer Prime owners would probably have been pleased with the Ice Cream Sandwich update on their respective tablets (which was also demonstrated recently), there is a small group of Transformer Prime owners who are left far more frustrated than before. It seems that several owners have already filed complaints that their tablets display a serial number error, whereby this acts as a doorstop that prevents the update from installing – at least according to the flurry of activity that is happening on the XDA Developers forum. Asus is already aware of the situation and are working on a fix which should be out soon. According to Asus' technical marketing manager Gary Key, the tablet is unable to automatically or manually update to the latest firmware, hence this particular problem. If you are one of the affected, then you can always make a backup of all your data, perform an factory reset and ensure the Transformer Prime remains active with a Wi-Fi connection for up to a quarter of an hour for it to synchronize with Asus' servers. Should the update fail to start automatically after that, keep your fingers crossed that a manual update would work. If all else fails, then just send Key a private message on the forum along with the serial numbers of your tablet, and he personally gives his assurance that something will be done. Now is that dedication or what?

Windows 8 tablet minimum requirements revealed

Microsoft has previously mentioned that Windows 8 will have no problem running on computers that can already run the Windows 7 operating system but it looks like the company wants to be a bit stricter when it comes to tablets. Just like its tight control over the specifications of Windows Phone smartphones, Windows 8 tablets are going to have special requirements. According to reports online, Windows 8 tablets will need to have the following features: Storage of at least 10GB free space after the out-of-box experience completes, UEFI firmware, WLAN and Bluetooth 4.0 + LE, Direct3D 10 graphics with WDDM 1.2 driver, a screen resolution of 1366 x 768, touch support for at least 5 points, a 720p capable camera, ambient light sensor (1-30k lux capable with a dynamic range of 5-60k), magnetometer, accelerometer, gyroscope, USB 2.0 (one controller and exposed port) and speakers. Other features include NFC support, and five hardware buttons (power, rotation lock, Windows key and volume up/down). Fortunately for those of you who want to build your own computers, it's not going to be a problem, as these requirements are only for tablets - to ensure a consistent Windows 8 experience across all devices even though they may be from different OEMs. What do you think of the Windows 8 tablet requirements? Should they be higher or should they be up to the manufacturers?