Archos GamePad 2, gaming 7-inch tablet

Archos has been working for a long time on the new GamePad 2 , gaming 7-inch tablet has obtained the certification of FCC recently , and only this morning, HKTDC has published the product page revealing its technical final. The new Archos GamePad 2 will have approximately the same size as its predecessor , but will boast a display with higher resolution, a processor faster and more memory RAM on board.

GamePad 2 is powered by a 1.6GHz quad-core CPU, which makes us think of a Rockchip RK3188 SoC, and integrates a 7-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory, expandable with a microSD card slot. What makes this device a tablet or a gaming console/Android tablet is definitely the presence of a D-pad and physical buttons integrated into the frame, which increase the size of the GamePad 2 (larger than any other 7-inch tablet) but allow the user to keep the console from the sides, with the thumbs and fingers on the buttons, without the need to touch the screen to start a game.

The tablet by a capacitive touchscreen display, but you can use a key mapping software for controlling and managing the game without using the screen. Sales prices and the availability to the public consumer are not yet known, but we expect a launch later this year (maybe for Christmas) to about $ 200. For now you can order 500 units for $ 170 each.

Via: Liliputing

Amazon launches new Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 and Kindle Fire 7 HDX

Amazon has made ​​official its new tablet called Kindle Fire HDX , to differentiate them from previous generation models. As expected, the new Kindle have a different design from the current one (especially if you look on the back), with a thin and lightweight frame made ​​of rounded corners and clean lines. The cover is lined with a soft touch material, opaque than the glossy frame, and home to the volume and power buttons on edge "drooping".

It includes two versions, one entry-level and a top-of-range to capture a greater number of users, each equipped with a quad-core processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 2.2GHz (with Adreno 330 GPU) supported by 2GB of memory RAM and 1.3 megapixel front camera. Kindle Fire HDX 7 has just a 7-inch Full HD ( 1920 x 1200 pixels ), while Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 " boast a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels and an 8-megapixel rear camera (absent in the smallest model). The screen is managed by an ambient light sensor that adjusts the brightness and contrast.

According to data released by the manufacturer, the new Kindle Fire HDX should ensure 11 hours of work, changing to 17 hours, when only used for reading, surfing on the internet and change any document. The installed operating system is OS Fire (Mojito version 3.0), based on Android 4.2.2 with interesting news. The interface has a menu as a grid (and not in carousel mode) and integrates some business-oriented features, such as hardware encryption, VPN and support for corporate email. For consumers, Amazon has come up with applications for entertainment such as X-Ray, to identify or find a soundtrack song lyrics while listening to the radio or a television program.

An interesting new feature introduced with the new Kindle Fire HDX is the MayDay button that users can press to automatically contact the engineers at Amazon. The assistance is provided every day, 24 hours to 24 (including holidays), is free and the operation is assured in a few seconds.

At the moment, Amazon has made ​​available in the two pre-order Kindle Fire HDX only in the USA but do not exclude that in the coming weeks the site is updated also Italian. With regard to price and versions available, Amazon has decided to propose several variants all with advertising included (to remove it you will need to shell out another $15 off the list price.) Amazon Kindle Fire HDX version of WiFi-only 16GB, 32GB and 64GB will be on sale from 18 October respectively, $229, $269 and $309. The LTE models with the same storage capacity will come on November 14 at a price of $329, $369 and $409.

Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 WiFi-only 16GB, 32GB and 64GB will be available from 7 November and will cost respectively $379, $429 and $479. variants LTE will be shipped from 10th November, with prices of $479, $529 and 579 dollars. For a few dollars more ($50-60) are also available the new enclosures " Origami "in more pastel colors, which act as a stand and cover. Therefore expect the release of Amazon Italy for an update on the availability and price of the new Kindle Fire HDX in our country. Stay tuned.

Android 4.4 KitKat

Mountain View has chosen, in partnership with the popular food company, the name of the new version of the platform "Android KitKat", although so far were not released details on the release number. It will be certainly of a higher version to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, which will bring interesting changes compared to it necessary (just) a change of generation. Android KitKat coincide with Android 4.4 and not Android 5.0, which has always defined Key Lime Pie.

Starting in 2009 with the release of Android Cupcake, the names of Android versions developed by Google engineers, have always had as its theme cakes, continuing in alphabetical order until the most recent version, Android Jelly Bean. The news that the letter 'K' will be dedicated to Nestlé's KitKat will surprise many critics of technology, that pointed instead to "Android Key Lime Pie." For the K version of Android could not imagine a better name of tasty chocolate snack that's always been a favorite of our team since the early days of Android," said Marc Vanlerberghe, Director of Marketing Android.

To celebrate the new version of Android KitKat, more than 50 million KitKat bars in the special edition will be available in 19 markets, including Australia, Brazil, Germany, India, Japan, the Middle East, Russia, United Kingdom and United States. As if that were not enough Nestlé has launched a competition "Win a Nexus tablet with Kit Kat". From September 9 to December 28, 2013, just buy a pack of Kit Kat, to be chosen among those in promotion, to try to win one of the prizes immediately up for grabs, including a new tablet Nexus 7.

MSI Primo 76, 7-inch tablet with phone functionality

At IFA 2013, the Taiwanese company could expand the family. On the official website, MSI has already released the product page, images and technical specifications of its new MSI Primo 76, a 7-inch Android tablet that will be available in Taiwan by the end of this week.

Primo 76 is a small tablet with quad-core SoC MediaTek MT8389 1.2GHz, Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean (supports access to Google Play Store) and display 7-inch IPS with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels (WXGA). The capacity is equal to 1GB of RAM, and 16GB internal memory touches, even if it is expandable with a slot for SD cards. The front camera has a 2-megapixel sensor, while the rear 5-megapixel camera. The connectivity instead can rely on an 802.11n WiFi module, Bluetooth 4.0, GSM / WCDMA. It will also be the first tablet of the series to have phone functions.

The MSI Primo is completed by GPS, G-Sensor, digital compass, microHDMI, micro USB (OTG compatible). The 4000 mAh battery brings the weight of the tablet at 360 grams with dimensions of 196 x 121 x 9.5 mm. MSI First 76 will be available in the first week of September at a price of $ 7,990 Taiwanese, about 200 euro at current exchange rates. For now it is not expected his arrival in Europe. For more information, please visit MSI official website.

LG G Pad 8.3

From the pictures, LG G Pad 8.3 looks like the  LG G2 extra-large in size. As regards the technical characteristics, the new LG tablet has a diagonal of 8.3 inches with a resolution of Full HD (1920 x 1200 pixels, 273PPI), quad-core processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 to 1.7GHz and GPU Adreno 320. The rest of the budget consists of 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory, unfortunately not expandable with microSD cards, and two 5-megapixel rear camera and 1.3 megapixel front. In the dimensions of 216.8 x 126.5 x 8.3 mm and weighing 338 grams, LG G Pad 8.3 integrates a battery of 4600 mAh and Android OS 4.2.2 customized by LG.

The new LG G Pad, which should boost the Korean company in the field of tablet, will be available later this year around the world, in the colors black and white. For now we have no information on sales prices, but the final cost would be around 399-499 euro.

Barnes & Noble will announced its tablet soon

The Nook Tablet, released in recent years, low-cost devices with Android operating system and applications dedicated to the reading of digital content from the B & N Store, but have not experienced the same success of the Amazon Kindle Fire tablet. For this reason, in the month of June, the company announced it would stop production of the Nook Tablet, while still producing the ebook-reader with e-ink display. The idea was to collaborate with other device manufacturers to continue to offer tablet in stores B & W or those of partners. But it seems that the company has "intention to continue to design and develop ebook-reader and tablet Nook."

The change, is following the resignation of CEO, William Lynch, reported in the last financial report of the company , which also highlights the economic difficulties of B & W, with a decrease in turnover of 20% than last year. According to the company, the financial loss is due in part to marcanza of a series of best selling books such as The Hunger Games or 50 shades of gray, but also to the increasingly fierce competition between the supply of physical books in the stores and to ebook, which can be read on e-book readers and tablets.

It is not clear whether we will see a new Nook tablet this year, but the company ensures that before Christmas will be launched a new Nook device. Since B&N has reduced the price of almost all models Nook in recent months, it is difficult to predict which device will be replaced by the one coming. B&W is developing a new Nook Simple Touch high resolution or color ebook-reader ?

Via: CNET

Nvidia Tegra Tab 7 Tablet

After the rumors of last week, which allowed us to define the name and the design of the new Nvidia tablet, add new details about the mysterious Tegra Tab 7. Although for now the Green Team chose not to rule on the next device in production, Nvidia Tegra Tab 7 is now show the official pictures. Latest photos, published by FoneArena, we show for the first time this tablet front, after having intrigued with the close-up images of the camera and the back.

Although it was initially thought to integration of a SoC Tegra 5, it is more likely that Nvidia Tegra Tab 7 "guard" a chip Tegra 4. The Nvidia tablet, as suggested by AndroidWorld, could push the sale and distribution of the last of the SoC company, especially after the disappointing results of the last quarter with a loss of revenue and profits and the low prevalence of Tegra 4. It should be noted, that despite the timid acceptance of Tegra 4, Nvidia Shield has made ​​a full house, with excellent sales performance. Nvidia Tegra Tab 7 could have the same fate, proving "the trump card" of the company to return to growth.

Kindle Fire Low cost tablets (not HD) with Mediatek MT8135

It would be a great victory for the Taiwanese chipmaker. MediaTek is an Asian company that provides chip for mobile devices "white box" and is also one of the leading providers of smartphone/tablet the most successful Chinese. Until now, the presence of this company in the "developed world" has not done much to hear, but the situation could change soon because Sony, Acer, Lenovo and other companies have adopted the MediaTek chip in their own low-end devices. These could also join Amazon, with a massive order of SoC for the next low-cost Kindle Fire.

The SoC chosen would be a MediaTek MT8135, based on the ARM architecture big.LITTLE, just like the Samsung Exynos Octa, but with "only" four cores (2 Cortex A15 for the most demanding tasks and 2 Cortex A7 for energy saving). Unlike the design of Samsung, however, MediaTek MT8135 allows to simultaneously work the two clusters or in any suitable combination to the workload. This means that when you need to activate only the core A7, saving energy, while for maximum performance must also activate the core A15.

Amazon has chosen MediaTek for the good relationship between price and processor power.The chipmaker produces almost exclusively low-cost processors, while Amazon is trying to maintain its sales prices of the next Kindle Fire, albeit with much higher specifications than the current ones. If the SoC Mediatek MT8135 is intended only for entry-level Kindle Fire (not HD), then we can see it updated this fall along with the HD variants. Maybe Amazon will maintain the current model on sale for a couple of months, and then replace it with the MediaTek-based.

JXD S7800 console-gaming Android tablet

JXD S7800 tablet is available in two versions, but neither is as powerful as Nvidia Tegra SoC Shield which houses a4 (Cortex A15). Both have a 7-inch IPS display (1280 x 800 pixels), quad-core processor and design very similar to a PSP, with prices of around 160-170 dollars.

JXD S7800B

The top-of-range chip integrates a Rockchip RK3188 (Cortex A9), 2GB of RAM, 8GB of storage and 5000 mAh battery. The operating system is Android 4.2.2 and there are stereo speakers, two cameras (front and rear), HDMI port, buttons on the sides and edges of the tablet in order to play.

Many games are designed for Android touch controls and, if desired, you can also use the 7-inch display to play. For games that support physical controls, you can use the D-pad, analog sticks, shoulder buttons and other controls. JXD also notes that the tablet can run a series of emulators that allow you to play classic titles for the PS1, Gameboy and other consoles.

JXD S7800A

If you want to save a few euro/dollars, JXD also offers a model entry-level of the same console with a quad-core processor Allwinner A31 (Cortex A7) 1GHz and 1GB of RAM. The rest of the specifications are almost identical to the model with Rockchip, but for $10 it is advisable to purchase the S7800B. Both tablets are expected to ship by the end of August or early September.

Via: Liliputing

Moto X, A smartphone made ​​by Americans for Americans

Motorola has finally launched its new smartphone in the U.S. Moto X, the first model in a series that embodies the renewal of the company but also the first that comes under the auspices of Google, that about a year ago bought Motorola. Moto X does not try to compete with the top-of-range smartphone currently on the market (Samsung Galaxy S4, HTC One, etc), but focuses on innovations in terms of use and customization (via the configurator Motorcycle Maker fabricating 504 different variants) to justify its price.

In the dimensions of 129.3 x 65.3 x 5.6 to 10.4 mm and weighing 130 g, Moto X is not exactly what we expected. It is not a mini-smartphone 4.3 inch or an ultra-droid 5 inches. Its screen type OLED measuring 4.7 inches (12 cm) with resolution HD (1280 x 720 pixels) and is the result of a careful study by the manufacturer on the tastes and needs of the users. The display will ensure energy savings and therefore a long range, compared to traditional LCD display. The cover of the device is also curved to ensure a good grip.

Under the hood is installed a processor Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro, but it is combined with two cores in a chip called the specific Motorola Mobile X8. In addition to the two core Krait from the GPU and 1.7GHz quad-core Adreno 320, this SoC integrates a core dedicated to speech recognition and another to motion detection. This chip will allow Moto X to be constantly waiting for voice commands or gesture with an autonomy of 24 hours. For example, even when the camera is activated by shaking your smartphone to three times, then pressing anywhere on the screen. The latter has a sensor 10.5 megapixels and promises a good image quality even in low light. The front camera can record Full HD 1080p video with its 2-megapixel camera.

Moto X also features 2GB of RAM, 16GB or 32GB of storage, connectivity 4G LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0 and 2200 mAh battery. The operating system is Android 4.2.2 and not Android 4.3. For its beginning, Motorola has the exclusive conditions. Assembled in Fort Worth, Texas, Moto X will be available in North America, at least initially. Only AT&T in the United States, will enable the customization of the terminal and will sell the 16GB and 32GB versions, respectively, $200 and $250 with subscription, or $570 and $630 without a contract.

These prices are not representative of the retail price of Moto X that will end up in the Google Play Store in a version of Moto X Google Edition, next to Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One.