NEC LaVie Y brings Lenovo’s 360-degree IdeaPad Yoga hybrid tablet to Japan

Don’t think that Lenovo is keeping the IdeaPad Yoga’s bendy secrets all to itself: its Japanese partner NEC is bringing a variant of the ARM-based Yoga 11 to the land of the rising sun as the LaVie Y. The 11.6-inch blend of laptop and tablet keeps the signature 360-degree display, 2GB of RAM and 64GB of storage as its more internationally-minded counterpart, and confirms that there’s a quad-core Tegra 3 powering either of the Windows RT systems. What differences exist will stem from the software: there’s hints of a custom NEC app on an otherwise vanilla interpretation of Microsoft’s platform. The LaVie Y should precede its IdeaPad sibling by days, arriving in stores around November 22nd, although any local buyers will pay dearly for the privilege with an estimated $1,136 price. We’d suggest that patience ought to be a virtue for everyone else.
NEC

Acer Iconia Tab A110 reaches North America on October 30th for $230, faces a tough fight

Acer hasn’t had an easy mid-year: it trotted out the Iconia Tab A110 at Computex as a budget Android tablet that could still claim Tegra 3 speeds, only to watch the Nexus 7 arrive and leave virtually every other comparable tablet in a tight spot. It’s North America’s turn at the A110 this month, and the side-by-side looks aren’t getting much easier. When the 7-inch Jelly Bean slate ships to the continent on October 30th, it will cost $230 in both the US and Canada for the lone 8GB version — a better value than we see in Europe, but still a slightly awkward middle ground between an 8GB Nexus 7 at $199 and its $249, 16GB edition. We’re guessing that Acer is counting on the microSD and micro-HDMI expansion to tempt would-be North American buyers away from a less flexible (if Google-blessed) rival.

Shadowgun: Deadzone scalda i muscoli e si prepara ad arrivare su tutti i dispositivi Tegra 3

Lo avevamo visti nei primi minuti di gameplay allo scorso CES 2012 e adesso Madfinger Games ha ufficialmente tolto i veli all’attesa modalità multiplayer di Shadowgun con un capitolo interamente dedicato all’online game che finalmente si prepara ad affrontare una prima fase beta a numero chiuso.

Shadowgun: Deadzone si trova ormai nelle fasi finali del suo sviluppo ed una prima closed beta è stata resa disponibile agli utenti della Repubblica Ceca per poi sbarcare tra due settimane a partire da oggi in versione beta pubblica ovviamente per tutti quei dispositivi dotati di chipset Nvidia Tegra 3.

Quello che si sa di questo capitolo che seguirà in parte la serie è che permetterà fino ad 8 giocatori di sfidarsi nelle stesse arene del capitolo originale, il livello grafico sarà ancora all’altezza dell’engine Unity che ha già riscosso un notevole successo mentre non si hanno informazioni riguardanti una possibile versione compatibile con tutti i dispositivi Android. Al termine del periodo di prova il gioco verrà rilasciato ufficialmente nel Play Store, presumibilmente entro poche settimane.

via

Sony Xperia Tablet S hands-on (video)

Sony officially launched its new tablet here at IFA — and it’s keeping that folded-over profile. Happily, it’s running Android ICS. We’ve just spent some time with the Xperia Tablet S here in Berlin and it’s looking like Sony wants this to be the center of your media-consuming world. The new tablet pals up with the company’s range of phones, bearing that familiar Xperia branding on a freshly hewn metal slab. Yes, the new tablet sidesteps the plastic build of Sony’s last two tablets going for a solid metal build. Fortunately, it feels just as light in the hand, while that folded design also remains well-balanced. We’re particularly pleased with the tactile finish on the folded-over surface of the tablet — it’s very grippable. Internally, we’re dealing with a quad-core Tegra 3 processor, while a 10-inch 1,280 x 800 IPS display will be showing off all that media and gaming content. Browse our gallery of images below and check out our hands-on video and first impressions after the break.

Sony Xperia Tablet S official: slimmed-down design, Tegra 3, IR remote and Android 4.0, starts at $400

Looks like those leaked slides showing Sony’s Xperia-branded tablet were right about pretty much everything. (Well, everything except the price, anyway). The company just formally announced the Xperia Tablet S and, as rumored, it features a Tegra 3 chip, Android 4.0 and up to 64GB of built-in storage. Like last year’s Tablet S, it has that distinctive folded-over magazine shape, except this go-round it’s made of metal, and measures between .35 and .47 inches thick (the weight, too, has dropped to 1.26 pounds, down from 1.31). Sony also kept the Tablet S’ IR emitter, which allows the tablet to double as a universal remote, and this time you can program shortcuts to do things like watch sports. Rounding out the spec sheet, there’s a full-size SD slot, a 9.4-inch (1,280 x 800) IPS screen and a 6,000mAh battery promising 10 hours of runtime.

As we mentioned, the tablet will ship with Ice Cream Sandwich, but Sony is promising an upgrade to Jelly Bean as soon as it can optimize all its custom apps. And indeed, there are quite a few specialized applications here. For starters, there’s a new Watch Now app that allows for live TV-viewing (cable subscription required), with the option to “check into” shows and share comments on Facebook and Twitter. Meanwhile, Sony added a Guest Mode that lets you create custom user profiles, forbidding the use of certain apps — a handy parental control tool, we say. Naturally, Sony also threw in Music and Video Unlimited, where you can buy content from Sony’s vast movie and song catalogs. Finally, the tablet comes with 5GB of space in PlayMemories, Sony’s new cloud storage service.

The tablet will be available September 7th, though Sony is accepting pre-orders starting today. It will start at $400 for the 16GB model, with the 32GB going for $500 and the 64GB for $600. And yes, as those leaked slides indicated, there will most certainly be accessories. For starters, there’s that optional Surface-like keyboard we heard about, priced at $100. There’s also a three-position stand, with HDMI output and a USB adapter for a charging. That, too, costs $100. Sony is also selling a charging cradle ($40), a plain-Jane stand ($25), a dock speaker ($130) and a carrying case, priced at either $51 or $80, depending on whether or not you get it in leather. We very much expect to get some hands-on time at IFA, so stay tuned for first-hand impressions.

Sony Xperia Tablet S

Google Nexus 7 overclocked to 2GHz, punches well above its weight

The stock Nexus 7 peaks at a 1.3GHz clock speed when it’s at full burn. That’s certainly good enough for the $199 price tag, but eager adopters have just hit a new record in trying to wring out even more of a bang for the buck. Courtesy of a custom Elite kernel from XDA-Developers‘ Clemsyn, the Tegra 3 in the mini tablet will scale all the way to a heady 2GHz. You’d be right in suspecting that it leads to some dramatic speed boosts: the Nexus 7 at this pace can put a Transformer Prime to shame in common benchmarks, let alone most smartphones. Reaching the loftier heights of performance does require nerves of steel, however. The Elite kernel is very much a rough build that the creator doesn’t yet trust with the public, and NVIDIA’s processor is already known to get toasty under significantly added stress. There’s hope a refined kernel will make for a safer venture into unknown territory. If you can’t wait to throw at least some caution (and the warranty) to the wind, though, hit the second source link for code that will reach a slightly less melt-prone 1.8GHz.

Phandroid

Android Community, XDA-Developers

Acer Iconia Tab A700 review: a 10-inch ICS tablet with Tegra 3 and a 1920 x 1200 display

We’ll skip the long contextual intro about how high-powered Tegra 3 tablets are becoming a dime a dozen and get straight to the meat: the new Acer Iconia Tab A700 is an NVIDIA-powered slate with a super-charged screen. Yes, this device is all about the display, and we’re talking 1920 x 1200 pixels on a 10.1-inch panel. And until ASUS’ Transformer Pad Infinity goes on sale next month, this is the only Android tab with that resolution you can get your hands on.

At the risk of spoiling our whole review, bright colors and a high resolution make navigating Acer’s branded build of Ice Cream Sandwich a treat, and its quad-core Tegra 3 insides make the tablet more than just a pretty face. But the WiFi-only Tab A700, retailing for $450, is not the only good ICS option around — and it’s not the most budget-friendly, either. Let’s take a closer look to see if its considerable advantages make it worth swiping that plastic.

Wikipad Gaming Tablet Equipped With Tegra 3 Quad Core Chip

At E3 this week Wikipad has revealed they have chosen Nvidia’s Tegra 3 quad-core SoC to power their gaming tablet, which will run Google’s latest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) operating system.

Other features of the new Wikipad are thought to include glasses-free 3D and 1080p playback including H.264, VC1, VOB, ISO, M2TS, and FLV support. As well as 8GB of storage with an SD card slot capable of increasing it to 64GB, together with optional 3G module.

The Wikipad gaming tablet was first unveiled back in CES at the beginning of the year, and is still currently in development. Fraser Townley, President of Sales for Wikipad explains:

“By adding Nvidia’s Tegra 3 processor to the Wikipad, we’ve combined the best of tablet and console gaming into one device that fits in the palms of your hands,”-”Tegra 3 opens up incredible content options including optimized mobile games and console-quality streaming games through new cloud gaming services.”

Unfortunately no information on pricing or worldwide availability has been released as yet, but as soon as information comes to light we will keep you updated as always.

Source: Toms Hardware

Dead Trigger Resurrects Zombies in arrivo per device Tegra 3

Tegra 2 già morto e sepolto a neanche un anno dall’inizio dello sviluppo da parte degli sviluppatori esterni di applicazioni? A giudicare dalle ultime uscite e presentazioni il dubbio viene visto che la quasi totalità dei titoli viene annunciata come esclusiva per Tegra 3. Probabilmente arriveranno anche le versioni Tegra 2, ma rimane bizzarro come una azienda che sta cercando di spingere la propria piattaforma che da sempre è stata votata al gaming, non sviluppi parallelamente i titoli sia per la versione Tegra 2 che per la nuova architettura Tegra 3. È il caso di Dead Trigger Resurrects Zombies, un nuovo gioco in arrivo creato dagli stessi autori di Shadowgun e capace di offrire una grafica veramente eccellente e ricca di particolari.

Toshiba announces Excite 10, 7.7 and 13 tablets, Thrive slates on their way out

You complained, Toshiba listened. After its Thrive tablets were widely panned for their short battery life and chunky, cheap-feeling design, the outfit decided to put those models out to pasture and start anew. So bid goodbye to the Thrives, then, and say hello to the Excite 7.7, 10 and 13 (yes, 13). If you’ve been paying attention, these are the same tablets we first saw in prototype form at CES (and again at Mobile World Congress), complete with their slim builds and textured aluminum backs. Now, though we know that all three will pack NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 SoC, and ship with unskinned Ice Cream Sandwich. The 7.7, in particular, sports the same AMOLED display inside the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7, while the 13-incher steps up to 1600 x 900 resolution (as opposed to 1280 x 800). Oh, and for those of you who think you’ll miss the 10-inch Thrive’s full-sized SD slot, that feature carries over to the Excite 10 and 13. (As you can imagine, there was no room for the full-sized USB and HDMI ports on tablets this thin.)

Splashtop THD lands on ICS Tegra 3 tabs, ready to stream full-screen Skyrim

Splashtop is one of the premier remote desktop apps out there and, at CES, we got a pretty sweet demo of it pushing full screen games and HD video from a Windows 7 PC to a Tegra 3 tablet. Now that version (THD) is available for download in the Android Market for $6.99. Of course, you’ll need a Tegra 3 slate running Ice Cream Sandwich to take advantage, while playing Skyrimin full screen has the added requirement of PC sporting a GeForce GPU. Once you’ve gotten those basic requirements out of the way you’ll still want to make sure you’ve got a solid and quick wireless connection — all the processing power in the world won’t be able to compensate for a lack of bandwidth. Check out the video after the break to see it in action and hit up the source link to buy it yourself.

The Verge, Droid Gamers

Splashtop THD (Android Market)

Fujitsu To Launch Tegra 3 Android 4.0 Smartphone With 13.1MP Camera At MWC?

Fujistu has launched a number of interesting smartphones recently, unfortunately they have only been available in Japan, and now according to a recent report by Unwired View, we may see a new high end Fujitsu device at MWC 2012, which is intended to be sold outside of Japan.

According to the report, this new Fujitsu Android smartphone will come with a 4.6 inch touchscreen display and it will be powered by NVIDIA’s quad core Tegra 3 processor.

The device is also reported to come with the latest version of Google’s OS, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and a 13.1 megapixel sensor camera, which certainly sounds impressive.

The device is also reported to be water resistant and dust resistant, and will also apparently feature some sort of fingerprint sensor, it certainly sounds interesting.

As soon as we get some more information on this new high end Android smartphone from Fujitsu, we will let you guys know, we should have some more details next week and also some photos, as the device is expected to be launched at MWC 2012.

Source Android Community

NVIDIA Says Tegra 3 “Superphones” Will Ship This Quarter

We have already heard about a number of quad core smartphones that will be powered by NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 processor, many of which are expected to be announced at MWC 2012 later this month.

During their recent earnings call NVIDIA’s CEO Jen-Hsun Huang announced that they expect the first Tegra 3 powered smartphones to be announced at MWC and they will start shipping before the end of the quarter.

This means that we will see the first quad core smartphones will hit the store by the end of March at the latest, and we are expecting to see the devices launched my manufacturers like HTC, LG and more.

As soon as we get some more information on which companies will be launching quad core Tegra 3 powered smartphones at MWC 2012 we will let you guys know.

Source Droid Life

Acer Iconia Tab A510 hands-on (video)

The follow-up to last year’s Acer Iconia Tab A500 — aptly named the A510 — is hanging out in the NVIDIA booth at CES. The 10.1-inch, 1280 x 800 display (the same one on the A500) comes with Android 4.0 on board, alongside a 5MP rear camera and 2MP front-facing cam. The tablet feels lighter than its predecessor (as it should, since it loses the USB 2.0 port), and we prefer the soft-touch plastic backing to aluminum finish on the last-gen model.

What’s most interesting about the A510, though, is not the fact that it has Ice Cream Sandwich pre-loaded, but that it has a custom UI, similar to what you’ll find on the Honeycomb-packing A200. Thankfully, Acer’s choice of skinning is low-key, and makes for an enjoyable, unobtrusive experience. First off, the UI is very ring-centric: tapping a virtual button in the middle of the task bar launches a ring with four customizable shortcuts, as well as a carousel on the right. Additionally, the lock screen offers a similar circular batch of four direct-access points, rather than the stock two. We appreciate that Acer isn’t looking to add a full fifteen pieces of flare to its proprietary user interface. To see some more of the Tab, we’ve got a gallery of photos below, along with a short walk-through video after the break.

NVIDIA announces DirectTouch technology for Tegra 3 tablets, promises a smoother touch experience

You’d think that with Tegra 3 shipping in the Transformer Prime and all, we’d know everything there is to know about the new SoC. Apparently not. NVIDIA just announced DirectTouch, a technology exclusive to its Tegra 3 platform that uses that bonus fifth core for to improve touch detection. So what does a low-power core have to do with the touch experience, you say? Essentially, what’s going on is NVIDIA’s PRISM Display technology separates color and backlight intensity to save battery life while preserving fidelity. In a demo, the technology looked mighty smooth, though we’ll need to get hands-on ourselves and see the technology in action for more than five seconds before we can weigh in on its utility.

Exclusive: Fujitsu’s Arrows prototype, new quad-core Tegra 3 smartphone eyes-on (video)

We’ve been hitting Fujitsu phones for a while, looking in awe at the super-thin gear that remained firmly in the hands of the Japanese. Fortunately the Consumer Electronics Show is the perfect time for the company to further tease us with a product that might just make a trip to the west. Yesterday we got our mitts onto the Arrows Mu and today we’ve got a really special exclusive: a first look at the prototype of the quad-core packing Arrows super-phone. So, what delights are tucked inside and is this going to be the phone of 2012? Head on past the break to find out.

Lenovo LePad K2010 (IdeaTab K2) hands-on: Tegra 3, full HD IPS display

Remember our lovely leak of Lenovo’s Tegra 3 tablet from last November? Well, it showed up here at CES under the LePad K2010 moniker for China, while elsewhere it’ll likely be known as the IdeaTab K2. We won’t comment much on the unfinished software (so no luck with controlling the cursor using the fingerprint scanner on the back), but build quality wise we enjoyed the faux brushed metal cover on the back, and similarly, the sharp 1,920 x 1,200 IPS display between the speakers was very impressive (yes, we double-checked with Lenovo on these numbers).

We also received confirmation that the camera on the back has an eight-megapixel resolution, but obviously we’ll wait and see if the picture quality lives up to expectation. Alas, there’s still no word on availability, but regardless, China will get first dibs on this juicy quad-core slate. On the bright side, this should give ample time for potential buyers to save up — the K2010 is aimed at high-end business users, after all. Hands-on video after the break.

Asus Transformer Prime: il mondo delle console potrebbe tremare?

Continuano i video su Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime, il primo Tablet al mondo con piattaforma Tegra 3 e processore Quad Core. La qualità del dispositivo stupisce ogni giorno di più e, oltre alla velocità indubbia del sistema, che ricordiamo monta ancora Android 3.2, è interessante notare la flessibilità del prodotto, sopratutto in ambito gaming. Transformer Prime è offre il SoC Nvidia Tegra 3 con processore quad core ARM Cortex A9 da 1.4 GHz affiancato da un Companion Core ARM Cortex A7 da 500 MHz e da una GPU integrata Nvidia a 12 core, il mix ideale per offrire una grafica paragonabile a quella di una console recente.

Nvidia mostra la video anteprima di Shadowgun su Tegra 3

Dopo aver visto qualche breve anteprima e alcuni screenshots dimostrativi riguardo le potenzialità di Tegra 3 e i miglioramenti grafici che questa SoC porterà in ambito gaming, Nvidia ha pubblicato un nuovo video più corposo dove vengono enfatizzate le nuove caratteristiche grafiche di Shadowgun nella versione Tegra 3 optimized. Polemiche a parte sulla politica di Nvidia e sul futuro della precedente piattaforma Tegra 2 che pare avviarsi inesorabilmente ad un troppo rapido declino, il nuovo trailer risulta interessante e mostra in maniera chiara cosa aspettarsi nel 2012 e quali saranno le potenzialità.

Il dettaglio generale appare leggermente migliorato e tutta la fisica pare trarre beneficio dal nuovo Hardware. Gestione delle luci migliorata ulteriormente, Texture e shader ottimizzati,  effetti particellari all’ennesima potenza. La fisica realistica dell’acqua risalta, ma ancor più l’interazione di proiettili e di movimenti all’interno di essa. Miglioramenti palpabili che sembrano non intaccare il Framerate e che rendono meglio l’idea delle potenzialità in ambito Gaming dei devices Android nel prossimo 2012.

Asus Padfone with Tegra 3 coming in early 2012

Just as we were settling down to another calm and banterful Engadget Mobile Podcast, our special guest had to go and throw us some hard news. Yup, and rather than making you sit through the entire two-hour recording (pleasant as that would be), we’re just going to come right out with it: Nicole Scott from netbooknews.com has it on good authority that the Asus Padfone will be coming out at MWC 2012 in February. What’s more, it won’t be powered by a Qualcomm Krait S4 as suggested by that strange GLBenchmark we saw earlier — it will in fact sport a Tegra 3, just like its highly capable big bro the Transformer Prime. See? That’s the kind of juicy reward our podcast listeners get for tuning in each week.