NTT DoCoMo launches lightest Android tablet ever

Today, NTT DoCoMo launched the NEC Medias Tab UL N08-D, which weighs a scant 249 g. By comparison, other 7-inch tablets like the Kindle Fire HD weigh in the neighborhood of 400 g. Even the Nexus 7 is a relatively tubby 345 g. Apparently the NEC Medias Tab UL pulls this off by using a kind of carbon fiber that's used in modern aircraft construction. The Medias Tab UL isn't too thick, measuring a mere 7.9 mm on the profile. The specs don't even seem to suffer for all of this lightness, either:

  • 1.5 GHz dual-core processor
  • 7-inch 1280 x 800 LCD display
  • 8 megapixel Exmore R back-lit camera plus secondary 2 megapixel shooter on the front
  • 3100 mAh battery
  • Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
  • 75 Mbps downlink

There are a few cool software features too, like a web browser that lets you actively view two tabs at the same time, and an "HD haptics" vibration feedback mechanism that's applied to just about every on-screen element.  

Anyone in Japan can find more info and information purchasing over at NTT DoCoMo. For the rest of us, how important is weight to your choice in tablets? Does an obnoxiously light device appeal to you, or do you prefer having a little bit of solid heft to your gadgets?

[Source: AndroidCentral]

Google Nexus 7 mod unlocks 720p recording on front-facing camera

To the delight of live event crowds everywhere, the ASUS-made Nexus 7 sidestepped the primary camera route, only furnishing the slab with a 1.2-megapixel front-facer. While it didn't take long for app-makers to tweak their wares especially for Google's statement tablet, users over at XDA Developers have dug a little deeper to unlock the shooter's 720p recording potential, removing the previous 480p cap. There are a several (relatively simple) ways to get it done -- visit the source for the full instructions.

[Source: Engadget]

Amazon's Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD arriving in the UK October 25th, starting at £129

In case you haven't heard, Amazon happily took the wraps off of its new Kindle Fire lineup duringtoday's earlier event in Santa Monica, California. And, for those living in the UK, you, too, can have the online retail giant take your money for one of these slates pretty soon -- well, at least for a couple of the fresh models. As far as pricing goes, the entry-level Kindle Fire will cost a mere £129 (around $205), while the 7-inch Fire HD takes on the slightly heftier price of £159 and £199 for the 16 and 32GB, respectively. Obviously, this leaves out that 8.9-incher Fire HD, though it looks like Amazon's only bringing the smaller Fires to the United Kingdom, as there's no mention of the company's larger tablet anywhere on the site. Still, folks looking to pre-order can do so now at the source link below, but better hurry, since Amazon does note they're all being fulfilled on a "first come, first served" basis.

[Source: Engadget]

Huawei MediaPad 7 Lite hands-on at IFA 2012 (updated: video)

Back in July, word got out that Huawei was prepping a revised version of its entry-level Android tablet, dubbed the MediaPad 7 Lite. As that name implies, this Android ICS tab's of the 7-inch variety and, thus, lends itself well to one-handed use for busy on-the-go types. Considering this isn't part of the outfit's top shelf portfolio, its mix of specs have been kept quite modest: there's a single-core 1.2GHz Cortex A8 CPU underneath that 1,024 x 600 IPS display. But before you knock it for falling short of even 720p territory, bear in mind this device's being marked at a 229 Euro price point -- so it's affordable and geared squarely for the budget segment.

[Source: Read the full story on Engadget]

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 gets priced on Vodafone Germany

Poking around the Vodafone booth at IFA 2012 in Berlin, some new information appeared regarding the newly announced Samsung Galaxy Note 2. A price. What we see here is the pricing for the 16GB LTE version, but the non-LTE Note 2 seems to be carrying the same price.   It's the off contract price that's of particular interest here. That €639.90 price tag translates to £508 or $804 in UK and U.S. pricing respectively. While not necessarily an accurate representation of what the cost may be when the Note 2 makes it to the U.S. it isn't too far off the price we would expect for such a device in the UK. 

[Source: Android Central]

Possible 'iPad Mini' Spotted in iOS App Developer Logs

Instapaper developer Marco Arment has spotted two new iPad device codes in his logs that he believes represents the long rumored "iPad mini".   The new identifiers found were "iPad2,5" and "iPad2,6". As Arment notes, the iPad2,1 through iPad 2,3 designations are known to represent the iPad 2's WiFi, GSM and CDMA models. The iPad2,4 represents a die-shrunk/cheaper version of the iPad 2 that was released alongside the 3rd generation iPad. Finally, the 3rd Generation iPad carries a designation of iPad3,x.  

[Source: To read the full article visit Mac Rumours]

Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD switches processors, hits shops in September

The Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD has made a somewhat circuitous journey across our eyes, through our hands and past the FCC's screwguns. Finally we know when you can get one, as they go on sale starting in September. The devices are already available in China, and will be rolled out to Europe next month with the rest of the world "to follow," according to Huawei. Its specs have changed since we last saw it, as it'll now feature a quad-core 1.4GHz Cortex-A9 processor instead of the K3 Balong CPU we saw earlier. Everything else stays the same: Android 4.0, a 10.1-inch, 1,920 x 1,200 IPS display, an 8-megapixel rear camera that captures 1080P video, and 150Mbps LTE compatibility. We've already expressed our ardor about its gorgeous screen, great aluminum body and decent performance -- if you feel the same, check the PR to see when it's coming to your neck of the woods.

[Source: Engadget]

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.

[Source: Engadget]

Carphone Warehouse launches Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1

A little after it made its worldwide debut in New York City, UK retailer the Carphone Warehouse has announced that it's now selling the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 online and in stores across the country. Prices start at £399.99 for the Wifi-only version, going up to £499.99 for the Wifi and 3G model.  That's no small amount of money, but if you want the best stylus experience you can get on a tablet, with Samsung's Wacom-powered S Pen, the Galaxy Note 10.1 is the only place you'll be able to get it. 

[Source: To read the full article visit Android Central]

Fujitsu's Stylistic M532 quad-core tablet ships to the US with toughened body, dash of security

Fujitsu's Stylistic M532 has had a protracted development process that saw it appear on our radar as early as January; imagine our surprise after it ships to the US with barely more than a knock on the door. Now that it's here, it looks to be on the sunnier side of average for an Android 4.0 slate. A quad 1.4GHz Tegra 3, a 1,280 x 800 display and 32GB of built-in space won't rock our world in mid-2012, but the rough-and-ready among us will likely appreciate the military-spec abuse tolerances and support for optional Absolute CompuTrace theft tracking, just in case it's pilfered from an open bag. Fujitsu's obstacles? Apart from not having much of a cachet in the tablet arena, the company also has to convince buyers that the extra safeguards are worth a $549 price -- for those who treat their tablets more delicately, there are a few tempting alternatives.

[Source: Engadget]

Motion outs F5t, C5t rugged tablet PCs with Ivy Bridge and optional SSD, pricing starts at $2,240

Okay, these might not be quite as elegant as, say, that 10-inch, high-res slate coming out of the famed Cupertino labs, but hey, folks working on construction sites (or doing other types of handy work) need to get some actual work done. Here's where Motion Computing comes in. The outfit's just taken the wraps off of its newest rugged tablet PCs, the F5t and C5t -- both of which can be loaded with a choice of an i3, i5 or i7 third-gen Intel CPU, also known as Ivy Bridge. What's more, the company's also letting users pick between a 64 or 128GB solid-state drive, which can then be paired alongside 2 or 4GB of RAM. As you can imagine, this ruggedized duo isn't exactly aimed at something like the Nexus 7 crowd, since the starting price point for the Windows 7 Pro couple starts off at around $2,240 ($2,236, to be exact) depending on configuration. Either way, you can give 'em both a better look after the break, thanks to a press shot gallery courtesy of their creator.

[Source: Engadget]