XBMC Android Created by XBMC Developers and Pivos

There is a new version of the media player that is inspired by xbmc android. It has been announced recently for Android use and it is not hard to get this software work. As a matter of fact, you may have heard the good news that this can be used straight port from its desktop version of the XMBC. There are also developers who are saying that all of the features which are found in this new version are now present in Android.

However, you have to know that this xbmc android software is not yet a finished product. You may be surprised about this. However, the team of software makers decided to make this out in the market for a try of their early built product. As for this moment it is workable in terms of video and audio. Yet, they are still in their initial release of the xbmc android. The group who created this software most believe that this one is most considered to be waiting right until there will be universal hardware for decode.

XBMC Android

They were able to announce the project that they make after keeping this as their secret for the past weeks. Now, it is the goal of the team to bring the project to the community with open source. Eventually, there are some people who are using the software. If you are interested about this product as well, these are available nowadays in the XBMC website.

The skins of the product will be something that they are also relying. The community waits as the team admits this product is still in early stage. At times, the UI could be somehow clunky and there are some which will arrive in short time for xbmc android. There are some skins for the XBMC nowadays that are available. These are even better compared to this one that is yet in the initial phase. The application, judging from its language upon announcement, is a port of Android.

Aside from that, the xbmc android is also the combined effort not only by its developers but the Pivos as well. They believe that it runs pretty well.

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Nexus 7 Shipping Already Set for Different Countries

The Google nexus 7 shipping is pre-ordered but the dates are already confirmed. We can therefore say that they are eventually coming. It has been announced by Google that the date that it will be shaped have already been settled. They released the date to let the eager customers know the exact date so that they can have this product. Now before anything else, you will receive notification first right from the Google Play the moment that your device ships will already be complete. There should be tracking number to be able to keep up with the tabs.

Nexus 7 Shipping

The nexus 7 shipping in UK have already reached 8GsB orders. This will be available tomorrow which is July 20. As expected, this is Friday and the other 16GB have been available last June 30. If we will think about it, the other remaining UK Nexus from Google pre-orders will still be shipped to the following week.

Now, so what is exciting since the nexus 7 shipping date is settled? The answer is that it is a great news. You can try to imaging that the Nexus will eventually be shipped towards the US so people can receive for a delivery on an imminent basis. So, if you do not own this product yet, you can begin the order. All those standalone 16 GB Google nexus 7 shipping are already placed last 11^th of July. Now, you can expect this shipped already by now which is July 19 to be exact. We can truly say that Google already upgraded the orders after a night. They were able to make up after a slight delay occurred. The remaining 16GB orders in the United States will already be shipped for the following week. They will take an overnight for the shipment to boot.

Then, there are also other orders from the country of Australia. The nexus 7 shipping already starts today and will arrive to the country after three up to five days. For the country of Canada with orders of 8GB, all of it will be shipped and sent in one up to two weeks. Now, there are the details.

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Apple iPad Mini

Apple iPad Mini

Rumours had continually rounded that Apple with be launching the new Apple iPad Mini thinner than the Kindle Fire. Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal however reported that Apple will indeed release it this year prompting a lot of consumers to believe that the Apple iPad Mini will hit the stores on October this year.

Macotakara, a Japanese-language website claims the Apple iPad Mini will use a 7.85 inch display and will almost be as thin as iPod touch (4^th generation), citing “unknown reliable Chinese sources”.
If the rumours are correct, the Apple iPad Mini will be thinner than iPod touch but would be of the same dimension as Google’s Nexus 7 but with a slightly bigger width.

Apple iPad Mini

In addition to this, Macotakara also released a statement saying, the new Apple iPad Mini is kind of similar to the nano even though it is a whole new design.  Some of the models may have 3G connectivity option though not all carriers may offer a 3G version. According to previous talks about the Apple  iPad Mini it will have a non-Retina 1024×768 display as used in the v.1 and v.2 iPads.

The estimated starting cost is expected to be at $2oo. It will be supported by Apple’s Siri, the key ingredient in the company’s iPhone 4s. There is also a great chance that Apple will bundle iOS6 in the iPad Mini since the operating system will reportedly launch around that time.

Apple will most likely kick in a 16GB storage capacity making it a great device for people who store all kinds of music and movies.

Lastly, consumers may expect a near-field communication feature this is a technology that allows the client and the server work with each other to transfer data.

Other application that will remain in the new Apple iPad Mini is the accelerometer, gyroscope, and other movement-detecting features making it compatible with the widest selection of applications.

Trial production is being done in China, interestingly though, the Apple iPad Mini will be
manufactured by Foxconn in Brazil. Start of production is slated on September 2012. The buzz about the Apple iPad Mini has made tablet aficionados keyed up with its final release.

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Kindle Fire Review and Specs

Kindle Fire Review and Specs

Kindle Fire: Amazon has announced that as of this day, Kindle Fire is the fastest selling Kindle to have been sold since its announcement.

Kindle Fire costs around $200 most tablet experts were surprised that Amazon priced Kindle much lower compared to other tablets when in fact, it is loaded with features but for consumers like us, it’s a good news from Amazon- that is, getting a really sweet deal on the Kindle Fire for less than $200. For a tablet that it is, here’s a full honest review on Kindle Fire.

Kindle Fire Review and Specs

Kindle Fire Review and Specs: Build

The 7-inch Kindle Fire feels exceptionally solid but still comfortable to hold. It is 0.45-inches thick and weighs 431 grams.

It is controlled via touchscreen and is somewhat minimalist because there is no camera and no GPS sensor on-board either.

Kindle Fire Review and Specs: Display

Kindle Fire has a 7 inch screen which, we can say, is still out on the optimum screen size for a tablet.
Having 1024×600 and 169ppi IPS display, the color is brilliant, crisp and also defined. Its touchscreen is also impressive as well as the typing experience.

Kindle Fire Review and Specs: Software

Kindle Fire runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread but its trace is hidden because of Amazon’s custom skin. When you are at the homescreen, it looks like a bookshelf featuring your most recently viewed content at the top shelf and beneath it is where you favorite applications are housed.

It also has apps installed like Angry Birds, Words With Friends, Fruit Ninja, IMDb, Netflix and Pandora but it doesn’t have Google’s native app like YouTube, Gmail, Google+, Maps, Navigation, Translate and the rest.

Kindle Fire Review and Specs: Performance

Kindle Fire has a memory of 512MB of RAM, a 1GHz dual-core processor, quite slow accelerometer, somewhat pixilated vide playbacks and an 8-hour battery life.

Kindle Fire Review and Specs: Verdict

Most will agree that given the price range and comparison from other ebook readers in the market today, Kindle Fire is indeed very ahead of the competition.

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Google Nexus 7 Review and Specs

Google Nexus 7 Review and Specs

We have heard many rumors that it was coming and for seven months, many people were waiting and now, Google has already released its first ever tablet named Nexus 7 which embodies the moment when performance is no longer sacrificed for price.

So, let’s see below what Nexus 7 has to offer.

Google Nexus 7 Review and Specs: The Build

Nexus 7’s build is better than most tablets with a price similar to it. The device is made by Asus which makes it a well-built piece of kit, especially when you are considering its price.
Google Nexus 7 Review and Specs: The Hardware

For only $200 tablet, Nexus 7 has a surprisingly good line-up of hardware it uses the same nVidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor that is found in many high-end tablets and has 1GB of RAM.

It uses an in-plane switching (IPS) panel which has a resolution of 1280 x 800 offering an excellent contrast, brightness and viewing angles with a pixel density of 216ppi which is even higher when compared to Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0).

Google Nexus 7 Review and Specs

Storage is limited at either 8GB or 16GB but it has no microSD for expansion and it doesn’t 3G capabilities although there is 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and a near-field communications (NFC) chip.

There is a front camera which you can use for video calls and facial recognition. If you are worried that your face will not be recognized, you can unlock the screen with a passcode.

Google Nexus 7 Review and Specs: The Software

Nexus 7 offers the latest version of Android which is called Jelly Bean 4.1, the refined version of Ice Cream Sandwich.

When it comes to web browsing, there is no lag. Instead, the performance is very from the pre-loaded Chrome browser .

Google Nexus 7 Review and Spec: The Verdict

Google Nexus 7 is worth your money, without a doubt and has blown all of the tablets with the same price but with low-end specs.

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Android 4.1 aka Jelly Bean

Android 4.1 aka Jelly Bean Has Arrived: should you care?

Android 4.1, also more commonly known as Jelly Bean, is Google’s latest Operating System upgrade to their mobile platform.  If you are planning to purchase a Google Nexus 7, you can expect it to be preloaded with this latest version of Google’s OS.

For those wondering if they are affected, it was also recently announced by Google that the following phones/tablets will likewise be upgraded sometime middle of July:

• Motorola Xoom
• Nexus S
• Galaxy Nexus

Mobile and tablet stores in the United Kingdom however are saying that the Android 4.1 will be run exclusively by Google Nexus 7 for the next 4 months. So if you are expecting the upgrade in July as per Google’s announcement, you might be disappointed. By November, however, you can expect most if not all of the major players in the Android market to jump in the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean bandwagon.

Android 4.1 aka Jelly Bean

Samsung essentially made a generic statement that they will evaluate any new versions of the Android operating system. Upon review, should they decide to implement it to their existing products, it will be released upon completion of development. They didn’t confirm if Android 4.1 will in fact be loaded on their Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus in mid-July.

Motorola  and HTC made similar statements. Essentially they both have not confirmed that they indeed will have the upgrade by mid-July as announced by Google.

LG did confirm that all of their compatible 2012 handsets will be upgraded for sure. However, no specific release date was announced.

As for the rest of the Android world (i.e., Acer, Asus, Huawei, Panasonic, Zony, ZTE, etc) we’ll just have to wait and see. We will keep you updated.

As we all wait for the Jelly Bean upgrade to hit our mobile devices, the bigger question most people are asking is: Do I really want this upgrade?  See our Android 4.1 evaluation and decide for yourself.

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Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Top New Features

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the latest Android Operating System by Google is out. If you are among those who have been waiting for this upgrade, below are the highlights on its more popular new features.  See out facts post to find out more about Android 4.1.

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Top New Features

Speed

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is dubbed the fastest version of Android ever released by Google. It utilizes not just double but triple buffering. This is especially noticeable in the rendering of graphics, animation, and even scrolling and paging. More than speed, it offers users a much smoother, more synched up interaction with their devices. And if that is not enough, it is even equipped with the capability to anticipate your next touch.

Voice Search

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean now boasts of an enhanced voice search capability.  We did some random testing and we have to say, it puts iPhone’s Siri to shame. More often than not, the latter instructs you to search the web when it fails to produce a result for your voice query.  Google does not only produce the best match to your request, it also displays relevant/alternative results.

Google Now

With this feature, Google keeps track of your habits and interests and based on these will serve you with relevant information, for example, traffic, weather, directions, etc.

Smart App Updates

Receiving App updates is now much easier and faster with this Android 4.1 Jelly Bean feature. When an app developer releases an update, Google only sends the bits that changed in the app instead of sending the whole APK. This translates to over 65% savings in bandwidth usage, given most app updates are normally 1/3 that of the entire APK.

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Other cool features include:

•  Ability to save contact photos in higher resolution of up to 720×720
• Sharing of photos, videos, etc made so much easier with Android Beam
• Apps resize automatically based on available space

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Easter Egg

Finally, in keeping with tradition, a Jelly Bean shaped “Easter egg” is hidden in this new operating system. As you probably already guessed, just as in previous versions, you can make it come out if you repeatedly tap on the version number in settings. And if you press the Jelly Bean’s red cheeks a bunch of colorful jelly beans would start floating on your screen. Try flicking them and see what happens.

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean does have a lot of cool features to offer, making the upgrade well worth the wait.

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Polaroid Tablet Review, Specs and Price

Polaroid Tablet Review

Polaroid Tablet Review, Specs and Price – We need to be ready for the latest Android device because it will be arriving soon with its code name Polaroid Tablet. Actually, this tablet has official name Polaroid PMID701. This tablet will look like ordinary black slab of a tablet. it will have 7.00 inches display screen. 4GB storage is available for this tablet that expandable with microSD card. Android 2.3 Gingerbread is available for this tablet that clocked at 1GHz CPU. The later version of this Polaroid Tablet is available with Android 4.0 ICS with the same hardware and work fine on the same specs.

Polaroid Tablet won’t have Bluetooth or camera that put this tablet in mid-range category. From that short description on specs, we can see that this device is a very basic tablet with basic features but they work smooth. Specification that you might get in this tablet is as follow, 800 x 480 resolution that support the display screen, 1 GHz ARM Cortex-A8 CPU, and 512MB RAM. It is provided with speaker and mike, Wifi, g-sensor, TTS and Video out but no cables provided. Those specifications are basic specs, but you can expect more on this Polaroid Tablet ability.

You will find Polaroid Tablet comes with good apps including the Kobo app. Unfortunately you won’t find any Google Play or Amazon app store, but you can play Angry Birds and some other apps that can work fine like Youtube app that can load several clips and play them without trouble. However, this mid-range tablet is deserved for $99, a quite affordable price that you can get. With those basic specs this device is considered as a device with good performance. On the battery you might find that the battery will last at least a day. If you might compare this device, you will get Polaroid Tablet as good as the IdolPad, the tablet with the same price at $99.

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