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Thursday, February 10, 2011

iPad vs. TouchPad... Fight!

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/09/ipad-vs-touchpad-fight/

Spec sheets are one thing, but we know what you really want to see -- two tablets going mano-a-mano in the ring. Here they are, your Apple iPad and HP TouchPad slates, sized up side-by-side each with their own sizable black bezel and 9.7-inch screen -- and incredibly similar in both size and weight. See how they literally stack up in the gallery below!

Gallery: iPad vs. TouchPad... Fight!

iPad vs. TouchPad... Fight! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 15:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP TouchPad first hands-on! (updated with video!)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/09/hp-touchpad-first-hands-on/

By now, you know how HP's new slate compares to the crowd -- now, see how it looks up close and personal. We just got our hands on that dual-core Palm webOS tablet here in San Francisco, and it's a beaut, with a slim black profile that highlights the brilliant 9.7-inch screen. We'll be back in a jiffy with some impressions of that newfangled Tap to Share and card-based multitasking, but for now, simply feast your eyes on our gallery below.

Update: Video time! Check it after the break.

Gallery: HP TouchPad first hands-on!

Continue reading HP TouchPad first hands-on! (updated with video!)

HP TouchPad first hands-on! (updated with video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 15:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android 2.3.3 announced with more developer-friendly access to NFC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/09/android-2-3-3-announced-with-more-developer-friendly-access-to-n/

The Android versions keep on rolling today with the introduction of a new build in the 2.3 Gingerbread line -- 2.3.3 this time -- that improves developer access to the platforms newfound NFC capabilities as first seen on the Nexus S. What's new, exactly? Well, there's a new NFC read / write API that Google alleges will let you access pretty much any NFC tag on the market today, better control over what happens when a tag comes within range of the device, and "limited support" for peer-to-peer NFC communication -- something Stanford cobbled together for the Nexus S not long ago. The new build is available now to developers using the Android SDK; no devices have received an update yet, but we'd imagine the Nexus S is queued up to get it before too long.

Android 2.3.3 announced with more developer-friendly access to NFC originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 15:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon successfully completes first VoLTE call on commercial network in the world, plans 2012 availability

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/09/verizon-successfully-completes-first-volte-call-in-the-world-pl/

Verizon has just announced that it has completed the first voice over LTE (VoLTE) call on a commercial network anywhere in the world today, a 33-second dialogue between employees on LG Revolutions in the company's headquarters in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, following it up with a number of other calls where staffers were able to talk and use data services simultaneously -- thanks in no small part to the fact that LTE treats voice just as it treats any other type of data. We'd initially gotten the impression yesterday that Verizon would be starting to roll out voice over LTE (VoLTE) with the Revolution in mid-2011, but the company's press release today is saying that they'll be working to "enhance" the VoLTE experience in 2011 with commercially availability now expected next year. High-fidelity calls are expected to be part of that experience, so it'll be harder than ever to hold a call when you've got a bad cold. Remember the throat lozenges, alright? Follow the break for the full press release.

Continue reading Verizon successfully completes first VoLTE call on commercial network in the world, plans 2012 availability

Verizon successfully completes first VoLTE call on commercial network in the world, plans 2012 availability originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 18:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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INQ launches Facebook-focused Cloud Touch and Cloud Q phones

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/09/inq-launches-facebook-focused-cloud-touch-and-cloud-q-phones/

We've been hearing a fair bit of buzz about INQ and Facebook getting all cozy-like and creating a Facebook phone. Well, that's only half right: INQ has made its first Android 2.2 device, really focused on Facebook integration, and seem to have really nailed it. The two devices are the INQ Cloud Touch (pictured above) and a QWERTY device with exactly the same specs -- but, with a QWERTY keypad, of course -- named the Cloud Q. Features include triband HSPA for the European folks, 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen display, 5 megapixel autofocus camera, all manner of mail support including Exchange, what appears to be legendary Facebook support, and Spotify onboard as the de facto music app with a dedicated key.

INQ's two Cloud devices are apparently the first mobiles to use the Facebook Social Graph API, which will see all your most important Facebook content appear on your set's homescreen. Another bonus in here is the keyboard tech -- based on SwiftKey -- which will not only predict what word you're typing, but what words you may type based on some AI wizardry, science, and your writing tendencies. The Cloud Touch is set to launch in April at Carphone Warehouse and BestBuy in the UK with the Cloud Q landing sometime in Q3. We're just about wheels-up for Barcelona to check out the haps at MWC next week, and you can be sure we'll be all over these sets as soon as we land.

Gallery: INQ launches Facebook-focused Cloud Touch and Cloud Q phones