android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich

Jelly Bean brought a nice new flavor for Android users in 2012

By Robert Nelson
on 31 Dec, 2012

Android seems to have finally gained some traction this year. And before anyone flames based on that, yes, Android has had traction, however things seem to have really shifted this year. It feels like Android has really stepped up. This of course comes at least in part as a result of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, which was released back in June during the I/O conference. This year also marked a time when we began seeing some positive reviews coming from those who previously bashed Android.

Chrome gaining a foothold on Android devices

By Dave LeClair
on 3 Dec, 2012

On desktops, Chrome is far and away one of the more popular browsers, but on mobile, it has taken a while to find its footing. Well, according to a new report from Net Applications, Chrome is finally getting a decent amount of usage on Android devices. For iOS, the usage is still negligible, but at least Android users are moving over to Chrome. It shows Google's efforts with the browser were not a waste of time.

13.3-inch Archos FamilyPad launches next month

By Dave LeClair
on 21 Nov, 2012

Have you ever tried to have other people gather around your tablet to watch a video or view some other content? You probably know that a small seven or ten inch screen is not really made for sharing. Archos is looking to make the tablet sharable with its new, larger FamilyPad.

Vodafone introduces Smart Tab at an affordable price

By Dave LeClair
on 16 Nov, 2012

Vodafone has announced a new Lenovo-powered tablet available for its customers. This new 7-inch tablet is called the Vodafone Smart Tab II. Besides being a decent tablet, this one comes in with a very reasonable price, whether you get it on contract or with prepaid mobile data.

Kobo Arc hits shelves in the UK, Canada, and France

By Dave LeClair
on 16 Nov, 2012

Kobo, the company best known for its ebook readers, is bringing its 7-inch tablet to market in the UK, Canada, and France today. The tablet is available starting at $199, depending on which storage option you choose. The Kobo Arc is available in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB options, so you can get however much storage you need.

Vuzix Smart Glasses M100 to challenge Google Glass in 2013

By Dave LeClair
on 13 Nov, 2012

Every now and then, something comes out and Google's Project Glass that gets everyone excited again. Well, move over Google, because Vuzix has just shown off its own Project Glass competitor that's expected hit the market in 2013. Even cooler, the M100 device is based on Android Ice Cream Sandwich. The best way to describe the look of the device is to compare it to an oversized Bluetooth headset.

Sony brings Xperia advance to the US unlocked with no contract

By Dave LeClair
on 9 Nov, 2012

Sony is bringing a new Android phone to market in the US, and it's available unlocked, without the need to sign a contract with a carrier. The Xperia advance is available now from many online retailers such as Newegg. It retails for $299, which is a pretty awesome price for an unlocked device.

Dragon Mobile Assistant launches on Google Play

By Dave LeClair
on 24 Oct, 2012

Dragon's own Siri competitor launched on Google Play in beta today. Dragon is working hard on its natural language technology, and this app reflects that. The new application completely free, so if you are looking for a new way to interact with your phone, there is no reason to not to take a look at this app. Dragon Go! was Nuance's previous app, and it offered similar functionality to Dragon Mobile Assistant, but this new app functions more like Siri than the previous app. “Consumers loved the original Dragon Go! and wanted even more,” said Michael Thompson, executive vice president and general manager, Nuance Mobile. “So we totally redesigned the experience in a conversational way and added the most popular personal assistant features.” It's clear that Dragon took queues from other personal assistant apps and used its voice detection power to build a solid app capable of competing. Dragon's app offers a hands free mode that is perfect for driving. You can wake up the app while driving by simply saying "Hi Dragon." It will also play inbound text messages automatically when set to Driver Mode. With the prevalence of the problems that can come from texting and driving, this is a fantastic feature. Dragon plans to add new features to the app before the year ends. The did not explicitly say if the app will still be called a beta through the year's end. Users with an Android device with Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 and above can download the app from Google Play right now. [youtube uHSS0yQBC4E] [gallery]

Nextbook Premium 10SE comes with a 9.7-inch screen and an impressive price

By Dave LeClair
on 23 Oct, 2012

Nextbook has announced its next reasonably priced tablet called the Nextbook Premium 10SE. This new tablet comes equipped with a 9.7-inch screen and a $279.99 MSRP. That's a pretty solid price-point for a tablet with a screen just under ten inches.

ALCATEL ONE TOUCH announces modular ONE TOUCH EVO7 tablet

By Dave LeClair
on 15 Oct, 2012

ALCATEL ONE TOUCH just announced a new 7-inch tablet that has 3G data that can be added or removed at a later time. While most tablets have its data built in to the device, the ONE TOUCH EVO7 has a removable module that allows it to get access to 3G data. This module can be purchased with the device or separately at another time.