OS and Gadgets Updates: Android OS 3.0 Honeycomb!

Since there was a mention about the "new" Android OS 3.0 for the upcoming Sony gadgets, I thought it'd be a good idea to give a few details about this new and improved operating system (OS) by Google.

The new UI of the Honeycomb OS

As you can see, the UI of this new OS is specially designed for tablets and large screen displays. The home screen has added interactive 3D effects and improved 3D graphics, animations and support for dual core processors (as in the case of the Sony gadget S1 and S2). The browser has also been improved, with the inclusion of tabbed browsing, bookmark syncing and auto fills being fully functional. The Gmail feature has also been optimized for tablet use and also for other Google applications (such as the Google Maps with 3D navigation and Google book applications). I will update more once I get some feedbacks on the operations and its "smoothness".

A youtube video showcasing the OS 3.0 can be found here.

References: Android OS 3.0 Mobiclue

Brighthand

OS and Gadgets Update: iPad's challenger; Sony Tablet S1 and S2

Since the previous post was about the launch of iPad 2, I thought that it'd be a good idea to mention Sony's take on the release of Apple's tablets. Sony has responded by releasing its own tablets, the S1 and S2. Let's take a brief look on these gadgets!

OS And Gadgets Updates: Sony Tablets S1 and S2

The S1 has a 9.4" display (left tablet) while the S2 is somewhat like a mix between the Nintendo DS (with its dual screen) and the Sony Playstation 3 (design). The S2 screens are both 5.5". Both the Sony tablets are based on the Android 3.0 OS and should have the "usual"/"normal" package, including the Wifi and 3G support (possibly even the 4G). Also, it could be used as a "remote controller" for the Sony Bravia TVs and should support a few other Sony gadgets as well. According to this news.yahoo post, "The S1 can also work as a universal remote to control audio-visual equipment or send content to television screens or music to wireless speakers, Sony said." 

The rumored processor for the two tablets is the NVIDIA Tegra 2, which is a Dual Core ARM Cortex-A9 CPU, with a GeForce GPU and a 1080p video playback compatibility. 

The S1 would seem to be as the main competition to the iPad 2 as they both offer some very similar stuff. However, the Android 3.0 (or the Honeycomb), a product of the Google company, is known for its optimization for devices with large screens and with the Android being an open-source and with its rising popularity, it would be quite interesting to see how this "battle" turns out!.

Sony has not yet stated a definite date for the releases, nor have they confirmed the complete specs of the gadgets. However, the release is believed to be somewhere in the third quarter of this year, which is still a few months away. I'll try to find out some more information once I can find some confirmed statements or official press releases.

Referenced Sites: Mobilegazette , Yahoo! News, NVIDIA Tegra 2.

OS and Gadgets Updates: iPad 2 in Thailand!

Just one more day !!. May 6th, the official release date in Thailand for one of the latest gadgets, the iPad 2. Most of us have heard of or tried its predecessor before. So what's new about about this updated series of iPad? Read on for some of its interesting features and some reviews from a few people I've talked to who have tested them!

OS And Gadgets Updates: iPad 2

Intro and Updates: The iPad 2 comes in two type: the normal Wifi and the Wifi + 3G type. The capacities available are 16Gb, 32Gb and 64Gb. The 3G model even comes with a built-in GPS receiver, a definite upgrade on the previous version. There's a minute difference in the weight between the Wifi and the Wifi + 3G model (10 grams or so).

The screen size and the resolution are the same as its predecessor, the CPU, however, is now an improved 1 GHz Dual-Core Apple A5 processor, compared to the previous 1 GHz (Single core) Apply A4, a definite upgrade in the processing department. The iPad 2 comes with a VGA standard front camera and a 720p rear camera, something which was absent in the previous model. A gyroscope has also been added (just like in the iPhone 4).The thickness has also been decreased by 35 % (now stands about 8.8mm).

So far so good, huh? A definite upgrade. But is it really worth to spend between 16k to 26k baht on such a gadget? Some might say that newer is always better, so I've gathered some info from a number of people who've tried the iPad 2 in order to get a better idea of the actual usage and not just from the specs and figures.

The battery does last for a long time. A couple have said that the battery life of the iPad 2 3G model is actually better (last longer) than the predecessor. Kind of surprising? I was too! However, I found this website which pretty much confirms their statement. Worst case, the iPad 2 does work up to about 8 to 9 hours, which is a very good result for a "mini"/"semi" hand-held computer.

The graphics department has also been upgraded immensely. The "official" release has stated that the graphics has been improved up to 9 times of its previous model. This website shows a comparison between the graphics performance of the iPad and the iPad 2. Some of the "improvements" might seem minute, but the performance and the smoothness has definitely gone up.

So, interested yet? There are a lot more information available on the internet, or any of you could just post comments and questions and I'll try to find some answers for you out here. Hope you have enjoyed this post, and the iPad 2!

Special mentions/cites: How Good Are the iPad 2's Graphics?

Lab Report: iPad 2 batterly life tests and GarageBand speed

iPad 2 pictures and specs; Apple's Official Web

iPad compare: Engadget