Last week it was all about Microsoft’s Surface tablet, this week it’s the turn of the Google Nexus 7 Tablet. The Google tablet is designed to go head-to-head with the Kindle Fire. It’s a 7-inch, Android 4.1 tablet with some impressive specs.

Elsewhere we also have new reviews from around the web of the Leader Impression i10A, Acer Iconia Tab A700, Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700, Toshiba Excite 10 and Excite 13 tablets.

Finally there’s a couple of updates on the Surface tablet itself.

Google Nexus 7 UK price and release date
The Google Nexus 7 UK release date and price have been announced, with the 7-inch tablet costing £159 for an 8G version, and £199 for 16 GB. The Nexus 7 Tablet brings a host of high-end features for a very low price, and could well be a major player in the market. Built very much to take advantage…

Google Nexus 7 Fully Revealed: Tegra 3, 7-Inch IPS Display, $199 For 8GB, $249 For 16GB
And like that, Google is officially in the tablet hardware business. Google is mere minutes away from kicking off it’s yearly I/O conference and perhaps the biggest news of the show, the announcement of the Nexus 7, was spoiled by the Google Play Store. Here is the Google/Asus Nexus 7 in all it’s gl…

Google to hand over $25 Play credit with each Nexus 7 tablet purchase
Among the premature Google Play leaks this morning is a line about a purchase bonus, to come alongside each Nexus 7 tablet purchase. As a temporary incentive, Mountain View is offering customers a $25 credit to spend on Play store content, along with additional content, including a copy of Transfo…

Leader Impression i10A Tablet Review
We took a look at the Leader Impression i10 tablet a year ago and were impressed but not blown over by the low-cost tablet from a non-brand name contender. It’s back with a newer product, but did it change any of our complaints?…

Acer Iconia Tab A700 review: a 10-inch ICS tablet with Tegra 3 and a 1920 x 1200 display
We’ll skip the long contextual intro about how high-powered Tegra 3 tablets are becoming a dime a dozen and get straight to the meat: the new Acer Iconia Tab A700 is an NVIDIA-powered slate with a super-charged screen. Yes, this device is all about the display, and we’re talking 1920 x 1200 pixels …

Toshiba Excite 13
The huge, pricey Toshiba Excite 13 tablet doesn’t offer enough content to fill its vast screen. …

Toshiba Excite 10
The Excite 10 is one of the most powerful and beautifully designed 10-inch tablets you can buy right now, but it can’t match the iPad on features, and there are better values in the Android world. …

Toshiba Excite 13 review: a big-screened tablet with a price to match
Well, this lede pretty much wrote itself. A 13-inch tablet, seriously? Toshiba is pushing the form factor limits with the Excite 13 , and while its dimensions make it stand out in a sea of 7- and 10-inch devices, that isn’t necessarily what tablet buyers are looking for. More Info Toshiba announces…

Toshiba Excite Tablet Is Sexy, Light and Just OK
Toshiba Excite 10 LE Tablet The 10-inch Excite 10 LE tablet runs stock Android (Version 4.0 “Ice Cream Sandwich”) and is one of the thinnest and lightest tablets you can buy. Click here to view this gallery. Toshiba’s 10-inch Excite 10 LE tablet is definitely attractive. At 0.3 inches thick and 1.8 …

Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700
The Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700 is the best Android tablet money can buy, with an incredibly bright and sharp high-resolution display and blazing fast quad-core processor, but there just aren’t enough apps. …

Asus Transformer Pad Infinity Review (TF700)
With the Transformer Pad Infinity TF700, Asus aims at providing a better visual performance for both the viewing experience and for image capture. The new FHD IPS touch display delivers higher resolution (1920×1080) than its predecessors, namely the Transformer Prime and the Transformer Pad TF300 (1…

ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity TF700 review: meet the company’s new top-of-the-line tablet
More Info ASUS Eee Pad MeMO ME171, ME370T and high-end Transformer Prime TF700T revealed ASUS rebrands its tablets ‘Transformer Pads,’ announces the high-end Infinity Series with either Tegra 3 or Snapdragon’s S4 chip ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity Series hits the FCC When ASUS first teased the Tran…

Microsoft Surface to Be Wi-Fi-Only at First [REPORT]
The initial version of Microsoft Surface will only work with Wi-Fi and not with mobile phone networks according to a report. Citing “two people familiar with the matter,” Bloomberg reports that Microsoft is equipping the phone with a short-range Wi-Fi connection. Microsoft could not be reached for…

Microsoft Surface tablet prices leaked
Prices for the Microsoft Surface tablet range may have been prematurely revealed thanks to a sneaky source. The Next Web says a source close to Microsoft let slip on the tablet pricing, claiming the Surface tablet sporting Windows RT , and powered by Nvidia’s Tegra 3 chip, will set you back $599 (…

Acer Iconia A510 Olympic Tab now on sale in the UK for £349, gold medal not included
Aligning perfectly with what we’d heard a few weeks ago, it looks like Acer’s Londonized Iconia A510 will finally be hitting UK doorsteps, just in time for next month’s Summer Olympics . To give you a quick refresh, this special edition Olympic Tab boasts a Tegra 3 CPU, 1GB of RAM and 32GB of bu…

It’s all about the Microsoft Surface tablet launch in the news this week. Microsoft have surprised everyone by launching a new tablet/ultrabook hybrid that will compete against the iPad and the MacBook Air. We’ve got a whole host of links for you today so you can get the full story, check out the video, understand what this is all about and why it’s so important.

A short news update this week as Apple launches iOS 6 and bringing Siri to the iPad, the Google Nexus tablet is rumoured for a June release and we have a Toshiba Excite 7.7 review.

In iOS 6, Siri Gets Smarter — and Comes to the iPad
Siri has been out for eight months now, and with iOS 6 will be seeing some enhanced new features including the ability to check out trailers for movies, see how your favorite team is doing, and launch apps. And it will all be available in iOS 6 on the new iPad (the third-gen iPad). Apple announced …

iOS 6: All the New Features Coming Soon to Your iPhone and iPad (Updating Live) [IOS 6]
Apple’s new iOS 6 comes loaded with new features. From completely new Maps to a new version of the voice-activated personal assistant Siri to Facebook integration. It looks quite sweet. These will be the new features of your iPhone and iPad. Updating live. More »…

Toshiba Excite 7.7
The Toshiba Excite 7.7 is one of the finest Android 4.0 tablets money can buy, but it’s too expensive even given its high-end components. …

Nexus 7 tablet will arrive at end of June, says anonymous ASUS source
We reported the possibility of the ASUS building a 7-inch Nexus tablet earlier , but that rumor just jumped a notch with an unnamed rep confirming to Android Authority that it is indeed working with Google on a quad-core tab . Though the mole wasn’t willing to divulge more specifics, previous spe…

It’s a bumper week of news with the Computex trade fair as the stage for a number of new tablet announcements. We have new tablets from Samsung, Lenovo, Toshiba, Acer and ASUS. Elsewhere there’s further insight into what Windows 8 will bring to tablets. For those who already own a tablet we have a great article on turning your Android tablet into a media and gaming centre, custom ROMs for getting more out of an Android tablet, and tips for Android widgets.

Toshiba, Lenovo, & Samsung Unveil Windows 8 Tablet Concepts at Computex
Toshiba, Samsung, and Lenovo showed off concept designs for future Windows 8 tablets at Computex 2012….

Acer and Asus Reveal Crop of Windows 8 Tablets
Microsoft created Windows 8 with tablets in mind, but PC manufacturers haven’t shown exactly what real, purchasable Windows tablets will look like until now. Both Acer and Asus unveiled the first round of Windows 8 tablets at the Computex trade show on Monday in Taiwan. And by doing so, they’ve b…

Is This Google’s Nexus Tablet? [Rumor]
Though it might look like the original iPhone, this could possibly, maybe, actually be the Nexus Tablet that Google has been working on. Phone Arena received these pictures and believe that the images are leaked shots of Google’s upcoming tablet made by ASUS. More »…

Toshiba Excite 10 review: a 10-inch ICS tablet that puts the Thrive to shame
More Info Toshiba announces Excite 10, 7.7 and 13 tablets, Thrive slates on their way out Toshiba Excite 10 ICS tablet goes on sale, prices start at $450 for 16GB model Toshiba AT200 review In the tablet market, big as it is, one notion generally holds true: thinner equals better. Toshiba, for examp…

Acer Shows Off Iconia Tab A210 and A110 Quad-Core Android Tablets
Acer has been quietly displaying two upcoming Android tablets at Computex 2012: the Iconia Tab A210 and A110….

ASUS Tablet 600 Hands-On: Speedy Windows 8 RT, Incredible Endurance
On Monday, ASUS unveiled its Tablet 600, the first official Windows 8 tablet powered by Nvidia’s Tegra 3, quad-core CPU. Unfortunately at ASUS’s event, we were only able to photograph the slate and keyboard combo device from a distance and nobody was there to demonstrate all its capabilities. But to…

ASUS Zenbook Prime UX21A With Touch Hands-On: Gorgeous Screen, Blazing Boots
We’ve already extolled the virtues of ASUS’s Zenbook Prime UX31A with its speedy Ivy Bridge CPU and gorgeous full HD screen and, though we haven’t tested the 11.6-inch Zenbook Prime UX21A we know it’s of similar quality. Today at Computex, ASUS showed off the upcoming touch screen-enabled, Windows 8…

Lenovo demos ThinkPad tablet running Windows 8, we go hands-on
Yes , another Windows 8 tablet. After getting hands-on with some new devices from Acer , ASUS and Samsung , you might already having trouble telling one device from the other. You might even say the same about Lenovo, which is showing off an early-stage tablet here at Computex. The difference? We…

Samsung teases Series 5 Hybrid PC, a Windows 8 tablet with magnetic keyboard dock and pen support (update: hands-on photos)
You wanted Windows 8 tablet / laptop mash-ups, you got ‘em! On the heels of some rather inventive product launches from Acer and ASUS here at Computex, Samsung is teasing a Win8 device of its own, the Series 5 Hybrid PC. For now, Samsung’s not sharing many technical details — we don’t even know t…

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 caught on camera with S-pen slot, quad-core CPU (video)
Last time the winds of hearsay rustled our tech feathers, word was Samsung had pegged its Tab 2 10.1 for a quad-core CPU transplant . While the company went on the record to shoot down that pesky rumor, it remained suspiciously mum where the Galaxy Note 10.1 was concerned. Now, thanks to a brief v…

Asus Taichi: Ultrabook in Front, Tablet in the Back [Video]
For those who can’t decide between an ultrabook’s handy QWERTY keyboard, and a slim tablet’s touchscreen UI, Asus has just revealed a hybrid, double-duty display solution. Wait a second: Business in front, party in the back? That sounds awfully familiar. More »…

Acer unveils 11.6-inch Iconia W700, 10.1-inch W510 Windows 8 tablets (update: hands-on pictures and video)
And the flood of Windows tablets begins! With only four months or so to go before Microsoft finalizes the OS, we had a feeling Computex 2012 would bring lots of Win8 devices, and it looks like we won’t be disappointed. Acer just used its press conference here in Taipei to launch its long-awaited f…

How To Get More From Your Android Tablet

How to Turn Your Android into a Killer Portable Media and Gaming Center [Video]
Your home media center may be awesome, but it doesn’t do you much good when you’re at a friend’s place and desperate to watch the Game of Thrones finale, get in a few laps on Mario Kart, or listen to a great new band you discovered. Here’s how you can turn your Android device into a badass portable…

What are the Best Android Tablet Widgets?
Android has one big feature advantage over iOS, and that is widget support. Active widgets bring useful info at a glance and allow Android tablet owners to personalize their devices in a way iPad owners cannot. So what are the best and most useful? Read on to find out….

Five Best Android ROMs [Hive Five]
Whether you’re looking to upgrade an Android device forsaken by its manufacturer or you just want more control over the phone or tablet you own, you’ve probably gone looking for a new ROM. Rooting your phone is the first step, but a new ROM will give you a completely new mobile OS, and this week we’…

Android 4.0 Upgrade

The latest version of Android is Version 4.0 (also know as Android Ice Cream Sandwich) is only available on a selected number of tablets right now.

When you buy an Android tablet it will come with a version of Android that the tablet was designed for. Google releases new versions of Android regularly but manufacturers don’t automatically send these out to update on their tablets. This means that you don’t immediately get an upgrade in operating system as soon as one becomes available.

Manufacturers usually want to tweak a new version of Android so they can be sure it works well with their hardware. Consequently these updates can take a while to reach each tablet. Some tablets may never received the upgrade if the manufacturers don’t think the tablet has decent enough hardware to cope with a more power-sapping version of Android.

If you want to go down the route of hacking a new version of Android on your tablet when an official update hasn’t been provided, there are ways to manually load the newer version on to an old tablet, but there’s some risk that the tablet may become unstable or even fail to reboot, rendering it useless. It may also be impossible to reverse once this has happened. I therefore only recommend this if you know what you’re doing.

As Android 4.0 is the latest incarnation of Android, only a limited number of tablets are currently running it. If you want to understand the benefits of this update, check out the article here.

Tablets That Run Android 4.0 – Android Ice Cream Sandwich Tablet List

If you want to buy a tablet capable of running Android 4.0 now, here’s the full list:

• Samsung Galaxy Note (unlocked)
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
• Archos 80 G9
• Archos 101 G9
• AndyPad
• Sony Tablet S
• ASUS Transformer Prime TF201
• ASUS Transformer TF101
• ASUS Eee Pad Slider
• Acer Iconia A100
• Acer Iconia A200
• Acer Iconia A500
• Huawei Mediapad 7

For full details of all phone and tablet Android 4.0 releases and expected upgrades due, check out this post from Engadget.

Acer, ASUS, and Toshiba Ready Windows 8 Tablets for Computex
Expect to see Windows 8 tablets from ASUS, Acer, and Toshiba at Computex next week….

Engadget’s summer gear guide 2012: tablets
In the interest of keeping cool this summer, we’ve put together a list of the hottest products out right now. From smartphones to e-readers and everything in between, there’s no time like the present to re-up that post-spring-cleaning stash. So grab a popsicle or a cold one and dive in — the water…

BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.1 beta ready for download: better portrait mode and Android app support
That Michael Clewely is a man of his word. Not only has the PlayBook OS 2.1 beta version arrived just when he promised, but it also brings some handy additions that nudge the tablet a little closer to the land of fulfilled potential. There’s portrait support for the Email, Calendar and Contacts app…

Windows 8 Release Preview and Two Other Stories You Need to Know
Welcome to this morning’s edition of “ First To Know ,” a series in which we keep you in the know on what’s happening in the digital world. Today, we’re looking at three particularly interesting stories. Microsoft Launches Windows 8 Release Preview As expected after an accidental leak on one of Mic…

Creative HanZpad hurdles FCC, will deliver ICS and quad-core goodness to China
Creative Labs might want to get some white gloves, because we recognized its fingerprints on the HanZPad, a Chinese tablet platform which just landed at the FCC. Using its own ZiiLABS division’s ZMS-40 ICS optimized SoC (system on chip), the thinnish 7.95mm tab looks to have meaty specs with a qu…

Microsoft Office for the iPad and Android Tablets Coming in November?
According to the latest rumor, the Microsoft Office app for the Apple iPad will be released to the public on November 10….

This Is Vinyl Tap
Nobody has to remind us how fun it can be to mess around with music apps designed to mimic the formats of days gone by. However, the same instinct that compels us to try them also encourages app developers to build lots of random iPad apps for pretending to play vinyl. More »…

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 Review: A Sequel Slightly Better than the Original
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 is a modest update to one of the best Android tablets of 2011, complete with a modest launch price of $400. But with Android tablet prices dropping, is the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 a good value?…

Windows 8 Release Preview detailed impressions
More Info Microsoft Windows 8 Consumer Preview detailed impressions Windows 8 Release Preview coming ‘first week of June’ Microsoft reveals more multi-monitor improvements in Windows 8 Release Preview (video) Until now, it seemed like Microsoft was gearing up to unveil the almost-final Windows 8 Re…

Windows 8 Release Preview Hands On: Wonderful (And Kind Of Boring)
Windows 8 Release Preview is among us and, boy, is it lovely. It’s so much dreamier than the Consumer Preview , and makes the Developer Preview look like something cobbled together out of two-by-fours, electrical tape, and rebar. It also is quite boring. More »…

Toddler-friendly Vinci Tab II makes its way to online retailers
Though already available through Amazon and SkyMall, the Vinci Tab II — who we met in a previous life — has found its way toWalMart.com and is moseying to other e-tailers such as ToysRUs.com, Diapers.com and YoYo.com next month. The Vinci carries a 7-inch (800×480) display, a 3-megapixel camera…

Netflix for iOS updated with a new player UI, support for alternate language audio and more
There’s still no word available on HD video streaming, but Netflix has just released version 2.2 of its app for iPhones and iPads. While the front end got tablet friendly in December and received a Retina Display makeover in March , this version brings a new player UI to all iOS devices. The new s…

Lenovo IdeaTab S2109 Android Tablet Coming to America
Lenovo announced that the IdeaTab S2109 Android tablet will be come Stateside in June….

Archos 7-inch Child Pad with ICS now on sale for $130, Aaaalvin squeaks in celebration
Oh, we know you’ve been waiting for this one. Earlier today, Archos announced its kid-friendly Child Pad tablet is finally up for grabs — which was bound to happen after having passed the FCC’s meticulous inspection . In case your brain needs a quick refresh, those $129.99 get your little ones …

Google Maps ‘Android app’ gets Zagat ‘reviews and ratings’
More Zagat goodness from our friends at Google today. The restaurant guide’s scores, summaries, reviews and ratings have “made their way” onto the Android version of Google Maps. Clicking Local in the “latest version of the app” brings up a list of local restaurants, searchable by category. You can…

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 Review

In a sea of tablets, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 7.7 tablet stands out as an Android-based tablet that rivals the iPad. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 features a 7.7-inch screen that is bright and manages to maintain its incredibly sharp resolution while still being compact. Although slightly larger than the other range of 7-inch tablets, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 can be held in one hand, making it ideal for reading the latest book on your Kindle app and watching a movie whilst you’re travelling. Today our Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 review looks at the impressive features of this new tablet.

Strengths

• Format – The biggest benefit to the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 is its size. It’s small enough to comfortably hold in one hand while still being large enough to allow you to browse the web. Its screen resolution of 1280 X 800 is better than even Samsung’s 10.1 inch tablet, and the colors come to life.
• Weight/Size – The Galaxy Tab 7.7 is lightweight—335g compared to the iPad 2’s 600g.  It’s extremely thin, as well, making it easily portable. Its sharp metallic look makes it stand out among the many other tablets out there.
• Screen – The Galaxy Tab uses the Super AMOLED Plus panel for its display. Super AMOLED (Super Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode) helps preserve your display even in the brightest light. The Super AMOLED Plus display was introduced with Samsung’s Galaxy line, using an arrangement that both brightens the display and conserves battery life. You’ll notice the difference as soon as you try to operate the tablet in bright sunlight, an important feature considering most tablets are intended to be used on the go.
• User Interface – The Galaxy Tab 7.7 runs Android Honeycomb but also includes Samsung’s TouchWiz UX suite of extensions. These additional elements enhance stock Android. This gives users all kinds of handy widgets, including apps for weather and news. You’ll be able to easily access your social media sites, thanks to TouchWiz UX—all in a cute format. Users have reported TouchWiz UX slows down the tablet’s performance, but you can drag any widgets you don’t plan to use to the trash.
• Motion control is also installed on the Galaxy Tab 7.7. Motion control, is new to the Samsung line. It allows users to tilt the tablet at various angles to manipulate images and navigate. The Galaxy Tab also comes with the Peel app, allowing users to turn the device into a remote control.
• Included Applications – Samsung Hubs are also included with the tablet, including a readers’ hub that allows users to find and download e-books, newspapers, and magazines. The music hub gives you access to millions of songs and the game hub makes Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 the first tablet that offers the best social network games, as well as premium games—all delivered on the Galaxy Tab 7.7’s eye-popping display.
• Processor Performance – Its 1.4GHz dual-core processor placed only slightly behind the iPad 2 in benchmark scores, making it among the top performers in speed. You’ll get 16GB of memory, which can be upped by using the microSD slot. You can also load media files directly from a microSD card, allowing you to store your favorite high-definition movies on the card and take them on vacation with you. Since the tablet plays a variety of video formats, you’ll have no problem viewing them.
• Voice Calls – One of the benefits of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 is its ability to make voice calls. Previously, however, you’d needed a Bluetooth or headphones to make or receive a call, but Samsung is pretty proud of the fact that you can answer a call in receiver mode on this device while in a public place. This bragging assumes people would actually hold the tablet as a phone. This is unlikely, so you’ll still need a Bluetooth or headphones if you want to use your Galaxy as a phone without putting it in speakerphone mode.
• Battery Life – In order to accommodate the smaller size, Samsung shrunk the battery down to 5,100 mAh but the performance seems to be unaffected. Samsung compensated for the drop in battery power by initiating power saving routines for the device. If the battery drops below 50%, for instance, the device powers the brightness of the screen down automatically.
• Ports – The Galaxy Tab 7.7 has MicroSD and SIM card slots. This means you can expand the on-board memory if you need more space to store files using a MicroSD card. The SIM slot gives you the flexibility to sign-up to a 3G contract so you can use the internet connection when you’re not in range of a Wi-Fi signal – Samsung have provided a lot of options with this tablet.
• Connectivity – Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are also supported so you can attached to your local network to use peripheral devices like a Wi-Fi printer, plus also hook up Bluetooth devices such as a Bluetooth headset.
• Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 7.7 uses Wi-Fi channel bonding, which lets you receive data rates at double the speed of traditional Wi-Fi. This should speed up the web surfing experience. The Galaxy Tab also has GPS so you can use location-based apps along the lines of  SatNav and mapping applications.
• Sensors/Gaming – Also included on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 are a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and a digital compass. These sensors mean it reacts as you move the tablet, reorientating the screen view and delivering games that respond to rotations, tilts and twists.

Weaknesses

• Operating System – One of the biggest disappointments with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 is its failure to incorporate the new Ice Cream Sandwich operating system (Android 4.0). While Honeycomb (Android 3.2) works well as always, it can be sluggish at times, especially when switching between screens. It’s just not as polished as Android 4.0. Expect Samsung to release upgrades for their tablets soon.
• Cameras – With both a front-facing and rear-facing camera, you’ll be able to conduct video chats and capture all of your best memories. The rear-facing camera is only 3 megapixels, which makes it less than ideal for high-quality photos, but the 2 megapixel front-facing camera will work fine for your Skype sessions.
• Price – A downfall of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 is the price. The unit is more expensive than its competitor, the Motorola Xoom 2 Media edition, which could scare away some consumers.
• Expansion Options – One major negative is the lack of a USB port for the Galaxy Tab 7.7. USB is required for a variety of reasons, although in this day and age, someone could certainly find wireless ways to live without USB connectivity. Your options include storing files in the cloud and attaching to Wi-Fi peripheral devices.
• An HDMI output is also lacking—something competitors have that allows owners to send video to any device bearing an HDMI input, including televisions.
• Speakers – While the speakers on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 are good, they aren’t quite as loud as the Tab Plus 7.0. Having said that, if you want decent audio quality from a tablet, you’ll probably need to plug in a set of headphones anyway. Rarely do the small speakers on tablets provide decent quality output.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 Review Summary

As with all tablets, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7’s value depends on what you intend to do with your computer. For gaming and watching video, the Tab is both portable and has a vivid display. Samsung have gone down the route of offering lightweight devices that provide ultra portability, however the trade off of a thin tablet is they can’t provide USB and HDMI out jacks If you’re looking for a small, lightweight and stylish tablet though, the Galaxy Tab 7.7 is a great option. It’s one of the best in class of the smaller scale tablets available in the UK right now, when it gets Android Ice Cream Sandwich, it will be the best.

If you still want to find out more then check out the reviews from PC Pro, Tech Radar and CNET.

Also, you can check the latest pricing and more user reviews by clicking this link.

Upgrade An Android Tablet

Want to know how to get the latest Android upgrade on your tablet? Unfortunately not many manufacturers of early Android tablets are offering operating system upgrades as new versions of Android become available.

However, all is not lost, the open source community of tech enthusiasts are working on free options to give you the latest and greatest version of Android, increased functions, and performance enhancements.

I spotted a great overview at the AllTouchTablet.com site last week detailing how this works, the benefits, the risks, and a video to bring it to life.

The key to all of this is the CyanogenMod open source project. This project offers firmware - the combination of memory and programme code stored in the tablet that provides the control programme. You can install it on your tablet to access the performance enhancements and new functions.

Scanning through the list of the devices that the CyanogenMod is available for brings up the Advent Vega – an Android tablet that is priced below £200 now but still had a pretty decent spec. If you have one then it’s well worth checking out these articles to understand what your options are.

A further search brings up other tablets such as the HP TouchPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and others – all listed in the forum.

Check out the full article about the Cyanogen Mod project at AllTouchTablet.com.

If you’re looking for other customisation options and upgrades on other tablets then also check out the MoDaCo forums and search on the name of your tablet to see what you can find.

The Toshiba AT100 features a high specification processor and full size USB, SD and HDMI ports, but the result is a bulkier tablet than you’d prefer. There are, however, some customers who will prefer these features in exchange for a less portable tablet. In this Toshiba AT100 tablet review we’ll look at the pros and cons in more detail.

Strengths

• Processor Performance – The Toshiba AT100 uses the Tegra 2 processor—the same processor now used in the latest Android tablets. With 16GB of hard drive storage and 1GB of RAM, the unit performs well. Gamers will like the advanced GeForce graphics that mean you can run PC comparable quality games.
• Full Size USB – One of the biggest bonuses of the Toshiba AT100 is its USB port. This is a sticking point for many tablets and may also prevent some customers switching from laptop to tablet. A full size USB port means you can plug in a USB stick and access the files on it. Similarly the tablet supports peripheral devices such as a USB mouse, USB keyboard, gaming devices etc.
• HDMI Port – The Toshiba AT100 offers both a HDMI port, as well as a slot for an SD card. The HDMI port means you can attach a HDMI cable and link the tablet up to a high-definition TV. This means you can then watch movies and other content stored on your tablet, but on your big screen TV.
• SD Card Port – The SD card slot can accept a card with a capacity of up to 128GB, adding more storage than you’ll likely ever need. The Toshiba AT100 is the first major manufacturer to provide this type of capacity in an SD slot. In addition, the slot has SDXC support. This also allows you to take an SD card out of another advice, like a digital camera, and input it directly into your tablet. This is great for quickly getting images off your camera so you can view them with friends and family on the tablet.
• Another piece of good news is that all of these slots are fairly transparent on the model. The slots blend well into the design, keeping your unit from looking clunky when these ports aren’t in use.
• Rear Camera – There’s a 5 megapixel camera on the back of the tablet so you can take still images and record video in high-definition. Photos taken with this camera in well-lit spaces turned out surprisingly clear for a tablet. Sepia and black-and-white shooting are also available without having to download an app. The front-facing camera is 2 megapixels, which is sufficient for its intended use for video chatting. The tablet also shoots video admirably, with an editing app that allows you to make your own movie.
• Battery Life – Another plus is the rear cover, which snaps off to give customers access to the battery. Most tablets don’t allow you to swap out a battery but this slate gives you the option to carry a fully charged backup battery when the first one runs out. There are replacement covers available in a variety of colors, letting users customize their tablet for a more personal touch.
• Performance – Browser speed tested high when compared to similar priced/spec’d tablets. The Toshiba AT100 runs the Honeycomb (Android 3.1) operating system so it’s disappointing that it’s not running the latest and greatest version of Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich).
• Inclusive Applications – There’s a number of pre-installed apps including App Place, Start Place, and Book Place. These areas feature all your news and periodicals, as well as giving you a place to shop for and download books.
• For document manipulation of your Microsoft office docs, you have QuickOffice, and for running virus checks, a Kapersky Antivirus app comes pre-loaded. The unit’s file manager is impressive, allowing you to easily manipulate files in a way tablets normally do not support.
• Remote Access – LogMeIn Ignition is also pre-installed on the Toshiba tablet so you can get on to you home computer direct from your tablet. You’ll need a Wi-Fi connection and your home PC to be online to do this, but it means you can access all your home files when you’re out – documents, music, video etc.
• Getting Online – For connectivity, you’ll only get Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 3.0. This means that if you want to get online, you’re limited to finding a Wi-Fi connection rather than accessing the 3G network, limiting your options when you’re out and about. If you have a smartphone that supports tethering or a 3G dongle you may still be able to access the 3G network though.

Weaknesses

• Design – Weight is an issue with the Toshiba AT100. The unit is 725 grams, 73 grams heavier than the newest iPad and 160 grams heavier than the lightest Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. The cover’s design makes it easy to grip, though, so unless you’re trying to use the unit one-handed, you may not even notice the weight.
• Portability – Bulkiness is an issue, as well. The Toshiba AT100 is not only thicker than other tablets, it is only slightly thinner than an ultrabook PC. However, it should be noted that the Toshiba AT100 has functionality many other tablets do not, including the USB port and HDMI port. It is clear from the first time you pick up this tablet that it is for much more than playing apps and watching movies.
• Screen – While Toshiba is billing its 1280 X 800 pixel screen as the best in the industry, the display isn’t nearly as vivid as the iPad 2 or Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. It actually appeared washed out in comparison to the iPad 2. Users do report eye strain with excessive use, due to the screen’s shiny finish. The touchscreen also wasn’t as responsive to finger taps and swipes as other tablets in this price range.
• Video Performance – The video processor seems slow at times, especially when compared to competitor tablets. Video paused several times while playing during testing, which can be annoying for those who plan to regularly use the Toshiba AT100 to watch video. As for audio—the tablet has a built-in speaker at the bottom. Sound is tinny through the small speaker, but most tablets struggle to produce a great audio performance unless you plug the headphones in.
• Battery – Battery life is lacking, as well, with great standby life but quick draining when in use. In standby, the tablet seems to shut off wireless when the tablet is sleeping. When awake, the battery easily drained quicker than other tablets. However, being able to replace the battery when it starts to drain unreasonably quick, as always tends to happen after a couple of years with a laptop or cell phone, is a plus.
• Slow Boot – Boot-up time for the tablet takes a full half-minute, which can seem an eternity to today’s tablet and smartphone user. However, if the tablet is asleep, it only takes a half-second to wake up from that sleep. Not bad at all. Shutdown takes about ten seconds.
• Price – Another problem is the price. Toshiba has priced its tablet at the same level as competitor tablets but it doesn’t deliver the quality. Even at first glance, other tablets in the same price range appear to be of much greater quality. This may make all the difference when consumers are choosing a tablet.

Toshiba AT100 Tablet Review Summary

The Toshiba AT100 is a powerful device for a tablet. In many ways, it has functionality of a laptop delivered in a bulky tablet form. However, with users increasingly becoming more reliant on the Cloud and so many wireless peripherals available, the question of whether or not USB, SD card and HDMI ports are necessary is beginning to arise.

Tablets are designed to be portable so heavy and chunky slates like this are cumbersome and lack the style of others. Only time will tell if Toshiba AT100 is addressing outdated technology needs.

If you still want to find out more then check out the reviews from PC Advisor, Tech Radar and Pocket Lint.

Also, you can check the latest pricing and more user reviews by clicking this link.

Basics Of The Operating System – Tutorial For Android

Do you want to know how to use an Android tablet? In this first video in a series of Android tablet tutorials, I’m going to walk you through the very basics of using an Android tablet.

Android 4.0 is also known as Android Ice Cream Sandwich.  It’s Google’s Android operating system for smartphones and mobile tablets. If you are running a different version of Android, the same approach can be taken for using Android 3 Honeycomb tablet PCs. If you’ve got an Android tablet with an earlier version of Android some of the screens may differ but the principles remain broadly the same.

This video showing how to use an Android tablet covers:

1. Unlocking an Android tablet PC
2. How to change wallpaper background on an Android tablet PC
3. Discovering the Android home screen desktops and how to find your way around them
4. I’ll show you around the Android tablet home screen. This includes where you can find a quick way to search Google, how to locate apps and widgets on Android.
5. Using the software buttons – the back button, home button, and view latest open apps (multitasking)
6. Navigating through the web, YouTube, Camera, Gallery, email, Music etc. shortcuts on Android.
7. The notification area – where you can see as new notifications such as apps downloading, new emails arriving etc.
8. How to change settings in Android to lock the orientation of the screen
9. Navigating your Android tablet with a single tap to select apps and long taps to set wallpaper.
10. How to set-up short cuts in Android so you can configure your home screens/desktops
11. Using pinching to zoom-in and zoom-out of images in Android..
12. The Android keyboard and how you use it to search the web via the quick Google search feature.

Note: The “Market” app in this video has now been updated to “Play” – Google Play is Google’s repository for downloading apps, ebooks, and movie rentals direct to your tablet.

I’ll be posting more Android tutorials soon so subscribe to the free newsletter here for more.

How To Use An Android Tablet Video Transcription

Hi and welcome to the video. You’re looking at Android on a tablet PC. The Android operating system is Google’s operating system and it’s recently been evolved to work much more smoothly on tablet PCs.

Now in this video we’re going to look at the very basics of using Android on a tablet PC.

So first up, this is the lock screen and you’ll see a lock icon here. Now if I press on that and hold down, I’m on the touch screen and I drag it across to this lock, that is unlocked, it will automatically snap to it and when I release and get’s me straight into the tablet PC. You may have noticed that there was a camera icon also there, which we’ll look at in a separate video on how you can access directly to the camera application.

So this is the Android central home screen. Now I’m just going to quickly show you how you can change the wallpapers here because then that will make it a bit easier for you to see as I’m navigating Android. So I’ve just pressed and held down on the main home screen here and I’ve got an option to choose wallpaper from a gallery, photo, live wallpaper or standard wallpaper.

Now if I click on standard wallpaper, I can navigate to different kinds of wallpapers and when we’re talking about wallpapers here, we’re talking basically about the background and the colors that you can use. Now there’s a few different options here, if I set one as my wallpaper here, this is just a kind of countryside scene. I’m actually going to navigate to the live wallpapers as these are a bit more interesting for higher-end PCs. So let’s take one and have a look at it, it’s kind of like a moving spiral-type effect. And that works quite nicely to be able to show you Android.

Now the operating system itself it’s already made up to start off with five home screens. So along the top here you can notice five dots in a row and the middle dot currently has a box around it. So that’s the central home screen. Now you have five home screens and if I navigate left you can see that the box moves along one and we get into a different home screen. And here I’m navigating to the left, I get another box moving across, and I’m actually at the far end here so if I try to navigate further that way, it’s not allowing me to do so. If I navigate back to the central home screen and then go to the right, now you can see I’m accessing other types of home screens here. And again, the far right, you’ve got the box around that far right dot, and then we’re back here.

So, if I go to the central one here—and I’ll just show you around some of the icons and what’s available on the screen here—so you’ve got a kind of a Google logo at the top here at the top here with a little microphone next to it, and that Google there will allow you to click and immediately navigate to a Google search on the web and also some previous searches. I’m going to jump back to the home screen and I’ll show you how I did that in just a moment. The little icon here which shows a kind of microphone allows you to actually speak into the microphone of the tablet PC and navigate in that way, rather than typing something here.

On the far right here we have six boxes in two sets of three. So if I click on that, that actually navigates you straight to your kind of apps screen. It lists all your applications you have available to you. You can also get widgets from here, which are kind of little small widgets that you can put on those home screens where you can quickly access information.

Now I’m going to go back again to that home screen and there’s a little widget I’ve got set up here that actually shows you location and weather. Over here, we can see the date and also the number of emails that I’ve got outstanding in my inbox.

Now further down here we’ve got a few other buttons so this is something I tapped on slightly earlier. So we’ve got a back button here which allows us to go back to whatever you’ve previously accessed.

You’ve also got the home button, which always brings you back to this main central home screen. So for example, if I’m in the far home screen and I tap that, we go back to the central one. If I’m in the applications and the widgets and I want to get back to that home screen, I just press that. So that’s just a quick and easy way to always find you way back to this central home screen.

Now also here we have a kind of a third icon which is kind of like a few boxes on top of each other, which show you the kind of open apps at that stage. If you’ve got a number of apps open, this is a quick and easy way to navigate to them. So I previously was doing a search, so that’s available to me. I was looking at settings and stuff like that, so that’s available to me. Similarly if I opened an application, let’s say I went to the Android Market, let’s go back to the home and you can see that’s now available within this and these are pretty easy to open and close and I’ll show you that in a later video.

So that’s those kind of software buttons there, but also down at the bottom you’ve got a number of short cuts. Now currently here I’ve got a browser and the YouTube application, the camera application, gallery application, a note taking application that comes with this Asus tablet, a music application, the Android Market and also Gmail. And these kind kinds of things—and you’ll notice them on other home screens—are just quick ways of jumping to applications within your tablet.

Now you’ll notice I’ve got a number of widgets already set up, this is a bookmarks widget, and you can actually configure some of these by holding down on them to be actually slightly smaller, slightly bigger, but I’ll go into more detail on that in a separate video.

And finally down at the bottom here, we have the kind of notification area and the settings where you can see settings such as if you’re downloading applications, new email, etc. Now I won’t go into this in too much detail but there’s much more information here for a separate video.

Now one other thing for finding your way around this tablet is that it reorientates itself. Now currently I’ve actually been into the settings and I’ve changed the settings so that the auto-rotate screen is on. And what this allows you to do is to rotate the screen around and it reorientates itself to the portrait or landscape mode you’re in at that stage.

Now if you don’t like that and you actually want it so you have a bit more consistency and that it sticks in the orientation that you like, if you jump to the settings—and again I’ll show you this in a bit more detail separately—you can actually turn off that auto-rotate screen by going into the display element. You may well come into this on the wi-fi side of things, that’s usually the default thing that happens when you get into settings. If you click down onto display, you find auto-rotate screen—there’s a little tick next to that—let’s untick that so it disappears. Now, when we go back to the home screen, if we actually rotate doesn’t reorientitates itself. So let’s pop that back again and that will work smoothly.

Other ways to navigate this tablet—and I’ve been showing you some of those as I’ve been going along—are a number of different sort of things you can do. Now, you’ve got a single tap, which effectively allows you to select a desired item, such as activating an application. So say, for example, a single tap, tap on the YouTube application and it opens. Tap on the home button and it navigates you straight back to that. So a single tap is just for selecting something.

Now you can also long press. I showed you this originally when I was selecting wallpapers. Long press basically means tapping on the screen and holding down, and in that case, some wallpaper came out of that—and I’m just tapping to get out of that kind of mini-menu there – but similarly, a good thing with a long tap, particularly on Android you can use it to configure those home screens and put new short cuts on them. So say, for example, I’ve got an Amazon Kindle application here. If I long tap and hold on that, and I hold it down I can now drag it to one of the home screens. You’ll notice that as I drag it and push it to a new home screen it drops there. And again, if I wanted to change the kind of configuration of how I’ve set this up, I can literally tap on something, hold it down and drag it here. So it’s a drag-and-drop type functionality. So that’s long pressing.

Now another option you have is pinching. Now pinching is using a couple of fingers to zoom in and out of photos or web pages etc. So let’s take a very simple picture I took of just a plant here. You can zoom in very easily, push two fingers away from each other or zoom back in again by using that pinch motion. And now I’ll zip back to the home screen.

The finally one is kind of like flipping, where you can just flip between screens with just a single swipe type motion with your finger.

One other input method is actually using the software keyboard. So say, for example, you can just type something in. Now this is the Google search that I was showing you earlier on. Say I wanted to jump to the Yahoo home page—let’s do that—that’s Yahoo Mail, you can just type it in using that keyboard that comes up, and it’s quite easy to type, just as you’d expect to get with any type of QWERTY keyboard that you’d be used to typing with just like a physical keyboard.

So that’s it in terms of getting around the tablet. So those are the kind of basics and in future videos we’ll have a look at detail and help you find your way around your Android tablet PC.