The ChildPad

 Archos ChildPad

 Today is Children's Day in Romania and I'll start this post by wishing everyone out there a very Happy Children's Day! All ya adults - this goes for you too, remember you were children once.

 So, what's this about? Well today I'll tell you about a tablet that's designed specially for children but first let's start with the specs:

 - 1GHz ARM Cortex processor
 - 1GB of RAM
 - 4GB of onboard storage
 - microSD card slot
 - 7 inch touchscreen with 840x480 resolution
 - Android ICS

 Judging by these hardware specs most of the apps and child games would run just fine. The tablet will also feature "Alvin and the Chipmunks" exclusive content like: clips, pictures, themes and an online game. Parental controls are also present and there's the AppsLib app store instead of the Google Play store.

 All in one this seems to be a bargain given its US $129.99 price, considering that you can keep children away from messing with your iPad or Xoom. Have fun!

 Link: Archos

Progresso urbano

 Kyocera's Urbano Progresso

 What's up? This right here is a smartphone that's about to launch in Japan only. What's so special about it is the "smart sonic receiver" - a technology that allows the transmition of clear voice reception via the vibration of the display screen - all this based on Kyocera’s proprietary advanced ceramic technology.

 Here are the specs for y'all geeks out there :)
 -  Dual core Snapdragon S2 running @1.4GHz
 -  4GB internal memory with support for microSD card to up to 32GB
 -  4.0 inch OLED Display
 -  8.1 MP camera
 -  japanese specific features like infrared and FeliCa for mobile payments
 -  support for GSM, UMTS, GPRS and CDMA networks
 -  Android 4.0

 It seems that this one delivers - it has both "brians and looks", add innovation in the mix and here we are: a class A smartphone. Too bad this one's for Japan only... for now :)

 Link:  Urbano Progresso

Gingerbread on Atom

 Xolo X900

 And here we are ladies and gents, we’ll be witnessing yet another milestone in the mobile industry. Lava (an Indian mobile phones company) is preparing to launch the Xolo smartphone which, hardware wise, runs on an Atom platform. As the OS is concerned the weapon of choice would be Android Gingerbread at launch with an update to ICS following up shortly.

 I know y’all geeks are eager for some specs so here they are: 1.6 GHz Intel Atom Z2460 processor, 1 GB of ram, 16GB of internal memory, screen size of 4.3”@1024x600 pixels resolution, 8MP main camera with Flash, a front camera of 1.3MP, micro HDMI out. The handset is also NFC (near field comm.) ready. All those goodies are packed in a form factor that measures a mere 123x63x10.99 mm.

 At first glance the specs are on par with the last year’s high end devices but do keep in mind that this is an Atom processor on which a PC version of Windows might work just fine. 

 From now on we should get used to see the “intel inside” logo on smartphones as well. But how soon is now and how’s that Xolo for a change? See ya!  

 Links: Xolo X900
            Lava Mobile Phones

The (S)martphone

 Sony Xperia S

 Innovation is scarce and mere upgrades are paramount… The Xperia S is in between but has everything it takes to take on the top dogs.
 So, let’s see what the S has onboard: Snapdragon platform with a 1.5Ghz dual core processor, 1GB of ram, Adreno 220 GPU, 32GB of storage, 4.3 inch display of HD resolution @1280x720 pixels, 12MP camera with autofocus and Exmor R sensor for low light conditions along with 1080p video recording.

 Connectivity-wise there’s WiFi(b/g/n), Bluetooth, NFC(near field communication), DLNA, USB on the go, micro-USB and HDMI 2.0. All this in a slim form factor measuring only 10.6 mm in depth.

 The Xperia S is running on Android 2.3 with the ICS update coming up soon. Anyway the Sony’s Timescape user interface offers enough functionality and eye-candy for the average user :)  On the gaming side the “PlayStation Certified” feature allows for playing PlayStation Suite games.

 The device’s design mixes the classic form factor with a transparent strip which cuts through the base of the device in which the antenna is embedded - it also illuminates and indicates where the on-screen buttons are placed.

 Sony really nails it with this product, it really adds the “S” letter back into the “Smartphone” wor(l)d.

 Links: Sony Xperia S
            Where to buy

Excite 10

 Toshiba Excite AT200

 Thin supermodel physique or the thinnest and lightest tablet with a 10.1” LED backlit LCD capacitive touchscreen with 16M colors @1280 x 800 pixels - meet the AT200 tablet from Toshiba which is 7.7mm thin and weighs a mere 558g.

 Hardware wise this “excitement” is powered by a 1.2 Ghz dual core processor, 1GB of ram and a  PowerVR SGX540 Gpu. When it comes to storage it has 16 or 32 GB of internal memory with the possibility to upgraded it up to 32 GB more by using its microSD card slot.

 Wireless connectivity is assured by Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP and EDR(enhanced data rate) and GPS. It also features a micro USB port (data transfer and charging) and a micro hdmi out port.

 The main camera takes snapshots at 5MP with autofocus and is recording HD video @720p.

 Android 3.2 Honeycomb runs the show until the planned update to Android 4.0 ICS would be available later on to even better handle the AT200’s “excitement”.  The battery life extends up to 8hrs depending on usage. 

 The best contenders of AT200 are: Asus Transformer Prime, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and iPad(2012).

 If you haven’t made up your mind yet – choose what best suits you cause beauty is in the eye of the beholder :)

 Link: Toshiba Excite
           Where to buy