Tablets

Rumor: Next iPad Will Look Exactly Like You’d Expect

It was probably too much to ask that we make it to the end of the year without firing up the new [new (new)] iPad rumor mill, especially given that it’s barely been two months since the iPad 4 appeared. And yet! https://gizmodo.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-fourth-generation-i-5954217 There is, says Macotakara—a site that’s usually pretty good at this sort…

5 Ways Ereaders Are Still Better Than Tablets

The Age of the Ereader is drawing to a close. That’s the drumbeat this week, after iSuppli pegged the year-over-year decline of reader sales at a staggering 36 percent. It makes sense; why get a fuddy little Kobo when there are cheap Kindle Fires aplenty to be had? Turns out, plenty of reasons. Tablets are…

Bloomberg: HTC to Launch Windows RT Tablets in 2013

Bloomberg is reporting that it believes HTC is currently working on a range of new tablets that will run Windows RT. The devices are, apparently, slated for a 2013 launch. The report suggests HTC is working on a “12-inch device and a 7-inch version that can also make phone calls”. Sources “familiar with the matter”…

The Best Small Tablet

Big screens are nice. But sometimes the extra real estate isn’t worth the lack of portability. If tablets are considered mobile devices, they should be easy to take with you, right? That’s the idea behind a new class of small tablets with screens measuring roughly 7 inches diagonally. Over the last six months, some really,…

Tumblr’s native Android app now supports tablets! Sorry iPad users, you ain’t got nothin’.

The Best Full Size Tablet

This is the year tablets stopped being a one-horse race. There are real options now, and that means making real decisions. Here’s how the top four choices compare—and which one measures up to be the best. Testing Methodology We’ve already run reviews of all of these products (except for the iPad), and a lot of…

Every Kindle Fire Is on Sale Today—If You’re a Mom

On Monday, Amazon slashed prices on its 8.9-inch Kindle Fire tablets. If you missed that sale, you’re in luck; it’s back today, and this time applies to all Kindle Fire models. Oh, except this time you’ve got to be a mom. https://gizmodo.com/amazons-got-50-off-every-8-9-inch-kindle-fire-hd-today-5967084 The sale, limited to Amazon Mom members who also have Amazon Prime, includes…

Is Amazon’s 8.9-Inch Kindle Fire HD a Flop?

You’ve probably heard by now that Amazon’s offering fifty bucks off every 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD. But while that’s great news for you, it hints at disappointing early days for Amazon’s big-boy tablet. Is the 8.9-inch Fire HD dying on the vine? https://gizmodo.com/amazons-got-50-off-every-8-9-inch-kindle-fire-hd-today-5967084 It would seem unlikely at first; Amazon recently crowed that it had…

The 10 Most Important Tablets of 2012

The tablet market went through some huge changes in 2012. Apple finally introduced a (somewhat) more affordable iPad. Microsoft released Windows 8 and launched its own hardware. And for the first time, every major player had a tablet that was actually, you know, good. 10. LeapPad2 The original incarnation of LeapFrog’s LeapPad was great! Virtually…

Toshiba’s New Excite 10 SE Looks Like a Sweet Tablet On a Budget

We’ve been digging Toshiba’s line of Excite tablets, and the newest member of the family has a lot to offer. Not only does it appear to measure up to its competition on specs, but this ten-inch tablet only costs $350. Color us intrigued (which is kind of a brownish red). https://gizmodo.com/hands-on-toshibas-new-excite-tablets-come-in-small-re-5899445 The Excite 10 SE…

Can Viagra Make You A Better Athlete?

The idea that Viagra helps out athletes has been around for years now, but is there a scientific consensus on it? Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall caused a great engorgement in the wit of the sports commentariat when he admitted that he’s “heard (of) guys using like Viagra, seriously” to gain a competitive edge on…

The Scooby Doo Picture Frame Gag Gets a High-Tech Spying Twist

Are there any here among us who didn’t watch Scooby Doo as a kid, see a villain spying (with blinking eyes) behind a picture on the wall, and secretly wish we could do that? We may never be allowed to carve holes in our walls, but we can still make that dream come true. Mark…

Kindle Fire HD 8.9 Review: Good News and Bad News

Comfort. That’s what the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 has over everything else. It’s by far the most comfortable tablet to hold, and to read and watch movies on. But to be the full-fledged iPad and Nexus competitor we’re hoping for, it needs to be more than just another pretty face. Why It Matters It costs…

Watch a Nexus 7 Die a Painful Death In This Brutal Overkill Drop Test

The worst drop any of your gadgets are likely to suffer is a couple of feet. Maybe a little more if you’re dangling one over the edge of a balcony or drop it down the stairs or something. But gadgets, no matter how robust, aren’t build to handle more than that. That’s why this 65-foot…

Knuckle and Fingernail Gestures Could Be Coming Soon to a Touchscreen Near You

For the moment, your arsenal of touchscreen gestures is effectively limited by the number of fingers you can use. a ten-finger gesture isn’t going to be particularly helpful for most of us. New tech that can tell the difference between fingertips, knuckles, and fingernails however, could throw some more variables into the mix. A trio…

Nexus 10 Teardown: See the Other Side of That Beautiful Screen

The Nexus 10 is pretty pretty, but what do it’s innards look like? Powerbook Medic found out when they vivisected one of the impressive new $400 tabs, and laid out its guts for all of us to see. https://gizmodo.com/google-nexus-10-review-it-s-pretty-pretty-5956304 Unlike the Nexus 4’s secret LTE modem, the Nexus 10 doesn’t seem to pack any real…

Kindle Fire HD 8.9-Inch First Impressions: Is This the Comfiest Big Tablet?

The Kindle Fire 8.9 just showed up on our doorstep. It looks as lovely as we remember it. And instead of banging out a half-baked review in a day or two, we’re giving you our quick impressions of it, and will chime in with a full review later. The first thing you notice is how…

Samsung Ativ Smart PC 500T: Don’t Expect Any Miracles

Samsung’s Ativ Smart PC tablet is supposed to be a tablet-sized tablet that can run all of your desktop apps. It is all that, sort of. But it’s also a mix of things that are impressive, tolerable, and totally unacceptable—sometimes all at once. Let’s get this out of the way first: The Ativ is less…

Mixing Sharpies and Touchscreen Devices Seems Really Dangerous

Repurposing one of the myriad of writing implements on your desk as a stylus for a touchscreen device shows some clever MacGyver-like adaptability. But bringing an indelible permanent marker like a Sharpie anywhere near your tablet or smartphone’s screen is downright cringe-worthy—even if the business end is covered with one of these Stylus Caps. Made…

Did This Nexus 7 Really Explode While Charging?

If you thought the Nexus 7 was a hot commodity, you’d be right. In one case in China, it was apparently so hot as to actually fry itself up. The story originates on a Chinese forum, where the user claims the tablet was charging with its original charger when suddenly it began to smoke. Then,…