PLAiR $99 HDMI dongle lets you stream internet video to your TV

Like the idea of a stick that you can plug into your TV to watch internet video on the big screen, but want something a little simpler to use than an Android TV stick? Earlier this year pre-orders for something called a PLAiR opened up, with the promise of delivering a $99 stick that lets you stream videos from a PC, Android, or iOS device to your TV.

Now the first PLAiR units are shipping to customers.

You don't have to navigate through on-screen menus using a remote control, keyboard, or mouse the way you do with an Android TV stick, an Apple TV, or a Roku. Instead you just plug the PLAiR into your TV's HDMI port (and connect a power source) and use your computer's web browser or a mobile app to send videos to your TV.

That includes internet video or movies stored on your hard drive. If you send an internet video you can click the play button on your PC and then turn off the computer while video continues to play.

If you choose to stream video from your hard drive using the PLAiR control panel app you can even queue up multiple videos to play one after the other.

One pretty cool feature is that you don't even need to connect PLAiR to your home network for it to stream videos from the internet (although you certainly can do that). It's also capable of creating its own network and connecting to your laptop over a direct WiFi connection.

What you don't get from this sort of setup is the versatility you'd get with an Android TV stick or an HTPC since you can't install and run apps on the stick, surf the web on your TV, or, as far as I can tell, control media playback once it's started. Unless I'm missing something, the smartphone apps don't include play, pause, or rewind buttons.

The apps do have nifty built-in program guides for finding online videos you might want to watch though.

PLAiR devices are currently back-ordered, so while early orders are already shipping, if you place an order today it won't ship until June.

PLAiR $99 HDMI dongle lets you stream internet video to your TV is a post from: Liliputing

Toshiba introduces WT310 tablet with Windows 8 Pro, digital pen

Toshiba has a new tablet aimed at business users. It's called the Toshiba WST310 and it runs Windows 8 Pro, offers an active digitzer and digital pen for writing and drawing, and includes a TPM security module, among other security features.

According to Engadget the 11.6 inch tablet should be available in the UK in the next month or two, and a US release probably won't be far behind.

The Toshiba WT310 features an 11.6 inch, 1920 x 1080 pixel display, an Intel Core family processor, a solid state disk, and a decent array of ports, including a USB 3.0 port, SD card slot, and HDMI output.

Toshiba's tablet will be available with WiFI, Bluetooth, and optional HSPA+ or 4G LTE connectivity.

The tablet measures 9″ x 7.5″ x 0.5″ and weighs about 1.8 pounds. That makes it a bit thicker and heavier than an iPad, and it'll also probably be more expensive. But it's not a bad size for a tablet capable of running Windows apps in a business environment, as well as touch-friendly apps downloaded from the Windows Store.

While Toshiba hasn't revealed the price for the new tablet yet, it's probably not going to come cheap. If you're looking for a more affordable option, Toshiba also recently introduced the Portege Z10t tablet with an 11.6 inch, 1080p display and a keyboard dock that lets you use it like a laptop.

Pricing for that model isn't available yet either, but it lacks some of the security features of the WT310 and doesn't have a digital pen, which suggests it'll be a more affordable option aimed at consumers rather than enterprise customers.

Toshiba introduces WT310 tablet with Windows 8 Pro, digital pen is a post from: Liliputing

Asus MeMO Pad ME302KL with full HD display, quad-core CPU coming this summer?

It looks like the Asus MeMO Pad ME302C may not be the only new 10 inch tablet Asus is working on. While that tablet is expected to have a 10 inch, 1920 x 1200 pixel display and an Intel Atom processor, Asus is also reportedly working on a version with a quad-core ARM-based processor.

That model is called the Asus MeMO Pad 2, and it's expected to have the model number ME302KL.

Techblog.gr reports that the new 10 inch tablet will have a full HD display and a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor with Adreno 320 graphics. It's expected to have 1GB of RAM, 16GB of stroage, front and rear cameras, and a 5050mAh battery.

The tablet also has WiFi, Bluetooth, and optional 3G and 4G LTE versions. It's expected to measure 0.4″ inches thick and weigh about 1.3 pounds.

While the S4 processor is an ARM Cortex-A9 chip at a time when Qualcomm, NVIDIA, and Samsung are starting to ship processors based on more powerful designs, it still offers a big step up in performance over the NVIDIA Tegra 3 chips that have powered the last few 10 inch tablets from Asus.

via Notebook Italia

Asus MeMO Pad ME302KL with full HD display, quad-core CPU coming this summer? is a post from: Liliputing

Lilbits (5-01-2013): HP Slate 7 reviewed, Apple still dominates tablet shipments

HP's TouchPad tablet didn't sell very many units at $499, but became the must-have tablet of 2011 when the company launched a fire sale and liquidated the tablet for prices as low as $99. So it's not a huge surprise that HP's decided to re-enter the tablet space this year with a budget model that's supposed to be cheap.

Unfortunately according to one of the first reviews of the HP Slate 7, it looks and feels cheap, and there's not much reason to buy one when you can get a Nexus 7 for $30 more (or a Chinese tablet for even less). Maybe HP will drop the price even lower soon in order to move units?

Here are some of the day's top stories from around the web.

• HP Slate 7 $170 tablet reviewed by @reverendkjr… found very disappointing (video)
  The HP Slate 7 is HP's first Android tablet that was designed to sell for a dirt cheap price. But according to at least one early reviewer, it might not be cheap enough. [reverendkjr on YouTube]
• IDC: Apple still dominates PC shipments, Microsoft not so much
  Research firm IDC released new tablet shipment estimates. According to the firm Apple tablets still make up nearly 40 percent of the market, with Samsung and Asus in second and third place. Microsoft is in fifth place with its Surface tablets, putting it behind Amazon. [IDC]
• Unofficial Amazon video plugin for XBMC no longer works, thanks DRM
  Right about the same time Amazon launched pilot episodes for a bunch of original programs, the company also started implementing new DRM for its Flash-based video playback. That means it no longer works on Linux, Android, or even in the XBMC media player running on Linux, Android, or Windows. [Slashdot]
• MiiPC Android mini PC now available with twice the RAM, storage, for $15 more
  The MiiPC is a cheap mini-computer project that's raising funds on Kickstarter as we speak. While the team has already surpassed its original $50,000 goal, there are now new options available for backers. Kick in an extra $15 and you can get a model with 2GB of RAM and 8GB of storage instead of a model with 1GB/4GB. [Engadget]
• T-Mobile and Metro PCS… two become one
  The merger is complete. But since these are two of the smaller carriers in the US, you probably won't be affected at all. [T-Mobile]
• Google adds section for Chrome Packaged Apps to Chrome Web Store
  Google now makes it easier to find Chrome Packaged Apps in the Chrome web store. If you're on the dev channel you can now find these apps which are designed to run like native apps. They'll show up in the Apps section, while web apps are listed under Websites. [Chromium Blog]
• Early builds of LibreOffice now available for Android
  The installer files are still way too big to be distributed on the Google Play Store, and the app crashed every time I tried to open a document on my Nexus 7. But if you want to give LibreOffice for Android a try, the APK files are now available for download. [Muktware]

You can keep up on the latest news by following Liliputing on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.

Lilbits (5-01-2013): HP Slate 7 reviewed, Apple still dominates tablet shipments is a post from: Liliputing

Picuntu home://io for RK3066 TV sticks makes installing Linux easy(ish)

Android TV sticks with Rockchip RK3066 dual-core processors available sell for as little as $42. But these little boxes let you turn a TV or monitor into a computer capable of running thousands of Android apps. Or if you really want to use an RK3066 stick as a computer you can install Ubuntu.

A custom version of Ubuntu called Picuntu has been under development for a while. It gives you a basic desktop Linux environment that you can use on a device like the UG802 or MK808 mini PC.

But if you're looking for something a little more feature-packed, you can also try Picuntu home://io.

The new home://io edition is based on Picuntu RC3 and includes initial support for hardware accelerated graphics using the RK3066 processor's Mali 400 graphics.

But what really sets home://io apart from a default Picuntu installation are all the extra goodies that come with this version. Developer JustinTime4Tea has added a number of apps that let you quickly start using a TV box as a Linux-powered game console, web server, or all-purpose PC.

For instance, it includes:

• PCSX Playstation emulator
• Quake 3
• DOSbox
• GIMP image editor
• Midori, Firefox, and Chromium web browsers with support for Flash
• Email and chat apps
• VLC and Amarok media players (among others)
• LibreOffice

You can find a more detailed list of included software, as well as installation instructions at the SlateDroid forum.

Picuntu home://io edition uses 6.7GB of disk space, so you'll want to load it on a microSD card with at least 8GB of free space.

via ArcTablet

Picuntu home://io for RK3066 TV sticks makes installing Linux easy(ish) is a post from: Liliputing

AT&T Samsung Galaxy S4 bootloader unlocked

The US version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone has a locked bootloader which prevents users from easily loading custom firmware on the phone. That's not surprising, since most Android phones sold in the US have locked bootloaders which make installing custom recoveries or ROMs such as CyanogenMod or Paranoid Android difficult.

But while the Samsung Galaxy S4 is one of the most powerful phones available today, the leader of the CyanogenMod team basically recommended staying away from it yesterday. But a lot can change in a day. Today he posted a picture showing that he has CyanogenMod running on the S4.

That's because where some folks see a problem, others see a challenge. Security researcher Dan Rosenberg has been looking for a way to unlock the Galaxy S4 bootloader, and it looks like he's succeeded.

He's already managed to install a custom recovery on the phone, and eventually we could see tools such as ClockworkMod or TWRP recovery ported to Samsung's latest phone.

That, in turn, would allow users to backup, wipe, or restore their devices as well as flashing custom firmware to replace Samsung's version of Android.

The Galaxy S4′s biggest competitor is probably the HTC One, which has a similar display, processor, and price tag. But you don't necessarily have to hack your device to unlock the bootloader on that model. HTC offers a developer edition, which ships unlocked. And you can also unlock the bootloader using HTC's own tools.

Developer h8rift has already released an early build of CyanogenMod 10.1 for the HTC One.

But it's good to know that Samsung's new flagship phone is also hackable.

The US version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor, a 5 inch, 1920 x 1080 pixel display, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, and a 2600mAh battery.

via Android Community

AT&T Samsung Galaxy S4 bootloader unlocked is a post from: Liliputing

Deals of the Day (5-01-2013)

The Toshiba Excite 10 LE is a limited edition tablet with a 10 inch display, a TI OMAP 4430 dual core processor, and a slim design: it measures just 0.3 inches thick.

When Toshiba launched the tablet over a year ago, the company was asking $530 for the Excite 10 LE. Now you can pick up a refurbished model for just $200.

Here are some of the day's best deals on mobile devices and accessories.

• Refurb Toshiba Excite 10 LE tablet w/OMAP 4430 for $200 – 1SaleADay
• Refurb Google Nexus 10 tablet w/32GB for $430 – Groupon
• Refurb Pantech Element 8 inch Android tablet w/4G LTE for $135 – PayDeals (coupon: SAVE10)
• Apple iPad mini w/16GB for $300 after instant rebate – Rakuten
• Refurb Acer Iconia W500 10″ Windows 7 tablet w/AMD C-50 for $290 – Acer (via eBay)
• Refurb Acer Aspire One 725 11.6″ notebook w/AMD C-70 for $215 – Acer (via eBay)
• Refurb Acer Aspire One 756 11.6″ notebook w/Celeron 877 for $280 - Acer (via eBay)
• Lenovo IdeaPad U310 13″ laptop w/Intel Core i3 for $529 and up - Lenovo (coupon: WEEKLYDEAL)
• Amazon's 100 Kindle books for $3.99 or less for May 2013 – Amazon

You can find more bargains in our daily deals section.

Deals of the Day (5-01-2013) is a post from: Liliputing

Samsung's Galaxy Tab 3 to be powered by a Marvel PXA986 processor

Samsung hasn't yet revealed how much it's upcoming Galaxy Tab 3 will cost. But now there's a little more evidence that the 7 inch tablet will be a low-cost alternative to Samsung's pricier Galaxy Note tablets.

We already knew that the Galaxy Tab 3 would have the same 1024 x 600 pixel display (which probably costs less to produce than the 1280 x 800 pixel screens found in many other tablets). Now it looks like the tablet will also be saving some money on the processor.

Benchmark results for the Galaxy Tab 3 at the GLBenchMark site show that the tablet features a Marvel PXA986 processor.

That's a 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex-A9 dual core processor with built-in support for HSPA+ connectivity and Vivante GC1000 graphics for hardware-accelerated video and 3D.

But as the benchmark results show, it's not exactly a top tier device. Tablets with NVIDIA Tegra 3, Samsung Exynos 4, and Rockchip RK3188 chips outperform it in most tests.

The Galaxy Tab 3 will also feature 1GB of RAM, up to 16GB of storage, a microSD card slot, WiFi, Bluetooth, A-GPS, and front and rear cameras.

via MiniMachines and @Chrisespace

Samsung's Galaxy Tab 3 to be powered by a Marvel PXA986 processor is a post from: Liliputing

Lenovo ThinkPad S431 notebook coming in June for $700 and up

Lenovo's next ThinkPad notebook is laptop with a 14 inch display and a small screen bezel — the company says the Lenovo ThinkPad S431 is about the size you'd expect a 13 inch laptop to be.

It's also reasonably svelted, at 0.8 inches thick. That puts the ThinkPad S431 squarely in ultrabook territory — although I'm not sure if the base model will have all the hallmarks of an ultrabook.

Lenovo plans to start shipping the notebook in June for $699 and up.

The Lenovo ThinkPad S431 has multitouch display that opens to a 180 degree angle, a 5-button clickpad with a glass surface, and a pointing stick in the center of the keyboard.

Lenovo will offer the notebook with an Intel Ivy Bridge processor, up to 8GB of memory, and up to 500GB of storage. The press release doesn't make it clear if you can configure it with a solid state drive, but technically in order to count as an ultrabook you'd need to have at least a small SSD.

The notebook has 2 USB 3.0 ports, a backlit keyboard, and an aluminum lid that will be available in silver or black colors. Lenovo is promising up to 9 hours of battery life, which sounds optimistic.

Lenovo ThinkPad S431 notebook coming in June for $700 and up is a post from: Liliputing

H7000 is a $190 7 inch Android smartphone, or a tablet that makes calls

Asus doesn't have the market cornered on smartphones with 7 inch screens. A new Chinese phone called the H7000 is about the same size and shape as the Asus Fonepad. And like the Fonepad you can use the H7000 as a mobile tablet… or you can use it to make phone calls.

While Asus doesn't officially offer the $249 Fonepad in the US, you can pick one up on eBay for around $350. Or you can order an H7000 for about $190 from PandaWill or AliExpress.

For that price you get a phone with less memory and storage. But on paper it doesn't look all that bad.

The H7000 features a 1280 x 800 pixel IPS display with 180 degree viewing angles and a 1.2 GHz MTK8377 ARM Cortex-A9 dual-core processor with PowerVR SGX531 graphics.

It runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and features 512MB of RAM and 4GB of built-in storage. There's also a microSD card slot which you can use for additional storage space for music, movies, and other files.

The device works as a GSM phone with support for WCDMA 3G networks. You can use it to make phone calls or access the internet on the go. It has two SIM card slots.

If you don't feel like holding a 7 inch tablet up to your head while making calls, you should also be able to pair a wireless headset with the tablet. It has built-in Bluetooth as well as 802.11b/g/n WiFi.

The H7000 also supports GPS and FM radio and has a 3300mAh battery which should provide up to 4 or 5 hours of run time. While that's kind of underwhelming, the battery is user replaceable, so if you can find a spare you might be able to carry it around with you.

The tablet measures 7.4″ x 4.6″ x 0.4″ and weighs about 13 ounces.

via PandaWill forum

H7000 is a $190 7 inch Android smartphone, or a tablet that makes calls is a post from: Liliputing