What have we here? It appears Asus is teasing a new Transformer device. It's not hard to reach the conclusion that Asus intends to launch a new Transformer device when they slap an obvious slogan at the top, “We Transform.” Make sure you check out the 0:32 point of the video. You will get a glimpse of a tablet-style device with a stylus. That's an interesting new direction for the company. This is a teaser for their Computex event on June 6, so we should know the full details then.

In the mean-time if we find any early intel on this device we will share it with you guys.

If you are one of the lucky few developers/press making it to Google I/O for 2013, (or if you just like throwing random apps on your phone) you will be pleased to know the Google I/O 2013 app is now available. Here's the official description of the app so you can see just how useful it will be to you,

The official Google I/O 2013 conference companion app supports devices running Android 2.3+, and is optimized for phones and tablets of all shapes and sizes.
With the app you can:

- View the conference agenda and edit your personal schedule
- Sync your schedule between all of your devices and the I/O website
- View detailed session, code lab, officed hours, and speaker information, including speaker bios, photos, and Google+ profiles
- +1 sessions right from the app
- Participate in public #io13 conversations on Google+
- Guide yourself using the vector-based conference map
- Get a reminder a few minutes before sessions in your schedule are due to start
- View information about companies in the Developer Sandbox
- Keep up with announcements from the I/O team during the conference
- View your schedule on your Android 3.0+ device's home and lock screens using widget
- Play "I/O Live" session video streams on your Android 3.0+ devices
- Beam session details from your Android 4.0, NFC-enabled device to another using Android Beam
- Scan attendee badges on your NFC-enabled device

Source code for the app will be available soon at iosched - Google I/O App for Android - Google Project Hosting

Here's the Google Play Store link to download it for free now: https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...Lmlvc2NoZWQiXQ..

It's easy to be impressed with the new mobile chips currently available. Between the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 and the Exynos 5 Octa-core from Samsung, we have seen some truly awesome scores ranging all the way to 28,000+. Luckily, that's just a start for the massive performance improvements we will see in 2013. It looks like NVIDIA's Tegra 4 architecture will take things to a new level of ridiculous. Some AnTuTu benchmarks of NVIDIA's Project Shield using the Tegra 4 chipset just showed up online, and if they are not faked, they are set to blow away the current crop of processors.

As you can see in the pic above, the score achieved was 32,150, which is 4,000 points faster than any current retail device we have seen before. The only time we have seen a faster benchmark was a Tegra 4 equipped reference tablet from NVIDIA when they first announced the new chipset. It hit a top score of over 36,000. If real, this new benchmark shows a real-world performance that is unparalleled in the industry right now. The benchmark was supposedly taken from a 1.9GHz quad-core Tegra 4-based Project Shield console with Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean.

Right now, the only unknown quantity in this chipset war is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800. Until we see some real benchmarks from the Snapdragon 800, it looks like NVIDIA will hold the performance crown. Of course, both chipsets are planned to launch later this summer, so it's possible they will fight for the "king of the hill" title at the same time.

As far as pure gaming devices are concerned, the Tegra 4 based NVIDIA Project Shield is likely in a league of its own. Here's a recap of Project Shield specs,

• 5-inch display with 720p resolution (294 PPI)
• Tegra 4 quad-core ARM Cortex A15 processor
• 72-core NVIDIA GeForce GPU
• Built-in gaming controls
• Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean
• Support for Steam games

Source: NVIDIA Tegra 4-based Project Shield spotted in AnTuTu benchmark, score tops 32,000

For some, it's easy to dismiss Google Glass as nothing more than a head-mounted camera, but the device is designed to be quite a bit more. One notable example was made obvious recently. A developer named Lance Nanek was poking around in debug mode for his Google Glasses. He was able to push an Android app into the head-mounted display to get a list of available sensors. The results were surprising.

He found a long list of sensors designed for true Augmented Reality functionality, despite the fact that these capabilities are not currently accessible within the Google Glass API. This means that Google Glasses have a hidden potential which will be "unlocked" in the future. Perhaps Google is simply working out the details of making these AR functions safer and more utilitarian, or perhaps Google is just waiting for a crafty developer to help awaken these hidden powers of the product.

Here's a list of sensors the developer found,

Sensors:

• MPL Gyroscope
• MPL Accelerometer
• MPL Magnetic Field
• MPL Orientation
• MPL Rotation Vector
• MPL Linear Acceleration
• MPL Gravity
• LTR-506ALS Light sensor
• Rotation Vector Sensor
• Gravity Sensor
• Linear Acceleration Sensor
• Orientation Sensor
• Corrected Gyroscope Sensor

Location providers:

• network
• passive
• gps

Source: Engadget

Although there are no specific details regarding this rumor, apparently, LG may get back into the tablet game sometime this year. According to the latest intel, the number three smartphone maker in the world is looking to improve their positioning even further by branching out into the tablet market again. Supposedly, they plan to introduce a new Android tablet in 2013. Their last foray into this market didn't go so well. The Optimus Pad had less than lackluster sales.

Still, LG has been doing quite well with their smartphones lately. If they can leverage the saem quality and design of their current lineup into a competitive tablet, then they will have a godo shot. We will keep you informed as new details emerge.

Source: TalkAndroid

Right now in the mobile world when it comes to operating system choice it is decidedly a two-horse race. Based upon sell-through numbers over the past year, Android and iOS are so far ahead of the competition, it seems like they are the only ones racing. Of course, there are alternatives. Microsoft has actually been able to raise their marketshare a tiny amount, but Blackberry has continued to decline.

This near-duopoly is likely not good for the mobile world as a whole, as it detracts from consumer choice and could eventually stifle competition (although right now the rivalry between Android and iOS has propelled it forward). Luckily, starting this year we might see some new entries into the mobile landscape come forward to challenge the primary leaders. Some of these players are not at all surprising, and have been trying to break into this market for a while, but we do have a couple of surprise entrants. More than likely these new players won't be able to make much of a dent in 2013, but it is a start. If any of these alternatives gain traction, we could start seeing changes in the mobile landscape as early as next year. Here's a breakdown of most of the players below with their developer next to them.

• Android - Google
• iOS - Apple
• Windows Phone 8 - Microsoft
• Blackberry - Blackberry
• Tizen - Samsung
• Alibaba - from the Alibaba Group
• Firefox - Mozilla
• Sailfish - Jolla

Update: We realized we forgot to mention Ubuntu. This is another open source alternative that received some attention not too long ago, but we haven't heard much about recently. Because it is open source it's possible it could get interest from manufacturers. Here's a link to it just for the curious: Ubuntu for phones | Ubuntu

The story for the first few is mostly a known quantity. Blackberry is on a rapid decline and has been for the last two years. Android took the global crown from iOS, but iOS is still a strong close second. Windows Phone is still a distant third to Android and iOS, but they have recently gained marketshare, which is a good sign.

We have been hearing rumblings about Samsung's Tizen for quite some time. This OS was jointly developed with Intel, so it definitely has some serious potential with big backers like these two juggernauts. More than likely we will be seeing a phone with the Tizen OS hit retail shelves sometime in August of this year. This OS is the one most likely to give chase to the dominant players.

We have heard of Alibaba before as well. This is the mobile OS from a company in China called the Alibaba group which previously became controversial because they were apparently stealing a large portion of their OS from Android. At one time Acer was going to put out a phone with the Alibaba OS, but Google asked them not to because it would violate the licensing agreements Acer has with Google for Android. Alibaba is moving forward with their revamped version and if they gain any traction it will be in the lucrative Chinese market. ... [Read More]

It appears that benchmark leaks are all the rage these days, especially the AnTuTu variety. We can add another one to the tally, with this supposedly being the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1. This one's model number is GT-P5200, which is the next iteration right after the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, (with the GT-P5100). It scored a 24,616 in AnTuTu, and with this score we expect it will probably have quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 or an Exynos 5 octa-core, clocked at 1.6GHz. As you can see it is also running Android 4.2.2. We will let you guys know when we find out more info.

Source: TalkAndroid

We have a pretty spectacular deal for you guys today. Woot! has the Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700T 64GB version for just $439.99 + $5 shipping! Normally the 64GB model will run you $600 bucks before shipping, so this is a steal, especially considering these are "new" versions and not reburbs. Here's a recap of specs:

• 10.1" Super IPS+ Display @ 1920x1200
• nVidia Tegra 3
• 1 GB RAM
• 64 GB Flash storage + MicroSD slot
• 8 MP rear camera, 2 MP front camera
• Android 4.2.1

As you can see, this is a phenomenal 27% discount. The deal is limited so you should hurry if you want to snag this one. Here's a link below.

Source: Woot! Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700T 64GB Version

There is nothing wrong with aiming high, but some goals are a bit loftier than others. Acer's senior VP Scott Lin confirmed a new 10-inch Iconia A3 tablet will will be coming this summer. Furthermore, without divulging any specs or offering even a glimpse of the device he also shared Acer expects to sell 10 Million total tablets this year, and wants the A3 to contribute 2 Million of that 10 Million figure.

Despite these "pie in the sky" plans, the growth rate of Android tablets in general world-wide is increasing rapidly, so it is possible Acer could hit these goals. Here's a quote with more of the details,

Lin hopes it'll make up some of the 10 million slates the outfit aims to sell in 2013. He also announced a refresh for the $150 Iconia B1 this summer with a dual-core CPU, updated design and 1GB of ram, and said that 1.5 million units of that model have shipped so far this year. The company would like to move another 1.5 million by year's end along with 5 million of the recently announced 8-inch Iconia A1 tabs and 2 million Iconia A3s to make up the balance. Considering that competitor ASUS sold 3 million tablets in Q1 and has the hit Nexus 7 to peddle, it seems a lofty goal for Acer -- especially since it only reluctantly leaped into tablets not so long ago.

Source: AcerTabletForum via Engadget

Acer has just announced yet another tablet at it's New York Press Event, the Acer Iconia A1. The same Android tablet leaked by a French retailer a few weeks back. It's going on sale in the US later this month for $169 for the 8GB version. Yes you heard that right, $169! $199 for the 16GB version.

Spec-wise, it measures 11.1mm thick, runs a 1.2GHz quad-core processor from MediaTek, and is topped off by a 7.9-inch IPS display with 1,024 x 768 resolution. Pretty decent specs for a budget friendly tablet. It also has 8 or 16GB of internal storage, as well as built-in 3G.


Be sure to check out our new Iconia A1 tablet section here

Google's Chairman Eric Schmidt had some bold claims about YouTube recently at a presentation to advertisers in New York. Schmidt shared the opinion that YouTube has already displaced traditional TV. He shared the fact that YouTube recently cleared the milestone of over 1 Billion unique visitors every month. To be fair, he did elaborate a bit further to clarify his point, sharing,

"It's not a replacement for something that we know," said Schmidt. "It's a new thing that we have to think about, to program, to curate and build new platforms."

Robert Kyncl, YouTube's global head of content, also shared "I thought that YouTube was like TV, but it isn't. I was wrong. TV is one-way. YouTube talks back."

Some statistics were shared that were a bit eye-opening as well... more 18- to 34-year-olds watch YouTube than any cable network.

Kyncl added, "TV means reach. YouTube means engagement."

Additionally, DreamWorks CEO Jeffery Katzenberg contributed this statement, "This is a whole new form of content, content delivery and content consumption. It's the medium of the future and the future has already arrived."

What do you guys think? Is YouTube really that much of a game-changer, or is this just marketing double-speak?

Source: Associated Press

When it comes to tablets, it appears that Samsung and Apple are likely to have a really good 2013. According to the latest parts supplier intel, Apple and Samsung are likely to ship 110 Million tablets this year. This ends up being over double the total amount of all international branded tablets combined. In fact, it's still 10 Million more than all of the white box tablets that will ship from China as well. Here's a quote with some additional detail,

Apple and Samsung tablet will dominate the market this year as the two companies are expected to ship a combined total of 110 million tablets in 2013, according to DigiTimes supply sources in Taiwan. The information comes from panel makers reporting growing orders from both international and Chinese vendors.

Brand-name international companies apart from Samsung and Apple are expected to ship 50 million tablets this year, while Chinese white box tablet shipments are said to be double that amount at 100 million for the year.

The majority of white box tablet makers are located in China and produce affordable Android tablets, selling them for a fairly low margin because of the fierce rivalry in the market.

Apparently, despite the Nexus 7 and several other options from Asus and others, Samsung is still the top selling Android tablet, and of course, Apple still reigns supreme for total tablets shipping. Despite this, it is still possible that this year will be the first year we see more total Android tablets ship than Apple tablets (when you combine all the different brands and the OEM white box units).

Source: PhoneArena

Previously, we shared a rumor about a new Tegra 4-based Android tablet coming from Toshiba called the AT10-A. In that story, we were given a glimpse of a very powerful device which had actually outperformed the Samsung Exynos 5 Octa-Core with an AnTuTu benchmark score of 28,058. Today we have a second peek (literally) at the device, only this time with actual pictures and a more fleshed out model number, AT10LE-A.

As you can see in the three included pics, this new high-end tablet from Toshiba has an attractive look to go with it's excellent specs. Here's a recap of specs that came along with the pics,

• The Tegra 4 processor probably clocked at 1.8 GHz
• 10.1-inch touchscreen
• A microSD card slot, mini HDMI, and stereo speakers
• Dockable keyboard, like the Asus Transformer series
• Android 4.2 Jelly Bean

For now there is still no word about when the device will launch or how much it will sell for at that time, but of course we will keep an eye out for it. In the past, Toshiba has not really priced their products very competitively, but perhaps they will change-up that trend this time. Would this be a tablet you would consider if it had an affordable price-tag?