Best New Android Tablet Apps to Make Life Simpler: Better contact management, financial tools, and free magazines

Contacts+

Contact management is often a mess, especially with the multiple accounts that people often have to juggle. Contacts+ is a good solution for cleaning things up and linking those in your contact list to social and communication networks.

The Contacts+ app syncs the contacts' profile data and contact information so you can send a message through one of many platforms. There are greater customization options than what is found in the stock contacts Android app, with great-looking profile photo options and methods for tweaking the overall Contacts+ scheme.

Talon for Twitter

Talon is a well-designed Twitter app that is geared towards power users looking for more than just what the company-created app contains. Talon for Twitter offers viewing images and web links in-line, and multiple layout choices.

True geeks like myself also get to see which client each tweet is coming from. Another smart move is separating the discussion and conversation panels from a specific tweet so you can see if the sender interacted with others.

Just like the developer's other excellent Android app, Sliding Messaging Pro, Talon gets frequent bug fix and optimization updates along with new features.

Level Money

Level Money is a great, new tool that links to bank accounts for rapid access to financial information. It calculates total income, savings and recurring bills in order to determine spendable cash. This amount is designed to show you how much can be spent on a specific month, day or week.

Level Money also provides several widgets so you can get this information at a glance right from the home screen without the need to open the app.

ISSUU

Issuu hopes to democratize publishing with a low point-of-entry and monthly cost for creating magazines. The company boasts of over 30 million magazines and catalogues in its Android app.

The result is an interesting mix of content, which has much of the community-enthusiast feel of Flipboard. It is worth exploring for the variety of content; time will tell if this becomes a disruptive element to magazine publishing.

This article originally published at TabTimes

Image: Android

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Sony Turns Its Xperia Z Ultra Into a Tablet in Japan

Sony's 6.4-inch Xperia Z Ultra smarpthone is almost big enough it could be considered a tablet, right? Sony seems to agree, as it announced it will start selling a Wi-Fi only variant of the device in Japan.

The device is very simple to describe: it's identical to the Xperia Z Ultra, only without the cellular component.

This means it comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, an 8-megapixel camera, a Full HD display, Android 4.2 and water resistance.

The Wi-Fi Xperia Z Ultra will become available in Japan this week for ¥52,000 ($499). There's no word on pricing or availability in the elsewhere.

Image: SONY

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Samsung Announces Lighter, Low-End Addition to Galaxy Tab 3 Line

Samsung announced Thursday the Galaxy Tab 3 Lite, a low-end, lightweight addition to its Galaxy Tab 3 line of products.

The 7-inch tablet runs Android 4.2 and comes with a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, a 2-megapixel rear camera, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage memory (expandable via MicroSD cards).

Compared to its predecessor, the 7-inch Galaxy Tab 3, the Lite actually fares quite well: The screen, processor and memory size are the same, but the Lite lacks a front camera and has a slightly weaker battery (3,600mAh vs 4,000mAh).

The Galaxy Tab 3 Lite will be available globally in white and black, but the exact price and time of availability have not been announced.

Image: Samsung

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The Best iPhone Calendar App Just Came to iPad

The golden age of iPhone calendar apps kicked off a little more than a year ago.

In the span of a few months in late 2012 and early 2013, Fantastical, Tempo and Sunrise all launched smart calendar tools that rethought the traditional design and functionality of calendar apps. Apple later appeared to borrow some of this design with the iOS 7 update to the default calendar app. Now, what is arguably the best of these calendar apps is coming to the iPad.

Sunrise, an app developed by two former Foursquare designers, launched for iPad on Thursday with all the perks of the iPhone version and some new options. You can scroll through a list of the day's scheduled events, as you would with the iPhone version, or take advantage of a new weekly and monthly viewing mode, which offers a clearer picture of how much free time you have. The iPhone version has also been updated to offer a three-day work week view.

Both versions of the app also make it easy to enter in scheduled items on the go. The app offers a quick pull-down list of generic events — call, coffee, meeting, etc — which you can tap to add to the calendar. You can then add a map of the location, select other contacts attending the event and add additional notes.

Sunrise pulls in relevant information from social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn, directions from Google Maps and weather reports. The app supports Google and iCloud calendars.

Image: iStock, franckreporter

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Asus Unveils New PadFone Mini and PadFone X for AT&T

The Asus PadFone, first unveiled back in 2011 during a dramatic presentation by ASUS chairman Jonney Shih, was initially laughed off as too gimmicky by some.

But the two-in-one (smartphone and tablet) device has gradually won its share of fans. Now the company has unveiled new versions of the device bound for the U.S.

During this week’s International CES, Asus revealed that its new PadFone X will be carried by AT&T exclusively in the U.S. Featuring a 5-inch HD display that also integrates with a 9-inch tablet, the device runs on Android KitKat 4.4 and comes in a slick, black brushed metal casing.

“The PadFone X is first of its kind in the U.S. It combines leading technology, a beautiful design and a remarkably seamless application experience – all on the nation’s fastest and most reliable 4G LTE network,” said Jeff Bradley, AT&T senior vice president of devices, in a statement.

Asus also announced a smaller version of the device called the PadFone mini, a 4-inch smartphone integrated with a 7-inch tablet.

Powered by an Intel Atom Z2560 processor and offering 8GB of storage, the PadFone mini also has a micro SD card slot that allows the unit to be upgraded to 64GB capacity. The device, offered in black, white, red, blue and yellow, also comes with an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front side camera.

Where the original PadFone may have seemed like an eccentric piece of engineering, the size of the PadFone mini truly allows the user to tread the line between fully functional smartphone and tablet usage in a easy to carry form factor.

Pricing and availability dates have yet to be announced.

Images: Asus

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Apple Prepping 12.9-Inch iPad for 2014

It’s never too late in the year for a new Apple rumor. The latest, emerging from Asia, claims that the company has a larger sized iPad in the works.

Citing a source from Apple’s Asia supply chain, Digitimes reports that the company may be preparing to release a 12.9-inch tablet sometime in October of 2014.

This latest report follows a similar rumor published in the Wall Street Journal this summer that claimed that Apple was testing a new iPad with a screen measuring “slightly less than 13-inches."

The Digitimes report also claims that Apple’s larger tablet will be manufactured by Taiwan-based PC manufacturer Quanta Computer.

In recent years, Apple rumors of varying authenticity originating from Asia supply chain sources have become commonplace. But those rumors generally hint at some new product that might mirror existing market trends, such as an iPhone with a larger screen, or an Apple-branded smart television.

History tells us that Apple generally avoids following trends, instead opting to set new ones and open up new product categories. An iPad with a nearly 13-inch screen would largely buck the current trend of smaller tablets and phablets currently dominating the global marketplace.

If that logic holds, then the notion of a 12.9-inch iPad — a tool that could be particularly useful in educational environments (an important focus for Apple) — doesn’t seem so far fetched. 

Image: Jeff Pachoud/AFP/Getty Images

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BSNL,launched phablets, tablet and Bharat feature phone

 BSNL has launched four affordable devices for the Indian market.

BSNL and Penta Technologies have launched the Penta Smart PS650 and Penta Smart PS501 Android smartphones (Rs. 7,999 and Rs. 6,999 respectively); the refreshed PentaT-Pad WS707C tablet with voice-calling (Rs. 6,999), and a Penta Bharat feature phone (Rs. 1,799).


The Penta Bharat feature phone comes with 3-inch display and supports dual-SIM functionality with dual standby. It sports a 1.3-megapixel rear camera and includes Bluetooth connectivity option. The Penta Bharat phone packs an 1800mAh battery with up to 8 hours of talktime and up to 360 hours of standby time. It comes with 64MB of RAM and includes 64MB of inbuilt storage.

The Penta Smart PS650 features a large 6.5-inch display, which is the biggest seen on a smartphone in India. It runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and supports single SIM (micro-SIM). It is powered by 1.2GHz dual-core Cortex A7 processor with Mali 400MP GPU. The Penta Smart PS650 sports a 2-megapixel rear camera and also includes a VGA front-facing camera. It comes with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of inbuilt storage. The phablet packs a 2500mAh battery with standby time of up to 100 hours. BSNL is offering 3GB of 3G data and 300 minutes of talktime free on BSNL network.

The Penta Smart PS501 runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean out-of-the-box and is a dual-SIM device with support for GSM+GSM. It features a 5-inch display with a resolution of 480x854 pixels. It is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core Cortex A7 processor alongside 512MB of RAM. The Penta Smart PS501 sports a 5-megapixel rear camera and also includes a VGA front-facing camera. It comes with 4GB of inbuilt storage that can be expanded up to 32GB with microSD card. It packs a 1800mAh battery.

BSNL is offering a pre-bundled pack for both the Penta Smart PS650 and Penta Smart PS501 Android smartphones of 1200 minutes free talktime on the BSNL network.

Penta also launched its T-Pad WS707C tablet with updated OS and lower price. The 

Commenting on the launch, R K Upadhyay, BSNL CMD said, "We are delighted to offer latest technology products in a reverse data bundling marketing alliance with Pantel Technologies. Products like the Penta Bharat Phone will now offer the Indian consumer the power of Internet access at an affordable price. Likewise, with the highly affordable 3G Penta Smart device, the PS650, BSNL can now look forward to offering its world-class 3G data services to a wide cross section of Indian society."

Penta Bharat Phone key specifications

• 3-inch display
• 1.3-megapixel rear camera
• Dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) with dual standby
• 64MB RAM and 64MB of internal storage
• 1800mAh battery

Penta Smart PS650 key specifications

• 6.5-inch (480x800 pixels) display
• 1.2GHz dual-core cortex A7 processor with Mali 400 GPU
• 512MB RAM
• 4GB of inbuilt storage, expandable up to 32GB via microSD
• 2-megapixel rear camera
• VGA front-facing camera
• Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)
• 2500mAh battery

Penta Smart PS501 key specifications

• 5-inch (480x854 pixels) IPS display
• 1.2GHz dual-core cortex A7 processor
• 512MB RAM
• 4GB of inbuilt storage, expandable up to 32GB with micro SD
• Dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) with dual standby
• Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)
• 5-megapixel autofocus rear camera with LED flash
• VGA front-facing camera
• 1800mAh battery

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Razer Edge Pro

Fantastic, innovative design offers a better gaming experience. Powerful components with an Intel Core i7 processor and Nvidia mobile graphics. Flexible tablet and dock design lets you play anywhere.Expensive when all the accessories are taken into account. Can't match standard gaming laptops for performance.



 
The Razer Edge Pro gaming tablet is the rare device that reimagines what the PC experience should be and delivers something that's not just different, but better. That it's made to let you game anywhere just makes it a lot more fun.

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Apple's new products: Specifications

Apple Inc. unveiled a pair of new iPads and new MacBook Pro computers, 

among other products, at an event in San Francisco on Tuesday. 

Here are some product specifications:

iPad Air

Size: 9.4 inches tall, 6.6 inches wide and 0.29 inch thick

Weight:1 pound

Display:9.7 inches diagonally

Resolution:2,048 pixels by 1,536 pixels, at 264 pixels per inch

Chip:A7 chip with 64-bit architecture and M7 motion coprocessor

Colours:Black with space gray, white with silver

Price:$499 for a Wi-Fi-only 16 gigabyte model, $599 for 32 GB, $699 for 64

 GB and $799 for 128 GB. Add $130 for models with 4G LTE cellular

 access. Apple will still sell the 2011 model, iPad 2, for $399.

Availability:Nov. 1

Ipad mini

Size:7.87 inches tall, 5.3 inches wide, 0.29 inch thick

Weight:0.73 pound

Display:7.9 inches diagonally

Resolution:2,048 pixels by 1,536 pixels, at 326 pixels per inch

Chip:A7 chip with 64-bit architecture and M7 motion coprocessor

Colours:Black with space gray, white with silver

Price:$399 for a Wi-Fi-only 16 gigabyte model, $499 for 32 GB, $599 for 64 GB 

and $699 for 128 GB. Add $130 for models with 4G LTE cellular access. 

Apple will sell last year's model, without the sharper display, for $299,

 down from $329.

Availability:November

MacBook Pro 13-inch

Size: 0.71 inch thick, (when closed), 12.35 inches wide and 8.62 inches deep

Weight: 3.46 pounds

Display: 13.3-inches diagonally

Resolution:2,560 pixels by 1,600 pixels, at 227 pixels per inch

Camera: 720p FaceTime HD Camera

Battery:Up to 9 hours wireless web, or 30 days standby

Price: Starts at $1,299 for model with 128 gigabytes of solid-state memory,

 2.4 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5

MacBook Pro 15-inch

Size: 0.71 inch thick, (when closed), 14.13 inches wide and 9.73 inches deep

Weight:4.46 pounds

Display:15.4 inches diagonally

Resolution:2,880 pixels by 1,800 pixels, at 220 pixels per inch

Camera:720p FaceTime HD Camera

Battery:Up to 8 hours wireless web, or 30 days standby

Price:Starts at $1,999 for model with 256 gigabytes of solid-state memory, 

2.0 GHz dual-core Intel Core i7

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Best of CES 2013: Smartphone

HERE IS OUR BSET OF CES 2013

BlackBerry 10

BlackBerry 10 wasn’t formally a part of CES this year, but RIM was in town anyway, showing off the latest, near final version of BlackBerry 10, which launches on January 30. What we saw was impressive. BB 10 doesn’t completely reinvent the wheel, but it combines a lot of winning interface ideas from WebOS, Android, and iOS. In our short time with the device, we were impressed by how well its universal inbox managed everything from email to social notifications, how easy it was to manage open apps, and how well the entire interface flowed together. Like Ubuntu and Firefox OS, BB 10 plans to challenge the duopoly of Android and iPhone. With an interface that’s more appealing than Windows Phone, we think it has a chance.

Huawei Ascend Mate

he Mate is an Android lover’s dream: full HD screen, 4050mAh battery, and a 13 megapixel camera. This smartphone has all the right moves and its a bold move for Huawei, a Chinese manufacturer just starting to find its brand around the world.

Sony Xperia Z

The Z follows the new phone trend of 5-inch 1080p screens, quad-core processors, 13-megapixel cameras, and thin 8-9mm frames, but also packs in a waterproof (resistant) design, allowing you to fondle your phone in the bathtub, shower, or whatever other place you can think of. The Xperia Z may be the first major phone in the U.S. with waterproofing tech built in.

Windows 8 tablet :Panasonic 20-inch 4K 

 The gimmick here is the 4K resolution. This is the same resolution we’re seeing on flagship HDTVs, but it’s in a device that weighs around 5 pounds, runs Windows 8, and sports a touchscreen and digitized pen capabilities. It’s a multimedia beast that would make an excellent digital gaming table, though it’s more likely destined for high-tech offices.

 

 

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OLPC XO3 touch

For most of us, tablets are toys, irresistible little windows onto a constellation of videogames and streaming video. The OLPC tablet‹a collaboration between One Laptop Per Child and Marvell‹is for kids in developing nations, but it's not a plaything. It has all the best features of its laptop processor, including a Linux-based operating system, a rugged design, and the ability to recharge through solar panels or a hand crank, but at a targeted price of $100, it'll be nearly half the price. The product is ready to go into production as soon as a willing partner signs up.

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Intex iTab makes a debut in India

Marking the company’s entry into the tablet sector, the Intex iTab was recently announced for prospective users in India. Based on the Android OS, the device is expected to fulfill basic computer or PC related tasks for those often caught working on the fly.

Equipped with an 8-inch capacitive two-point touchscreen, the slate operates on the Gingerbread platform. It has been embedded with a 1GHz A8 Cortex processor as well as 512MB of DDR3 RAM. While theIntex gadget readily offers internal storage room of up to 8GB, the hoarding space can expanded up to 32GB.

“Intex iTab is a unique 8-inch multifunctional tablet which will cater to a wide spectrum of customers. While it will be a one-stop shop for young urban professionals on move, it will also fulfill ever evolving professional and personal needs of youths in mid tier cities. The tablet would also come in handy for college going youth, housewives and children who are looking for an ideal entertainment gadget. Intex is looking at expanding its tablet portfolio in the coming months with introduction of newer models with in-built 3G as well as other form factors such as the 7-inch and 10-inch model,” commented Sanjay Kumar, GM, Mobile Business, Intex Technologies, India. 

rawing its juice from a 5000mAh battery, the device is said to survive a work time duration of approximately five to six hours. As an introductory offer, the tab will ship with freebies as well. The package is set to include a LAN adapter, an Intex 3G data card, a pair of Reebok sunglasses and a leather cover.

 

The Intex iTab price in India is revealed to be Rs. 11,900. It can be picked up through several Intex stores across the country or at select retail outlets.

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Intex and Zync launch low-cost tablets

Two Indian companies engaged in making computer peripherals and commodity trading launched tablet personal computers or tablets at a fraction of the cost of an iPad.

Zync launched the cheapest Android Ice Cream Sandwich seven-inch tablet at Rs 8,990 while Intex Technologies launched i-Tab, an eight-inch android tablet priced at Rs 11,900.

The i-Tab comes bundled with a 3G data card and a LAN adaptor. The i-Tab has a capacitive touch screen, in-built Wi-Fi and GPS software supported byGoogle Maps, memory capacity of 8GB expandable up to 32 GB and a battery back up of 5-6 hours.

Intex is targeting college going youth and housewives for selling this tablet. Intex will expand its tablet portfolio with in-built 3G in larger screen models.

In comparison, Zync has a high resolution screen, 4GB in-built memory expandable to 32 GB. It is lighter than the i-Tab at 380 gms and scores over it with an additional HDMI port.

Zync Z-990 can be purchased on various e-commerce websites such as Letsbuy.com, Yebhi.com, HomeShop18.com. An attached keyboard especially designed for the Zync tablets is also available at a very affordable price. 

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Research In Motion's PlayBook tablet may not go on sale before the end of the first calendar quarter of 2011, according to Computerworld.

In its quarterly earnings call, Research In Motion executives said that they don't expect revenue from the PlayBook until March, the first quarter of the company's fiscal year.

Adele Ebbs, RIMs vice president of investor relations said that RIM is forecasting revenue of $5.5 billion to $5.7 billion for its fiscal fourth quarter ending in February, but that revenue does not include revenue from the PlayBook.

"The PlayBook redefines what a tablet should do," RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie said. He added that the PlayBook will have an edge over competitors because of the ease of running existing Web apps on it. RIM has already started accepting apps designed for the Playbook.

Analysts say the PlayBook may have only a limited appeal as the device will have no built-in cellular connection, only Wi-Fi although later models are expected to have a mobile internet connection.

"That one will probably have limited appeal," said Mark McKechnie, an analyst with Gleacher & Company.

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