Upcoming Adroid 4.0 Tablets

Can there be such a thing as a good cheap Android tablet? Has Ice Cream Sandwich really leveled the playing field so that cheaper hardware can run it smoothly? Ever since the “tablets” have become a must-have item, it seems as if every electronics manufacturer on the face of this earth is trying to get their hands on some of the market share. That’s right, Sony, HTC, Samsung, Motorola, Lenovo and even Amazon have stepped up and produced Android tablets. However, no matter how many Android tablets the manufacturers push at us, they all seem to fall very short of the iPad. So why do people still buy them and why are they still being made you ask?

Price!

Both iPads have been set at a $500 starting price, and that is just for the most basic model. Android tablets have come out with price tags as low at $79! In response, Apple would probably say something along the lines of “you get what you pay for”. But we tend to look at the price difference the same way Amazon does:

Twelve South PlugBug: Hands-on review

I'm not sure if there's something in the water that's making manufacturers come out with a lot of new power accessories for Apple devices these days, but it seems like a lot of new products like the XtremeMac Slim 10W USB Wall Charger and others are being announced. None of the announcements really provided quite the excitement that the Twelve South PlugBug (US$34.99) did.

Why? Well, Twelve South is well-known for producing accessories for Apple products that are usually as well-designed and constructed as the goods from Cupertino. In this case, Twelve South took a rather pedestrian piece of equipment -- a charger -- and used the Apple adage to "Think Different" to create something that is extremely useful and attractive.

What makes the PlugBug so different? It looks a lot like an Apple iPad charger, although it is made of bright red plastic instead of white. When you plug it into the wall as-is, you can charge an iPhone or iPad with it. No big deal there. But the cool factor comes into play when you slide off the bottom of the PlugBug and slide on a charger -- sans plug -- from a MacBook Pro or Air. Suddenly, you're charging two devices with one power socket.

Twelve South PlugBug

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The PlugBug is rated for 10 Watts of power and 2.1 Amps of current, perfect for charging up your iPad. With the unique design, you take the "duck head" (removable plastic piece with the plug blades) off of the MacBook charger (not included) and slide it onto the bottom of the PlugBug. Now you have a way to charge your MacBook Pro/Air and iPad/iPhone at the same time while taking up only one wall socket.

I'm often in a situation where I need to charge both an iPad and a MacBook Air at the same time, and up until now I've carried two AC adapters with me. If I know I'm going to be using both devices, I can now just throw one "brick" (the top of the PlugBug and the attached MacBook Air adapter) into my bag. Less weight to carry, by a few ounces, but one less item to worry about losing as well. However, you can't use the brick inline, so the USB port isn't available when you use the longer cord with the adapter.

As with most of the Twelve South products I've reviewed in the past, the PlugBug is well-made, attractively packaged, and will make any Apple fan with both an iPad and a MacBook Air or Pro very happy. You can purchase the PlugBug at the Apple Store online (and at Apple retail outlets), or from the Twelve South website.

Buy it now on amazon !

B&O BeoSound 8 Review

Probably the biggest surprise about Bang & Olufsen’s typically design-led entry into the world of iPod docks is that it’s taken so long.

For all the success of B&W’s all-conquering Zeppelin and its self consciously decorative ilk, there’s been an obvious gap in the market for a properly premium, properly effective iPod dock. Well, that gap has now been filled.

Striking design and build
Most B&O products tend to be obviously and immediately desirable on an aesthetic level. The BeoSound 8 is a little more divisive – is the circumference of the speaker enclosures a little too large, or is it that they’ve been placed a bit too close together?

In any event, the BeoSound 8 will dock most of Apple’s current range of iPhones, iPads and iPods, and has additional connectivity via a mini-USB socket and stereo RCA inputs.

The circular remote control feels good in the hand, although it can’t navigate your player’s menus.

There’s also a three-position switch to help compensate for your Beosound’s room position.With one important qualification, it’s a punchy, balanced and large-scale listen. Daft Punk’s Da Funk, for instance, is delivered with gusto, the kick-drum hitting hard and the rhythm handled with straight-edged assurance.

Turn it up if you want to get down
Timing is acceptable, integration throughout the frequency range is smooth, and there’s good dynamic headroom on tap, too.

That qualification, though, is volume. If the BeoSound 8 is to be heard at its best, it demands volume input of the ‘substantial-going-on-party-level’ variety – it could certainly be heard echoing around our testing rooms while it was running in.

At more modest levels, bass response is altogether softer, and balance and integration suffer as a result.

But if you like the looks, can stomach the price and have a large room to fill with sound, the BeoSound 8 is now the best of a not exactly numerous bunch.


Buy BeoSound 8 - White from Amazon store now!

Arkon Universal Tablet Car Mount Review

Arkon's Universal Tablet Car Mount features an innovative holder that adjusts to fit any 7" - 12" tablet and an 18" flexible aluminum pedestal that attaches to your car's seat rail bolt. Brackets are also included for semi-permanent floor mounting if desired.

• New innovative, adjustable tablet holder fits any tablet 7" - 12" with or without a case or skin
• 18" flexible aluminum seat bolt floor mount with optional floor or dash drill in bracket
• Swivel ball connection for 360° rotation with tilt for portrait or landscape viewing
• Lightweight and strong
• Compatible with iPad & iPad 2, Samsung Galaxy Tab 7" / 8.9" / 10", Motorola Xoom, HTC Flyer / EVO View 4G, ASUS EeePad Transformer, Acer Iconia, Toshiba Thrive, Lenovo IdeaPad, Blackberry Playbook, HP TouchPad and more...

Buy less now on Amazon !