Tablets

With the Apple Magic Trackpad creating ripples regarding the spread of touch across all Apple devices, it's important to regard a product that visited this territory last year, and perhaps even attempted it more ambitiously. The Wacom Bamboo Pen and Touch, a combination multitouch trackpad and pen-based tablet that theoretically offers a killer alternative to the Apple's pad for one reason alone: its versatility.

After reviewing the Magic Trackpad this week, I realized that a Bamboo was still in a drawer in my cube, and I pulled it out to revisit. How did it compare with Apple's sleek square? And, more importantly, are there any areas where it's even better?

First off, the Bamboo is larger than the Magic Trackpad. The extra-wide Bamboo Fun Pen and Touch I have is a lot larger. It's similarly colored to Apple's tiny device, but made of a less sturdy-feeling plastic that's prone to scratching. The Bamboo Pen and Touch is a also a USB-wired device, unlike the wireless Magic Trackpad. It's also more expensive: while a $69 model offers only pen or touch input but not both, the combination pen and touch-pad combo that most users would want costs $99. The extra-large version we reviewed, the Fun, costs $199. The not exactly cheap $69 Magic Trackpad comes off as a relative bargain. … Read more

A wallpaper app that steals your personal info, piracy controls coming to the Android Marketplace, and a look into the world of Android gaming. Plus, Jeff Bakalar shares an awesome tip on creating itineraries for Google Maps Navigation, and Jessica Dolcourt helps us pronounce the death of the Android phone that started it all.

Updated: The wallpaper app discussed in this episode has since been cleared of any wrong-doing by Google itself. More details on that here.

Apple seems to be in the later phases of a touch revolution as of late--or, at least, it seems to be trying to complete the loop. In a movement started by the iPhone and continued in MacBook multitouch trackpads, the Apple Magic Trackpad extends multitouch to non-laptop Mac owners who might feel left out of the pinch-to-zoom/multi-finger swipe party.

Touch is hardly an Apple-only trend--in fact, many desktop Windows all-in-ones already incorporate touch-screen environments. Apple does, however, seem to be keen on possibly phasing out the mouse from its plans and working a common language of touch gestures across all Apple products. Could this portend iOS creeping its way into OSX? That's still unclear, but the Magic Trackpad does offer some possibilities all its own, whether or not iOS makes a Mac debut.

As a compact square slab, the Trackpad could ideally do things that a regular mouse just can't, including be a lap device for living-room use. While we found the Magic Trackpad to work well and do what it advertises, it really could go a lot more places in the future. Right now, the Magic Trackpad isn't really "magic." But it could be, in the future. Here's what we'd like next: … Read more

Update: In statements made to Laptop Magazine, Augen's CEO Gary Gofman claims that the unauthorized inclusion of the Google Android Marketplace app on the Gentouch78 tablet was an unintentional mistake, and future production runs will not include the Google Mobile Services Application Suite. So yes, it was too good to be true.

When I heard that Kmart is selling a $149 Android tablet with a 7-inch screen, I have to admit that I blew it off with a condescending snicker. No matter how you run the math, there's simply no way to turn a $149 price tag into a satisfying tablet experience--at least not yet. Logic may have gotten the better of me, though, because the demand for this Augen brand Android tablet is apparently so great, that Kmart is already issuing rain checks. In my ivory CNET tower, I forgot to calculate for the effects of a cheap price, Android fever, and blind optimism.

But before you make that dash for Kmart's blue-light beacon, allow me to explain what you probably already know in your heart to be true: the Augen Gentouch78 probably isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Professionally, it's not in my best interest to rein in consumer gadget lust--but as CNET's resident Android tablet expert I have to say my piece. To be fair, let's take a look at what makes this tablet so appealing on paper. Price aside, the Gentouch78 offers a relatively large screen, a version of the Android OS (2.1) that even Dell can't seem to deliver, an integrated Android app store, Wi-Fi, memory expansion (2GB built-in), and the predictable array of music, photos, videos, e-books, e-mail, and Web.

Now for the reality check. … Read more

With the undeniable popularity and success of the iPhone 4 (despite the antenna debacle), iPad, and ever-increasing Mac sales, Apple is gaining customers faster than ever. If you're thinking about making the switch, this could be your perfect setup.

Component one: iPhone 4 Now in its fourth iteration, Apple's iPhone has forever changed the mobile phone landscape by thrusting touch-screen technology to the tips of every tech geek's tongue and every consumer's wish list. Despite its early and somewhat overblown issues, iPhone 4 has had record-setting sales. With the exception of the complaints from a vocal minority regarding its antenna, … Read more

Update: Dell has published (and since removed) a "test page" stating that the Streak will go on sale tomorrow unlocked for $549, or $299 with a two year AT&T contract. We contacted Dell asking or confirmation on these details and were told that the test page in question was not intended to be seen by the pubic and may have contained inaccurate information. Furthermore, there are no plans for the Streak to go on sale or pre-sale today. In other words, we still don't really know how much the Streak will cost, when it will … Read more

Whether you consider the Apple iPad to be a milestone of magical technology, or just an over-hyped iPod, there's one thing we can all agree on: the damn thing doesn't include headphones.

Maybe we're spoiled, but we've come to expect Apple to bundle its ubiquitous white earbuds with all its mobile products. Then again, for all the complaints we've made about the sound quality of those cursed 'buds, perhaps Apple is doing us all a favor by forcing us to invest in a proper pair.

Now, you can use any of our top-rated headphones to … Read more

On this week's episode, municipal Wi-Fi--one of our pet causes--is coming to Chicago thanks to AT&T, but at the same time, New York suffers a partial Verizon outage. We also look at the new legal exemptions from the controversial DCMA law recently carved out by the Library of Congress for the jailbreaking and/or rooting of smartphones (as well as for some exemptions for DRM'd video games, e-books, and DVDs), and what it means for consumers.

With our special guest, CNET mobile phone reviewer Bonnie Cha (taking the place of an under-the-weather Scott), we take on … Read more

India on Thursday unveiled a prototype tablet computer that would sell for a mere 1,500 rupees, or $35, with the price possibly dropping even further as R&D efforts continue.

Kapil Sibal, the country's Minister for Human Resource Development, showed off the super-cheap touch-screen device in New Delhi as part of a push to provide high-quality education to students across the country. The tablet also comes with a solar-power option that could make it more feasible for rural areas.

The Linux-based computer at first glance resembles an Apple iPad and features basic functions you'd expect to see in a tablet--a Web browser, multimedia player, PDF reader, Wi-Fi, and video conferencing ability. It has 2GB of RAM (but no hard disk, instead using a memory card) and USB ports and could be available to kids from primary school up to the university level as early as next year.

Students from several branches of the Indian Institute of Technology co-designed motherboards for the computer, which the ministry would like to see dropping to $20 and possibly getting as low as $10. … Read more