Tablet News Bits: Apple Working on New Chips, Xoom 4G Upgrade Finally Hitting Customers

There has been more big tablet news in the last three weeks than in the last three months. First Google buys Motorola, and then HP kills off the TouchPad and webOS, and just this week, Steve Jobs resigns as Apple CEO. Of course, the team at TabletPCReview wishes Steve Jobs the best and hopes to see him on stage introducing the next iPhone and iPad. And despite the stock price dips and swings, we can't help but believe that with Jobs out and Tim Cook in, nothing changes for the iPad, at least not any time soon.

While Steve Jobs and Apple dominated headlines this week, plenty of other news leaked out as well. 

Apple Working on A6 Chip 
Apple is reportedly working on a new generation of processors for iPhone 5 and supposed iPad 3. While the clockspeed and core structure is not yet available, reports claim Apple is currently working on the development of the A6 chip. 

Source: Brighthand 

Xoom 4G LTE Upgrade Finally Starting for Select Few 
Business and government Xoom owners will be the first to receive the upgrade to 4G LTE, according to a new report that claims this initial group is said to be the "pilot" program before the update reaches the masses. Owners of the Xoom will begin to receive an instructional email noting how to initiate the upgrade process. 

Source: DroidLife 

At Build Conference Microsoft's Give-Away Could be Windows 8 in Beta  
As Microsoft supposedly showed off a new quad-core slate at TechEd this week in New Zealand, the company kept mum on its give-away plans for its upcoming Build Conference. While most expect the company will provide paying attendees with a test build of Windows 8 and maybe some kind of PC or slate prototype (perhaps the quad-core model), officials have yet to confirm either of these assumptions. 

Source: ZDNet 

Amazon Registers More Kindle Domain Names 
While the Wall Street Journal confirmed the existence of an Amazon tablet and touchscreen Kindle earlier this summer, the online retailer never confirmed, nor denied, such reports. However, new URL acquisitions could reveal possible names for the supposed forthcoming products. The address that spiked interests are KindleEarth.com, KindleWater.com, KindleAir.com, KindleWave.com and KindleScribe.com. If these sites aren't a clever misdirection by Amazon, it appears there is a nature and element theme conveyed in the Kindle's new names.  

Source: Thisismynext 

Apple iPad to be new Playbooks for Tampa Bay Buccaneers 
With the NFL season eagerly approaching, there appears to be a new addition to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster; the iPad 2. As part of a new digital playbook initiative from coach Raheem Morris, all 90 players received the Apple slate so players can review downloaded plays and analyze game footage. 

Source: Engadget 

RIM Stands Behind QNX and PlayBook 
Despite HP pulling the plug on webOS and the TouchPad, a fellow struggling competitor, RIM, remains entirely committed to its developing QNX platform and its BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, according to RIM's vice president of industry and government relations, Robert Crow. "This [QNX and PlayBook] is our platform, and this is our future. We stand 100% behind it," said Crow. 

Source: Xbitlabs 

Hulu now on Vizio Tablet
The Android-powered Vizio tablet now features Hulu Plus support. The $7.99 a month Android app will bring TV and movie streaming to the 8-inch, home-theater-centric slate. 

Source: Engadget 

Barnes & Noble Expands Newsstand Collection with NOOK Color Update
Barnes & Noble has expanded its collection of NOOK Newsstand content with more magazines, like Time Inc.'s People, Fortune, Sports Illustrated and Time. Available with the NOOK Color 1.3 software update, customers can access these magazines, among others. Print subscribers to People, Fortune, Sports Illustrated and Time will not have to pay to view these digital titles on their NOOK Color. Other improvements, such as parental controls to disable the Web browser, will be included in the upgrade. 

Source: Barnes & Noble 

HP Offers Limited Time Free 6-pack of Apps for TouchPad
HP is now offering six free apps until the end of the month for TouchPad owners. The apps included are Glimpse, Kung Fu Panda 2 Storybook, Big Boss, Sparkle HD, Camera for TouchPad and Audubon Birds. And that's not the best news. As part of this promotion, HP promises another free 6-pack to come next month!

X10 AirPad Tablet Claims to be the Best, for its Price 
The Android Gingerbread-based X10 AirPad slate sports a 7-inch 800 x 480 display and promises to be the "best tablet on the market for under $200." The cost-friendly device features a 1.2GHz Rockchip 2918 processor, 512MB RAM,  4GB of internal storage and a 2MP camera. The tablet also comes equipped with a HDMI out for 1080p playback, a full-size USB port, miniUSB port, a 3.5mm headphone hack and a microSD card slot. Living up to its promise, the X10 AirPad retails for $199. 

Source: Android Central 

New Battery Accessory from Brando for Smart Covers
Brando's new Anytone Smart Cover battery is a 300mAh battery, which is just under half the iPad 2's 6930mAh battery, can be strapped onto the face of your Smart Cover and add a little extra juice. The device can be used on the iPhone 4 as well. It weighs 78g and is 6mm thick.

Source: Gizmodo

Logitech Puts Greater Emphasis on Tablet Products, Unveils Two New Accessories for iPad
Logitech International SA will focus more on products for tablets, according to the company's European president. On that note, earlier this week the company unveiled a new fold-up keyboard and joystick for the iPad. The Fold-Up Keyboard was built for the iPad 2 and tucks away behind the shell when not in use. When opened the width matches that of a typical laptop keyboard. The Fold-Up Keyboard goes on sale next month for $129.99, though Logitech is currently accepting preorders. The Logitech Joystick for iPad is a small game controller that uses suction cups to adhere to the screen and will retail for $19.95. 

Source: Wall Street Journal 

Tablet Shipments Expected to Approach 250 million by 2017
As the tablet market continues to grow, a new report predicts the shipments of consumer media tablets to approach 250 million units in 2017. Though this number may seem conservative compared to the prediction from HIS iSuppli, which suggested tablet shipments will surpass 275 million units in 2015. 

Source: BGR 

Tablets: Device of Choice for Bathroom Reading
According to a new poll performed by the office-supply retailer Staples, 35 percent of tablet owners admit to constantly bringing the slate into the bathroom. The study also revealed that 78 percent of respondents take their tablets to bed and 60 percent of tablet owners take the device on vacation. 

Source: Digital Trends