Polaroid Spectrum tablet family hands-on

Polaroid hasn't got much more than Lady Gaga going for it at the moment and even that partnership is questionably fruitful at best. So, when we stopped by the company's booth here at MWC to check out its Spectrum line of Android tablets, our bar was already set quite low. Turns out, there's room for it to drop even lower as that family of 7-, 8- and 9.7-inch slates seems more of a KIRF attempt than true product line from a former imaging heavyweight.

Which brings us to a very curious spec given the company's mission statement: the rear camera on what we presume is its 10-inch flagship is capable of a measly VGA resolution, despite indicating 2 megapixels. It's a baffling hardware miss and could've been the one bright spot amongst the cheap plastic build and software experience saddling these tabs. On a minor upswing, the OS across the capacitive tabs is stock ICS, with Froyo relegated to the resistive ones. Performance is sluggish and uneven at best considering the array of processors and clock speeds employed: from a 1.5GHz CPU in the auto-stereoscopic 7-incher to an 800MHz processor for the lower-end units to a 1GHz ARM11 in the 9.7-inch, TouchPad-like slab. It's a wonder the outfit even bothered with category, as the entirety of this lineup smacks of a half-hearted stab. You can check out the full array of lackluster tabs in our gallery below.

Gallery: Polaroid Spectrum family hands-on

Mat Smith contributed to this report.

Polaroid Spectrum tablet family hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Mar 2012 07:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Facebook for iPhone, iPad about to get mobile ads

If you've been enjoying the blissfully commercial-free experience of Facebook's iPhone and iPad apps, we're sad to inform you that Facebook will be integrating ads into their news feeds effective immediately. What's more, "premium" ads will be displayed on the desktop logout screen as well.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/hgu22kERNJc/story01.htm

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Meth Addict Accidentally Burns Down World's Fifth-Oldest Tree (Updated) [Wtf]

Because Florida is running out of unique ways to embarrass itself, a 26-year old meth enthusiast set fire to and destroyed the world's fifth oldest tree last month. While she was in it. Smoking meth. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/VY8C-wPq2SA/meth-addict-accidentally-burns-down-worlds-fifth+oldest-tree

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Foursquare.com checks in with OpenStreetMap, checks out of Google Maps API

Foursquare's been quite the active startup lately, adding NFC support for Android 4.0 and releasing its app for the PlayStation Vita. The company isn't quite done being the mayor of Busyville, though, announcing a switch from Google Maps API to OpenStreetMap data-based MapBox Streets for Foursquare.com. Foursquare cited greater flexibility and support for other startups as reasons for the switch, although it also admits that Google's decision to start charging for its Maps API spurred the search for an alternative. Meanwhile, a quick check of the Foursquare app still yielded Google Maps results, so it appears the change is limited to the web site for now. Also, no word on whether Foursquare's awarding MapBox Streets a BFF badge.

Foursquare.com checks in with OpenStreetMap, checks out of Google Maps API originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Mar 2012 03:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/01/foursquare-replaces-google-maps-with-openstreetmap-mapboxstreets/

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Russian Mogul Plans to Plant Our Brains in Robots and Keep Them Alive Forever [Video]

The Pentagon's new Avatar project, unveiled by Danger Room a few weeks back, sounds freaky enough: Soldiers practically inhabiting the bodies of robots, who'd act as "surrogates" for their human overlords in battle. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/UKmKhK_LPLs/russian-mogul-plans-to-plant-our-brains-in-robots-and-keep-them-alive-forever

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Microsoft Windows 8 on 82-inch touchscreen hands-on (video)

We don't have 100 fingers -- theoretically the supported limit of Windows 8 on the 82-inch capacitive touchscreen display we just had a chance to go hands-on with at the company's latest OS demo at Mobile World Congress -- but things looked pretty impressive even with just 10. The display we saw is manufactured by a company called Perceptive Pixel, and it may even look familiar -- it's the same glass screen used by television news networks like CNN. But, unlike the giant touchscreens you've seen on TV, this guy is connected to a standard off-the-shelf PC running Windows 8 Consumer Preview. The glass panel is constructed of optically-bonded Gorilla Glass, so there's very little space between the picture and your hand, making for a much more realistic user experience. Naturally, this monitor is all about the visuals, so you really need to see it in action to get an accurate impression of just how slick the experience can be. Jump past the break for our hands-on.

Gallery: Windows 8 running on an 82-inch display

Continue reading Microsoft Windows 8 on 82-inch touchscreen hands-on (video)

Microsoft Windows 8 on 82-inch touchscreen hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 11:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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