HP Slate 7 overcomes delay rumors, is available now

HP Slate 7 overcomes delay rumors, is available now

   April 28, 2013       Unknown

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We got a look at HP‘s then-unreleased Slate 7 tablet at Mobile World Congress earlier this year and liked what we saw. HP had said the device would be available for purchase in April, but then a bit of debacle started when its product page was updated to show a revised release date in June. That spurred rumors that the slate was delayed, but then the product page changed again, this time back to April, leaving many to wonder when we’d actually see the device on shelves.

HP didn’t say anything about the date change either way, and April has progressed without any changes – until today, that is. The tablet is now available as HP promised, coming in just a handful of days shy of May and in the timeline that HP both originally and revisionally supplied. Users can order it from HP’s website for $169.99.

The HP Slate 7, as its name suggests, features a 7-inch display with multitouch support and a resolution of 1024 x 600. Inside, users will find an ARM Cortext A9 dual-core 1.6GHz processor and 1GB of RAM, as well as 8GB of internal storage and a microSD slot for bumping that number upwards by another 32GB. Connectivity is standard 802.11b/g/n/ wifi and Bluetooth 2.1.

The onboard cameras leave a bit to be desired, with the front camera offering VGA resolution and the rear camera offering 3-megapixels. The battery has a 3500mAh capacity, and the entire device weighs in at just a touch over 13 ounces. The most notable feature on HP’s soft-backed tablet is the inclusion of Beats Audio, which HP says makes it one of the best sounding tablets around.

[via HP]

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Camera megapixels: Why more isn't always better (Smartphones Unlocked)

Camera megapixels: Why more isn't always better (Smartphones Unlocked)

   October 10, 2012       Unknown

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It's time to forget megapixels as the measure of smartphone camera performance and pick a new yardstick.

Just days ago, Samsung announced the Samsung Galaxy S III, the global, quad-core, Android Ice Cream Sandwich successor to its best-selling smartphone ever, the Galaxy S II.

CNET readers' reactions were mixed, with several comments that the 8-megapixel camera didn't seem too hot.

Rumors of a 12-megapixel camera leading up to the announcement were partly to blame. It's no wonder that some felt that a perfectly good 8-megapixel spec was taking a step back, especially with the 16-megapixel shooter on the HTC Titan II out in the wild, and Nokia's 41-megapixel 808 PureView, a Mobile World Congress stunner.

Despite the fact that 8 megapixels is pretty standard for a high-end smartphone camera these days, one CNET reader described the Samsung Galaxy S III's camera as "so last year." Never mind that at least one high-end phone, like the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, still touts a 5-megapixel camera.

It isn't that 5-megapixel cameras can't be good, even better than phones with an 8-megapixel count lens; or that we're due for another bump along the megapixel scale. It's that to many shoppers, 5 megapixels just doesn't sound as good as 8, even if the camera produces terrific, knock-your-socks-off shots. And well, if 8 is good, then 12 is better.

The dirty secret lurking behind today's 8-megapixel yard stick for high-end status (and what any photography nut will tell you) is that the megapixel number alone is a poor way to predict photographic performance.

For instance, the original Samsung Focus took some lovely shots on its 5-megapixel camera, while the Motorola Droid Razr's 8-megapixel lens creates disappointing pictures. And the 5-megapixel camera on Apple's iPhone 4 beat out some 8-megapixel cameras on the market and delivered good low-light results.

Of course, that's not to say that bigger can't also be sometimes better. For instance, HTC's One X high-performance 8-megapixel smartphone camera boasts rapid shot-to-shot action, and its Titan II takes 16-megapixel shots of solid quality.

So what's the formula for fantastic photos? It involves an entire camera module that includes not just the size and material of the main camera lens, but also the light sensor behind it, the image processor, and the software that ties it all together.

Camera megapixels: Why more isn't always better (Smartphones Unlocked)

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