Google +1 button for Android and iOS smartphones and tablets

Google has added a new feature to Android and iOS operated smartphones and tablets.

The new addition is the ‘+1 button’ from Google. Similar to the “Like” button of Facebook, through this button users can get connected with their friends and family on Google plus.

This button is already available on numerous websites and is directly integrated to Google Plus. .

Punit Soni, Lead Product Manager of Google+ Games and Mobile, said, “this button would help the people around the web to make recommendations even while on the go. This button will be automatically available on the web browsers of Android 2.1 and iOS 4.0."

According to Google +1 feature will improve the search part on various sites as the +1 link would be visible just like Facebook and Twitter links.

With Google pitched against Facebook in a war of sorts, it is indeed going to be a tough ask to determine which of the two would score over the other.

As of now, Facebook enjoys an upper hand with its vast and expanding user base. But things can become more serious, with Google plus increasing its fan base.

Top 10 budget Android tablets in India

The tablet market in India is growing extensively. To beat the competition, different companies are coming out with more price effective affordable devices to lure the customers. If you are looking at becoming a tablet owner, check out our list of the top 10 Android powered tablets that pack in fun, functionality and affordability.

1. Fuje Pad Gen 4: Fuje Pad Gen 4 is a multipurpose tablet PC with wide range functionality such as internet browsing, book reading, social networking etc. This device is powered with Android Froyo 2.2 OS, 7-inch display with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels, 3-megapixel camera, 2GB internal memory, card slot upto 32GB expandable memory, and VIA 8650 800 Mhz processor. The price of this tablet is Rs. 8,500.

2. HCL ME tablet AE7-A1: HCL has launched the Me series Android tablets in India. This tablet is equipped with Android Froyo 2.2 OS, 7-inch display with resolution of 800 x 480 pixels, ARM 11 800 Mhz processor, 256MB RAM, 3-megapixel camera, GPS, WLan, G-Sensor, 2GB internal memory and card slot upto 8GB memory expandable. The price of this tablet is Rs. 10,900.

3. Creative ZiiO 7: Creative ZiiO 7 runs on Android Froyo 2.2 OS. It has a 7-inch display with resolution of 480 x 800 pixels, ZiLABS ZMS-08 HD Media-Rich Application processor, 512 MB RAM, VGA camera, WLan, internal memory 2GB, card slot upto 32 GB expandable memory, and Lithium battery. The price of this tablet is Rs. 16500.

4. OlivePad VT100: OlivePad VT100 runs on Android Froyo 2.2 OS, it has 7-inch display with a resolution of 800 x 400 pixels, Arm 11 600 Mhz processor, 512 MB RAM, 3-megapixel camera, WLan, G-Sensor, internal memory 512 MB, and card slot upto 32 GB. The price of this tablet is Rs. 16,999.

5. Beetel Magiq: Beetel Magiq 3G tablet runs on Android 2.2 and has 7-inch display. It is powered with 1Ghz processor, 2-megapixel dual cameras, Wi-Fi, Single SIM card slot, internal memory of 8 GB extendable upto 16 GB, 2200 mAh battery. The price of this tablet is Rs. 10,000.

6. Reliance 3G Tab: Reliance Communications (Rcom) has launched its Android 3G Tab in India. It is equipped with 7-inch capacitive touchscreen with the resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. It runs on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), and it comes with Reliance 3G data plan. It has 2-megapixel and VGA camera, 512 MB RAM, 800 Mhz processor, and GPS. The price of this tablet is Rs. 12, 999.

7. MSI Enjoy 7 & Enjoy10: MSI has launched two tablet devices, Enjoy7 and Enjoy 10. Enjoy 7 has a 7-inch display and Enjoy 10 has 10-inch display. Both the devices have 1.2 Ghz ARM Cortex 8 processor, 512 MB RAM, 4GB of internal storage in addition to support up to 32 GB external memory. Both the tablets run on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) OS. The price of both the tablets is Rs. 14k and 15 k respectively.

8. Sakshat: Sakshat is the cheapest tablet device developed in India. It will be available in the market for sale by the beginning of the year 2011. It runs on the Android Linux. It has internal rechargeable non-removable lithium battery, micro SD slot, Flash memory, Multi touch resistive touchscreen. The cost of this tablet is Rs. 2200.

9. LACS A 4-inch Tab: Laxmi Access Communication System (LACS) has launched a tablet PC with 4.3-inch LCD touchscreen that runs on Android OS. IT has 800 Mhz processor, 256 MB RAM, and 3G- connectivity. The cost of this tablet is Rs. 4,500 approx.

10. G’Five: G’Five, the Chinese mobile handset maker is all set to launch its new Android based tablet PC. The tablet will have 7-inch capacitive touchscreen, 600 Mhz VIA processor. This tablet may use Android 2.1 Android OS, and its price is expected to be less than 15k.

Sub-$350 Budget Tablet Spec Showdown

If you didn’t manage to get a price cut HP TouchPad, Android manufacturers are now offering a range of budget tablets that will cost you up to half as much as an iPad. The tablet price war is on at the lower-end spectrum of tablets, so if you’re looking for a value Android tablet bargain, you’ve come to the right place.

Some Android tablets retail for under $100 on Amazon, but we’ve looked at the tablets under $350 – a whole $150 less expensive than the iPad or top-end Android tablets from Samsung or Motorola. The offerings under $350 are not too shabby, from $250 for the newly announced Lenovo IdeaPad A1 to $330 for an Acer Iconia Tab A100. The other two tablets included in this comparison are the ViewSonic ViewPad 7 retailing for $300 and the original Samsung Galaxy Tab, now down to $280.

To compare the tablets above you'll want to check out this comparison chart that gives you an at-a-glance snapshot of how these tablets rate against one another in the tech spec department.

Operating System

You will only get the latest version of Android for tablets on the Iconia Tab, namely Honeycomb 3.2. The other three tablets run on the versions of Android designed with phones in mind: the ViewPad and the Tab come with Android 2.2 while the IdeaPad A1 will come with the slightly newer Android 2.3. Right now the selection for Honeycomb apps is minimal, so you would have a larger offering of apps (though not as well optimized for tablets) from the Android 2.X tablets in this comparison.

Size and Display

The four budget Android tablets sport 7-inch screens with a resolution of 1024 by 600 pixels, with the exception of the ViewPad, whose screen has a lower resolution (800 by 480 pixels). These tablets also have the same thickness, at half-inch, while the ViewPad is slightly thinner and lighter at 0.45-inches and just over 13 ounces. Otherwise compared to their bigger counterparts, you could say these tablets are relatively chunky.

Performance

If you expect iPad-like performance from these tablets you’ll be disappointed. The IdeaPad and Tab run on 1GHz processors with 1GB or RAM. The ViewPad runs on slower 600MHz processor and 512MB of RAM, while the Iconia Tab is the most powerful of the bunch with a 1GHz dual core processor and 1GB or RAM.

Storage

You get the most storage for your buck with the IdeaPad and the Tab, both with 16GB onboard memory. The Iconia Tab pack 8GB, while the ViewPad has a meager 512MB. Nevertheless, all four tablets feature MicroSD card slots so you can put in a card up to 32GB.

Cameras and Connectivity

The Iconia Tab has the highest megapixel count out of the bunch, with 5MP on the back and 2MP camera for video calling. The other three tablets feature 3MP rear shooters and 0.3MP front cameras (1.3MP on the Galaxy Tab).

In the connectivity department you get WiFi, Bluetooth, USB ports and GPS on all four tablets. Notably, the ViewPad is the only tablet with 3G connectivity in this comparison and the Iconia Tab is the only one with a built-in HDMI out.

Battery

The claimed manufacturer battery life is the lowest on the Iconia Tab at 4.5 hours, moving upwards to 6 hours on the ViewPad, 7 hours on the IdeaPad and up to 8 hours on the Galaxy Tab. As with any battery life claims, it will depend a lot on what you will use the tablet for, display brightness and other factors.

Bottom Line

The upcoming Lenovo IdeaPad A1 seems to offer the highest performance for the lowest price, closely followed by the Galaxy Tab, which at $280 is a no-brainer choice over the ViewPad. But if you can spare the extra $50, the Iconia Tab A100 is well worth considering, as it add a dual-core processor, Android Honeycomb, a better camera, albeit less storage and battery life.

Samsung Unveils Galaxy Tab 7.7 Android Honeycomb Tablet

Samsung today launched the successor to its original Galaxy Tab tablet, one year after first showing off the 7-inch Galaxy Tab at last year’s IFA trade show in Berlin. That Samsung would refresh that initial model, and bring its naming convention more in line with the other tablets in the company’s lineup, Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy Tab 8.9, was predictable. That Samsung would include a Super AMOLED Plus display on such a large screen was less of a given, but this move was no less welcomed.

A year ago, some had theorized that Samsung might include an AMOLED display on its first Galaxy Tab. But the company ended up not showing off its 7-inch Super AMOLED Plus display technology until November of 2010. The panels, actually 7.7-inch panels as they evolved into, went into mass production in August 2011, so the use of Super AMOLED Plus makes total sense for the next-generation 7-inch class Tab.

The display brings the benefits of Super AMOLED Plus (bright display, vibrant colors) together with a sharp resolution—1280 by 800 pixels. That makes it the highest resolution display on a tablet we’ve seen. So far.

The Tab’s introduction today, as with the Samsung Note, was a worldwide unveiling. As of now, according to Samsung, there are no plans for it to come to the U.S. market. That said, fall CTIA isn’t far away—I fully expect we will have news coming from Samsung about Tab 7.7’s U.S. availability just in time for the final holiday shopping crunch.

The Tab 7.7 packs a 1.4GHz dual-core processor (no word on the type of CPU) and Android 3.2v Honeycomb (not clear what the “v” stands for on the spec sheet, though this does include Samsung’s TouchWiz UX interface). Like Samsung’s other Galaxy Tab introductions this year, the 7.7 distinguishes itself with its slim and sleek design. The Tab 7.7 measures 7.89 millimeters thin, or 0.31 of an inch, practically 0.2 of an inch less than the original Galaxy Tab’s depth.

The new model is lighter, too: It weighs only 335 grams (0.75 pound), which shaves a full tenth of a pound off the weight of last year’s model, and makes this tablet one of the lightest tablets on the market. It also makes it the first tablet to seriously begin to close the gap between tablets and dedicated e-readers with E Ink displays. Granted, those now hover around the half-pound mark, but the Tab 7.7’s progress in shedding the weight is noteworthy, nonetheless.

Another less touted, but notable inclusion: Universal Remote Control functionality, so you can control your home entertainment system components directly from the tablet. (Presumably this is using a built-in IR blaster, but that wasn’t specified on the available spec information.) After using such functionality on the new Sony Tablet S, I’m convinced this will be one of the must-have features for a tablet going forward.

The connectivity options in this model are strong. The Tab 7.7 supports HSPA+ 21Mbps network, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n (on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands), and support Wi-Fi Channel Bonding for improved Wi-Fi performance. As announced in this worldwide version, like the original Tab, the Tab 7.7 does support voice calls. Assuming the 7.7 comes Stateside, though, I would expect we’d lost the voice capability, just as we did on the original Tab. (Memo to U.S. carriers: Some consumers actually want their tablet to be capable of acting as their phone, too.)

Samsung says the Tab 7.7’s 5,100 mAh battery will provide up to 10 hours of video playback.

The unit will come in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB capacities, with a microSD card slot on board for up to 32GB of files. The cautious language of Samsung’s press release indicates a dangerous trend forming, though. The company specifies the microSD card slot is for “direct media files transfer” only, something that Sony did with its Tablet S as well. I don’t like this trend one bit: Consumers are used to card slots supplementing their storage, not being used solely as a transfer mechanism.

Clearly, with this announcement, the recent Acer Iconia A100, and others, the 7-inch tablet market has a new lease on life. Now all we need is Samsung’s release timing and pricing, which I expect we’ll hear more about by October.

Google bought Motorola to guard Android: Sony Ericsson

(Reuters) - Smartphone vendor Sony Ericsson said it saw Google's acquisition of rival Motorola Mobility as a move to protect Google's Android software from legal attacks by rivals.

All the latest Sony Ericsson smartphone models use Google's Android software and it is one of the top vendors on the platform globally.

Google and handset makers using the platform have been under numerous legal challenges from Apple, Microsoft and others.

Apple has also seen the first court-room success in its attempts to block Samsung Electronics from selling some of its Android devices.

"It is important for us to protect the Android ecosystem," Nikolaus Scheurer, head of product marketing at Sony Ericsson said in an interview.

Last month Google unveiled its biggest deal ever, acquiring Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion, launching it into a lower-margin manufacturing business and pitting it against many of the 38 other handset companies that now use Google's Android software.

The move has raised fears that some top Android vendors like Sony Ericsson could seek other platforms for their smartphones.

"Google confirmed that this is not making Google a hardware manufacturer. I assume the global marketshare of Motorola is somewhere around 15 percent in Android. I think everybody would agree that it does not really make sense to jeopardize 85 percent of your business," Scheurer said.

Sony Ericsson has held on to its option of using Microsoft's Windows Phone platform, but has not rolled out a new Microsoft model for several quarters.

ONE SONY FAMILY

Sony Ericsson's smartphones were showcased at the IFA trade fair in Berlin inside the Sony hall, mixed with Sony's TV sets and new tablets.

"We showcase ourselves to consumers as one Sony family," Scheurer said.

When asked whether Sony's entrance to tablets meant Sony Ericsson would not enter the new market, Scheurer said: "Right now we are concentrating on smartphones."

The venture -- which hopes to benefit from close links to Sony brands -- will also launch Sony's music and video services to its consumers over coming weeks. It has gained from the popularity of Sony's Walkman and Cybershot brands over years, and earlier this year rolled out PlayStation phone Xperia Play.

"We really want to differentiate on top of Android. A lot of our differentiation will come from Sony," Scheurer said.

Many analysts say Sony needs to assert control over Sony Ericsson if the venture is to recoup market share in the cut-throat world of smartphones.

The company has struggled with shrinking sales -- stemming from its late push into smartphones -- but Scheurer shrugged off some analysts' concerns that sales at the venture have shrunk so much that large operators could opt to work with others.

"I don't see that hampering us," he said.

MTS India Launches Budget Android Smartphones In India

Sistema Shyam TeleServices Limited (SSTL), (that operates nationally under the MTS brand) has launched two new affordable Android smartphones in India in partnership with ZTE and Huawei. The new mobile phones: MTS MTAG 3.1 and MTS Livewire both incorporate Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S1 processors and are priced in the sub Rs 5000 category.

Vsevolod Rozanov, President & CEO, MTS India, said “This initiative has been designed to take the power of Android to the masses. Launched in the sub Rs 5000 category, these are the most affordable Android Smartphones in India.”

MTS MTAG 3.1 (Huawei C8511)

It comes with a 2.8 inch capacitive touch-screen (240 x 320 pixels resolution) display and has a 3.2 megapixel camera. The device also has the MTS TV application that allows its users on-the-go access to Live TV and on demand video playback. Additionally, MTS MTAG 3.1 provides access to Google Mail, YouTube, Google Talk and Google Maps and has voice search.

MTS Livewire (ZTE N600)

It runs on the CDMA EV-DO network providing access to hi-speed internet and Google offerings like Google Mail, YouTube, Google Talk and Google Maps.

Both the Smartphones run on the Android 2.2 (Froyo) operating system that allows users access to more than 200,000 applications. But there is a question mark over how many of the applications will work on these low powered mobile phones.

“Combining the power of the Snapdragon processor and the much sought after EV-DO mobile broadband connectivity, these devices will revolutionise smartphone experience for the masses,” said Avneesh Agrawal, President, Qualcomm India and South Asia.

The mobile phones are nothing to write home about but since they are so aggressively priced, people looking to get their hands on a low cost Android handset can opt for them.

Mercury Launches Sub-10K Android Tablet

Powered by a 1.2 GHz Telechip 8803 Cortex A8 processor with three cores, the mTab has 512 MB RAM and 4 GB internal storage, with an additional 32 GB option via a memory card. It sports a 7" WVGA (800x480) capacitive touch screen with multi-touch support. Connectivity options are available using Wi-Fi, and using an external 3G USB module, which will be made available with 3G packages bundled along with the tablet for free internet surfing.

The mTab features a front 1.3 MP camera, useful for video conferencing, shooting photos and videos. In addition to the most popular audio formats, it supports playback of several popular video formats including Divx, MPG, and MP4 up to 1080p using the HDMI output. The 4000 mAh battery claims to support about four hours of video playback. PC connectivity is provided via a USB 2.0 port, while a 3.5 mm stereo jack lets you plug in headphones. The tablet supports motion sensing 3D games using the G sensor built in it. With dimensions of 19.3 x 11.7 x 1.4 cm and weighing 400 grams, this is very handy as well.

The Mercury mTab comes at just Rs 9,499, and is backed by a 1-year warranty. From what is on offer in the specifications sheet, this looks like a very promising tablet at a very reasonable price.