| Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 review May 15th 2012, 17:00  When we review a second-generation product there are certain things we tend to take for granted: this new thing, whatever it is, will be thinner, faster, longer-lasting, maybe even with more bells and whistles in tow. With Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1, though, it's a little less obvious why its sequel is here. It offers near-identical specs, including a 10-inch, 1280 x 800 PLS display, dual-core 1GHz chip, 1GB of RAM and a minimum of 16GB of internal storage. What's more, this generation is slightly thicker and heavier, and sheds the LED flash that used to sit on the back side. But there's one detail we haven't mentioned yet: in addition to softening the specs, Samsung dropped the price by about hundred bucks, so that it now starts at $400. Clearly, then, the 10.1 has evolved into a mid-range tablet, whereas it used to be the best Samsung had to offer. That's good news for penny-pinching shoppers, but Samsung has a bit of a problem on its hands: it's jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire, dodging direct competition with the new iPad, only to find itself competing with a raft of affordable tablets made by Acer, ASUS and even Apple. So how does Samsung's warmed-over 10.1 compare? Can it be a winner in the mid-tier category, at least? Let's find out. Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 review Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | New Baidu Cloud phone unveiled: Changhong H5018 with 300GB of cloud storage May 15th 2012, 16:49  That new Baidu Cloud phone we told you about last week? You're looking right at it! Following the flagship Dell Streak Pro D43 (which was branded with what was then known as Baidu Yi aka version 1.0 of the platform), this Foxconn-built Changhong H5018 is the second smartphone to have its Android Gingerbread system enhanced by Baidu, meaning it'll come with 300GB of cloud storage space (instead of the old 100GB), Mandarin voice search functionality and a set of other online services offered by the Chinese search giant. As for the hardware itself, we're looking at a 10.3mm-thick matte chassis housing a 650MHz MTK6573 processor, a 3.5-inch 480 x 320 display, a three-megapixel camera and a non-removable 1,400mAh battery, all of which would explain that highly affordable CN¥899 (US$140) off-contract price tag. That said, you'll still find a dual-SIM (WCDMA plus GSM) tray and a microSD slot hidden beneath the bottom cover. Not sure where ZTE is on this one, but for now, you can head over to Sina Tech for its hands-on report and photos. New Baidu Cloud phone unveiled: Changhong H5018 with 300GB of cloud storage originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 12:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Tencent Tech, iFeng Tech, Sina Tech | Email this | Comments | | Panasonic's Let's Note J10 netbook promises over 12 hours of battery life, available now in Japan May 15th 2012, 15:18  To pair nicely alongside that beastly Let's Note B11 we showed you last week, Panasonic's now also selling its J10 netbook series in Japan. Aesthetically speaking, the new Let's Note J10 isn't much different than its predecessor, the J9, though it has changed a bit (as expected) in the specs department. The entry level 10.1-inch (1366 x 768) J10 gets you Intel's Core i3-2350M CPU with 320GB of hard drive storage as well as 4GB of RAM, while the higher-end model sports an i7-2640M chip (sorry, no Ivy Bridge here), up to 8GB of memory and you can choose between a 256GB SSD or a 1TB HDD. Additionally, each unit's packing a hefty amount of ports, including two USB 2.0, one USB three-dot-oh and an HDMI out. Those looking to grab one of these J10s best have deep wallets, as pricing ranges from 120,000 yen (about $1,500) all the way up to around 267,000 yen. Panasonic's Let's Note J10 netbook promises over 12 hours of battery life, available now in Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 11:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Netbooknews | Panasonic | Email this | Comments | |