Posted by Kyle Dornblaser in Featured, Reviews | 0 Comments

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tek-nical Memory Foam Carrying Case Review

While having a tablet that is only 8.6 mm is pleasurable, it also makes it prone to damage. This is where Incipio’s Memory Foam Carrying Case comes into play. It offers lightweight protection in a small package, but is it worth your dollar? Find out below.

First we will look at how the case looks. It is important, to me at least, to have a case that is stylish like the Galaxy Tab 10.1. Incipio’s design works very well, but the color scheme ruins it. I received the olive green model to review and it loses points because of the color. There is also a black model that could very well look better, but I have not seen it.

This case was designed to do one thing – carry your Galaxy Tab 10.1 safely from point A to point B. It is able to execute that flawlessly. The memory foam padding keeps the Tab safe from any drops or bumps. Because your tablet will be completely enclosed in the case, you will not have to worry about something else in your bag leaking or dust getting into the ports – it is protected.

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 boasts an impressive ten hour battery life, but sometimes you need to give it some juice. This case has two side pockets that are perfect for storing your charger and other small accessories.

There is one con with an all enclosed case. None of the ports are going to be accessible at any time. Also you will not be able to use the tablet. The case is meant simply to get your Galaxy Tab from place to place safely and securely, not for use around the house.

So should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tek-nical Memory Foam Carrying Case? No, if you never leave the house with your 10.1. Yes, if you travel or plan on taking it to class or work. For $35 this case provides excellent protection without much bulk. Buy it now from MyIncipio.com.

Rating: 7/10

Video Review

Posted by Kyle Dornblaser in Featured, Reviews | 6 Comments

ZooGue Galaxy Tab 10.1 Case Genius Black Leather Review

Some case are made just to protect your new toy and some are made to add functionality. ZooGue’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 Case Genius Black Leather tries to do both. But should you buy this case for you Galaxy Tab 10.1? Read more to find out.

First I would like to talk about how the case looks and feels. It is covered head to toe in a black leather that looks quite professional. The front is also accented with black velcro straps that do actually take some of the high quality feel away from the case. We will get into why they are there later. The inside of the case is made up of a felt material that looks fairly bland. But all in all, the case does look sleek and high quality.

This case offers a decent amount of protection. The leather case will protect the screen from any scratches. Even though the Tab is extremely thin, you can put it in a backpack with this case and not have to worry about books hurting it.

All of the ports are accessible at all times. That is something that not all cases can say, even though it is such an obvious feature. Both of the cameras and flash are even exposed and work perfectly.

Now we can get on to the cool features about the case. It has a built-in, adjustable stand! This is where the velcro on the front comes in. When you open the case up the two strips of velcro will be lined up with the stand attached to the back. It can be adjusted to nearly any angle, but is not very sturdy on the extreme angles. The case also works as a portrait stand, though the angle cannot be adjusted.

The last feature has to do with the elastic strap attached to the back of the case. It was designed to attach the Galaxy Tab 10.1 to the back of a car headrest or to fasten around your hand so you will not drop it. Kids would enjoy watching videos on mounted Tab on a roadtrip. It is an ingenious feature. When I fastened the strap around my hand though, it did not made the tablet feel any more secure. Instead I just hold the tablet with my hand and that works fine.

This is without a doubt the best case I have ever reviewed. The worst thing about the case is its price. You will have to spend $50 to buy it from ZooGue.com, but if you have the money it is not a bad way to spend it. Get $5 off with coupon code GalaxyTabs.

Rating: 9/10

Video Review

Posted by Kyle Dornblaser in Featured, Reviews | 0 Comments

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 TouchWiz UX Review

We have been hearing about TouchWiz UX since CTIA and the software update has finally landed. TouchWiz has a very bad reputation in the mobile world because it has been notoriously laggy and looked nearly identical to iOS in many aspects. So has the latest version of TouchWiz earned back its good name?

Live Panels/Widgets

The update included a bunch of what Samsung calls Live Panels, but basically they are just widgets. Samsung really blew people’s minds when they showed off the ability to resize the Live Panels. This was months before Google announced the native ability to do this is Honeycomb version 3.1. You can resize most of the widgets to the size that you desire. My problem is that some of the widgets are too big, even at their smallest setting. For example the Program Monitor widget takes up 3x 2 on the homescreen, but in TouchWiz 3.0 on the original Galaxy Tab it only took up 2 x 1. Obviously your opinion of this will vary based on your personal preference, but it is too large for me.

All of the widgets included in the update are AccuWeather.com (weather widget), Agenda, AP Mobile (news), Bookmark, Digital Clock, Dual Clock, Email, Gallery, Program Monitor (task manager), Social Hub (Twitter and Facebook feed), and Yahoo! Finance (stocks). There are many quality widgets in this selection. If you do not care for them however, then just do not use them.

Mini Apps Tray

Without a doubt, the Mini Apps Tray is the most innovative and original idea in TouchWiz UX. It brings even better multitasking to the Android operating system. Before multitasking just meant that the app would continue to run in the background, but now you can actually have two things open at once (not two different apps though). There are six tools that can be used on top of the current application. They are Task Manager, Calendar, World Clock, Pen Memo, Calculator, and Music Player.

The implementation of this feature is flawless in my opinion. Just swipe up from the bottom to bring up the six apps from anywhere and tap on the one you need. You can move the mini app anywhere on the screen and continue using the main application. The mini app will fade slightly when you are actively using the main application and come back fully when you tap on it again.

Even though the idea and implementation are pure genius in my opinion, I cannot help but feel let down by this feature. The selection of mini apps currently available is pretty pathetic. I cannot imagine using most of them ever. Hopefully Samsung will develop more or perhaps give the API out to developers to create their own! That is wishful thinking though. If you have a use for the mini apps, then great go ahead and use them. If not, then you can just not use them.

Apps

Samsung included apps that are already available on the Android Market for free in this update – Amazon Music Cloud Player, Amazon Kindle, and Words with Friends. It is slightly annoying that these are included and cannot be uninstalled, but at least they are not very large apps.

There are also several unique apps developed by Samsung in this update. They are eBook, Email, Memo, Music Hub, Music Player, My Files, Pen Memo, Photo Editor, Social Hub, Video and World Clock. None of these apps have any unique features, but they are not half bad either. They all work as you would expect and they look beautiful while doing it. You will have a hard time getting that with similar apps from the Android Market.

Look and Feel

The look and feel of the update is not something that you can ignore or choose not to use. That is why it is one of the more important factors in deciding whether or not to update. The first thing you will notice about the new skin is the navigation bar at the bottom. Instead of being black, it is a dark grey color. I think that it looks fantastic most of the time, but is more intrusive in some applications than the black bar was before. So it does kind of balance out. The rest of the operating system’s skin follows suite with different shades of grey coupled with bright, friendly colors. It is a refreshing change from stock Honeycomb’s black and blue color scheme. Overall, the tablet feels much more inviting because of the brighter color scheme.

Performance

No noticeable changes one way or the other. Early YouTube videos had me convinced that this ROM would be faster, but that has not been the case for me. Perhaps your experience will be different.

Miscellaneous

There are a few other features that did not quite fit in the other categories. The first of those features is the native ability to take a screenshot. The icon to take a screenshot is always present at the bottom left of the screen as the fourth icon on the navigation bar. I have found one instance where it does not worth though. When you have the notifications up, tapping the screenshot button just pulls the notifications back down.

Another miscellaneous feature is motion-control-zooming. I would not go as far as to say that it is better than pinch-to-zoom, but it is definitely a few steps up from using buttons to control zooming. Pinch-to-zoom is still present, but I keep finding myself using motion-control-zooming because it is new and fun. It can be use in both the browser and photo gallery by places two fingers on the screen and tilting the device.

There are plenty more features that I did not cover including the Indicator Quick Panel and Enterprise features.

Conclusion

This update packs in a solid amount of new features without adding too much bloat. One of the best things about the update is that you are not forced to use many of the features in it like the new widgets and mini apps. The new skin is gorgeous and does not drag the system down. So would I recommend this update? Yes. I would even recommend it even if you do not think that you will use any of the features because it is the only way to get updates in the future.

Posted by Kyle Dornblaser in Featured, News | 1 Comment

TouchWiz UX update coming August 5th to Galaxy Tab 10.1s

Samsung gave a lucky few the TouchWiz UX update in NYC today. They also announced that the update would be available as an OTA update on Friday August 5th.

The update comes with a lot of new features. You get Live Panels, Mini Apps Tray, Indicator Quick Panel, and a better Clipboard.

Here is how you can check for updates on your Galaxy Tab 10.1.

Are you excited about the TouchWiz UX update Friday?

Posted by Kyle Dornblaser in Featured, News | 0 Comments

Apple delays the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia

Apple has managed to file an injunction against Samsung that will effectively block the Galaxy Tab 10.1 from launching in Australia until it receives permission from court. Samsung also agreed to stop advertising the tablet in Australia too until this is sorted out. Apple claims that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 violates 10 patents.

“Although Apple’s claims in Australia are based on the U.S. version of the Galaxy Tab 10.1, Samsung says that the Australian version will be different. Samsung will provide Apple with samples of the Australian version at least seven days before distributing the tablet to market, according to Businessweek.”

So Samsung has made a different version of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 that is going to launch in Australia? It seems that way. It is unknown how much it will have to change in order to be approved.

At least Australians already have access to the Galaxy Tab 10.1v on Vodafone.

Source: Mashable

Posted by Kyle Dornblaser in Featured, Reviews | 2 Comments

Galaxy Tab 10.1 Multi-Media Dock Review

You might be contemplating purchasing the Galaxy Tab 10.1′s multi-media dock. Well I have had it for the past couple weeks and can tell you everything you need to know.

First let me comment on video out support. Out of the box there is absolutely none. Unlike the original Galaxy Tab’s multi-media dock, there is no HDMI port built into the dock. In order to get HDMI capabilities you need to buy the Galaxy Tab Adapter (HDTV) for an addition $40. That brings your cost up to $75. Compare that to the $45 for the original Galaxy Tab multi-media dock that has HDMI out built in. Rip off.

The other component of the dock is being a charging/syncing station. Not that anybody actually uses their computer to sync with their tablet, but the charging capabilities are good. It also has a 3.5 mm jack for audio out.

It works pretty well as a basic stand. It tilts it up about 75 degrees which is perfect for viewing and using the tablet. If you put any more than a little pressure on the screen, then it will wobble a little. Do not worry though, because it will take a lot of pressure to actually knock it over.

Perhaps the most frustrating part about the dock is the fact that once the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is docked, it pulls up the clock. There is no easy way of getting out of it either. I have been using the application switcher to change to another program and that will work.

You can buy it now from Samsung for $35 and from Amazon for only $20.51, not that I would recommend it.

Rating: 4/10