Peter Rojas has a post at gdgt.com laying out why he thinks Amazon is building an Android tablet and Samsung is building it. His reasoning basically comes down to that, considering Amazon’s expansions into an Android app store and multimedia/cloud services, it makes sense to come out with a device made to use with those the way the Kindle was made to use with e-books. It could also compete with B&N’s Nook Color, which has reportedly been selling pretty well so far. On ReadWriteWeb, Sarah Perez takes a look at Rojas’s reasoning, noting that he is a seasoned tech...

Every year, I approach the coming of April 1 with feelings of existential dread. Since the Internet got popular, April Fool’s Day has been celebrated all over it as International Act-Like-An-A**hole Day. I’ll grant that the obviously humorous stuff, like Gmail Motion, can be pretty funny, but not all humor is that obvious, especially if you have only a passing familiarity with the subject matter. (For instance, a few years ago a prank posting that TSR was buying Middle Earth Role-Playing totally got me.) And then there’s the times when people outright try to put one over on...

EBookNewser has reported that Samsung has lowered the price of the 7” Galaxy Tab Android tablet from $600 to $299 with contract from Sprint. Our sister blog Gadgetell reports that T-Mobile is going even further and throwing in a $50 mail-in rebate, making the price $249.99 with contract. The Android 2.2 device will naturally have access to a lot of e-book apps and stores, including Kindle. Of course, the question is whether a tablet that requires a locked-in broadband contract is really worth it even at those prices—especially if you’re paying for smartphone service already. Still, Samsung recognizes...

Samsung's press conference is at 6:30pm EDT this evening and I'll be there covering it for you. Report should be up late tonight or tomorrow morning - depending on how late I get back from New York. Stay tuned....

Tech Radar is reporting that Amazon UK is putting the Galaxy Tab up for sale at £799 and Clove are listing it as £615. By contrast, the 64GB iPad is selling for £699. Evidently this isn't a rumor, because Tech Radar says: "... Samsung confirmed to TechRadar recently that the post £600 price point is indeed genuine, although it may change before launch". Very disappointing. I don't see any way the Tab can compete with an iPad that has better overall specs. One has to hope for a carrier subsidy - but even that may be a problem. ...

That's what the Financial Times is saying. Their Tech Blog has given its first impressions. Clearly the market for this device, which was designed by Samsung's phone division, not its computer division, is smartphone users, with such user's interest in portability. Also: Samsung scores easy wins with features Apple left out. Video calling (which I wasn’t able to test in my brief look yesterday) to a tablet fulfils a future-is-now fantasy (although Apple is bringing that to the iPod touch too). The front and back cameras can also work with augmented-reality apps, such as Google’s own Places or Layar, which...

On September 16 we've been invited into New York to attend a Samsung press event. They will be unveiling their new Media Hub. Also, they will be announcing their "latest Android-powered device". What could it be - a tablet perhaps? We'll be there and let you know....

A Forrester Research survey of about 4,000 consumers reports that 14% plan to buy a tablet computer within the next twelve months—ahead of the 13% who plan to buy a laptop or 11% to buy an e-book reader, PC World reports. Forrester thinks that this is encouraging news not just for Apple, but for its competitors in the tablet form factor as well. (Found via Gadgetell.) But that tablet probably won’t be a Dell Streak. The LA News Monitor notes that reviews of the $300 cell contract-bound 5” tablet are largely negative. Even though the device is “also...

I’ve been a little busy over the last few days, between installing Windows 7 over the weekend, my new day job, and other things, but I’m going to try to catch up a little here. As if triggered by my post wondering where all the iPad alternatives were, there are a whole new bumper crop of tablets on the way, either confirmed or rumored—including a new size of iPad. I first touched on the 7” iPad rumors in my post about why I would probably get a new  iPod Touch instead of an iPhone 4. Ars...

Last week I was invited into New York to attend the unveiling of the new Galaxy S line of smartphones from Samsung. These Android 2.1 phones will be released by T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint and AT&T, as well as by some regional carriers. Each carrier will have a slightly different version, including one with a keyboard. I found the keyboard very difficult to type on, by the way. The phones have a 4 inch "Super AMOLED" screen developed by Samsung that is simply stunning. Bright, clear and crisp and they are even usable outside in the sunlight. ...