Ultrabook: Asus Zenbook news

Out of all of the launched Ultrabooks, we like ASUS' Zenbook UX21 and UX31 the best. While ASUS doesn't have any major Ultrabook announcements at CES, it is updating the UX series to include both pink and rose gold features.

All of the UX ultrabooks are now shipping with an Elan touchpad (not sure how that compares to what we originally reviewed, will try to find out this week) and updated drivers to improve resume/standby times.

Update: ASUS switched touchpads to an Elan made model late last year. While some early owners received the previous version, if they complain to ASUS they'll apparently be able to swap it in for an updated model. All of the UX series shipping since late November have the new Elan touchpad that apparently addresses some (all?) of the issues in our original review. I'll give it a try and provide an update as soon as I have some extended hands on experience.

Android from ZTE popping up everywhere

ZTE is readying a number of seven-inch Android tablets, starting with a dual-core, Android 3.2-based ZTE Optik tablet heading for Sprint Feb. 5 and a similar, but 4G LTE-equipped V66 tablet headed for Verizon, reports say. Meanwhile, a seven-inch ZTE V9A Light Tab 2 just went on pre-order in the U.K, and we're still waiting for two tablets ZTE showed at the Consumer Electronics Show: a seven-inch T72 tablet and quad-core T98.

As we head toward Mobile World Congress, which will be held later than usual this year (Feb. 27-Mar. 1 in Barcelona), the Android leak-and-tip game has heated up into full boil again.
This week, there's been plenty of talk about Android tablets coming soon from Chinese consumer electronics manufacturer ZTE, which along with Huawei, is starting to gain major Android smartphone market share. The phones are primarily on the low end, as with the recently announced, ZTE-manufactured AT&T Avail. But now, both companies are increasingly moving into Android tablets.
All the new ZTE tablets are seven-inch models running Android 3.2 ("Honeycomb"), or in the case of the T98, Android 4.0. Last fall when the T98 was first tipped (see farther below), a 10.1-inch Light Tab 3S also came to light.
Featuring a dual-core 1.2GHz processor and 1280 x 800 resolution, the Light Tab 3S was expected to ship in the U.S. and Europe by the end of 2011. Although the tablet is shown on this translated ZTE page, it's unclear if it has actually begun shipping.
The new tablets detailed below follow up on ZTE's flagship, Android 2.1 based ZTE Light, which was announced in Oct. 2010 with a Telechips ARM11 system on chip (SoC). Last year, the company also launched a ZTE V9 seven-inch tablet running Android 2.1.
 ZTE Optik
The first ZTE tablet to ship stateside may well be the ZTE Optik, pictured at right in an advertisement shot leaked to AndroidPolice. According to the website's Jan. 25 report, the seven-inch tablet will be available to Sprint customers online on Feb. 5, followed by a brick-and-mortar appearance on March 11.
The tablet features Android 3.2 running on a dual-core 1.2GHz processor. Additional specs include 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage with microSD expansion, and both five- and two-megapixel cameras, says the advertisement.
3G is available, along with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and the device is equipped with a 4000mAh battery. The price is said to be a reasonable $100 with a two year agreement, or $349 off contract.
ZTE V66
In early December, The Verge reported on an FCC filing for a ZTE V66 tablet equipped with a 4G LTE radio designed for Verizon's network. On Jan. 26, UnwiredView published a photo (below) of the V66 originally posted by the Bluetooth SIG.

Android Beginner's Guide

So you’ve picked up your new Android phone and you’re ready to dive right in! But like with any new gadget, you have unanswered questions about the features of Android and that powerful new device you’ve just booted up. And of course there are always unknown tips, tricks, and tutorials that you wish you’d known about beforehand. Luckily, we’ve got all the info that will put you on the fast track to becoming an Android expert!

First, some Frequently Asked Questions:

What should I know about the Android Market?

• First off, the Android Market offers a 15 minute full refund window for paid apps. If you don’t like it, get your money back!
• Certain apps may only be available to specific version of Android, e.g. Android 2.1+. This means if you’re still running Android 1.6, these apps won’t be available to you and won’t show up in searches.

What are those black/white box-shaped images?

• They are called QR codes, and are similar to normal barcodes. They can be scanned by specific apps (see question below) and are a way for transferring all sorts of information, especially URLs. They are most often used as direct links to apps in the Android Market.

Doodle Jump Android Game, Bounce You Higher!

The Doodle Jump Android game is an instant classic where you must bounce your way skyward from one platform to the next without falling or hitting various enemies/obstacles.

• Version: 1.6.6
• Size: 1.71MB (apps2SD enabled)
• Category: Games
• Price: $0.99

Doodle Jump appropriately comes with a formidable warning of “insanely addictive!” thanks to its continuous gameplay requiring little to no learning curve. The mission is to “jump, jump, jump to the top, top, top” bouncing from one platform the next using a variety of boosters like springs, jet packs, and propeller hats which you can pick up along the way.

To navigate Doodler left/right on his ascent, utilize your Android device’s accelerometer and tilt your Android device slightly to the left or right. Much like in the classic game Pac-Man, exiting the screen on the right side reenters you on the left, giving you more options for each of your jumps. By tapping the screen you can also shoot Doodler’s “nose balls” which will blast “baddies” out of your way. Hitting them as you fly upward or getting sucked into the black holes will immediately end your run.