Nexus 7

DigiTimes, a site whose supply-chain-based rumors have a rather variable record of reliability, claims that Asustek is working on a new 8-inch Nexus, to replace the Nexus 7 at the end of April.

Google is no stranger to the form factor having just recently Play-editioned the LG 8.2″ G Pad  which has gotten some stellar reviews.

It’s suggested that Google feels the 7-inch market is too crowded, especially with 5- and 6-inch phablets cannibalising some of the 7-inch market … 
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From 9to5toys.com

For a limited time only, Google is offering 25% off of select Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 accessories on the Play Store. Unfortunately not every accessory qualifies for the deal, but many of the most popular ones do. The Nexus 7 sleeve, case, and folio are all available for 25% percent off, while the Nexus 5 bumper and QuickCover qualify for the offer.

• Nexus 7 Sleeve – $22.49
• Nexus 7 Case – $37.49
• Nexus 7 Folio – $37.49
• LG QuickCover for Nexus 5 – $37.49
• Nexus 5 Bumper Case – $26.24

Of course, even with the 25% discount, all of these accessories are still considerably more expensive than they should be. You can find much better cases and folios, for both the Nexus 5 and Nexus 7, a lot cheaper on Amazon. If you want official, Google/LG made products, however, than this deal is certainly nothing to complain about.

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In a flood of device announcements this afternoon, Google has just released a white Nexus 7 to go along with the black model this holiday season. Unfortunately, the white color option is only available in the 32GB storage option and with only WiFi connectivity. This means that those looking for LTE are forced to choose the black model.

The white Nexus 7 will run you $269.99, but thanks to a promotion Google is currently running, you will also get a $35 Google Play credit, which is essentially a free Chromecast. Other than the color, the white variant is identical to the Nexus 7 that we’ve come to know and love.

The white Nexus 7 is available on Google Play now, and is listed as shipping within 1-2 business days.

Earlier this week, evleaks reported that a mysterious LG V510 tablet was indeed the next Nexus tablet. At the time, this seemed rather believable, as the Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 had already been refreshed for the year, leaving the Nexus 10 as the odd-man out. According to some source code shared by LG, however, the V510 is not in fact a Nexus tablet, but rather a Google Play Edition of its 8.3-inch G Pad (via Droid Life).

To see for yourself, simply download the source code file from LG’s website and unzip it. Within the .zip will be three files, two of which mention the V510 as an LG G Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition.

LG-V510(G-Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition)_Android_KK_V510_10d.Android.tar.gz
LG-V510(G-Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition)_Android_KK_V510_10d_Kernel.tar.gz
V510_README.txt

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Much like it has in recent years by offering employees their choice from a selection of devices as a Christmas/holiday gift, we’ve learned from several sources that this year Google will continue the tradition. Rather than the choice of Chromebook, a Motorola phone or the Nexus 7 tablet like it offered last year, this year the company will offer an option between the Nexus 5 and new Nexus 7.

Backing up our info is the screenshot below showing a family member of a Google employee mentioning the gift:
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There’s plenty of good Cyber Monday deals to be had and more will likely pop up as the day continues, but this 2013 Nexus 7 is one of the good ones. Offering $60 and $40 discounts, the free shipping offer includes both the 16GB and 32GB models. We should note that the 16GB version from ShopDivvy (tax in North Dakota) is a manufacturer refurb and comes ASUS re-certified and with the ASUS warranty. The 32GB model from Adorama is new and tax only applies New Jersey.

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We’ve already had a glimpse at Google’s Cyber Weekend extravaganza with deals on games, books, music, gadgets, magazines and TV series. However, even with our Cyber Weekend announce post earlier today, a new post with a broken down list of ALL the deals Google is hosting over the weekend was in order. Below you’ll find a list of all the hardware, software, subscription, music and game deals you will find from Goog this weekend. Credit goes to The Verge for compiling the full list but hit the Google Play link below to get your shopping groove on.

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I’m sure we’re all “tired” to hear about the tablet/PC debate and which format will outsell one another next year. That being said, a new Canalys report caught my eye as it projects that in 2014 tablets will account for 50 percent of the PC market. I consider projections that indicate tablets will become half of the desktop, notebook, and tablet devices that make up the entire PC market to be notable because of the sheer size.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJdpRJ873r8

It might not be as interesting as Google’s floating barge project that will see the company bring interactive technology showrooms to cities in the US, but Google has just opened a number of temporary retail locations leading into the holidays.

The pop-up locations are dubbed Google Winter Wonderlabs and Google’s new site describing the retail experience lists locations for New York City, Washington DC, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Jersey, and Sacramento.

Google is using the stores to let customers try out and purchase the Nexus 7, Chromebooks, and Chromecast (no mention of Google Glass), but it also has a “Snow globe” room that lets people create slo-mo videos with animated snow fall and “Play Zones” with various product demos set up. 
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From 9to5Toys.com:

Staples is offering the new Asus Google Nexus 7 2nd gen. 16GB tablet for $179 with free shipping after coupon code 18702 cuts it $50. Using the sam coupon, the 32GB version is just $$219. These deals go fast, grab one while you can.

The new Nexus 7 features a 7″ 1080p HD screen, a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB of RAM and built-in wireless charging. 9to5Google reviewed it and found it to be a worthy upgrade over the original Nexus tablet.

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Google has announced that the new Android KitKat operating system will begin rolling out to Google’s own tablets starting today. The rollout process will likely be completed over a period of time. Android 4.4 will be reaching the Nexus 7 (both last year’s model and this year’s new model) and the Nexus 10. KitKat brings several improvements to Android, including changes to Google Now, SMS integration with Hangouts, and general performance enhancements. Google says KitKat for the Nexus 4 and cellular-enabled Nexus 7 is coming soon.

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If you have a Nexus 7 you’re waiting to activate on Verizon’s LTE network, there’s good news and bad news …

The good news is Verizon has acknowledged the issue that has been preventing the device registering on its network, and says that a solution is in hand. The bad new is that solution is to wait for KitKat to be installed on the tablet, and there’s as yet no word on when this may be. Google has said only that it will be “in the coming weeks” and that is for the Wifi versions … 
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sONcojECWXs&list=PLWz5rJ2EKKc-2quE-o0enpILZF3nBZg_K&index=1]

Update: Google has released a full list of what’s new in Android 4.4 KitKat. We’re digging in and we’ll bring you more details as we discover them.

Alongside the official release of its new flagship Nexus 5 on Google Play today, Google is also of course officially taking the wraps of 4.4 KitKat, the latest version of Android that will ship on the new Nexus 5. When will you be able to get your hands on the new OS? Google said KitKat 4.4 updates will arrive for the Nexus 4, Nexus 7, Nexus 10, and the Galaxy S4 and HTC One Google Play Editions in the coming weeks.

Google confirmed that the update will not be coming to the Galaxy Nexus. Since it’s two years old, it now “falls outside of the 18-month update window when Google and others traditionally update devices.”

In the YouTub playlist above, Google walks through some of the new features of KitKat for developers and also highlights a number of user-facing features such as a new “immersive mode” that allows users to automatically hide onscreen controls for a truly full-screen experience. In a blog post, Google took sometime to explain the performance improvements it’s made in KitKat, noting that Android can now “run comfortably on the 512MB of RAM devices”:
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Two months after the initial launch of the device, Google has just released its official flip cases for the 2013 Nexus 7. The cases are available in four colors: red, white, black, and blue. Google touts that this is the first case “designed by Google specifically for the Nexus 7” and is made to fit the “exact specifications” of your device.

The flip cases feature a built in stand with positions for typing, as well as watching a video/participating in a Hangout. Finally, on the edge of the case is a tiny Google-colored flag to remind you that the case fits perfectly.

The cases run $49.99, which is certainly steep, but they appear to be rather high quality.  Keep in mind, however, that there are plenty of cases on Amazon for under $10 that may be just as sturdy. 
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Following a report from usually reliable sources that Google would be using Motorola, not Nexus 4 manufacturer LG, to make its next-generation Nexus smartphone, conflicting reports today claim that isn’t the case. Vietnamese website Tinhte, which we know from previous Apple and Moto X related leaks has quite a solid track record, is claiming that Google will once again work with LG for the Nexus 5 and that the device will be based on the company’s recently announced LG G2.

According to the report, the Nexus 5 will include a 5.2-inch display, Snapdragon 800 processor– the same as the G2– but will sport “a thinner design” similar to the new Nexus 7. Earlier this month, a post from Taylor Wimberly, who happen to be correct with a few Moto X leaks, said that Motorola is working on the next-generation Nexus to be released in Q4 of this year. Google’s been known to weigh its options with several manufacturers prior to the release of a new Nexus device, but we’ll have to wait for more solid details before we know for sure. 
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Photo: phandroid.com

Chinese site MyDrivers (comical Google Translate warning) is citing Korean sources suggesting that the Nexus 5, next year’s replacement for the Nexus 4, will be made by LG and based on the G2. An earlier rumor suggested that the handset would be made by Motorola.

It has already been rumored that LG would be making next year’s Nexus 7 … 
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