Nexus 7 Cases or Sleeves; Kroo Neoprene Sleeve Review

Now that you spent $200 or more on the latest and greatest tech gadget, the Nexus 7, you’ll want to protect your investment. Sure, you can always say you’re going to be extremely careful, but accidents do happen. With the versatility and portability of this tablet, you’re going to be using it more often and taking it places you previously hadn’t even thought of yet.
So do you go with a case or do you go with a sleeve? This is all about personal preference. If you’re on the fence, here’s how I made my decision. Manufacturers strive to make tablets as thin as possible. The Nexus 7 is pretty thin coming in at 10.45mm. The official Nexus 7 case is very nice, adding a mere 15mm to the overall depth and adding 4.7oz to the overall weight. Many, many non OEM cases are much heavier and thicker than that.
I looked at tablet use scenarios. I planned on using my Nexus 7 mainly at home, while relaxing, at work for meetings and relaxing during my lunch break. No matter where I’m using it, I still wouldn’t use it in non relaxed settings. The vast majority of times I’ll be using it, I’ll be sitting down. The Nexus 7 is also very light. I personally won’t have any use for a case with a stand as I’ll always be holding it in my hand.
Since I’m not concerned about dropping my Nexus 7, I decided to look into sleeves. I plan on taking this tablet nearly everywhere I go that would allow me to sit down and use it for more than just a few minutes. For example, I’ll be taking it to work every day in my messenger bag. Maybe it will go in a backpack or small luggage bag while traveling or maybe I’ll put the tablet in my pocket while walking from point A to point B. I wanted added protection while transporting my tablet, no additional bulk and I wanted something cheap.
I found exactly what I was looking for over at Amazon.com, the Kroo Neoprene Sleeve. Kroo’s sleeve is designed with high quality products in mind and made with the finest neoprene design. It’s slim and lightweight with no extra bulk.. The Nexus 7 slides in and out with just the right amount of snugness. I can even put a USB cable in the front pouch. While in the sleeve, the tablet remains extremely portable, fitting into my pocket just as it previously did. All that for just $9.99? Sold!
Have you found a different perfect fit for your Nexus 7? Did you go with a case or did you go with a sleeve? Let me know, I’d love to help others find their perfect match!


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Galaxy Nexus Jelly Bean update brings unexpected, but fixable, GPS bug

In addition to the Google Nexus 7 tablet that runs Android 4.1 out of the box, other Nexus devices including the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S smartphones have also received their taste of Jelly Bean, at least in certain markets. But it looks like it’s not a flaw-free roll out for Google’s latest mobile operating system.
A few days ago we heard that Vodafone had to postpone the Nexus S Jelly Bean upgrade in Australia, as the ROM did not mean certain local regulations and now new reports suggest that the Galaxy Nexus Android 4.1 build comes with an unexpected GPS bug.
Apparently Galaxy Nexus users are unable to get a “precise GPS fix” after installing Jelly Bean, and this leads to the inability of the phone to track their location. Talk Android says the bug doesn’t affect all users, but that those that suffer from such GPS issues can easily fix it.
To check whether the problem affects your Galaxy Nexus device you should open an app that uses GPS to track you, preferably Google Maps, and then see whether you get a flashing icon with your “Searching for GPS…” notification. In case the icon is absent then your GPS is not functioning properly and needs to be manually fixed.
To do that, you’ll have to go to Settings > Location services and then “uncheck and re-check ‘Google’s location service.’” It should be as simple as that, but let us know in the comments section whether you have any GPS problem on your Galaxy Nexus freshly adorned with Jelly Bean.


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Kindle Fire sales forecast cut by analyst, no thanks to Google Nexus 7

The tech industry has its share of analysts and their predictions and forecasts, but it doesn’t mean that one should take every little finding as gospel – especially as things can always take a turn either for the best or worst. The latter can be applied to the Amazon Kindle Fire, as Cowen analyst Kevin Kopelman has changed the firm’s overly bullish stance on the tablet.
It looks like the Google Nexus 7 and the rumored iPad Mini will rain on Kindle Fire’s parade. While the fire won’t be extinguished entirely, the research firm’s sales forecast for the Kindle Fire has been dialed down. Instead of the predicted 14 million Kindle Fire sales for 2012, the figure is now set at 12 million units. With that said – it’d still be a respectable showing for an almost 1-year old device.
Things aren’t looking too bright either for the Kindle e-reader. Sales forecast for the device, where the number was initially expected to grow 30% in 2012, has also been revised. The e-reader is now predicted to grow at a 3% rate. The slowdown is attributed to several unfavorable circumstances, which include the removal of the device from Target stores, and Amazon’s preferential treatment of the Kindle Fire. Again, the number is nothing to sneeze at – as Amazon is still expected to sell about 15.9 Kindle e-reader units this year.
If it’s any consolation, Amazon is prepping up the release of several new Kindle Fire models this year – which should help the online retailer regain a solid footing in the tablet market.

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Nexus 7 Tablets Arriving With Loose Screens; Luckily, The Fix Is Simple

With shipments of the Nexus 7 now arriving, tons of Android users are getting their first hands-on experiences with the tablet. At least some of them, though, have been finding that their new tablets arrived with loose screens that tended to come away from the tablet’s framework a bit. If you’d rather not ship things back to Google and wait even longer to get a replacement, there’s a quick fix you can do yourself that seems to full resolve the issue.


Basically, all you need to do is pop-off the tablet’s rear casing, and then tighten-up all the little screws you see exposed.
The rubber backing can be pried-off (carefully) with a piece of plastic to avoid marring the finish. Then you’ll need to grab a tiny Phillips head screwdriver and give all the screws around the edge another twist. Reportedly, they’re in about 80% of the way already, and making them just a smidge tighter manages to hold the screen securely in place.
Obviously, don’t attempt this fix if anything here sounds confusing or makes you apprehensive, but if you’re up for it, it sounds like a pretty darn elegant solution.

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Evernote for Android 4.1 comes with improved tablet interface and specific Nexus 7 support

The Evernote note-taking app for Android has been extremely popular for more than just a while, but the updates and tweaks haven’t come as frequently as they have on iOS. However, the trend seems to be changing and we’re excited to announce the second major Evernote update in just two months.
After pushing the app to version 4.0 back in May, developers have now released Evernote 4.1. That means we’re still a bit behind iOS users, who’ve been enjoying version 4.2.2 for a while, but the gap is closing in fast.

While it does come with a slightly more modest changelog than the update to 4.0 from May, the most recent Evernote tweak is a significant one and will make a huge difference especially for Android tablet users. They will surely enjoy the redesigned interface, the “sleek new home screen” designed to improve the user experience on larger screens, and the introduction of swipe interactions that are promised “to dramatically improve navigation through the app”.Moreover, there are a few strictly cosmetic updates too, making the “Note List” look much better than before.

Another change specifically targeted to tablet users is the introduction of a “Tablet List View”, which is a compact list showing all the basic information about a note. I know, it doesn’t sound like a “critical” update, but it will most likely improve Evernote’s productivity and ease of use even further.

As you might already suspect, these tablet-oriented updates and tweaks are not coincidentally coming right as we all eagerly await our Nexus 7 orders to be fulfilled. In fact, the app’s developers specifically mention that Evernote 4.1 will work “beautifully” on Google’s new 7-incher.

Android smartphone users haven’t been left out of the mix either, and Evernote 4.1 has brought a series of updates for “all Android users”. These are pretty minor and not very numerous, but the additional levels introduced to bulleted and numbered lists are a very nice touch.
You can try out the new Evernote app for Android for free on Google Play, and please don’t forget to drop us a comment below and let us know what you think of the update.

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Nexus 7, a wolf in sheep’s clothing for other Android tablet makers?

The Google Nexus 7 is right now one of the most popular 7-inch tablets out there, and considering it’s a Nexus-branded device ready to offer buyers a pure Android experience, it will probably become one of the best sold tablets of the year.

Google is yet to mention sales numbers for the device that started shipping last week and which is currently sold out with certain third-party retailers, but Digitimes reports that according to “industry sources” the Search giant may ship as many as 2.5-3 million units this year.
That may not seem like an impressive number, as the tablet is only available in a limited number of markets right now, but will Google hurt its partners when it comes to overall tablet sales and profits? The Nexus 7 doesn’t, and can’t, target the iPad – Apple is expected to sell tens of millions of iPads each quarter – but instead it’s meant to compete against the Kindle Fire, a product Google can’t afford to ignore.
Amazon’s tablet became popular with the crowds because it’s an affordable device, ready to offer a good enough experience for that price, not to mention access to the company’s digital content stores.

 Google has adopted the same model, selling the device at cost, hoping to prevent users from jumping ship to Amazon and have them immersed in an improved Google Play environment instead. But while Google can sell the Nexus 7 without making any profits because users would then spend more money in its digital stores, other Android makers won’t be able to enjoy the same perks.

And they won’t be able to come up with similarly priced devices ready to offer a similar experience. Google did say that’s plenty of room left for innovation in the tablet environment, implying that its product will not hurt tablet sales from its Android partners, but the fact is that each Nexus 7 buyer is a customer that may have chosen an Android tablet from a different OEM. At the same time, that customer may have chosen the iPad too, so having him or her purchase a Nexus 7 instead is a better alternative for Google.

But, and I’ll say this again, Apple may sell as many as 30 million iPads by the end of the year (that’s a guesstimate from my part), that’s not counting what it has already sold in the first two quarters. And Apple did not cut the price of its tablets once the Nexus 7 launched. And Apple also has its digital stores in place that can be accessed almost in full in more markets that Google Play is available in, which means Apple too can make plenty of money off of its digital offerings.

Meanwhile, other Android device makers will have to suck it up, and fight even harder for a piece of the (Android) tablet ecosystem. The same Digitimes reports that various OEMs including Samsung, Asus and Acer, have started to cut the prices of their tablet offerings in order to better adapt to the new competition from Google’s tablet:

Samsung, which enjoys a high level of brand recognition, cut slightly the prices of its tablets in order to cope with increasing competition and to pave the way for the launch of its own new models.
But for Acer and Asustek Computer, they seem to have adopted the same strategy of lowering the prices of their 10.1-inch models to the levels close to those quoted for 7-inch models by Google or other rivals in order to attract consumers.

So is the Nexus 7 a wolf in sheep’s clothing for the Android tablet ecosystem? We’ll be able to better asses that in the following months when we’ll find out more details about tablet sales from the most important players in the business.

Finally, there’s also one more negative effect of the Nexus 7 that we can’t overlook – the iPad mini. Apple was rumored since last year to be working on a 7.85-inch iOS tablet, but the company didn’t make it public. Then the Kindle Fire appeared and the Google Nexus 7 rolled out seven months later revealing that there’s a certain share of the population that’s interested in purchasing cheaper tablets – but not the very cheapest, as there are various cheap Android tablets from unrecognized brands that don’t enjoy the popularity of the Kindle Fire or Nexus 7. And that could be a good enough reason for Apple to launch its smaller iPad this fall/winter. Android tablet makers will then have to fight against the smaller tablet as well.
What tablet are you buying this year?


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Pocket for Android now supports Jelly Bean devices, more reason to love your Nexus 7

While end-users are clamoring over Jelly Bean, developers are busy making their apps compatible with Android’s latest software iteration. The payoff should be worthwhile, given how in-demand the Nexus 7 tablet is; and to a certain extent the Galaxy Nexus is also seeing a surge of interest amongst customers. These are two devices that officially run Jelly Bean. One app that has just received Jelly Bean’s seal of compatibility is Pocket for Android – previously known as Read It Later.

Pocket 4.1.2 can now be downloaded on Google Play Store. Along with Android 4.1 support, it also comes with a slew of bug fixes. The developer of the app has provided the following change log:
White flash/flicker when opening an article in the Dark ThemeTile View not adjusting to rotation properly on tabletsText selection issues in Jelly BeanLong pressing a list item in Jelly Bean opened the article instead of showing actionsA crash when cancelling sharingPNG image files were not downloading for offline useTag button no longer has jagged edges on some devicesOther minor issues and crashes
For the uninitiated, Pocket collates any article links and videos you come across on your browser and over 300-third party Android and iOS apps for later viewing in a visually pleasing layout – even when you go offline.  Check out Pocket on Google Play to find out why the free app has been dubbed as the “DVR for the Web”.

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Google updates Nexus 7 shipping timeframes for US, UK, Canada, and Australia

Here at Android Authority, we’ve talked a lot about the Google Nexus 7 tablet since its official unveiling at Google I/O in late June (in fact, we also talked about it before its unveiling as well).
We’ve pitched it against the Amazon Kindle Fire, its main competitor at the present, as well as against what rumors paint to be its future competitors (namely the Amazon Kindle Fire 2 and the Apple iPad Mini). But although we’ve deemed the Nexus 7 to be the best Android device you can purchase for $200, it looks like those interested to purchase have had numerous problems with actually getting the device in their (geeky) hands. Fortunately, Google has stepped up and clarified all availability questions in a post on the official Play website.
As a quick sum up before going into specifics for each country where the Nexus 7 is available for purchase, Google seems to have solved its availability issues. From the looks of it, all orders made next month should start shipping right away, or at least we can hope they will. In addition, Google mentions that when your order ships, you’ll receive a Google Play notification along with a tracking number for you shipment.

Nexus 7 US shipping timeframes

All US orders for a standalone 8GB Nexus 7 (meaning orders for the tablet without any accessories) have been shipped. In fact, the 8GB model now being listed as being “in stock” and future orders should be shipped immediately.
Those who have ordered a standalone 16GB Nexus 7 before July 11 should receive their shipment by the end of July 19. If you ordered starting with July 12, you should get your tablet by the end of next week.
Google also mentions that if you ordered a tablet with an accessory, the tablet will arrive first, with “the rest of your order on its way soon”.

 

Nexus 7 UK shipping timeframes

 
If you ordered a 8GB Nexus 7 from the UK, you’ll be glad to know that all Nexus 7 8GB orders should ship by July 20.


If you ordered a 16GB Nexus 7 before June 30, the device will also ship by July 20, with the remaining 16GB Nexus 7 orders poised to ship next week.

 

Nexus 7 Canada shipping timeframes

All Canadian-bound orders for the 8GB Nexus 7 have been shipped.
Orders for the 16GB model of the Google Nexus 7 should ship in 1-2 weeks.

 

Australia Nexus 7 shipping timeframes

Orders for both the 8GB and the 16GB variants of the Nexus 7 will be processed by the end of July 19 and should arrive in 3-5 days.

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Google sends software update to Nexus 7 to enable Google Wallet

The privy few who own a Nexus 7 got a surprise from Google yesterday, as a new small-ish update was pushed to the tablet. Thankfully, it’s not that dumbed down search feature that other high-profile Android devices were getting, but it’s just a little something that allows you to tap, pay, and save with the Google Wallet app on your Nexus 7.
You don’t think Google has embedded an NFC chip in the 7-incher for kicks, do you? Well, with the activated Google Wallet feature, you can now pay for those potato chips by pulling out the Nexus 7 out of your bag and doing some wireless payment magic – unlike regular folks who have to open their wallet and use physical money. So last decade, right?
Since you are getting a $25 credit from Google, as part of the Nexus 7 package, why not head down to the nearest NFC-compatible convenience store and try the prepaid card out? Hopefully you won’t have problem finding one.
For those who have tested out purchasing things using their Nexus 7 — how was it like for you? Was it a hassle-free and convenient experience or the other way around?

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Two Galaxy Nexus units and other gadgets you can find inside Steve Wozniak’s backpack

Self-professed gadget addict Steve Wozniak certainly likes to travel with an entourage of devices in his backpack. He recently shared the content of his travel gear with Gizmodo, which provides a rare glimpse to the multitude of gadgets of varying platforms and sizes that Woz apparently carries at all time when he hits the road.
Let’s start with the meat of the finding. In case you’re wondering what this particular Apple co-founder’s choice of Android device is – he actually has a pair of Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphones, both unlocked from AT&T, with one being the spare phone. He also carries with him a Motorola Droid RAZR. That’s as far as the Android love affair goes.
Meanwhile, the usual suspects include 3 iPhones, 2 iPads, 2 iPod Nanos (complete with wristbands), MacBook Pro, an iPad case/keyboard, an AirPort Express, and a MacBook Pro 85W magsafe adapter. Each of the pair of iOS devices includes one device that belongs to his wife Janet — except for the iPhones, where she has two of them.
The list goes on with a bunch of USB peripherals, two Verizon 3G MiFis, Bluetooth mouse, and projector connectors.  Here’s the rest of the electronic device-related stuff:
Multiple Gameboy Lights (a special edition Gameboy sold in Japan)Gameboy link cablesA pair of MutewatchTwo Garmin GPS devicesJawbone Jambox wireless speakerCountless foreign AC adaptersGameboy link cableLaser pointers with varying colorsiPhone lens adapterFlash keys and flash media adaptersCigarette lighter dual USB adapterAudio doubler cableiPad USB/SD Card adaptersAA, AAA, CR2, CR12 batteries
On top of those, the Woz also carries lots of pens, paint pens and pencils for his pencil puzzles. Oh, and a binocular as well. According to him, his backpack usually weighs 50 pounds (roughly 22 Kilograms), yikes! Odd and abnormal as it may seem, he admits it’s actually customary to him to carry all of the above when he’s on the road. We’ve all been guilty of carrying too much electronic devices during a trip, but he certainly takes the cake.
Any item you find interesting from the list? Do you shove in as many gadgets as possible to your backpack when traveling?


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