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Sears.com is now offering at least 3 inexpensive Android tablets that appear to be based on designs we’ve seen from Chinese electronics makers. Sears isn’t actually offering the tablets in stores, and the web site says they’re actually sold by a third party distributor called Tech Galore. But if you’re in the market for a 7 to 10 inch Android tablet for $130 to $250, it looks like there’s a new shopping option — although I might hold out on placing orders until I’ve seen some customer reviews. Some of the information about these tablets seems a bit… iffy.

Here’s an overview of the tablets Sears is offering:

• Elken 7 inch Android tablet w/600MHz CPU, 2G storage, accelerometer for $129.99
• APad 7″ Android 1.6 tablet w/VIA WM8505 CPU, 2G storage for $149.99
• APad 10.2 inch tablet w/Android 2.1, 3.5G, 1.2GHz CPU for $249.99

While Sears lists the first tablet as “Elken,” I’m pretty sure the name should actually be Eken. The APad 10 inch tablet also shows a picture of the German WePad from Neofonie, which isn’t actually shipping yet — and which is expected to cost considerably more than the $250 asking price. The 10 inch APad also shows a $250 price tag when you search for Android tablets, but the actual product page has no information about the price or how to order.

via Android Tablets

Sears begins offering cheap Android tablets for some reason is a post from: Liliputing

Our eyes were drawn to an FCC filing this morning from a California start-up by the name of Zelfy; a quick glance at Zelfy's site reveals that they're in "stealth mode," but the picture of a woman using an iPhone to control her TV should give you an idea of what these guys are up to. Indeed, digging through the filing shows a product called "Peel" whose central component, the "Peel Fruit," is a small, battery-powered sphere of an IR blaster that connects to your home network router. Next, you download the Peel app onto the iPhone (or iPod touch) of your choice and control the Fruit over WiFi. The filing reveals little in the way of UI or functionality, but the product's tagline is "every remote and TV guide now on your phone," so we would assume that you'll have access to your cable provider's lineup and schedule from the app. More on this one just as soon as Zelfy decides to emerge from stealth mode, we suppose.

Zelfy Peel might be the iPhone remote you've been looking for originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 09:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Did you know that Ford's first electric car, the Comuta, was released way back in 1967? It was a perfectly goofy looking thing, with a top speed of 37mph and a range of 40 miles -- if you didn't go near that top speed. More of a concept than anything, only a handful were made available for sale, and at this point it certainly looks like the company's immediate plans for EVs are similarly conservative. DailyTech pulled together an analysis of Ford's future offerings in the electric and plug-in hybrid space and it's obvious the Blue Oval is taking its time making sure the EV water is warm before jumping in. First up is the Transit Connect, a 100 mile range electric van intended for fleet use and, with a price well north of $30,000, not expected to sell in droves. Next will be the Focus Electric, due next year and, while this one will be substantially cheaper and more consumer-friendly, Ford execs expect it too will have low demand.

The primary reason for this is that Ford still believes that pure EVs are not ready for mainstream adoption, with battery technology unable to provide reliable power at the range of temperatures people actually want to go somewhere. The Focus Electric mitigates this with both liquid heating and cooling, but for now the company thinks the best mix is a traditional, power-split hybrid, where the gas engine can drive the wheels if the batteries can't cope. That's unlike the Chevy Volt, which is only driven by batteries. To this end Ford has a new, mystery plug-in hybrid vehicle coming in 2012. What kind of car? All we know is it's "not a Focus." That can mean only one thing: F-350 Super Duty PHEV edition.

[Photo credit: Ford Motor Company]

Looking back at Ford's EV past, forward to the 2012 Focus Electric and a 2013 plug-in hybrid originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 09:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TomTom rolls out Go Live 1000 series navigation units originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 09:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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