Voting, Chatting, Twittering.On Your TV, On Your Radio.

It has been over five months since I wrote about the first combination tablet being produced. The device in question is the Identity E201, a 7 inch Android tablet made by Enspert in Korea. It has been through some production delays, but it is finally being field tested in Norway, Germany, Netherlands and Italy with promising results.

I’ll cover the most relevant specs. The Identity E201 can receive mobile television and digital radio via DMB, DAB and DAB+ in Band III. The tablet has been approved by Google, so Android Market is available and the built-in GPS works well with Google Maps. It comes with Wi-Fi, but not yet with 3G. To get 3G, you will have to wait for it’s sister model, the Identity E303 which will be available later in 2011.

What makes the device exciting is the combination of broadcasting (DMB/DAB/DAB+) and the internet (Wi-Fi). That means that you can watch live broadcasted TV while interacting with others through chat, Facebook or Twitter, receive breaking news through an RSS feed, get on-demand access the last or next episode of the programme you have just been watching and take part in on screen voting. Everything is accessed through an app, the beta version of which has now been launched.

The examples above have already been implemented as pictured in this blog post, but there are virtually no limitations to which services you can add to live radio or TV programmes with such tablets when the API to the DMB/DAB/DAB+ chipset is available.

The Dutch distributor Rebox takes orders on these devices which will be available for delivery by the end of September. You can read more about availability on the on the website of IDAG (International DMB Advancement Group).