Via Ars Technica.

Ars Technica has busted out a review of the Toshiba Thrive Android Tablet which comes across as generally favorable. I recommend reading the full review, and watching the video below, but as they summarize at the end of their review:

The Good

• Hardware runs Honeycomb 3.1 well, with no skinning or annoyances
• The array of full-sized ports makes connecting your Thrive to existing devices a snap
• SD card slot makes expanding the Thrive’s memory easy, not to mention it’s simple to move files to the hardware
• The File Manager gives you a lot of control over the content on your device, including the ability to cut, copy, delete, and launch files at will
• The battery gives you 7+ hours of heavy use, and can be removed and replaced easily by the user
• Ribbed plastic back is comfortable to hold

The Bad

• No support for 3G or 4G connectivity
• Thicker and heavier than its competitors
• Toshiba’s built-in apps are either demos or nearly useless, and can’t be removed without rooting
• The built-in cameras are nice for candid snaps or video calls using Google Talk, but won’t replace your dedicated camera
• The back panel is tricky to remove without using a wince-inducing level of force
• The volume and power buttons on the side of the unit can be hard to hit
• The LED lights on the unit’s face are annoying
• The rear camera’s placement makes it easy to cover the lens when you’re holding the tablet in landscape view
• The interface can be jerky on occasion, and is much less smooth than what we’re used to from the iPad

The Ugly

• The fact that a SD card slot is such a major selling point. C’mon, everyone else, catch up.

Verdict: Buy

As I’ve said before, I’m torn between the Toshiba Thrive and the Asus Eee Pad Transformer, and I still haven’t made up my mind. They both have some very appealing features.

And I’m sure there others that I haven’t spotted.

Dave Zatz posted this video to YouTube:

Note that this is a proof of concept, a technology demonstrator, and not the SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone that will eventually be released. This was an engineering project written for jail-broken iPhones to characterize the performance of the platform and ensure that Sling could deliver a high quality customer experience on the iPhone & iPod Touch platforms. This allowed Sling to gain experience with the platform while waiting for the SDK to be released. The official SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone will be written using the SDK and sold through the iTunes App store like other official iPhone/iPod Touch applications. At least that is currently the intent.

If you’re attending the Apple WWDC this week you can get a look at the proof of concept application first hand. Sling Media Product Manager Vicky Shum will be at the Starbucks at 120 4th Street, San Francisco (across from the Metreon) between 10:00 and 16:00 (10am and 4pm) on Monday, June 9th running demos.

Disclaimer: I am currently employed by Sling Media.

So, where’s my buyout offer?