Monster gets a bad rap from the technology community, but in all fairness, they absolutely deserve it. Between ridiculously overpriced home theater components and insanely malicious trademark lawsuits, the company is probably the most-hated technology corp this side of Electronic Arts. Having said all that, Monster announced its first Android tablet today, the 7", $149 M7. The combination of branding and price is incongruous to say the least.

The tablet fits pretty well into the budget 7-inch mold - you could probably guess the specs, which include a 1280x800 screen, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, a 5MP rear camera, and 16GB of storage plus a MicroSD card slot. The hardware is running Android 4.1, which will include "Google Mobile Services," i.e. the Play Store and its associated apps. The company is also hyping up Time Correct (TM) Bluetooth for accurate audio syncing, AptX for high-quality Bluetooth streaming, and Monster Central Power Control for power monitoring with compatible Monster equipment. Notably absent is an IR port, which would have made a lot of sense for this particular brand. But hey, at least it includes a MiniHDMI port, so's you can spend entirely too much money on an Official Monster Cable MiniHDMI To Monster HDMI Super Deluxe AmazoVision Gaming Edition Monster HDMI Cable.

The M7 tablet is available now from Wal-Mart in eight cringe-inducing colors, including white, black, and six shades that start with "Candy." The company is planning an M10 10-inch tablet for the fall, presumably also set for a Wal-Mart release. I don't buy Monster products in any case, but I'd be particularly wary of the company's foray into the tablet space. Even ignoring similar products from more reputable brands, these tablets are probably cheap, re-skinned OEM fare made in the hopes of cashing in on some brand recognition. If Monster actually made tablets themselves, you'd see a lot more buzzwords like "24-karat gold plated" and "ergonomically contoured" down there in the press release. And using the company's famous cables as a rough pricing metric, it would probably cost about eight hundred bucks.

BRISBANE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Monster, the world leader in high-performance personal audio, connectivity solutions and headphones, today announced the launch of its first line of tablets—the Monster® M7 and M10, 7-inch and 10.1-inch tablets. The Monster® M7 tablet is first to be released, it is fully loaded with features, and is the only HD Android-based tablet with Time Correct™ Bluetooth, a feature that movie lovers using Bluetooth speakers and headphones will adore. The Monster® tablets also feature aptX for near-CD quality sound.

A premium tablet, affordably priced, the Monster® M7 tablet is exclusively available online at Walmart.com for $149.00, in keeping with Walmart’s “Save Money. Live Better.” mantra. The Monster® M10 will launch later in the fall, price and specifications to be announced.

The Monster® tablet is enclosed in a unique non-skid surface that is attractively styled in eight custom “candy” colors to match the Monster® N-Tune™ headphone line—Candy Blueberry, Candy Tangerine Orange, Candy Grape Purple, Candy Apple Red, Candy Lime Green, Cotton Candy Pink, Frost White and Midnight Black (available separately.) The Monster tablets are a perfect combination of sound, style, HD video, and high performance audio.

Other features include Monster Central® PowerControl™ that allows complete energy and power monitoring over the Internet with Monster Power modules (available separately).

The Monster® M7 is also pre-loaded with Google Mobiles Services applications, as well as popular apps such as Vudu, for instant access to all the latest movies and TV shows.

“Packed with features, in an array of color options to match our headphone colors, and offered at an affordable price, we believe the new line of Monster tablets is going to surprise a lot of people,” said “Head Monster” Noel Lee.

Instant Entertainment

Out-of-the-box with popular apps such as YouTube, Facebook, Google Talk, Twitter and Vudu, both Monster® tablets offer easy ways to connect with friends and watch all the latest movies, TV shows and music hits. Vudu allows the user to stream directly to their device or download to watch anywhere, any time.

Cut Energy Waste, Save Big

With Monster Central®, it has never been easier for users to control their Monster Central® PowerControl™ smart plugs (sold separately) right from their fingertips. The Monster Central® PowerControl™ app helps households save money every day, cutting energy waste by setting up automatic timers to turn off electronics, computers or game consoles when not in use. The app also monitors the electricity and dollars used by any device plugged into the Monster Central® PowerControl™ smart plugs.

Specifications include: M7 7-inch Tablet: Equipped with a 1.5GHz dual core processor, Android operating system, HD 1280x800 resolution screen, Bluetooth 4.0 with Time Correct™, Micro USB input, 3.5mm headset jack, Mini HDMI, GPS, front (2.0MP) and rear (5.0MP) cameras, 16GB storage with 1GB DDR3 memory, MicroSD expansion slot and up to 8 hours of battery life, the 7-inch tablet is packed with all the latest specs with a great price.