Category Archives: Events

Apple WWDC 2023 Event Kicks Off on June 5

CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA — Apple WWDC 2023 is the annual Worldwide Developers Conference hosted by Apple Inc. It is a five-day event that showcases the latest innovations and technologies in software, hardware, and services. The conference will take place this year from June 5 to June 9, 2023, at the California HQ. Attendees can expect to learn about the new features and updates of iOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and other Apple platforms. They can also participate in sessions, labs, workshops, and networking events with Apple engineers and experts.

Apple today announced it will host its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in an online format with an opportunity for developers and students to celebrate in person at a special experience at Apple Park on opening day.

Free for all developers, WWDC23 will spotlight the latest iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS advancements. As part of Apple’s ongoing commitment to helping developers create innovative apps, the event will also provide them with unique access to Apple engineers, as well as insight into new technologies and tools to help them realize their visions.  

The conference will also feature the Apple Design Awards, which recognize the best apps and games of the year. Apple WWDC 2023 is open to all registered developers who have an active Apple Developer Program membership. Tickets are distributed through a lottery system and cost $1,599 USD each. The conference will also be live-streamed online for free for anyone who wants to watch.

What we should expect to see at the Apple WWDC 2023 event

Here are some of the things we can expect to see at this year’s WWDC:

  • Good chances we’re going to see some new software updates to Apple’s iDevices, including operating systems for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. We can expect to see iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS 14, watchOS 10, and tvOS 17, with new features, bug fixes, software improvements, and more.
  • New hardware announcements may include the rumored AR/VR Reality Pro headset prototype, potentially including advanced set of sensors, HD displays, eye-tracking tech and more.
  • An upgrade to the Mac Pro lineup: Apple has been working hard to complete the transition of its MAC and hardware lineup to to its own custom silicon chips, and the next generation start releasing the rumored M2 Ultra chip which would boast up to 32 performance cores and 128 graphics cores, making it a heck of a monster chip.
  • A 15-inch MacBook Air: Potentially another upgrade to the 13-inch MacBook Air laptop series Apple could launch a 15-inch MacBook Air with an M2 chip and a bigger 15-inch display that would offer superior performance to the current MBAs.

Apple Announces Sept. 7 Event, New iPhone 14, Watch Series 8 Expected

Apple sent out invites on Wednesday, announcing Sept. 7 as the date of the iPhone 14 launch event, at which the Cupertino giant is expected to unveil a new series of iPhone 14, or whatever Apple might formally choose to call its successor to the iPhone 13 series. In addition to new iPhones, the company is also expected to introduce new iPad models, and 3 new smart watches, including an Apple Watch Series 8, Watch SE model, and a fitness-focused watch model. While the iPhone 14 and the Apple Watch Series 8 are likely to be the official stars of the annual event, other announcements, including the release date of iOS 16, watchOS 9 and others, are also possible but less certain.

iPhone 14 mockups

The coming event is following a March announcement for the Mac Studio, the 5-G iPhone SE, and a new iPad Air, in addition to previewing iOS 16, macOS Ventura, and other new software features at the company’s developer conference in June. While the iPhone 14 lineup and the Apple Watch Series 8 will make the biggest headlines at its annual event, iPhone-maker Apple Inc could be out and about with a bevy of new Macs, iPads, AirPods, and iOS 16 launch dates, and possibly even a mixed-reality headset, who knows?

Apple Watch Pro

In addition to that, Apple is said to be rolling out a new, higher-end smartwatch version, which is likely to be called Apple Watch Pro. This way or another, the September event, is going to be held at the Steve Jobs Theatre, within Apple’s Park campus in the city of Cupertino, Calif.

See you there, folks!

Everything Apple Announced at The Virtual 2021 iPhone 13 Event

CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, Apple officially announced its 2021 new line of updated products including A new iPad and iPad Mini, a new line of the 7th-gen Apple Watch, a bunch of new iPhones with a few interesting updates – iPhone 13, 13 Mini, 13 Pro and 13 Max.  No new Airpods announced. Here are the highlights:

 

Apple Event — September 14

iPhone 13 Highlights:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m43rh-pI0P0

Apple announces iPhone 13 and 13 mini with a pretty similar look and design to iPhone 12, with a smaller notch, A15 chipset, diagonal dual-camera system, larger battery life, and five new colors. Apple iPhone 13 mini starts at $699 and iPhone 13 starts at $799, the same as the iPhone 12, now starts with 128GB base storage  and a 512GB option. More here:

  • – Super Retina XDR display
  • – A15 Bionic chip
  • – Improved power efficiency
  • – 6-core CPU, 4-core GPU

Apple today introduced iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini, the next generation of the world’s best smartphone, featuring a beautiful design with sleek flat edges in five gorgeous new colors. Both models feature major innovations, including the most advanced dual-camera system ever on iPhone — with a new Wide camera with bigger pixels and sensor-shift optical image stabilization (OIS) offering improvements in low-light photos and videos, a new way to personalize the camera with Photographic Styles, and Cinematic mode, which brings a new dimension to video storytelling. iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini also boast super-fast performance and power efficiency with A15 Bionic, longer battery life, a brighter Super Retina XDR display that brings content to life, incredible durability with the Ceramic Shield front cover, double the entry-level storage at 128GB, an industry-leading IP68 rating for water resistance, and an advanced 5G experience.

iPhone 13 Pro Highlights:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKfgdkcIUxw

Apple unveils iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max with the new ProMotion update for 10Hz-120Hz refresh rates, A15 Bionic chip, new camera system with 3x optical zoom, and more advanced updates. Apple iPhone 13 Pro starts at $999 and 13 Pro Max starts at $1,099, same as the iPhone 12 Pros, now with up to 1TB option; pre-order on Sept. 17, shipping Sept. 24. More here:

  • – Ceramic Shield glass on front
  • – IP68 water resistance
  • – Redesigned interior to support the new camera system and the bigger battery
  • – A15 Bionic chip
  • – New 5-core GPU
  • – Super Retina XDR display
  • – ProMotion

Apple today introduced iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in a smartphone. Redesigned inside and out, both models introduce an all-new Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion featuring an adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz, making the touch experience faster and more responsive. The pro camera system gets its biggest advancement ever with new Ultra Wide, Wide, and Telephoto cameras that capture stunning photos and video, powered by the unmatched performance of A15 Bionic, more powerful than the leading competition. These technologies enable impressive new photo capabilities never before possible on iPhone, like macro photography on the new Ultra Wide camera and up to 2.2x improved low-light performance on the new Wide camera. New computational photography features like Photographic Styles personalize the look of images in the Camera app, and both models now include Night mode on all cameras. Video takes a huge leap forward with Cinematic mode for beautiful depth-of-field transitions, macro video, Time-lapse and Slo-mo, and even better low-light performance. Both models also offer end-to-end pro workflows in Dolby Vision, and for the first time, ProRes, only available on iPhone. iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max also include 5G with more bands for better coverage, big improvements to battery life for the best battery life ever on iPhone with iPhone 13 Pro Max, new storage capacity of 1TB, and the Ceramic Shield front cover, tougher than any smartphone glass.

iPhone 13 Pro Camera Updates:

Apple’s iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max will feature a macro photography mode for close-up shots, a Cinematic mode for more advanced “rack focus” techniques, more

  • – Telephoto (3x optical)
  • – Ultra wide, with a larger sensor to improve low light capabilities
  • – Wide camera with f.15 aperture
  • – Night mode now available on all cameras
  • – Macro mode
  • – New filters dubbed ‘Photographic Styles’ for real time photo edits while rendering

With new sensors and lenses for all three rear cameras, optimized to work seamlessly with iOS 15 and powered by the new image signal processor (ISP) in A15 Bionic for improved noise reduction and tone mapping, the iPhone 13 Pro lineup features the best camera system ever on iPhone. The all-new Wide camera has a larger sensor with 1.9 µm pixels, the largest ever on iPhone, for less noise and faster shutter speeds needed across lighting conditions, producing even more detailed photos. Coupled with the larger ƒ/1.5 aperture, the Wide camera on iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max offers a massive improvement in low-light situations, up to 2.2x when compared to iPhone 12 Pro, and nearly 1.5x when compared to iPhone 12 Pro Max. Sensor-shift optical image stabilization (OIS) — unique to iPhone — is available on both models, stabilizing the sensor instead of the lens, so images are smooth and video is steady, even when the user is not.

iPad Mini 6 Product Update Highlights:

Introducing the all-new iPad mini | Apple

Apple refreshes its  iPad mini lineup with a larger 8.3″ display and rounded edges, Touch ID power button, USB C port, 5G connectivity, second-gen Pencil support; coming next week for $499.

  • – Four color options
  • – Beautiful 8.3” display
  • – TouchID
  • – USB C port
  • – 40% faster CPU, 80% GPU improvement
  • – 12MP camera
  • – Starting at $499, orders start today with shipping next week

Apple today introduced the powerful new iPad mini — with a larger 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display — in four gorgeous finishes. Featuring the brand new A15 Bionic chip, the new iPad mini delivers up to 80 percent faster performance than the previous generation, making it the most capable iPad mini ever. A new USB-C port allows faster connectivity, and cellular models with 5G bring more flexible mobile workflows. New advanced cameras, Center Stage, and support for Apple Pencil (2nd generation) enable new ways for users to capture photos and videos, communicate with loved ones, and jot down their ideas when creativity strikes. The new iPad mini is available to order beginning today, and will be in stores beginning Friday, September 24.

New iPad Product Update

Apple announces an updated entry-level iPad model with A13 chip, 12MP ultrawide front-facing camera, iPadOS 15, basic 64GB minimum storage; available next week starting at $329

Apple today introduced the new iPad (9th generation), featuring the powerful A13 Bionic chip that packs even more performance and capability into the most popular iPad, all while retaining its all-day battery life.1 Starting at just $329, the new iPad features a 10.2-inch Retina display with True Tone, a 12MP Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage, support for Apple Pencil (1st generation) and Smart Keyboard, the intuitive iPadOS 15, and twice the storage of the previous generation. The new iPad is available to order beginning today on apple.com, and in stores beginning Friday, September 24.

Apple Watch Series 7 Highlights:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMdQ-gWBNZE

Apple unveils Watch Series 7 in 41mm and 45mm sizes, with five colors, thinner borders, 20% larger displays, and IPX6, starting at $399 this fall. More here:

Apple today announced Apple Watch Series 7, featuring a reengineered Always-On Retina display with significantly more screen area and thinner borders, making it the largest and most advanced display ever. The narrower borders allow the display to maximize screen area, while minimally changing the dimensions of the watch itself. The design of Apple Watch Series 7 is refined with softer, more rounded corners, and the display has a unique refractive edge that makes full-screen watch faces and apps appear to seamlessly connect with the curvature of the case. Apple Watch Series 7 also features a user interface optimized for the larger display, offering greater readability and ease of use, plus two unique watch faces — Contour and Modular Duo — designed specifically for the new device. With the improvements to the display, users benefit from the same all-day 18-hour battery life,1 now complemented by 33 percent faster charging.

 

 

 

Everything Apple announced at the WWDC 2021 Keynote

Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference officially kicked off with the main opening keynote event for WWDC 2021, featuring tons of new software updates we’ve been waiting for.

WWDC 2021 — June 7 | Apple

iOS 15

iOS 15 is packed with new features that help you connect with others, be more present and in the moment, explore the world, and use powerful intelligence to do more with iPhone than ever before.

Coming this fall

FaceTime

  • Spatial Audio coming
  • Voice isolation
  • Wide Spectrum
  • Portrait Mode
  • FaceTime links, including with Android and Windows users
  • SharePlay – Watch and listen together with friends, share screen and more

Notifications

Quickly catch up with a helpful collection of your notifications delivered daily, based on a schedule you set. The summary is intelligently ordered by priority, with the most relevant notifications at the top.

Live Text, Focus, Maps, Photos

Maps: Immersive walking instructions with step-by-step directions you can view in augmented reality.

Live Text: Live Text sophistically unlocks rich and useful information inside your images, so you can make a call, send an email, or look up directions with just a tap on the inserted text in a photo

Photos: Memories introduces a new interactive interface, along with new Memory mixes that let you personalize the look and feel of your story and include a song and vibe to match.

Focus: Focus helps you stay in the “zone” when you need to concentrate on something. Choose a Focus that allows only the notifications you want to show up — free of any distraction. You have aa choice to pick from a list of suggested Focus options or create your very own.

iPadOS

iPad enables you to do so much, so easily. iPadOS 15 takes this versatility further, making it easier to get things done, find and organize information, and make iPad even more capable.

Coming this fall

  • Multitasking – The iPad screen is great for working with multiple apps, taking your productivity to a whole new level. And now with iPadOS 15, multitasking is a lot more easier to discover, use, and view.
  • Widgets – Now you can place widgets alongside the Apple apps on your iPad, and  take full advantage of the iPad canvas.
  • App library – The App Library will automatically organize your apps into helpful categories like Productivity and Games, for quick access.
  • Notes – Notes goes system-wide with Quick Note, a fast and easy way to get to a note no matter what you’re doing. Add @mention, #tags and more.
  • Translate – The Translate app is now available on iPadOS. System-wide translation lets you translate text anywhere on your device.
  • Swift Playground – Swift Playgrounds brings a new level of productivity to iPad, and now its capabilities go even further. Learn code, build real apps with Swift UI, and see your ideas come to life on the App Store.

 

watchOS 8

watchOS 8 helps you stay connected, active, and healthy like never before. Share your favorite memories with the enhanced Photos app. Put more fun into your texts. Find new ways to center yourself and be present. And that’s just the start.

Coming this fall

  • Photos & Portrait watch face: Put your favorite photos of friends and family front and center in your watch face, to give the people you care about a lot more attention; now with a dynamic, multilayered effect.
  • Health – The Breathe feature has been refreshed with new graphics and visualizations alongside new tips that help you focus, center, and connect as you breathe.
  • Fitness – New guest trainer and Artist Spotlight

 

macOS Monterey

  • SharePlay – Keep FaceTime conversations going as you watch TV shows and movies, listen to music, or share your screen with SharePlay.
  • Shortcuts – Pre-built shortcuts to get the word done, faster
  • Safari – The new tab bar design takes up less space on the page and takes on the color of the site you’re on. More menu, enables you the access to powerful Safari features .
  • Universal control – A single keyboard and mouse or trackpad now work seamlessly between your Mac, iPad and other Apple devices. You can even drag and drop content from one Mac to the other device.
  • AirPlay to Mac – The power of AirPlay comes to Mac. You will be able to share, play, or present content from another Apple device to the big, screen. You can also mirror or extend your display to enhance productivity.
  • Shortcuts – Automate the things you do most often. Save time by turning something that would take multiple steps into just one.

 

 

 

 

Kunpeng 920: Huawei Unveils World’s Highest-Performance ARM-based CPU

Just in time for CES 2019, Chinese tech leader Huawei, strategically unveiled the Kunpeng 920, the industry’s highest-performing ARM-based processor. At Huawei’s headquarters in Shenzhen, China, Huawei released the impressive CPU, intended for handling applications like big data processing and distributed storage.

William Xu, Director of Huawei’s Board and Chief Strategy Marketing Officer, said during the press conference that “Huawei has continuously innovated in the computing domain in order to create customer value. We believe that, with the advent of an intelligent society, the computing market will see continuous growth in the future. Currently, the diversity of applications and data is driving heterogeneous computing requirements. Huawei has long partnered with Intel to make great achievements. Together we have contributed to the development of the ICT industry. Huawei and Intel will continue our long-term strategic partnerships and continue to innovate together.”

William Xu, Director of Huawei’s Board and Chief Strategy Marketing Officer (credit: Huawei)

Kunpeng 920: High-Performance ARM-based CPU

Huawei’s high standards of leading the industry are very clear with the release of the new Kunpeng 920.  The new CPU, similar to Huawei’s HiSilicon Kirin 980 (launched in October 2018), was  designed in-house and manufactured on a 7-nanometer processor. According to Huawei, the gain in performance between these two CPU’s emerges from a series of optimized branch prediction algorithms and an increased number of OP units, along with an improved memory subsystem architecture. The Kunpeng 920 provides both higher computing performance for data centers while decreasing overall power consumption. The Kunpeng 920 is packed with 64 cores, clocking an impressive 2.6GHZ, and paired with 8-channel DDR4 memory allows the Kunpeng 920 to score over 930 on the SPECint Benchmark, 25% higher than the industry benchmark.  For the sake of comparison, the previous industry leader was the Fujitsu 7-nanometer A64X. Beyond its speed is the CPU’s power efficiency, which performs 30% better than its competitors.

Kunpeng 920 performance (credit: Huawei)

In terms of system integration, the new CPU has increased with two 100G RoCE ports. Kunpeng 920 also supports PCIe Gen4 and CCIX interfaces, and provides 640 Gbps total bandwidth.  In addition, the single-slot speed is twice that of the incumbent offering, effectively improving the performance of storage and various accelerators.

TaiShan Series: Huawei’s ARM-based Server Built to Perform

To complement the Kunpeng 920, at today’s press conference Huawei also released its TaiShan series servers, powered by the company’s new CPU. Aimed at tackling three distinct issues, storage,  high-density, and balancing both requirements, the Taishan series designed three unique models. Powered by the Kunpeng 920, the TaiShan servers are built for big data, distributed storage, and ARM native application scenarios. These unique scenarios are ideal for the ARM architecture offering many advantages in many-core and performance per watt. The TaiShan series are ideal computing platforms for enterprises with high performance and low power consumption. Designed especially in big data scenarios, the TaiShan servers are tuned for optimal many-core high concurrency and resource scheduling to deliver a 20% computing performance boost.  

As Mr. Xu stated at the press conference, “The ARM industry is seeing a new development opportunity. The Kunpeng 920 CPU and TaiShan servers newly released by Huawei are primarily used in big data, distributed storage, and ARM native applications. We will work with global partners in the spirit of openness, collaboration, and shared success to drive the development of the ARM ecosystem and expand the computing space, and embrace a diversified computing era.”

TaiShan server (credit: Huawei

Open and Collaborative ARM Ecosystem is Geared for Mutual Success

For years, Huawei has continuously promoted industry cooperation and collaboration among its industry partners in terms of hardware, basic software, and applications. The company’s unique approach is predicated on the growing trend that an intelligent society, with all things connected, and sensing, is well underway. In light of these industry trends and application requirements, a new era of diversified computing is emerging. The ability to process multiple data types and scenarios are the driving force behind optimizing computing architecture.   

Summarizing the company’s vision of serving as an industry leader across all verticals, from telecommunications to servers to handsets, Mr. Xu noted that “With Kirin 980, Huawei has taken smartphones to a new level of intelligence. With products and services (e.g., Huawei Cloud) designed based on Ascend 310, Huawei enables inclusive AI for industries. Today, with Kunpeng 920, we are entering an era of diversified computing embodied by multiple cores and heterogeneity. Huawei has invested patiently and intensively in computing innovation to continuously make breakthroughs. We will work with our customers and partners to build a fully connected, intelligent world.”

CES 2017: The Harman Announcements That Matter

The Consumers Electronics Show has returned back in town, and many of the larger companies have put the time and effort into Las Vegas, Nevada, as a launch pad for their major announcements.

Harman, a leading company that designs and engineers connected products for automakers, consumers and enterprise industries all around the world, has recently announced a whopping $8 billion acquisition by Samsung, although the deal is yet to be closed.

In addition to that, the company has also announced a massive growth among OEMs such as Lexus, Toyota, Hyundai, Lincoln, Kia, BMW, Subaru and more, with a positive demand from the consumer’s point of view, mostly for advanced in-car connectivity solutions.

For instance, Harman has recently announced a collaboration with Ford, to bring the B&O Play system to its cars, sometime in the Spring of 2017.

With the growing experience in innovation and technology, Harman will continue to expand car connectivity – Intelligent, personalized and professional experience, mainly in the sound management solution products.

The company is presenting a new level of innovation and In-Car Experience connectivity:

  1. Harman Summit Next – Is the new generation of a conceptual smart audio solution that offers Harman’s highest level of acoustic performance integrated with intelligent expandable features which are targeted for the luxury market and provides an immaculate way for people to engage and interact with their vehicles and their senses. The new solutions includes: Ambisonics Escape, Dynamic Sound Stage, In-Car Conferencing, In-Car Theater, and more.
  2. Harman Voyager Next – Harman’s award-winning industry’s leading audio solution in one advanced system. Connects your vehicle to your very own lifestyle via the industry’s first all-in-one audio and connected car Head Unit solution, which has been designed to meet the needs of today’s millennial’s ‘on-the-go’ lifestyle. Voyager Next provides OEMs the ability to offer cost effective and easy to implement premium audio solutions for their entry-level vehicle market. It also provides new levels of intelligent personalization and connectivity to the in-vehicle experience through advanced technologies, including the Voyager Next connect companion app, Harman proprietary micro speaker technology, Dual-core micro sub-woofers and a Voyager Next sub.

To highlight some of the company’s milestones from recent months, Harman has won some very notable automobile awards, as well as launching collaborations with myriad of vehicles and industry brands. It is also said to enhance in-car security with the acquisition of Israeli startup TowerSec for around $70 million or so.

Moreover, the company is unveiling at CES the future of mobility and car connectivity with the latest introduction of Rinspeed Oasis Autonomous car, that features the ultimate In-Car experience technologies (HARMAN LIVS). The Oasis, a result of a fruitful collaboration with industry engineering across the pond, is basically a concept car that offers a glimpse at the future of autonomous driving and how advanced, holistic vehicle intelligence will transform the driving experience.

“More than a technology supplier, HARMAN is an inspiration partner to the world’s automakers, and the Oasis is a testament to that vision – a vehicle that is contextual, personalized and highly connected” ~ Phil Eyler, president, HARMAN Connected Car.

“HARMAN believes autonomy should not equal monotony, and this vehicle offers an integrated cockpit and bleeding edge user interface that advances mobility and connectivity while providing an unparalleled user experience. This results in a driving experience that is more powerful, productive, personalized and protected than ever before.”

The Rinspeed Oasis autonomous vehicle user experience includes a series of modes and systems that elevate both the autonomous and manual driving experience including a Full Windshield Heads-Up Display, Autonomous Drive Readiness Check (handover to Manual), Augmented Reality Concierge, Predictive Collision Prevention, Intelligent E-Mirrors.

Bringing technologies from concept to reality, the company has also presented the new Intelligent cockpit (digital personal assistant, car-to home platform. Next gen Compute Platform), with distinct modes and highly connected iOT integration.

Furthermore, the company is said to invest a lot of its own resources in advanced connected in-car services, such as HCS Cloud, HCS OTA, HCS After Market and others.

In that regard, the company is also introducing the Harman Ignite, the first fully-integrated scalable and modular cloud platform for developing, managing and operating in-vehicle applications and services, combining Connectivity, Analytics, Device Management, Application Management, and OTA Updates.

Examples of automotive use cases for the Ignite platform includes Vehicle Connect, Cloud-Based Driver Profiles, Car-as-a-Service, Vehicle Health and Diagnostics features, Content Personalization, and Vehicle Analytics.

With that in mind, the company introduces some new hardware products such as Navdy: augmented reality display, JBL Legend CP100, automotive aftermarket Platform and a handful of interesting services and products which were the front and center at the major floor event.

Apple WWDC Keynote 2015 Announced: June 8-12

Apple-WWDC-2015-Conference

Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference is set for June 8 2015 at San Francisco’s Moscone West. If you’re interested in getting some tix, they’re now available on Apple’s WWDC website from now up until Friday April 17 in three different programs: iOS Developer Program, the iOS Enterprise Developer Program or the Mac Developer Program. We know from previous experience that tickets will probably sell out in minutes so hurry up and get ’em fast before they’re gone (although the Cupertino company says that winners will be picked up “through a random selection process).

As always, the iPhone is once again taking center stage on Apple’s WWDC 2015 keynote event, with a hope to see a new iPhone hardware announcement, along with a brand new iPad, and an update to the Mac OS X operating software.

We’re also likely to hear about Apple’s new music streaming service, which will probably be released in June, based on the current Beats Music app. Apple TV IV is yet another good option we might hear about, but we’re just kind of guessing at this point.

With more than 100 technical sessions presented by Apple engineers, developers from all over the world are invited to learn about some of the new and interesting ways of using the latest and greatest iOS and OS X technologies, as well as some hands-on labs and some super cool events.

Update: Apple bans selfie sticks from WWDC 2015.  I kinda wonder whether it has anything to do with Periscope and Meerkat.

[su_quote]”You may not use selfie sticks or similar monopods within Moscone West or Yerba Buena Gardens,” the rules say. “Solicitation or selling of items or services is not allowed at WWDC. Any attendee conducting these activities may be removed from WWDC. Smoking (including e-cigarettes) is not permitted anywhere inside Moscone West.”[/su_quote]

Read more about the keynote event:

[su_accordion] [su_spoiler title=”Full Text Release” style=”fancy”]

CUPERTINO, California—April 14, 2015—Apple® today announced that it will hold its 26th annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) June 8 through June 12 at San Francisco’s Moscone West, with more sessions than ever before streamed to developers. At WWDC, Apple’s renowned developer community will come together to learn about the future of iOS and OS X®, helping them continue to create the most innovative apps in the world. WWDC will feature more than 100 technical sessions, over 1,000 Apple engineers, hands-on labs to help developers integrate new technologies and fine tune their apps, as well as the Apple Design Awards which showcase the best new apps in the last year.

“The App Store ignited an app ecosystem that is simply amazing, forever changing the lives of customers and creating millions of jobs worldwide,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “We’ve got incredible new technologies for iOS and OS X to share with developers at WWDC and around the world, and can’t wait to see the next generation of apps they create.”

Developers can apply for tickets via the WWDC website (developer.apple.com/wwdc/tickets) now through Friday, April 17 at 10 a.m. PDT. Tickets will be issued to attendees through a random selection process, and developers will know the status of their application by Monday, April 20 at 5 p.m. PDT. There will also be up to 350 WWDC Scholarships available, giving students and members of participating STEM organizations around the world the chance to earn a free ticket (developer.apple.com/wwdc/scholarships).

WWDC 2015 activities include:

  • more than 100 technical sessions presented by Apple engineers on a wide range of topics for developing, deploying and integrating the latest iOS and OS X technologies;
  • over 1,000 Apple engineers supporting more than 100 hands-on labs and events to provide developers with code-level assistance, insight into optimal development techniques and guidance on how they can make the most of iOS and OS X technologies in their apps;
  • access to the latest innovations, features and capabilities of iOS and OS X, and best practices for enhancing an app’s functionality, performance, quality and design;
  • the opportunity to connect with thousands of fellow iOS and OS X developers from around the world—last year more than 60 countries were represented;
  • a series of get together for attendees focused on particular topics with special guest speakers and activities;
  • engaging and inspirational lunchtime sessions with leading minds and influencers from the worlds of technology, science and entertainment; and
  • Apple Design Awards which recognize iPhone®, iPad®, Apple Watch™ and Mac® apps that demonstrate technical excellence, innovation and outstanding design.

Select Worldwide Developers Conference sessions will be live streamed throughout the week via the WWDC website (developer.apple.com/wwdc/videos) and the WWDC app, giving more developers around the world access to the latest information in real time. Videos from all technical sessions will also be available by the end of each day.

Visit the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2015 website (developer.apple.com/wwdc) to apply for a ticket, as well as for updates and more information.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.

[Apple]

[/su_spoiler]

Live Blog: Apple’s ‘Spring Forward’ Watch Event

apple-watch

It’s Apple‘s Watch “Spring Forward” day, today. At nearly 10 AM PT the Cupertino giant will be taking the wraps off of its high-end fashionable wristband smartwatch, and I take it that we will be able to finally get more details about its specs, release date, battery life and also the pricing.

Apple will be hosting the event at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco, California with the main purpose of debuting its innovative smartwatch device, but one thing we are fairly sure of, we’re in for some big surprises. Perhaps a 12-inch Macbook Air Retina-display computer in line or even more interesting and never previously released details that we should know about the watch.

This way or another, we will be here to discuss the details live, so BOOKMARK this post, and come join us to the Apple event as soon as it officially happens.

Dell’s Super Slim Venue 8 7000 Tablet Now Officially Available For $400

dell-venue8-7000-tablet

We’ve already got the chance to see Dell’s ultra thin Venue 8 7000 slate when it was first unveiled back in September but now, at CES 2015 the 8.4-inch slab, powered by a 2.3GHz Intel Atom quad-core processor, is finally set to make a debut. And while not as cheap as some other mid-range Android devices available on  the market right now, it is reassuring to know that your money is going to be well spent and not wasted on some ordinary specs. In that concern, the Venue 8 7000 device is well equipped with a stunning QHD 2,560 x 1,600 OLED edge-to-edge display, alongside Intel’s state-of-the-art Real Sense Snapshot 3D camera. That’s right, the tablet houses an in-depth rear 8MP camera at the bottom as well as duo 720p stereoscopic sensors atop. The Venue 7000 is definitely one of the first tablets to incorporate Intel’s latest 3D technology, hence the reason it arouses a lot of curiosity among the geeksters around the world.

Measuring in only 6mm thin (thinner than the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3) the Venue 8 7000 is said to include 2GB of RAM under the lid, along with your choice of WiFi or LTE connectivity options, an Android 4.4 KitKat for the OS and an internal memory of 16GB which can be further expanded via a microSDXC memory card.

The Dell Venue 8 7000 is now available on Dell’s website both in the US and in Canada for $399.99 and will complete global release in different countries like Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, India, Germany, and the UK by early 2015.

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Video courtesy of Liliputing

Toshiba Introduces The 12.5-inch Portege Z20t Hybrid Tablet

 

At CES 2015, Toshiba has officially introduced a possible 12.5-inch rival to the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 tablet. The giant device, that will be released under the name Portege Z20t is actually serving as a hybrid machine between a PC and a tablet and is claimed to be powerful enough to deliver any project you’d be working on, even the most difficult ones.

The Portege Z20t which will go on sale this January, comes equipped with a low-power Intel Core M processor below the surface, as well as a 1,920 x 1,080 screen resolution on top of the slab and an optional Wacom-based digitizer, which enables up to 2,048 levels of pressure-sensitive pen input. As with many other handhelds available on the market these days, the screen is covered with an anti-glare protection layer to minimize glare and un-wanted reflections.

Measuring in only 0.35 inch thick and 1.6 pounds, the Z20t also includes a pair of cameras, as well as Wi-Fi 802.11ac connectivity, Bluetooth 4.0, Micro-USB hub, Micro-HDMI output, Ethernet, RGB, microSD slot expansion and two internal USB 3.0 ports. As for power, the Portege Z20t is said to provide up to 9 hours of battery life when you work with the tablet as a standalone device, and up to 17.5 hours of continuous work with the keyboard docking station attached.

Toshiba will offer the Portege Z20t with options for either 4GB or 8GB of RAM and 128GB, 256GB and 512GB of SSD storage variants. Price wise, the slate will start at a whopping $1,399 for the basic entry-level unit plus a keyboard, but without the optional Wacom pen support. If you wanna try adding the pen, prices will jump all the way up to 1,899.

 

Video courtesy of Liliputing

Apple Announces the iPad Air 2, Retina iPad Mini 3 With Touch ID Fingerprint Sensor

Apple today has officially announced its latest and greatest version of the iPad tablet. The newly named iPad Air 2, which was tagged by Apple’s Phil Schiller as “the world’s thinnest tablet,” is only 6.1mm thick and about 18% thinner than the original iPad Air.

Apple says that it has sold 225 million iPads to date, and the next generation is likely to add a whole lot more to the inconceivable numbers which, by the way, are already bigger than the PC sales all together. Going back to the iPad air 2, that has the same 9.7-inch display form factor as previous models (2048 x 1536 pixel resolution), only with a new A8X processor, which Apple says is 40 percent faster, has about 3 billion transistors and bags about 2.5x faster graphics performance than the previous iPad Air.

The camera on the iPad air 2 is also getting an upgrade in the form of a 8-megapixel iSight shooter with 1.12 micron pixels, f2.4 aperture and a whole new image processor on board. You can basically take 43mp panorama images with it and shoot some beautiful timelapse footage as well as Slow Motion videos and more. In addition, Apple will offer some cool editing software like the Replay and the Pixelmator. Moreover, the new tablet includes the M8 coprocesor that will track your motion whenever you go, as well as a better battery life with up to 10 hour per day. Apple says the iPad Air 2 has faster data transfer rate on Wi-Fi thanks to the new 802.11AC with MIMO support. And finally, the latest addition – An integrated TouchID fingerprints sensor that will work exactly the same as it does on the iPhone.

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The iPad Air will be available in silver, space grey and gold flavor options in the following storage/pricing configurations: 16GB ($499), 64GB ($599) and 128GB ($699). The cellular/LTE version adds $130 to those prices. Apple is also reducing the prices of some of its previous lineups with the iPad mini, iPad mini 2 and iPad Air first generation to start at $249, and go up to $299 and $399, respectively. All of the new iPads will be shipping with iOS 8.1, while pre-orders to start tomorrow and the shipping to begin by the end of next week.

 

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Apple has also revealed the iPad Mini 3. The third generation of the 7.9-inch tablet appears to remain pretty much the same from the outside look with the single exception of a new Touch ID sensor. Yes, the smaller Retina tablet device will also be housing the Apple fingerprint ID security scanner on the bottom, along with a 5-megapixel iSight camera and with the same A7 processor inside. While a relatively modest upgrade, you cannot help but appreciate the company’s efforts to provide all the users with the latest and greatest technology available. The Mini 3 will come with your choice of silver, space gray, and gold color options with pre-orders starting tomorrow (and shipping next week), at $399 for the 16GB version, $499 for 64GB and $599 for 128GB.

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Here’s the full video of the event: http://bit.ly/1vA9ROJ

Live Blog: Apple iPads Event

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We have reached the day where Apple is expected to announce a new line of iPad tablets, including a second-gen of the iPad Air, the iPad Mini 3 and hopefully an Apple TV media device.  Follow our LIVE feed and the latest news as it happens over here

CONFIRMED: Apple to Hold an Event on October 16

 

Apple has started sending out invites for a media event on October 16, which will be held at the company’s Cupertino headquarters, and is widely thought to be the launch of the next-gen iPad Air as well as a new line of Macs. The invites suggest a colorful teaser with some cropped lines of the Apple Logo and the upper leaf alongside a simple line that vaguely says:  “It’s been way too long.”

What does it mean? It is yet to be determined, but besides the new hardware, the company is also expected to be launching its latest Mac OS X update, dubbed OS X Yosemite, and may also debut Apple Pay, its mobile payment solution for users.

As always, we will continue to update as much as it takes.

Samsung Intros 8-inch Waterproof Galaxy Tab Active

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You didn’t really think we’d have a European electronic show without a new Samsung gadget, did you? The Korean giant announced Thursday morning a new Android tablet at the annual IFA 2014 press event. This isn’t your regular tablet that just has a touch interface like all the rest you can buy these days. It is an 8-inch, ruggedized slab iteration of the Galaxy Tab, with a water and dust resistant proof around, which aims to lure enterprise users away from Apple iPads. The new slate, that comes pre-loaded with Samsung’s Knox security program is being described as a tablet with a tougher C-Pen stylus attachment and a protected cover which can withstand against a 1.2 meter drop. It packs a 1.2GHz quad-core processor under the hood, along with 1.5GB of DDR3 RAM, a 1280×800 LCD display, 16GB of internal storage, and a microSD card slot expansion (up to 64GB),

the slate which goes by the name Galaxy Tab Active, also includes a 3.1 megapixel rear camera to bring out the photographer in you, as well as a front-facing 1.2 megapixel camera that’s perfect for Skype calls with colleagues and friends.

Price and availability are yet to be determined.

Samsung adds that:

The Galaxy Tab Active represents Samsung’s commitment to meeting customer needs. In order to learn what business leaders wanted from a mobile device for optimal performance and efficiency, Samsung engaged in a series of advisory group workshops with Fortune 500 companies. The top companies across vertical markets, such as retail, logistics and transportation participated, providing valuable feedback that went directly into the development of the Galaxy Tab Active.

 Hit the Play to watch the video

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Video courtesy of CNET

Acer Announces Three New Tablets Including The Iconia One 8, Iconia Tab 10 and $150 Iconia W8

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Over in Berlin at IFA 2014 Acer has just announced three new tablets in its Iconia lineup. The first two are the company’s latest entry into the Android-powered slate arena, with the Iconia One Tab 8 which packs an 8-inch, 1,280 x 800 IPS display on top, along with a quad-core Intel Atom Z3735G processor under the hood.  The 8.5mm slate runs Android 4.4 KitKat which is designed by Google and it is Google’s latest Android system. The specifications of the One Tab 8 also indicate that you are getting a pair of decent camera sensors on the front and the back, as well as microSD slot expansion to store all your valuable media including pictures, video, and music. Acer is said to start selling this tablet across Europe next month for only $149.

The Iconia Tab 10 is the second model in Acer’s inexpensive Android series. It boasts a 10.1-inch 1,920 x 1,080 IPS display up front with a scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass 3 cover atop. Furthermore, the pack includes a quad-core MediaTek processor chip inside, tucked with a built-in micro-HDMI port along with a Dolby Digital Plus sound system and  an Android 4.4 KitKat for the OS. The Tab 10 will be available sometime this month in black or white colors, priced at only $199.

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Finally, Acer has also announced it will soon release the Iconia Tab 8 W, which is an 8-inch 1,280 x 800 pixels tablet, capable of running a Windows 8.1 operating system. Believe it or not, it is a similar product to the One Tab 8 device, only with a slightly different type of experience if you come to compare it with the Android usability and the applications it offers. It will be launched next month in Europe as well for €150, with a US release sometime in November for $150.

Click on the Play to see the videos

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Toshiba Launches $120 Encore Mini Windows Tablet

 

The battle for the cheapest Windows tablet device is hitting up the podium again with Japanese corp Toshiba announcing a 7-inch Windows 8.1 slab, dubbed the Encore Mini. The device, as you may figure out already, is pretty small, to say the least, and with a smaller screen usually comes a very small price. Of course, it doesn’t mean that for the $120 that Tosh is planning to list the slate (and the $99 it wants to sell it for), you’re getting the top of the line. On the contrary, the screen resolution is a mediocre 1024 x 600 and the tablet is powered by Intel’s Atom Z3735G processor that has four cores humming at 1.33 GHz. Still, if you find it in the bargain bin I’d suggest picking it up. The pieces are there, but it does not function to very high specifications.

What else do you get inside? With the integrated microSD card slot, your Encore Mini has up to 128GB of internal storage which would pair very well with the 1GB RAM, and the 16GB capacity below. Toshiba is also throwing in a pair of 2MP and 0.3MP cameras, as well as 802.11n Wi-Fi adapter, Miracast support for wireless video streaming, Bluetooth 4.0, and a bunch of other goodies, such as a free one year subscription of Office 365 and 1TB of One Drive storage.  Sounds like a really good bargain, No?

Sony Announces Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact With 8-Inch Display

Well, well, well, what do we have here? Looks like a new mid-range tablet joiner, courtesy of the talented Sony engineering team. The slate, which goes under the “Xperia Z3 compact” moniker, is Sony’s latest and greatest device, featuring  a slim 6.4-mm(!) profile and chassis design, as well as 3GB of RAM, along with a powerful 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 processor plus a 1080p TILUMINOS screen display on top. The 8-inch tablet  is waterproof and well protected (IP65/68) and has an 8.1-megapixel rear camera and a 2.2-megapixel shooter up front. For battery life, it will offer up to 13 hours of video playback, as well as LTE network, and a new PlayStation 4 Remote capabilities, allowing you to play your latest games away from the tele. It will run under the Android 4.4 KitKat operating system right out of the box and you’ll be able to nab one sometime in the Fall. Prices are yet to be released.

[Sony Mobile]

Asus To Launch a Sharper and More Powerful MeMo Pad 7 Tablet

Asus-Memo-Pad-7-Android-4-4-2014

IFA in Berlin is just around the corner and Taiwanese electronic giant, Asus is already gunning for everyone else with a new iteration of the popular Memo Pad 7. First and foremost, I have to admit that I personally own this one particular device myself, and truly love it. However, while the former model was featuring less pixels at 1280 x 800 screen and a relatively sluggish ARM Cortex-A7 processor under the lid, the latter excels in all relevant hardware specifications, from the new 1.83GHz quad-core Z3560 Intel Atom chip onboard to the super stunning 7-inch display with 1,920 x 1,200 pixel resolution and 323 ppi.

The new Memo Pad 7 measures in at just 8.3 millimeters and weighing only 269 grams. The Android 4.4  KitKat tablet, which comes loaded with the ZenUI interface and is known as model number ME572C/CL, said to be equipped with 2GB of RAM, your choice of  16GB or 32GB of internal storage, optional 4G LTE wireless connectivity, and a MicroSD card adapter for extra memory if needed. In addition the upcoming slate, which is expected to go on sale “in the next few weeks” in the UK, and will cost around £179 (around $260) for the 16GB version, also features a 5MP rear camera, a 2MP front-facing camera and SonicMaster-enhanced stereo speakers.

Design wise, If you are interested in looking at this part, the tablet feels well-designed and very expensive, if you will. You get this delicate and trendy purse-like shape all over the place, with some stylish fancy colors (such as champagne gold, black, or burgundy) coating on the back of the tile.

The Asus Memo Pad 7 is a neat mini tablet that attempts to compete with the iPad Mini and the Google Nexus 7, but at a much lower price. If it can do that, it should succeed because the need for a good budget tablet will be there.

Hit the play button to watch the video

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Apple Sends Invitations For September 9 iPhone 6 Event

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Apple has just sent out the anticipated invitations to its next event, which is going to be held on Sept. 9, 2014 at 10:00 am. The title under the date says: “Wish we could say more”  — What does it mean? Well, we clearly don’t have a clue at the moment, but the company is expected to announce a larger iPhone lineup with 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch screens. In addition to that, the Cupertino-based giant may also introduce its upcoming smartwatch, also known as the iWatch. We’ll be reporting live on September 9.

So, what do you think? Will Apple’s next device announcement showcase a wristwatch, new set of iphone devices, Apple TV 4 or else?

Update: I think we’re really on to something here: If Apple is going to officially announce iOS 8 (which it already did unofficially), the 8 sign is that of eternal and continuous spiral motion. In other words, it looks exactly like eternity, a state to which time has no application, or a smartwatch, if you will. Now, if you take a look at the Apple invitation, they’re only showing the part of the Apple logo that looks like an 8 laying down, no?

8.4-Inch Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro Tablet Images Leaked (Update: Now Official In 8-, 10- and 12-inch Sizes)

Samsung-Galaxy-Tab-Pro-Android-Kitkat-Tablets

It’s 2014, ladies and gents, and Samsung is obviously planning some big things to be announced later on! Not one of them leaked to the media, up until now. Today, however, we’ve been fortunate enough to learn of a new tablet device (courtesy of @evleaks) which will hopefully be a part of this company offerings real soon. The culprit, also known as the Galaxy Tab Pro, is said to be wearing an 8.4-inch WQXGA 2,560×1,600-pixel display atop, alongside a 2GB of memory and up to 32GB of internal storage. The slate is also packing Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box, and is likely to be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core processor. In addition, we hear that the 8-incher may also be accompanied by a second model sized at 10-inch, and a third iteration sized at 12-inch tall. All three will be running the same operating system and rumored to be rocking the same screen resolution under the hood, while the larger models will also deliver an higher performance Exynos 5 Octa processor, with bigger memory and storage capacities. Finally, the 10.1 and 12.2 tablets are likely to be available in three connectivity options: Wi-Fi-only, 3G, and 4G LTE high speed broadband. Stay tuned for a lot more to come.

Samsung-Galaxy-Tab-Pro-8

Update: Samsung has officially taken the wraps off of its three new tablets at CES 2014. The trio are measuring at 8-, 10-, and 12-inch sizes, when all three run the same exact Android KitKat OS on board (with the multi-window system), and are expected to include an impressive 2,560×1,600-pixel resolution. Sammy’s brand new Galaxy Tab Pro lineup will come in WiFi, 3G, and LTE variants. Options for internal memory will be in the range of 32 or 64 gigabytes, but the bundle includes a 50GB of Dropbox storage freebie. In addition to that, the back of each model is covered with some kind of a leather texture which would be cool to grab, alongside the Samsung Galaxy S-Pen Stylus Pen and two cameras: an 8-megapixel one on the back as well as a 2-megapixel one on the front. Last but not least, the Wi-Fi models are powered by Samsung’s Exynos 5 Octa chip while the LTE models will utilize Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800. Price and availability are yet to be determined.

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Video courtesy of talkandroid

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Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO series set a New Rule for the Tablet Experience at CES 2014

Extending the company’s innovation legacy with best-in-class media consumption and productivity capabilities

Las Vegas, NV – January 6, 2014 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today unveiled the Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO line of tablets, setting a new standard of mobile excellence, equipped with innovative and meaningful technology. Sporting four powerful devices in the lineup – the Galaxy NotePRO (12.2-inch), TabPRO (12.2, 10.1, 8.4-inch), Samsung’s Galaxy tablet portfolio redefines what a tablet can do.

“We created the Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO series to kick-off a year in which Samsung truly establishes its leadership in the tablet market,” said JK Shin, CEO and President of IT & Mobile Division, Samsung Electronics. “This new line offers the best-in-class content consumption and productivity, combining a stunning viewing experience with Samsung’s design legacy. The Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO truly demonstrate our commitment to providing our customers with extraordinarily versatile product offerings, tailored to tablet users of every description.”

Providing users with an extraordinary display and a matching feature set, the Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO series bring premium style and powerful performance in a single device. Created to satisfy every possible type of user case scenario, the Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO combine a crystal-clear, WQXGA display for a world-class viewing experience, powerful productivity tools, and unique features with preloaded and free downloadable content, producing a superior mobile solution.

Introducing Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO (12.2) – the Definitive Tablet Viewing Experience

The Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO present the world’s first 12.2-inch WQXGA Widescreen (16:10) display, offering crystal clear resolution (2560×1600) with more than 4 million pixels, making it an ideal platform for every type of content creation and consumption. With a larger viewing area, the defined screen allows users to enjoy stunning Full HD video play and view even more information at a glance. In addition to the industry-leading display, the devices have been designed with a sleek, light, slim frame that is both premium and highly portable.

A personalized Magazine UX, specifically optimized for a large screen, allows users to further tailor their Galaxy tablet experience for their own needs. The UX enables them to organize their favorite content in an easy-to-use dashboard with automatic feed or news updates and then quickly access the most frequently used apps for a more comfortable reading experience. By utilizing a screen size that is more comparable to traditional magazine-sized material, content is easier to view in its original format when reading digital magazines or e-books.

Powerful Partner for Productivity

The Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO (12.2) come equipped with a variety of productivity tools to help users to manage both their personal and professional lives.

Multi Window enables users to split the screen up into four different windows and an innovative, Virtual Keyboard provides them with enough space to type comfortably, leveraging haptic feedback to produce a more realistic typing experience.

The Samsung S Pen included with the Galaxy NotePRO delivers a more responsive, productive and overall efficient tablet experience with access to features such as Action Memo, Scrapbook, Screen Write and S Finder. In addition, Pen Window enables users to simply draw a window of any size on the screen, and instantly access unique in-application features such as YouTube or a calculator.

Users can easily access and control their home or office PC directly through their Galaxy NotePRO or TabPRO with Remote PC in order to seamlessly edit and save files remotely.

The Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO also come pre-loaded with Cisco WebEx Meetings platform, the industry’s leading web conferencing solution that provides users with an easy way to meet with anyone, anywhere. And now for the first time on Android tablets, users can share anything on their screen as well as starting a WebEx meeting from contact list. Samsung e-Meeting provides collaboration capabilities by giving users the ability to share content during a meeting without having to access a central server or network.

Ultimate User Content Gift Package*

For additional value and productivity right out of the box, the Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO (12.2) will feature up to approximately $700 worth of the premium pre-paid, long-term subscription offers from best-selling news, social media and cloud storage providers, including:Bitcasa, Bloomberg Businessweek+, Blurb, Cisco WebEx Meetings, Dropbox, Easilydo Pro for Tablet, Evernote, Hancom Office for Android, LinkedIn, LIVESPORT.TV, NY Times, Oxford Advanced Learner’s A-Z, and Sketchbook Pro (content packages may vary by region).

The Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO line will come in various connectivity options: WiFi Only, WiFi and 3G, or WiFi and LTE. Users can choose between the 12.2-inch Galaxy NotePRO that comes with an included S Pen, and the 12.2-inch Galaxy TabPRO, Galaxy TabPRO 10.1-inch and 8.4-inch without the S Pen.

Designed to extend productivity even further, the following optional accessories are also available for purchase with the Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO: Various Book CoversUSB LAN HUBUniversal BT Keyboard and S Action Mouse (accessories may vary by product model).

The Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO tablet line will be offered globally and will be available starting from Q1, 2014.

For more product information, please visithttp://www.samsungmobilepress.com / m.samsungmobilepress.com

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Polaroid To Release New Q Line of Android 4.4 Tablets

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Have you ever heard the name Polaroid before? Well, it is not exactly a glamorous company anymore, but it sure is making a formal comeback. And while we haven’t heard all that much about it lately, the 75 years old company apparently has some interesting plans to share with ya all. Today, Polaroid announced its Q line of Android-based tablets, including the 7-inch Q7, 8-inch Q8 and 10.1-inch Q10. Neither device is exactly best in breed, but the choices you get are fairly decent and the price is reasonable. For instance, all three tablets ship with Android 4.4 Kit Kat under the hood, and the processor inside is a quad-core Snapdragon 600. There’s also a Wifi connectivity, alongside an HDMI port, and dual HD cameras to capture video and photos. Unfortunately, that’s pretty much all the details we got to share with you now, but we certainly hope to bring even more. Overall it’s not that bad for the price you pay, which is about $129.99, $149.99 and $179.99 respectively.

[Polaroid]

Confirmed: Apple To Hold a Media Event Next Week, October 22

After all the rumors, Apple has finally confirmed a special press event on Tuesday, October 22nd, in which it is expected to unveil plenty of stuff. At least that is what we learn from the beautiful invitation the company has just sent. Which leads us to the question: What exactly is Apple going to reveal during the company’s next event? Well, we already covered the new iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c last month, so we can get them out of the way for now. And yet, there are so many possible options on stake that it is extremely hard to predict or assess. One thing is almost certain though, we’re now very likely to see a new iPad 5, the latest and greatest from Apple’s full-size tablet (9.7-inch). There’s also a good chance we’ll see an iPad mini with a Retina display, or even a new MacBook Pro, and a fourth iteration of the Apple TV label. A rumored iWatch that Apple is probably working on is not likely to show up this time, but I guess there could be an optional keyboard cover, as the tagline implies. We’ll be here day in and day out to cover it live.

Sony Vaio Tap 11 is The “World’s Thinnest Windows 8 Tablet PC”

Sony products always seem to be on the high side, with simple and elegant design, but also with a very high price tag. The Vaio Tap 11, which was recently announced by the Japanese corp at the IFA 2013 tradeshow, is no exception. In fact it’s fully loaded with many of impressive new features. The 1,920 x 1,080 IPS screen on this slate is beautiful. It measures 11.6 inches diagonally and is extremely clear and bright. Additionally, It will also include an N-Trig digitizer to enable more expressive forms of pen-touch input.

The new Tap 11, which is claimed to be the “world’s thinnest tablet PC” is obviously trying to take on Microsoft’s flagship Surface Pro. It’s only 9.9mm thick, and like the Surface, boasts a fully retractable kickstand behind, for portrait or landscape propping. The Windows 8 tablet turns on fast and aims to combine PC power and tablet portability in one single slab. The Vaio Tap 11 runs on Intel’s new Haswell CPU, with your choice of Core i3, i5 or i7 processors. In addition, it packs 4GB of RAM and a range of 128GB to 512GB SSD storage configuration. As far as battery goes, Sony says it will offer up to 6 hours of battery life and can be charged in a reasonable time. There’s also NFC on board, which supports one-touch pairing with Sony’s range of machines.

Apart from all that, the Tap 11 is also equipped with a full USB 3.0 port, a micro-HDMI input to connect LED TVs and some other HDMI-capable devices, a built-in IR remote, microSD card slot, dual stereo speakers, and a front 2 megapixels shooter plus an 8 megapixels rear-facing camera, tucked with Sony’s own Exmor-RS sensor. Software wise, you’ll have pre-loaded inside a nice batch of Adobe Creative Cloud programs.

Along with the Vaio Tap 11, Sony is offering a slim & detachable wireless keyboard that can also be used as a nice protective cover, in particular when you charge the battery. There’s also a touchpad built into the chiclet keys, and it can be turned off at the switch on the keyboard.

Both price and availability are to be determined, so you’ll have to wait a while if you want it.

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Video courtesy of pocketnowvideo

Acer Launches 10.1-inch Iconia A3 Android Jelly Bean Tablet

Acer has added a new tablet to its burgeoning Android portfolio, introducing a 10.1-inch model, dubbed Iconia A3, to complement its existing 7.9-inch Iconia A1. The new slate, which is expected to go on sale in Europe, Middle East, and Africa early October, will be available in both WiFi and 3G configurations, while the starting price set at €249. The A3 will be housing a 1,280 x 800 resolution screen, touting a WXGA IPS panel, along with a 5MP rear-facing camera, and a quad-core 1.2GHz Cortex A7 processor onboard. The 10.1-incher will also include a Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean for the OS, a virtualized 5.1 channel surround system, and either 16GB or 32GB of internal storage at your choice. US release is yet to be announced.

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Acer Launches a Touch More Entertainment with 10.1″ Android Tablet
@ IFA 2013

Update: Iconia A1 and Iconia B1 with a touch more colour

Editors’ Summary:

• Immersive, cinematic sound experience with Dolby Digital and ergonomic speaker placement
• Smooth media performance with quad-core processor
• Vivid, consistent visuals on 10.1″ LED-backlit display with IPS¹ technology

BERLIN, Sept. 2, 2013 – Acer will unveil at IFA 2013 the new Acer Iconia A3, a 10.1-inch tablet was designed to offer a touch more entertainment, multimedia, gaming and web experiences. Movie and music lovers will find in the Iconia A3 their perfectly balanced couch mate with immersive sound, wide viewing angles and quad-core performance to further enhance their entertainment and enjoyment.
The Acer Iconia A3 was introduced alongside other product updates, including the Acer Iconia A1 and B1 with additional colour options. The full-featured single-handed use 7.9-inch tablet is now available in a touch of white, smoky grey and ivory gold. The Iconia B1 7-inch tablet, targeted at first time users or tablet newbies, is now also available in a touch of oceanic blue and vermilion red.

touch comfier

Designed for rich multimedia entertainment, the Iconia A3 comes with Dolby® Digital Plus™ creating a virtualized 5.1 channel surround experience over headphones, reduced background noise and dialogue volume boost resulting in clear dialogues and consistent volume levels, without sways across content and apps. To top this off, the Iconia A3 boasts an ergonomic placement of the speakers on both sides creating a virtual sound box for stereo sound effects.

The 10.1″ WXGA display (1,280 x 800) with IPS technology offers crisp and accurate colours from wide viewing angles for a better visual experience whether users are lounging on the sofa, lying on the bed or sharing the view with a loved one. The 16:10 aspect ratio of the Inconia A3 is ideally suited to watch video content and playing games in landscape mode. Complete with a built-in micro HDMI port, users can connect the tablet to an external display to share and enjoy movies and videos on a bigger screen. The Acer Iconia A3 keeps consumers connected to Wi-Fi networks or built-in 3G mobile data connection. Plus, the integrated Bluetooth 4.0 lets consumers quickly connect the tablet to a variety of other devices, such as headsets and printers.

A touch smarter

Powered with a quad-core 1.2GHz cortex A7 processor, the Iconia A3 delivers smooth 9 hours of video playback, better mobile gaming, as well as fluid and fast navigation through apps and websites.
Acer IntelliSpin expands the tablet’s screen image rotation feature, so that even when lying flat, the screen image will rotate to match the tablet’s orientation when turned.

Acer’s Touch WakeApp provides users with fast access to their favourite apps straight from sleep mode. A great feature if the tablet is shared by different users, the multi-user support featured by Android 4.2 allows customers to create up to eight separate and customisable user spaces on a single device.

To maximise user fun, the 5MP back camera can take snapshots at full video resolution while recording a video. It can also snap immersive 360° pictures and wide angle shots. Available as 16GB or 32GB version with the option to expand via microSD, the Iconia A3 is the ideal home entertainment companion for people who like sharing and consuming multimedia content.

A touch purer

A smooth profile with rounded edges make it easy to grab the tablet with one hand. The minimalist design is accentuated by the silver profile that sets off the white of the back cover and complements the current design of Acer’s Android tablet family. With a slim profile at just 10.15 mm and a weight of less than 600 grams, the Iconia A3 is easy to carry along and check anything in a flash whenever needed.

Pricing and Availability

The Iconia A3 (WiFi) version will be available in Europe, Middle East and Africa early October with a suggested a starting price of €249.

The Iconia A3 (3G) version will be available in Europe, Middle East and Africa early November with a starting price of €299.

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LG Unveils The G Pad 8.3 Android Jelly Bean Tablet, Set to Take on The iPad Mini

LG has officially introduced the G Pad 8.3 to the world, which is the latest addition to the company’s Android family of devices. The new slate, which sports an eight-inch screen with full-HD (1920 x 1200 WUXGA) display, is likely to compete with the likes of Apple’s iPad Mini and Google’s Nexus 7, both of which have been around for quite some time and have sold in very high numbers. The new gadget that will make its debut at the IFA event this week, includes a massive 1.7 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor under the lid, as well as 2GB of RAM, a 4,600mAh battery, dual camera at 5MP on the rear and 1.3MP on the front, about 16GB of internal storage and Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 running on top. The 8.33m thick device is said to weigh 338 grams, which is about as the same as Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8.0. In addition it’ll boast the usual Wifi/Bluetooth connectivity, alongside the company’s QPair and QSlide software enhancement onboard. At this point in time there is no pricing information to share with you, however it will be available worldwide, in black or white, some time in Q4.

Update: The G Pad will be available to buy in retail from November 3 for as little as $350.

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LG TAKES ON GLOBAL TABLET MARKET WITH ‘LG G PAD 8.3’

New Tablet to Debut at IFA 2013, Worldwide Rollout to Follow

SEOUL, Sep. 1, 2013 – LG Electronics (LG) today announced the LG G Pad 8.3 tablet, the latest addition to its G Series lineup of premium mobile devices. The all-new LG G Pad 8.3 boasts the first Full HD display on an 8-inch class tablet, a unique user-experience and wide range of connectivity features. Set to officially debut next week at the IFA 2013 trade show in Berlin, the LG G Pad 8.3 builds on the recent launch of the LG G2 superphone, reinforcing LG’s commitment to leadership in advanced mobile devices through its premium G Series products.

“Complementing our G Series smartphones, the introduction of the LG G Pad 8.3 further strengthens LG’s premium lineup consisting of our most cutting-edge devices,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of the LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “Our G Pad is just another example of LG delivering devices with the unique selling points consumers around the world will appreciate.”

Pocket-Sized Portability with Powerful Battery
Despite its large display, the LG G Pad 8.3 features a slim and sleek form factor that is comfortable enough to hold in one hand. Such compact portability is based on LG’s learning from consumers regarding the optimum size of a tablet. While maintaining its portability, the LG G Pad 8.3 squeezes in a powerful 4600mAh battery for long-lasting usage time but is still as light as a newspaper at just 338g.

First Full HD Display Tablet in 8-inch Class
Incorporating a key attribute of other premium G Series devices including the G Pro and G2 smartphones, the LG G Pad 8.3 is the first 8-inch class tablet to offer a Full HD display. The G Pad is equipped with a 1920 x 1200 WUXGA (Widescreen Ultra Extended Graphics Array) display capable of delivering picture quality with even higher resolution than a standard Full HD display. In addition, the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 600 Processor with 1.7GHz Quad-Core CPU enhances the viewing experience with powerful performance as users will be able to enjoy Full HD content without any compromise.

True Convergence Experience with QPair
The LG G Pad 8.3 meets the demanding requirements of the convergence age by improving connectivity between multiple devices. With the unique QPair app, every call and message received on a smartphone will appear on the G Pad for a true convergence experience. Users can then send simple replies through the LG G Pad 8.3. QPair also allows the G Pad to easily connect to other manufacturers’ smartphone and tablets (Jelly Bean OS recommended). Notes created on the G Pad’s QMemo can be seamlessly saved into users’ smartphones and shared from either device.

User Experience Maximized for a Tablet
The LG G Pad 8.3 offers practical features that provide real-life benefits, such as enhanced multitasking. Thanks to its 8.3-inch Full HD Display, user experience (UX) features unique to the LG G Pad 8.3 are maximized for the large screen:

1. Slide Aside enables seamless multitasking by simply “sliding” currently open apps off to the side using a three-finger swipe
2. QSlide controls up to three different apps in one window with no interruption, especially convenient on a large screen
3. KnockON turns the device on and off by tapping the display twice

The LG G Pad 8.3 will be rolled out globally in key markets including North America, Europe and Asia as well as other regions starting in the fourth quarter of 2013. Prices will be announced at launch time.

Key Specifications:
– Processor: 1.7GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 600 Processor
– Display: 8.3-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200 pixels / 273 ppi)
– Memory: 16GB eMMC
– RAM: 2GB LPDDR2
– Camera: Rear 5.0MP / Front 1.3MP
– Battery: 4,600mAh
– Operating System: Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2
– Size: 216.8 x 126.5 x 8.3mm
– Weight: 338g
– Colors: Black / White

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Apple Unveils iOS 7, OS X Mavericks and New MacBook Air at WWDC 2013

Apple-wwdc13-event

Apple’s annual event for WWDC 2013 has finally come to an end. In a nutshell: no new Apple iphone or iPad. So what did we end up getting? Some rumors have indicated that we would see Apple laptop hardware updates this week, while other rumors pointed to a whole new software design. At the end of the day, I guess it was probably a good mix of both. From the hardware part, Apple has announced a refresh of its MacBook Air & Macbook Pro devices, and software wise, the guys over at Cupertino launched a new OS X (10.9) and the most anticipated iOS 7, which Tim Cook referred to as the “biggest change to iOS since the iPhone.”

But first, as usual they started with some numbers:

•  Apple says that under 5 years, users have downloaded from the App Store about 50b times.

•  There are now 900,000 apps in the App Store, of which 375,000 are for the iPad.

•  Over 600 million iOS devices sold.

•  800 billion iMessages sent.

•  240 million Game Center users.

Apple-Mackbook-Air-Haswell

Macbook Air & OS X Update

Apple just announced the next generation of MacBook Pro and MacBook Air products, with claims that the power consumption will be reduced for both machines (they call it the “all day battery life”). The new MacBook Air is distinctively similar to the previous model, but if you’re going to take a closer look you’ll find the new “Haswell” 4th-gen processors from Intel. In addition, the new line is said to offer a faster 802.11 ac Wifi connectivity, alongside Intel HD Graphics 5000, which is supposed to provide graphics performance that is 40 percent faster. Apple claims 9 hours of battery life for the 11-inch model, while the 13-inch MacBook Air now provides up to 12 hours of continuous work. They’re both available starting today, with the 11-inch Air going at $999 for the 128GB base model, and $1,199 for the 256GB version. The larger 13-inch Air will be priced at $1,099 for the 128GB entry model, and $1,299 for double the size (256GB).

Apple unveils its latest operating system, the OS X “Mavericks.” First thing you’ll notice, is that the company is replacing its traditional practice of calling Mac operating systems after cats. Instead, it is going after an undersea rock in California that apparently creates big waves. Symbolic, isn’t it? Anyway, the new operating system is said to extend battery life to the most, reduce boot-up time, and enhanced multiple display support (with the ability to tweak elements between screens). Furthermore, the Mavericks features a range of improvements and new features aimed at both users and developers alike. That includes the “finder tabs” addition, which will organize different finder windows into one, documents tagging, new iBooks and Maps app integration, a new version of Safari browser, including a whole new bookmark bar, a redesigned calendar, improved notifications, and a powerful iCloud keychain feature, an encrypted 256-bit AES functionality for password and private info management.

apple-itunes-radio

 iTunes Radio

Music streaming services are growing big these days. Google has recently unveiled its Google Play Music and the market is packed with some major streaming players such as Rdio, Spotify and Pandora. Today, Apple is joining that group with recent announcement of its iTunes Radio music platform, which was described by the A-team as “a new way to discover music.” At present, there is no need to pay any fee for this, but the free radio service supported by ads. You can either listen to the channels the service offers from various sources (e.g Twitter trending songs, integrated stations, your personal music collection), or simply create your private iTunes Radio station at your choice. You can also modify existing stations to your own taste by choosing the ‘Play more like this’ or ‘Don’t play music like this’ sections. The service is expected to launch in the U.S first and then expand globally, sometime in the future.

Apple-iOS-7

iOS7

And now we’re finally getting to the highlight of the show: Apple has revealed a completely new iOS 7 software, featuring a all-new design with a modern “Flat” approach. It has a much smoother look, and considered by the Cupertino-based company as “the biggest change to iOS since the introduction of the iPhone.”

With so many new options and  features installed, I think that iOS7 was definitely worth the wait. It has a nice clean form, some pretty colorful icons and a very friendly interface on top. What else can we find in there?

Control Center – An Android-like area where you can manage and adjust some of the most important settings on your phone. (Wi-Fi, brightness, volume, etc.). To get in there, you simply need to swipe the screen down from the upper area on your mobile device, and voila!

Airdrop – This is an OS X feature that Apple has finally imported to its mobile devices. What it basically does is to enable mobile users that have smartphones, tablets or laptops to send files or pictures to anyone around them in real time. Unfortunately, it only supports iPhone 5, fourth generation iPad, iPad mini, and fourth-gen iPod touch.

Multitasking – The multitasking app cards were a major feature of Palm’s WebOS platform. This is probably the best way to switch between the apps, monitor them and determine which ones are being used the most. With the card interface, you get a clear view of your content instead of multiple tiers of very tiny icons.

Siri – As you all probably know, Siri is a personal assistant built into the iphone. In iOS 7 Siri gets a whole new look and a new refreshing voice. From now on, you’ll be able to adjust your settings with Siri, conduct search queries from Bing and Wikipedia, and dictate your map navigation and messages, thanks to the in-car iOS support (Apple is said to bring iOS dashboard to Honda, Mercedes, Nissan, Chevy, Kia, Volvo, Acura and others).

Camera and Photos – There’s a new stuff going on in the Camera app and the Photos section. For a start, they both look very good now, with the latest and greatest iOS Seven. Users can now create Shared Photostreams  in a two-way collaborative system, while the new Photo app is now capable of intelligently organize and present your entire digital albums, by automatically clustering them into “Moments” or collections (chronologically). With the new Camera app, you can easily swipe between various modes such as video, still, or “square” (for Instagram shots), and even spice them up with a wide range of integrated filters.

Safari – Apple’s good ‘ol browser is getting a fresh new look in iOS7. The interface is much bigger than what we have known in previous versions, and there’s a new tabbed view (which is kinda similar to Chrome for Android), along with a vertical cover-flow carousel browser. The search field has been upgraded as well, to a unified search menu, and you are also getting access to the iCloud keychain password management control.

New App Store – The App Store segment is also getting a new design in your phone. In that regard, the apps will now start updating themselves automatically in the background, and you’ll be able to search for apps, based on rates, popularity and your personal preferences and location.

Activation Loc – Basically, if your iphone gets stolen and the thief tries to turn the Find My iPhone off, then he or she will not be able to reactivate it again, without including  your personal iCloud password.

Release Date

iOS 7 coming to developers TODAY, and for the rest of the world, sometime in the fall. The platform will support the following devices: iPhone 4 and later, iPad 2 and later, iPad mini, and iPod Touch 4th gen.

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MSI Unveils The Primo 81, a 7.85-inch iPad Mini-Like Tablet

MSI-Primo-81-android-tablet

Computex 2013 is definitely a place for global exhibitors to make new product announcements. And that includes MSI which today introduced their latest entry to the mid-range tablet space, in the form of a 7.85-inch slab, dubbed the Primo 81. At this point, I’m sure you all think that it looks exactly like the iPad Mini, and there’s certainly a lot of similarities in appearance between the two, but the primary difference is that the Mini runs an iOS software, while the Primo will receive an Android Jelly Bean soul. That being said, both tablets feature the same 1,024 x 768 capacitive IPS display, made by LG, with similar version of the 1GB RAM stick, and almost identical finish and size in dimensions. But the CPU is slightly different from each other. While the Mini comes with a Dual-core 1 GHz Cortex-A9 chip inside (Apple A5), the Primo provides a fairly cheap and powerful upgrade — It has the quad-core Allwinner A315 processor. We also know there will be a 16GB capacity version for the MSI model, but can’t be sure about any other storage forms. Unfortunately, there’s still no word about pricing or availability but we’ll keep you posted as we find out more.

[via YugaTech]

Asus Vivo Tab and Vivo Tab RT Windows 8 Tablets Officially Announced

Asus has already showed off its latest flagship Windows 8 tablets, ASUS Tablet 810 and the ASUS Tablet 600, at a press conference back in Computex, but today the show floor at IFA 2012 opens to the vast crowd, with the Taiwanese corp unveiling the Vivo Tab and the Vivo Tab RT, which remain identical to those 600 and 810 models that we’ve seen, only this time with a different moniker.

For those who missed out on the spec details for the Vivo Tab (previously known as the Tablet 810), this high-end device runs an Intel Atom CPU with 2GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, while the IPS screen is 11.6 inches with 1,366 x 768 resolution, 10-point multitouch capabilities, along with a Wacom digitizer input support. The 1.5 pound tablet sports two cameras on board, an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash on the back, and a 2-megapixel unit up front. We’re also expecting an NFC chip inside, as well.

As for the Vivo Tab RT (previously known as the Tablet 600), the IPS screen is a bit smaller in here, at 10.1-inches with a 1,366 x 768 resolution. There are 2GB of RAM, and 32GB of internal storage. The new tablet uses a Tegra 3 processor, alongside a 12-core GPU, two cameras, and that same NFC technology running under the hood.

The bonus is that you’re also getting the optional keyboard dock and trackpad, that has become very popular lately. It is a full-fledged island-style keyboard which adds two additional USB ports to the main frame, and another lithium ion battery for near double usage time of work.

Both prices and availability dates are yet to be determined, but you can find more details in the full PR that’s sitting after the break.

Update: ASUS VivoTab RT tablet will be available on October 26th, with prices to start at $599 for the 32GB model (including the keyboard), and $699 for a 64GB version plus the docking station.

 

ASUS Announces the Incredible Vivo Tab and Vivo Tab RT tablets at IFA

Two new tablets with a dual-purpose design that combines a high-resolution multi-touch display and a detachable QWERTY keyboard dock for a great Microsoft® Windows 8 experience.

IFA, Berlin, Germany, (August 29, 2012) – ASUS, a global leader in the new digital era, today announces two incredible new tablets intended to run Windows 8. First unveiled at Computex in June, the ASUS Vivo Tab and ASUS Vivo Tab RT (formerly known as the ASUS Tablet 810 and ASUS Tablet 600 respectively) open up a new world of mobile possibilities and transform expectations about what tablets can do.

Meet Vivo
With a name taken from the Latin verb “to live”, Vivo is designed as a constant companion that blends the familiar elegance of ASUS tablet design with Microsoft Corporations’ new touch-enabled Windows 8 operating system.

Vivo has a dual-purpose design that combines a high-resolution multi-touch Super IPS+ display with a detachable QWERTY keyboard dock to provide a great Windows 8 experience. ASUS TruVivid technology with Corning® Fit Glass gives improved colour clarity and superior scratch resistance, while the keyboard not only transforms Vivo into a convenient clamshell ultraportable, but also provides a secondary battery for prolonged mains-free use.
With an 11.6″ screen backed by high-precision Wacom digitiser stylus technology, the Vivo Tab is designed with productivity in mind, while the ultra-light Vivo Tab RT is ideally suited to entertainment on the go. Get more done, enjoy new experiences and connect with others in exciting new ways – Vivo makes it all possible.

ASUS Vivo Tab

The ASUS Vivo Tab features the Next Generation Intel® Atom™ processor and has 2GB RAM with 64GB eMMC (embedded multimedia card) user storage. An incredible Windows 8 experience makes it a smart choice for professional and personal use. With support for 1024-level Wacom digitizer for precise work and navigation, ASUS Vivo Tab maximizes productivity and provides the best input experience.

Key to the Vivo Tab’s recipe for Windows 8 is the supplied mobile dock. This instantly transforms the tablet into a compact clamshell ultraportable, complete with full QWERTY keyboard, trackpad, two USB ports and second battery for extended use away from the mains.

The 11.6″ display with a 1366 x 768 resolution uses Super IPS+ technology to deliver superior visual clarity both indoors and out, and its 10-point multi-touch is complemented by Wacom digitiser stylus technology for high-precision stylus input and a more natural writing experience.

Despite its compact dimensions and ultra-thin 8.7mm and 675g profile, the Vivo Tab still delivers superlative sound quality, thanks to the same SonicMaster technology used on ASUS’ award-winning notebooks. High-quality photographs can also be captured with the 8-megapixel rear camera with autofocus and LED flash, along with a 2-megapixel front-facing camera for video chats. The Vivo Tab also features a built-in NFC sensor, enabling the device to easily sync with other NFC-enabled devices.

ASUS Vivo Tab RT

The ASUS Vivo Tab RT has a slim and light profile that’s 8.3mm thin and 520g light. It features the NVIDIA® Tegra® 3 quad-core processor and 12-core GPU for outstanding mobile graphics performance, along with 2GB RAM and 32GB eMMC user storage. Supplied with Windows RT, tablet users with entertainment in mind will find a great partner in the Vivo Tab RT.
The Vivo Tab RT also has the same innovative Transformer design as the Vivo Tab and is supplied with its own mobile dock that provides a QWERTY keyboard, track pad, USB port and built-in battery.

Windows 8 apps, games and movies will look incredible on the Vivo Tab RT’s 10.1″ display with 1366 x 768 resolution and Super IPS+ technology, while ASUS SonicMaster technology ensures top-quality audio. The Vivo Tab RT has the same high-quality front and rear cameras as the Vivo Tab too, making it an excellent all-round multimedia performer. It also features a built-in NFC sensor, enabling the device to easily sync with other NFC-enabled devices.

Lenovo Shows Off a 10.1-inch Windows 8 ThinkPad Tablet

Another day, another Windows 8 tablet demo over at Computex 2012. This time a Lenovo Thinkpad prototype, spotted around the Intel booth, running a full-fledged Win 8 software behind the lid, and said to include a 10.1-inch 1366 x 768 screen, sitting on top of a 9.7mm black sturdy body that packs two cameras (8MP rear, 2MP front), a docking connector, a volume rocker, and a micro-HDMI port. At this point in time, we are looking at one of the very early-stage devices out there, and the final product might look just a little different – And that’s probably why most specs are scarce right now. As far as CPU goes, it’s mainly some sort of an Intel Clover Trail processor, while the battery is rumored to deliver around 10 hours of continuous and reliable performance to each and every charge. And make no mistake, this is a Windows 8 slate and not an Android 4.0 device – It is a bit confusing and does take time to get used to, we know. The overall look seems to be more thought out and reserved, you get a typical Thinkpad design around the slab, with a softy scratches-free plate covering the upper hood. But as we’ve mentioned it’s still early days, so please keep a look out for more details and info.

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Video by netbooknews

Photo by CNET

ASUS Introduces Tablets 600 and 810 with Tegra 3 and Windows 8

Alright, I get it, the hybrid tablets trend is my personal bet on what will become the next big thing in portable computing. We have already seen the Asus Transformer lineup making a splash all over the world in the past few months, Acer has just released its very own Iconia hybrid tablets series, and the Taiwanese corp, Asus, is coming back again this term to launch the forthcoming new iteration, with Windows 8 on board. The new lineup includes two refreshing flavors, the Transformer Tablet 810 and the Transformer Tablet 600, both running Microsoft’s latest and greatest software under the hood, while the 600 is an ARM-based model with Windows RT for the OS, and the 810 packs a stronger Intel processor with full Windows 8 pre-loaded  inside.

The first tablet in that group, the Transformer Tablet 600, comes out of the box with a quad-core Tegra 3 chip, tucked with a 10.1-inch 600-nit 1366×768 Super IPS+ panel, 2GB of RAM, and 32GB of internal storage. There’s a micro HDMI port around the chassis, and a microSD card slot for extended storage. In addition, you will find  an eight-megapixel camera plus LED flash on the back, a two-megapixel camera up front for video conferencing, WiFi  b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, eCompass and NFC support.

The second, the Transformer Tablet 810, uses the same Super IPS+ 1366 x 768 touchscreen, with a bigger 11.6-inch display on top. Other than that, we’re looking at a 64GB Windows 8 device, boasting Intel’s Medfield CPU (Atom’s next gen), along with 2GB of RAM and a Wacom digitizer pen support. The rest of the specs are pretty much similar to the 600 version (i.e WiFi, Blouetooth, cameras and GPS).

 

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Videos by netbooknews

Image by notebookitalia

ASUS Presents a Complete Solution for the Ubiquitous Cloud Computing Era
Chairman Jonney Shih unveils ASUS Open Cloud Computing, integrating software, services and the ultimate ASUS transformation devices into one seamless platform

Taipei, Taiwan (4 June, 2012) – At ASUS’ pre-Computex press event “Incredible Innovation Endless Possibilities”, Chairman Jonney Shih unveiled the company’s total solution for the ubiquitous cloud computing era, ASUS Open Cloud Computing (A.O.C.C.).

“At ASUS we have been incubating for the arrival of this exciting era for several years. We believe that an open and balanced architecture can provide the best, ultimate solution for the new ubiquitous cloud computing era,” said Mr. Shih as he introduced A.O.C.C. and unveiled an entire line of incredibly innovative products including ASUS TAICHI, Transformer AiO, Transformer Book, Designo MX monitors and RT-AC66U router which took transformation into a whole new level.

ASUS TAICHI
The ASUS TAICHI is a slim and stylish ultraportable with an astonishing double-sided LED-backlit IPS/FHD display. With a touch screen on the outside of the lid, the TAICHI opens up a whole host of new mobile possibilities as it plays the role of both notebook and tablet. With the lid open, it’s just like any other notebook computer, but with the lid closed the TAICHI instantly becomes a multi-touch tablet computer with stylus support. Better still, the two screens are completely independent of each other and can be used simultaneously for a host of innovative new applications. Available in both 11.6″ and 13.3″ screen sizes, the TAICHI is as light and thin as the ASUS ZENBOOK™ and delivers uncompromised mobile performance, with 3rd generation Intel® Core™ processors, fast SSD storage and dual band 802.11n Wi-Fi.

ASUS Transformer AiO
Part tablet, part All-in-One PC, the Transformer AiO is an innovative device that can seamlessly switch between both, and features dual operating systems to give users the option of switching between Windows and Android to suit their needs. Engineered to work with Windows 8, the Transformer AiO features an extended 18.4″ 10-point multi-touch LED-backlit display which can be easily removed from its base station to become a wireless display for the AiO PC, extending the range of the PC and allowing users to continue with their work anywhere in the home. The display can also be converted into an Android-based tablet for the home with the press of a button.

ASUS Transformer Book
The ASUS Transformer Book is the world’s first convertible notebook – allowing users to instantly switch between a notebook and a tablet by simply detaching the screen. It is aimed at users who prefer the portability of a multi-touch tablet computer for leisure, but still want access to a more traditional Windows-based notebook for productivity use. Thanks to 3rd generation Intel® Core™ processors and discrete graphics, along with SSD and HDD storage, 4GB DDR3 dual-channel RAM and USB 3.0, the Transformer Book delivers performance that rivals other notebooks on the market. It also features ASUS SonicMaster technology to deliver crystal-clear sound with deep rich bass through its integrated speakers.

ASUS Tablet 810 (Windows 8) ASUS Tablet 600 (Windows RT)
The ASUS Tablet 810 (Windows 8) features the Next Generation Intel® Atom™ processor and 2GB of RAM with a 64GB eMMC for user storage. The 11.6″ display with 1366 x 768 resolution uses Super IPS+ technology to deliver superior visual clarity both indoors and out, while its 10-point multi-touch is complemented by Wacom digitizer stylus support.

The ASUS Tablet 600 (Windows RT) utilizes the NVIDIA® Tegra® 3 quad-core processor and 12-core GPU for outstanding mobile graphics performance; it also has 2GB RAM and a 32GB eMMC for user storage. The 600’s 10.1″ display with 1366 x 768 resolution features Super IPS+ technology for excellent readability both indoors and out.

Key to both the 810 and 600, however, is the supplied mobile dock that instantly transforms the tablets into compact clamshell ultraportables, complete with full QWERTY keyboards, a trackpad, additional USB expansion and a second battery for extended usage away from the power socket. Both tablets also include ASUS SonicMaster technology for supreme audio and built-in NFC sensors for easy syncing with other NFC-enabled devices.

ASUS Designo MX279H and MX239H monitors
ASUS’ displays are industry leaders when it comes to vibrant colors and elegant design. With their attractive looks and bezel-free matte IPS panels with LED-backlighting, ultra-wide 178° viewing angles and outstanding color reproduction, the new Designo 27″ MX279H and 23″ MX239H displays ensure customer happiness with their slim and stylish design which exudes beauty. Dual HDMI inputs provide flexible connectivity options, while ASUS SonicMaster technology, co-developed with Bang & Olufsen ICEpower® audio delivers incredible audio fidelity.

ASUS RT-AC66U router
The ASUS RT-AC66U router integrates dual-band Gigabit wireless with fifth generation 802.11ac Wi-Fi technology, also known as 5G WiFi, which enables speeds up to three times faster than existing 802.11n. As one of the first routers to achieve this, it tops Gigabit wireless requirements with a combined 2.4GHz/5GHz bandwidth of 1.75Gbps. This massive data rate makes it an excellent high speed router for demanding online applications, coupled with exclusive ASUS AiRadar signal amplification and shaping technology. Easy ASUSWRT setup, multiple SSIDs, and IPv6 support further enhance networking, while strong USB-based capabilities turn the RT-AC66U into a 3G, FTP, DLNA, and printer server for genuine multi-role functionality.

Acer Announces 11.6-inch Iconia W700 and 10.1-inch W510 Windows 8 Tablets

At Computex 2012, Acer has just unveiled a new line of Windows 8 tablets under its Iconia family, the Iconia W700 and Iconia W510. In general, it feels like we’re at the early beginning of a very exciting time for Microsoft and Windows 8 tablets, and Acer’s recent introduction was quite a fine start.

The first model that we’re going to see from Acer in the coming months is the sturdy 11.6-inch W700, which has a 1920 x 1080 full HD screen display on top, with up to 10 fingers support. In addition, it offers three USB 3.0 ports, along with up to 8 hours of battery life and an integrated Dolby Home Theater audio system that lets you share your music directly with others. Other than that, the W700 comes with a dedicated keyboard and a proprietary cradle attachment solution that enables quick and easy mounting at 70 degrees for landscape, or 20 degrees of viewing mode. The brand new tablet is also equipped with a built-in Thunderbolt video/storage connection, paired with a micro HDMI, two speaker grills on the back, headphone and power jacks around the chassis and of course, a set of volume controls. A rear five-megapixel autofocus camera is also included in this fancy schmancy package, tucked with the usual VGA shooter that sits on the front.

Up next, is the Iconia W510 which sports a 10.1-inch IPS touchscreen, crammed with a bunch of stereo speakers on both sides, and a slew of integrated ports, such as microSD, micro-USB, HDMI and a SIM card slot. There’s also a detachable apple-like keyboard dock goodness included in the bundle, that can stretch your tablet’s battery life up to 18 hours of continuous work. But it’s not just the extended battery at stake, the dock houses a full-size USB 2.0 port, paired with a proprietary connector, etched into the left side of the object.

Regretfully, there are no further details as to devices specifications, price, or availability, so stay tuned or hop the break to see the full breakdown.

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Videos by netbooknews.com

 

Acer Presents Windows 8® Tablets

Featuring multipurpose viewing on Full HD touchscreens

TAIPEI, TAIWAN (June 4, 2012) – Acer presents two of its newest Windows® 8 tablets at Computex Taipei. The ICONIA W510 evolves the computing experience with three different modes of touchscreen operation, while the ICONIA W700 is the best-performing Windows 8 tablet with the added versatility of a cradle. Both designed to set new standards in ergonomics and user-friendliness.

The most unique part of the W510 tablet is the tri-mode, allowing users to touch, type and view. Aside from the conventional tablet mode, it can be used in productivity mode. A detachable keyboard dock can be connected to the tablet for optimal typing as well as extending the battery life up to 18 hours. Rotating the tablet 295 degrees allows it to be used in presentation mode, which is excellent for watching a video, browsing a webpage or viewing a PowerPoint presentation.

In addition, the W510 has Always On, Always Connect technology, and a 10.1-inch touchscreen, providing a wider viewing angle with more vibrant, consistent and accurate colors. It is an everyday tablet with convertible functions, smartly designed for modern day explorers whose primary needs are freedom of usage for slate, keyboard and hands-free touch.

Acer’s W700 comes with a multipurpose cradle that allows for several viewing options. When using it in landscape, it can be tilted up to 70 degrees for better viewing, or 20 degrees for convenient touch. Furthermore, it can be used vertically like a portrait for easy browsing and reading. The W700 also has three USB 3.0 ports for expansion.

The W700 is equipped with an 11.6-inch Full HD touchscreen as well as Dolby® Home Theater® for multimedia pleasure; it is set to become the optimum-performance Windows 8 tablet for modern day explorers on-the-go, at home or in the office.

Apple’s New iPad Officially Announced, Retina Display, A5X Chip, 5MP camera, LTE 4G. Goes Live March 16th

 

Apple’s third iPad series (known as the The New iPad) has officially debuted, and it is very impressive. For a start, Cupertino’s third-gen iDevice looks something similar to its predecessor, the iPad 2; measures in almost the same and weighs in at 1.4lbs. As for the 9.7-inch high-def display rumor, that one has been kicking around for nearly a year, and turned out to be TRUE. The new iPad variant will have a 2048-by-1536 screen resolution Retina display with a staggering amount of 3.1 million pixels on top.

Furthermore, The 9.4mm thick tablet device (ipad 2 is only 8.8mm) has a more powerful processor, a quad-core chip called the A5X (which according to Apple is four times faster than Nvidia’s Tegra 3). It will come with 3G and WiFi only models, boasting 16/32/64GB of internal storage capacities, that will be selling around the world for the same striking prices – 16GB $499, 32GB $599, 64GB $699 (+$130 for the 3G equivalent) – starting March 16 (Pre-orders start today in the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia). Connectivity wise, the HD version will come equipped with LTE 4G networking that will substantially boost your internet usage, while the bluetooth specs retain the same values, along with WiFi,  native 3.1Mbps EV-DO / 7.2Mbps HSPA and new 21Mbps HSPA+, 42Mbps DC-HSDPA and 73Mbps LTE support.

As far as software goes, we’re looking at iOS 5.1 that will support a Japanese version of Siri. This one is said to be available today. Apple has also introduced to the world a new batch of apps, compatible with The new iPad most stunning display. Among them you’ll find out the Infinity Blade: Dungeons, SketchBook, and SkyGamblers. There’s also a new edition of the popular iPhoto, now available for both iPad and iPhone machines for $4.99 (Garage Band, iMovie and iWork updates are also available).

In addition, Apple has integrated a new iSight camera, sporting ‎5 megapixels sensor, backside illumination, 5-element lens, and 1080 video recording capture. The new iPad delivers the same 10 hours of battery life, and 4G work time is 9 hours.

Finally, iPad 2 prices will be slashed by roughly $100, respectively.

Full PR after the break

Update1: We’ve just added a quick hands-on video, so check it out after the break.

Update2: Hit the jump to watch The new iPad TV Ad and a quick hands-on review.

Update3: Apple reports that it has sold more than 3 million New iPads in the tablet’s first three days on the market; A “record weekend” for Tim Cook and the Cupertino fellows. To give you an idea of the business situation, two years ago, the company has managed to sell 3M pieces of its first-gen ipad device after 80 days in the market, and now it has reached exactly the same numbers in the first weekend ALONE. That’s crazy!

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 videoד courtesy of engadget and The Verge

 

Apple Launches New iPad


New iPad Features Retina Display, A5X Chip, 5 Megapixel iSight Camera & Ultrafast 4G LTE
SAN FRANCISCO―March 7, 2012―Apple® today introduced the new iPad®, the third generation of its category defining mobile device, featuring a stunning new Retina™ display, Apple’s new A5X chip with quad-core graphics and a 5 megapixel iSight® camera with advanced optics for capturing amazing photos and 1080p HD video. iPad with Wi-Fi + 4G connects to fast networks worldwide, including AT&T’s and Verizon’s 4G LTE networks, and still delivers the same all-day 10 hour battery life* while remaining amazingly thin and light. Beginning today, iPad 2 will be offered at an even more affordable price starting at just $399.

“The new iPad redefines the category Apple created less than two years ago, delivering the most amazing experience people have ever had with technology,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “The new iPad now has the highest resolution display ever seen on a mobile device with 3.1 million pixels, delivering razor sharp text and unbelievable detail in photos and videos.”

The new iPad’s Retina display delivers four times the number of pixels of iPad 2, so dense that the human eye is unable to distinguish individual pixels when held at a normal distance, making web pages, text, images and video look incredibly sharp and realistic. The 3.1 million pixels in the Retina display are more than one million more pixels than an HD TV, and with 44 percent increased color saturation the new iPad displays colors that are unbelievably richer, deeper and more vivid. Movies are now capable of playing at full 1080p HD-resolution, delivering an incomparable viewing experience on a mobile device.

The powerful new A5X chip with quad-core graphics was specifically designed by Apple to deliver a fast, responsive user experience while supporting the incredible Retina display. With double the graphics performance of the A5 chip, the A5X provides a superb balance between performance and power efficiency so users can enjoy all the benefits of the stunning new display while experiencing a smooth Multi-Touch™ interface, immersive gameplay, incredible visual depth and all-day battery life that iPad is known for delivering.

The 5 megapixel iSight camera features advanced optics for taking stunning pictures and recording full HD video. Backside illumination allows you to take great photos in low-light conditions and a new video image stabilization feature removes the bumps and shakes typically seen when filming with a hand-held device. Images can be enjoyed on the large Retina display, then edited, enhanced and easily shared with friends and family using the built-in Photos app on iPad.

iPad Wi-Fi + 4G with built-in next generation 4G LTE has the most comprehensive support for fast networks worldwide including HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA, and now both CDMA and GSM iPad users have the ability to easily roam internationally. The world-ready iPad delivers blazing download and upload speeds so web pages load incredibly quickly and email with large attachments can be sent and received easily. Personal Hotspot can be used to share the fast network connection on your iPad with up to 5 other devices using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB**.

With iOS 5.1, the latest update to the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, the new iPad has a number of new features and enhancements including: a redesigned Camera app with video stabilization technology; the ability to delete photos from Photo Stream; support for dictation in English, French, German and Japanese; and Personal Hotspot. iOS 5.1 also works seamlessly with iCloud®, a breakthrough set of free cloud services including iTunes® in the Cloud, Photo Stream and Documents in the Cloud, that works seamlessly with your iPhone®, iPad, iPod touch®, Mac® or PC to automatically and wirelessly store your content and push it to your devices. When content changes on one of your devices, your other devices are updated automatically.

The new iPad also supports dictation, another amazing way to get things done just using your voice. Instead of typing, tap the microphone icon on the keyboard, then say what you want to say and the new iPad listens. Tap done, and iPad converts your words into text. You can use dictation to write messages, take notes, search the web and more. Dictation also works with third-party apps, so you can update your Facebook status, tweet, or write Instagram captions.

Apple also introduced the iPhoto® app, along with major updates to iMovie® and GarageBand®, completing its suite of iLife® apps for iOS. iLife and the iWork® apps, Pages®, Keynote® and Numbers®, have all been updated to take advantage of the new iPad Retina display. iPhoto includes breakthrough Multi-Touch features so you can use simple gestures to sort through hundreds of photos and find your best shots, enhance and retouch your images using fingertip brushes and share stunning photo journals with iCloud. iMovie now gives you the ability to create amazing Hollywood-style trailers as you record HD video, and GarageBand introduces Jam Session, an innovative and fun new feature that allows a group of friends to wirelessly connect to play instruments and record music together live on their iOS devices.

iPad runs almost all of the over 585,000 apps available on the App Store™, including more than 200,000 native iPad apps, from a wide range of categories, including books, games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel. The iTunes Store® puts the world’s most popular online music, TV and movie store at your fingertips with a catalog of over 20 million songs, over 90,000 TV episodes and over 15,000 movies. The new iBooks® 2 app for iPad lets users experience an entirely new kind of ebook that’s dynamic, engaging and truly interactive. iBooks created with Apple’s new iBooks Author offer gorgeous, fullscreen ebooks with interactive animations, diagrams, photos, videos, unrivaled navigation and much more.

Pricing & Availability
The new iPad Wi-Fi models will be available in black or white on Friday, March 16 for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model and $699 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad Wi-Fi + 4G for either AT&T or Verizon will be available for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad will be sold in the US through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores, and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iPad will also be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Switzerland, UK and the US Virgin Islands on Friday, March 16. Customers can begin pre-ordering their new iPad today, and the incredible iPad 2 is now offered at a more affordable price of $399 (US) for the 16GB Wi-Fi model and just $529 (US) for the 16GB Wi-Fi + 3G model.

iOS 5.1 and iTunes 10.6 are available today as free software updates. iPhoto, iMovie 1.3 and GarageBand 1.2 are available today for $4.99 (US) each from the App Store (www.itunes.com/appstore). Keynote 1.6, Pages 1.6 and Numbers 1.6 are available today for $9.99 (US) each from the App Store. Updates are available for free to existing customers. By the end of March iPad will be available in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

*Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.

**Personal Hotspot requires supporting data plan. Customers should check with their carrier for availability.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.

Apple iPad 3 Event Officially Confirmed For March 7 in San Francisco

Many rumors have been floating around about the new upcoming iPad 3, but now it’s being confirmed – Apple’s next big media event is going to take place on Wednesday, March 7th, at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, and as you can see from the invitation screenshot below, the star of the show is likely the highly anticipated third-gen ipad tablet. Word on the street is that we’re going to get a quad-core iPad 3 device, paired with 2048 x 1536 HD display and 4G LTE radio, but there’s still one week left to determine all this. So hold your breath and be patient!

Why New Breed of 4G Smartphones Emerges at ICES

A new breed of smartphones has emerged at the ICES (International Consumer Electronics Show) recently. In this giant gadget manufacturer meet that was portrayed as an amazing event as per the live reports from the event, a race of smartphones made a mark. This was an event where a lot of gadgets were on display, produced by different manufacturers all round the globe. The gadgets that were put on display in the event ranged everything from the head mounted headphones to a variety of amazing phones and computers.

But the same event also carried some bad and frustrating news for the customers of Sprint and AT&T who established a cutting edge for 4G smartphones in the previous year. So, the real problem vests with the fact that this phone will soon be outdated. When it came to tapping into the all new and faster fourth generation networks, Sprint Nextel and AT&T Mobility were the first two companies to have unveiled some of the first league of smartphones.

This new class of smartphones that emerged at the ICES may be an attempt to stand against its potential contemporaries. Over the time, launching 4G network from Sprint is continuously being talked about. And the talks had been doing rounds since the successful launch of the previous one, way back in 2008. This followed the launch of its premier phone, HTC’s Evo 4G in the preceding year. In the meanwhile, it was AT&T that begun adding the short, impressive yet a powerful word “4G” to almost all its smartphones names recently.

But the progress does not take a backseat here! AT&T and Sprint, two of the largest U.S. cellular carriers are actually working hard to get another 4G system on the front. LTE (Long Term Evolution) will be an additional thing to the two mobile carrier giants. This was made available so that it can compete with the wireless version of Verizon that was launched almost a year back.

If T-Mobile USA is to be believed then it has 4G that stands quite similar to the old 4G service of AT&T but the talks about the plans for the 4G LTE deployment is still pending. It’s unclear how AT&T and Sprint will be able to explain to their customers more on the investments they have made in order to have one of the most talked about technology. This seems unclear also because both AT&T and Sprint have earlier exhausted the usage of 4G in marketing.

Last year, it was at the CES where Verizon hosted two high profile news conferences and also went into operating huge sales promotion booth so that the official launch of its 4G network receives promotion too. On the contrary, things this year appeared different since it was visible how the company managed to keep a low profile at the most talked about event.

AT&T announced eight of the new LTE products at CES that included the smartphones and tablets. Now the first LTE based windows phone better known as Lumia 900 is expected to arrive in March. Before the announcement of the break-up of T-mobile, the first ever 4G LTE phones for AT&T already hit the stores in November, last year.

Sprint at the CES announced three new and amazing gadgets that included Samsung phones, a portable wireless hotspot and Galaxy Nexus that is a product of Samsung & Google partnership. It’s expected that Sprint’s new 4G LTE network will surpass its older versions with the elimination of slower 4G network too.

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This is a guest post by Emily Steves, who is associated with various internet security related companies as their freelance and staff writer. She has been linked with some of the best web media companies and offers various ways for internet solutions. She excels in writing articles related to internet security, internet plans, comcast deals, etc. 

Sony Android Walkman Makes Official Debut at IFA 2011 (Update: Now Official as Sony Walkman Z)

What we’ve got here is a new Sony Walkman Mobile Entertainment device running Android Gingerbread platform on board. Say that again? A new Sony Walkman? Sounds like a post from mid 2009, but apparently it’s truth. The Japanese corp has just announced at IFA 2011 a new 4.3-inch LCD toucscreen device, carrying the good old Walkman brand, and sporting an HDMI output, along with a bluetooth connectivity, a micro USB hub and Sony’s exclusive S-Master MX software suite which is supposed to improved your very favorite music when traveling on-the-go. Regretfully, there’s still no word about price or availability, but you can be sure you’ll hear more about it, in the coming future or so.

Update: Turns out this all new Android Walkman series from Sony is more fascinating than we had expected. According to the company’s official PR announcement, the  4.3-inch WVGA player (dubbed Sony Walkman Z) which runs an Android Gingerbread platform under the hood, is also said to sport a 1GHz Tegra 2 chipset, paired with 802.11 b/g/n WiFi connectivity, an HDMI output, 16, 32 or 64GB of storage capacities, red/black or black/blue flavors, and battery that delivers up to 20 hours of audio playback and 5 hours of video. And while price details are still vague at the moment, the Japanese are saying that the new Z PMP will probably go live in Japan on December 10th and not one day before. Wow!

 

[via techcrunch]

Continue reading Sony Android Walkman Makes Official Debut at IFA 2011 (Update: Now Official as Sony Walkman Z)

Lenovo LePad Tablet and IdeaPad U1 Hybrid Officially Out Again with Android 2.2

So, Lenovo is officially back to this netbooks/tablets game after freezing its high-end U1 Hybrid project for a while in order to do some serious thinking. And as we’ve said, they are back again, appear ready and able to kick some real ass with what’s now being called the IdeaPad U1 Hybrid with LePad tablet. So what has changed, you’re asking? The new skin version is now powered by Google’s Android 2.2 version (called LeOS) instead of the sluggish Linux Skylight platform. Additionally, you’ll be getting even more powerful processors inside, as the U1 base unit is now equipped with a 1.2GHz Intel Core i5-540UM (optional i7) and the LePad tablet boasts a 1.3GHz Snapdragon flavor. Design wise, the netbook station now has a nice and more efficient chiclet keyboard within, along with a dimpled trackpad at the bottom and an overall sense of high and lavish style. Other than that, we’re glad to see substantial improvements in the LePad screen as well. The 10.1-incher is much more responsive than its sluggish and resistive predecessor, and seems to have a 1280 x 800 capacitive multitouch panel on board. Switching between Windows (base unit) to Android (tablet) is as simple as docking and undocking the LePad unit from its U1 platform. The process for itself often seems super fast when it comes to disconnecting between the two devices, while a bit slower the other way around. As for pricing and availability, the LePad is coming at ya (in case you live in China) sometime this quarter with a base price of $520, while the full package, including both the tablet and the U1 unit will run you for a whopping $1300. Expensive! Regretfully, there’s no further info about US availability at the moment, but you can take a look at. Engadget’s Joanna Stern hands-on video or read the full PR after the break.

Continue reading Lenovo LePad Tablet and IdeaPad U1 Hybrid Officially Out Again with Android 2.2

Motorola Releases a ‘Tablet Evolution’ Teaser, Moments Before CES 2011

With CES 2011 just a couple of weeks away, Motorola is one company that seems to be generating quiet a lot of publicity. Especially when it comes to the company’s future line of tablet machines, which Motorola defines, in a recent video teaser, as the “next chapter in tablet evolution.” Yes, that’s exactly what it’s saying, along with some other interesting stuff such as: good graphics in a portable slate, high durability / flexibility, and high-resolution screen with muli-lingual support. In addition to that, the firm that has brought to the world the BlackBerry phone, is now finding itself head-to-head against some big opponents like Apple or Samsung, and judging by the video, doesn’t appear to be afraid. As a matter of fact, it’s actually mocking them by naming the iPad as a “giant iPhone” or by stating that in practice, the Galaxy Tab runs an Android OS  “for a phone” rather than a suited platform for a tablet device. OH! And this lovely bee that you see at the end…Well, you just never know, there might be an Honeycomb in there, somewhere.

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[YouTube]

ASUS 10-inch EPad Tablet Surfaces in Computex 2010

Asus is really getting us confused. It wasn’t so long ago when we wrote a post, reporting about the new EEE tablets lineup the company is expected to launch shortly, with new models like 12-inch Eee Pad EP121 and the 10-inch Eee Pad EP101TC. So far so good, right? Wrong! Because the guys at jkkmobile have just spotted (in Computex 2010) yet another model which suspiciously looks pretty similar to the EP101TC, this time carrying an “EPad” title written on a placard, up front. Now, whether it’s the same tablet or not, this “new” revelation houses a 10-inch capacitive display, running Windows 7 for the OS and probably, just probably NVIDIA Tegra 2 under the coat. The CPU is clearly from Intel, however we can’t be sure what other internal parts this bad boy will boast. For the meantime, make sure you check out the hands-on video after the jump.

Continue reading ASUS 10-inch EPad Tablet Surfaces in Computex 2010

Kno Dual-Screen Tablet Breaks Cover at D8

It’s not the first time we get to see a slick and not so slimy dual-screen device emerging from the shadows, MSI has already released one a few months back and Microsoft is also rumored to have at least one on the prep – but today, boys and girls, it’s all about Kno and its neat dual 14.1-inch capacitive screens tablet (1440 x 900 screen resolution), that is said to be powered by a Linux operating system, running sort of a Webkit UI on top. In general, this 5.5 pounds giant comes equipped with e-book reader capabilities, and packs a 7 hours battery, along 16GB of storage and a Tegra 2 chip for the graphics (impressive!). It’s suppose to target worldwide students with passion to gadgets and technology and expected to be priced “under $1000” range. Availability, is yet to be determined, though. Vids and PR after the break.

[via engadget]

Continue reading Kno Dual-Screen Tablet Breaks Cover at D8

LG UX10 tablet Makes First Appearance at Computex 2010

Details scarce at the moment, but this is definitely an exciting time to join the tablets parade, and LG is one of the many companies that currently seek to do so. Need a proof? Check out its latest LG UX10, which undoubtedly belong to this burgeoning category, with that 10.1-inch LED capacitive touchscreen (not very responsive at the moment), featuring an Intel Atom Z530 processor under the lid, tucked with 1GB of DDR2 RAM, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, an SD card slot, a micro-HDMI output, 1.3mp camera and Windows 7 Home Premium for the OS – yes, it runs a Microsoft platform inside. Price and availability are yet to be determined, but a short hands-on video is right after the break.

[via engadget]

Continue reading LG UX10 tablet Makes First Appearance at Computex 2010

Apple Annual WWDC Event To Take Place In San Francisco on June 7th

Apple has just announced the official dates for 2010 “Worldwide Developers Conference“, which will kick off on June 7th at the Moscone West conference hall in San Francisco, CA. Those of you willing to pay $1600 for a ticket will get the chance to hear Steve Jobs et al talking about various issues, including iPad development tools and methods, the use of “HTML5 Local Data Storage”, a possible new OS X announcement, gaming integrations, OS 4 implementations and hopefully…HOPEFULLY what we all have been waiting for – Apple’s next-gen iPhone 4G revelation. Full PR after the break.

[Apple]

Continue reading Apple Annual WWDC Event To Take Place In San Francisco on June 7th

iPhone OS 4 Announced, Adds Multitasking, In Apps Ads, Folders, and More To The iPhone

The iPhone OS 4.0 event we’ve all been anxiously awaiting, just ended with Apple delivering some striking news to the world. But before getting to those shocking news we just heard, here’s some other details that might be worth considering: As of today Apple sold about 450,000 iPads throughout the States (along 50M iPhone devices), while users have downloaded about 600,000 books and over 3.5 million apps, thus far. The iPhone OS 4 which suppose to get official release this summer, is said to provide more than 1500 new APIs for developers, who can now actually download the fourth SDK Beta package from the iPhone Dev Center, and start shaping their magical crafts.

Moving the focus point over the main buffet, it’s all about the multitasking (Finally!). Yes, you’ve heard that right folks, Apple’s OS 4 is said to include multitasking (…and I’ll repeat myself again: ‘multitasking’). Of course it will work if you have an iPhone 3GS in your bag. Earlier devices, according to Jobs, amongst you’ll find “The iPhone 3G and iPod touch 2nd generation will run “many things”, but they will not get multitasking”.  In that note, Apple says it’d actually provide seven multitasking services including: background audio streaming like Pandora playing music all day long without the need to be stopped, Voice over IP apps like Skype taking calls even when you browse, background GPS and location apps, push and local notifications, task completion like Flickr image uploaded i background, and last but not least, fast app switching – all to be safely activated without the worry of battery draining.

Next in line is the new form of Folders, which aims to organize, and make sense out of the dispersed field of applications. With iPhone OS 4, users are said to be able to drag and drop apps onto one another to create folders, that from now on can hold up to 2160 apps instead of 180 apps you used to see over 11 pages.

Cupertino is also pushing forward today the Unified Inbox function, which gathers multiple email accounts (like MobileMe, Yahoo, Gmail, etc) into one single box, and thus eliminates the need to jump from one window to another. Apple has also enabled in this session the possibility of getting third-party email attachments straight into your phones – Yay, attachments are on!

iBooks gets to the iPhone OS 4 as well, with Apple taking advantage of recent iPad e-book galore.

Gaming Center. Another big news, especially for the gamer geeks between us. With Apple, building a social iPhone gaming network, which basically allows you to challenge your friends, compare achievements, leaderboards, match making  and more. In other words, it’s like the Xbox Live, but for the iPhones.

iAds. Suddenly everything that starts with the letter “i” is an Apple related product, eh? But seriously now, it was Steve Jobs who was quoted saying that free apps “Developers need to find a way to start making their money”… so far so good, but how? Apparently, Apple will sell interactive in-apps mobile ads, that everyone can create, not only ad agencies but also iPhone app developers that will split revenues with Apple (60/40) in exchange for selling and hosting their ads. Apple is said to use HTML 5 format to create those ads – interesting!

More coming up  features to include: Home screen wallpaper installation, Bluetooth keyboard support, 5x digital zoom, Spell check like in iPads, Playlist creation, Map overlays, Video playback and capture, and more.

So this is it guys, it’s huge and in some parts very surprising. A short multi-tasking OS 4 hands-on video is just after the break and you can also watch the full iPhone OS 4 keynote event on video on Apple’s website right here.

Update: Full PR announcement after the break.

Continue reading iPhone OS 4 Announced, Adds Multitasking, In Apps Ads, Folders, and More To The iPhone

Apple iPhone OS 4 Event Will Take Place On April 8

Thought the iPad is the only thing you’re going to hear from Apple about in next couple of weeks? Think twice, because the restless company from Cupertino California has just announced it will hold an iPhone OS 4 event for developers on April 8th (10AM PT), where it will presumably unveil a “sneak peek of the next generation of iPhone OS software” – huzzah! Looks like someone wants to prove something to the world, if this event takes place so close to Apple’s iPad launch, isn’t it?

Hanvon BC10C and BA10E TouchPad Tablets Abruptly Emerge at CeBIT

Details scarce at this point, but a company called Hanvon just rolled out two impressive tablet machines, BC10C and BA10E, both under the suspiciously familiar brand – ‘TouchPad’ (you hear that Apple?!?). And while these two share this nice 10.1-inch capacitive multitouch display and Windows 7 Home Premium on top, there are some slight differences between them that worth to be mentioned and note. Starting with the BA10E model, it runs a 1.6GHz Atom Z530 processor inside, paired with 1GB of RAM, 120GB hard drive, WiFi, Bluetooth, a 1.3mp camera and a mediocre Intel GMA 500 graphics card. Mind you that specs clearly indicate a Windows XP system while in demo itself the tablet was operating under a touch-friendly Windows 7 OS. The second, BC10C has a 1.3GHz Intel Celeron ULV743 CPU, tucked with 2GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, WiFi, Bluetooth, and 2mp camera –  which make it more strong. The company says that prices should be somewhere between 500 – 600 Euros, but we still don’t have any confirmation about release dates or any official pre-orders call. Hands-on video after the break.

Update1: The the BC10C launches in China March 25th, for $877, but ’till then, Jkkmobile has just released their Hanvon’s hands-on video, and they seemed very impressed with the results, so check it out as well, after the break.

Update2: We’ve just added another hands-on video from Jkkmobile, this time a lot more intrusive and comprehensive than previous. Hit the jump to watch it now.

Update3: According to jkkmobile, Hanvon’s TouchPad B10 release has been rescheduled again, this time towards the end of May, if you’re a Chinese buyer, and somewhere around June for the rest of the Western world. Prices remain with no change though, standing at $877.

[via engadget]

Continue reading Hanvon BC10C and BA10E TouchPad Tablets Abruptly Emerge at CeBIT

Archos 7 Home Tablet Introduced, Running Android Platform and ARM 9 CPU Onboard

We’ve already seen a glimpse from Archos’ 7-inch Android-powered tablet one month ago, but now things turn to be official at CeBIT 2010, with the French debuting their 600MHz ARM 9 Home Tablet machine, aiming the low cost market with attractive and very affordable prices – €149 in Europe and only $179 Stateside. And despite that unconvincing HD friendly resistive touchscreen, we can find a lot of reason for you to buy it. First and foremost, it’s cheap, second, it comes with WiFi so you can easily surf the net without the need for other device, third, it looks great at 12mm thin and weighs only 350g and fourth, it has 2GB of storage capacity inside and a microSD card extension slot. No, it doesn’t include an integrated accelerometer inside so you won;t be able to see your photos in landscape mode or read your favorite eBook vertically, but still, for that pricing level it sure worth a try, especially when it comes to the battery that delivers seven hours of video or 44 hours of audio playback. Checkout the hands-on video right after the break.

Update1: And just when things are getting busy within the tablet realm, the Android-powered Archos 7 8GB tablet device appears online in couple of places, available for a pre-order (and as an iPad alternative) for merely €200 ($270) on the German Amazon or at €180 ($240) on Redcoon’s website.

Update2: Looks like the Archos 7 Home Tablet is now finally available to order on Amazon for $199.99, with an official release date – yet to be determined (probably towards the end of April).

Update3: Unfortunately, the Archos 7 won’t be available in the market until early June of this year. That said, according to the French corp, those who pre-ordered the 7-inch, Android 1.6 tablet may get their piece of craft somewhere towards the end of May. Full PR after the break.

[via UMPC Portal]

Continue reading Archos 7 Home Tablet Introduced, Running Android Platform and ARM 9 CPU Onboard

ASUS Eee PC 1201PN Gets Nvidia’s ION 2 and Atom N450 Treatment

Asus has already proved it can go hand-to-hand with tech pace and bring up-to-date laptops that match the latest criteria one by one. And that is probably the reason the company has just released the Eee PC 1201PN, a Pine Trail netbook powered by Nvidia’s ION 2 graphics that suppose to replace the 6 months old 1201N which had the same looks, only with ION’s first chipset edition and a previous Atom N330 CPU version. The new one, which was spotted at the Taiwanese booth in CeBIT, packs a 12.1-inch 1366×768 LED display, along that Atom N450 Pine Trail processor, and NVIDIA’s Ion 2 for the graphics tone. Other than that, the 1201PN offers basic specs like 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi connection, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and 6 cell battery with working hours “TBD”. Stay tuned for more to come, meanwhile checkout Joanna’s hands-on video after the break.

Update: And looks like the 12.1-inch ASUS Eee PC 1201PN, powered by ION 2 chipset, is now available on Amazon for a starting price of $484, which seems pretty impressive if we take into consideration that really amazing lineup, which includes a Intel Atom N450 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive and NVIDIA GeForce 201M for the graphics.

[via engadget]

Continue reading ASUS Eee PC 1201PN Gets Nvidia’s ION 2 and Atom N450 Treatment

Mio Moov V780 MID Breaks Cover Ahead Of CeBIT

Top-notch navigating systems with 3D maps and live traffic reports are probably some of the things that come to your minds when hearing the name Mio. And while GPS systems have turned to be part of our day-to-day usage, one can argue it would just be enough to satisfy today’s self indulgent clients. I mean, lets be series for a moment, don’t you want the all-in-one package instead of carrying so many gadgets around? Well, someone in MIO has already figured that out, otherwise we’d probably seen yet another nav box hitting our headlines, no? And getting into details, we speak about the company’s latest Moov V780 MID – Entertaining machine that has recently popped out with a 7-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen and should officially see first lights at CeBIT 2010. It has a strong 600MHz processor tucked with an HDMI output, DVB-T digital TV support, a built-in WiFi and optional WiMAX connection. Furthermore, it’s claimed to include the new Mio Spirit navigation software, but OS wise, you won’t be seeing anything but Windows CE running inside, not to mention an Android 2.0. Price and availability are still to be unveiled, hopefully this coming week, at the Hannover show.

Update: The good guys at jkkmobile have managed to put their hands on MIO’s new V780 MID while at CeBIT, and we’re lucky to have their video up and ready to be watched, right after the break. As you can see, the V780 will presumably offer an optional cradle where users will be able to place the V780 in and do their stuff with a real QUERTY keyboard attached – something we have seen in Lenovo’s U1 Hybrid machine, remember?

[Mio]

Continue reading Mio Moov V780 MID Breaks Cover Ahead Of CeBIT

LG Takes The Wraps Off X140 and X200 Atom N450 Netbooks

The Pine Trail procession seems to go even further, with LG to join the marchers by uncovering two Atom N450 netbooks, X140 and X200, both to run Windows 7 Starter onboard. The X140 is claimed to include basic specs like 1GB of RAM, a 10.1 1024×600 display, a 160GB hard drive, WiFi, Bluetooth, optional 3G modem and a 6 cell battery, while the more advanced version, X200 will presumably house a more updated components such as Intel’s GMA 3150 graphics, 2GB RAM, a 250GB hard drive, Bluetooth, 802.11n Wi-Fi and a 10.1-inch display, this time with 1366 x 768 HD resolution support. Availability and prices are still undetermined, but suppose to surface at the CeBIT show, next week.

Update: We’ve added a CES 2010 X200 hands-on video, courtesy of NetbookNews. Check it out after the break.

[via Electronista]

Continue reading LG Takes The Wraps Off X140 and X200 Atom N450 Netbooks

FIC Atom N450 SVE00 Netbook Introduced

CES 2010 is over, but that as a fact doesn’t mean release frequency of Pineview-based netbooks has necessarily slowed down. On the contrary, it  probably grown even more lately. And one that already made its way out, with no a price tag mentioned, is FIC’s Atom N450 SVE00, a 10.1-inch netbook which sports Windows 7 OS, running Intel’s latest 1.66GHz Atom CPU, together with 1GB of RAM, either 500GB HDD or 32GB SSD, WiFi, Bluetooth, HSDPA connectivity, and last but not least, WiMax support. Impressive lineup, isn’t it?

fic-sve00-netbook

[via Akihabara News]