HP unveils Split x2 Windows 8 hybrid with 13.3-inch display

by vinayak mathur

hp_split_x2HP has unveiled Split x2 Windows 8 tablet/ laptop hybrid, similar to the HP Envy x2 introduced last year.

The Split x2 is an upgrade on the Envy x2 in many ways. Instead of the Atom processor, the x2 comes with an option of 3rd Generation Intel Core i3 or i5 processors. The 11.6-inch has become a 13.3-inch screen, though the resolution remains the same at 1366×768. HP Split x2 comes with up to 128GB SSD storage.

Also included are Beats Audio with dual-speakers, 8-megapixel rear shooter and a front camera with full-HD video recording capabilities, just like Envy x2. Disappointingly, the RAM stays the same at 2GB, though users have the option to upgrade. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, but no NFC, which is present in the Envy x2.

Like the Envy x2, the Split x2 comes with a keyboard dock that includes a MicroSD reader, Combo audio jack, 1 USB 3.0 port, 1 USB 2.0 port, HDMI port and SD card slot. Interestingly, the dock also includes 500GB of hard disk storage, which makes it perfect for storing your media.

“Customers want to access and share content anywhere, anytime, on any internet connected device–and they expect those connections to be seamless,” said Ron Coughlin, senior vice president and general manager, Consumer PCs, HP. “The HP SlateBook x2 and the HP Split x2 are next-generation devices and the latest examples of our continued commitment to evolving the computing experience by providing the flexibility necessary for customers to be productive at home, at the office or on the go.”

The HP Split x2 will join the HP Envy x2 and the Android-based SlateBook x2 - announced alongside the HP Split x2 – as part of HP’s detachable PC portfolio.

Split x2 is expected to be available in the United States in August with a base price of $799.99. No word yet on India price and availability.

HP Split x2 specifications

  • 13.1-inch 1366×768 display
  • Intel Core i3 or i5 processors
  • Up to 128GB SSD storage, Plus 500GB storage in keyboard dock
  • 2GB RAM
  • 8-megapixel rear camera
  • 1080p front-facing camera
  • MicroSD reader, Combo audio jack, 1xUSB 3.0, 1xUSB 2.0, SD Card slot, HDMI (in keyboard dock)
  • 802.11a/b/g/n + Bluetooth
  • Beats Audio with dual-speakers
  • 9.05×13.38×0.92 inches
  • 1.90kg

Acer W3-810, first small-screen Windows 8 tablet, accidentally leaked by Amazon.com

by vinayak mathur

acer-Amazon_listingAccidental leaks seem to have become a common affair. The latest to suffer the fate is Acer with its W3-810 tablet, which is an 8.1-inch Windows 8 tablet.
According to a news report by PCWorld, Acer W3-810 was accidentally listed by Amazon.com on Friday for $379.99 (Rs. 20,500) but removed soon after.

Till date, most Windows 8 tablets that are available in the market have a 10-inch or larger display and this will be the first 8-inch offering based on Microsoft’s OS. There have been speculations in the past month regarding Acer working on an 8-inch tablet but this is the first real confirmation that this device exists and will be making its way to retail shelves soon.

As per the Amazon listing, Acer W3-810 is expected to come with the 1.8GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2760 processor along with 2GB of RAM. The tablet will offer 32GB internal storage. For camera, there is a 2-megapixel rear and front camera.

From the specs, this 8.1-inch tablet looks much like the 10.1-inch Iconia W510. So far there is no word on when this tablet will be available in the market.

This tablet was earlier leaked by French website MiniMachines, which also posted purported pictures of the device. The leaked specs were pretty much in line with what was revealed in the Amazon.com listing.

The French website had reported about a possible launch in September, so an Amazon.com listing in May is a bit of an early surprise as far as this tablet is concerned.

Nokia Lumia 520, cheapest Windows Phone 8 mobile

by vinayak mathur

nokia_lumia_520Nokia Lumia 520, that was recently unveiled in India as the ‘cheapest Windows Phone 8′ mobile, is now available for purchase from Nokia’s official website and other online as well as offline dealers for Rs. 10,499.

Nokia originally showcased the Lumia 720 and Lumia 520 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The phones were then launched in the Indian market in March. While the Nokia Lumia 520 is now here, as per company’s original statement, the Lumia 720 is expected to be available in mid-April.

Nokia Lumia 520 comes with 4.0-inch WVGA display and is powered by a Snapdragon S4 1GHz dual-core processor alongside 512MB RAM and 8GB internal storage expandable up to 64GB via microSD card. The phone comes with a 5-megapixel rear camera and connectivity options include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and 3G.

The phone comes with a 1,420mAH battery and, of course, runs Windows Phone 8. Lumia 520 measures 119.9 x 64 x 9.9 mm and weighs 124 grams.

Nokia Lumia 520 technical specifications

  • 4.0-inch WVGA display
  • Snapdragon S4 1GHz dual-core processor
  • 512MB RAM
  • 8GB internal storage, expandable up to 64GB via microSD card
  • 5-megapixel rear camera
  • Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3G
  • Windows Phone 8
  • 1,420mAH battery
  • 119.9 x 64 x 9.9 mm
  • 124 grams

HP launches ElitePad 900 business tablet with Windows 8

by vinayak mathur

hp-elitepad-900Technology company Hewlett Packard (HP) Thursday entered the tablet market in India, launching HP ElitePad, designed for businesses and governments.
“The tablet replaces primary computing devices and provides an eco-system which addresses the requirements of the enterprise,” Sunish Raghavan, head, commercial PC category, printing and personal systems group, HP India, told reporters here.

The ultra thin, lightweight tablet with Windows 8 also comes with the optional smart jackets, which add connectivity options and an additional battery for longer runtime.

The price of the tablet starts at Rs.43,500.

Raghavan said the tablet with enterprise-grade features fulfilled the needs of mobility and productivity while ensuring security. It offered a solution to the problems faced by enterprises with their employees carrying multiple devices, compromising data security. It encompassed all features of a notebook and if the device is lost, one can remotely trace it and erase the data.

The battery supports the tablet for eight hours but with expanded battery it can be used for 19 hours. The other features of the 0.63 kg and 9.2 mm thin tablet include 10.1 inch diagonal display and e-printing.

Mozilla rolls out test build of Firefox browser for Windows 8

by vinayak mathur

Mozilla_firefox_metro-screenshotMozilla is now playing catch up with Windows 8. The company has rolled out a new build of its Firefox web browser for the developers. The Firefox nightly version supports the touch-oriented UI and follows the ‘Metro’ style of Windows 8 apps.

However, to use this Metro style version of Firefox, you need to make to first make this browser your default browser on Windows 8 device.

There were talks about Mozilla working on a browser for Windows 8 devices way back in April 2012. As a matter of fact, in October 2012, Mozilla had even given a glimpse of Firefox for Windows 8 but it is only now that the company has started rolling out the first version of this browser.

So far, there is no word on when the company plans to make this version available to all, but it should not take Mozilla long to do that now. However, TheNextWeb is contemplating that it might be May or June, or perhaps even later when we will be able to see the final build of this version of Firefox browser.

It is noteworthy that Google is already offering a Metro style version of its Chrome browser for quite some time now and Mozilla is already lagging behind.

In the meantime, Mozilla is also working on developing smartphones based on Firefox smartphones. The company has already released two smartphones Keon and Peak smartphones for the developers. There are also speculations doing the rounds that ZTE will be launching the first Firefox smartphone at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2013.

Microsoft sells 60 million licences, upgrades of Windows 8

by vinayak mathur

Windows-8-Microsoft-Store-600x386Microsoft has sold 60 million licenses and upgrades for its new Windows 8 operating system in the 10 weeks since its launch, one of the top executives of the company’s Windows unit said at the Consumer Electronics Show.

The figure marks a solid but unspectacular start for Microsoft’s new flagship product, which has not managed to revive lagging personal computer sales, while new touch-screen Windows devices have not yet captured consumers’ imaginations.

Windows 8 sales are growing in line with those of Windows 7, Microsoft’s last operating system, launched in 2009, said Tami Reller, chief financial officer of the Windows division, in a presentation to analysts and investors at the annual tech show in Las Vegas.

The latest Windows 8 figure means Microsoft sold around 20 million Windows 8 licenses and upgrades since the end of November, when it announced 40 million sales in the first month on the market.

That puts sales broadly in line with Windows 7, which averaged 19.4 million sales per month in its first nine months on the market, when PC sales were running at a lower level than today.

Reller did not say how many of the Windows 8 sales were bulk orders from PC manufacturers and did not break out the proportion of full license sales and cheaper upgrades from earlier versions of Windows. She also did not say how many Surface tablets – designed to tackle Apple Inc’s iPad head on – Microsoft had sold.

Final figures for PC sales in 2012, due in the next week or so from industry tracking groups, are expected to show the first year-on-year decline in a decade as consumers move toward mobile computing on powerful tablets and phones. Microsoft’s app-based, touch-friendly Windows 8 system is an attempt to adjust to that shift.

Microsoft shares fell 0.5 per cent to $26.55 on the Nasdaq on Tuesday. They are down 6 per cent since the launch of Windows 8 on October 26.

Lenovo to launch 27-inch Windows 8 tablet

by vinayak mathur

Horizon PC-580-75Lenovo Group, one of the world’s largest PC makers, is calling the IdeaCentre Horizon Table PC the first “interpersonal computer” – as opposed to a “personal computer.”

At first glance, it looks like a regular all-in-one machine in the vein of the iMac: It’s a 27-inch screen with the innards of a Windows 8 computer built into it, and it can stand up on a table.

But you can pick it up off the table, unhook the power cord and lay it flat for games of “Monopoly.” It’s big enough to fit four people around it, and the screen can respond to ten fingers touching it at the same time.

As a tablet, it’s a monstrosity. The screen is the size of eight iPads stitched together, and it weighs 15 pounds. It’s almost as homebound as a flat-panel TV.

The Table PC will include plastic “strikers” for “Air Hockey,” and joysticks that attach to the screen with suction cups for other games, including multiplayer shooter “Raiding Company.”

In a demonstration at the International CES on Sunday, photos and videos could be rotated with fingers. Spreading five fingers at once on the screen cleared the screen of clutter, while squeezing them together brought the photos and videos back.

Lenovo, a Chinese company that owns IBM’s former PC business, said the Table PC will go on sale this summer starting at $1,699.

Microsoft pioneered the idea of a table PC with the Surface, a PC with a 30-inch touch-sensitive screen released in 2008. It was designed for store displays and other commercial applications. The concept is now called PixelSense, as Microsoft started using the “Surface” name for an unrelated tablet computer last year.

More recently, Sony Corp. released the Tap 20, an all-in-one PC that can also be laid flat. But it’s smaller than the Lenovo model, at 20 inches diagonally, and doesn’t have as much table-oriented software as the Table PC.

Samsung launches Windows 8 PCs in India

by vinayak mathur

 Samsung announced the launch of its Windows 8-based devices in the Indian market. The devices launched include the Ativ Smart PC and Ativ Smart PC Pro; Series 5 ULTRA Touch, Samsung’s first touch-enabled Ultrabook; Samsung Series 9 with 15-inch display; and AMD based Series 5 Ultrabook. All these Windows 8 based devices are now available in the Indian market.

The Ativ Smart PC and Ativ Smart PC Pro can be transformed from a traditional clamshell notebook PC to a tablet PC device with just the click of a button. These feature an 11.6-inch display, and provide computing power with Windows 8 functionality as well as full Windows 7 compatibility.

Each device features a detachable keyboard-docking system that allows users to easily switch between a clamshell notebook PC and a tablet PC form factor. In addition to commonly-provided input methods, the Ativ Smart PC and Ativ Smart PC Pro are equipped with the S Pen. The Ativ Smart PC and Ativ Smart PC Pro are only 9.9mm and 11.9mm thick, respectively. While the Ativ Smart PC Pro is priced at Rs 75,490, the Ativ Smart PC is priced at Rs 53,990.

All these Windows 8 based devices are now available in the Indian market.

The new Windows 8-based Samsung Notebook Series 5 Ultra Touch is Samsung’s first touch-enabled Ultrabook. It is packed with a 13.3-inch HD SuperBright 10-finger multi-touchscreen and 3rd generation Intel Core processor. It also includes full-size HDMI port, one USB 3.0, two USB 2.0, 3-in-1 multi SD card slot, Ethernet and 1.3 megapixel webcam. The Samsung Notebook Series 5 Ultra Touch is priced at Rs 64,990.

The new 15-inch Series 9 measures only 14.9mm and weighs just 1.65kg. It is priced at Rs 1,07,990. Samsung also announced the launch of its Series 5 Ultrabook (Series 5 535U4C) with AMD Quad Core processor. It is priced at Rs 43,990.

Apple iOS beats Google Android in US

by vinayak mathur

Early success for the iPhone 5smartphone has helped Apple to overtake Google’s Android software in the United States, research firm Kantar WorldPanel said on Tuesday.

Apple’s US market share in the 12 weeks to October 31 more than doubled from a year ago to 48.1 per cent, putting it within reach of the record 49.3 per cent it managed in early 2012.

Android’s share dropped to 46.7 per cent from 63.3 per cent, Kantar WorldPanel’s data showed, but it continues to dominate in key European markets. The platform 74 per cent market share in Germany and 82 per cent in Spain.

Its combined share of the top five European markets rose to 64 per cent, from 51 per cent a year earlier, while Apple’s share edged up by one percentage point to 21 per cent.

8 new features in Android 4.2

by vinayak mathur

1. Photo Sphere

android4.2-photo-sphere.jpgThe Android 4.2 Camera app now lets you snap pictures in any direction vertically or horizontally, similar to Apple’s panorama feature added in iOS 6. However, according to Google, the Street View-inspired panoramic view isn’t restricted to vertical/ horizontal panoramas likes its iOS counterpart, but can generate 360 degree views.

Images can be stored as Jpeg files and all of the information required to view them is embedded as open XML metadata in the image itself. You can post them on Google+ or even share on Google Maps.

2. Gesture typing 

android4.2-gesture-typing.jpgAndroid 4.2 now adds Swype-like functionality built-in to the Android keyboard. You can type messages faster by simply gliding your fingers across the letters without having to worry about spacing. The keyboard also comes with SwiftKey-like auto-prediction that anticipates the next word as you type. The OS also claims better voice-to-text capabilities. The native Android dictionary claims to offer more accurate and relevant performance.

3. Tablet Sharing/ Multiple users
Tablet Sharing is a tablet-only feature that will allow several users to use the same tablet, while keeping the personal settings (Home screen, background, widgets, apps and app data, games etc.) of each user intact on the shared device. Switching between users does not require logging out or in again. We expect this feature to be really popular, especially amongst families that share a tablet.

4.Wireless display or Miracast support

android-4.2-googlenow-wireless.jpgAndroid 4.2 brings support for wireless display which allows you to share or stream any content including movies and YouTube videos from your phone or tablet to an HDTV. All you need is a wireless display adapter that needs to be connected to any HDMI-enabled TV. You’ll then be able to view mirror images of your device on a bigger screen. The feature resembles Apple’s AirPlay that lets you wirelessly stream content between devices.

5. Improved Google Now
Google Now, a feature that was introduced with Android 4.1 displays information in a card-like view.With Android 4.2, Google Now adds more cards stating flight information, hotel confirmations, shipping details and restaurant reservations. It also brings information related to nearby attractions and movie show timings. As before, features available may vary depending upon your geographical location.

6. Daydream
This new feature lets your Android device display useful and delightful information when idle or docked. You can flaunt your photo albums, get the latest news from Google Currents and more.

7. Lock screen enhancements
Android 4.2 now adds support for widgets on the lock screen, a useful one being able to swipe directly into the camera, similar to what iOS offers.

8. Enhanced notifications
android4.2-daydream-notifications.jpgAccess the notification shade by swiping down from the top of the screen to see all your notifications in one place including missed calls, reminders and more. Apart from just accessing them, you can also see expand them to view their details and choose options to accept or decline them.

Other new additions include the pinch-to-zoom in Gmail along with two-finger pan and zoom. You can also triple-tap to magnify the entire home screen and there is added speech output and gesture mode navigation for the visually impaired users.

 

Pages:123»

8 10 Android app Apple blackberry Camera Cameras Car computer dual core processor facebook Galaxy Gizmos google Home inch india iPad iPhone iphone 4 Laptops launch launches lithium ion battery microsoft Mobile Phones music Nokia Panasonic phone RIM rs Samsung screen Sony system tablet Tablets technology time USB water Windows Xperia

Android (208)
Cameras (84)
Gizmos (807)
How to (17)
ignore (17)
Laptops (74)
Mobile Phones (295)
Tablets (168)
Tech News (654)

WP-Cumulus by Roy Tanck requires Flash Player 9 or better.