Nvidia reveals 7-inch, $199 Tegra 4-powered Note for OEM partners

Nvidia has officially taken the wraps off the Tegra Note, an Android-powered tablet that hopes to shake things up in the already overpopulated market. Nvidia won’t be selling the slate directly but will instead rely on partners like EVGA, PNY Technologies and Zotac to handle that task.

Microsoft will pay at least $200 for your old iPad

We’ve seen Microsoft attack Apple in the past through clever commercial spots and by launching a comparison website but now Redmond is going after Cupertino’s hardware directly. From now through October 27, Microsoft will offer at least $200 to anyone that trades in their old iPad.

There are a few caveats worth mentioning from the get-go. Instead of cold hard cash, traders will receive a gift card to the Microsoft Store that can be used toward the purchase of a Surface tablet or any other Microsoft gear. Eligible devices include the iPad 2, iPad 3 and iPad 4 and you must bring it (along with the power cable) to a physical retail location as it doesn’t appear there is an online option.

It’s all part of Microsoft’s plan to convince iPad owners to dump Apple and play for their team. Doing so thus far has proven difficult as Microsoft was forced to slash prices on existing models after a $900 million write-off.

If you are on the fence about whether or not to get a Surface tablet, you’d be well advised to hold on to your money for a couple of weeks. That’s because Microsoft will be unveiling a refreshed line of Surface tablets on September 23 in NYC. The revised flagship machine is expected to ship with Intel’s latest Haswell processor for improved battery life and 8GB of RAM. The Surface 2, on the other hand, will be powered by Nvidia’s Tegra 4 SoC and will run Windows RT 8.1.

Jelly Bean for Xperia P or Jelly Bean for Xperia S Tablet?

Jelly Bean Update Rumors for Xperia P Tablet and Xperia S Tablet

 At that time we had hopes that Xperia P tablet will get Jelly Bean soon. Even the users would have had such expectations. But we have some disappointing news for Sony Xperia P users. Jelly Bean for Xperia P tablet seems to be impossible at this point in time.

Well, nothing is confirmed yet. These are rumor rounds ups. But as per the rumors it is anticipated that Android Jelly Bean 4.1 for Xperia P may not surface. Sony faces a challenge as far as sales of Xperia P tab are concerned.

But there’s some good news for Xperia S Tablet fans. Jelly Bean for Xperia S tablet is expected very soon. Yes, we could find this out from this link: http://www.tabletguide.nl/25823/sony-tablet-s-en-xperia-tablet-s-krijgen-android-jelly-bean-update-tablet-p-niet/

The link is in non-English. But we have translated and interpreted this as below:

At IFA 2012 Sony has unveiled Xperia S tablet. The company has more expectations from this tablet. Since Xperia P faces sales issues there does not seem to be too many good news for this. Of course, this means that Xperia P owners have a bit of hard luck. However, again we would like to remind that nothing is yet officially confirmed. But one of the Sony’s employees shared that possibly nothing much would come up on Xperia P. Thus Jelly Bean update for Xperia P may not be possible.  Also, Jelly Bean update for Xperia S tablet is a possibility. When will this become reality is still not finalized. So what we can do right now is just wait and watch as to when is Jelly Bean coming on Xperia S tablet.

We shall share news on this as and when we get the same. Just stay tuned for more info on this. We shall update you with news on the same. Also, do share with us what you out this.

Samsung filings reveal 11.8" 'retina' tablet, two new WP8 smartphones

Court documents published as part of the Apple and Samsung trial that got underway on Monday have revealed the South Korean firm plans to release a 11.8-inch tablet some time this year with a retina-like display, as well as two new smartphone's destined to run Microsoft's upcoming Windows Phone 8.

The Verge spotted the tablet, codenamed P10 in the paperwork, and noted it will be fitted with a 2560 x 1600 pixel 11.8-inch touchscreen panel, trumping the iPad's 2048 x 1536 resolution with a slightly lower but still 'Retina'-like pixel density of 256 ppi. For reference, the iPad's 9.7-inch display has a pixel density of 264 ppi.

The tablet is listed as a 2012 device, but other than that nothing else is known. Samsung recently sent out invites for the launch of its next Galaxy device in San Francisco on August 15, so it's entirely possible they will announce this new tablet at the event, possibly alongside other new “Galaxy” branded products.

Samsung is also planning two new smartphone's, codenamed 'Odyssey' and 'Marco' ahead of Windows Phone 8's launch later this year. While its unclear exactly how many devices the firm plans to release running the new OS, the court documents gave an insight into what will likely be two of its flagship phones for WP8.

First up, the 'Odyssey' will feature a 4.65-inch Super AMOLED display with a HD resolution, combined with a 8-megapixel rear camera and NFC support. The 'Marco' uses a slightly smaller 4.0-inch WVGA Super AMOLED display presumably running at 800x480 pixels, and a 8-megapixel rear camera. The exact storage and memory specifications of both devices were not revealed in the filings. 

It's also unclear if these handsets are destined solely for the US market or a worldwide release, but both feature 4G LTE connectivity and are powered by a Qualcomm MSM8960 SoC, offering a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 processor. There is no question that both devices will run Redmond's next mobile OS however, as WP 7.5 is limited to single-core CPUs.

Fujitsu announces Stylistic Q702 hybrid tablet and LifeBook T902 for Q3

Fujitsu has unveiled two Windows 8-ready portables geared for the business professional. Thesystems will ship with Windows 7 sometime in the third quarter but it’s clear that both were designed with Windows 8 in mind.

The Stylistic Q702 is an 11.6-inch hybrid tablet that supports stylus input and can be paired with an optional keyboard dock much like the Asus Transformer Prime. Inside we find third generation Ivy Bridge processor support (Core i3 or Core i5), 4GB of system memory and up to 128GB of internal flash storage. The display is coated with Corning Gorilla Glass and operates at 1,366 x 768. We are told the tablet weights 1.88-pounds and can run for 4.5 hours on a single charge.

Fujitsu’s LifeBook T902 features a 13-inch Gorilla Glass display that runs at 1,600 x 900, i5 and i7 Ivy Bridge processor options, up to 16GB of RAM and up to 11 hours of battery life (with the add-on battery). Customers can configure the T902 with optional WWAN or LTE radios and there’s even a modular bay that can house an optical drive, an extra hard drive or a spare battery. Additionally, the slot can be left unoccupied to reduce overall weight (4.1-pounds without optical drive).

These business-minded systems include a bevy of professional security features including HDD and BIOS password protection and Trusted Platform Module on the Q702 and Intel Anti-Theft Technology and a biometric fingerprint sensor on the T902, just to name a few.

Pricing starts at $1,099 for the Q702 and $1,899 on the T902. Both systems will be available starting in the third quarter of this year through Fujitsu or one of their many retail partners.

Samsung readying Windows RT tablet for October launch

Samsung is reportedly working on a tablet running Microsoft's next generation operating system ahead of its worldwide release in October. According to sources familiar with the matter cited in a report byBloomberg, the South Korean firm plans to release the ARM-based tablet running Windows RT at the same time as Microsoft releases its new OS to the public.

Both of the sources asked not to be named as the plans weren't public. One of them claimed Samsung's Windows RT tablet would be released in October.

Windows RT is a fine-tuned version of Windows 8 for touchscreen devices that will be powered by ARM-based processors. Samsung’s Windows RT tablet in particular will feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC. ARM-based chips have risen massively in popularity in recent years and are now used to power a whole host of smartphones and tablets, including Apple's industry leading iPad tablet and iPhone smartphone.

Samsung's entry will provide a welcome boost to the Windows 8 tablets available at launch. Two weeks ago rumors emerged suggesting one of Microsoft's biggest OEMs, Hewlett Packard, was towithdraw from making ARM-based Windows RT tablets after the software giant unveiled its own Microsoft Surface tablet.

HP has since confirmed in a statement to Forbes it plans to focus on x86 Windows 8 tablets with business users in mind for the foreseeable future. That said, they didn't completely rule out ARM-based Windows RT tablets, saying it "continues to look at using ARM processors in business and consumer products".

If the latest rumors are true, Samsung would join Asus, Dell and Microsoft in building ARM-based tablets running Windows RT for launch in October. The launch will mark the first time ever that the Redmond software firm has released a cross platform operating system working on traditional x86 computers and notebooks as well as ARM-based tablets at the same time.

Galaxy Note 2 expected to ship later this year with 5.5-inch screen

If for some strange reason you thought the Samsung Galaxy Note wasn’t large enough already, we are now hearing that the next model expected to launch later this year will have an even bigger display. The Galaxy Note 2 will reportedly ship with a 5.5-inch screen, according to unnamed sources as reported by MK Business News.

The handset is expected to make its debut next month at Germany’s IFA 2012 trade show. Aside from the larger screen, the Note 2 will have an unnamed quad-core processor, most likely the Exynos 4 Quad. A 12-13MP camera could grace the backside of the phone, a sizable upgrade from the 8MP camera found on the original. Of course, a camera’s quality isn’t based solely on megapixels, but the bump is a nice improvement.

The report also points out that the Note 2 will arrive running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, although we are unsure what UI improvements Samsung has planned for the device.

Although 5.5-inches sounds massive for a phone screen (and frankly, it is), it really isn’t going to be that much larger than the first generation Note. But even still, many people have called the Note out for simply being too large and tablet-like, the latter complaint serving as a marketing point for Samsung. Either way, it does pose a valid concern with regards to how big is too big. After all, most entry-level tablets start at 7-inches, which isn’t too far from the 5.5-inch mark.

The Note 2 is expected to launch sometime in September or October as a direct competitor to Apple’s new iPhone. No word yet on how much the phone will cost, however.

Google estimated to earn $15 for every Nexus 7 tablet sold

It’s generally a rule of thumb for a company to produce a product that could be profitable but if you are already one of the wealthiest and most respected in the industry, that metric isn’t always required. Case in point is Google’s upcoming Nexus 7 tablet, a device that the search giant is putting out primarily to compete with Amazon’s Kindle Fire and the Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet. The $199 price tag will certainly make it competitive but is Google going to make enough profit from each sale to be worth their while?

Research firm UBM TechInsights believes it is costing Google $184 to manufacture each Nexus 7, leaving a sparse $15 profit margin at the end of the day. In contrast, it is believed that Amazon makes $46 per Kindle Fire sold while Apple generates a profit of around $170 per iPad, so why would Google even bother with such a low margin product?

There are a couple of compelling reasons, actually. First, if consumers shopping in this price range are buying the Nexus 7, that means money isn’t being sent directly to their competitors for their tablets. It could be as simple as that, but CNET also points out that Google is probably hoping to generate additional revenue streams based on tablet use. The majority of this revenue is likely to come from advertising, the publication says.

Google is expected to launch the Nexus 7 tablet within a couple of weeks. Be sure to check out our hands-on review later this evening for a full evaluation.

Nokia says Nexus 7 tablet infringes on their patents

Google announced the long-rumored Nexus 7 tablet during their I/O Conference last week. The device won’t be available until mid-July but that isn’t stopping Nokia from claiming the slate infringes on some of their patents with regards to Wi-Fi technology.

The Inquirer believes that the patents in question have to do with the IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi standard. In a message to the publication, a Nokia spokesperson said they have more than 40 licensees under their standards essential patent portfolio which includes most mobile phone device makers. The problem is that neither Google nor Asus are licensed under this patent portfolio. The spokesperson said that companies who have not licensed up should simply approach them and sign up for licensing rights.

Google’s $199 tablet features a 7-inch backlit IPS display operating at 1,280 x 800 and is powered by a quad-core Tegra 3 processor with 12 GPU cores. 1GB of RAM comes standard while users can choose between 8GB or 16GB of onboard storage. The device will ship with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the latest Google OS revision highlighted by Project Butter. This initiative is said to improve overall system performance and reduce lag at virtually every avenue.

It is believed that Nokia will simply seek to have either Google or Asus sign up for licensing rather than try to impose legal injunctions against the tablet. For their part, Asus has refused to comment on the matter for now. No word yet on Google’s response.

Google's Nexus 7 tablet gets iFixit teardown, scores well on repairability scale

The folks over at iFixit have posted another of their popular teardowns for adventurous tinkerers who like to take their gadgets apart and fix them when things go wrong. Their latest victim: Google’s new Nexus 7 tablet. The device is only a millimeter thicker than Apple’s iPad, but that makes all the difference in the world when it comes to repairability according to iFixit, which gave it a score of 7 out of 10.

By comparison, Apple's tablet received a repairability score of two out of 10 on the iFixit scale, while the Amazon Kindle Fire scored an eight and the Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet got a six.

"That's the difference between being able to open a device and service all of its internals, and not. That's the negligible difference between extending the life of your device through repair, as opposed to tossing it in a landfill. And most of all, nobody will complain about that one millimeter difference in day-to-day use, but the user-serviceability it brings will make all the difference when the device breaks," iFixit said in its report.

Their teardowns are certainly informative for those of us who like to know about the hardware that power our gadgets, although I wonder how often tablet owners are actually in a position that they need or want to tear open their devices for repair. If that need arises, however, iFixit has you covered with the required tools.

In all it took 21 steps to take the Nexus 7 apart. Here are some of iFixit’s findings:

• The 7-inch, 1280x800 HD display is manufactured by Hydis and designated model HV070WX2. The LCD is fused to the Corning glass so it’s unclear if it uses Gorilla Glass or Gorilla Glass 2.
• The L-shaped motherboard is “littered with connectors and screws”. On one side you’ll find an Nvidia T30L Tegra 3 processor, 1 GB of Hynix H5TC2G83CFR DDR3 RAM (same as Retina MacBook Pro), Max 77612A inverting switching regulator, AzureWave AW-NH665 wireless module, Broadcom BCM4751 integrated monolithic GPS receiver and Invensense MPU-6050 gyro and accelerometer.
• The back side of the motherboard holds the Kingston KE44B-26BN/8GB 8GB flash for storage.
• The 4326 mAh battery is easily replaceable without soldering or even a screwdriver.
• The official Nexus page stated there is one “speaker” in the back, but iFixit spotted a pair of drivers.

You can check out the full teardown of the Google Nexus 7 over at iFixit.

Apple pays $60 million for iPad brand name rights in China

country. According to an announcement by Chinese-based, Hong-Kong registered computer display maker Proview, the two parties reached a settlement during mediation.

This removes the last obstacle preventing the Cupertino firm from selling its popular tablet in the Chinese market.

"The iPad dispute resolution is ended," the Guangdong High People's Court said. "Apple has transferred $60m to the account of the Guangdong High Court as requested in the mediation letter." The amount was paid into the courts account so that Proview's creditors can receive the money they are owed, according to the Telegraph.

The dispute started in 2010, after Proview, a Chinese technology firm demanded Apple cease using the iPad brand name in the Chinese market, claiming they owned the rights. Apple ignored Proview's request and a legal battle ensued, which culminated in November last year when the Intermediate People's Court of Shenzhen ruled in favor of the Chinese firm.

In February, Proview then sued Apple $1.6 billion over copyright infringement, filed a temporary restraining order and demanded a formal apology. Now that settlement has been reached, Apple's latest iPad could be made available almost immediately to consumers, especially since the country's certification authorities already approved the device back in May.

"The settlement is great news for Apple. It just allows them to get on with business and stop being distracted. The new iPad has been so late to the China market that if they drag it any longer, Apple will stand to lose quite a bit more," said Teck-Zhung Wong, a Beijing-based analyst at IDC.

By Apple's standards it's a relatively small amount, which does suggest that Proview was influenced by the court or its creditors as its well known to be struggling financially. It also reflects Chinese Courts' preferences for encouraging disputing parties to reach a settlement rather than force a ruling, according to Stan Abrams, a US lawyer who teaches intellectual law to students at Beijing's Central University of Finance and Economics. 

Nokia says Nexus 7 tablet infringes on their patents

Google announced the long-rumored Nexus 7 tablet during their I/O Conference last week. The device won’t be available until mid-July but that isn’t stopping Nokia from claiming the slate infringes on some of their patents with regards to Wi-Fi technology.

The Inquirer believes that the patents in question have to do with the IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi standard. In a message to the publication, a Nokia spokesperson said they have more than 40 licensees under their standards essential patent portfolio which includes most mobile phone device makers. The problem is that neither Google nor Asus are licensed under this patent portfolio. The spokesperson said that companies who have not licensed up should simply approach them and sign up for licensing rights.

Google’s $199 tablet features a 7-inch backlit IPS display operating at 1,280 x 800 and is powered by a quad-core Tegra 3 processor with 12 GPU cores. 1GB of RAM comes standard while users can choose between 8GB or 16GB of onboard storage. The device will ship with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the latest Google OS revision highlighted by Project Butter. This initiative is said to improve overall system performance and reduce lag at virtually every avenue.

It is believed that Nokia will simply seek to have either Google or Asus sign up for licensing rather than try to impose legal injunctions against the tablet. For their part, Asus has refused to comment on the matter for now. No word yet on Google’s response.

Company converts Macbooks into tablets, sells them as "Modbooks"

Mac OS X on a tablet. Sound interesting? Los Angeles-based startup Modbook Inc. hopes you'll think so. The company intends to release its own tablet running Mac OS X, but there's one detail which makes these tablets especially fascinating: the devices are actually 13-inch Macbook Pros which have been converted into tablet form.

In 2008, a company named Axiotron had an identical idea that went by the same name: Modbook. However, when global financial uncertainty hit consumers -- and let's not forget the iPad, either -- Axiotron was pressured to close its doors. Modbook Inc. is actually the rebirth of Axiotron, according to CEO Andreas Haas, creator of the Modbook.

"When I started Axiotron, we had a great team and the company was fine. We had a great run until we went public—two weeks later, Lehman Brothers went belly up and took us down along with the financial system. Access to capital was a huge problem," Haas told Ars. "In order for me to continue on my vision of creating a tablet computer for the creative industry, the only way to do it was to create a new company."

Source: arstechnica.com

So, how does it work? All Modbook Pros start with a shiny 13-inch Macbook Pro. The company removes the display and flips it upside down, facing it outward. It's nestled atop the base while the company adds a pressure-sensitive Wacom digitizer and securely houses it all inside their own, custom conversion kit. 

One result is certain: you can bet it won't be as light as an iPad. Bear in mind though, the Modbook Pro is aimed at professionals -- digital artists, for example, who can make use of the tablet's raw horsepower and pressure-sensitive digitizer. This isn't your mom's tablet.

Needless to say, the process of chopping up a Macbook voids Apple's warranty, but the tablets get a one-year warranty provided by Modbook Inc. itself.

Although legal problems plagued Psystar's business of installing Mac OS X on PC hardware, Modbook treads slightly different territory. With the Modbook Pro, we have a genuine Macbook legitimately running Mac OS X. The laptop is merely being repurposed, repackaged and resold. When asked about legal issues, Haas said Axiotron never had troubles with Apple. In fact, Haas claims Apple even solicited him to become a "proprietary solution provider" once they discovered the Modbook back in 2008. 

No price has been set as of yet, but Modbook Inc. is advertising a September launch date. The tablet comes equipped with a 2.5GHz Intel Core i5 CPU (upgradable to an i7 @ 2.9GHz), up to 16GB of RAM, Intel HD4000 graphics and a choice between a 1TB HDD or 960GB SSD. The Modbook Pro also includes a DVD-RW.

Google's $199 Nexus 7 tablet details leaked ahead of I/O Conference

Specifications of Google’s long-rumored 7-inch tablet have leaked out ahead of the company’s annual I/O Conference that kicks off this Wednesday. The tablet is being manufactured by Asus but Google will brand and sell the unit, much like they are doing with unlocked Galaxy Nexus smartphones through the Google Play Store.

Gizmodo claims to have received a training document that details everything one would want to know about the Nexus 7 tablet. At the heart of the system is a quad-core Tegra 3 processor clocked at 1.3GHz, 1GB of RAM, a GeForce 12-core GPU and the option of either 8GB or 16GB of onboard storage.

The 7-inch IPS display features a 178-degree viewing angle and runs at a resolution of 1,280 x 800. There’s a 1.2MP camera on the front for video chats and we are told that the unit will provide nine hours of battery life from a single charge.

Additionally, the leaked document says the Nexus 7 will be the first device to ship with Android Jelly Bean, the successor to Ice Cream Sandwich. Pricing is set at $199 for the 8GB model and $249 for the 16GB variant, making the unit a solid competitor to Amazon’s Kindle Fire and the Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet.

There is no word yet on when exactly Google is planning to make the tablet available for purchase but hopefully it won’t be too long after the announcement. Most expect Google to reveal the new hardware at this week’s I/O Conference. If so, we’ll know more details come Wednesday.

Source : http://techspot.com

Acer founder: Microsoft's move into tablet hardware is just temporary

Reports indicate Microsoft didn’t give its long list of OEM partners much of a heads up before announcing its foray into full hardware production with theSurface tablet earlier this week. But even though this means the likes of Dell, Acer, Asus, HP and others will have to go into direct competition with Microsoft, perhaps they shouldn’t be too worried. At least according Acer co-founder Stan Shih, who claims the move is temporary, with Microsoft using a branded product to lead the way for other manufacturers before stepping back.

Speaking to Taipei-based Digitimes, the executive assured that Microsoft "has no real intention to sell own-brand tablet PCs" because it wouldn’t bring as much profit as simply licensing its software products. Shih claims the software giant is just looking to boost adoption of Windows 8 tablets and help expand market demand for the product line, but “once the purpose is realized Microsoft will not offer more models.”

We’re not sure if he has actual knowledge of Microsoft’s plans or if that’s just wishful thinking. Microsoft seems to have put a lot of effort into designing the Surface and went out of its way to keep it secret until the last minute to avoid upsetting their partners — why would this be an issue if they are pulling out eventually?

That said, it wouldn’t be a completely unheard of move in the industry. Google, for example, has done the same in the past with their Nexus family of smartphones and is expected to release a tablet soon. In their case however, they always partner with an OEM to design and produce the hardware.

Pantech's Element is a waterproof 8-inch Android tablet, hands-on

We got some hands-on time with the just-announced Pantech Elementtablet for AT&T here at CES 2012. The Element is a unique Android tablet that features an 8-inch display and waterproof construction.

Oh, where to start. There are a lot of cool, different things to like about the Pantech Element. For starters, I really like the size and more square'ish aspect ratio of the 8-inch, 1024 x 768 pixel touchscreen display. It offers an obviously larger amount of screen real estate than competing 7-inch tablets, but is still worlds easier to handle than the 10-inch monsters we see all the time. I like that.

I also like the fact that this low-cost, LTE tablet comes with a solid performing dual-core, 1.5GHz processor. In my quick test runs on the tablet, everything performed very smoothly. I didn't have access to data, though, so I can't say how well it performs when it comes to download speeds. I can say that you can spill your drink on it with no ill effects, though, since it is fully water-proof for up to 30 minutes in 3 feet of water. I don't really see people taking tablets out in the rain often, but it's nice to know that it's perfectly safe on your desk. Coffee be damned.

AT&T will offer the Pantech Element on January 22 for $299 with a new two-year data plan commitment. For a limited time, buyers can get the Element along with the Pantech Burst smartphone in a bundle for $249.99.

Apple to release iPad 3 in March, iPad 4 following in October

Apple could be preparing to release two new iPads this year. The iPad 3 may be unveiled in March and a secondary tablet, dubbed the iPad 4, could arrive in October, according to Taiwan component makers via DigiTimes.

Update: In addition to the information divulged earlier by DigiTimes, 9to5mac has found references about quad-core processing in iOS 5.1 which is currently in beta. This upcoming OS update from Apple is supposed to be paired with a next-generation iPad 3 and potentially the iPhone 5.

The iPad 3 is expected to ship with a QXGA (2084 x 1536 pixels) display and improved battery life but other than these two enhancements, we are told not to expect much more from the tablet. Previous rumors had pointed to two iPad 3 models, a mid-range and high-end product, being unveiled at iWorld on January 26.

The latest speculation indicates that the iPad 2 will receive a price cut to $399 with the introduction of the iPad 3. The lower price would allow Apple to compete with other vendors such as Sony, Motorola and Samsung that offer tablets at a lower price point.

Sources expect the real battle for market share to take place in the second half of 2012 when Apple ships their iPad 4. This would be around the same time that Microsoft releases Windows 8 and Intel introduces its Clover Trail-W platform. These sources suggest that the iPad 4 would feature the same 9.7-inch display as the iPad 3 but would include upgraded hardware specifications and new applications. This could perhaps include the Samsung-manufactured quad-core A6 processor that has been rumored to be the successor to the dual-core A5 SoC.

DigiTimes has a mixed track record, especially when it comes to Apple rumors. As such, we suggest you take this latest dose with a grain of salt.

Acer unveils Iconia Tab A200 and quad-core A700 tablets

Acer has unveiled two new tablets from its Iconia Tab range, one of which is set to cause quite a stir as the company begins the battle to win best product of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week.

The show stopping powerhouse of a tablet, the Iconia Tab A700 looks set to compete directly against the Transformer Prime with its massive specification list. It features a Tegra 3 quad-core processor clocked at 1.3GHz, 1GB RAM with a native 1080p “IPS quality” 1920x1200 pixel 10.1-inch display, along with mini-USB, mini-HDMI and micro-SD ports and a reverse mounted 5-megapixel camera.

It looks to be running Google’s latest mobile OS, Android 4.0 ICS, with a subtly tweaked Acer UI skin that appears to contrast well with the native ICS interface. As it’s a prototype model there aren’t many details available, including storage options, connectivity, pricing or availability.

Also making an appearance is the Acer Iconia Tab A200 tablet (below), sporting a 10.1-inch display with a 1280x800 pixel resolution. It features 8GB of onboard storage, is powered by a Tegra 2 dual-core processor with an integrated GeForce GPU. The front features a 2-megapixel camera, with another mounted in the titanium grey pattern rear cover. Also included is a mini-HDMI port and micro-SD card slot.

Initially the A200 will be available with Android 3.2 Honeycomb, with the company offering free updates to Android 4.0 ICS sometime in February. According to Acer the battery will provide enough juice to power it for 8 hours before needing recharging.

The A200 will be available from major retailers in the US from January 15 starting at around $329.99. A 16GB model will also be available for around $350.

Microsoft is in better shape than most people think, says Bernstein report

Microsoft is in far better shape as a whole than most people perceive. A 44-page report from Bernstein Research takes an in-depth look at the company’s financial situation and outlines a few possible scenarios regarding potential threats from tablets, alternative operating systems and cloud computing.

As it turns out, the company is in a good position and should be able to avoid any dire situations.

According to the report, today’s share price is reflective of a scenario in which the company’s core Windows / Server / MBD division never grows, the online division continues to drain money indefinitely and management ruins value with poorly-decided acquisitions and investments.

As Bernstein senior analyst Mark Moerdler put it, he doesn’t believe such a scenario will ultimately play out and feels that any potential threats are manageable.

With regards to tablets, Bernstein estimates that over 200 million units will ship by 2014. Tablet success will cannibalize PC sales to some degree but the report concludes that users will ultimately be buying tablets in addition to PCs, not replacing them. Furthermore, the company expects a large segment of PC sales to come from emerging markets that might not have the extra cash to spend on “luxury” tablets.

But then again, we must not forget that Microsoft is bringing Windows 8 to tablets as well. This will likely be an attractive option for enterprise users in part based on compatibility with existing applications. Microsoft is planning a public beta release of Windows 8 for February; no final release date has been announced as of yet.

Intel's 32nm Medfield handset chip benchmarked early

Fresh specifications and performance figures for Intel's upcoming handset platform have slipped out this week. Codenamed Medfield, the Atom-branded system-on-a-chip is expected to challenge ARM's grip on the mobile segment and based on the new details, it seems chipzilla right on track. VR-Zone received performance stats for a 10.1-inch (1280x800) reference tablet powered by Intel's 32nm SoC, which contains a 1.6GHz CPU, 1GB of LP-DDR2 RAM, a GPU, as well as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and FM radios.

The chip scored a healthy 10,500 in Caffeinemark 3, outpacing popular solutions such as Nvidia's Tegra 2, which scored 7,500. For reference, Qualcomm's Snapdragon MSM8260 scored 8,000, while an unnamed model of Samsung's Exynos hit 8,500. Although Medfield's performance seems solid at first glance -- and it's certainly an achievement for Intel -- that gap will likely be closed when ARM's partners release their next-gen parts. SoCs based on ARM's 28nm Cortex-A15 are due in the coming year.

Assuming Medfield is on par with the performance of its rivals, users will focus on their power consumption. Unfortunately, it seems Intel might still be lagging behind in that department. The prototype chip reportedly consumed 2.6W at idle and about 3.6W when playing 720p Adobe Flash videos and other strenuous tasks. The final Medfield parts are expected to improve those figures, pushing idle and load consumptions down to 2W and 2.6W. Even if Intel meets that target, it might not beat ARM's offerings.

Nonetheless, Medfield proves that Intel is serious about entering the mobile segment -- something that would have been difficult to say about Moorestown, the company's previous attempt at busting into the handset market.Speaking with Reuters, Mike Bell of Intel's Mobile and Communications division recently said Medfield would be "very competitive" when it ships and noted that Intel already has the next three generations in the making. Medfield is expected to receive a 22nm die shrink in late 2012.