tablets

New Windows 8 specs could open door for 7-inch tablets

Microsoft's move to relax the minimum resolution for Windows 8 devices could trigger a slew of seven-inch Windows 8 tablets.

An update to Microsoft's Windows Certification Newsletter, uncovered by Ed Bott of CNET sister site ZDNet announced the change in the required resolution for Windows 8 tablets.

To claim Windows 8 certification, a tablet can now offer a minimum resolution of 1,024x768 at a depth of 32 bits. That's a change from the previous guidelines, which specify a minimum resolution of 1,366x768. Microsoft said it isn't encouraging device makers to shoot for such a … Read more

Simplifying Archos' set of Elements tablets

Archos is making efforts to keep its tablet game strong with the release of its Elements series of tablets. The series offers a wide selection of budget-friendly tablets with a variety of options, but the similarities and differences among the many models have become difficult to navigate and decipher.

Below you will find a breakdown of Archos' Elements series beginning with the Platinum and Titanium lines followed by the rest of the, slightly obscure, Element tablets.

The most recent releases in the Elements series of tablets are currently divided into the Platinum or Titanium range. Both sets feature a variety … Read more

Razer Edge review: The Swiss Army gaming tablet

Take a Windows 8 tablet. Add Nvidia graphics. Mix in a snap-on controller. Toss in a TV-friendly dock. Suddenly, what was a gaming PC in theory can become a console; step back, and a tablet becomes a gaming handheld.

This is the promise that the Razer Edge provides: a Surface for the gaming set, if you will. It's a novel idea that no one else has made tangible yet, and the Razer Edge stands alone in that regard.

At its heart, the Razer Edge is a 10-inch Windows 8 tablet with either a Core i5 or i7 processor, like … Read more

Apple to slash iPad Mini shipments, claims report

Apple will reportedly trim iPad Mini shipments for the next quarter, according to tech-news site DigiTimes.

Citing industry sources who provide parts for the tablet," Taiwan-based DigiTimes claims that iPad Mini shipments for the second quarter will fall to between 10 million and 12 million units. The cut may be as high as 20 percent in April and then decline slightly throughout the rest of the quarter, the sources said.

DigiTimes' sources further claim that Apple recently adjusted this year's shipment estimates for the iPad and iPad Mini to 33 million and 55 million, respectively.

If the claims … Read more

Interactive Google Play app dishes up actor details

Google today introduced a new feature to the Google Play Movies and TV app for Android. Dubbed "info cards," they offer up contextually based "cards" with related information and links.

If you've ever watched a TV show or movie and wondered where you might have seen the actor before, or if you're curious what that song is playing in the end credits, these info cards save the day.

It may be a matter of pure coincidence, but Amazon today announced that X-Ray for TV is available for Kindle Fire and Wii U devices. Somewhat … Read more

Microsoft lands design patents for Surface cover keyboard

While Microsoft's Surface tablets may not be exactly clicking with consumers, some of its design elements have won the blessing of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

The USPTO granted a trio of patents today for the touch/type cover keyboard design on Redmond's tablet, including its "ornamental design for an electronic tablet with input device coupling," as Microsoft described the construct in its patent application abstracts. Apparently thinking it was onto something big, Microsoft applied for patents covering its tablet's keyboard design last May, roughly a month before the mystery event that turned … Read more

Google smartwatch in the works?

Now Google is making a smartwatch.

You didn't think Google was going to sit the smartwatch party out, did you? Since the Pebble watch made a splash at CES, we've gotten word that both Apple and Samsung are busy working on wearable tech that will talk to our mobile phones. It should come as no surprise then to find out that Google is now exploring the market with a watch based off its Android operating system. There's no date on when to expect these watches, but for now you can read reviews of ones that have already … Read more

Get a Google Nexus 7 tablet for $139.99, shipped

First up: Check out our fancy new comment system! Now you can follow conversations, sort by newest/oldest/number of likes, reply to replies, and so on. It's so...fancy!

Second up: Some 40-plus players have already signed up for my DietBet! Very excited to see how this whole thing plays out -- and hopefully drop 10 pounds in the process.

Third up: Today only, and while supplies last, 1SaleADay has the refurbished Google Nexus 7 (Wi-Fi) for $139.99. That's by far the lowest price I've seen for Google's popular tablet, and I'm just … Read more

The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 is a better laptop than tablet

The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11's keyboard is permanently attached to the tablet section and when in tablet mode, it’s bulky, heavy, and awkward to hold. Thankfully, if you’d rather lay your tablet down flat or simply watch movies on it, the Yoga 11’s flexible, dual-hinge, $649 body gives you a few useful positions to choose from. Also, in laptop mode, it makes for a pretty cheap ultrabook, as long as you don’t mind being saddled with Windows RT.

If the thought of buying a device with RT causes you to wake up in the middle … Read more

Rumor Has It: Will the iPhone 5S be a killer?

This week, it's all about the specs.

The next iPad Mini and Nexus 7 get release dates, but they'll apparently get something even more awesome: high-res screens. The next Google phone is rumored to do something so crazy that makes both of us go into a frenzy of punning. Oh, and Panasonic is bleeding money. Poor Panasonic.

And rounding out this week's rumors: one Apple analyst is sure that the next iPhone will have a killer feature that will put it ahead of the smartphone pack. What could this killer feature be? Leave us a comment and … Read more