note 10.1

Android gains in tablets, Apple slows in third quarter, IDC says

Apple's tablet market share took a hit as consumers "sat out" the third quarter in anticipation of the iPad Mini, analyst firm IDC said. Android tablets made gains as a result.

After a strong second quarter, Apple's unit shipment growth slowed in both consumer and commercial (including education) markets, according to an IDC report published Monday.

"We believe a sizeable percentage of consumers interested in buying an Apple tablet sat out the third quarter in anticipation of an announcement about the new iPad Mini," said IDC analyst Tom Mainelli in a statement.

Apple's … Read more

Prizefight: The iPad takes on the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1

Two of the hottest rivals in tech meet up in the ring to battle it out for tablet bragging rights: the third-generation Apple iPad and the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1.

The Samsung brings a touch interface and a stylus in one single package. With those features, the Galaxy 10.1 is catering to a different type of use. Is the iPad still the tablet king of the ring? Or does Samsung bring a more innovative product this time around?

Which is your Prizefight champ? Vote now!

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 teardown shows rigid, repair-friendly design

After cracking open Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 last year, I criticized Samsung for making the tablet feel flimsy and using tamper-resistant screws on the unit's back cover. Samsung addressed both my concerns in the 10-inch Note, but there's still one component that's tough to fix.… Read more

Latest rivalry between Samsung, Apple: Tablet margins

The tech world's version of the Hatfield and the McCoys has another battleground to slug it out for bragging rights. This time the competition turns on who can turn out a tablet computer with the fatter profit margin.

In their latest product teardown, the folks at IHS Teardown Analysis Service dissected the Galaxy Note 10.1 and found that Samsung could wind up with a better profit margin for its tablet than Apple could on the iPad -- but with one big "if": Samsung will have to be resist the temptation to discount.

A preliminary analysis of … Read more

James Franco takes the role of Galaxy Note 10.1 spokesman

It seems to make sense that actor, director, short story writer, and Ph.D. candidate for Yale's English program James Franco would be the new spokesman for Samsung's Galaxy Note 10.1. The company is aiming to show that while Franco is a man of many talents, the device can also accomplish many tasks at once.

In a new TV ad for the device, which Franco claims to have directed himself, the actor is seen walking around his house using his Note to look up information with the touch pad, write down messages with the S pen stylus, … Read more

This week in awesome: Twelve 4-star gadgets and apps

I'd call this week the calm before the brewing Motorola/iPhone/rumored smaller iPad/Kindle update/Surface storm, but in truth, fall gadget winds are already whipping up. This week's Microsoft Release to Manufacturing of Windows 8 signals the company's final few weeks before a hurricane of Windows 8 machines blow into the market.

Storm metaphor too heavy-handed? I'll just cut to the chase: Seth Rosenblatt took a very close look at this final version of Windows (it's the code that ships to partners installing the OS on new computers) and made a call: It'… Read more

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 makes a good effort, but iPad is still tops

Anytime a major vendor releases a new tablet, I inevitably get asked the following question: can it take on the top dog? That "top dog" being the iPad, of course.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is the latest such device to get the "How does it compare with the iPad?" treatment. Let me break it down for you.

Well, the technology behind the S Pen stylus is really cool, supporting things like pressure sensitivity and palm rejection. This will no doubt benefit figure artists and even those who want a bit more precision when putting one person's head on another's body in Photoshop Touch. Ahhh, wackiness.… Read more

Get top dollar for iPhone trade-ins

Wednesday's Update pays top dollar to bring you the top stories:

Analysts are predicting that as many as 10 million iPhones could be sold if Apple launches it in September. That's because many reports are pointing to a Sept. 21 release date for the next model. So if you're planning on selling your old phone for cash, you should plan ahead to make the most money. Trade-in sites like eBay Instant Sale, NextWorth and Gazelle are already seeing an increase of visitors looking to sell an iPhone 4S or iPhone 4.

You can get more money for … Read more

With Galaxy Note 10.1, Samsung gets a fresh start in tablets

The Galaxy Note 10.1 doesn't just represent a new product, it also represents another shot for Samsung Electronics to do the tablet business right.

It's no secret that Samsung's Galaxy Tab line has done poorly, with recent court filings revealing the company sold a total of 1.4 million tablets, including the original Galaxy Tab, the Galaxy Tab 10.1, and Galaxy Tab 10.1 LTE -- a mere fraction of the millions of iPads that Apple has been able to sell in the same period.

That's largely why Samsung is putting its resources behind … Read more

Samsung: Give home-grown phone, tablet apps more love

At an event in New York today, Samsung launched its new flagship tablet, the quad-core Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 with Android 4.0 and a stylus capable of performing a long list of tasks.

The Note 10.1 is Samsung's best tablet yet, and the S Pen stylus gives it a boost. There's just one problem: while the S Pen's touch-pad tricks look impressive on any canvas, once digital pen hits digital pad, the experience becomes riddled with an inflexible learning curve, logical skips, and interruptions in execution. Most of these accumulate around Samsung's home-grown … Read more