tablets

Toshiba is in the process of upping its smartphone camera game. The device-maker is creating Lytro-like camera technology for mobile devices that should be released before the end of 2013, according to the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun (h/t Engadget).

Much like Lytro's light-field camera, Toshiba's technology reportedly lets users choose what part of a photo they'd like to focus on well after they've taken the shot. It will also allow users to put the entire picture into focus. For the most part, this type of technology has only been seen in Lytro cameras and has … Read more

More people are reading e-books, and more of them are using tablets as their primary way of doing so.

The percentage of Americans who now read e-books rose to 23 percent in 2012 from 16 percent a year ago, says a report out today from Pew Internet. Over the same time, the percentage of those who read printed books dropped to 67 percent from 72 percent.

From the poll conducted in October and November, the percentage of people who own a tablet or dedicated e-reader jumped to 33 percent from just 18 percent a year ago.

But among the two … Read more

Nokia's rumored tablet looks closer to coming to fruition.

Nokia plans to launch its Windows RT-powered tablet early next year, according to the Verge, which has a few details on the rumored device.

The tablet will be paired up with a special keyboard cover that will have its own battery, allowing it to run as an auxiliary power supply. The keyboard cover will also come with a kickstand for the tablet, and will envelop the device like a book, according to the report. The tablet will have HDMI and USB ports, a cellular connection, and boasts a 10.1-inch … Read more

Tablet prices just seem to keep dropping.

Acer is the latest company to lower the bar on pricing. The company is planning to sell a $99 Android tablet, the Iconia B1, according to The Wall Street Journal. The company plans to target consumers in emerging markets, though the report notes that Acer will get clearance from the Federal Communications Commission for use in the states.

The report, which cites unnamed sources, said the Iconia B1 will come with a 1.2 gigahertz processor and pack a 7-inch display with 1,024x600-pixel resolution -- which matches the specs from the older … Read more

Samsung mobile devices can be managed from a computer using the Kies desktop software, but it requires software to be installed on your computer and the use of a USB cable. If you don't have a USB cable handy or if you avoid using cables whenever possible, the Samsung Kies Air app may be just what you're looking for.

The Kies Air app allows you to connect to your Samsung smartphone or tablet from any device or computer with a Web browser as long as both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network. The Kies Air app basically … Read more

Many happy holiday celebrants are opening up new laptops this month (or hybrids, desktops, and tablets). Unless it's a MacBook, the one thing nearly all those systems have in common is that they are going to run Windows 8, Microsoft's radically different new operating system.

The new OS means that the general advice I've been giving for years on what essential setup tweaks to do as soon as you unpack a new laptop needs to be updated for the Windows 8 era.

Frankly, no laptop comes right out of the box ready to perform optimally. The following … Read more

HTC is working on a pair of tablets running Microsoft's Windows RT operating system, according to Bloomberg.

HTC is mulling two tablets, a 12-inch version that is larger than most standard models, and a 7-inch version that is better able to compete with the likes of Amazon's Kindle Fire HD and Apple iPad Mini, according to the report, which cited anonymous sources.

Microsoft is hoping to expand its lineup on tablets running on the Windows RT operating system, which is a stripped-down version of Windows 8 that is able to run on the more power-efficient ARM chip architecture … Read more

A fresh review of a Windows 8 Acer tablet by chip site Anandtech shows it beating ARM-based devices pretty consistently on central processor unit performance benchmarks but not on graphics. The site also noted a "bug" that has delayed the release of some Intel-based tablets.

"The [Intel] Atom architecture is still faster than every single ARM based [processor] core on the market today with the exception of the Cortex A15," -- ARM's newest chip design -- wrote Anandtech when it posted a review of the Acer W510 today.

Intel's Atom z2760 "Clover Trail&… Read more

There may be life in the BlackBerry PlayBook yet.

Research In Motion's tablet saw a surprising jump in shipments in the fiscal third quarter, with the company sending out 255,000 units in the period. In the last quarter it shipped 130,000, only slightly less than the 150,000 it shipped a year ago.

So what gives? Chief Financial Officer Brian Bidulka said during an investor conference call today that there was strong "promotional activity" in North America, with RIM seeing some success with the Wi-Fi and 4G versions of the PlayBook in North America and … Read more