tablets

With Google's I/O developer conference just a week away, all eyes are on the company's plans for the next version of Android.

For much of the last year we expected to see Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie. After all, leaked slides from a January Qualcomm presentation showed a midyear debut for this next build, but they were immediately pulled from the Web site.

But now, recent rumors suggest that we might actually see the debut of 4.3 Jelly Bean instead of Android 5.0. Details found in various server logs show that a JWR23B build … Read more

The 10.1-inch Toshiba AT10LE-A tablet recently leaked, and although the specs on the tablet are sparse, it's speculated to be one of the first to house Nvidia's highly anticipated Tegra 4 processor. The tablet is rumored to sport a 1.8GHz quad-core Tegra 4 system-on-chip and run on Android 4.2.1.

The leaked photos of the Toshiba AT10LE-A reveal micro-USB and mini-HDMI ports, a microSD expansion slot, and an optional keyboard dock. Until details like screen resolution and RAM are released, we're left to guess how the tablet will take advantage of the speedy, graphics-performance-improving … Read more

Microsoft's strategy to push both Windows 8 and Windows RT tablets has confused the market, according to a Toshiba executive.

In a Toshiba product launch on Wednesday in Sydney, Australia, Mark Whittard, managing director of Toshiba Australia, criticized Microsoft's dual operating system approach. Marketing two types of tablets -- one line with Windows 8, the other with Windows RT -- confused consumers, Whittard said, according to The Australian.

"I think one of the challenges is, there was a lot of confusion with Windows 8, my personal view is that they (Microsoft) confused the market with a couple … Read more

An ultrabook ultraportable PC priced at $549 must be considered, especially if it's a convertible -- a system with both a keyboard and a touch screen, the latter able to swing a full 360 degrees into tablet mode.

And I'd say no convertible has received more press than the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga, which was rightly celebrated for its slick design -- if not its operating system.

Update: I tweaked the headline to reflect that the Yoga isn't technically an ultrabook, which is Intel's designation for a system with a particular set of specs.

For a limited … Read more

There's a tablet for just about everyone. There are tablets for kids, tablets for early adopters, and tablets for the masses. Now, there's a tablet specifically designed for seniors who are skeptical about technology.

The Claris Companion may be the most welcoming-looking tablet ever created. It has rounded edges, a thick bamboo bezel, and a happy little stand that props it up. Speakers are built into the front so there's no mystery about where the sound is coming from. There's none of that shiny, futuristic aluminum and plastic look that's so popular. This tablet will settle right in with more traditional home decor.… Read more

PC shipments may finally play second fiddle to those of tablets before the year is over, at least according to one analyst.

In one scenario outlined today by Sameer Singh, head analyst at technology incubator BitChemy Ventures, PC shipments will fall to between 70 million and 75 million in the fourth quarter, while tablet shipments would rise to almost 80 million. If so, that would be the first quarter in which tablet shipments outshine those of PCs.

In a second scenario, the crossover could happen even sooner. PC shipments could decline to around 65 million in the third quarter, while … Read more

Among Android purists, the Google Nexus is widely regarded as the top tablet. I don't necessarily agree with that assessment, but I do know a good deal on one when I see it.

For a limited time, and while supplies last, TigerDirect has the refurbished Google Nexus 7 (32GB) for $129.99, plus around $4 for shipping. That's after applying coupon code QIS89281 at checkout and redeeming a $70 mail-in rebate (which comes in the form of a prepaid debit card).

Update: Perhaps unsurprisingly, this is already sold out. It's worth checking again later, though, as TigerDirect … Read more

Android may be the smartphone champ, but Apple's iOS is tops in mobile Web traffic, at least according to a report out today from analyst Gene Munster.

For the second month in a row, iOS held the lead over its rival as a source of mobile traffic, meaning that more iOS devices were tracked on the Web sites examined in the report. For April, iOS captured 69 percent of all the traffic analyzed by Piper Jaffray, leaving Android in second place with 26.5 percent.

Those numbers showed an increase from March when iOS accounted for 66.4 percent … Read more

"Real life is hard on gadgets," and so is the team at Always On. To evaluate the durability of devices, Molly Wood and her team use a series of torture tests that simulate real-life situations with the intention of damaging and destroying.

The torture tests include extreme temperatures, the unavoidable dances with gravity in the form of dropping and spilling, and wild-card tests based on viewer feedback. The variety of conditions each gadget goes through makes every torture test equally entertaining and cringe-worthy.

We've rounded up all of the tablets that got the Always On treatment and … Read more