tablet

Lenovo unveils a trio of Jelly Bean Android tablets (hands-on)

Business-friendly ThinkPad Windows laptops are still Lenovo's best-known product, but that's not stopping the company from hedging its bets with Android. The China-based manufacturer has unveiled a trio of new tablets at the Mobile World Congress show: the 10-inch S6000, and a pair of 7-inchers, the A3000 and A1000. All three run the version 4.1 (Jelly Bean) of Google's tablet operating system. Look for them in the second quarter of the year; pricing info and local availability hasn't yet been specified.

The 10-inch S6000 features a standard "blacktablets.com" looks and feel. It'… Read more

RootMyNook vs. N2A Cards: Battle of the Nook-to-Android cards

Right out of the box, the Barnes & Noble Nook HD and Nook HD+ are pretty sweet tablets. CNET commended the Nook HD for its "light, comfortable screen and sharp design," while dubbing the Nook HD+ a "fantastic tablet value."

Beyond the box, however, both tablets can do so much more. Thanks to customized microSD expansion cards from RootMyNookHD and N2A Cards, you can turn your Nook into a full-blown Android tablet.

The advantages in doing so are plain: Not only do you get full access to Google Play and all the apps therein (Barnes & … Read more

Five-deal Friday: $199 Xoom, $399 ultrabook, and more!

For anyone who's actually trying to save money (what a concept, right?), today is going to be a tough one. I've got five -- count 'em, five -- deals, each one better than the last.

As always, these are available while supplies last -- and supplies don't always last long. They're in stock as of this morning, and the prices are accurate as of this morning. That is all.

1. Acer ultrabook So I'm thinking about a new laptop. The one I'm using now is OK, but has a smaller screen (11.6 inches) … Read more

Samsung tops Apple in connected device sales in '12

Samsung surpassed Apple in the market for smart connected devices last year as the Korean electronics giant's shipments of smartphones, tablets, and PCs more than doubled, a new report says.

IDC today noted that Samsung shipped 250 million "smart connected devices" in 2012, up from 114 million the previous year. The tech research firm lumps desktop computers, portable PCs, tablets, and smartphones into that segment. By comparison, Apple shipped 218.7 million devices, up 44 percent from 2011 when it held the No. 1 spot. It had 18 percent share in 2012.

Samsung's sales surge largely … Read more

Asus teases 'metallic miracle' for Mobile World Congress

Asus has launched a new video teasing its plans for the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona later this month.

The company's video, called "Ultimate Craftsmanship. Today." shows a UFO soaring over Barcelona and landing on a church as spectators watch in amazement. The video ends with the invite to "join Asus to embrace the metallic miracle" on February 25 at Mobile World Congress.

Exactly what Asus has in store for the show is currently unknown. However, the company's Mobile World Congress event page is titled, "In Search of Incredible." A secondary headline … Read more

Surface won't dominate but it's a 'real business,' says Ballmer

Sales of Microsoft's Surface may not set the tablet world on fire, but CEO Steve Ballmer still sees a key role for the device.

In an interview published today by MIT Technology Review, Ballmer snuck past the initial question of whether he was pleased with Surface sales.

"I'm super-glad we did Surface," Ballmer said in response. "I think it is important -- and not just for Microsoft but for the entire Windows ecosystem -- to see integrated hardware and software."

But the CEO did concede that Surface isn't likely to dominate the PC … Read more

Canonical cracks the slate code, brings Ubuntu to Nexus tablets

Today Canonical, makers of the Linux-based Ubuntu OS, unveiled Ubuntu for tablets. Specifically targeting those of the Nexus variety. The OS will be available for the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 beginning Thursday.

Owners of the Nexus 4 and Galaxy Nexus smartphones will receive access to the OS on the same day and the OS will be featured at Mobile World Congress next week.

Canonical is looking to unify interfaces across phones, TVs, tablets, and PCs. Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Ubuntu and Canonical, says "Our family of interfaces now scales across all screens, so your phone can provide tablet, … Read more

Apple grabs huge slice of 2012 consumer technology sales

Apple enjoyed a healthy gain in consumer technology sales last year amid a down market.

The iPhone maker took home 19.9 percent of all consumer technology sales in the U.S., up from 17.3 percent in 2011, according to stats released today by NPD Group.

Based on sales, Apple proved to be the top consumer brand for the year, outshining Samsung, HP, Sony, and Dell. Beyond Apple, only Samsung's cut of revenues rose among the five, reaching 9.3 percent from 7 percent the prior year.

Together, Apple and Samsung scooped up $6.5 billion in higher … Read more

Tablet Tuesday: Get a Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 for $598

If you're eyeballing a tablet with business purposes in mind, a convertible might be the best way to go. You get a full-size QWERTY keyboard when you need one and nothin' but screen when you don't.

And if it helps you to stay in the Windows ecosystem, well, you need a Windows-powered convertible. Like this one: Lenovo has the IdeaPad Yoga 11 Windows RT convertible for $599 shipped when you apply coupon code USPYOGA2C214 at checkout. (Sales tax may apply in some states.) That's a full $200 off the original price.

If that code doesn't work/… Read more