Tablets

How to enable metered Wi-Fi connections in Windows 8

One of the new features of Windows 8 is metered wireless connections. In the past, you could run Windows programs to monitor your data usage, but they didn't do anything to actually reduce data usage. With mobile hot spot and broadband card usage on the rise and unlimited data plans nearing extinction, every kilobyte of bandwidth saved is a penny earned. Enabling metering in Windows 8 will limit your PC or tablet's data usage by preventing nonessential data transfers.

According to Microsoft's FAQ on metered connections, the effects of enabling a metered connection are:

Windows Update will … Read more

Intel inside the iPad? Maybe, if it builds iPhone chips, RBC says

RBC Capital Markets has a new twist to the frequent Apple-Intel relationship rumors, and this time, it could actually be good news for Intel.

According to RBC analyst Doug Freedman, Apple may be contemplating a new relationship where Intel would build Apple's self-designed ARM-based smartphone chips in exchange for Apple using Intel's X86 processors in certain new devices, like the next-generation iPad.

While it may seem illogical for Apple to use different processors in its mobile devices, that could be one way for it to secure enough capacity and use chips on the leading edge of technology. After … Read more

Delete downloaded app history from Google Play

Downloading apps, especially free apps, can be quite addictive. You see a random free app featured on a blog, linked to in a tweet or mentioned by a friend and you promptly download it. You soon realize the app adds no real value to your life, so you delete it from your device. Somewhere down the road you want to re-download an app from your Google Play Store history. You browse on over to your download history only to find a never-ending list of apps.

In the past you'd be stuck with this long list of apps; unable to … Read more

Preorder e-books from Google Play

Popular Web sites that sell e-books like Amazon and Barnes & Noble allow you to preorder titles with your credit card. Google Play Books now offers the ability to do the same, from the Web or your Android device.

To allow preordering of titles, you'll need to make sure you have a payment option available in Google Play, like Google Wallet or carrier billing.

Step 1: Open Google Play Books in your Web browser or on your Android device. When using an Android device, just open the Google Play Store and tap on Books.

Step 2: Search for the … Read more

Mozilla invests in Everything.me, marking first VC foray

Mozilla has taken its first step into the VC world, investing in Everything.me to support the startup's efforts in creating HTML5 mobile app technology.

Mozilla was one of several investors in a new $25 million round for Everything.me. The investment was led by the Silicon Valley-based venture team of Telefonica Digital, and it also includes funding from SingTel Innov8 and previous investors including Draper Fisher Jurvetson, DFJTF, BRM Group, and Horizons Ventures.

Everything.me, formerly DoAT, provides technology that enables smartphones to quickly and easily match a user's needs with the most relevant HTML5 content. The … Read more

Apple wins Dutch ban on certain Samsung Galaxy devices

A Dutch court ruled in Apple's favor today, ordering the ban of certain Samsung Galaxy tablets and smartphones due to patent infringement.

The ban applies to older Samsung Android-based products that use an Apple-patented method for scrolling through images in a photo gallery using a touch screen. According to the court, those are Samsung's Galaxy device versions 2.2.1 and higher that don't use Samsung's updated "blue flash" photo gallery technology.

The two companies have been in a constant battle over patents related to the mobile market. So far, neither has emerged as … Read more

iPad holds 71 percent of China's tablet market, report says

The iPad may be shedding market share globally but it's reportedly staying strong in China.

For the third quarter of this year, Apple grabbed 71.4 percent of the Chinese tablet market. That was down a percentage point from the second quarter, but still far ahead of Lenovo with a 10.5 percent share, Reuters said, citing a report from research firm Analysys International.

In third place among tablet makers was Chinese company Ereneben with a 3.6 percent cut of the market, trailed closely by Samsung with a 3.5 percent share.

Overall, China's tablet market climbed … Read more

iPad Mini, iMac to face supply shortages, report claims

Apple may ship a smaller number of iPad Minis and iMacs this year than initially targeted, say the folks at DigiTimes.

Manufacturers of display panels for Apple's new 7-inch tablet are running into low yield rates, while companies making the backlight modules are facing a limited stock of supplies. Those two issues will affect the number of iPad Minis that can be shipped this year, sources reportedly told DigiTimes.

Both AU Optronics and LG Display provide the panels for the iPad Mini. But AU Optronics has bumped into production issues, causing its percentage of shipments to fall to around … Read more

Disable lock screen widgets, camera access on Android 4.2

At first glance, the lock screen widgets in Android 4.2 may seem like a convenient feature. But you may soon realize having all of your personal information plastered on what was once a secure screen, isn't ideal. Removing the widgets is simple, but you're still left with the box outlines every time you wake your device, which can get annoying. And there's no way to disable widgets, or camera access for that matter, on the lock screen built into Android 4.2.

Thankfully, an Android developer has released a free app titled Lockscreen Policy, enabling you … Read more