Tablets

EnchantMoon tablet aims to be your digital pen and paper

Would you be more willing to buy a tablet if it had a slick sci-fi promo video? How about something that mixes "The Matrix" with Apple's iconic "1984" Macintosh ad?

That seems to be what Japanese app developer Ubiquitous Entertainment iss shooting for with a series of eerie, dystopian videos titled "Brave New World" that introduce EnchantMoon, a stylus-operated tablet that lets you easily create HTML5 games and apps without programming code. … Read more

ARM's Q1 revenue jumps on mobile strength

It pays to be in mobile, especially if Apple and Samsung are licensing your technology, as evidenced by ARM Holdings' first-quarter results.

The U.K.-based chip architecture designer, whose technology powers the vast majority of smartphones and tablets, on Tuesday reported its sales jumped 26 percent to 28 percent, depending on the currency, to 170.3 million pounds, or $263.9 million. And its profit also soared, up 39 percent to 51.9 million pounds, or $79.4 million.

ARM also projected its full-year revenue would be "at least in line with current market expectations." Analysts pegged … Read more

Why your next Android tablet will be more powerful

Your Android tablet sucks. At least compared with what's coming. Later this year we'll see the release of three new Systems on Chip (SoC). SoC is simply the name used for the collection of silicon that makes up the brains of the tablet and includes the CPU, GPU (graphics processing unit), onboard memory, and other processors.

The new chips will no doubt be used to power many high-end Android tablets and are expected to deliver better-looking games, faster Web surfing, increased battery life, and in at least one case, could allow you to take better-looking photos.

Of course, … Read more

Home networking explained, part 6: Keep your network secure

Editors' note: This post is part of an ongoing series. For the other parts, check out the related stories section below.

If you were concerned after reading CNET's recent report that most home routers can be easily hacked, I don't blame you. The study did sound ominous, but the good news is that your network is likely far less susceptible than the report suggests. And more importantly, there are things you can do to make sure it's secure.

Two things are vital to keeping your network safe: proper settings and prudence. The first step is easy; you … Read more

Making the change from iPhone to Android as easy as possible

Is iOS starting to feel a bit stale for your taste? It's something I'm hearing more and more as I talk to iOS users, or former iOS users. With some amazing Android phones hitting the market, it's tough not to get caught checking out the competition -- or even feeling a bit compelled to make the jump to Android.

But before you make the change, there are some kinks that need to be worked out to make the process go as smoothly as possible. You likely have contacts, a calendar, photos, and music that you'll want … Read more

Intel loses key TV business engineer

Intel's fledgling TV business has lost one of its lead engineers, the company confirmed, potentially dealing a blow to its efforts to get the business off the ground.

Jim Baldwin, who served as vice president and general manager of engineering for Intel Media, has left the company to pursue other opportunities, an Intel spokesman said. Baldwin's LinkedIn profile, meanwhile, said he has retired from the company.

Baldwin couldn't immediately be reached for comment. The Intel spokesman said that the company has "a deep engineering leadership bench" and has taken steps internally to address the transition. &… Read more

Analysts highlight bright spots ahead of Apple's Q2 report

Apple's fiscal second-quarter results aren't expected to be particularly cheerful, but some analysts are still finding reasons to be bullish.

The Cupertino, Calif., company will report its January-March quarter results on Tuesday, and no one is expecting a blowout. The company could make history with its biggest second-quarter sales yet, but it's also expected to post its first decline in profit in a decade.

Despite worries about Apple's recent performance, BGC boosted its rating on Apple's stock to "buy" from "hold," saying investors should take advantage of the recent weakness to … Read more

Research and compare e-readers at ReaderRocket

If you're in the market for an e-reader, you've no doubt read some reviews, checked out some user feedback, maybe even spoken with friends. That's all well and good, but sometimes you just want to put the leading candidates side by side and see which one wins the day.

That's the idea behind ReaderRocket, a seriously nifty tool that compares e-readers and gives you a complete rundown of specs, features, reviews, and more -- all so you can make the most informed decision possible.

To get started, either choose one of the existing comparisons, or type … Read more

Penguin reaches pact with EU to end e-book price-fixing probe

Penguin has vowed to change its pricing strategy for digital books, including terminating an e-book pricing pact with Apple, to resolve an antitrust probe by the European Union.

As part of the deal, Penguin has agreed to terminate existing agency agreements -- those pacts that allow a publisher, not a retailer, to set prices -- and will refrain from adopting "most favored nation" pricing clauses for five years. Those had prevented retailers such as Amazon from undercutting Apple's e-book prices.

If Penguin does enter into new agency agreements, retailers would be free to set the retail price … Read more