Tablets

More people are interested in the Kindle Fire HD, which starts at $199. But for those who don't want to spend that much, Amazon is running a Cyber Monday deal on the entry-level Kindle Fire (8GB), which was updated a couple months ago with a faster processor.

Enter the promotional code "FIREDEAL" at checkout and you can pick up the "new" Kindle Fire for $129, or $30 off its list price. That's a pretty nice deal, though I'd personally opt for the Fire HD.

This is the second time in the last few … Read more

Samsung said today it has sold more than 5 million Galaxy Note 2 devices worldwide, just two months after the product was first released.

The Korean technology giant said in a statement (Google Translate) that sales of the part-phone, part-tablet -- a so-called "phablet" -- hit the milestone around a month after Samsung sold 3 million of the devices in the first 30 days after its release.

The 5.5-inch device is selling at roughly three times faster than its predecessor, the original Galaxy Note, which took three months to hit the 3 million mark.

Earlier predictions by … Read more

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean includes a new feature called Daydream. Daydream is nothing more than a different name for a screensaver, but for your Android device. You can choose from one of the five default Daydreams to start playing when your device is docked, charging, or both.

It turns out one of the available Daydreams is hidden by default. It requires the device owner to perform a task in order to unlock the dream. Had it not been for this post on Android Central, I would have thought it was visible by default.

One of the first things I … Read more

Apple and Samsung continue to hurl gadgets at each other in their seemingly never-ending patent battle.

Midweek, Samsung filed a request that the iPad Mini, the fourth-generation iPad, and the fifth-generation iPod Touch be included in a California case set to go to trial in 2014. Not to be outdone, Apple responded last night by asking that several more Samsung devices, including the Galaxy Note 2, the Galaxy S3 with Android 4.1, and the Galaxy S3 Mini, be covered by the case.

The last round of tit-for-tat additions to the list of gadgets covered by the case included Apple'… Read more

Here's a quick Thanksgiving/Black Friday question for you.

In the run-up to Christmas, Hanukkah, and all the other gift-laden winter holidays, would you rather go after a bargain by letting your fingers loll about on the screen of a smartphone or tablet -- or mix it up with the punch-throwing, gun-toting, um, customers at your local big box store?

We thought so. And if data from eBay is any indication, that instinct toward self-preservation is strong in many of us (or at least an increasing number of us). For the data shows that, since last year, Thanksgiving and … Read more

Congrats to David A. of Torrington, Conn., for winning a Guild Wars 2 Collector's Edition and five game access codes in last week's giveaway. This week's prize is the best Black Friday deal you could possibly get -- a free Android touch-screen tablet designed, tested, and FDA-approved for children 18 months and older.

Yes, the 7-inch Vinci Tab II is a tablet just for children -- or, as my CNET colleague James Martin likes to call it, a "chablet." It comes preloaded with educational material designed to simulate a kindergarten curriculum and aimed at engaging developing minds in areas such as social skills; language and literacy; and math and logical reasoning. Apps can be used in English, French, Spanish, and Chinese. … Read more

Have you ever begun to edit a photo and before you know it -- three filters, a border, and a crop later -- you've lost track of where you started? Going back to view the original photo is an option, but then you risk saving the current edit, or losing it altogether and having to start all over.

A post on Droid Life reveals a new feature in Android 4.2 that allows you to view the original photo during the edit process. It's simple to use in order to compare an original photo to the freshly edited … Read more

Life in the tablet category used to be simple. There were 7-inchers and 10-inchers and comparisons only occurred within each tablet's size category. This year however, Apple, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble have successfully muddied the once-clear waters by respectfully releasing 7.9-inch, 8.9-inch, and 9-inch tablets.

So how do they compare? Let's find out.

Screen The iPad Mini's 7.9-inch, 1,024x768-pixel screen has wide viewing angles and good color reproduction, but when it comes to resolution, it can't hold a candle to either the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 nor the Barnes & Noble Nook HD+. … Read more

iPad buyers can score a decent deal on a 3rd-generation model through Best Buy, but the offer is good only for today.

The retailer is selling the 64GB Wi-Fi-only black version for $649 and the 32GB Wi-Fi black and white variants for $549. Both prices are $50 off the original retail price for the 3rd-gen model, which Apple discontinued after introducing the 4th-generation iPad.

Apple does offer refurbished editions of the third iPad, selling the 64GB Wi-Fi model for $549 and the 32GB Wi-Fi model for $469.

But Best Buy has sweetened its deal by throwing in a $75 gift … Read more