ViewSonic

LAS VEGAS--ViewSonic introduced a new member of its budding Smart Display product family at CES 2013. The VSD240, which will be available in April for $499, has a 24-inch 1,920x1,080-pixel-resolution HD LED screen, ships with Android 4.1, and runs on a 1.7GHz Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor.

The 24-inch Smart Display joins the 22-inch VSD220 in ViewSonic's Smart Display family. These boundary-blurring products have the standard functionality of Android tablets, but with a larger display. The VSD240 includes HDMI and USB ports, SD card storage, and a 1.3-megapixel camera.

The VSD240's features make … Read more

Just a few short months ago, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop and HTC CEO Peter Chou sat next to each on a panel to discuss their mutual respect for each other and shared optimism over the Windows Phone platform.

Now, the two are poised to duke it out in the courtroom.

Nokia said today that it had filed lawsuits against HTC, Research in Motion, and ViewSonic, claiming that each has illegally used 45 of its patents relating to all manner of wireless technology.

The quick about-face by Nokia underscores the company's willingness to look for new sources of revenue beyond … Read more

LAS VEGAS--ViewSonic is mostly known here in the states for its monitors and tablets, but did you know that trio of finches the company uses for a logo marks cell phones as well?

Chances are it's one that's still going to swim below most people's radar. Like so many of the phones we've seen here at CES, the ViewPhone 3 runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread. The company has added its own skin on it, which includes a rotating carousel of panels for you to easily switch among. One nice touch--each panel (for weather or the clock, … Read more

LAS VEGAS--The sneak preview video for the EXOdesk had lots of people drooling over the big touch-screen interface that's reminiscent of the Microsoft Surface, minus the honking big price tag.

The EXOdesk from EXOPC is now making a cameo appearance at ViewSonic's booth at CES. The 36-inch demonstration device begs you to run your hands all over it, so I did.… Read more

Apologies for my unannounced absence yesterday; I was attending a funeral and neglected to leave a heads-up on Tuesday.

It seems only fitting, then, that I serve up three sweet deals today. Technically, I've got five, but "five-deal Thursday" doesn't have quite the same alliterative ring.

First up, TigerDirect has the ViewSonic gTablet 10-inch Android tablet for $269.97, plus $7.50 for shipping. It's new, not refurbished, and it comes with 16GB of storage. It's on the chunky side, not unlike the $299.99 Toshiba Thrive from the other day, but the real … Read more

Microsoft struck two new patent-protection deals with hardware makers seeking to avoid being sued for using Google's Android and Chrome operating systems.

Acer signed a licensing deal with Microsoft that includes "broad coverage under Microsoft's patent portfolio for Acer's tablets and smartphones running the Android platform," Microsoft said in a press release. Acer's Iconia Tab, among other devices, runs Android.

"We are pleased that Acer is taking advantage of our industry-wide licensing program established to help companies address Android's IP issues," said Horacio Gutierrez, corporate vice president and deputy general counsel … Read more

Amid a tablet market crowded with pricey products, ViewSonic is offering more cost-conscious consumers an alternative with its new ViewBook 730.

Powered by an ARM Cortex-A8 1GHz processor and running Android 2.2, the ViewBook 730 will sell for just $250 when it makes its debut in late June. Though at that price, the tablet does skimp on a few features and specs found in more expensive models.

The 7-inch tablet provides an 800x480 LCD LED backlit touch screen with 8GB of memory and an extra 32GB of storage via a microSD card slot. ViewSonic includes a mini-USB port and a mini HDMI port, the later of which can pipe in 1080p video. A single VGA Webcam is built onto the front of the device.

As an Android tablet, the ViewBook 730 supports Flash, specifically version 10.1.

For connectivity, the ViewBook 730 comes with Bluetooth 2.1 and Wi-Fi 802.11b/g. (Sorry, no Wireless-N.) The tablet offers ViewSonic's AirSync technology, which lets it automatically receive over-the-air software updates and enhancements as they become available.… Read more

ViewSonic has unveiled its new 7-inch Honeycomb tablet, dubbed the ViewPad 7x, and its new 10-inch dual-OS tablet that can run both Windows 7 and Android.

The two tablets are on display for the first time this week at the Computex computer show in Taipei, Taiwan.

Powered by a dual-core Nvidia processor, the ViewPad 7x sports a capacitive 10-point multitouch screen (meaning you can use all 10 fingers to navigate and manipulate the screen) and provides cameras both on the front and back. The tablet includes an HDMI port and support for DLNA so it can work with an HDTV and home entertainment center. Beyond offering Wi-Fi, the device also can tap into the high-speed HSPA+ networks offered by AT&T and T-Mobile.… Read more

ViewSonic is set to unveil the industry's first 7-inch Android Honeycomb tablet at month's end, according to sources cited by tech site Pocket-Lint.

The ViewPad 7x will debut on May 31 at the Computex computer show in Taipei, Taiwan, Pocket-Lint reported, and will be a follow-up rather than a replacement to ViewSonic's existing ViewPad 7 tablet, which runs Android 2.2, aka Froyo. Following its late May unveiling, the device should reach consumers in June.

Details are scarce, but according to Pocket-Lint, the ViewPad 7x will sport an Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor, cameras in front and back, and support for the high-speed HSPA+ networks offered by AT&T and T-Mobile. The tablet would also include both HDMI and DLNA ports to pipe content through a TV or media center device.… Read more