0 Archos introduced four new "Titanium" Android-based tablets having great Display and Build Quality at Half the price of iPad

Archos today introduced four new Google Android-based tablets, priced from $119 to $249.

CES-2013, Archos introduced four devices in the "Titanium" tablet line run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and feature high-def. IPS capacitive multi-touch screens with dual-core 1.6GHz CPUs and a quad-core GPU capable of 1080p video decoding.

Despite their name, the tablets aren't made of titanium, but instead sport a "sleek aluminum design."

 The new machines come in a range of sizes — the smallest being the 7-inch Archos 70 Titanium, which is priced at $119, and "offers similar features to competitors such as Amazon, at a better price point,"

 Meanwhile, the slightly larger Archos 80 Titanium, designed to offer a similar user experience to the iPad mini, but with a more affordable price tag: $169.

Those seeking a large-screen tablet might consider the 10.1-inch Archos 101 Titanium, which is priced at $199. The star of the lineup, however, is the $249 Archos 97 Titanium HD, offering a 9.7-inch, 2,048-by-1,536 resolution screen, aiming to be "an alternative to the new iPad for half the price,”

 In addition to the Titanium tablet line, Archos unveiled at this week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas two higher-end slates that are part of its Platinum family, according to Engaged . The Platinum 97 and Platinum 80, which look strikingly similar to the iPad and iPad mini, both feature a 1.2GHz quad-core processor and 2-megapixel front and rear-facing cameras.

 The Platinum 97 measures in at 9.7-inches and sports 2,048-by-1,536 display, while the Platinum80 has an 8-inch 1,024-by-768 resolution screen. The devices will be available in March with a price tag of $329 for the Platinum 97 and $199 for the Platinum 80.

Here are the price listings for each model:

*. ARCHOS 70 Titanium: 119€, $119, £99

*. ARCHOS 80 Titanium: 169€, $169, £149

*. ARCHOS 101 Titanium: 199€, $199, £169

*. ARCHOS 97 Titanium HD: 249€, $249 and £199

0 Samsung shows off phone with a flexible screen at CES-2013

By showing off a phone with a flexible screen, Samsung is hinting at a day when we might fold up our large phone or tablet screens as if they were maps.

The Korean electronics company provided a glimpse of such a device at a keynote speech Wednesday at the International CES gadget show in Las Vegas. It's an annual showcase of the latest TVs, computers and other consumer-electronic devices.

This is a Prototype

How it works: The screen uses organic light-emitting diodes, or OLED's. Only a thin layer of these chemicals is needed to produce a bright, colorful screen. They're used in many Samsung phones already, though with glass screens. For the bendable phone, Samsung laid the chemicals over thin plastic instead of glass. That's a trick you can't pull off with liquid crystals in standard displays.

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0 Most Interesting launch of 2013: 27-inch Windows 8 tablet by Lenovo

Lenovo’s IdeaCentre Horizon is a 27-inch tablet — yes, about triple the diagonal display dimension of a conventional iPad — that has a full suite of inputs and all the functionality of a desktop Windows 8 device, including a front-facing camera, microphone and speakers. When you flip it on its back, however, it clicks into a mode Lenovo calls Aura, and the interface and functionality completely changes to become a multimedia and gaming table. (Those who saw the original Microsoft Surface table from 2007 will be familiar with this concept).

The user interface is a circular ring of buttons in the center of the screen, with labeled tabs like Photos, Games, and so-on. Poke Photos and a ring of thumbnail pictures from your library pop out, which you can scroll through using a finger. Tap one and it’ll spring open and enlarge. You can fiddle with it using a pinch-to-zoom gesture, twist it around using two fingers, scroll through other photos in your collection by swiping, or “throw” the image across the display for someone else to play with.

 Same thing with movies, and there are tabs for sharing content of social media and accessing data from other PCs. The key feature for most will be using the tablet like a giant gaming table, for digital Monopoly, or air hockey (for which you use special rubber sensor paddles that slide across the display) or a dozen other options, including some that rely on special e-dice that you roll on the table or suction cup joysticks. Somewhat crucial to the Horizon experience is a sturdy, optional stand that smoothly tilts the screen, is height adjustable and has wheels ($200).

 While we doubt many of these will actually end up making it into homes when released this summer (for around $1,700), we do like that Lenovo is attempting to innovate around the already stale design standards of tablets and think some version of the Horizon could eventually be a big success.

0 CES 2013: Coby's $130 Android Tablet

Coby is showing its first Google-certified, sub-$130 7-inch Android Tablet at CES

Hardware is important when it comes to tablets, but what good is hardware if you don't have any software to run on it? Coby's new 7-inch MID7065 tablet runs Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and costs just $129.99, but the biggest news is that it's also Google-certified, which means it has access to the Google Play app store.

Coby MID7015, which has full access to Google Play, as well as Google apps, including Chrome, Gmail, Google Maps, and YouTube.

From a hardware perspective, the tablet is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and 1GBof RAM. It's a Wi-Fi-only tablet, and uses Bluetooth 2.1+ EDR to connect with compatible devices. It comes with 8GB of internal storage, and it's expandable up to an additional 32GB via microSD card. There's a front-facing VGA camera and accelerometer and gyroscope sensors for motion detection.

 The 7-inch screen features just a 1024-by-600-pixel resolution, which gives it somewhat of a budget look, but the build quality of the tablet actually feels quite solid. There's an HDMI port on the bottom of the tablet, which lets you easily connect it to a monitor or HDTV.

 Overall, the Coby MID7065 is a fairly generic Android tablet. What it all comes down to is price. The Kindle Fire HD $199.00 at Amazon and Google Nexus 7 $259.99 at Adorama may offer up better features like sharper displays, more storage, and more processing power. But that sub-$130 price point is sure to sway some buyers Coby's way. And while the MID7065 may not be the best bet for your money, at least you're getting full access to Google's apps this time around.

0 TVs get bigger, bolder and smarter at CES 2013 says them OLED’s

This is called INNOVATION - world's first curved OLED TV

TV’s get bigger, bolder and smarter at CES 2013

Samsung meanwhile on Tuesday unveiled what it called the world's first curved OLED TV, saying it offered "a more immersive viewing experience."

 Chinese makers are also getting into the high end with sleek new TVs coming from makers such as Haier and TCL, which unveiled a new smart TV which can use the Google 3.0 platform and which will be sold in the United States later this year.

 Yet analysts say that consumers are focused on other features of new TVs, including the ability to stream content from their mobile devices to the big screen or vice-versa.

 "We are living in an app-dominated world, whether it's on your smartphone, tablet or television," said Kevin Tillmann, senior research analyst at CEA.

 "Consumers want access to their apps at all times and they will use whatever device, TVs included, that offer the best and most convenient user experience."

 

Samsung curved OLED TV

TV makers showing off their new wares at a huge trade fair will seek to dazzle consumers with bigger, bolder displays, and smarter technologies for consumers who want television to be a “multiscreen" experience.

 Companies like Samsung, Sony, LG, Sharp and Panasonic showing at the International CES in LasVegas this week are making a new push for so-called "ultra HD" high definition of 4K, which can provide stunning, lifelike images at a steep price.

 Size is on the rise, with many consumers looking at screen measuring 60 inches (152 centimeters or bigger), especially in the United States, according to the industry.

 "For US consumers, bigger is absolutely better," said John Herrington of the US division of Japan's Sharp, one of biggest sellers of jumbo TVs in the American market.

 Sharp is selling TVs with displays up to 84 inches (213 cm) using its high-definition display technology called IGZO, using indium gallium zinc oxide.

 South Korea's Samsung meanwhile unveiled a new television that lets two people watch two different shows at the same time.

 The F9500 television is the first in the world to offer this feature, dubbed "multi-view," using screen technology called "organic light-emitting diode" or OLED.

 Viewers must wear special 3D glasses, which come with personal speakers built in to deliver the audio, in stereo, directly to them.

 But "ultra HD" and other new televisions remain slow to capture the market because of their prices upwards of $10,000, according to a forecast released by the Consumer Electronic Association which showed the segment capturing just five percent of the US market by 2016.

 TV makers are still making aggressive moves to get consumers on new TVs, including addressing the issue of a lack of content available in the new format.

 Sony, for example, announced plans to launch at 4K video service in the United States this year, and also unveiled plans for more affordable TVs at 55 and 65 inches (140 and 165 cm) in addition to its 84-inch set.

 LG said it was the first to launch an OLED set and said it would be selling one in the US market, at a retail price of around $12,000 for a 55-inch model.

 "OLED TV will usher in a whole new era of home entertainment," said Jay Vandenbree, senior vice president, LG Electronics USA.

 "With its lifelike color, infinite contrast ratio and slim profile, LG OLED delivers an outstanding viewing experience; it's undoubtedly a premium product worthy of its premium price."

LG 55EM 9700

CEA found more than one in five US adults own a smart app-enabled HDTV and 90 percent use the apps available on their displays in some capacity.

 "To me, content synchronization is where the magic is. People use an average of five or six devices, and now you can seamlessly have that across these," said Danielle Levitas, consumer tech analyst at IDC.

 Levitas said a new initiative being pushed by cable firms is known as "TV everywhere," which enables consumers to take their subscriptions to other devices or even on the road.

 "Because of how content is licensed a lot of those experiences are limited to the home," she said. “People want to get that content on a tablet in a remote location, or in a hotel room."

 James McQuivey of Forrester said consumers "are focused on tablets" and prepared for a major new TV purchase. And most already have a capable HDset, and would see only marginal improvement with ultra HD.

Panasonic-4KOLED

"Consumers don't need that resolution. There is no way you can discern the difference unless you have a screen the size of a wall," he told AFP.

"And there is no content available in 4K. So anyone who buys a 4K television is showing they have money to burn."

0 CES 2013: Day 1 NEWS

CES 2013: Day 1:

The Consumer Electronics Show is the world's biggest technology trade show and plays a vital role in deciding the trends of the year. As the first day at the CES 2013 comes to a close, it leaves us with an array of announcements, gadgets and smart technologies to talk about.

This year the highlight seems to be "Smart Technology" and manufacturers seem to be geared up to make all gadgets smarter - be it televisions, cameras or phones. Read on to know about the best tech displayed at the Day 1 of CES 2013.

Televisions

Almost all leading TV brands have taken home entertainment and smart technology quite seriously and put forth an array of superior television options for users. Samsung unveiled its flagship LED TV dubbed F8000, which will be available at a maximum of 75 inches.

The new high-end TVs are fuelled by a quad-core CPU and Samsung has also redesigned the 'Smart Hub', which is now prettier and faster than before. If you own a 2012 model, then Samsung makes available its 'Evolution kit', which is a small box that pugs into the rear ports of your existing Smart TV, giving you the new features.

Panasonic spoke about the new "my Home Screen" feature, offering a 'personalized menu' page for the company's 2013 Smart TVs range. It also showed how to control the YouTube app on the TV using your smartphone.

Another highlight was the HSN (Home Shopping Network) Shop by Remote app that lets you buy products directly from the TV.

LG showed its new OLED TVs with WRGB technology, wide viewing angles, infinite contrast ratio, realistic colors etc.

The Upscale plus allows playing mobile games on your UHD screen in 3D without worrying about the resolution as the new wireless streaming ability of their smartphones can feature games not only in UHD quality, but in 3Das well.

This isn't all, LG also put forth a 100-inch Mega Smart TV, which isn't just a prototype or for demo, but will be available for purchase. The company's new line-up of 4K TVs will be Smarter with 2.2 channel sound and Cinema 3D;the company is working with industry partners like Activision, Google and Disney to produce more 4K content.

The Search feature has been made intuitive for recommendations based on your history of viewing and search habits and the new LG magic remote has been designed to understand “natural" language so you can speak comfortably and not like a robot with the voice control on the remote and not TV. LG is also showcasing Google TVs and 3D TVs. Moreover, LG plans to go 100 percent LED and no more CCFL.

Sony showed off its all new user experience, which involved watching TV with multiple screens simultaneously. Its TV Side view is a new way to interact with the television and swiftly navigate to what you want to watch.

It will also bring features like universal remote, social networking, alternative content on second screen to its smart TVs. Its 2013 2K and 4K range will see unique tri-luminous display technology.

It has also announced the launch of the world's first 4K video distribution service in the US, which will allow owners of 4K TVs to download and enjoy native content.

Camera

On the camera front, we saw Samsung flaunt its new NX300 mirror less camera with 2D/3D lens. The company also revealed a compatible 45 mm f1.8 2D/3D lens that it claims is the first one-lens 3D system capable of capturing both stills and HD video.

Connectivity seems to be the fad for the next gen cameras and the NX300 shows this with its dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing users to connect a smartphone to the camera with the Samsung Smart Camera app for Android and iOS. One-touch sharing of images to social networks is enabled by a hot key on the camera.

Samsung also teams up with Drop box to bring the out of the box cloud service for its upcoming Smart Cameras and also smartphones like the Galaxy Grand.

Another Wi-Fi-enabled camera was announced by Sony - the Cyber shot WX80. It can share directly from camera to phone and tablet. It also has a built in projector and Wi-Fi accessory for instant sharing and upload.

Sony will also be showing the first 4K consumer camcorder prototype. It will create a full 4K world with up scaled 4K content to enjoy.

Tablet

Samsung has put on display the 4G LTE Galaxy Note 10.1 running on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean while Intel announced that 10 OEMs are now making Atom-based Windows 8 tablets. Intel further said that it's all about the Z2760 Atom up to 1.8 GHz dual core with 10 hours 

battery life.

If all these tablets are priced right and enter the market quickly, there is some competition to look forward to in the tablet space. Intel also spoke about its next generation Bay Trail platform for tablets, which will be twice as fast and available later this year.

Qualcomm also revealed its next batch of Snapdragons that tout to deliver up to 75 per cent better performance than the company's current menu of SoCs. The specifications include the Krait 400 architecture running at clock speeds of up to 2.3GHz. On the other hand, NVidia has also unveiled the Tegra 4 mobile platform.

Smartphone

The high-end smartphone space is getting competitive by the day and the CES 2013 gave us a glimpse of the new features underway. Intel spoke about its new "Lexington" platform for smartphones, which has been crafted for emerging markets, specifically India and China.

It will bring features like dual SIM with dual standby, FM radio, micro SD slot and Wi-Di. 

Acer, Safaricom and Lava will be the first to market these phones.

LG also showed its new UI for mobiles with hand written memos, live zooming for running videos etc. LG also focused on appliance connectivity via NFC and Wi-Fi so that users can connect to appliances like refrigerators to see a list of groceries in the fridge while they're at the store.

Imagine asking your vacuum cleaner to start cleaning up before you even get home. Now that's true smart technology, we must say. The Vu II features a 5.0-inch, 4:3 ratio IPS display while the Optimus G claims to be the world's first Quad-Core LTE-enabled smartphone using Snapdragon's S4 processor.

Sony finally unveiled the much anticipated and highly leaked Xperia Z smartphone. The highlights of the Xperia Z are a 5-inch full HD display, 13-megapixel camera, NFC and HDR video. Click here to know more about the Xperia Z handset.

Ultrabook

Along with the Lexington platform, Intel spent most of its time talking about Ultrabooks (obviously). The company spokesperson said that Ultrabook models are shipping and the goal is to ramp volume and hit lower prices with Ivy Bridge gen.

The company's 4th Gen Core Haswell is also dueout this year. Touch, voice will be mandatory onall Haswell-based Ultrabooks.

It also showcased Northcape, an incredibly slim design with its battery and motherboard in the lid instead of the base, like a tablet with a dock.It has a detachable keyboard with its own battery.

All-in-one PCs

The AIO category has been flourishing wherein we can use it as a standalone table top display. Intel announced a new AIO ecosystem with software from Microsoft, EA and more. For instance, EA's new digital board games, will allow a family to sit around a table and play.

In one of the pre-announcements, we'd seen the Lenovo Horizon that can be transformed into a digital family table. Intel also demoed"Perceptual computing" that combines senses, emotion and context. This literally means better eyes and ears for computers. It showed face recognition along with gesture controls to unlock a Windows 8 PC.

Clearly, the first day had a flurry of big announcements, giving us a glimpse of the kindof tech we can expect all through the year. Manufacturers are trying to put their best foot forward by making gadgets smarter. Smartphones are trying to emerge as powerful computing devices with larger, better displays and solid hardware.

And more importantly, the trend seems to be focusing even more on a smarter and more integrated environment, be it at home or outside. Visual media with ultra high definition will also be a big trend in 2013, one we're looking forward to testing. Let's hope we see more 4K content making itself available this year as well.

0 Samsung announced new Smart Cameras at CES - 2013

Samsung announced the launch of new Smart Cameras, which include the WB250F/WB200F, theWB800F, WB30F, DV150F and ST150F.

Samsung today introduced another nine new models to add to its stable of compact shooters.

Samsung WB250F

Similar to the previous year, Samsung continues to tout Wi-Fi as the key feature in its latest range of smart cameras. Six new cameras (WB250F/WB200F, WB800F, WB30F, DV150F and ST150F) will sport the Smart Camera 2.0 feature which adds improved Wi-Fi-enabled functionality such as Auto Share for quick uploading (or backing up) of images from the camera to a smartphone as well as support for the Smart Camera app (for both Android and iOS smartphone users). The app is said to be designed for users to control, share and back-up images shot using compatible Samsung cameras.

Samsung WB2100

Also unveiled at the company's CES press conference are three new non-Wi-Fi cameras--the WB2100, ST72 and ES95.

 Camera users, who appreciate the simplicity of the panoramic shooting mode on the iPhone, will be pleased to find a similar feature called Live Panorama on some of the latest offerings such as the ST72 and ST150F.

Quick summary of Samsung's new cameras:

 *. WB250F - A 14.2-megapixel (CMOS) camera with 18x optical zoom, 24mm wide-angle lens and a hybrid (touchscreen and buttons) user interface.

 *. WB200F - Similar features as the WB250Fexcept that it comes with a 14.2-megapixel CCD sensor instead.

 *. WB800F --A 16.3-megapixel (BSI CMOS) camera with 21x optical zoom and a hybrid (touchscreen and buttons) user interface.

 *. WB30F - A long-zoom compact with 10x optical zoom, 24mm wide-angle lens anda slim profile.

 *. DV150F - Dual-screen (one front, one back) compact camera with a 16.2-megapixel (CCD) sensor, F2.5 25mm lens and 5x optical zoom.

 *. ST150F - Compact camera with a 16.2-megapixel (CCD) sensor, F2.5 25mm lens and 5x optical zoom.

 *. WB2100 --Ultra-zoom version of the WB800F with 35x optical zoom, sans the onboard Wi-Fi.

 *. ST72 --Has pretty much the same basic features as the ST150F, except for the onboard Wi-Fi.

 *. ES95 --Entry-level version of the ST72 with a smaller 2.7-inch screen.

Looking at the avalanche of new cameras from Samsung, we can't help but feel that while the company clearly believes in offering a wide range of choices for users, it can certainly do better to simplify and align the model names of its cameras.

Samsung WB2100

 There is no word on when or which of the new Samsung cameras will make their way to Asia.

0 World's First Transformer tablet with two OS Windows 8 and Android by ASUS

Asus today announced a hybrid all-in-one/tablet Windows 8/Android PC as part of its Consumer Electronics Show (CES) lineup.

The device is called the Asus Transformer AiO, and the manufacturer is calling a “world first.” Transformer tablet is that it can be operated in two different modes. When it is close enough to the PC it maintains a wireless connection to the full computer, allowing users to run Windows 8 on the tablet and operate it using the touch display. “At the touch of a botton,” however, the tablet can be “transformed” into an Android 4.1 Jelly Bean tablet that has a Tegra 3 quad-core processor. It’s the sort of versatility that is very impressive but simply not useful enough to justify a purchase for the average consumer.

It features an 18.4-inch multi-touch screen and NVidia GT graphics. The catch is that the screen can be detached from its cradle in front of the PC and become a tablet.

Of course, an 18-inch tablet is on the larger side of tablets, so it has a handle on the back that allows it to be carried around. Asus calls the device “king-sized,” though it isn’t quite as large as Lenovo’s announced 27-inch Idea Centre Horizon Table PC . It seems that super-sized devices that nobody is calling for might be the trend at this year’s CES.

No release date or pricing for the device has yet been announced, though it was stated the Transformer AiO will be available “from Q1 2013.”

0 Corning Gorilla Glass 3 - more tougher and scratch proof

Corning Gorilla Glass 3 is all set to be unveiled at the CES 2013, which is currently underway at Las Vegas.

 The Gorilla Glass 3 incorporates a new technology, called Native Damage Resistance, which is touted as the enhancement over earlier versions. With the Native Damage Resistance, the cracking of screens is expected to reduce to a great extent. “As a world leader in glass innovation, we are dedicated to meeting the needs of our customers with our product innovation”, stated James R Steiner, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Corning Specialty Materials.

A demonstration that will depict the usefulness of the Gorilla Glass 3 with Native Resistance is expected to be showcased in detail at CES.

The Gorilla Glass has been featured as a protector (cover glass) on various mobile devices and has proved to be a runaway hit so far. Reportedly, the Gorilla Glass has been featured on approximately 1 billion gadgets as of now. The protector has seen two earlier versions viz Gorilla Glass 1 and Gorilla Glass 2.

Even tougher screens or just another version? We will have to wait for the launch to know the specific benefits of the Native Damage resistance feature.

Corning says that its currently in talks with its global partners, and the company expects Gorilla Glass 3 to start showing up in smartphones in mid-2013. The iPhone 5S and Galaxy SIV may just be the first phones to feature the new and improved glass.

0 CES 2013: Sony Announced Xperia Z with 5" 1080p Display

Sony Mobile today announced its latest Android flagship smartphone Sony Xperia Z, at CES 2013.The device packs in some interesting innovations from the audio, visual, gaming, and imaging arenas in a bid to make it stand out against competition. The device comes with the Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2, and packs in a 5" display with pixel dimensions of 1080x1920. The 13 MP rear camera comes with some features from Sony's digital camera range with a Exmor RS sensor with High Dynamic Range (HDR) video recording and 9 MP burst mode@10 fps.

Some of the handset's key specifications include:

*. 5" 1080p "Reality" Capacitive touchscreen (443 ppi) with Scratch-resistant, shatter proof sheet on mineral glass.

 *. Tri-Band 3G (UMTS HSPA+ 850 (Band V), 900(Band VIII), 2100 (Band I) MHz), Quad-band 2G (GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz).

 *. Google Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean), Google Play support.

 *. 1.5 GHz Qualcomm APQ8064+MDM9215M Quad-core CPU, Adreno 360 GPU, 2 GB RAM.

 *. 5.5" (l) x 2.8" (w) x 0.3" (7.9 mm) (d); weighs 146 grams.

 *. 13 megapixel Exmor RS rear camera with HDR video recording and 2.2 megapixel front facing camera.

 *. 16 GB flash storage and microSD card slot (supports up to 32 GB).

 *. 3.5 mm audio jack, HDMI out (via MHL support), Micro USB.

 *. aGPS, Bluetooth 4.0, DLNA Certified, Wi-Fi Hotspot; LTE and NFC on board.

 *. IPX5/7 (Water-resistant) and IP5X (Dust-proof).

 *. Battery: Talk time up to 11 hours and Standby time up to 23 days; capacity not specified.

The device includes a battery STAMINA mode which claims to increased the standby time fourfold. This works by killing the battery draining apps when the display is off and switching them back on with the screen. The Xperia Z also boasts IP55 and IP57 certifications, making the smartphone dust and water resistant for up to one meter in water.

 The device along with its younger brother Xperia ZL (to be available in selected markets as a design variant with similar specs) will be released in the first by March 2013 with a Android 4.2 upgrade in the pipeline. There is no word on the pricing of the flagship yet, though.