Showing posts with label Tablets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tablets. Show all posts

Tuesday, 12 August 2014

5 Features of The Best Tablets For Work

Not every tablet is suited to a working environment. However there are a few features on certain tablets that stand out above the crowd and enable professionals to work without needing a chunky desktop pc or old slow laptops. Tablets are quick, smooth and very easy to start working on, checkout the Tablet Tastic range to get some inspiration on a varying range of tablets. However, below before that we have some of the top features that you should look for when deciding on a professional tablet.
top 5 tablets
Large Screen
The first thing you should look for on any tablet is its screen size. The whole reason mobile phones aren't respected as being a professional working tool where you can dedicate hours to working is because they have a small screen. You need to find a tablet that has a large screen and allows you to concentrate for long periods of time. It also helps if this tablets has a high resolution to go with it. Tablets that have a large screen include the iPad Air and Nokia Lumia 2520.

Fast Processor
Being able to work fast and efficiently is fundamental to any professional. That's why you'll need a tablet that is able to handle your workload. Being able to handle complicated software and process formulas without lagging is a huge benefit to anyone that needs something done on time.

The Microsoft Windows Surface tablet is well know for performing well under pressure and ultimately able to handle multiple tasks.

Plenty Of Memory
As a professional you will most likely need a lot of memory to store working documents such as Excel and Word files. If this is the case then you should ensure you're not being short changed. You don't want to purchase an expensive tablet only to find out a few months down the line that it can't store all of your data. This may mean you will have to spend more money on external hard drives and memory systems.

Thankfully something like the Microsoft Surface Pro 2 has an option to purchase with 256GB of memory. That should be more than enough for most of your working needs.

Wide Access To Apps
The whole point we buy any tablets is because we can use them from anywhere and get a wide range of apps right? This is why you should be extremely aware of what type of tablet you're buying and which app store they get access to. In most cases if you're purchasing an Android or Apple tablet you should be fine, but also be aware that some tablets don't work off the same software, meaning they have a poorer range of apps to choose from.

Easily Connected To Accessories
Having easily connected tablet accessories may seem an odd one for a few people reading, but in actual fact it's very important. The ability to connect your tablet to third party accessories often means working more effectively. With some tablets you can actually connect external table stands keyboards, mouses, touch pens and even monitors. This means you'll be able to get the most out of what you’re working with and work faster.
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Thursday, 3 April 2014

Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 series revealed: Specs & Features

Recently, Samsung has introduced new series of electronic tablets the Galaxy Tab 4, with three new models measuring 7, 8 and 10 with Android 4.4 and the target consumer.

The design of the three models of Galaxy Tab 4 is basically the same as compare the previous generation, always taking into account the use of the model preferably horizontal 10-inch and vertical design for 7 and 8 inches. The new Galaxy Tablets has a physical button. These new tabs would be available in two colors black and white.

All three tablets has same hardware base SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 micro accompanied with quad core processor and 1.5 Gbytes of RAM, 16 GB of storage capacity with expandable micro SD and standard connectivity including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and support for LTE mobile broadband in all three models. Also, each of these tablet feature the same display resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels.

Specifications of Galaxy Tab 4 10.1
  • Display: 10.1 inches
  • Resolution: 1280 x 800 pixels
  • Chipset: Snapdragon 400, 1.2 GHz 4X
  • GPU: Adreno 305
  • RAM: 1.5 GB
  • Storage: 16 GB
  • Cameras: 3MP rear and 1.3 MP
  • Connectivity: LTE, WiFi 802.11 a / ​​b / g / n, WiFi Direct, BT 4.0, GPS, USB 2.0
  • Dimensions: 243.4 x 176.4 x 7.95 mm
  • Weight: 487 grams
  • Battery: 6,800 mAh
  • Operating System: Android 4.4 Kit Kat
Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 review
Specifications of Galaxy Tab 4 8inches
  • Screen Size: 8 inch
  • Resolution: 1280 x 800 pixels
  • Chipset: Snapdragon 400, 1.2 GHz 4X
  • GPU: Adreno 305
  • RAM: 1.5 GB
  • Storage: 16 GB
  • Cameras: 3 and 1.3 MP
  • Connectivity: LTE, WiFi 802.11 a / ​​b / g / n, WiFi Direct, BT 4.0, GPS, USB 2.0
  • Dimensions: 124.0 x 210.0 x 7.95 mm
  • Weight: 320 grams
  • Battery: 4,450 mAh
  • Operating System: Android 4.4 Kit Kat
Specifications of Galaxy Tab 4 – 7 inches
  • Display: 7 inch
  • Resolution: 1280 x 800 pixels
  • Chipset: Snapdragon 400, 1.2 GHz 4X
  • GPU: Adreno 305
  • RAM: 1.5 GB
  • Storage: 16 GB
  • Cameras: 3 and 1.3 MP
  • Connectivity: LTE, WiFi 802.11 a / ​​b / g / n, WiFi Direct, BT 4.0, GPS, USB 2.0
  • Dimensions: 107.9 x 186.9 x 9 mm
  • Weight: 276 grams
  • Operating System: Android 4.4 Kit Kat
This was all about the recently revealed Galaxy Tab 4, which would be available, worldwide this quarter only but the price is not confirmed for each model. As said earlier, all these 3 tabs have the same specifications and hardware just the price and size would differ and you could chose accordingly to your budget and need. But it would be very difficult for someone who is struck between 7 inches and 8 inches version, as there is no big difference. I would personally prefer 7 inches version as it would be more portable and I would able to save few bucks too.

No doubt, Samsung is taking the number of its available gadgets to another level and no one in the market can beat them if we consider the number of released devices in every couple of months. Recently, there are rumors about Galaxy Note4 beast, which could make its entry in another three months from now. Samsung growth is touching the sky but we might see other rising brands like Sony and HTC, which will affect the sales of Samsung devices for sure, let’s wait and watch the real war in upcoming months.
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Tuesday, 29 October 2013

The New iPads Have (Almost) Everything You'd Want Them To

1. Introducing the "iPad Air"
The air is smaller. Way Smaller.
  • 43% smaller "bezels" (the strips on the sides)
  • 1lb down from 1.9 lbs
  • 7.5mm thick down from 9.4mm
2. It's 8x Faster
  • Open Apps 2x faster
  • Renders files 2x faster
  • Same chip that's in the iPhone 5s
3. Improved Camera
  • The iSight Camera uses larger pixels to create a much more full and high resolution image
  • Record videos in 1080p HD (up from 720p) 
  • Now with two microphones which will help improve the Facetime experience
4. Graphics are 2x Better
With a 64 bit operating system and new M7 chip the graphics are drastically improved. (For those keeping tack these are the same specs as the new iPhone 5s). The improved performance is good news for gamers, as the graphics will move much more fluidly for an all-together improved gaming experience.
5. It Finally Comes in Black
Finally the iPad is available in the awesome black that is already available for the iPhones. The matte black is extremely attractive and gives the tablet a more rugged feel. Look for this color to sell very well when it is first released.
6. $499 for Wifi Version, $629 for LTE Version
Also now the iPad 2 is only $399 which is a bargain for a still incredibly powerful tool. The $629 version works on wireless networks so there is a monthly fee attached to it. The $499 option doesn't have a monthly fee but only works where WIFI is available.
7. Introducing the "iPad Mini Retina"
The iPad Mini Retina is the newest installment in the Mini iPad series. The key difference from its predecessor is that it sports a Retina Display, which is a fancy way of saying it has a super high resolution screen. Apple feels this is such a selling point that they put "Retina" in its name. But there are other improvements as well.
8. Navigate 4x Faster, 8x Better Graphics
The iPad Mini Retina (wow that is a mouthful) has more to offer than just a higher resolution screen, it's also much faster. Opening applications and flipping between them will be up to 4x faster with the new model. Also graphics will be 8x better for all you Angry Bird fans out there.
9. Same Price
It is the same price ($399) as it's predecessor, but the older iPad Mini is now only $299 which is a pretty solid deal. The fact that they could not put the fingerprint ID technology into either one of the iPads will likely be scrutinized on the web for weeks to come, though.
10. Still 10 Hour Battery Life
Despite the improvements of the screen, graphics, and processing speeds, the iPad Mini Retina will still sport a 10 hour battery life. Whether your iPad actually lasts 10 hours when using it to its full potential is a whole different story, but at least it is a possibility.
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Friday, 20 September 2013

Google Nexus 7 Complete Review

REVIEW
The name has not changed, but the new Nexus 7 looks taller and thinner than last year’s model. Actually, the two devices are the same height, but Asus has slimmed down the side bezels, making the 2013 model 6mm narrower than the previous version. As a result, the top and bottom bezels feel oddly oversized by comparison. However, you quickly become accustomed to the shape, and it is hard to complain about getting the same amount of screen in a smaller package. The new Nexus 7 is also lighter, down from 340g to 290g – a palpable 15% reduction in mass over the previous generation and thinner, measuring only 8.5mm thick.

That is not quite as slim as Apple’s 7.2mm iPad mini, but if you are looking for an Android tablet, this is the thinnest and lightest we have seen. This does not mean it’s flimsy, however there is very little flex to the back, and scratch-resistant Corning glass covers the front. Inside, the quad-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro delivers much better performance than last year’s 1.3GHz Tegra and it is supported by a generous 2GB of RAM, plus a 400MHz Adreno GPU. This makes flicking around the Android 4.3 interface a stupendously snappy experience, and the full power of the hardware shines through in our benchmarks.
The new Nexus 7 completed the SunSpider JavaScript test in 1,202ms almost 30% faster than the original model and smashed the Geekbench 2 test with a score of 2,639, a 65% improvement on last year’s model. It also managed an impressive 15fps in the taxing GFXBench T-Rex 3D test, around three times the frame rate of the older version. This is even more impressive when you discover the new Nexus 7 is drawing around 40% more pixels than the 2012 model. A new 1,200 x 1,920 IPS display represents the highest resolution we have seen on a compact tablet, delivering a display density of 323ppi much higher than even the 246ppi of Apple’s full-sized iPad. This makes black-on-white text, and vector-based apps such as Google Maps, look absolutely pristine. Video content and games look bold and bright, too. we measured a searing maximum brightness of 489cd/m2, and a stark contrast ratio of 1,111:1. The colour temperature on our test model – 7,120K – is slightly on the cool side, but it did not suck the warmth out of the picture.
The only real catch is that, as with the iPad, a screen this sharp exposes the shortcomings of the countless low-resolution JPEGs you will find online. Round the back of the device, you will find a new 5-megapixel, autofocus camera to partner the fixed-focus, 1.2-megapixel front-facing one. Image quality is a little cold and noisy, but it is fine for snapshots. There is also support for Bluetooth 4, SlimPort HDMI and Qi wireless charging. As before, GPS, NFC and dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi are includedWith all this hardware stuffed into such a slim case, you might expect power consumption to be a weak point.

But while the rating of the Nexus 7’s internal battery, 3,950mAh – is below average, the device lasted 11hrs 48mins in our standard battery tests. That is 1hr 10mins short of the Asus Fonepad, but well ahead of most other compacts. The 2012 Nexus 7 managed only 8hrs 48minsIf you want to find niggles with the Nexus 7, you can. For a start, there’s no microSD slot. The speakers are clear, but weedy, especially at the low end. The power and volume buttons sit almost flush with the case, making them awkward to press. And although the price matches that of the original Nexus 7, it is not such great value any more especially when the 8GB Barnes & Noble Nook HD is priced at £79.
KEY SPECS
  • CPU: Quad-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU
  • Memory: 2GB RAM
  • 16/32GB storage
  • Screen: 7in 1,200 x 1,920 IPS LCD
  • Connectivity: dual-band 802.11abgn Wi-Fi
  • Bluetooth 4
  • NFC
  • Camera: 5MP rear/1.2MP front
  • 3,950mAh battery
  • Android 4.3
  • 1yr RTB warranty
  • Dimensions: 114 x 8.6 x 200mm (WDH)
  • Weight: 290g
PRICE
  • 16GB, £166 (£199 inc VAT)
  • 32GB, £199 (£239 inc VAT)
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Best Android Tablet Games of 2013

Mobile devices offer a number of benefits that come in handy in today’s modern world, such as the ability to work and communicate while on the go. They also make it easier than ever to goof off with a fun and diverting game.Apple is known for its App Store, which features no shortage of video games in mobile-app form. And while Android devices haven’t been on the market nearly as long as the iPhone, the Google Play store is beginning to catch up. Now, there are more games than ever for Android phones and tablets — far too many to mention in a single list. So in the interest of narrowing the playing field, here are some of the very best games for Android devices in 2013.
best-android-tablet-games

Dead Trigger” —Free
If there’s a better stress reliever than mowing down wave after wave of zombies, it hasn’t come to light yet. This first-person shooter has everything going for it: easy controls, post-apocalyptic landscapes and a plethora of undead-obliterating weaponry.

Bad Piggies” —Free
Rovio achieved great fame with a little app featuring ill-tempered members of the avian family. This entry focuses on the antagonists of that wildly popular franchise: the pigs. Like “Angry Birds,”“Bad Piggies” offers highly creative game mechanics that challenge players to create vehicles in which to launch their porcine cohorts into the sky.

Also Read: Top 5 Free web browsers for Android 2013

Kingdom Rush” — $2.00
Tower defense games are known for being addictive, and Kingdom Rush is no exception. This action/fantasy game features simple yet endearingly cartoonish graphics that render a world filled with orcs, elves, wizards and warriors. The goal of the player is to do battle and defend his or her territory across a number of landscapes, from charred wastelands to verdant forests. Kingdom Rush offers a dizzying array of upgrades and abilities as well as nine different heroes from which to choose.

Pirates Showdown” — $3.00
Those who have a soft spot for real-time strategy games will likely enjoy this entry, as it delivers fun RTS combat in a fairly original setting: the high seas. Players take on the role of swashbuckling pirates, with the point of the game being to loot and plunder your way to fame and fortune. Players can build up a fleet of ships and take to the Caribbean in order to flex their pirate muscles.

Also Read: Great Camera/Photography Apps for iOS, Android and Windows Phone

Fruit Ninja” — $3.00
An oldie but a goodie, “Fruit Ninja” achieves exactly what it set out to do: offer players a platform from which to hack away at virtual fruit with a virtual samurai sword. While this may not exactly be in keeping with the storied tradition of the actual Japanese samurai, it does help to pass the time on those long commuter trips. After all, a budding honor-bound assassin has to start somewhere.

With these games downloaded to an Android device, the user should be able to while away as much time as his or her lifestyle will allow killing zombies, slicing watermelon, launching pigs into the sky and whatever else his or her little gaming heart desires.

Also Read: Aptoide APK Best Alternative for Android Market
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Saturday, 10 August 2013

DELL LATITUDE 10 - Windows 8 Tablet Complete Review

The vast majority of Windows 8 tablets are hybrid devices that transform into a laptop or PC with slide-out, hinged or dockable keyboards.The Dell Latitude 10 is one of the few we have come across that’s just a tablet,but it has plenty of optional extras that enable it to perform all kinds of tricks. The most remarkable thing about the Latitude 10 is that, unlike most current tablets,you can remove its battery and plug in an extended battery which runs for longer,although this is not easy. In our tests, the standard battery lasted an impressive nine hours when playing videos continuously. The extended battery,available for £96, doubles battery life,but adds bulk and increases the weight from 658g, about average for a 10in tablet, to 820g which is heavy. However, removing the battery from its nook is fiddly.
You need to slide the release latch,then prise it out with your finger nails. Without the extended battery attached,the Latitude 10 is a reasonably slender tablet, albeit thicker than the iPad and most Android tablets.This extra thickness has been put to good use however–there’s a full-size SD card slot and a USB2 port. Since it runs the full version of Windows 8 rather than Windows RT, the Latitude 10 works with most Windows 7-compatible printers,scanners and other peripherals. It can run older Windows programs, as well as apps downloaded from the Windows Store.You won’t need to buy Microsoft Office as the 2013 Home and Student Edition is pre installed for free–a very useful extra that would cost you £99 if bought separately. There is a downside in terms of performance,however.
The Latitude 10 is equipped with a 1.8GHz Intel Atom Z 2760 processor and just 2GB of memory. This is fine for simple tasks such as browsing the web and working in Office, but having more than a few programs open slows it down. It plays standard definition videos from YouTube and BBC iPlayer just fine,but it can’t play high definition videos smoothly, either on its own 10in display or on a connected TV or second monitor.The upside to this poor performance is the absence of distracting cooling fans and vents which are necessary on devices running on more powerful Intel chips.
It has a 64GB SSD, which is large for a tablet at this price. But the catch is, with Windows and Office installed, only 26GB is left for you to add programs, apps and media files. Although you can use USB and cloud storage to increase capacity, it’s a shame there is not an option for a larger built-in SSD. Dell has squeezed 1366x768 pixels into the 10in display. It’s bright, but text looks fuzzy and the backlight is somewhat uneven–the bottom of the display (when held horizontally) is a little brighter than the top. Image quality is still good though, with accurate colours and wide viewing angles. It also works well as a touchscreen, responding quickly and accurately to our finger taps. You can use the touchscreen with Dell’s stylus, which costs an extra £40.

The stylus is pressure-sensitive, which means the harder you press on the screen the thicker the mark you make. This would be useful for aspiring artists were it not for the tablet’s poor performance running complex graphics programs. Although its rear has a soft touch texture, it feels slippery. A range of cases are available that make the tablet easier to grip and act as a stand, with a nook for stowing the stylus. However, in a glaring oversight none of Dell’s own-branded cases fit the Latitude 10 if the extended battery is attached, and we have not found any others that do.
Another useful accessory is the docking station,which costs an extra £130. Slot the tablet into this and it will have access to a Gigabit Ethernet port,a full-size HDMI socket and four USB ports.Connect a keyboard,mouse and monitor and you can use the Latitude 10 like a desktop PC.The connection between the tablet and dock feels a little flimsy, though, and the tablet’s screen sits at a fixed angle, although we found it comfortable enough to use at a desk. On paper the Dell Latitude 10 looks ideal–an inexpensive Windows 8 tablet with Microsoft Office included. But it’s not helped by the patchy selection and dubious quality of touchscreen apps in the Windows Store.The Latitude 10’s ability to run existing Windows programs and its potential as a fully edged desktop PC is undermined by its poor performance and the need for costly accessories.
The price of the Latitude 10, the extended battery,a case, the stylus and the dock comes to £805 almost £100 more than the 64GB Microsoft Surface Pro and only £50 less than a quality ultra-portable laptop such as the 11in Mac Book Air. Think very carefully about what you want from a portable computer before buying the Latitude 10.

KEY POINTS
  • Inexpensive
  • Removable battery
  • Office 2013 included
  • Good battery life
  • Useful accessories available but cost adds up fast
  • Poor performance
  • Limited built-in storage
  • USB port
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Saturday, 15 June 2013

Windows 8 Enhances the Benefits of Tablet PC

Windows 8 Tablets - Enterprise devices to work and play
The introduction of Windows 8 re-energized PC manufacturers, who turned their considerable ingenuity toward creating tablets with the full power of a notebook or laptop PC but with the size and weight of a tablet. Not since the early days of the PC revolution has there been such an abundance of innovative new hardware designs in my opinion.
Screen
Manufacturers use two types of touch screens on Windows 8 tablets: capacitive and resistive. Resistive screens are common, durable and inexpensive. A resistive screen absorbs some of the light, so the image may not be as sharp as with a capacitive screen at times. Capacitive screens let more light pass, so the images are sharp and clear. Capacitive screens only work with a finger touch, so you can’t use a stylus as you can with many resistive screens.

Windows 8 tablets usually have screen sizes between 10.6 and 12 inches. The additional screen real estate makes working much easier than on smaller tablets running iOS or Android. It also makes gaming feel much less cramped and you will find the experience more like what you would expect on a game console.

Memory
Windows 8 tablets come with 2, 4 or 8 GB of RAM. As with a PC, more memory improves performance. You will probably find a tablet with 2 GB of RAM much more limiting than one with 4GB, and with 8 GB, the machine will feel superfast and responsive.

Processor
Most Windows 8 tablets have super-fast processors such as the Qualcomm SnapDragon S4 dual-core ARM or the Intel SoC Clovertrail or Intel Core i5. If you must compromise on specs because of budget constraints, I would opt for more memory over a faster processor,

Keyboard
Many Windows 8 tablets have detachable keyboards that come in handy when you need to do real work. Many keyboards are smaller than those found on a standard notebook, but they are roomy and responsive enough to allow for the average touch typist.

Graphics
Every Windows 8 tablet currently on the market has more than adequate graphics capability for working or surfing the Internet, as well as for all but the most graphics intensive games in my opinion. Most graphics chips are the same ones used in Ultrabooks and small notebooks, so you can expect a similar performance with a similarly tricked out tablet.

Weight
Most Windows 8 tablets weigh slightly over a pound to a pound and a half. Any more than that and you will probably find the device is uncomfortable to hold in your hand for long periods when reading or streaming media.

Storage
With SSD drives, storage on Windows 8 tablets is fast and reliable. Most have either a 32GB or a 64GB SSD drive. Despite the negative publicity over storage size, nearly everyone will find this storage adequate for the operating system, applications, documents and emails. If you store vast amounts of media, be sure that your tablet has a micro SD slot so that you can store your media on a removable drive. In addition, Microsoft provides 7 GB of free cloud storage to Windows 8 owners, and more storage is available for a fee.

Connections
Unlike iOS devices, Windows 8 tablets usually over one or more USB 3.0 ports, wireless networking, Bluetooth and SD slots. They connect with almost any printer, and can easily send output to a monitor or projector, although this may require an adapter depending on the model you select.

Windows 8 tablets are lightweight, fast computers that enable users to accomplish real work tasks as well as to enjoy games, reading or other leisure activities. In my opinion, these devices make prior generations of tablets feel like crude toys, while these sleek and powerful machines cover nearly all computing requirements without compromises or restrictions on interoperability or connections.

Author Bio: Matt Smith is a Dell employee who writes to help raise awareness on the topic of Windows 8 and other network management subjects.
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Tuesday, 4 June 2013

4 latest hot gadgets 2013

Panasonic P51 (Rs.26,990)
Panasonic has finally woken up to the fact that it has rather missed out on the scrumptious smartphone pie. Which is why it plans to bite back with the P51, mind you it is not a spec busting, competition annihilating, gizmotastic handheld from the future. Instead Pana has chosen to side with the masses with a phone that costs around the 25k margin. You might think this is just another Galaxy Grand or a Micromax Canvas HD. For the most part it is, but where the P51 shines and inches ahead of its competition is in its build quality with its gorgeous unibody design and the fact that it comes loaded with Android 4.2 out of the box. The phone feels fantastic to hold and its Quad-core innards make it snappy to use. Regardless of what is available in the market.
As hot as... being in the Iron Man suit, sans the AC!

Nokia Lumia 925 (Rs. 35,000)
As much as Android and its hardware cronies may try, Nokia just won’t be defeated. They’ve taken the Windows Phone market by storm, and offered a viable, not-so-buggy, if slightly under-apped alternative to the little green robot, while packing in all the right hardware at all the right price points. Now Android and Apple want to go aluminum in the fight to look more premium? SO CAN NOKIA. They want to put fancy cameras and high-res screens? DITTO FINLAND. You want a display that makes the phone too big for your hands? NOKIA KNOWS HOW. Now, they just need to figure out how to show the world that WP8 is actually a pretty neat OS. That would be the hard part.
As hot as... molten chocolate over a chocolate brownie

Huawei MediaPad 10 Link (Rs. 26,990)
We’d say Huawei’s brought its A-game to the tablet arena but we’d be lying. While it isn’t the spec-beast we’d like to call it, it’s a decent offering for the relatively low price tag. What you get for your 27k is a 10in tablet powered by Huawei’s home-grown K3V2 Quad-core processor combined with 1GB RAM, 16GBs of storage space, a 1280x800 screen and Android’s delicious Jelly Bean OS. Now, before you go about snapping your surroundings with the ultra grainy 3MP cam, you must know you’ll look like an idiot. Don’t do it. But, auditioning one of these well-priced tabs? Not such a dumb move after all.
As hot as… Your belly after a road-side ‘Chinese’ meal

Asus Transformer AiO (Rs. 86,999)
If you already have an all-in-one computer, such as an iMac, try ripping the screen off the body. What’s that? It’s stopped working? Sorry - that happens. But perhaps, you should replace the smashed remains of your previous computer with this Windows 8 touchsreen all-in-one from Asus. All-in-two, actually - pick the 18.4in screen up, and it works as a wireless display, beaming your PC interface across the ether or, thanks to a clever bit of dual booting, it’s also a completely independent (and completely massive) Android 4.0 tablet. Um… sorry about your old screen. Get one of these instead.
As hot as... summer on Cybertron
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Sunday, 26 May 2013

Samsung ATIV - The Ultra Tablet

The Samsung ATIV Smart PC Pro, simply put, is an Ultrabook that comes in the form of a tablet. It has an 11.6-inch Full HD display and runs on Intel Core i5 power. It does subscribe to a similar concept as ASUS’s Transformer Android tablets which employ detachable keyboard docks that enhance functionality. Samsung’s keyboard, however, does not feature an extra battery.
The good thing about this form factor, however, is that it allows users to just pick up the tablet and leave the additional heft behind when they don’t need it. Conversion is also done quickly and painlessly, and when put together, the portions attach securely. We were satisfied by the unit’s build quality as a whole; its Gorilla Glass screen protection lends much confidence for its often-touched display. We have major reservations, however, about its plastic back plate.

The keys on the keyboard dock were an absolute dream to type on. They had plenty of travel (for something so thin), and were very rigid, perfect for typists who like plenty of feedback. The clickpad, on the other hand, feels very flimsy. You probably won’t need the clickpad so much though, as the ATIV Pro also comes with an S-Pen – the same Wacom-powered stylus technology seen with Samsung’s Galaxy Note devices. (As such, the ATIV Pro also comes with the proprietary S-Note app.)

Icons and text in 1920 x 1080 resolution on an 11.6-inch screen may appear small, but this display does wonders with high-definition multimedia. At 400 nits, it’s also bright enough to be used comfortably in well-lit areas, while its IPS panel allows wide angles of viewing. To complement the visuals, two 0.8W speakers are set at opposite edges of the tablet. We found the speakers capable of fairly loud, clear quality audio that is more than adequate for personal usage.

On our PCMark 7 and 3DMark 11 test runs, the ATIV Pro scored slightly lower than its Windows 8-based peers (4021 and 1035, respectively), although given that it sports the same set of standard Ultrabook components, most users wouldn’t be able to feel any performance shortcomings in actual use, unless of course you literally hold out a stop watch to time some tasks to compare with those of other machines. The ATIV Pro made up with battery life though, ranking tops on Powermark with a 296-minute run. Be wary, though, that the keyboard dock has its own power draw.

For an Ultrabook convertible, the Samsung ATIV Smart PC Pro has a good arrangement between power, features, and battery life

SPECIFICATIONS
CHIPSET: Intel HM76
CAMERAS: 5 megapixels (rear), 2 megapixels (front)
OPERATING SYSTEM: Windows 8 Pro
CONNECTIVITY: Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, USB-to-Ethernet dongle, LTE, 3G, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0, micro- HDMI, microSD slot
DIMENSIONS / WEIGHT: 304 x 189.4 x 11.8mm / 878g (tablet only)
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Wednesday, 8 May 2013

Tips for your Android device

Do more with your Android Device with our eight secrets
millions of people now carry smartphones and tablets that run Google's Android operating system. Clearly, Android is popular but with countless adaptations and endless updates. keeping up with developments is nigh on impossible. The latest versions. Android 4 (sometimes called lce Cream Sandwich). 4.1 and 4.2 (jelly Bean). have some great Features that many users may not even know exist. So here are eight of our favourite Android secrets to help you get more from of your smartphone or tablet.

Note that as some manufacturers change how Android looks and operates. some tips may work slightly differently on your device.
Tips for your Android device
Find forgotten apps
Crippled by indecision? If you uninstalled an app and but later decide you would like it back, there is an easy way to do it. This is especially useful if you can't remember exactly what the app was called. Open the Play Store on your device and tap the downwards arrow pointing at a line (next to the Search symbol in the top right corner). This will display a list of installed apps. Now tap All to view installed apps alongside a list of anything ever installed on your device. Tap on the app you want to reinstall and then tap Install.

Close apps properly
Android tablets and smartphones can slow down if many apps are open at the same time. Quitting an app by hitting the Home button doesn't actually close it, meaning it may still be hogging the device's resources. The advantage of this is that apps open up again where you left them but if you‘ve finished using the app, then tap the Recents button (it looks one rectangle on top of another, and it's next to the Home button). This will display all currently open apps. To close an app properly simply swipe it off the screen to the left or right.

Type with a swipe
Some people struggle to type on touchscreen devices, especially on smartphones with smaller displays. To help out, Android 4.2 has introduced a feature called Gesture Typing. To try it out open an app that accepts typed input, such as Email, and swipe around the keyboard to type words. Don’t lift your finger from the screen just move smoothly from one letter to the next until the word is typed. With a bit of practice, typing with swipes can become very fast and intuitive. If your device doesn't have or can't be updated to
Android 4.2, then download the free Touchpal Keyboard app from www.snipca.com/7902 — it does much the same thing.

Gesture control for Chrome
Using Android's default web browser, Google Chrome, can be made all the more speedy with some handy touchscreen gestures. The most useful gesture is for switching tabs: with more than one tab open, swipe from the far left or far right of the screen to switch between them. On Android smartphones, tapping on the numbered tabs button next to the address bar displays all open tabs, in a deck. Tabs can be pulled up and down while a swipe to the left or right will close the tab.

Get some widgets
Widgets are a handy way offinding out information quickly without having to open an app, and the details can be displayed directly on an Android home screen. However, finding widgets in the Play Store is a different matter because it involves trawling through a lot of rubbish. To search through a specific list of apps that have widgets included with them open the Play Store and tap on Apps. Tap Categories in the top left comer and scroll down the list until you see Widgets. This will show the top commercial (paid-for) widgets; to view the top free widgets swipe from right to left.

Limit mobile data
One of the best new features in Android 4 is the ability to properly manage mobile data use. Tap Settings and then Data usage to configure your phone or 3G tablet. Select ‘Set mobile data limit’ and accept the warning message. On the graph the orange line can be dragged up and down to change when a warning will appear (when 2GB of data has been used, for example) and the red line can be moved to set when the data connection will be disabled — this will stop breaching any data-allowance limit on your contract. The data-usage cycle option should be set to match contract billing date.

Quickly crop and edlt photos stored on your phone
Apps such as Instagram are really Popular being able to add effects and edit photos snapped on your phone or tablet is convenient and fun. Android 4 devices have some handy built-in photo-editing tools for applying affects, cropping and adjusting saturation and contrast. To edit photos open the device's photo album and select the photo you want to edit, tap the menu icon in the top right corner and tap Edit. The four options that appear along the bottom of the screen enables you to alter and change the photo without needing any extra apps.

Remove parental control apps
We've previously written about the benefits (or otherwise) of parental-control apps for Android. If you have installed one of these apps, getting rid of them is seemingly impossible. This is because the apps are set as device administrators, so a normal uninstall attempt won't work. To remove these apps tap Settings, Security and Device administrators. This will display the 39 parental-control app installed on your device. To uninstall it tap the tick box and select Deactivate. Type in your parental control password and then remove the app as a device administrator. It can then be uninstalled using the usual method (hold your finger down on an app's icon and drag and drop it onto the Remove legend).
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Tuesday, 30 April 2013

Dell XPS 18 hybrid tablet/all-in-one PC Review

DELL has unveiled its latest XPS computer, an 18in hybrid tablet/all-in-one PC designed to replace your existing desktop but still be portable enough to carry around the house It's a concept we’re beginning to see more of, with Sony and Asus having released similar products earlier in the year, but Dell's new angle could be the best yet.
Dell XPS 18 all-in-one PC
Dell claims the XPS 18 is the world’s thinnest and lightest all-in-one Windows PC Weighing just 22kg, we've seen laptops that weigh more. It's barely any thicker than the average Ultrabook and tapers down to just a few millimetres. There's still room for side-firing stereo speakers, an SD card slot, two USB3 ports, a 3.5mm headset audio jack and a power port around the edges, which should be enough to connect peripherals, although there are no video ports.

The star of the show is the 18.4in, 1920x1080 display, which uses an IPS panel for excellent viewing angles, Gorilla Glass for extra protection and capacitive touch to make the most of Windows 8's finger-friendly interface. You can position it at a comfortable working angle using the flip-out feet built into the back of the device; you have the choice of a flat, easel-style mode and a more upright, monitor-style angle, but only in landscape orientation.

You can also use the bundled docking platform, which doesn‘t have any extra inputs and is purely designed to hold the tablet at the height of a traditional computer monitor, but it's made of sturdy stuff — magnets lock the tablet in place. Other accessories include a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard; both are fairly standard Dell peripherals, but are sensibly wireless to let you take them around the house along with the tablet. lite internal battery, which is apparently good for five hours of use, means you don't have to tie yourself to a power socket, either.

The XPS 18 has real potential as a portable all-in-one computer. It takes up significantly less room than a traditional desktop tower and can be picked up and moved around easily when you don’t want to be chained to a desk. It runs the full version of Windows 8, so you aren't restricted to a small selection of apps like you are on a Windows RT device. If you just use your computer for email, web browsing and word processing, but want a big screen rather than a small laptop, the XPS 18 makes a lot of sense. Dell has launched the XPS 18 in the UK on 16th April, in a range of different hardware configurations. Core i3, i5 and i7 processors, 4GB and 8GB of RAM, hard disk, mSATA and SSD storage options will all be available.

The Price starts from $899

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