Archive for 2013

ASUS shows off Qube Google TV set-top box at CES

There will be quite a lot going on over at the ASUS booth during this year’s CES. That’s because the company will have a whole bunch of gadgets to show off, including its fresh lineup of Windows 8 tablets and Ultrabooks. However, while most of these are devices we’re already familiar with, one of them is a brand new arrival.

Remember that mysterious Google TV gizmo that appeared at the FCC in November? No? That’s okay, there was. We now officially have the ASUS Qube. What we have on our hands is a set-top box that allows you to enjoy content from the Google Play store, Netflix, and the Amazon Instant Video service right on your HDTV. Access to the web via the Chrome browser also comes standard, in addition to the built-in YouTube client. In addition, an advanced remote control with motion sensing is included in the set, but alternatively, users can control their ASUS Qube from an Android app designed for the purpose. Each Qube comes with 50GB of cloud storage, courtesy of ASUS.

Ubitus Announces Their Cloud Gaming Solution for Google TV

At CES yesterday, a Japanese company called Ubitus just announced that their cloud gaming solution will be joining forces with Google and coming to the Google TV. They plan to bring what they call their "industry leading cloud gaming solution" to the Google TV, and promise a "console and MMO gaming" experience for the device. Just a few of the games on their service are pretty big names, like Resident Evil 5, Lost Planet 2, and Super Street Fighter IV. They didn’t specify what international markets the service will be available for, but it is possible it will launch across all possible Google TV areas. We will keep you apprised when we find out more.

Vizio Outs A 7-Inch Tegra 3 Powered Android Tablet

It probably would have been a surprise if Vizio, the well-known budget-friendly HDTV manufacturer, had only announced a high-end 10-inch Android tablet at CES. After-all, they’ve done a remarkable job dominating that segment with TVs, so it wouldn’t make sense to completely abandon that strategy with their Android tablet products. It runs out they haven’t. Vizio also announced this morning they will be launching a new 7-inch Tegra 3 powered Android Tablet sometime early this year. Here’s what we know about the tab:

• Like a Nexus 7 but packaged the size of a Kindle e-reader
• Tegra 3 processor
• 7-Inch 1280 x 800 IPS display
• 16GB of storage
• 1.2 megapixel front-facing camera
• "Bone stock" Android Jelly Bean

It’s not clear how Vizio will be able to distinguish themselves with a tablet that seems very similar to the Nexus 7, but based upon their past history, it is likely to be priced very aggressively. We will keep you informed when more details emerge.

Posted by: Gareth

Xperia Z – Promo Video

Posted by: James

Alcatel Unveils One Touch Evo 7 HD Tablet and More

Alcatel just announced new 5-inch Android phablets yesterday, but they apparently are not done there. They also announced their new One Touch Evo 7 HD Android tablet, and a new Evo 7 tablet with optional 3G modem. Here’s a quote with the details,

Quote:

At $179 the Evo 7 HD has a 7-inch touchscreen with a resolution of 1280×800 pixels, a dual-core 1.6GHz processor backed by 1GB of RAM, and 4GB of internal storage. There is also a microSD card slot, a 3-megapixel rear-facing camera, VGA front-facing camera, and it runs Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). The competitively priced basic model also has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support, but intriguingly you can opt to pay out $249 for a model with a removable 3G module, or $349 for a 4G module.
The plain Evo 7 is the same size, but it only has a 1024×600 pixel resolution touchscreen, a single-core 1GHz processor with 1GB of RAM, and it runs Android 4 (ICS). It also lacks the rear-facing camera of its big brother, but otherwise looks much the same. The optional module for it is 3G only.
In addition to being able to take the 3G module out you can try a range of colorful frames. We’re not entirely clear on why you would want to remove the cellular data module. In any case the Evo 7 HD is due to hit the U.S. in May, but we don’t know when the Europe-bound Evo 7 will be landing or what it will cost.

It’s interesting to see how many companies are trying to stake a claim for themselves in the Android tablet landscape. Only time will tell which ones rise to the top.

Posted by: Gareth

NVIDIA Gaming Bombshell

NVIDIA shared their new Tegra 4 mobile powerhouse chip at CES, and although this is a very exciting new development, it was not unexpected. In fact, we new (and shared) that it was coming out at CES several weeks ago. However, NVIDIA wasn’t done sharing new tech. In fact, the second bit of news they shared turned out to be a huge bombshell.

Apparently, NVIDIA has been developing a new product called Project Shield that is a new Android-based handheld portable gaming console. This new portable gaming device includes a console-style controller with built-in speakers, a 5-inch flipping display powered by the new Tegra 4 processor, and can actually stream games to your HDTV wirelessly.

Additionally, it will come stock with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and supposedly provide up to 38 hours of gaming before needing to recharge the batteries. Lastly, the device goes a step further than that, and can actually be used to stream your PC games (provided they match certain specs) wirelessly to your HDTV, and this is all done through your PC’s Steam account.

Lenovo and a 27" Tablet

Here’s a piece of hardware that will certainly grab your attention. How does a 27" Tablet weighing in at a hefty 17 lbs sound? Yes, you read that right, Lenovo is going to be announcing a Coblet (Computer/Tablet) called the Horizon this week at CES 2013 that features a gigantic 27" full HD multi-touch display (16 by 9 aspect ratio) that runs Windows 8 and features a third-generation Core i7 processor with NVIDIA GeForce graphics. With customized games from Ubisoft and EA, and compatibility with joysticks and other accessories, Lenovo is clearly looking to appeal to the hardcore gaming crowd as well.

When the "tablet PC" goes on sale this summer, the price for this beast is going to drain your bank account with it’s walloping $1,700 price tag. At that price and size we are not entirely sold – no pun intended – on the idea that will attract a lot of consumers, so we want to hear from you. What, if anything, is a deal breaker for you with this "tablet PC"?

Posted by: Gareth