Apple iPhone 5  Battery Life May Be Affected By Cellular Signal Strength

Embedded in iLounge’s lengthy review of the iPhone 5 is a section about battery life. In it, iLounge’s Jeremy Horwitz reports that the iPhone 5’s battery life, while similar in performance to that of the iPhone 4S, is actually largely affected by the strength of the cellular signal.
“If you’re using your iPhone 5 in places with a very strong (4- to 5-bar) LTE or 3G signal, your cellular battery life may approach that [“8 hours of rechargeable batteries life”] number, but if not, the cellular antenna will struggle to maintain a signal, and fall well short,” Horwitz reported. “Because LTE and 3G/4G towers are in a state of build-out flux right now, our tests suggest that many LTE users won’t come close to Apple’s promised numbers.”
Apple says the battery life in its all-new iPhone 5 is roughly equivalent, if not slightly better, than the battery power in its predecessor, the iPhone 4S. Apple says the iPhone 5’s battery, on a full charge, provides 8 hours of talk time on 3G, 8 to 10 hours of Web use, 10 hours of video playback, 40 hours of audio and music playback, and roughly 225 hours of standby time. Without a quality LTE or Wi-Fi signal however, the iPhone 5’s performance suffers greatly. Here’s Horwitz with more:
“Each with 2 bars of LTE signal—the best our phones could achieve in the primary location where we’ve tested every past iPhone—our AT&T iPhone 5 achieved a meager 4 hours and 44 minutes of continuous cellular data browsing in our standard Internet test, while a Verizon iPhone 5 hit 5 hours and 15 minutes, well below Apple’s rosy estimates,” he wrote. “Both numbers were below the just-shy-of-6-hour run times of the AT&T and Verizon iPhone 4S models when they were on 3G/4G networks last year, though it needs to be said that both iPhone 4Ses had 3G/4G signals in the 3- to -bar range.”
Horwitz added that while last year’s iPhone 4S accomplished about 8 hours and 30 minutes of Web use on a Wi-Fi signal, a Verizon-powered iPhone 5 lasted only six hours and 24 minutes under those same connectivity conditions. When the cellular antenna was turned off, that same iPhone 5 ran for 8 hours and 26 minutes, so it’s quite clear that big drops in battery life are likely a result of poor cellular signal strength.
Apple iPhone 5 Features: Battery Life May Be Affected By Cellular Signal Strength
iLounge’s battery tests also discovered that the iPhone 5 battery performed worse than the iPhone 4S in terms of voice calling time – AT&T users will have about one hour less to talk, and Verizon customers will have about two hours less – but Horwitz believes “the lower numbers may again be attributable to the weaker AT&T and Verizon signal strengths we saw during testing (2-3 bars).”
The iPhone 5’s battery loses to the iPhone 4S for FaceTime chats, but besides that, the sixth-generation iPhone beats out its predecessors in terms of battery life for video recording, video playback and audio playback. While some of the actual figures fell short of Apple’s estimates, iLounge discovered that the difference in battery life was “astonishing” when the iPhone 5 was put in to Airplane Mode, which ensured it wouldn’t connect to any cellular or Wi-Fi networks during its test.
Unfortunately, no matter how you slice it, the iPhone 5 cannot be considered an “all-day” phone. It’s best to keep the iPhone 5 continually recharging throughout the day, either by connecting to a power source or a battery pack designed for iPhone, but if you’re really worried about conserving battery, it might be best to turn off your cellular connection, or simply enter Airplane Mode, when the iPhone 5 isn’t in use.

Wikipad Hands-on with the gaming tablet

The Nintendo Wii U is not the only tablet-based gaming hardware launching this fall. Wikipad is a new 10-inch Android tablet designed from the ground up to work with a proprietary game pad dock. Having had a chance to try out a preproduction unit, I found it an interesting hybrid of general-interest tablet and specialized handheld gaming console. But the $499 price may make it hard to compete with products such as Apple's iPad, the latest Amazon, Google, and Barnes & Noble showtone 777r tablet, or even Sony's handheld PlayStation Vita.
Wikipad is part of a growing trend of independently developed game consoles outside of the major Sony/Nintendo/Microsoft axis. Ouya, an Android-powered set-top box, recently made a big splash on Kickstarter, raising millions of dollars from individual gamers, while streaming-game service OnLive released a set-top box last year, and used a standalone Android app to bring its games to handheld devices.
Powered by an Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, the Wikipad can download games from Nvidia's Tegra Zone store, Google Play, the PlayStation Mobile platform, and other app stores. Unlike other Android tablets that can also play a wide variety of games, the Wikipad's unique selling point is its custom handheld controller dock, which adds two analog sticks, shoulder triggers, a directional pad, and four buttons -- all of which makes it look a lot like a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 controller.
The tablet itself is very thin and light, weighing 1.2 pounds and only 0.3 inch thick. The back surface (which is matte black plastic) has a small inset ridge running around it, which acts as a finger grip, and also helps guide the tablet into the game pad dock.
From the front, it looks like a stock 10-inch Android tablet, with a thick bezel and glossy screen that is covered with Gorilla Glass, and supports 10-finger input. It's an IPS screen, which looks good from off-axis angles, but the screen resolution is 1,280x800 pixels, which is low compared with other current 9- or 10-inch tablets.
A custom dock connector plugs it into the game pad dock, and also connects to a power adapter. There's a standard Micro-USB port, but the company tells us it's not for charging. The Wikipad includes 16GB of solid-state drive (SSD) storage, but a microSSD slot will allow you to expand that with up to a 32GB SSD card.
As of right now, there are no exclusive games for the Wikipad, and there may never be, as it bills itself as an "open" platform. A custom software browser, built into a spinning 3D carousel, shows off highlighted games from the Google Play store, Nvidia's Tegra Zone, and Sony's PlayStation Mobile platform, among others.
Slotting the two parts together resulted in a solid-feeling package, and I didn't worry, even on this preproduction unit, about the tablet sliding out. The game pad dock was also very lightweight (like the tablet, it's mostly plastic), and the analog sticks, buttons, and triggers felt very familiar. The company says the final version will have a better trigger response and coated buttons, but the version I tried worked just fine.
While playing the popular Android shooter Dead Trigger (as seen in the video above), I found using the two analog sticks to be vastly superior to onscreen controls that attempt to mimic a traditional game pad. I didn't feel any lag (it may help that this is a physical dock connection, not a wireless Bluetooth one), and the controls mapped easily -- as they should in any game that uses the standard Android game pad API.
With games that are available elsewhere, and tablet hardware that isn't as advanced as some competitors, the real selling point here is the symbiotic nature of the game pad and tablet, and how the two work so well together in tandem.
Price is probably the $499 Wikipad's biggest hurdle. Apple's current-gen iPad starts at $499, and both Amazon's 9-inch Kindle Fire HD and the new Barnes & Noble Nook HD+ start at less than $300 (each without a bundled dock, of course). Even the three major living-room consoles, as well as Sony's PlayStation Vita and Nintendo's 3DS, all cost less (as will Nintendo's Wii U).
The Wikipad's physical game controller add-on is something long overdue, and it works very well in hands-on testing, but the system has a big job in convincing gamers to spend that much. The Wikipad will be released on October 31, and we'll bring you a full review when we have the final hardware version.

Find Green Exercise Equipment from Sports Art Fitness at Club Industry Show 2012

Fitness revolutionaries, SportsArt Fitness, will be taking their innovative products to show at the Club Industry Show 2012, in Las Vegas, NV. Club Industry 2012 is a convention and expo for fitness business professionals and has been has been the leading independent event for fitness professionals for 27 years. Fitness professionals who attend the Club Industry conference have the chance to choose from active training, lectures, panels and roundtable sessions.
The location of the Club Industry 2012 expo is one of a series of updates to this well known convention. Normally held in Chicago, the show's director, Adam Andersen, believes that moving the show to Las Vegas will help create more of a national excitement, and attract a better audience. For exhibitors like SportsArt Fitness - the leader in human-powered fitness machines, this translates into wider exposure as the show highlights the best of the industry.
With more than 20 years of design and manufacturing excellence to their credit and a Nova 7 award for best cardio supplier in the industry, SportsArt will offer iPod-compatible cardio products, their award-winning strength line, and the unique S770 Pinnacle Trainer. Buyers will also be able to preview the "Green System" which debuted International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) show last week in San Francisco. The Green System is a pod of products attached to an inverter that harnesses power generated by exercisers and feeds it back into the power grid as usable energy.
SportsArt product manager, Bob Baumgartner notes that a typical health club that replaces its ellipticals and cycles with Green Systems will save thousands of dollars in energy costs. The company hopes to spark a green revolution, bringing more innovative and eco-friendly exercise fitness equipment to facilities that would otherwise consume enormous amounts of electricity. Gyms that install the Green System are a draw to eco-conscious consumers, who will often choose self-generating fitness equipment over traditional machines if possible.
SportsArt was one of the first manufacturers of self-powered elliptical trainers. Their Eco-Powr treadmill uses 32% less energy than traditional club treadmills, and the completely self-generated ellipticals and cycles require no outside power source to operate.
SportsArt Fitness will be showing these products and more at the Club Industry 2012 expo, booth number 1011

LED Headlights Shine Light Review

The automotive lighting industry has undergone a massive transformation with the growing trend toward LED-based light sources. As recently as 1990, the standard headlight assembly used only incandescent sources with very basic functionality: low beam, high beam, and off. Other functionalities, such as the turn signal, sidemarker, and position lights, were performed by separate incandescent sources. More advanced functions, such as separate cornering lights, race lights, and lighting features for advanced driver assistance systems, were not common or didn't even exist.
In 1991, the first high-intensity discharge (HID) xenon-based headlight was introduced, shifting the front lighting landscape into the power electronics realm. This shift to HID-based fixtures yielded a more efficient and longer-lasting system than its incandescent counterpart. However, HID lamps were far more complicated than incandescent sources, as they required extensive power electronics to operate. Like fluorescent lighting, HID lamps needed an ignitor to ionize the xenon gas, creating a conductive path through the lamp. Then a ballast comprising one or more switch-mode power conversion stages was required to regulate the lumen output in steady state. Unfortunately, this increase in complexity yielded little benefit in size or performance over the incandescent light.
Today's headlight systems typically use a single-stage power architecture.
In 2007, the first light-emitting diode led headlamps became available in new automobiles. LED-based systems also require some method of power conversion. An LED driver is required to convert the battery voltage source into a constant current drive for a series or series/parallel string of LEDs. While the LED driver also adds cost and complexity to the headlight system compared to incandescent sources, there are many benefits to the LED system, including size reduction, much higher controllability of intensity and color, efficiency improvement, and longer lifetimes. Over the past five years, it has become increasingly evident that the LED headlight should eventually dominate the automotive marketplace due to its inherent advantages over other light sources.
Existing front lighting systems
Today, LED-based automotive headlights typically are designed with single-stage power converters that take the available input battery supply of 12V and convert it to a regulated constant current output. This single-stage design usually requires a buck-boost topology of some type in order to provide regulation during load-dump and cold-crank conditions. Load-dump is when the battery or some other significant load is disconnected from the alternator during charging. During load-dump, the remaining connected automotive systems can see voltages of more than 60V for hundreds of milliseconds. Cold-crank refers to starting the engine at 0C when the battery can droop as low as 4.5V -- and in some cases lower. The buck-boost topology allows for the input to rise above or drop below the output voltage of the LED array while maintaining regulation. Converters that can buck or boost can be implemented in many ways, but some common configurations are the floating buck-boost (or boost to battery), the SEPIC converter, the flyback converter, and the Cuk converter.

Nicklaus weighs in on golf ball, belly putter

As one of the all-time greats, Jack Nicklaus is ought to have a pretty weighty opinion on all things golf. So when he tosses that weight on one side of the equipment debate, we'd do well to listen.
The Golden Bear offered his opinion Wednesday on ESPN Radio 980 in Washington D.C. So where did he fall? Well, not only does he think the golf ball should be rolled back -- he expects it to happen. And he doesn't rely on any abstract "integrity of the game argument." For Jack, it's cold, hard cash:
The game of golf has three problems. It’s too hard, it’s too expensive and it takes too long. If they dialed the golf balls back it would reduce all those costs. The costs of maintaining the golf course, the cost of land and all those things would be dialed back and as an added benefit there’s only one golf course in this country that is not obsolete to the pros and that’s Augusta National, they’re the only people that have enough money to build the golf course and do the things they needed to do. Every time they have an event what do they do? Build new tees, new bunkers and do everything. It doesn’t make any sense. The simplest thing to do is fix the golf ball.
And how about the belly putter, that other controversy-of-the-moment? Jack doesn't seem too concerned.
I’m sort of in the middle of the road. I don’t know how much it really helps and I know a lot of guys, Arnold (Palmer) is very strong that it should be banned, I think something anchored to your body is probably not in the nature of what the game of golf is and up until Keegan Bradley won, nobody had ever won a major with one so I didn’t think much about it but my guess is it will probably go.

NEW sales member of Sun Mountain

NEW sales member of Sun Mountain

Leading golf bag, walking cart and outerwear company, Sun Mountain, has strengthened its sales team with the addition of four new representatives.
Mike Connors is the new Sun Mountain Territory Manager for South Florida. Mike grew up in Long Island, New York and graduated from Methodist University where he was a member of the school's golf team. Following college, Mike served as an assistant professional at Tam O'Shanter Club in New York and The Patterson Club in Connecticut while playing part time on the mini tours in Florida.
Charley Carlson will be covering Utah and New Mexico from his home-base in Ogden, Utah. Charley graduated from the University of Utah in 1993 and immediately jumped into the golf industry. Charley has been a golf sales representative for nearly twenty years.
A product of Gulfport, Miss., Josh Lampley played college golf for the University of South Alabama before joining the NGA Tour for two seasons. Josh then taught golf for a year before becoming assistant professional at The Stock Farm Club in Hamilton, Mont. Josh's territory includes Mississippi and Louisiana.
Sun Mountain's new representative in Colorado and Wyoming is Kevin Neff. Neff has been in the golf and sporting goods industries since 1974. With Wilson Sporting Goods for 20 years, Neff worked primarily with the golf division in positions including Customer Service Manager, Assistant to the Credit Manager and Sales Management.
Sun Mountain President Ed Kowachek said, "Sun Mountain remains committed to selling through on- and off-course golf shops. Our team of sales representatives across the country is an integral link between the company and the golf shop buyer. We are proud of our sales' team and excited to add these new members."
For 30 years Sun Mountain has been a pioneer in the golf industry, revolutionizing golf bags, golf outerwear and golf carts. Sun Mountain's many innovations, including the first lightweight golf bag and modern stand bag, have made it the top golf bag company in North America. Within golf outerwear, Sun Mountain redefined golf-specific performance first with the windshirt, then fleece, and again with its four-way stretch, waterproof, and breathable rain jacket. The Sun Mountain Speed Cart® golf push cart transformed walking carts and created an entirely new category of golf products. Sun Mountain's "Ahead of Time Design" motto drives the company to continually design and refine golf equipment.

Jewelry store ready to close after robbery

Three months after being tied up by armed robbers at Avis' Fine Jewelry in Thomasville, David Reynolds describes the events of that day as devastating.
Reynolds and two other employees were preparing for the close of business for the day June 21. But four nicely dressed people who appeared to be ordinary customers entered the store.
"They came in, looked at some merchandise, pulled a gun and said, 'This is a robbery,'" Reynolds, the manager of the jewelry store, recalled.
Reynolds and sales associate Helen Davidson were taken to the back of the store and tied up. A third employee was demanded to stay up front with the robbers to assist them with getting the jewelry.
"You could hear them putting merchandise in the buckets," Reynolds said, adding the suspects were in the business for about 30 minutes.
With fears of another robbery, that half-hour has caused Avis' Fine fashion jewelry online Avis and Cecil Brewer to decide to close the business for good. About $800,000 in jewelry was taken from the jewelry store, most of which was covered by insurance.
"It's pretty devastating that you have just been through that," Reynolds said. "I can understand Avis' point with closing."
Avis Brewer and her husband were on vacation in South Carolina the day of the robbery. They were preparing to go to dinner when they received the call about the crime.
"I remember just sitting down and handing the phone to my husband," she said. "I guess I was just in shock."
The Brewers opened Avis' Fine Jewelry on National Highway in 1988. In 1990, the business moved to its existing location on Randolph Street. Their business had never been robbed prior to the June incident.
"We just decided to close instead of going through something like that again," Avis Brewer said of the decision to close Avis' Fine Jewelry. "It's really hard. It's still hard. I am coming on the last couple of weeks now. I started it and been here the whole time. I worked hard to grow the business and to grow the relationship with the customers. I guess in my mind, I know it's the best thing I can do."
Avis Brewer said her business will close in a couple of weeks. She has no definite date of the closure. Customers can receive up to 70 percent discounts on items during a going-out-of-business sale.
There has been interest from other jewelry stores of locating at Avis' Fine Jewelry's location, Avis Brewer said. She's also had inquiries from insurance agents.
With closing the jewelry store, Avis and Cecil Brewer will now set their sights on putting more of a focus on their rental property. They have more than 50 apartment units spread throughout Thomasville.
Lettie Torrence has been a customer for years of Avis' Fine Jewelry.
"I hated it because I like to buy my jewelry here," she said, referring to the store's closure. "I hate to go somewhere else. It's a shame. I loved coming in here. Even if I didn't buy anything, I loved to look."
Davidson had her Toyota Camry stolen by the armed robbers. The vehicle was later recovered.
"I feel badly for Avis because she has spent the better part of her life building this store in town," Davidson said. "I know she will be remembered for what she has done here. I was here that day. It was pretty traumatic."
Greg and Ashley Denard are jewelry sales consultants who reside in Florida. They were hired by Avis' Fine Jewelry to assist in the remaining weeks of the business.
"It's pretty devastating because we are very much connected to people in the industry," Greg Denard. "To hear a fellow jewelry store owner go through a process like that is devastating. It's hurtful to see people robbed. It's unfortunate. Luckily, nobody got hurt."

Jewelry store ready to close after robbery

Three months after being tied up by armed robbers at Avis' Fine Jewelry in Thomasville, David Reynolds describes the events of that day as devastating.
Reynolds and two other employees were preparing for the close of business for the day June 21. But four nicely dressed people who appeared to be ordinary customers entered the store.
"They came in, looked at some merchandise, pulled a gun and said, 'This is a robbery,'" Reynolds, the manager of the jewelry store, recalled.
Reynolds and sales associate Helen Davidson were taken to the back of the store and tied up. A third employee was demanded to stay up front with the robbers to assist them with getting the jewelry.
"You could hear them putting merchandise in the buckets," Reynolds said, adding the suspects were in the business for about 30 minutes.
With fears of another robbery, that half-hour has caused Avis' Fine fashion jewelry online Avis and Cecil Brewer to decide to close the business for good. About $800,000 in jewelry was taken from the jewelry store, most of which was covered by insurance.
"It's pretty devastating that you have just been through that," Reynolds said. "I can understand Avis' point with closing."
Avis Brewer and her husband were on vacation in South Carolina the day of the robbery. They were preparing to go to dinner when they received the call about the crime.
"I remember just sitting down and handing the phone to my husband," she said. "I guess I was just in shock."
The Brewers opened Avis' Fine Jewelry on National Highway in 1988. In 1990, the business moved to its existing location on Randolph Street. Their business had never been robbed prior to the June incident.
"We just decided to close instead of going through something like that again," Avis Brewer said of the decision to close Avis' Fine Jewelry. "It's really hard. It's still hard. I am coming on the last couple of weeks now. I started it and been here the whole time. I worked hard to grow the business and to grow the relationship with the customers. I guess in my mind, I know it's the best thing I can do."
Avis Brewer said her business will close in a couple of weeks. She has no definite date of the closure. Customers can receive up to 70 percent discounts on items during a going-out-of-business sale.
There has been interest from other jewelry stores of locating at Avis' Fine Jewelry's location, Avis Brewer said. She's also had inquiries from insurance agents.
With closing the jewelry store, Avis and Cecil Brewer will now set their sights on putting more of a focus on their rental property. They have more than 50 apartment units spread throughout Thomasville.
Lettie Torrence has been a customer for years of Avis' Fine Jewelry.
"I hated it because I like to buy my jewelry here," she said, referring to the store's closure. "I hate to go somewhere else. It's a shame. I loved coming in here. Even if I didn't buy anything, I loved to look."
Davidson had her Toyota Camry stolen by the armed robbers. The vehicle was later recovered.
"I feel badly for Avis because she has spent the better part of her life building this store in town," Davidson said. "I know she will be remembered for what she has done here. I was here that day. It was pretty traumatic."
Greg and Ashley Denard are jewelry sales consultants who reside in Florida. They were hired by Avis' Fine Jewelry to assist in the remaining weeks of the business.
"It's pretty devastating because we are very much connected to people in the industry," Greg Denard. "To hear a fellow jewelry store owner go through a process like that is devastating. It's hurtful to see people robbed. It's unfortunate. Luckily, nobody got hurt."

US judge won't lift Samsung tablet ban

US District Court Judge Lucy Koh cancelled a Thursday hearing at which Samsung and Apple were to duel over a ban put in place before the start of a trial that ended with a huge victory for the California company. A jury declared on August 24 that Samsung should pay Apple $1.049 billion in damages for illegally copying iPhone and iPad features. Apple has reportedly requested a hearing before Koh to argue that the amount should be tripled as allowed by law since jurors found Samsung "willfully" infringed on patents. However, the jury agreed that Samsung did not abuse design patents that were the grounds for a temporary ban on Galaxy Tab 10.1 device imports that Koh put in place at Apple's behest in June. Koh wrote in her ruling that she would grant Samsung's request if she could, but that she no longer has authority to make the call since the company appealed to a higher court to have the ban overturned. "The sole basis for the June 26 preliminary injunction no longer exists," Koh said in a written decision. "The court at this time would dissolve the June 26 preliminary injunction if the court had jurisdiction." She also noted that the jury verdict in her San Jose, California, courtroom didn't represent a "final ruling" in the case since it was being appealed. Apple won more than $1 billion in a massive US court victory over Samsung on August 24, in one of the biggest patent cases in decades—a verdict that could have huge market repercussions. Samsung reacted by saying the verdict was "a loss" for consumers and that Apple had "manipulated" the patent system. The South Korean firm also said the verdict was "not the final word" in this case or other similar battles around the world. The decision appeared to be an overwhelming victory for Apple, but it was not immediately clear whether it would halt sales of Samsung devices or affect newer models released since the case was filed. The jury decided the case with over 700 separate claims in less than three days of deliberations. The verdict affects a range of Samsung products including some of its popular Galaxy smartphones and its Galaxy tablet pc 3g—devices alleged to have been copied from the iPhone and iPad. Samsung had steadfastly denied the charges by Apple, claiming it developed its devices independently. It unsuccessfully argued that Apple infringed on its wireless patents.

Leaked Windows 8 tablet pricing suggests Asus is targeting big spenders

Asus' first batch of Windows 8 tablets won't come cheap, at least according to a leaked product roadmap full of pricing details.
Pricing for Asus' Vivo Tab RT will start at $599, and the Intel Atom-based Vivo Tab will start at $799, according to the roadmap obtained by ZDNet. Optional keyboard and trackpad docks, which transform the google android 7 tablets into laptops more or less, will reportedly cost an extra $199. This raises the total price of the Vivo Tab RT to about $800 and the Vivo Tab to $1000.
asus-vivo-tab-rtVivo Tab RT
Of course, we don’t know if the roadmap is legitimate or fake, but the details it shares are difficult to square with reality. First, Asus' official press materials suggest that the Vivo Tabs' keyboard and trackpad docks are essential, and will be included with the tablets. To quote directly from Asus' announcement (emphasis mine): “Key to the Vivo Tab's recipe for Windows 8 is the supplied mobile dock.”
Then, later in the same press release, we find: “The Vivo Tab RT also has the same innovative Transformer design as the Vivo Tab and is supplied with its own mobile dock that provides a QWERTY keyboard, track pad, USB port and built-in battery.”
I could be misinterpreting Asus' definition of “supplied,” but it seems unlikely that Asus would relegate a main ingredient in its product to optional add-on status. Even if including the dock raises the overall cost, it would help sell the notion of Windows 8 tablets being two devices in one, and would make the higher pricing easier to justify.
The pricing listed in the ostensibly leaked roadmap also fails to square with what other manufacturers have said about the cost of Windows 8 hardware. Last month, Lenovo's head of North America operations, David Schmoock, told Bloomberg that Windows 8 tablets will cost between $600 and $700, and that Windows RT tablets will cost $200 to $300 less than that.
Outside the sweet spot
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer suggested a similar price range last week, when he told The Seattle Times that $300 to $800 is the “sweet spot” for the PC market. Those prices represent a ballpark figure for Microsoft's upcoming Surface tablets, which will come in Windows RT and Windows 8 flavors.
Although the higher end of Microsoft's price range looks the same as Asus' supposed Vivo Tab pricing, the Windows 8 Pro version of Surface will use an Intel Core i5 processor, rather than the weaker Atom chip found in the Vivo Tab. Asus is making its own Core-based Windows 8 hybrid called the Transformer Book, but according to the leaked roadmap it will be much pricier at $1399.
Something doesn't add up here. Either the leaked roadmap is inaccurate, or Asus has gone mad and priced its Windows 8 devices high above the competition. And this doesn’t seem very Asus-like. The company, after all, is delivering the Android-based Nexus 7 for $199, and all its previous Android tablets have undercut the pricing of direct competition. This is what Asus generally does. It sells great hardware at killer prices.
With so many other PC makers preparing their own Windows 8 hybrids – many with designs that are similar to the Vivo Tab – any type of  high-end pricing approach could spell big trouble for Asus.

Game machine, phones, tablets for the holidays

Makers of consumer electronics have been refreshing their products for the holiday shopping season. Apple unveiled a new iPhone, while Amazon started selling new tablet computers and e-readers. Nintendo offered details for the first major game console in years.
These are some of the gadgets to expect in the coming months:
— NEW IPHONE
Orders for the iPhone 5 started last week. The new phone is bigger, but thinner than previous models and works with faster cellular networks known as 4G.
Apple Inc. began taking orders at 3 a.m. EDT Friday, promising delivery by this Friday, when the new phone also goes on sale in stores. Within hours, the expected delivery time had grown to two weeks. Apple said Monday that orders topped 2 million in 24 hours, more than double the amount for last year's iPhone.
Apple is also updating its phone software and will ditch Google Inc.'s mapping service for its own. Besides appearing on the new phone, the new iOS 6 software will be a free upgrade for older devices, including the past three iPhones and the past two iPads. That upgrade will be available starting Wednesday.
Sales of Apple's iPhones are still strong, though the company lost the lead in smartphones to Samsung this year. Samsung Electronics Co. benefited from having its Galaxy S III out in the U.S. in June. A new iPhone will allow Apple to recapture the attention and the revenue.
— SMALLER IPAD
Apple has done well selling its full-sized showtone 777r computer, which has a screen that measures nearly 10 inches diagonally. Many companies have come out with iPad alternatives, but the ones that have had moderate success have tended to be those with smaller, 7-inch screens and lower price tags.
There's speculation that Apple will come out with a mini iPad — possibly with a 7.85-inch screen — to maintain its dominance. Although Apple said nothing about it last week when it revealed the iPhone 5, the belief is that it will come this fall.
— REKINDLING THE FIRE
Amazon.com Inc.'s 7-inch Kindle Fire is one of the smaller tablets with decent sales. On Friday, it started shipping an updated version with a faster processor, more memory and longer battery life. It also cut the price to $159, from $199, making it far cheaper than the iPad, which starts at $399 for the 2011 version still on sale. (The most recent ones start at $499.)
Amazon is also releasing higher-end models under the Kindle Fire HD line. A 7-inch one goes for $199 and an 8.9-inch one for $299. There's also a $499 model that can use the 4G cellular networks that phone companies have been building. A data plan will cost an extra $50 a year. The smaller HD model started shipping Friday, while the larger ones will be available Nov. 20.
Buyers of the Fire HD will get the option to turn off the advertisements that appear on its standby screen for $15.
Amazon also refreshed its line of stand-alone e-readers, offering the Paperwhite, with its own light source. Tablets such as the iPad and the Fire don't work as well in bright light because they are lit from the back. Amazon says the light on the Paperwhite is directed down at the display.
Barnes and Noble Inc., which makes the 7-inch Nook Tablet, may have an update this fall as well.
Toys R Us, meanwhile, is making a 7-inch tablet aimed at children. The Tabeo will go on sale Oct. 21 for $149.99.
— MOTOROLA'S RETURN
Though it's a pioneer in the cellphone industry, Motorola hasn't had a hit since the Razr phone came out in 2004. Under new owner Google Inc., Motorola Mobility is trying to change that.
This month, Motorola announced three new smartphones bearing the Razr name. The $99 Droid Razr M is now on sale. Two high-end models, the Razr HD and Razr Maxx HD, are coming this year.
These are the first major products from Motorola since Google bought the company for $12.4 billion in May. Google, meanwhile, continues to sell a 7-inch Android tablet, the Nexus 7, made in partnership with AsusTek Computer Inc.
— CALLING ON WINDOWS
Microsoft Corp. will release a new version of the Windows operating system on Oct. 26, one that's designed to work on both traditional computers and tablet devices. A new version of the Windows Phone system is coming out, too.
Once-dominant phone maker Nokia Corp. has been struggling in the shadow of Apple and Android, and it's counting on the new Windows system for a revival. This month, Nokia and Microsoft unveiled two new devices under Nokia's Lumia brand — the 820 and the 920.
Nokia CEO Stephen Elop says the new phones will go on sale in the fourth quarter in "select markets." He didn't say what they will cost.
Samsung, which surpassed Nokia as the world's largest maker of mobile phones in 2011 and overtook Apple in smartphones this year, showed off a Windows 8 phone late last month. It didn't announce an availability date either.
— SURFACE
Microsoft plans its own tablet computer, too. It's new territory for Microsoft, which typically leaves it to others to make devices using its software. Now, it will be competing against its partners.
The Surface tablet will come in two versions, both with 10.6-inch screens, slightly larger than the iPad's. One model will run on phone-style chips, just like the iPad, and will be sold for a similar price. A heavier, more expensive version will run on Intel chips and be capable of running standard Windows applications. The Surface will go on sale on Oct. 26.
— NEW BLACKBERRYS
A year ago Research In Motion Ltd. disclosed that it was working on a next-generation phone system for the BlackBerry, which now looks ancient next to the iPhone and Android devices. It was supposed to be out in time for this year's holiday season. That won't happen.
In June RIM pushed the release of BlackBerry 10 devices into early next year, saying it wasn't ready. That means RIM will not only compete with the new iPhone and Android devices out this fall, but it will also have to contend with the new Windows devices.
— PLAYING GAMES
Nintendo's new Wii U game machine will go on sale in the U.S. on Nov. 18. A basic, white model will cost $300. A deluxe version, which comes in black and sports extra features, will cost $50 more. The GamePad touch-screen controller for it will offer new ways to play.
In "New Super Mario Bros. U.," for example, players holding the old Wii controllers control Mario, Luigi and other characters. The person with the GamePad can help them along by using a stylus to create stepping stones for the characters or stun enemies.
Players can also turn off the TV entirely and play on the GamePad.
Nintendo Co. has been trying to drum up excitement for the Wii U, the first major gaming console to launch since 2006.
The company also announced new entertainment features for the console. Called Nintendo TVii, the service collects all the ways users have to watch movies, TV shows and sports. This includes pay-TV accounts along with services such as Hulu and Netflix. The GamePad works as a fancy remote controller and will let viewers comment on what they are watching.

Smartphones with good battery life

Motorola Droid Razr Maxx
Cnet rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
The good: Despite a beefed-up battery, the Droid Razr Maxx has a slim, attractive and durable design with the same gorgeous display, 1.2-GHz dual-core processor and fast Verizon 4G/LTE data speeds as its predecessor. It retains powerful multimedia chops and tight security features.
The bad: For such an advanced smartphone, the vague promise of the Android 4.0 operating system is disappointing. Also, while a stronger battery is great, it's still not user-removable. People with small hands will find it hard to wrap them around the phone, and the 8-megapixel camera is unimpressive.
The cost: $100 to $200
The bottom line: The Motorola Droid Razr Maxx proves that a powerful Android phone can be thin and promise marathon-worthy rechargeable batteries life.
HTC Evo 4G LTE
Cnet rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
The good: Powerful parts, stunning design, a lovely screen and an excellent camera help the Evo 4G LTE restoke the fires of the Evo faithful.
The bad: Given the 4G LTE in its name, the newest Evo's lack of Sprint LTE is a huge letdown.
The cost: $130 to $580
The bottom line: The HTC Evo 4G LTE is a worthy successor to Sprint's Evo family, as long as you remember one important caveat: Until Sprint gets its LTE network off the ground, it will be 3G-only.
Samsung Galaxy S3
Cnet rating: 4 stars out of 5
The good: The Galaxy S3 comes fully loaded with Android 4.0, 4G LTE capability, a zippy dual-core processor and a strong 8-megapixel camera. S Beam is an excellent software enhancement, and the handset's price is right.
The bad: The screen is too dim, and Samsung's Siri competitor, S Voice, disappointed. Until Sprint's LTE becomes available, data speeds drag on the 3G network.
The cost: $100 to $600
The bottom line: Pumped with high-performing hardware and creative software features, the Samsung Galaxy S3 is an excellent, top-end phone that's neck-and-neck with the HTC One X. Unfortunately, it only runs on Sprint's 3G network for now.
Motorola Droid 4
Cnet rating: 4 stars out of 5
The good: The Droid 4 shows that a dual-core, 4G LTE Android slider phone with a QWERTY keyboard is possible. With fast data speeds and a great typing experience, the phone also serves up pleasing call quality over Verizon's network.
The bad: It has bartered its powerful components and swift data radio for a chassis of considerable size and heft. It doesn't come with the latest version of Android, and its LCD screen lacks the oomph of AMOLED.
The cost: $50 to $595
The bottom line: Melding an excellent keyboard, swift LTE data and a 1.2-GHz dual-core processor into one Android device, the Motorola Droid 4 is long overdue. Fans of the first Motorola Droid will find plenty to smile about here, but those who aren't married to a QWERTY keyboard may not enjoy carrying around such a massive phone.

Get an HDHomeRun Prime CableCard tuner for $129.99

True story: The cable guy was over just last week, troubleshooting a signal-strength problem with our service. When he saw my CableCard-equipped media center PC, he said, "I've been wanting to do that with my computer, because Windows' channel guide is so much better than ours."
True dat. Windows Media Center offers a mighty sweet 10-foot interface, and when you pair your PC with a CableCard tuner, you've got everything you need for DVR awesomeness.
There are three such tuners on the market, and today's deal is for the most versatile of them. While supplies last, B&H Photo has the SiliconDust HDHomeRun Prime HDHR3-CC CableCard tuner for $128.99 shipped.
The HDHR3-CC offers three digital tuners that can pull down HD and premium channels alike. (Sorry, no on-demand or pay-per-view, though.) All you need is a CableCard from your cable company. The one I'm renting from Comcast costs me all of $1.50 per month; I think I was paying $13 to $14 for a DVR box.
What's unique about this particular tuner is that it plugs into your home network router, meaning you can share its tv cloud stick with multiple Windows 7-powered PCs: one in the den, one in the bedroom, and so on. (Ideally, however, you'll want a wired Ethernet connection between those PCs and your router.)
There's even a companion iPad app, though it's pricey at $17.99 and not very good.
My only real complaint is that you can't plug the HDHR3-CC into a single PC if you prefer that kind of configuration. (For that, look to the Ceton InfiniTV 4 USB.) But for multi-PC households, the HDHR3-CC is a steal at $128.99.
EyeTV Micro has been tested and confirmed to run on Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Samsung Galaxy SII, Samsung Galaxy SIII, Samsung Galaxy Note, Asus Nexus 7 and HTC One X.
The company is also launching Elgato’s Tivizen, EyeTV Netstream DTT and EyeTV Netstream Sat, software that turns Android devices into a portable TV.! Watch live over-the-air or satellite TV on Mac, PC, iPad, iPhone or Android device with Elgato’s advanced network tuners – without the need for an internet connection.
EyeTV Netstream products connect to a router and send the TV signal through the Ethernet network. If a home has a Wi-Fi network, viewers can watch live TV wirelessly anywhere in the home or garden.
Bonus deal: Today only, and while supplies last, Newegg has the Kingston SSDNow V+200 KR-S3020-3H 120GB SSD for $69.99 shipped. That's after redeeming a $20 mail-in rebate . That's a killer deal on a spacious solid-state drive.
Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers.

Toys R Us Takes Aim at Holidays with Hot Toy Reservation Program

The deals will be plentiful this holiday season at Toys R Us, as will the mix of exclusive toys that shoppers won't find at competitors, such as the much-ballyhooed Tabeo tablet.
But the big news this year, according to CEO Jerry Storch, is the company's first-ever Hot Toy Reservation program. The free service will enable customers to reserve the season's hottest toys, sparing parents the mad dash to snatch up that "it" gift before the shelves are bare. That's "revolutionary," Storch told DailyFinance.
Having the toys kids want in stock is the holy grail of retail during the Christmas shopping season, which can generate up to 40% of stores' annual sales. "It's the No. 1 thing a parent wants," Storch said.
No More Frenzied Search For the Hot Toy?
Like many retailers these days, the 875-store toy chain is looking for new ways to distinguish itself from larger competitors like Walmart (WMT), Target (TGT) and Amazon (AMZN), which are growing increasingly fierce in the battle to offer the lowest prices. With the reservation program, Toys R Us is selling not just toys only toy mini guns, but peace of mind, company officials said.
Toys R Us is also grappling with the rise of showrooming, which finds shoppers browsing for potential purchases in brick-and-mortar stores, only to buy later from online retailers for less.
The free toy reservation service will be offered through Oct. 31, and applies to the 50 items featured on the retailer's upcoming "Holiday Hot Toy List," which highlights what it's sees as the must-have products of the season.
Shoppers must reserve toys in-store at customer service desks -- a move to prevent "pros" from gaiming the system online -- and make a 20% down payment. When their order arrives in store, they receive an email notice, and have until Dec. 16 to pick it up.
"This may be attractive to some customers and give Toys R Us a point of differentiation that they badly need, other than just price," said Mark Cohen, a professor of marketing at Columbia University's business school, and former CEO of Bradlees and Sears Canada.
But the devil is in the details, and Toys R Us better make sure they can pull the promotion off. If shoppers reserve products that end up being unavailable, "that will be deadly," Cohen told DailyFinance. "People will kill them if they don't execute well."
But the retailer believes its year-round focus on the toy business puts it in a unique position to gauge consumer demand for specific items, said Jennifer Albano, a company spokeswoman, at the event.
What's more, it enjoys tight relationships with its vendors, meaning it can nimbly adjust to increased demand for a given toy. Still, there's a possibility that the reservations will be "closed" on particular items at a certain point, she said.
Let's Make a Deal
When asked if the chain will be trotting out the big bargains this year, Storch said, "We're always very aggressive" on price, and this year will be no different.
Another enticement for cash-strapped shoppers: Toys R Us is offering free layaway through October 31, dropping the $5 fee it charged in 2011. It will also be doling out free shipping offers.
Exclusive merchandise from big national brands and its own private-label line continues to be a major push at the chain, Storch said. This year, the retailer is not only featuring only-at-Toys R Us items but exclusive lines, such as the new LEGO Technic collection.

Amazon new Kindle Fire HD tablet review

The good: The Kindle Fire HD has a most impressive-looking 7-inch tablet screen, its speakers deliver killer sound, and its refined interface is the best gateway to Amazon content for Prime members. New enhancements fill its $200 price to the brim with value.
The bad: Performance is sluggish at times and the Fire HD is less comfortable to hold than the Nexus 7. The curated app store means many apps and games are not available. There's a $15 opt-out for ads.
The bottom line: With a beautiful screen, refined interface, and huge coffer of media consumption options, the Amazon Kindle Fire HD is the Kindle Fire as it should have been.
The original Kindle Fire felt like a rushed, but mostly successful attempt to deliver a gateway to Amazon video, music, and book content. The Kindle Fire HD improves on the original in nearly every area in which the Fire was lacking and, thanks to some key refinements, proves to be a much better delivery system for that media.
Amazon Prime members looking to sate their ceaseless hunger for movies, TV shows, music, and books need look no further. With the huge media catalog available, you'll surely get your fix here.
However, if the idea of the full Android OS, GPS, NFC, and complete access to the Google Play store whet your appetite at all, the Nexus 7 is watching you from afar, all sexy and seductive like.
It's not a question of which is better. It's more a question of which is better for you. Keep reading to find out.
Design
The Amazon Kindle Fire HD ($199 for 16GB and $249 for 32GB) has one of the widest bodies of any recently released google android 7 tablets, including the Nexus 7. The top and bottom bezel (when held in landscape mode) feel needlessly long, and as a result, the Fire HD just isn't as comfortable to hold in one hand as Google's tablet. It's also slightly heavier than the Nexus 7.
Beveled bottoms are the new hotness -- for tablets, anyway. From the Nexus 7 to the new iPad, and at least the preproduction version of Microsoft's Surface tablet, beveled bottoms are to 2012 what legitimately thin form factors were to 2011. Beveled bottoms have the power to make a tablet look thinner than it actually is, but while the Kindle Fire HD 7-inch is thinner than the Kindle Fire and the Nexus 7, its bevels aren't quite as successful at making it look as thin as the others.
The tablet is dark gray and looks fairly plain, with a tabletwide black strip on the back as the only real distinguishing aesthetic trait. In the middle of the top portion of the bezel sits a 720p Web chat camera with a nearly invisible ambient light sensor sitting to its left. The bezel itself is surrounded by an outer plastic shell for added protection.
Along the bottom edge, directly in the middle are both a Micro-USB and a Micro-HDMI port. On the right edge, from top to bottom, are a headphone jack, volume rocker, and the power/sleep button. Both the volume rocker and power/sleep button sit flush with the tablet's body, making them difficult to find without looking. Sitting alone on the top edge is a microphone pinhole.
The back is smooth and not nearly as grippy as the Nexus 7's pleathery back or even the Kindle Fire's more rubbery one. Dual inch-long speaker grilles adorn the Fire HD's back at the far left and right sides, continuing into the tablet's right and left edges.
For some strange, ill-conceived reason, Amazon chose not to include an actual power adapter with the Kindle Fire HD and instead supplied only a Micro-USB-to-USB cable. While the tablet will charge when connected to a plugged-in computer, it will do so very slowly and only when asleep. Thankfully, if you own the original Fire (or pretty much any Micro-USB-to-power adapter) its charger should be compatible with the Kindle Fire HD.
Software features: The refining
Amazon has completely redesigned the Kindle Fire's interface. It's sleeker, more streamlined, and feels more mature, eschewing the toylike quality the original had. Images and text are sharper thanks to the higher resolution and higher contrast of the screen. The carousel interface is still here, but scrolls faster and looks smoother, with app icons rendered in higher-resolution, less pixel-y forms. Apps can be removed from the carousel at will and/or added to favorites, which appear at the bottom of the screen, negating the need to scroll through your entire catalog to find the app you want.
Newsstand, Books, Music, Videos, Docs, Apps, and Web return as top-of-the-screen content tab options, and have now been joined by Shop, Games, Audiobooks, Photos, and Offers. Search returns as well and now allows you to search in Amazon's stores as well as your libraries and the Web.
Settings can be accessed with a quick swipe down from the top bezel and now feature more options for social-network integration, more customization, and tighter security. Within each content tab, there are still the very useful cloud and device denotations at the top that help signify which pieces of content are on the Fire HD or currently in the cloud.
There are problems, though. The interface can be sluggish at times and the screen isn't as responsive or as precise as it could be; it sometimes fails to react to taps. Also, as streamlined as the interface is, at times it serves only to illustrate how much better it could be. After entering a content tab, you can't travel directly to another and must instead tap back and choose a new selection. I would have loved to see a more elegant solution that allows carousel options to always be available onscreen.
Software features: The newening
The streamlined interface isn't Amazon's only accomplishment here; it has added several new features to further set apart the Fire HD from other tablets.
With X-ray for books you can get more information about characters, terms, and historical figures mentioned in a Kindle book, and it also highlights exactly where (via page number and a graph) in the book those details are mentioned and can jump right to the appropriate page. Definitely useful, but the ability to search for specific terms should be at the top of Amazon's to-do list when the time comes to revise this feature.
X-ray for movies is frankly a lot less useful, as it's essentially an integrated IMDB feature that provides access actor bios while you watch the movie. Just tap the screen while watching "The Avengers," for example, and a drop-down menu of the actors appearing in the current scene appears. Select whichever actor you're interested in and as long as that person is actually listed in IMDB, you'll have access to his or her bio. Impressively, this works in real time, adding and removing people from the list as they enter and exit scenes. It's not compatible with all movies yet, and I've yet to see it featured in any of the TV shows I've watched on the device.

Intel Hopes to Double Ultrabook Battery Life With Haswell Chip

The battery life of ultrabooks will nearly double with Intel's upcoming processors based on the Haswell microarchitecture, which will succeed processors code-named Ivy Bridge, Intel executives said on Tuesday.
The new Haswell chips will also deliver much faster graphics and applications performance when they appear in ultrabook designs starting next year, said Dadi Perlmutter, executive vice president and general manager of Intel Architecture Group, during a keynote speech at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco.
Ultrabooks are a new category of thin and light laptops with touch features, but early sales have been disappointing partly due to high prices. There are more than 70 ultrabooks with Intel chips on the market. Some upcoming ultrabooks with Windows 8 will have detachable touchscreens to function as tablets.
The Haswell chips have been designed with ultrabooks in mind, so power usage has been cut to the point that the chip can be used in tablets. Some new Haswell chips will consume under 10 watts of power and deliver performance similar to Ivy Bridge chips drawing 17 watts of power. But Haswell can deliver double the performance compared to Ivy Bridge on the same power consumption, Intel said.
Based on the different power requirements, Intel has also splintered future Haswell chips into two families, which will be available in ultrabooks starting next year. A new family of unnamed Haswell processors will draw under 10 watts of power and will be targeted at convertible ultrabooks. The company is also continuing the venerable Core processors that consume between 15 watts and 17 watts of power. Both the families of processors are based on the Core processor design, but some tweaks helped Intel drop power consumption in the sub-10-watt family.
The rechargeable batteries life will be doubled on convertible ultrabooks with the sub-10-watt Haswell processors, which is an improvement over a minimum of 17 watts of power consumed by the current Ivy Bridge chips.
"We are going to nearly double the battery life," said Kirk Skaugen, vice president and general manager of the PC client group, in a separate presentation at IDF.
PC makers have quoted ultrabooks with Ivy Bridge delivering battery life of between six and eight hours, and up to 10 hours in some cases. The new chips could give convertible ultrabooks battery life of more than 12 hours, and perhaps up to 20 hours.
Perlmutter also said Haswell chips can deliver fast performance and can be used in ultrabooks and high-performance PCs, though power consumption on the chip in that case will be higher.
Ultrabooks with the Haswell chip will become available in 2013, though Intel executives did not provide a specific date. Analysts expect ultrabooks with Haswell to become available starting mid-2013.
Intel optimized Haswell chips for the power management features of Windows 8, and also reduced leakage levels that will help deliver improved battery life. Haswell ultrabooks will deliver 20 times more idle time than ultrabooks with Core processors code-named Sandy Bridge, which is two generations behind Haswell.
Haswell is very promising and could enable new, thin form factors for computing devices, said Nathan Brookwood, principal analyst at Insight 64, at IDF.
"I'm especially interested in having a sub-10-watt that delivers performance comparable to Ivy Bridge. That is going to enable thin form factors and tablets with very good battery life," Brookwood said.
A challenge for Intel in the future of Haswell is the positioning of Atom chips, which are used in tablets and netbooks and consume less than 10 watts of power.
Perlmutter also highlighted the improvements in Haswell around graphics performance, which has traditionally been a weak spot for the company compared to rival Advanced Micro Devices. Haswell will deliver the best graphics "on Mother Earth," Perlmutter said.
The new graphics processor in Haswell will support 4K graphics, which allows for a resolution of 4096 by 3072 pixels. Other features with Haswell ultrabooks will include wireless charging, NFC capabilities, voice interaction and more security features.

Microsoft to launch pop-up stores to help tablet sales

Microsoft said Monday it is launching more than 30 pop-up holiday shops in the United States and Canada as it gears up to sell its new Surface tablet computer.
"Microsoft is excited to expand on its existing retail footprint to deliver an assortment of best-in-class products and a premium retail experience to new locations," the US tech giant said in a statement.
"The holiday stores continue to offer customers the opportunity to learn new technology skills and get the most out of their Microsoft-enabled devices. Additional locations and details will be available in the coming weeks."
The company released a list of 32 locations for the shops -- known as pop-ups because they have short or seasonal commercial leases -- including in New York, San Francisco, Vancouver and Toronto.
The US tech giant on Monday had job listings seeking retail store managers and other personnel. The company offered no specifics on how long these shops would be operational or what they would sell.
The company, which has been in the process of opening permanent retail stores in several US cities, is seeking to break into the competitive market for tablet computers with Surface, set to be released October 26.
Microsoft has said the device would be sold online and through its own retail stores in the US market.
Surface, which will compete against the market-leading iPad and others, features a flip-out rear "kickstand" to prop it up like a picture frame and a cover that, when opened, acts as a keypad so google android 7 tablets could be switched into "desktop" mode for work tasks.

Former Woolworths staff open new Worthing toy shop

A pair of entrepreneurs have made the best of their redundancies.
Former Woolworths workers Mark Buschhaus and Stephen Barnes lost their jobs when the High Street chain went into administration in 2009.
But the pair invested their redundancy money into starting their own eevee plush shop and their business is now thriving as they plan to open their fifth branch in Worthing today.
The duo have made the most of the best of Woolworths to launch their chain Toy Barnhaus
They have employed their former Woolies co-workers and kitted out their shops using fixtures and fittings from the defunct stores.
Crawley father-of-three Mr Buschhaus said: “Steve and I are both ex-Woolworths staff.
“We used our redundancy money to set up our first branch in Crawley in 2009.
“Since then we’ve opened stores in Redhill, Epsom and Croydon.
“We have used the best of what Woolies did.
“They were always good with toys.
“We have hired the ex-manager of the old Shoreham Woolworths and she’ll be running our Worthing shop.
“We have hired a lot of old Woolworths people.
“It’s difficult out there in business at the moment.
“We have set up shops on a shoestring, using fixtures and fittings that have been sold off cheap from other places that have gone bust.
“We get most of our stuff from shop clearances.
“You’ll see bits of shelf you recognise from Woolies and displays from somewhere else, and cash registers from somewhere else.
“I can’t believe how much these things are worth.
“But I think that’s one of the things that catches a lot of new shops out.
“They spend too much money buying everything new.
“We get going cheaply and can always replace them later.
“We have had a lot of people telling us there were no toy shops in Worthing.
“So hopefully people will welcome the new shop.”

it's hard to get third party support for Playstation Vita

When it comes to the handheld market, Nintendo has always been the dominant king. From it's days with the Gameboy, the old grey brick that had two colors, to the Gameboy Advance with it's beautiful SNES like graphics and sounds, to the DS with it's two screens and the 3DS pushing 3D technology without glasses. If it was a Nintendo handheld, it was quality and you always got your money's worth.
Sony has been trying to challenge Nintendo to the king of handheld thrown for years now. The Playstation Portable launched in 2005, and while it didn't take the DS down, it did prove that other companies can put their mark on the handheld market and showed that a powerful handheld can be worth the money.
The Sony Vita, launched earlier this year, is everything the psp go cable av was and wasn't. It's a powerful machine, with a touchscreen on the front and a touchpad on the back, and it's got two analog sticks, a huge deal for games that need an extra stick for camera controls or first person shooters.
So why hasn't the Vita been tearing up the sales charts? One factor could be the price, which is a little steep for a handheld at $249.99. You'll remember that the Nintendo 3DS launched at a high price point but quickly dropped down, and has seen it's sales soar. We're chalking it up to mostly the game library, as the Vita has little support from third party developers. Sony is aware of this and admits it, which means that they're actively trying to fix the issue.
Shuhei Yoshida, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studio, had an interview in the latest issue of Playstation Magazine and talked about the problems and solutions they've had in getting third party support for the system.
"We're having a more difficult time than we had anticipated in terms of getting support from third-party publishers, but that's our job. We will continue to talk to development communities and publishing partners and tell them why Vita can provide a great experience for the IPs they have and I hope the "Assassin's Creed" game will prove that.'
Sony is working to fix the issue soon, with "Assassin's Creed 3: Liberation" and "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2" confirmed for the system. If these two games are successful, we can expect more third party developers to work on the system.
Sony has had luck getting independent developers to launch their games on the Vita. Yoshida spoke with Gamasutra and pointed to the games "Sound Shapes" and "Knytt Underground" as examples of indie games on the system.

Read on your tablet with kindle fire

As you read this, a dedicated team at Harper Collins India is working towards converting 150 titles into e-books, hoping to launch them by the end of September. Penguin India and Westland publishers have already forayed into e-books and are in the process of converting more titles into e-books.
The market for e-books is at a nascent stage in India but there are signs of growth. Amazon has taken baby steps into the domestic market by launching an exclusive Kindle store for India, making e-books available at a cheaper rate. You can now pay for e-books in Indian rupees as against US dollars. For example, the e-book version of Ashwin Sanghi’s new release, The Krishna Key (Westland publication) is available on Kindle’s India store at Rs.152, much lesser than the retail price of the paperback version (Rs.250) and marginally lesser than the price on Flipkart (Rs.168). Amazon will also be selling its e-reader, Kindle, through Croma outlets (prices begin at Rs.6999). Will the Indian launch of Kindle be a turning point for e-books?
Author Ashwin Sanghi says: “It’s too early to say but I think a marketing giant like Amazon has the potential to transform the e-book landscape in India. I think the real e-book battle is a couple of years away when all key players including Flipkart jump into the fray. At that time, we are bound to see a surge in sales of our e-books.”
This is a thought shared by publishing houses as well. Gautham Padmanabhan, CEO of Westland says: “In the last six months, we have made 125 titles, old and new, available as e-books. The launch of Kindle’s India store will help people buy the books on a par with Indian retail prices, as opposed to paying the higher price at which e-books are sold for the US and UK markets.” Gautham, like Ashwin, feels there will be an increase in sales of e-books when online channels such as Flipkart and Landmark get into business.
In the West, there are instances of e-books and e-readers nudging traditional bookstores out of business. In that respect, have e-books made a late entry into India? “Yes and no,” says Ashwin and reasons, “It is a late entry if one looks at how e-books have outstripped the supply of traditional books in other countries. But if we look at the low penetration of reading devices (e-readers and tablets like samsung p6800) in India, we aren’t late.”
Lipika Bhushan, senior marketing manager at Harper Collins India, feels e-books are unlikely to edge out retail stores in near future. “For publishing houses, e-books will only be an additional source of revenue,” she says. Lipika compares this with sales of books through online channels being an additional source of revenue to that of retail book stores. “When portals like Flipkart began selling books online, it contributed to a mere 2 per cent of the total sales of books. Today, e-retailing of books stands at 14 to 15 per cent,” she points out. Interestingly, when contacted, Flipkart stated that it has no immediate plans of joining the e-book bandwagon.
Reading online isn’t new. We’ve got used to online editions of newspapers and magazines in addition to the print versions and with the penetration of smartphones and iPads, we’ve begun using content sourced through Apple store, reading apps and cloud libraries. Will it be a matter of time before we supplement our bookshelves at home with cloud libraries online?
E-how?
E-books can be purchased through online channels such as Amazon, Apple, Kobo, Baker and Taylor or ebooks.com. E-books are available in formats compatible with different e-readers (Kindle, iPad, Nook, Sony Reader and others). They can also be accessed through cloud libraries on your laptops/desktops or through compatible reading apps on your mobile phones.
Price wise
Salman Rusdie’s Midnight’s Children, sold at a retail price of Rs. 450, is available as an e-book for Rs.257 on Kindle’s India store.

Hybrid tablets show at IFA

This year at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin vendors introduced and demonstrated a plethora of ultra-high resolution TVs, hybrid tablets based on Microsoft's upcoming operating systems, as well as the first device based on Windows Phone 8.
Here are some of most interesting trends at IFA 2012 and the products they have spawned:
4K TV
LG Electronics, Sony and a number of other vendors all showed so-called 4K TVs, which increase the resolution from the current 1,920-by-1,080 pixels to 3,840-by-2,160 pixels. The term 4K comes from the horizontal resolution.
To take full advantage of the format a big TV is needed, which the TV manufacturers have realised. The screen on Sony's XBR-84X900 (above) measures 84 inches, as does LG's UD (Ultra Definition) 3D TV.
But despite how beautiful the carefully-selected video clips looked on the show floor, there are a few obstacles, including price. LG's TV will cost about $22,000 when it starts to roll out in North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America starting in September. There's also a lack native 4K content to watch, which will make it even harder for the technology to take off in the near future.
Hybrid tablets
IFA 2012 was definitely the party for showtone 777r based on Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8 and Windows RT operating systems, which have been developed with tablets in mind. The Windows 8 tablets use Intel processors and the Windows RT devices use processors from ARM.
The PC vendors seem to believe that tablets need a keyboard that can be folded away when not in use or detached when not needed. An example of the latter premiered with Microsoft's Surface tablets, and is also used by Samsung Electronics' ATIV Smart PC (top image), Asus Vivo Tab and HP's Envy X2. Besides the form factor, the products also have the same screen size, 11.6 inches.
What they will cost when they ship later this year is still a mystery, although Samsung said that in Sweden its ATIV Smart PC will list at 6,400 kronor (£600) excluding tax.
All-in-one PCs
While there were many tablets based on Windows 8 there were also a lot of all-in-one PCs, including new families from Lenovo and Samsung, and products from Toshiba and Acer.
For example, Lenovo's IdeaCentre B340 and B345 will come with 21.5-inch, high-definition touch displays. Users will be able to scroll documents, browse the web or flip between pictures and movies using various touch gestures.
Users of Samsung's Series 7 and Series 5 All-In-One PCs will also have the option of controlling the computers using hand gestures. They can swipe right or left without touching the screen to turn the pages of an e-book. Users can also rotate their palm clockwise or counter-clockwise to change the volume while watching a movie, or wave their hands to stop it playing.
Windows 8 is due to start shipping on October 26.
OLED
OLED (Organic Light-emitting Diode) technology holds the promise of exceptionally thin TVs and images that have better contrast ratio and less motion blur.
At IFA, LG and Samsung showed based on the technology. Both are capable of reproducing 3D content. Using a feature called Multi View, as well as glasses with integrated earphones, two people can watch two different shows at the same time on Samsung's ES9500.
On the show floor both sets produced great images, but as has been the case since OLED TVs first arrived the improvements come at a steep cost. LG's monster 55in OLED TV costs around €9,000.
NFC
Integrated NFC (Near-Field Communications) is showing up in an increasing number of products including, at IFA, Samsung's ATIV Tablet (below), Sony's Xperia T smartphone and the Vaio Duo 11 hybrid tablet and Asus' Vivo Tab.
But the technology hasn't necessarily been included for making payments, which is the area that has received the most attention. Sony users will be able to touch their phone to new NFC-equipped speakers and headphones so that music jumps from playing on the device to the speakers or headphones.
Smartphones
IFA has never been a launch pad for the hottest smartphones, but there were still some interesting products at this year's show. Samsung announced the first smartphone that will run Windows Phone 8, the ATIV S (below) which has a dual-core processor and a 4.8-inch HD screen.
Screen sizes above 4.5 inches is becoming standard on high-end smartphones, with the notable exception of the iPhone. At IFA, Sony announced its new flagship model, the Xperia T, has a 4.6-inch display and 13-megapixel camera.
On the lower end, HTC introduced the Desire X, which has a 1GHz dual-core processor and a 4-inch super-LCD screen with 800-by-480 pixel resolution. HTC hopes it can attract cost-conscious buyers with a camera that can shoot video and take still pictures at the same time.
ntel had a good show thanks to the launch of new hybrid tablets, but the company's smartphone push also took a small step forward with the introduction of the ZTE Grand X IN (above), which is powered by the Intel Atom Z2460. The smartphone has a 4.3-inch screen with 960-by-540 pixel resolution, as well as an 8-megapixel camera, support for HD Voice and an FM radio.

Conundrum of the man in the clothes shop

It is said someone somewhere records economic cycles by following sales of men's underwear as a leading indicator of sentiment.
I bought four pairs on Friday morning, and four pairs of socks to boot, thus averting a looming crisis.
On that basis, the economy is surely looking up.
So much so, that it has also sent me shopping for a suit, and leaving me wondering at the advice now on offer in tight boxer briefs shops.
At the first, a bloodless youth fiddled nervously with something that would have looked good on me when I was 20, until an older chap, probably in his 60s but immaculately attired, quietly took over.
Their suits were too expensive. On to the modish men’s shop that specialises in Italian-style corporate clobber.
Here, a beautiful cloth turned out to hide trousers designed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that I'm in my 50s, with consequent middle region body issues. They were like what I would once have called hipsters.
Low-slung, I was informed, was the Italian man's favoured look, including among the middle-aged and paunchy.
He encouraged me to embrace "it" – we never gave it a name – seeming almost to imply that the mild pot belly of the mature patriarch is a mark of age and mana.
It was not an argument that was going to survive the wife test, so I left the shop.
At my next port of call, a nicely cut, New Zealand-made suit at a sale preview. Perfect.
The bloke who first served me was adamant the trousers were too long. The style, he said, for "a lot of the guys now" is a shorter, Mod-style short look, with a bit of sock showing.
Luckily, he got busy with another customer, and another bloke in the shop was adamant the other guy was wrong and always giving that advice. Another lucky escape.
Of course, buy a suit in a sale and the agenda will turn idly to ties. And here, chaps, we need to take charge.
Always conservative, following a playbook about what works with what for a muted and inoffensive look, the helpful tie-picker can be difficult to dissuade.
It makes me think most blokes don't feel comfortable picking their own look, so the guys in shops are trained to expect everyone to be a dodo who needs molly-coddling into a nice blue striped number.
Either that or a thought not worth contemplating: that my taste in ties sucks.