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Convertible Win 8 tablet/laptop with removable keyboard dock; 11.6-inch IPS touch screen, 1366 x 768; 1.8GHz dual-core CPU, 2GB RAM, up to 64GB storage; Up to 14hrs battery life
Overview
The new HP ENVY x2 PC gives you the power of two devices in one. A Windows 8 notebook with a bright, vivid HD Touch display.1 And a tablet that slides off for those times when you want to carry even less.
As a home computer for the family, I highly recommend this product. The kids are engaged and learn through multiple senses (sight, sound, and touch). It’s also great as an on-the-go system because it’s so small and portable without skimping on performance. As a school computer, it’s not the best. Discovered that many programs needed for college are not supported by Win8. All in all, I recommend this laptop for family members of all ages.
A good book can make the long commute home on the train or a cross-country plane flight go by so much quicker. The DROID RAZR HD by Motorola offers an amazing reading experience with a 4.7” HD display featuring a higher resoultion that makes every page easier on the eyes. Looking at images from content on Google Play Books means you get richer colors and more true-to-life visuals.
With Android™ 4.1, Google Play Books offers multiple new features to enhance your reading experience:
Embedded audio tracks and videos can now be easily streamed directly within the book you’re reading.
You can now add bookmarks to remember important information for later or pick up where you left off reading.
Play Books now offers fixed layout books, optimized for tablet-reading of books with beautifully designed graphics and layouts, like children’s books and comic books.
For visually impaired users, automatic text-to-speech settings have been enabled.
So whether you’re reading a guidebook for building your new piece of furniture or cozying up to a thrilling mystery during a rainy day, DROID RAZR HD and Google Play Books have you covered. Let us know what your favorite book is in the comments below.
I’m still feeling the strain of being on my feet all/every day during CES 2013; meeting with partners and media and speaking to people on the show floor was tiring stuff, but as always, the fun far outweighed the fatigue
The response in Vegas was phenomenal; a palpable buzz from bloggers, media, analysts and show visitors alike that surpassed even our (high) expectations! Now we’re looking forward to launching our Android smartphone, Xperia Z in the coming weeks, into the hands of consumers across the world.
Someone from the team asked me to share my top highlight/favourite memory from the week. Too many to choose from really, but if forced I’d actually pick the raft of 12 awards, that by my reckoning made Xperia Z the most-awarded product of CES
Wow. What a tally! Without being overly immodest, it is just great to see a product which the team has put so much care, attention and love into be recognised in this way. It’s a fantastic start to what we think will be an incredibly exciting year.
There’s no rest for the wicked, even before CES we began planning for Mobile World Congress in Barcelona so keep an eye on us during the event, and see what else we have in store…
We’ll also be bringing you more live content from the ground and who knows, hopefully I’ll retain my guest blogging slot!
Xbox 360 ended 2012 as the best-selling console in the U.S., selling 1.4 million units in December.
Xbox 360 was the must-have gift this holiday season with more than$1.27 billion spent on Xbox 360 retail including games, consoles and accessories in December. (Source: NPD Group, December 2012)
December 2012 NPD highlights:
· Xbox 360 sold 1.4 million units in December – more than double the amount of the second place console in the U.S. in the month of December. This marks the 24th consecutive month Xbox 360 has held the number one spot in the U.S. (Source: NPD Group, December 2012)
· During the month of December, Xbox 360 held seven of the top 10 console game titles including: “Halo 4,” “Assassin’s Creed III,” “Just Dance 4,” “NBA 2K13,” “Far Cry 3,” “Call of Duty: Black Ops 2” and “Madden NFL 13.” (Source: NPD Group, December 2012)
This holiday, Xbox delivered incredible value offerings paired with a strong lineup of entertainment experiences, along with exclusive blockbuster games like “Halo 4,” “Forza Horizon,” “Dance Central 3” and “Fable: The Journey,” as well as new family friendly titles such as “Kinect Nat Geo TV,” “Kinect Sesame Street TV,” and “Nike+ Kinect Training,” and third party titles like “Call of Duty: Black Ops 2” and “Assassin’s Creed III.”
Even though the holidays are over, consumers can still get the best all-in-one entertainment experience starting at $99 with a two-year Xbox LIVE Gold commitment at $14.99/month. The Xbox 360 Entertainment For All Plan offers access to the best entertainment experiences including TV, movies, music, and sports, plus the hottest blockbuster games – all in one package. *
We expect 2013 will be another big year for Xbox 360 and we’re eager to continue to expand and grow the offerings available on the platform.
*Applicable taxes extra. Early termination fee and other restrictions apply. See retailer for offer terms. Prices are Estimated Retail Prices. Actual retailer prices may vary.
Touch and other new capabilities in Windows 8 are powering the latest hardware innovations coming from our OEM partners. Together we are delivering interactive new experiences through devices and services that deliver on customers’ need for constant connectivity, mobility and flexibility.
This new world of computing is on display this week at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, from chipsets, to materials, hinges, touch panels, rotating displays, beautiful new designs and new capabilities in Windows 8.
The PCs and devices we’re seeing come to market are increasingly mobile and much more powerful. When Windows 8 launched in October, we talked about 1,000 PCs and devices that had been certified for Windows 8. There are now more than 1,500 with more expected in the weeks and months to come. The breadth of innovation continues as our hardware partners deliver new Windows 8 devices and experiences that are tuned for play and work.
With that, let’s take a look at some of the incredible new Windows 8 PCs that are being announced and garnering attention on the show floor this week.
This is the Transformer Book TX300CA from ASUS, a lightweight ultraportable with a 13” full HD (1920×1080) IPS display and multi-touch capabilities. Imagine the portability of a tablet but will have access to a more familiar Ultrabook design for productivity. The Transformer Book TX300CA delivers performance and an excellent user experience thanks to the latest Intel Core i7 processor with HD4000 graphics and Windows 8.
Another brilliant touch laptop: Sony’s VAIOT Series 15. This is the 15-inch version of the popular T13 that features built-in HD web cam, which if you haven’t seen it in action is really impressive. The built-in web camera features image sensor that not only provides crisp, bright pictures, but you can use the camera and hand gestures to skip a song, adjust volume, and navigate webpages with VAIO Gesture Control.
For more on Sony, see this video featuring Sony’s VAIO Tap 20 and LL Cool J:
New to the PC market this year, TV-leader Vizio has come on strong with a beautiful line of notebooks and all-in-ones. Now they’ve enabled their Thin + Light series with touch, making them even more attractive for the Windows 8 world.
Samsung will be refreshing its Series 7 Ultrabooks this spring with the Series 7 Chronos and Series 7 Ultra Touch. Both models will feature a full HD (1920 x 1080) display, longer battery life and Samsung’s trademark sleek aesthetics. Slightly thinner, the Series 7 Ultra Touch boasts a JBL sound system and is a great multimedia PC, while the Chronos offers premium performance and is still less than one-inch thick.
Here’s creative take on an all-in-one PC: Lenovo’s IdeaCentre Horizon table PC. This device from Lenovo combines an all-in-one desktop and table PC into one design. It can be used as an HD display or laid flat for a fun new gaming experience. It’s as thin as two DVD cases, and can be outfitted with an Intel Core i7 processor and, of course, Windows 8. We think this kind of design is a game changer for family computing.
Another innovative design from Lenovo, the ThinkPad Helixis a premium convertible that features the company’s groundbreaking “rip and flip” design, giving people absolute mobile freedom and versatility. Use it as a tablet, a laptop, a table-based tablet PC or even a mini movie theater with this flexible new design. Furthering the Helix’s “groundbreaking” label, the new model features optional 4G high-speed wireless and Near Field Communications (NFC) technology that makes sharing files with other devices a easy as tapping them together.
Take a look at both the Lenovo ThinkPad Helix and IdeaCentre Horizon Table PC:
For fans of traditional notebook designs there are plenty to choose from this year. Dell’s Inspiron 14R, 15R and 17R are getting a refresh with a sleek new design that is not only easy on the eyes, but easy to keep at your side. Nearly 5 mm thinner than the previous generation, the laptops include a built-in optical drive, stunning graphics options and fast processors.
LG’s impressive monitor selection comprises of the UltraWide, ColorPrime and Touch 10, all matched for entertainment, professional applications and touch-based interaction, respectively. All three models employ IPS technology for exceptional next generation picture quality.
HP’s Sleekbook line – featuring the latest technologies from AMD – is a great mix of functionality and affordability. Sporting a 15.6-inch diagonal HD display, 1 terabyte of storage and exclusive innovations including HP Connected Photo powered by Snapfish, this is a great Windows 8 PC for photographers.
For gaming and movie enthusiasts, Toshiba’s new Qosimo X875features all the horsepower you’ll need plus a new 1 terabyte hard drive – all in a laptop!
Panasonic has announced its “fearless business tablet” the Toughpad FZ-G1with Windows 8 Pro. The toughness, thinness and light weight are optimized for field operations and the high brightness screen is tuned for outdoor use. It’s an enterprise level tablet equipped with Windows 8 Pro and a high-performance processor.
Check out Jenn Brown from ESPN putting thePanasonic Toughpad FZ-G1 to the test:
Microsoft and our OEM partners are working closely together to delight customers with hardware, software and services that create immersive new experiences and computing scenarios. The hardware innovation from our partners continues with amazing new PCs and devices coming into the Windows 8 ecosystem. Momentum for the platform is also strong with consumers, commercial customers and developers: we’ve crossed the 40 million mark for Windows 8 licenses , crossed the 60 million mark for Windows 8 licenses there are more apps coming online every day, and cloud services to unify media and content across devices.
So now you’re the proud owner of the world’s most innovative smartphone, you’re probably wondering what it can do. The simple truth is the Nokia Lumia 920 can do tons of amazing stuff. Often, however, it’s the little things, which make a big difference. So, we scoured the internet communities of Lumia 920 users to see what tips and tricks they think everyone should know. Here’s their answers.
1. Talk to text
You probably know that you hold the Windows button down to access the speech recognition function. However, if you have a Bluetooth headset, you can turn on message so they are played to you. The phone will read messages to you and you can reply, edit, send text messages using only your voice. It’s a safe way to text and drive.
2. App control
Hold the back button to zoom out and see your open apps. Pressing back again will return you to your last opened app, pushing back again will close the app, and tapping the the back button a few times will close all the apps.
3. Stay notified
Go to settings and then to lock screen. Tap app to show quick status – This is where you choose to be notified if you want to know how many missed phone calls, text messages, emails, etc. Get the battery saver app and you’ll be able to see what your current battery level is without unlocking the phone.
4. Take a screenshot.
Press the unlock button and the windows button at the same time to take a screenshot of your phone.
5. Unfreeze your phone
If your Nokia Lumia 920 ever freezes up and you turn it off and it won’t turn back on, don’t panic. Instead, hold down the volume button, the unlock button, and the button to take photos until the phone vibrates.
Go to settings and then to lock screen. Tap Notifications – Default for this is calendar so if you are business oriented it’s a great way to have your next meeting right there on the front screen.
8. Keep track of your data
You can pin your wireless, data, and Bluetooth connections to the start screen with ConnectivityShortcuts. This is tons easier than going into “settings” each time you want to toggle these connections.
9. Pin contacts to start screen
To pin contacts go to any contact and do a long press and hit pin to start screen. This has the added benefit of showing their updated Facebook status when it changes. In fact you can pin nearly anything to the start screen. Apps obviously but songs, artists, playlists, people, pictures, videos, etc as well.
10. Stay up to date with groups
Make groups for the people that you really want to see updates on, and then pin the groups. You can have a tile for family, close friend and work colleagues, in fact any grouping you can imagine. Then all the updates from those groups appear on their respective live tiles.
We’ve been busy trying out these top tips and they’re already making life loads easier. If you can think of any others that do the same, please share them in the comments below.
Microsoft Corp has sold 60 million licenses and upgrades for its new Windows 8 operating system in the 10 weeks since its launch, one of the top executives of the company’s Windows unit said at the Consumer Electronics Show on Tuesday.
The figure marks a solid but unspectacular start for Microsoft’s new flagship product, which has not managed to revive lagging personal computer sales, while new touch-screen Windows devices have not yet captured consumers’ imaginations.
Windows 8 sales are growing in line with those of Windows 7, Microsoft’s last operating system, launched in 2009, said Tami Reller, chief financial officer of the Windows division, in a presentation to analysts and investors at the annual tech show in Las Vegas.
The latest Windows 8 figure means Microsoft sold around 20 million Windows 8 licenses and upgrades since the end of November, when it announced 40 million sales in the first month on the market.
That puts sales broadly in line with Windows 7, which averaged 19.4 million sales per month in its first nine months on the market, when PC sales were running at a lower level than today.
Reller did not say how many of the Windows 8 sales were bulk orders from PC manufacturers and did not break out the proportion of full license sales and cheaper upgrades from earlier versions of Windows. She also did not say how many Surface tablets – designed to tackle Apple Inc‘s iPad head on – Microsoft had sold.
Final figures for PC sales in 2012, due in the next week or so from industry tracking groups, are expected to show the first year-on-year decline in a decade as consumers move toward mobile computing on powerful tablets and phones. Microsoft’s app-based, touch-friendly Windows 8 system is an attempt to adjust to that shift.
Microsoft shares fell 0.5 percent to $26.55 on the Nasdaq on Tuesday. They are down 6 percent since the launch of Windows 8 on October 26.
Apple Inc is working on a cheaper version of its popular iPhone that could be released this year, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.
The device could resemble the existing iPhone, but might use less expensive materials, such as a shell made of polycarbonate plastic, according to the report, which cited anonymous sources.
Apple could decide not to move forward with the lower-end iPhone, the report noted.
The product would represent the first time Apple has diversified its line of smartphones with significantly different models since launching the original iPhone in 2007. The company faces pressure from rival smartphone-makers such as Samsung Electronics Co LTD whose products use Google Inc‘s Android operating system.
Apple declined to comment on the report.
Shares of Apple, which closed Tuesday’s regular trading session at $525.31, are down 25.5 percent from their 52-week high of $705.07 in September.
We’ve known for quite sometime now that the Samsung Galaxy S III mini will come new colour options, apart from the existing White by the end of December last year or beginning 2013.
Samsung dedicated blog SamMobile has now received some pictures of the compact Galaxy S III smartphone from a source showcasing the new colours.
These are Titan Gray, Garnet Red and Onyx Black, precisely what was expected earlier. It is needless to say that the Red and Black colour options look identical to the bigger Galaxy S III 4G LTE recently launched in Sapphire Black and Garnet Red colours in Korea.
The company has already introduced two additional colour options for the international version of the Galaxy S III as well, Amber Brown and Titanium Grey.
Samsung is indeed extending colour options across its high-end devices. More recently, the Galaxy Note II was also spotted in a Black variant. SamMobile had earlier mentioned that the Note II will also get new colours namely Amber Brown, Topaz Blue and Ruby Wine in addition to the current Marble White and Titanium Gray.
Whether or not all markets will get to see the new colours still remains unknown.
Apart from adding new colours, Samsung is now shipping the Galaxy S III mini with the latest version of Android Jelly Bean, v4.1.2 in Vietnam and Indonesia. Other Asian regions should soon be getting the good news as well. When launched, the Galaxy S III mini devices came out with Android 4.1.1.
To recap, the Galaxy S III mini was launched in October last year and is a miniature version of the company’s current flagship smartphone the Samsung Galaxy S III. It features a 4-inch screen and runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The smartphone inherits Galaxy S III’s features like S Voice, Smart Stay, Direct Call and S Beam.
The compact S III version is powered by a dual-core 1GHz processor and features a 5-megapixel camera. It has a 1500 mAh battery and 8/16GB internal storage options.
Polaroid Tuesday unveiled the world’s first Android-powered mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with a 18-megapixel censor at CES 2013 in Las Vegas. The iM1836 camera will be manufactured by Sakar International, an authorised Polaroid licensee.
The Android 4.1 Jelly Bean-running camera comes standard with a 10-30mm optical zoom lens, and is capable of recording full-HD video. It features 3.5-inch display will hit store shelves in the first quarter of 2013 for a price of $399.
“Throughout our 75 year history, Polaroid has been synonymous with innovation, creativity, and ease of use,” commented Scott W. Hardy, President and CEO of Polaroid. “We are continuing that proud tradition at CES this year with the launch of the iM1836. This compact, connected camera is the ideal pocket-sized device to capture and share all of your most precious moments.”
The iM1836 aims to combine the image quality of mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras like the Nikon V1, J1, Nikon J2, Canon EOS M, Fujifilm X-Pro 1, Samsung NX300 and the convenience of Android-based cameras like Nikon Coolpix S800c and Samsung Galaxy Camera. Before this, Sony had come the closest to combining the two worlds, with the Wi-Fi enabled mirrorless NEX-5R, minus the Android.
Polaroid also announced the launch of two iM1836 cousins. First, the non-Android, Wi-Fi only iM1232W for $349 and the non-Android, non-Wi-Fi iM1030 for $299. It also unveiled the iS2433 with a 16-megapixel sensor and 24x optical zoom for $199.
he must-have gift this holiday season with more than$1.27 billion spent on 
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