Tablets

Windows RT was recently hacked to allow it to run unsigned desktop apps, and now it seems anyone can run that same hack via a simple batch file.

Someone dubbed Netham45 has packaged the hack into a batch file that users can trigger on their Windows RT tablets. That hack enables people to launch unsigned desktop applications compiled for ARM-based RT devices.

The tool takes advantage of a hack revealed earlier this week by someone identified only as clrokr. In a blog, clrokr explained how he was able to change a value in the Windows RT kernel … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Panasonic is ready to go to the next level in PC and tablet resolution. Is anyone else?

Ultra HD/4K televisions blanket this year's Consumer Electronics Show like freshly fallen snow, but Panasonic is standing alone demonstrating 4K technology in a personal computer. The company's 4K tablet prototype on display at its booth has a ridiculous 3,840x2,560-pixel resolution and 230 pixels per inch packed into a 20-inch IPS LED-backlit LCD display.

The 15-inch Retina Display MacBook Pro has a 2,880x1,880-pixel resolution at 220 ppi. There isn't a 20-inch display currently in a … Read more

LAS VEGAS--HP's convertible business laptop-slash-tablet with a swivel screen hinge is set to debut this March, and it'll also pack Intel's newer more power-efficient Ivy Bridge Intel Core processors.

Announced back in December, the EliteBook Revolve is the classic laptop product you'll see this spring, seemingly bearing the fruits of Intel's latest processor updates: a thinner, more compact design with a weight just north of 3 pounds, the Revolve is a convertible ultrabook that's similar to the ThinkPad Twist in design, but has its own clean magnesium look with a soft-touch finish.

The Revolve … Read more

Microsoft's Windows RT can apparently run unsigned desktops app with a little bit of hacking.

In a blog posted yesterday, a hacker dubbed clrokr described how he was able to change a value in the Windows RT kernel to bypass certain restrictions set up by Microsoft. The blog details how clrokr tracked down the right value to open up the types of apps that RT can run. And it includes his code for other enterprising hackers.

The specific value can't be permanently altered on devices enabled with Secure Boot, but it can be changed in memory. As a … Read more

I'm about to start packing for CES, which kicks off next week in Las Vegas, and I'm having a devil of a time deciding what tech to bring.

My phone, sure, but what else? Do I go laptop or tablet? If I choose laptop, am I better off with a convertible? If I choose tablet, do I want something as large as an iPad, or would I be happier with something more pocket-friendly -- a phablet, perhaps?

These are common questions nowadays as the lines between mobile devices grow ever blurrier. We want a screen, obviously, but what … Read more

I'm by no means the first one to say this but Windows 8 and older PCs make an odd couple.

But let me back up for a second. Before the release of Windows 8 on October 26, I tested Windows 8 on tablets only, such as the Intel-based Samsung slate that Microsoft sold in its stores. And I was impressed with Metro.

That was then. Windows 8 Pro 64-bit is now installed on my Dell Adamo laptop. And I rarely venture into the Metro UI unless if I'm forced to.

Of course if you're one of the … Read more

Killer holiday gift alert! While supplies last, Best Buy has the second-gen Kindle Fire (8GB) tablet for $139.99 plus tax. Amazingly, it's new, not refurbished.

The only catch is that although you can order this online, you can't have it shipped -- you'll have to pick it up in your local Best Buy store. But at least you can make sure it's waiting for you when you arrive; it's not like you have to go racing over there this minute in the hopes of snagging one.

Also, when I clicked Check Stores on the … Read more

Consumers in the United Kingdom can finally check out Microsoft's Surface tablet live and in person.

The RT-based tablet can now be found on the shelves of John Lewis, a well-known department store in the U.K., according to WPCentral.

Surface has been available at Microsoft Store outlets in the U.S., and just last week reached Staples and Best Buy. The tablet has also been available online through Microsoft in the U.S., the U.K., Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, and Hong Kong.

Today's debut at John Lewis marks Surface's first time in a non-U.… Read more

Should Microsoft have called it ARM tablet OS something other than Windows RT?

That was Dell's argument, according to comments made by a top executive at the PC vendor.

At the Dell World conference last week, Dell's vice chairman and president of its PC business, Jeffrey Clarke, told analysts what he thought of the name Windows RT, as reported by the Australian Financial Review.

Clark said he warned Ballmer not to use the Windows brand name in the new tablet OS since it would confuse consumers into thinking it supports traditional Windows applications. Designed to run on ARM-based … Read more