mini

A fresh review of a Windows 8 Acer tablet by chip site Anandtech shows it beating ARM-based devices pretty consistently on central processor unit performance benchmarks but not on graphics. The site also noted a "bug" that has delayed the release of some Intel-based tablets.

"The [Intel] Atom architecture is still faster than every single ARM based [processor] core on the market today with the exception of the Cortex A15," -- ARM's newest chip design -- wrote Anandtech when it posted a review of the Acer W510 today.

Intel's Atom z2760 "Clover Trail&… Read more

So, congratulations! Perhaps you're the owner of a new iPad this holiday season. If so, you've come to the right place. Apple's tablet is incredibly easy to use, but there are still plenty of ways to set up and optimize your iPad to take advantage of everything it has to offer. Some of these suggestions may be obvious; others might not.

Regardless, here's what I do when I take a new iPad out of its crisp white box. I think you should do the same. At the least, these tips should help you get on your feet.… Read more

Google is planning low-ball itself with an even cheaper Nexus 7, according to an Asia-based report.

Google and Asus wowed consumers with the $199 Nexus 7 and now they're aiming at price points below $150, ultimately going as low as $99, according to Taipei-based Digitimes, citing sources at display component maker O-Film Tech.

The lower-priced Nexus 7 should be released by the second quarter of next year, said the technology site, which covers device manufacturers and component suppliers in Asia.

O-Film started shipping components for the lower-priced Nexus 7 in December, the report said. The company's touch-screen glass-glass film … Read more

iPads don't come with their own protection. In fact, these sleek metal and glass beauties ship naked. That just won't do: you need a case. But when it comes to the iPad Mini, I quickly discovered, what makes a good case or bag is a very different proposition than for the larger iPad.

To help you pick out something good, here's what I've observed so far over the last couple of months of hard-core iPad Mini use. Let's take a look, shall we?… Read more

CloudOn's Microsoft Office app has expanded its horizons beyond just the iPad.

Released today, version 3.0 of CloudOn supports the iPhone, the iPad Mini, and the iPod Touch.

It handles the iPhone 5, taking advantage of the new phone's longer screen. There's also a special reading mode for the iPhone, so you can easily scroll through a document without the Ribbon or keyboard getting in the way.

The app has kicked in support for Microsoft's SkyDrive. That means you can store your documents on SkyDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, or Box.

CloudOn lets you create and … Read more

Chipmakers are preparing for the second-generation iPad Mini and Samsung is on track for a phone with a bendable display and possibly an early intro of the Galaxy S4, according to a research note from RBC Capital Markets.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Doug Freedman -- who is in China visiting chip companies this week -- offered this ambiguous Apple note: "iPad Mini Gen-2: Apple's gen-2 iPad mini is getting pulled-in, and is likely to have several new suppliers, with TXN gaining content."

"Pulled in" would seem to imply that Apple is moving up introduction of … Read more

At the Le Web conference in Paris in December, the theme was a phrase I wish I'd thought of: the Internet of Things. The show was all about our connected present and future, a world in which all our devices are connected to each other, to us, and to the great Data Cloud in the sky. I interviewed entrepreneurs, futurists, designers, and big company names about what that future will hold and when it might come about for a special Future Tech package in this episode.

The most interesting thing to come out of those interviews, to me, was … Read more

Planning to buy a 7-inch tablet? A new report from the folks at FixYa reveals some of the top issues with today's crop of small-size tablets.

Apple's iPad Mini New to the 7-inch tablet arena, the iPad Mini didn't trigger much in the way of specific problems reported by its users. Rather, people were more unhappy about what the device doesn't offer.

The Mini's 4:3 aspect ratio was cited by users as less than ideal for watching movies, which are typically better served by a screen with a 16:9 ratio. The small tablet … Read more

Apple might soon launch 3G versions of its fourth-generation iPad and iPad Mini in China.

China-based TechWeb reported (translation) today that a cellular version of the iPad and the iPad Mini cleared the country's regulatory hurdles last week, potentially paving the way for the device to launch before long.

Apple launched the Wi-Fi-only versions of the iPad and iPad Mini on December 7. The company previously said it would launch these iPads in China in December, but didn't say if that only applied to the Wi-Fi versions or would also include the cellular models.

According to TechWeb, the … Read more