Hardware

With the holiday shopping season on the horizon, you can bet tablet computers will be under many Christmas trees this coming December. One of the tech industry's most anticipated tablets is Microsoft's Surface, which has been unveiled but not yet ... officially released, or even priced. However, one analyst is now predicting that the Surface will retail for $399 -- and up. Microsoft Out At Least $300 Per Unit: Prediction Sameer Singh is a tech industry analyst with consulting firm Finvista Advisors. In a recent blog post he made some bold predictions about the cost of each individual component ... (view more)

Manufacturers of a three-dimensional printer have pulled the plug on a customer who planned to use the device to make a replica hand gun. The 3D printer works like a standard laser printer, but with two key differences. First, it uses a special ... "ink" made of plastic that becomes solid when heated. Second, it can print multiple layers on top of one another. Because the printer is driven by a computer, users can "print" almost any 3D shape using design software. 'Printed Gun' Info Tests Free Speech Limits A group called Defense Distributed wants to use the technology to make a point about ... (view more)

With Apple preparing to release an iPad Mini and Google capturing critical acclaim for its $199 Nexus 7 device, the current focus of prominent tablet makers appears to be on the lucrative sub-$500 segment of the market. However, popular hardware ... firm Lenovo is heading in a different direction. Its new ThinkPad Tablet 2, running Microsoft's upcoming operating system (OS), Windows 8, takes a significantly higher-priced approach. Lenovo is well-known for its durable, high-performance ThinkPad laptops marketed to business types. It plans to release its high-end ThinkPad Tablet 2 on October 26, ... (view more)

Although their popularity is growing all the time, lightweight and portable 'ultrabook' PCs will soon get another boost from a number of emerging technologies, including next-generation batteries that could double the amount of time an ultrabook can ... function unplugged. Chipmaker Intel unveiled some of these new technologies at its recent Intel Developer Conference. A "massive, massive amount of innovation is coming," Intel said. Haswell Chips Key to Ultrabook Advancement The key to this major step forward in ultrabook design will be a fourth-generation of Intel Core chips, currently code- ... (view more)

One of the toughest decisions one has to make when buying a new laptop computer is to opt for portability or power. It's often difficult to do both. For gamers, the term 'portable' has evolved into a uniquely relative term, with most gaming-oriented ... laptops weighing in at a hefty ten pounds or more. But now Razer, best known for its gaming mice and other PC peripherals, has built a laptop that effectively erases the line between power and portability. Unfortunately, the machine is a bit pricey. Razer Blade "Completely Re-designed": CEO Although Razer is a less established name in ... (view more)

Samsung recently announced it is putting its very own Start button in its forthcoming Windows 8 PCs. Now, Dell has unveiled its own twist on the standard formula: a hybrid tablet-laptop device running Microsoft's upcoming operating system (OS), ... Windows 8. The Dell XPS Duo 12 is intended to be used as both a touchscreen tablet computer and a standard laptop PC. Physically, it can open up just like a regular laptop. But it can easily switch to tablet mode by flipping the display through its frame, and swiveling it until it latches in place with magnets. Dell Improves Upon Inspiron Duo Design If ... (view more)

Lenovo says it's not concerned about the upcoming release of Microsoft's 'Surface' tablet computer. Instead, the firm says it plans to stay competitive by developing and selling better hardware. It's tough talk for a company known to build products ... that for many years have relied on the Windows operating systems. Making the comments: Lenovo Chief Executive Officer Yang Yuanqing. During an earnings report on Lenovo's first fiscal quarter 2013, Yuanqing said his firm was not concerned about the upcoming release of Surface, even though the device will compete with any future Lenovo tablet ... (view more)

Under intense pressure from rivals Google, Apple, and Amazon, Barnes & Noble has decided to reduce the prices of its Nook Color and Tablet devices. The reductions range from $20 to $50. Barnes & Noble hardware takes two forms: the Nook Color ... and the Nook Tablet . The 7-inch Color is primarily an e-reader device that allows users to peruse electronic versions of books and share their collections with friends. The Nook Color features a 8GB hard drive. Until recently, it sold for $169 USD. However, that price has now been dropped to $149. Price of 16GB Nook Tablet Cut By $50 Barnes & Noble ... (view more)

The installation of special sensors on Windows 8-based ultrabooks could change the portable computing experience forever. The ultrabook sensors are like those found on some smartphones, and include a compass, an accelerometer, and a gyroscope. A ... Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver and an ambient light sensor are also likely to be designed into future ultrabooks. Sensors Provide Directions, Save Vital Components Ultrabooks with a built-in compass would allow their users to be aware of their direction: North, South, East, and West, at a minimum offering the ability to help those who get ... (view more)

Samsung is reportedly working on a Windows 8-based tablet computer that will be ready for the new Microsoft operating system's (OS) launch in October, 2012. The device will reportedly utilize the mobile version of the OS, called Windows 8 RT, and ... will run on the speedy ARM chip architecture. The report on Samsung's plan to introduce such a tablet for this fall's Windows 8 launch comes from Bloomberg news, which cites "people with knowledge of the matter" as the source. (Source: bloomberg.com ) Samsung Product Seen As Good News for Microsoft The news of Samsung's new tablet should help ... (view more)