Firefox OS tablet pops up at Computex made by Foxconn: More on the way?

   We heard the rumours the other day and it turns out they were true and Foxconn have announced their partnership with Mozilla on Firefox OS tablets. Indeed, one such device popped up at Computex today, but noone was allowed to touch and we're not entirely sure it's a working device and it's certainly not ready, but it's something for the future.

   Talking of which Foxconn's Young Liu said:

"Currently, Foxconn is executing on a vision of 'eight screens, one network, and one cloud' with all our strength. Besides the native advantages of hardware manufacturing, Foxconn is also developing a brand new integrated approach to providing hardware, software, content, and services."

So if that's anything to go by there could be a fair few more devices on the way from the guys!
Via Engadget.

Foxconn Adopts Firefox OS
New integrated offerings will expand the ecosystem based on open Web technologies
The Foxconn Technology Group today announced at a press event in Taipei a wide-ranging partnership with Mozilla to collaborate on the use of the Firefox OS open platform, based on HTML5 and open Web technologies, on Foxconn devices. Foxconn is extending past its origins in original design manufacturing to a combination of integrated software and hardware offerings, which extends its domain to the open operating platform and positively carries out its integration plan of hardware, software, content, and services.
"Currently, Foxconn is executing on a vision of 'eight screens, one network, and one cloud' with all our strength. Besides the native advantages of hardware manufacturing, Foxconn is also developing a brand new integrated approach to providing hardware, software, content, and services." Young Liu, the general manager of Foxconn innovation Digital System Business Group (iDSBG), said: "Because of our shared vision, we are excited to work with Mozilla. Firefox OS from Mozilla is based on HTML5 and open web technologies. The whole idea perfectly matches to the strategies promoted by Foxconn. We believe that the integration of software and hardware development will offer greater benefits to our customers and consumers."
"We are very excited about the cooperation with Foxconn and we are glad to see more partners supporting the Firefox OS and the open Web." Dr. Li Gong, SVP of Mobile Devices, President of Asia Operations, and CEO of Mozilla Taiwan, also said: "At Mozilla we see the open Web as the biggest and the best platform for the mobile world. The Firefox OS initiative helps solidify open Web standards for mobile computing; it also encourages and enables more openness in system integration and device interoperation. This cooperation demonstrates the full potential of Firefox OS, the open Web mobile operating system, to enable not only the smartphone but also a wide range of mobile devices.
About Firefox OS
Firefox OS is based on HTML5 and other Web technologies and is constructed by Mozilla as an open Web mobile operating system. Firefox OS and the apps are entirely built with HTML5, JavaScript, and new Web Application APIs including emerging Device, Web App, and System API standards pioneered by Mozilla. Firefox OS will set the mobile users, developers, and manufacturers free from the limitation of current proprietary mobile operating systems. Firefox OS has globally gained support from numerous manufacturers and telecom service providers and the first Firefox OS devices will be released this summer. Firefox OS is an extension of the Firefox open Web experience that is secure, private, customizable and puts people in control.
About Foxconn
As the partner of choice for all aspects of contract manufacturing services in Computing, Communication and Consumer electronics ("3C") industries, Foxconn grew to be a US$73 billion revenue group in 2008. Arms with its proprietary eCMMS business model and world leading IP portfolio, Foxconn Technology Group has revolutionized the CEM/EMS/ODM industries since turn of the century. Through its renowned offering of best speed, quality, engineering services, efficiency and value-added, Foxconn Technology Group determines to make the comfort from electronic products usage an attainable luxury for all mankind.
Focusing on fields of interconnection, nanotechnology, heat transfer, wireless connectivity, material sciences, and green manufacturing process, Foxconn's approx. 60,000 filed and over 26,500 granted patent portfolio worldwide, of which contains over 1,000 nanotechnology related patents, made it a recognized leader of innovation. Looking forward, Chairman Gou is expanding the group's scope from traditional 3C industry to including auto parts, content, channel, medical equipment and alternative energy.
A firm believer of social environmental responsibility, Foxconn is not only a proud member of EICC, but also actively promoting wider adoption of better environmental standard in electronic supply chain. This Fortune Global 500 company has actively using its role as the largest exporter and largest non-government affiliated manufacturer in Greater China to make its vision of making the comfort of electronic product usage an attainable luxury to all mankind closer to reality each day goes by.
About Mozilla
Mozilla has been a pioneer and advocate for the Web for more than a decade. We create and promote open standards that enable innovation and advance the Web as a platform for all. Today, hundreds of millions of people worldwide use Mozilla Firefox to discover, experience and connect to the Web on computers, tablets and mobile phones. For more information please visit mozilla.org.

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Asus' Transformer Pad Infinity gets a really nice refresh!

   Wow, the announcements just won't stop coming today and as our fingers start to get fatigued, it's almost fitting that we cover a nice refresh from Asus. Today the Taiwanese company have announced that they are going to be updating the Transformer Infinity!

   The refresh is quite a notable jump from last year's device which was no slouch itself. This time there's a 10.1-inch 2560 x 1600 IPS display, a powerful new Tegra 4 processor and 2GB of RAM, all of which should keep this thing ticking over without any hiccups at all. There's also 32GB of internal storage and an SD card slot, the latter of which is only available through the keyboard dock, which also offers extra battery and a USB 3.0 port.

   Interestingly the cameras on this device have been downgraded since last year, because there's a 5 MP rear-camera and there's a 1.2MP camera up front. Asus will apparently make up for this camera downgrade with the ability to push 4K video out through the HDMI-out port on the device!

   At the moment we don't know anything else about the device, but as and when we hear more we will update this post! We do however, know that the price will be roughly $400 without a dock and $500 with the dock attachment.
Via TheVerge.

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Bloomberg say HTC cancel 12" Windows RT plans, 7" version still good to go!

   Bloomberg are reporting today that HTC have scrapped plans for a 12" Windows RT tablet for later this year, wiht the lack of demand for Microsoft's Windows RT being cited as one of the the key reasons and the other being the cost of the device, which would make it too undesirable. It's interesting though that Bloomberg still believe that HTC will be making a smaller 7" Windows tablet  running RT.

   The larger of the two tablets was said to be too much of a risk as HTC are still coming to terms with their recent slide in sales and a 12 inch device would be too expensive in terms of components and the cost to customers was said to have been too high to shift the amount HTC would have needed too. Those aren't issues with the 7" tablet which is meant to be available around September or October according to the report.

   Bloomberg did say that Qualcomm's Snapdragon processors will be inside the new 7" tablet and other than that we don't really know very much at all, because this is all speculation really. We do find it quite interesting that HTC would opt to make a Windows tablet, given how popular Android tablets are comparatively. Let us know what you think on this rumour and what you'd like to see HTC produce!
Bloomberg via TheVerge.

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Rumour: Mozilla and Foxconn to partner on a Firefox OS tablet?

   According to Reuters there is set to be a partnership between the huge manufacturer Foxconn (or HonHai) and the Mozilla foundation in a bid to create a new mobile device running the latter's Firefox operating system.

    There hasn't been any specific information on the news issued from a Mozilla spokesperson, but according to Focus Taiwan the device is quite likely to be a tablet and we'd be pretty excited if this rumour does turn out to be true. That would mean that Mozilla's new OS could, assuming they can offer a good tablet interface, could be seen by OEM's as a compelling new operating system for their mobile devices.

   Obviously, Foxconn and Mozilla declined to comment when asked about the statement by Reuters, but
it's quite well known that Foxconn want to look at ways of generation more revenue and trying to find ways to diversify from their reliance on producing Apple's products. That means Foxconn could be looking at producing the tablet for Mozilla which would help them secure the higher margins which they want.

   In case you haven't seen any of the devices running Firefox OS then head over here and have a little look at all of the devices which there are! We expect there to be many more added in the coming months!
Via Reuters and FocusTaiwan.

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Archos announce the latest devices in their Elements range: The 80 Xenon!

   It was only a couple of days ago that Archos were announcing their beautiful ChefPad for those of you who love to cook, but today they're back with another tablet, this time it's a device which slots into their elements range!

   The Archos 80 Xenon is an 8" tablet with a surprisingly large amount going for it. It's 8" display has a 1024x768p resolution and it's an IPS display which should offer good viewing angles. That display will be powered by Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and it'll be running on a quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor clocked at 1.2Ghz which is paired with an Andreno 203 GPU! On the memory front there's 1GB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage which thankfully is microSD expandable and

there's support for cards up to 64GB in size on this device. There's two cameras here; the rear one is 2MP and the front one Archos didn't assign a resolution to, but they did say that it was a 'webcam' so we would assume that it's VGA!

   One extra bonus which this tablet has is that there is both WiFi and 3G connectivity options on board, which means that you can plug in a SIM card and get your data on 3G assuming your carrier uses the 2100 MHz band and there's 2G connectivity on 850/950/1800 and 1900 which means you'll get 2G in basically every place you go!

   The real highlight here though is that all of this can be yours for very reasonable prices. Depending on where you are this will set you back either €169,99, £159.99 or $199.99, all of which are great prices and it puts the device right into a sweet spot just below the £180 Asus ask for their FonePad which has a lesser processor, but slightly better screen!

   For full details head over to Archos' site here!

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HP expand the X2 line with two new detachable computers: The Split and the SlateBook!

   HP have today announced two new new devices which continue along the same lines as the companies new HP Envy X2. They're tablets which you can dock into keyboards, much like we saw and continue to see with Asus' Transformer line of tablets! So lets get into the announcements!

The HP SlateBook X2:

   The first of HP's duo is the SlateBook X2. It's an Android tablet and it will be one of the first on the market which is rocking NVIDIA's Tegra 4 processor! That processor paired with 2GB of RAM should make Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean absolutely fly!

   Other internals include memory capacities of up to 64GB and that cheeky little dock which you can see pictured to the right, has an extra battery in there to keep your device going that little bit longer while you're out and about!

   HP were keen to promote the access to TegraZone which the Nvidia processor brings with it and the extra games which are available as a result. But to be honest that pales into insignificance when you remember that there's a 10.1" screen which has a better than HD resolution on this thing! The screen is actually 1920 x 1200p and everything should look absolutely stunning on that sort of resolution on something so small!

   A couple of other things which HP mentioned were the DTS Sound+ Solution, native printing capabilities which will work from most apps and the main draw is obviously the dock which adds HDMI out, a couple of USB ports and near enough doubles the tablets battery life.

   The dock and tablet will arrive together in August for $479 for the 16GB variant and for the cheapest version it will cost $479, but the tablet dock is included in that price!


The HP Split X2:

   The second device is another similar concept, but this time the device is powered by Windows 8 and it will be running on a 13.3" 1366 x 768p display.

   Where this device distinguishes itself from the Envy X2 is in the internal department. Yes there's a bigger screen, but there's also a lot more power under the hood. The Envy offered an Atom processor, but this thing comes with a Core i3 processor and 4GB of memory inside the tablet and there's anything up to 128GB of storage in the tablet half.

   The keyboard though helps to make this into a proper laptop because of the inclusion of a huge 500GB hard drive which is crammed into the bottom half! That of course is optional, but there will definitely be a battery in the keyboard, even if you decide you don't want to drop the extra money on the extra hard drive space.

   This tablet will also arrive in August and the starting price for both tablet and keyboard will be $799!



   HP hopes that these devices will give:

“Customers [what they] want to access and [let them] share content anywhere, anytime, on any internet connected device—and they expect those connections to be seamless...The HP SlateBook x2 and the HP Split x2 are next-generation devices and the latest examples of our continued commitment to evolving the computing experience by providing the flexibility necessary for customers to be productive at home, at the office or on the go.”  

If you're not sure which convertible is for you HP have a nice little comparison page, which is actually quite useful and the full press releases are available here!

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Archos announce the Chefpad: Aimed at all those foodies out there!

   Archos already have a pretty expansive range of Android tablets on the market. There's everything from the small 7 inchers right the way through to an 11.6" beast. They're all solid tablets and they all tend to run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean on similar internal hardware and that's not a bad thing.

   That trend has been continued today with the announcement of a tablet which is tailored to a very specific group of people and those people are chefs! The main changes to the device specifically for that market are the inclusion of a silicon case and a stand, which although it doesn't sound like anything major it's just a simple way of targeting certain people and it allows the casing to be removed and wiped down if there are any unwanted spillages. 

   The tablet itself is much like Archos' other offerings there's a 9.7" screen front and centre which offered up 1024 x 768 pixels. Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is being driven along by a dual-core Cortex A9 processor which is clocked at 1.6Ghz and there's quad-core Mali 400 graphics here too. On the storage front we've got 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage which is expandable with MicroSD cards up to 64GB in size. Other than that there's 2MP cameras on both the front and back and there's USB On The Go support as well as HDMI output through a Mini HDMI port! As you would expect there's the usual array of sensors and connections and the staples Bluetooth and WiFi are both there, a full list of them is available here.

   We assume the main thing with this sort of device will be the battery life because there will be a lot of screen on time while people are cooking, but unfortunately we can't seem to find the size or the estimated length of time the battery is meant to last for, but if we do find it we'll be sure to let you know!

   If you're interested then the device is set to go on sale in June for 169.99€, £149.99 or $209.99 depending on where you live! For full details and more pictures check out Archos' product page here! One thing to end on is that even if you're not a chef this is a really good little tablet with a case and stand for £150!

Via Facebook.

   

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Sony are working to offer students an e-ink note-making tablet: We want one!

   Sony might be having a hard time in the tech world at the moment, but that doesn't mean that things behind the scenes are slowing down. Indeed, Sony appear to be trying to revolutionise the way we take notes and read.

   As you can see in the image above, which is a prototype set to be tested at universities in Japan before the end of the year, Sony are trying to bring those boring bits of A4 paper to life! That's why they're working on this 13.3" 1600 x 1200p e-Ink tablet which will hopefully help reduce the amount of paper which we consume. 

   The device is designed to be the same size as A4 paper and the display has an electromagnetic induction touchscreen, which is basically a fancy way of saying that it is a touchscreen and there's also stylus compatibility so this thing could genuinely be a great studying tool!  At the moment the device only has support for PDF files which is a shame, but we do have to remember that this is a prototype so if and when this is launched it would probably have support for a few other file types and hopefully there'll be a browser too!

   At the moment the prototype is nice and slim at 6.8mm (0.27 inch) thick and weighs 385g (13.6 ounces) which should fit in any reasonably sized bag! On-board storage comes in at 4GB, which is MicroSD expandable if you're a serial note taker and Sony plans to give this device Wifi capabilities so you can share your notes relatively easily. 

   At the moment this thing is expected to last about three weeks of usage if you keep Wifi off and just write and go over your notes, which isn't too shabby at all. We can expect a few changes after the field trials, but it's just a shame we couldn't have had one of these things for our studies! We're a tad jealous!

Sony Via Engadget.

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Asus promise 'that innovation never stops': New devices on the way at Computex?

   Asus already have the strapline 'in search of incredible', but as of today they also have a new teaser video for something too! As you can see from the video embedded below the Taiwanese company are promising that they will 'transform' just as 'innovation' does.

   This is the first of five teasers according to the website which they provided here, so we can expect some more details the lower that counter gets to zero!

   We don't know for sure what this could be, but given the theme is transforming we would expect there to be some sort of refresh to the companies line of Transformer Pad tablets and perhaps there will be one of those much rumoured Intel-powered Android laptops in the range too, or maybe even a Chromebook? Who knows, but we only have to wait until the start of June to find out!
Via Engadget.

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Arnova add the 97 G4 to their Android line-up!

   There's plenty of tablets out there already which run Android, today we have another one to add to the stable and if Arnova's previous efforts are anything to go by this will give you solid performance on a budget!

   Today we've got another one of those devices and this time it's the Arnova 97 G4 and it seems like a pretty good device if the specs are anything to go by. With this device you'll bag yourself a solid 9.7" 1024 x 768p screen, which isn't too shabby in reality, it's not the best, but neither is it the worst. There's also Android 4.1 Jelly Bean running along on a dual-core processor clocked at 1.6GHz and a quad-core Mali 400 GPU. Other than that there's a full GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage which is expandable with cards up to 32GB in size, which makes a relatively solid package.

   When you add in HDMI connectivity, a pair of cameras, one on each side and each 2 mega-pixel sensors this isn't a bad device, even if it is on the heavy side at 700g!

   For the moment we don't know anything about pricing or availability, but as we said at the start we can't see this tablet selling for more than £200 and perhaps it might be of interest to you! You can find full details at Arnova's page here!
Via AndroidCommunity.

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Intel keen on Android convertibles for the future according to rumours!

   There's been a rumour circling today, which started on Digitimes, which suggests that Intel has been telling their partners to produce Android convertible notebooks! PhoneArena suggested that this is to spite Microsoft for their decision to create Windows RT, an OS designed specifically to run on ARM based processors, but we would suggest it is far simpler than that.

   We've all seen the stories about how companies are struggling to shift notebooks, desktops and other computers at the moment as consumers are picking up tablets, which are cheaper and offer much of the functionality. So what Intel is offering here is an alternative where consumers get Android on their notebook instead of Windows, which gives consumers tonnes of apps and great battery life to boot!

   The sort of device which Digitimes is on about here is the Asus Transformer series, which lets you use keyboard and tablet in one. If Digitimes has this correct then Lenovo are set to show off a device with this set up in May, which is only next month! Then the rumour runs that HP, Toshiba, Acer and ASUS will follow up later in the year!

   The one thing which seems a little bit out on this rumour is the price. At the moment these devices are expected to come in somewhere in the $500 range, which seems totally extortionate to us. The only enhancement you get with the device over something like the iPad for example is a physical keyboard, but this might hit the nail on the head for the average consumer.

   The pillar stone of this story though is that Intel are meant to be the ones driving this latest craze. If that's right then they are actively pushing people away from Microsoft and towards something new. It's never good news for any company when a key partner starts looking elsewhere and with Google I/O just around the corner, we can probably expect Google to bulk up their tablet offering in terms of devices and software and so Intel might know something we don't!

   What do you think? Can you imagine ditching Windows for Android completely in the future or do you think Windows will continue to have a place in the computing world? Let us know in the comments below!
Via PhoneArena.

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In Other News: 12/04/2013.

• Samsung are ordering a million screens for the 5.8" Galaxy Mega device! That is very good going indeed especially if they can actually get that many into consumers hands and we have no doubt that they will!
  Digitimes Via AndroidBeat.

• Nintendo has announced that they will be shuttering five Wii channels on June 28th in North America and Japan. That means that Forecast, News, Everybody Votes, Check Mii Out, Digicam Print, the Nintendo Channel, plus the WiiConnect24 feature.
  Via Slashgear.

• Some of you might have noticed that Facebook Home is now available in the US, but for everyone else we'll have to make do with ChatHeads for the moment! Ohh and you can now get your HTC First from AT&T from here! If you want the launcher at your own risk you can download it from MoDaCo through this thread!
  Via AndroidCentral.

• It seems as though there could be a Tegra 4 powered Toshiba tablet on the way soon! The AT15 and the AT10-A-A REGZA have appeared at the WiFi Association and Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), as well as on the AnTuTu benchmark! We'll keep our eyes peeled for more!
  Via PhoneArena.

• Russia have announced a new $50 billion space programme! The money will be spent on modernizing Russia's rockets and equipment whilst simultaneously stimulating the development and use of home-grown components, and in the long term the hope is Russia can catch up to the rest of the world in unmanned space exploration!
  Via TheVerge.

• Motorola will be rolling out Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean to Droid Bionic users from the APril the 15th! Check for your OTA on Monday!
  Via AndroidPolice.

• Bing users are supposedly five times more likely to get a malware in their search results than Google users! Check out more info over at AndroidBeat here!

• The UK government has launched an investigation into whether children are being unfairly targeted in free games and with in-app purchases. It'll be interesting to see what they conclude given all the horror stories of bills in the thousands lately!
  Via TheVerge.

• Pebble have released version 1.1 of their smartwatch OS. iOS users see the biggest benefit this time with  fixes for crashes, permissions and power in the mix. But, everyone gets the option to disable backlighting and vibrations! So the update has something for everyone!
  Via Engadget.

• Medion have launched a new 24" non-touch all in one. The Akoya P2004 will be an exclusive at Asda and will set you back £499, but that buys you a dual-core 3.2GHz Core i3, 4GB of RAM, a 1TB hard drive, Windows 8 and a DVD burner, which isn't too bad at all! You can get it here!
  Via Engadget.

• Here is T-Mobile's first advert for their newly acquired iPhone 5's!
  Via PhoneArena.

And finally, HTC's new marketing is a bit hit and miss if this is anything to go by! The extremely painful acting below featuring James Van Der Beek, shows off HTC's new flagship, the One, through a few interesting scenarios which centre around a proposal competition of phones to decide which one will get the fair lady's hand! Check it out below!

Via TheVerge.

The One with James Van Der Beek - watch more funny videos

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Lenovo announce three new tablets at MWC!

   Lenovo have brought three new tablets to MWC this year; all of them are rocking Android and they should cover a fair few of the needs people want from well priced slates in 2013! Lets get into it!

S6000: Mobile “Home Entertainment” Center.

   Lenovo have described the S6000 as a 'sleek and powerful option for customers looking for a device that switches seamlessly from entertainment to social media and beyond.' So they're hoping this will be a solid all-rounder for people. With a MTK 8389/8125 1.2 GHz quad-core processor there should be plenty of power for all of the gaming and media consumption you can expect to do in every day life! The main thing of course is the screen and here Lenovo are offering a 10.1-inch IPS display with a resolution of1280x800p and with 178-degree viewing angles everything should be pretty good on that front. There's also a micro HDMI port and digital microphone. There's also HSPA+ connectivity and a battery rated for 8 hours of continuous use. All of this has been crammed into a shell which is 8.6mm thick and which weights 560g!

A3000: Full Performance in a Compact Package.

   Lenovo's A3000 offers a standard 7" tablet, but there's a few things on this one which others have been lacking lately. For example this little chap features a 1.2GHz quad-core MTK processor which should be more than enough to power the 7" 1024 x 600p display. Now this isn't the best or highest resolution display available, but it is an IPS screen and the processor shouldn't have any difficulties pushing that many pixels. The whole thing weights in at a total of 340g and is 11mm thick. There's a MicroSD card slot on board which can support cards up to 64GB and there's your choice for a WiFi only or a 3G HSPA+ compatible option, the latter of which will set you back slightly more money when it comes to the market!

A1000: Pocket Studio with Dolby sound enhancements.

   And last but not least there's the A1000 which might not have the power of it's quad-core brothers, but it's a nice little device in its own right. There's Android Jelly Bean 4.1 which runs on a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, storage options up to 16GB, all of which are expandable by SD cards up to 32GB in size. The main selling point though is the Dolby Digital Plus integration combined with front facinf  into the device and large, front-facing speakers which is always a bonus for media consumption. The device will arrive in your choice of black or white and it'll be a good little device assuming the price ends up being quite reasonable!


   The tablets will all arrive in Q2 and they'll be available worldwide! Unfortunately pricing hasn't yet been announced!

   The full press release is available here.

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Sony halts their Xperia Tablet S: Turns out they're not all splashproof!

   Sony has announced a temporary sales ban on it's new Xperia Tablet S citing the a slight manufacturing defect as the reason. We're not sure the issue is affecting all units but some devices are suffering from a gap between the display and the bodywork of the rest of the tablet.

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Padfone 2 specs leak

   With just under two weeks until the official release of the Asus Padfone 2 we have another set of specs, which sound extremely good and very well could be what we see in the final article.

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31/07/2012

Sony planning a Tablet S refresh!

   Mobiflip has today outed a new Sony Xperia Tablet. The picture above shows that the device is essentially a Tablet S refresh; sporting exactly the same iconic wedge design of the Tablet S. 

Looks like Microsoft's Surface tablets has a bit of an influence too!

   This time, however, the tablet is set to be slimline and splashproof, complete with Tegra 3 and a 9.4-inch 1280 x 800 display. The new tablet will be 11.85mm at its thickest point according to mobiFlip‘s premature documentation. This would overall add up to a 42-percent trim down, Sony claims, and this one will be made of aluminum rather than plastic!

   On the camera front there's an 8-megapixel main camera which is paired with a 1-megapixel front facing camera, and there’s also a docking stand with three USB ports and an HDMI connection. Sony also throws in a clever Guest Mode, which allows for a separate interface – with limited access to apps and other data – for visitor use of the tablet, while keeping full Ice Cream Sandwich functionality locked away.

   Interestingly the presentation also includes projected pricing; $449.99 for the 16GB model, rising to $549.99 for the $32GB, and $649.99 for the 64GB. The carrying cover will be $59.99 ($20 more for the leather version) and the keyboard cover will be $99.99.

   As for docks, the Dock Speaker will be $119.99, the Docking Stand $99.99, and the Cradle $39.99. A Simple Stand – propping the tablet up at a choice of three angles – will be $24.99. The HDMI cable will be $29.99 and the USB Host cable $19.99.

   When this device launches we'll see if it's possible to get a review to compare with the Tablet S and see if it's a worthy successor!

Sony's update saga.

   Sony, Sony, Sony... What're we going to do with you eyy? 

  Today we've been told not to rule out Jelly Bean updates coming to any of their current devices. This news has come after they said their 2011 line up, which includes the Arc S and Mini Pro, would not be getting the update! Apparently we shouldn't rule out the possibility of these devices getting Jelly Bean just yet; the company said;

“We are actively investigating Android OS upgrades for all devices, but in the meantime, our Ice Cream Sandwich rollout for Xperia S and 2011 Xperia smartphones continues as planned.”

   So there we have it. Don't give up hope just yet! The only thing we know for certain at the moment is that Sony don't know what they're doing just yet! The company is still in the midst of their ICS rollout so you can't blame them for not being entirely sure yet! We do expect their most recent crop of NXT devices will be getting updates, but probably early next year!

In other news:

• Nintendo needed their 3DS XL to do a good job on the sales front. Initial tips look good with the device reportedly shipping 200,000 units in the first 24 hours after it's launch!
• RIM are reportedly cutting 3000 jobs on August 13th, sorry guys, the company just can't stop the rot.
• Microsoft has integrated Facebook tagging into Bing search results.
• Samsung is reportedly working on a new 11.8″ 2560×1600 tablet.
• Samsung‘s product lead has lashed out at Apple‘s design patent case, describing the jury trial as “fighting over rectangles” and "defying common sense" and to be honest we have to agree!

And finally, Microsoft has launched Outlook.com as a Gmail competitor! It looks eerily familiar!

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