Asus announce the FonePad Note: 6" phablet with a stylus on the way!

   It was only a couple of weeks ago that we were complaining that there's not enough devices in the 6" sweet spot between phone and tablet and we don't want to claim credit, but it appears that we weren't the only people who thought that way. That's why we've seen another device in the FonePad series from Asus and this time it's the FonePad Note and it doesn't take too much to realise where that name took inspiration from!

   Asus' FonePad Note looks to be a solid device with a 6 inch Full HD, that's 1920 x 1080p Super IPS+ display! That screen will be driven along by a 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2560 processor, 2GB of RAM and we don't currently know how much internal storage there will be with this device or whether or not there will be microSD expandability!

   We do know though, that there will be a pair of cameras on this device: the rear option is an 8MP camera without a flash, and on the front there's a 1.2-megapixel camera for selfies and for Skype calls!

   Obviously the Note part of the title is because this device comes with a stylus and there will be some of Asus' own apps which make the most of that functionality! Asus have also included front-facing speakers on this device and with a bit of luck they'll be somewhat comparable to the fantastic speakers on the HTC One!

   One thing to add is that this device is a 3G and DC-HSPA+ device, so there's no LTE option here, but that isn't necessarily too much of an issue for the majority of people!

   For the moment Asus haven't conclusively said which version of Android this is running, but it's pretty safe to assume it's a version of Jelly Bean, but we don't know which just yet.

   Again Asus haven't said anything about price or availability, but when we hear more we will update this post!

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Samsung's Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 sees them pair with Intel for the first time with an Android device!

   We've already seen the specs of the 8-inch version of the Galaxy Tab 3, but the 10.1 inch offering is a slightly different beast! This is the first of Samsung's Android line-up to be powered by Intel processors.

   This bigger device is much like its smaller sibling in the majority of its components. There's still a 1280 x 800p display which is spread across 10.1-inches this time so that's a ppi of 149 this time. There's a dual-core 1.6GHz Intel processor driving the whole device, which is backed up by 1GB of RAM this time and 16 or 32 GB of internal storage which is MicroSD expandable.

   The cameras aren't quite as good here either with the rear camera being a 3MP sensor and the front camera retaining the 1.3MP resolution, but that's the price of getting a bigger tablet on a budget. Just like the smaller version there's Android 4.2 and Samsung have equipped this thing with a great  6,800mAh battery. There will be your choice of WiFi-only, 3G and LTE variants to pick up from the "beginning of June." The full spec sheet is embedded below!

Click to enlarge.

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Intel processors to power Samsung's Galaxy Tab 3 10.1?

   Intel are still trying to crack the mobile market and with PC sales dwindling quite quickly Intel are in a ittle bit of a hurry. This makes the reports from the internet that Intel are going to partner with Samsung to put their processors inside the next generation of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 a lot more interesting.

   This rumour has been circling around for quite a while now, but Reuters has chipped in with their take on the situation and they're reporting that a Clover Trail+ processor will be used in "at least one version" of the new Galaxy Tab 3 10.1! At the moment through Reuters aren't sure whether or not there will be multiple variants of this device and it's possible that Samsung will want to put some of their own silicon in one of the versions.

   What's especially interesting here though is that the Korea Times have said that Intel have bumped heir Korean based staff numbers from a mere six people last year to somewhere in the region of fifty at present to help with the new Samsung partnership.

   It'll be interesting to see whether or not an Intel powered Samsung tablet pops up in a couple of weeks in London when Samsung hold their 'Premiere 2013' event and Reuters think that there will be an Atom-powered Ativ tablet on show there!
Reuters and KoreanTimes Via AndroidBeat.

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In Other News: 24/05/2013.

• Sky have said that they are they will "explore any future opportunities offered by Xbox One," whereas YouView haven't been quite so positive about the new platform. YouView have said that they don't plan to support the Xbox One, but they changed their minds when asked for comment as they said they have a few targets to complete before which include "internet channels, Android apps, and more."
  Via PocketLint.

• Intel have claimed that their new Haswell processors will offer up to 50% more battery life then the older generations of the processors did, which is a significant improvement, we'll have to see if that translates into real world experiences though!
  Via ComputerWorld.

• According to Sony France Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean is rolling out to Xperia S device, but there's been no confirmation of that by any users and the updates files aren't on XDA yet, so it's hard to say if this is accurate or not!
  Via XperiaBlog.

• Sony have also delayed the US launch of their Xperia Tablet Z until the 29th of May. No reasons have been given for the slip, but it's probably just a case of getting enough of the tablets over to the land of the free!
  Via XperiaBlog.

• Splashtop 2 has landed for Windows Phone 8! The service is free until the end of August and it'll be free to use within the home, but if you want to use the software on the fly it'll cost you $1.99 a month for the privilege.
  Via Engadget.

• The BBC have updated their iPlayer app for Android to support 10 inch tablets! The changelog also irons out other issues and says that we should, "Watch out for further optimisation for larger screens soon, whilst the work continues on video downloads." You can get the update here!
  Via AndroidPolice.

• Samsung have started rolling out the Android 4.1.2 Jelly bean update to the little Samsung Galaxy Music!
  Via SamMobile.

• Google is reportedly contemplating a hijack of Facebook's bid to buy the mapping company Waze!
  Via Slashgear.

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Here's how the processor companies market shares compare from 2012!

   According to a report from Digitimes there has been some change in the people who produce the most processors in the world, figures which have been influenced lately by the decline in sales of traditional computers, sales which have instead gone to mobile devices.

   With that in mind Digitimes is reporting that Samsung and Qualcomm now ship more processors then AMD, who now find themselves in fourth place, behind the others which are second and third respectively. Intel are still running the show with 65.3% of the market share, but obviously there are growing threats from the ARM-based rivals and that's why Intel are working really hard on their Atom processors.

   This doesn't mean that AMD had a particularly bad year last year, they still shipped $3.605 billion worth of processors, but that was a 21% decline on the year before! During the same period Qualcomm's Snapdragon processor sales increased by a similar amount, 28% to be exact giving the company a $5.3 billion income through 2012.

   Samsung saw similar growth with their sales growing 78% throughout the year, something which the people behind the details say that Samsung made 83% of their processor revenues for the period came from Apple's orders.

   Into the future we expect companies to produce more and more ARM-based processors, but we'll have to wait and see what Intel can do to maintain their market share.
Digitimes Via TheVerge.

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An Asus Zenbook arrives with a 15.6" screen with 216ppi!

   When Apple chose to whack those 'Retina displays' inside their MacBook range of laptop devices companies all over scrambled to offer something similar in their portfolios and it started a trend of companies trying to get the screen with the highest resolution on computers!

    Asus is the latest manufacturer to step up to the 2880 x 1620p resolution with their new 15.6" ZenBook UX51VZ-DB115H. This device didn't have much of a fanfare or launch event, but it just popped up on the German version of Amazon as a pre-order!

   If you look into the specifications a bit more you'll find that the screen offers a ppi of 221 which is simply great! Otherwise the internals are pretty much what you would expect to see on a high-end laptop: there's an Intel Core i7-3632QM processor, 8 GB of RAM, a choice of 256 GB or 512 GB SSD, and the package is rounded out by graphics from Nvidia in the shape of their GeForce GT 650M GPU.

   The chassis is aluminium which gives the whole thing a premium feel and there's the welcome additions of the integrated DVD burner and an HD resolution web camera for those Skype calls! There's set to be three USB 3.0 ports, Windows 8, an internal eight cell battery with 90 Wh of power and all of that is crammed into a body which measures in at 380 x 255 x 19.7 mm and weighs 2.06 kg, which although is slightly heavy, should be fine given the quality of materials which are used here!

   If you want one of these laptops then you can pre-order one now and it'll cost you €1700 for the base model which comes with a 256 GB SSD, to get the 512GB SSD model then you'll have to pony up €1999. If you can't do without the biggest and the best and you want it to run Windows 8 then this is a good device to take a look at!
Via Slashgear.

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Asus give their Fonepad a little spec bump for those in need of more raw power!

   Asus' Fonepad is already a great device, we've had the pleasure of getting a bit of hands on time with the phablet(?) and it is already snappy, fun to use and somehow still perplexing. But, apparently the current set up isn't enough for some people and reviews have pointed out that when lots of thkngs are gonig on at once or intensive games are running that there are some hiccups.

   Those hiccups Asus is hoping to iron out with a slight spec bump to their Fonepad. The standard 1.2GHz Intel Atom Z2420 processor and 16GB of built-in storage are being swapped out for a new slightly faster 1.6GHz Z2460 processor and a new 32GB of memory option which also has the same microSD expandability which was on offer before.

   According to the guys over at Engadget the new and improved model will be a little more expensive, setting you back NT$10,900 which when converted into US dollars is about $360 and in British Pounds that's £238, which isn't too bad considering that it's a £58 premium over the standard version which costs £180 in the UK.

   We're not sure where this device will be available at the moment, but when Asus give us more information we'll be sure to let you know!

Via Engadget.

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Intel's Silvermont processor to be three times faster and more energy efficient!

   For years ARM has been the dominant platform in the mobile arena, but in recent years Intel have been working their socks off to get their power consumption levels down, whilst providing the same performance as their ARM counterparts. Lately Intel's been getting there, for example the Asus Fonepad has insane batter life and the Motorola Razr I is an extremely capable phone with a good battery life too.

   With the next generation though, Intel wants to take things to a new level and that starts today with the announcement of the Silvermont line of Atom processors. According to Intel their new architecture will enable processors which operate at up to three times the speed of the models which are on sale at the moment and depending on what model companies choose to use, that could mean that some processors will use a fifth of the battery which current processors do! 

   The changes in power consumption stem from Intel's new 22nm process and the new Tri-Gate transistors. The platform is designed for mobile, but should the need be there the Systems can support up to eight cores on a chip and they can be used in Ultrabooks and datacentres of the future!

   If you're interested in the most comprehensive run down there is on the internet, then head over to Anandtech and prepare to have your mind blown!
Via ZDNet.

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That rumoured 8" Windows tablet from Acer pops up on Amazon!

   We've already heard reports that Acer could be working on an 8" Windows-powered tablet and it seems as though those rumours have been justified this weekend with the news that Amazon has, perhaps prematurely, posted up the details of an Iconia tab!

   A listing over on Amazon has shown off an 8.1" tablet, which is going by the name W3-810-1600 and according to its spec sheet is a relatively well endowed little tablet. The listing reports that there's a 1280 x 800 p display, an Intel Atom processor, 2 full GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage. All of that actually sounds pretty solid and it's definitely in line with what we've seen from competitors 10" Windows tablets thus far! The battery is said to be 3500 mAh, which would offer good, but not excellent battery life! Amazon's listing also said there was to be WiFi 802.11b/g/n, but there wasn't a mention of Bluetooth, which is a little concerning!

   The main thing though is the price and that was set at $379.99, before the listing disappeared. So no this isn't the cheapest thing on the market, but it's not too expensive either and given the fully-fledged version of Windows 8 on the device, it seems as though the price is probably skewed by the license cost of that platform!

   One thing we would point out is that the first picture, at the top of this page, was the original leak and the design of that tablet, perfectly matches the design of the one in the picture of the Amazon listing, which gives it a bit more credibility!

   What do you think? Would you be interested in one of these, if and when it's made official? Let us know in the comments below!
Via Slashgear.

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Intel appoint Brian Krzanich as new CEO!

   You might remember that a couple of weeks ago we brought you news that Intel's Paul Otellini would be retiring in May and as such it was time for the sixth CEO to take his spot. Intel have today announced the successor to Otellini and he will be Brian Krzanich!

   According to reports the board of directors at Intel were unanimous in their decision and they feel like Krzanich is the man to take the world's biggest semiconductor company forward! He already has a strong brand to work with and you expect their strategy won't change too much in the foreseeable future and the only real trouble he'll face is fending off those pesky processors using ARM's architecture. Krzanich will assume his role on may the 16th at the company's annual stockholders' meeting.

Krzanich said:

"I am deeply honoured by the opportunity to lead Intel... We have amazing assets, tremendous talent, and an unmatched legacy of innovation and execution. I look forward to working with our leadership team and employees worldwide to continue our proud legacy, while moving even faster into ultra-mobility, to lead Intel into the next era."

   The video embedded below shows you Krzanich talking about where he wants to take the company in the future and it's nice and short, but it's pretty interesting, he has such a soothing voice too!

   Krzanich is a pretty interesting appointment because he's not too old, at 52 and he's been at Intel for more than 30 years and according the Hothardware the board sees him as a man who has an "open-minded approach to problem solving," which he'll be using as his comapny adjusts to the lower power consumption needed for the next batch of smartphones, tablets and laptops to a lesser extent.
Via HotHardware and Twitter (see below).

Today we are extremely excited to announce Brian Krzanich as our new CEO.newsroom.intel.com/community/inte… twitter.com/intel/status/3…
— Intel (@intel) May 2, 2013

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Are more companies planning to launch Chromebooks and will Androidbooks to take over this year?

The HP Chromebook!

   Chromebooks have seemingly proved quite popular of late. Obviously people know that they won't be buying the latest and greatest hardware, nor will they have the full operating system that OS X, Linux distros and Windows offer. That is alright though because Chromebooks are typically cheap as chips! 

   Earlier this year Acer reported that between 5 and 10% of their US sales were their budget Chromebooks and that has seemingly prompted wider interest. Something which has led to Acer supposedly planning successors and Asustek (or Asus) planning to offer their own Chromebooks in the second half of this year! Acer are said to be targeting students with another inexpensive Chromebook in July.

    To support these new laptops Digitimes report that Google will 'aggressively promote the platform it has developed, according to sources from the upstream supply chain.' Exactly what that means we're not sure, but we can probably expect another round of TV ads if Digitimes are right. Especially if Samsung , Lenovo and Hewlett-Packard (HP) are going to release Chromebooks too!

   The last part of the rumour is quite interesting and that is that Google is working with Samsung, Asus, HP and Acer on a new range of Androidbooks. We've actually been hearing a fair bit about these lately, especially from Intel, which does give this rumour a bit more weight. Digitimes say that these devices would force Microsoft to reconsider the licensing fee which they charge OEMs for Windows licences and in the long run this will force down prices on laptops and ultimately desktops too! We actually heard a rumour that HP will be releasing an Androidbook yesterday, the rumour said that it was going to be called a SlateBook, which we expect HP's naming convention to dictate, again there's definitely something brewing here!

   We're still not sure why Google is pursuing Chromebooks and Android, it definitely seems as though the two will come together at some point soon, but their Google's projects so we'll just see where the guys in Mountain View take them! What do you think? Are you interested in Chrombooks from Asus or Lenovo? Do you want an Androidbook? Let us know in the comments below!
Digitimes Via Hothardware.

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In Other News: 26/04/2013.

•  Intel CEO Paul Otellini has reiterated that he sees laptop prices heading down below $200 in the next few months! Apparently these devices will be running Android instead of Windows, which is why the price can get so low. The laptops are set to be powered by Intel’s Atom processors and apparently their Windows counterparts price points will be controlled by how much Microsoft chargers for their software! Does this mean that Google is working on something to make Android more suitable for non-touch devices? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Via Slashgear.

• Qualcomm have confirmed that mass production for the Snapdragon 800 processor will begin in May! The processor can run each of its four cores at different clock speeds or turned off entirely, so hopefully that will be much better at power management!
  Via AndroidCommunity.

• BetaWorks, the company behind Digg, has today announced that they have acquired Instapaper. Instapaper is a popular little app which saves articles from the internet so you can read them later. Apparently BetaWorks will expand operations, staff and they will seek to take the app further than its creator could have managed on his own!
  Via PocketLint.

• Microsoft has launched Bing Offers; it's a localised version of their Bing Deals program from before! If you want to check it out then click here!
  Via Engadget.

• Samsung's Galaxy S4 has been torn down by iFixit! Check out the full disassembly here!

• Google has acquired the news summary app Wavii and the first move has been to shut down to service to bring the ideas inside Google for the time being! Is this Google's reaction to Yahoo buying Summly? Probably!
  Via TheVerge.

• If you follow The White House on Twitter you would have seen this tweet pop up on your timeline! This is good news, we think?

Breaking: The White House is now on @tumblr (and there will be GIFs). at.wh.gov/ksJHi, twitter.com/whitehouse/sta…
— The White House (@whitehouse) April 26, 2013

•  LG have announced that they will be rolling out their cloud service in 40 more countries, unfortunately they didn't specify which ones they were just yet!
  Via Engadget.

• Forbes has published a list of the most reputable American companies! Intel came in as a surprise number 2 to the winners Disney! It's a pretty interesting list so head here to have a good read of it all!
  Via Hothardware.

• An Android app for Vine has been promised and is apparently on its way!
  Via Phandroid.

• A 17MB update is rolling out to Asus Transformer Pad 300's at the moment. The update brings fixes and improvements, but nothing too major!
  Via AndroidPolice.

And finally, we thought we'd bring you a bit of a different end to 'In Other News' today and we're going to show you just how slow things in the tech world are. We all think that things come to market quickly and well to some extent they do, but take the camera in the Galaxy S4. That was announced last August and it's just shipping in a device now! That's right around 9 months, which isn't quite so impressive and bear in mind that that's only the camera module!

Perfect example of industry lead times: The Sony IMX135, the camera sensor in the GS4, was announced in August 2012 sony.net/SonyInfo/News/…
— Stefan Constantine (@WhatTheBit) April 26, 2013

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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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Intel promise Windows tablets and Notebooks will get a lot cheaper and more powerful in the near future!

   Intel's CEO, Paul Otellini, has claimed that the company is hard at work trying to get the price of Windows 8 touchscreen devices into territory which would allow more people to feel confident buying them!  

   Otellini said that his company is hard at work on innovative new designs which will utilize a brand new generation of quad-core "Bay Trail" processors. The processors won't be limited to tablet computers they can be used in notebooks too according to Otellini, who added that:

"If you look at touch-enabled Intel-based notebooks that are ultrathin using [Bay Trail] processors. Those prices are going to be down to as low as $200."

   The new processors are completely reworked versions of the Atom micro architecture which means that Atom processors will be able to get closer to the performance of Intel's standard computer processors! According to an unnamed exec these new Bay Trail processors are set to be the:

 "The most powerful Atom processor to-date, doubling the computing performance of Intel's current-generation tablet offering... [and allowing designs] as thin as 8mm that have all-day battery life and weeks of standby."

   If you're excited for these processors the you can expect them to land in devices for the end of this year and they'll go head to head with the ARM processors which you find in your tablets at the moment!

Via Slashgear and CNet.

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ZTE Geek pops up at IDF in Beijing: Powered by dual-core Atom processor!

   Over in China there's this big tech fair called IDF going on. IDF stands for the Intel Developer Forum and everyone who's any one is there and they're showing off what they're busy doing with Intel's silicon. At the moment Intel are having a big push into mobile with new Atom chips being faster and better than last years equivalents.

   That's where ZTE have come in today. At the company's booth at IDF there's the ZTE Geek, it's an Android Jelly Bean powered device, which in spite of its painful name, isn't actually too shabby. On the inside there's an 8-megapixel rear and a 1-megapixel front-facing camera set up, 8GB of internal space, 1GB of RAM, a 2,300mAh battery and the option for wireless charging. On the outside there's a 5" 720p display coated in Gorilla Glass.

   The star attraction here though is the brand new 2GHz Clover Trail+ Atom processor which when we checked the details on turns out to be the dual-core Z2580 processor, so this phone should absolutely fly. 

   According to Engadget this device was hastily put together so the external look might change a little before it's officially launched, but the internals will be staying exactly as they are. ZTE's Executive Vice President and Head of the Mobile Devices Division, He Shiyou, also said:

 “Our recent collaboration with Intel on the ZTE GEEK builds off of the success of the Grand Series and further enhances our competitiveness in the high-end smartphone market... This partnership also will improve customer experiences by providing them with more choices in the market.”

   So what do you think? Would this interest you? Let us know in the comments below!
Via Engadget.

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Windows RT will get better with time according to Exec!

   Windows RT hasn't quite been a runaway success since it was launched in the latter past of 2012! There's the Surface RT tablets which have done alright, possibly? (We tend to judge success on how many we see around and we haven't seen any!). But there's been a fair few issues too; one such is example is Samsung basically pulling the ATIV tab for sale because there simply wasn't enough demand!

   So in a recent interview with CNet Microsoft's Corporate Vice President of the Windows Planning, Hardware & PC Ecosystem team, Michael Angiulo, outlined what exactly it was which made Windows RT importance to the future of Microsoft! He started off by explaining how Microsoft wouldn't have invested so heavily if they didn't think their work was worthwhile and that this is a strategy which will get stronger over time. The strength is supposedly going to be seen through power performance, standby time and fanless form factors! There were other key points picked up in CNet's interview and you can see some of them below! Don't forget to check out the source link for much more!


On the viability of ARM chips versus Intel?

"If you look forward a year or two and you look at the performance output of ARM chips, those are some really capable chips. I think it has a very bright future."

When discussing Windows RT's future it was said:

"People are talking about legacy desktop software not running, but they don't think about the customer benefit of only running modern apps. The only apps that you install from the Windows store are the kind, that as a customer, you can manage your rights to.
Let's say you drop that PC in a pool. Well, you get a new one and then you just redownload [the apps]. That's the kind of model people are used to with a phone or tablet today. I can maintain all the apps in the [Microsoft] store and reset with a single switch.
So, on Windows RT, the user experience stays consistent over time. That's a big benefit. And as the number of apps grow in the store, that value promise only gets stronger."

Windows RT will also be useful for 3G/4G tablets.

"And on the ARM side, there is a propensity for a much higher percentage of PCs that are going to ship with mobile broadband [3G/4G], precisely because ARM PCs have even longer battery life [than Intel PCs] on connected standby [when a device is in standby mode but still connected to e-mail, social networking sites, and the Internet in general]."

Via CNet.

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In Other News: 12/03/2013.

Image Credit: Android Guys.

• Intel's Android project is slowly getting bigger and one of the best ways to ensure people choose Intel's processors is a good update history! Today Intel have announced the release of  a pre-alpha build of Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean which is optimised for their processors! Intel's Open Source Technology Center devs have now added support for the Linux 3.8 kernel, a new interactive installer, as well as Windows 8 dual-booting!
  Via Phandroid.

• Spotify has announced that they now have over six million paying subscribers and more than twenty four million active users!
  Via TechRadar.

• Google Glass just got a heck of a lot better for people who wear prescription glasses! Project Glass confirmed, via their Google+ page, that their creations' "design is modular, so you will be able to add frames and lenses that match your prescription"! You have to admit that is pretty cool!
  Via Engadget.

• Google is supposedly working on Google Now support on their Windows and Chrome OS browsers! The feature probably won't go public for a little while, probably not until Google I/O, but it looks to be landing soon!
  Via TheVerge.

• The French regulator, Arcep, is demanding that Skype register themselves as a telecommunications operator! This move would mean Skype would have to comply with obligations of other phone services, so there would bee the need to carry emergency calls and create a legal wiretapping system! It all seems a bit excessive to us, but we don't know the motivations for this move!
  Via Slashgear.

• Acer have announced a new Chromebook. The C710-2055 is an 11.6-Inch lappy which retains the Intel Celeron Processor, but bumps the RAM up to 4GB of the DDR3 variety, there's now a 320 GB Hard Drive, Intel HD Graphics and a bigger, beefier battery which is rated for 6 hours! This new computer will set you back $280 dollars and if you're interested you'll probably want to bookmark this page on Amazon!
  Via Engadget.

• SamMobiles has speculated that Samsung will opt for a LCD display on the next Galaxy Note because LCD displays play much more nicely with the S-Pen then OLED displays do!

• Sony Mobile has announced that they will be holding an event in Russia on the 18th of March! The Xperia Blog has speculated that there will be some new hardware on show at that event! We'll keep our eyes peeled!
  Via XperiaBlog.

• It's currently being rumoured that Tizen will received a bit more backing in 2014, with Fujitsu and NEC both rumoured to be developing hardware for a release next year!
  Via UnwiredView.

And finally, Blackberry have confirmed today that BBM Voice will be coming to phones which run BB OS 5! You can find more details on the official Blackberry Blog here!

Via:

Big news for #BlackBerry OS 5.0 users: #BBM Voice Chat is now available. Read more here: blck.by/WZslmo ^DH
— BlackBerry (@BlackBerry) March 11, 2013

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Analyst predicts Apple will miss revenue forecast as Intel are rumoured to help with A7 chip production!

    Today Reuters has reported that Jefferies analyst, Peter Misek, has suggested that he thinks Apple has 'a 25 percent chance of missing its quarterly revenue forecast'! He believes that this week's launch of the Samsung Galaxy S4 will slow iPhone sales.

   Misek even went as far as cutting his sales estimates down from 37.5 million to 35 million iPhones for the quarter which ends this month! Misek seems to have a generally negative outlook for Apple at the moment as he also chopped the company's target stock price down to $420 from $500. Misek added that:

"When handset makers fall out of favor they fall faster/further than expected."

   This is nothing more than one analysts outlook, but Apple's stock was down 1.8 percent on the Nasdaq today!


   Irrespective of analysts opinions Apple will be producing another iPhone and iPad and it's believed that the guys from Cupertino are currently working on deals to secure the production of their next generation of mobile processors, the A7's. According to a rumour from the infamous Digitimes, Apple will be splitting their chip production between Samsung, TSMC and Intel. Each fo whom will be charged with making 50, 40 and 10% of the next gen. processors respectively!

   This is just a rumour for the moment, but we all know that Intel and Apple are cosy on the desktop and laptop front so it's not too much of a stretch to think that Intel would like a hand in Apple's mobile division too!
Via Reuters and Digitimes Via PhoneArena.

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Asus announce their 'Metallic miracles': The FonePad and the PadFone Infinity!

   So are you wondering what Asus' metallic miracle would be? It seems that we've been treated to two devices here and we saved the best until last! Head on past the break for all the juicy details!

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Asus to show off a FonePad at MWC?

   Asus has seen quite a lot of success with their Android tablets. There's something about their  use of quality materials and their consistently fast updates which keeps people happy. So when the little beauty, supposedly pictured above, popped up on Tablet.bg we were instantly intrigued because this is meant to be a budget device. The Asus slate rocking the model number ME371MG has supposedly been used by Tablet.bg said that the tab "made ​​an impression on us with his performance, which you can see in the list below, and elegant aluminum housing, which is expected to be available. There will be the ability to make phone calls." [Translated]

   If all of that is true then this is very interesting indeed and it's probably the much rumoured FonePad which Digitimes talked about the other day! Naturally we're reluctant to believe anything until we hear conclusively from Asus at MWC, but we would love to see this device there! Just to round out the picture Tablet.bg also said there will be:

• Single core Intel Atom Z2420 processor running between 1 and 2Ghz with PowerVR SGX540 graphics.
• 7-inch 1280 x 800 IPS display.
• 1 GB of RAM.
• 3 megapixel rear and 1.2 megapixel front camera.
• 8, 16 or 32GB of internal memory which is MicroSD expandable.
• Dimensions: 196.6 x 120.1 x 10.4 mm.
• Weight: 340g.
• Sensors including an accelerometer, digital compass, proximity sensor and light sensor. 
• Battery capacity of 4270 mAh for up to 9.5 hours of constant usage.
• Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

   We can't wait to see if this turns out to be a real device and if it comes in at a reasonable price then Asus will definitely have a hit on their hands here!
Tablet.bg via AndroidCommunity.

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