Tablet

Google has lost out in an anti-trust hearing conducted by the European Commission. As a result, the company have been fined US$5 billion, although it is currently appealing this decision. In the meantime, the requirements for Android phones in the EEA to ship with certain Google apps will be lifted - for a price.

The Huawei Mate 20 X is another variant of the Chinese OEM's late-2018 flagship device. Like the Mate 20 and 20 Pro, it runs the Kirin 980 chipset and rocks the Leica-branded triple camera. However, it pushes even the definition of 'phablet' with a 7.2-inch screen.

It is no secret that the race for the foldable phone is on, and now it seems that LG and Lenovo are working together to take the whole deal to the next level: the foldable tablet. However, the source of the news is not official, so it might take a while until we get a confirmation from LG or Lenovo.

Amazon has revealed the full details of the all-new Kindle Paperwhite e-reader, which offers IPX8-rated waterproof protection. According to the promotional text for the device, it can manage up to 60 minutes of being submerged in fresh water no deeper than two meters. The e-reader is also thinner, lighter, and the base variant comes with twice the storage of its predecessor.

The next Apple tablet, which is likely to be the 2018 iPad Pro, may be even thinner than its predecessor. So thin, in fact, that it will not be able to accommodate the headphone jack any more. This leak comes from a relatively unknown, yet heretofore accurate, tipster.

Google has admitted that its social media app, Google+, has been hacked. This data theft has affected approximately half a million profiles. The users in question may have had many points of important user data extracted from their Google accounts.

The memory found in typical RAM and storage components - DRAM and NAND respectively - may drop in price, particularly as we move into 2019. This is based on new research by DRAMeXchange. This group claims that prices for this technology has not grown in 2018 Q3 as it normally does.

New rumors emanating from Microsoft suggest that the Office software team want to take over Cortana's functions and place in the Windows OS. This would mean that Office could strongly inform its development in the future, converting the flagging virtual assistant into more of a productivity helpmeet - much like a certain animated paperclip.

The Pixel Slate is Google's latest tablet. It comes in one colour (Midnight Blue) and has an optional Pixelbook pen and keyboard with a dedicated Google Assistant button. The Pixel Slate runs Chrome OS and has its own Play Store apps.

The T-Mobile exclusive Alcatel 3T 8 is just another budget tablet with enough of a punch to act as a device for the kids, although it is not designed specifically for them. This 8-inch slate runs Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box and is the first one to support T-Mobile's Extended Range LTE 600 MHz spectrum.

There have been rumors swirling for a while that Google is planning on adding support for Windows 10 on Chrome OS devices. The inclusion of Intel silicon inside the new Pixel Slate instead of ARM hints that Google still has plans to support Windows dual-booting on Chrome OS.

Some new images of the Google Pixel Slate tablet have appeared online, just ahead of the company’s hardware event that is taking place in New York City on October 9. The new device is expected to utilize Chrome OS and features a detachable keyboard and a stylus. The Slate will offer fresh competition for Apple’s iPads and Microsoft’s Surfaces.

Older Android devices that still run Jelly Bean (JB) - or the versions of the OS from 4.1 to 4.3 - will no longer be able to run Google Chrome. The minimum API level for this app is being reset to 4.4 (or KitKat). This may not seem like a big deal; however, millions of devices out there still run JB.

The Surface Pro 6 tablet is now available in black, as well as the usual platinum color option. Users can now choose among Intel's i5-8250U and i7-8550U ULV CPUs, 8 or 16 GB of RAM and 128 GB/ 256 GB/ 512 GB/ 1 TB PCIe NVMe storage capacities. The USB-C connector is still missing, but at least Microsoft lowered the prices for the high-end variants.

Fancy one of the new Surface devices from Microsoft, but can’t afford to drop the cash up front? Microsoft’s new All Access subscription plan will let you pay off your new Surface and bundled Office 365 subscription over 24 months.

In desktops and laptops alike, RAM is usually the easiest component to upgrade. However, tablets and smartphones all come with the memory chips soldered to the motherboards. In both cases you have to weigh all the options before making your purchase decision. How much memory do you need in a laptop? Is memory capacity more important than storage capacity? We will answer your questions in our in-depth article.

This past week saw a plethora of smartphone rumors overshadowed by the launch of the iPhone XS and XS Max. Laptops with 32 GB DDR4 RAM modules are now a thing and Microsoft will almost surely announce new Windows features and Surface products in the days to follow.

The sixth version of the Surface Pro 2-in-1 tablet was supposed to finally include USB-C connectors, but an early unboxing unveiled that this may not be the case. The overall design appears to be almost unchanged, however, the hardware was upgraded with gen 8 Intel ULV CPUs and improved iGPUs. The official unveiling is scheduled for October 2.

The next update to Windows 10 may be rolled out in the next month. In fact, some leaks claim that this will commence on the same day on which the new Surface products are to be launched. However, for that to pan out, it leaves Microsoft with a lot of work to do in a very short space of time.

The latest leaked renders of the next gen Pixelbook tablet reveal a 2-in-1 design with a detachable keyboard. The tablet itself appears to feature at least one USB-C connector, thin speakers on each side of the display, a fingerprint sensor and acoustic cancellation microphone array around the edges.

Code discovered in the Setup app for iOS 12.1 references a device called "iPad2018Fall," This, combined with other rumors of upcoming features that make sense for an iPad, all but confirm that new Apple tablets are coming in the next couple of months. This would coincide with Apple's typical release schedule.

aibo, Sony's robot in the shape of a puppy, is available from today (September 18, 2018) for purchase in the US. This event is being dubbed the "First Litter" release of the mechanical pets. Sony claims that aibo can learn to recognize up to 100 faces and develops a unique personality based on how it is treated.

WhatsApp is working on a dark mode for its app, according to a Twitter-based leaker. The relevant posts project that this option will be OLED-screen friendly. Dark mode may also help save battery life while messaging on the app.

The Nintendo Switch has been one of Nintendo's most successful consoles in history. While Nintendo has historically struggled with third party appeal, the Switch seems to have overcome its predecessors' struggles to date has received some of the most popular third party titles. With this most recent Direct, the Switch continues to garner third party games and ports, as well as first party titles.

The respected technology analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, is on record with yet another prediction for upcoming Apple devices. This time it's the iPad Pro, which, Kuo projects, will lose the Lightning port this year. Instead, it will use USB-C - and also, possibly, an 18-watt adapter.

A few months after being spotted on the website of the Russian certification authority EEC, the next-gen Samsung Galaxy Book finally arrives at the well-known FCC. Earlier this month, the device also received the approval of the South Korean National Radio Research Agency and the Wi-Fi Alliance.

The Snapdragon Wear 3100 is likely to feature in many next-generation wearables. Qualcomm held a launch event for it yesterday (September 10, 2018). The company claimed it will bring improvements in battery life and usability. The Wear 3100 is also to be used by new, high-end players in the wearables game.

Qualcomm and partners such as Ericsson have been developing 5G for commercial use in (hopefully) 2019. The two companies have conducted data call tests for the latest release (15) of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) using the new Qualcomm X50 modem.

The Nintendo Switch Online Service has been anticipated for some time. A rumor that precedes its launch suggests that users of the new feature will be able to back up all their games in a cloud. However, there may be an opt-out for developers.

Device unlocking using an owner's face has become quite popular. Unfortunately, offering truly secure, flexible and effective facial scanning in your product can get difficult and expensive. MediaTek claims that its new take on this form of identification is neither, and is furthermore at least as good as Face ID.

Google is celebrating its 10th anniversary of Chrome with the release of a considerable update (Chrome 69) for the browser. It features a substantial UI redesign, as well as a new password generator. This version will be available for mobile and desktop.

Apple will officially reveal the new iPad Pro models on September 12, but some high-resolution CAD renders already got leaked, confirming the rumored thin bezels and lack of audio jack. These new models will not integrate the rumored OLED screens; however, they will get new True one IPS displays with FaceID technology.

It's not easy categorizing a growing lineup of products for consumers to understand when new models are constantly being introduced. Lenovo will be changing its Yoga branding to something more self-explanatory for shoppers and the general consumer starting with the new IFA 2018 lineup.

Asus has unveiled updates to its ZenBook Flip lineup of convertibles. Both the ZenBook Flip 13 and Flip 15 sport even more slimmer bezels than their predecessors and come upgraded with the latest Intel 'Whiskey Lake-U' CPUs. The ZenBook Flip 13 features a unique Precision touchpad that doubles up as the Numpad while the ZenBook Flip 15 offers a PANTONE-certified display with NVIDIA discrete graphics.

[Updated with AnTuTu and Geekbench results]. The tablet is on track to launch next month for only $270 USD. If its upcoming Indiegogo campaign proves successful, then the Alldocube X could be an affordable alternative to the pricier solutions from Apple and Samsung.

YouTube allows vloggers who use the platform to monetize their videos with AdSense. However, many of these ads can be skipped after a few seconds. Now, however, YouTube now contains options to include skip button-less ads for all creators.

The new Lenovo slates offer a little bit of everything to everyone, starting with the 7-inch, US$69.99 Lenovo Tab E7 with a MediaTek processor and Android Oreo Go onboard, moving on to the Tab E10 with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 chip inside and the same operating system, and going up to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450-powered Tab P10 and Tab M10.

While users have been able to connect an XBox One controller to their Android device for a few years, the process has always been a bit buggy. A Google developer announced yesterday that the bug should be fixed in Android 9.0 Pie, which will have native support for XBox One controllers.

The international version of the 8-inch Xiaomi Mi Pad 4 tablet with 4 GB of memory and 64 GB internal storage can be acquired for less than US$240 via GearBest by those in a hurry. Those who can live without LTE and with lower specs should be able to grab the 3 GB RAM/32 GB storage WiFi version for around US$170, but the price depends a lot on the retailer.

Huawei and ZTE provide hardware for mobile data networks, including modems, in addition to mobile devices. Therefore, it may be a blow to both companies to find they cannot tender for supplier contracts as Australia prepares for 5G connectivity. Both companies have a good track record of mobile network product sales in the country.

These family-friendly tablets include a "Kid's Bumper" to protect the edges from drops and nicks. Both models share the same Snapdragon 450 SoC and design language but with notable differences in battery capacity, screen brightness, and speaker quality.

The next Snapdragon flagship processor may be expected to be called the SD 855. However, the most recent leaks on this subject suggest that it will not follow the motifs typically associated with this series - in fact, not even the naming convention will remain the same.