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The New Toshiba Portege Z830 Series Ultrabook now under$1,000

Toshiba's Digital Products Division (DPD) today unveiled the Portégé® Z830 Series, the company's first Ultrabook™ using 2^nd Generation Intel® Core™ processors. Weighing less than 2.5 pounds and featuring a 0.63-inch (15.9 mm) profile, the Portégé Z830 Series is about 20 percent lighter and 40 percent thinner than the award-winning ultraportable Portégé R830 Series. These new systems offer unprecedented portability, durability and essential features with visibly smart style and responsiveness—and start at under $1,000 MSRP.
Supporting the latest 2^nd Generation Intel Core processors and ultra-fast DDR3 memory, the Portégé Z830 Series provides the performance needed for work and entertainment plus improved power management for great battery life. The Ultrabook device's 128GB solid state drive delivers an extremely responsive experience, increased durability and increased energy efficiency. Paired with Toshiba's new exclusive Hi-Speed Start Technology, the Portégé Z830 can power on and get users up and running at work or home in just seconds.
“The Portégé Z830 Series sets a new standard for thin and light systems, not just in portability, but also in affordability for such cutting-edge designs,” said Carl Pinto, vice president of product development, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division. “Toshiba's engineering achievements and expert craftsmanship have resulted in a brilliant and fully thought-through innovation that exceeds expectations, perfect for both mobile business professionals and consumers.”
The Portégé Z830 Series is built with a host of convenience-driven features such as a full-size LED Backlit and spill-resistant keyboard that makes typing easy in low light conditions and helps guard against accidents. The Ultrabook also includes Toshiba's USB Sleep & Charge technology to give users the freedom to power up their smartphones even while the system is powered down. Stereo speakers with enhanced audio technology from Waves Audio make the Portégé Z830 ideal for listening to music, watching movies and video chatting.
The Ultrabook devices feature a light, yet durable magnesium alloy casing that is reinforced with an enhanced Honeycomb Rib design and new internal structures that provide shock absorption and increased rigidity. The systems also feature Toshiba's EasyGuard® Technology, designed to address the security, reliability and durability issues mobile users encounter.

Availability

Portégé Z830 Series Ultrabook systems will be available in November 2011 at select retail stores as well as through select Toshiba Preferred Partner Program resellers and directly at toshibadirect.com.

 Save $867 on Core i3 Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E420S

 
There are some deals that sell themselves — and this is one of them. When we reviewed the Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E420S, its sophisticated design, light weight, excellent keyboard and strong battery life netted it four stars and an Editor’s Choice. This 14-inch ultra-light notebook weighs only 4.4 pounds but still packs plenty of punch with a Core i3 processor. The Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E420S is available now for only $566 through a deal at LogicBUY.
Perfect for students and mobile professionals, the ThinkPad Edge E420S boasts a 2.3-GHz Intel Core i3-2350M processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 320GB hard drive. The notebook also features a fingerprint reader for an added layer of security. Its island-style keyboard and curved “smile-shaped” keys are best-in-class, and its solid performance and long battery life solidify the ThinkPad Edge E420S’s position as the go-to laptop for business users. At 61% off the list price, this is a bargain that can’t be missed.

Acer Iconia Tab A200 available for $350

Acer’s latest Android tablet is now available in the US. Best Buy is selling the Acer Iconia tab A200 for $394.99.
The A200 is a mid-range tablet with a 1 GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual core processor and Android 3.2 Honeycomb operating system. It has a 10.1 inch, 1280 x 800 pixel display.
If the Iconia Tab A200 had been released in 2011, it probably would have been a top-of-the-line tablet, but now it will go head-to-head with tablets that have quad-core chips, 1920 x 1200 pixel displays, and other premium features. That includes the upcoming Acer Iconia Tab A510 and A700 — which will both probably carry higher price tags than the A200.
Acer does plan to offer a software update which will bring Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich to the tablet soon, so hopefully the software won’t feel outdated for long.
The tablet has 1GB of RAM, a 24.1Whr battery, WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS and a 2MP front-facing camera. It weighs about 1.6 pounds and measures about half an inch thick.
The Best Buy model has 16GB of storage space. A cheaper model with 8GB is also expected soon.

 Review HP Folio 13: A Lean, Mean 13-Inch Ultrabook

Review Summary:
The HP Folio 13 is a well-built ultrabook with a good balance of performance and features with an average screen.

Pros

• Good backlit keyboard
• Solid aluminum construction with plenty of ports
• Good battery life

Cons

• Average, overly glossy screen
• Default clickpad settings are horrible
• Fan gets noisy at times 
•                                                                                                                                                    Every notebook PC maker is coming to a store near you with the best and brightest technologies inside "ultrabooks" (thin and light premium notebooks using the latest Intel technologies). HP's current contribution to the ultrabook market is the Folio 13, a 13-inch aluminum-wrapped notebook packed with an Intel Core i5 processor and 128GB solid state drive for a price of just $899. Can this HP ultrabook compete against higher-priced ultrabooks with higher specs? Read on to find out. 

Build and Design
The Folio 13 might look at first glance like an average addition to the ultrabook category with its aluminum construction and 13-inch screen size. It's not the thinnest ultrabook with a maximum thickness of 0.7 inches and it's not the lightest ultrabook with a weight of 3.3 pounds (4+ lbs. with AC adapter), but HP engineers didn't sacrifice important features (like a media card reader) just to make the Folio 13 an extra 0.1 inch thinner.

The lid and top half of the chassis (palm rest area) are all made of aluminum. The remainder of the notebook uses tough plastics wrapped in a soft touch rubber paint similar to a Lenovo ThinkPad. The entire frame is extremely solid and there is no flex whatsoever in the chassis (very impressive considering the thin dimensions of this 13-inch laptop).
The screen hinges are very strong with enough tension to give the ultrabook a more rugged feeling (you'll need two hands to open this laptop). The aluminum lid offers good protection for the screen and there is little in the way of screen distortion even when significant pressure is applied to the back of the screen. It's clear that HP worked hard to find the perfect balance between a thin and light design without sacrificing durability.

As with most ultrabooks, the bottom half of the chassis is pretty well sealed. You'll find a fan intake vent and plenty of screws if you're the type of IT professional or tech enthusiast who wants to completely disassemble the notebook. Unfortunately, there's no way to easily upgrade components like RAM, wireless cards or the mSATA SSD. Likewise, you're stuck with the built-in 6-cell battery ... so if you have an issue with battery this ultrabook will have to go back to HP.
Ports and Features
People buy ultrabooks because they want a thin and light laptop with good performance and superior construction ... but the down side to the thin and light design is that you usually don't get much in the way of ports (and certainly no optical drive). That said, the HP Folio 13 manages to deliver one USB 3.0 port, one USB 2.0 port, HDMI, Ethernet, and the extremely important media card reader (which many ultrabooks sacrifice in order to make the laptop even thinner). The Folio 13 also includes a single headphone/microphone combination jack (headset jack) but that's all you get in terms of audio ports.

 Review ASUS N55S: Best Multimedia Laptop With Some Issues

 Review Summary:
At $1,199 the N55S is an attractive multimedia notebook with solid specifications. That said, the keyboard and touchpad could be better.

Pros

• Excellent anti-glare full HD screen
• Great performance
• Decent speakers

Cons

• Strange keyboard
• Loud touchpad buttons

This multimedia powerhouse has a full HD display, Blu-ray writer, Bang & Olufsen speakers, plus a 2GB Nvidia graphics card for playing the latest games. Build and Design
ASUS got more right than wrong with the N55S' design. The exterior is an aesthetically pleasing mix of black and silver. The lid is a glossy black which looks great at first glance but quickly becomes an eyesore thanks to fingerprints. I like the silver trim piece going around the lid and the brushed aluminum piece right below the screen - they give the notebook that extra high-end look.
The N55S is constructed of plastic and reasonably strong plastic at that; the palm rest barely flexes when pressed down upon. I'm greatly appreciative that ASUS used anti-glare plastic instead of glossy plastic, which is all too common on consumer notebooks. Chassis flex is average for a consumer notebook; nothing alarming, however. Fit and finish is good; there are no uneven gaps between parts or sharp edges.

Those looking to upgrade the N55S will find it straightforward to do so; two removable panels on the bottom of the chassis provide access to the hard drive and memory slots (RAM).
Ports and Features
The N55S has an average selection of ports for a multimedia notebook although it is good to see two USB 3.0 SuperSpeed ports. It lacks eSATA, an ExpressCard expansion slot, and DisplayPort. The absence of those ports might bother some shoppers.

Review Acer Iconia Tab A200

Pros: Helpful Acer Ring interface; Solid performance and graphics; Long battery life; Nice soft-touch back; Relatively inexpensive; Full-size USB 2.0 port

Cons: Heavier than other 10.1-inch tablets; No rear-facing camera; Annoying port cover

The Verdict: The Acer Iconia Tab A200 delivers solid performance and some welcome interface enhancements to Android for an affordable price.
Acer is out to prove that there's still plenty of room for tablets priced between the ultra-affordable Kindle Fire and the premium iPad 2. The $349 Acer Iconia Tab A200 offers dual-core performance, nifty software enhancments on top of Android and a full-size USB port for connecting peripherals. However, that doesn't mean that the A200 doesn't make some concessions to keep the price relatively low. Read on to find out what kind of deal you're really getting.
 

Design

Click to EnlargeAt 1.6 pounds and 10.2 x 6.9 x 0.5-inches, the Acer Iconia Tab A200 isn't the slimmest or lightest tablet on the block. That title goes to the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and its 9.7 x 6.7 x 0.3-inch, 1.2-pound frame. At 1.3 pounds, both the iPad 2 (9.5 x 7.3 x 0.3-inches) and ASUS Transformer Prime (10.4 x 7.11 x 0.3-inches) are also slimmer and lighter than the Tab A200.
Still, the A200's thicker size allows for a full-size USB 2.0 port, which can be found on the left along with a mini-USB port, a headphone jack and a chrome power button.
Click to EnlargeDirectly below the USB 2.0 port, a microSD slot and a Reset button are hidden under a cumbersome plastic cover. A lone power jack sits at the top of the right panel. A chrome volume rocker and a rotation-lock switch are located on the top of the tablet. Since Android tablets are optimized for use in landscape mode, having the volume controls up top is annoying. The front face of the Acer Iconia Tab A200 is wrapped in glossy plastic. Chrome-lettered Acer and Inconia Tab insignias pop against the thick black bezel surrounding the 10.1-inch display. A 2.0 megapixel front-facing camera sits centered above the display. It's a much-needed change from the Iconia Tab A500, whose camera was in the upper left-hand corner, which made video chats awkward. The A200's slightly rounded side edges taper into straight, flat light grey panels.
Click to EnlargeAlthough it's on the bulky side, the soft-touch titanium-colored back on the A200 has a nifty dimpled pattern. This treatment delivers a firm grip while eliminating the majority of fingerprints. Aside from the pair of speakers along the bottom of the tablet, an embedded chrome Acer logo is the only accent. Unlike most other 10-inch tablets, the A200 lacks a rear-facing camera. Users looking for a splash of color can purchase the A200 in metallic red.

Display and Audio

Click to EnlargeThe Iconia Tab A200's features a glossy 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 display. The panel delivered vivid colors in our testing, but had narrower viewing angles than the Transformer Prime's IPS screen. During the HD trailer of "Snow White and the Huntsman," we marveled at blood-red crimson war flags that popped against a dreary gray background. Despite the rich color, though, we couldn't help but notice the pixilation throughout the background, which muddied the trailer as a whole. Text had a reasonable amount of sharpness on websites such as CNN.com and Joystiq.com.
The A200's 287 lux failed to match the 367 average for Android tablet display brightness. By comparison, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 delivered a gleaming 550 lux, and even in the Asus Transformer Prime's Standard ISP mode, the tablet averaged 348 lux.
Click to EnlargeThs slate delivered mixed results on audio. As we listened to Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On," we could easily distinguish the guitars, drums and bass. However, Gaye's throaty, silky tenor voice sounded hollow on the A200's rear speakers, which were unable to fill a small room. When we switched to Frank Ocean's bass-heavy "Novacane," both Ocean's vocal and the bass line fell flat.

Keyboard

Click to EnlargeThe A200's stock Android keyboard provided large dark gray keys with generous spacing in both portrait and landscape modes. We preferred the XT9 Text Input keyboard, which offered nice key spacing in both perspectives. We also liked how it resembled our desktop keyboard.
Although both keyboards provided mild haptic feedback, we wish we didn't have to switch to an alternate keyboard to access punctuation marks and numbers. Also, we would have appreciated the inclusion of a Swype keyboard for faster text input, as well as easier access to special characters.

Software and Interface

Click to EnlargeThe Iconia Tab A200 runs on a slightly modified version of Android 3.2.1 (Honeycomb). According to Acer, the tablet will be receiving an update to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) in mid-February.
Editor's Note:After Acer updates the A200 to Android 4.0, we will re-test the slate, and reserve the right to change the rating.
The lock screen (pictured above)features a large digital clock with the date and battery status on the left and a lock on the right.Pressing and holding the lock reveals four shortcuts that can be configured in Settings. By default, the choices are Browser, Gallery, Google Search and Gmail. We like this feature, which reminds us of what HTC does with Sense. Sliding the lock to the right unlocks the tablet.

Click to EnlargeThe A200's other unique software feature is the Ring interface, which users can launch by tapping the circle located in the system bar. From this menu, you can open one of three applications, as well take screenshots. To the right of the browser shortcut is a gallery of website thumbnails you can thumb through. A Search icon sits in the center while a sliding volume control resides on the outer left. Overall, we like the Ring UI because it doesn't get in your way and adds utility.
As with other Honeycomb tablets, the A200 has the standard five homescreens. The initial homescreen features the Digital Clock widget which also displays the date and weather. A set of eight apps sits on the right side of the screen including YouTube, Acer Clear.fi and SoundHound. The remaining screens are blank.
Icons for Google Search and Voice Search sit in the top left-hand corner while the Apps page icon occupies the right. Light blue buttons for Back, Home and Recent Apps reside on the left side of the bottom system bar. A clock and mini-notifications for Wi-Fi status, battery, downloads and email can be found in the lower right-hand corner.

Apps

Click to EnlargeThe A200 comes preloaded with a number of apps, including social networking, entertainment and productivity. Acer-branded apps include Clear.fi, a wireless media sharing app that streams music, video or images wirelessly to other DNLA-compatible devices on the same network. Once the app was opened, it automatically searched for media sources and added them. Media Server is also included so you can share content with devices that lacked Clear.fi.
Click to EnlargeAcer also includes the SocialJogger app, which aggregates your Facebook and Twitter feeds. We were able to quickly navigate through our feed via the large blue-and-gray wheel on the left side of the screen. The preloaded Aupeo! app was one of our favorites. Similar to the desktop version, we were able to create custom audio stations by artist, genre or mood using the 30-day trial of the Premium package.
SoundHound, which is also included, can identify music playing from a nearby speaker, similar to Shazam. We especially liked that it could identify songs that we hummed.
Click to EnlargeWe also downloaded "Zen Pinball THD" from the preinstalled Nvidia Tegra Zone and spent lots of time trying to beat our own best score. We could also purchase additional HD games from the Gameloft app, which typically cost $4.99.

The usual Google apps (Gmail, Maps, Books and Google Talk) are front and center. There's also Android Movie Studio, which allowed us to create rudimentary movies by splicing together stills and video clips. The A200 also includes apps for Google + and Google Messenger, the instant messaging system for Google +. We liked having the same level of interaction with our Google + followers on our tablet that we normally have on a laptop. We easily held group conversations in Messenger and created new circles in +.
Click to EnlargeOther third-party apps include Netflix, Docs To Go, Amazon Kindle, Evernote and Zinio, a digital magazine app (pictured).

Performance

Powered by a 1-GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 Dual Core Mobile CPU and backed with 1GB of RAM, the Acer Iconia Tab A200 delivers solid performance and a snappy user experience. The A200 played taxing games such as "Grand Theft Auto III" with ease despite streaming music from the Aupeo! app and having multiple tabs in the web browser open.
Apps and menus opened quickly and switching between apps, Web browsers and homescreens was quick and seamless. Multitouch gestures such as pinch-to-zoom and scrolling were also quick. As we zoomed in, though we noticed text and images became fuzzy and took about a second or two to sharpen. When we zoomed out or scrolled up or down a page, we encountered large blank boxes as we waited for the Web page to resize.
During the Benchmark CPU test, which measures overall performance, the A200 scored 3,137, well above the 2,666 Android tablet category average. However, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, which also has a 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 CPU, scored a slightly higher 3,159. The ASUS Transformer Prime and its 1.3-GHz quad core Nvidia Tegra 3 CPU notched 4,097.
When we played graphically demanding games such as "SoulCraft THD," we saw smooth frame rates and great responsiveness. On An3DBench, which measures overall graphics performance, the A200 scored 7,713. That showing beats both the 7,171 category average and the Galaxy Tab 10.1's 7,526. The Transformer Prime maintained the lead with a score of 8,050.

Camera and Camcorder

Click to EnlargeThe 2.0 megapixel front-facing camera on the Iconia Tab A200 captures photos in 1600 x 1200p and video in 720p. Although our stills had bold colors, photos lacked sharpness and had a pervasive graininess throughout.
As we shot test video of New York City traffic, colors again were bold, including a crystal blue sky, vibrant yellow taxis and our bright red jacket. We did notice the camera took a few seconds to refocus after we panned up to the sky and down to the ground. Although the video was fairly grainy, we were still able to clearly read the signs across the street.

HP Pavilion dm4-3090se laptop Beats Edition

HP Pavilion g4-1213nr laptop computer · HP Pavilion dm4-3090se laptop ... 404 × 322 - 145k - png

 Happy Saturday! Time to kick off your weekend by kicking back and enjoying reviews of all the latest gadgets. This week we seemed to get a little bit of everything — we reviewed a 15.6-inch portable USB monitor from AOC, the powerful and relatively modestly priced Acer Iconia Tab A200, the best-slider-money-can-buy Motorola Droid 4, and the stylish HP Pavilion dm4 Beats Edition.
HP has given its popular Pavilion dm4 the Beats treatment, painting the entire chassis black and giving the keyboard a menacingly cool red backlight. But good looks isn't the only reason to pick up this unique laptop. The HP Pavilion dm4-3090se Beats Edition also sports a fast Core i5 processor, a hybrid hard drive, and, of course, Beats Audio speakers. Better yet, at $899, this machine costs $25 less than a similarly configured standard-edition dm4.

Battery Life

The A200 lasted a strong 8 hours during the LAPTOP Battery Test (continuous Web surfing over Wi-Fi). That's 1 hour and 20 minutes longer than the Android tablet average. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 lasted slightly longer with 8:23. In IPS and Power Saving mode, the Transformer Prime lasted 7:47.

Configurations

The Acer Iconia Tab A200 comes in either 8GB or 16GB versions for $329 or $349 respectively in your choice of titanium gray or metallic red.

Verdict

Click to EnlargeThe Acer Iconia Tab A200 isn't designed to be cutting edge. It's a tablet that hits the sweet spot in terms of price and features. For $349, consumers get solid performance, a full USB 2.0 port and long battery life. We also like the Acer Ring interface and the useful lock-screen shortcuts.
For $150 less than the iPad 2 and the highest-end Android slates, you're giving up a rear-facing camera and a thinner and lighter chassis, something you can get with the 16GB Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 ($431). Others may prefer the original ASUS Eee Pad Transformer ($399), which sports an IPS display with better viewing angles and plugs into an optional keyboard dock. Overall, though, the A200 delivers the best bang for your buck among 10-inch Android tablets.

Toshiba shown up Qosmio F755: First Glasses-Free 3D Laptop

 Toshiba today announced U.S. pricing and availability for the Qosmio® F755 3D laptop, the world's first laptop capable of displaying glasses-free 3D and 2D content at the same time on one screen¹. Beginning in mid-August, 3D entertainment enthusiasts will have the opportunity to "ditch the glasses" and enjoy the latest in 3D content while enjoying all the amenities of a premium, high-performance laptop.

“The Qosmio F755 3D laptop is not just a breakthrough in mobile entertainment, but a great example of Toshiba's ongoing commitment to turning technology innovation into real, usable products,” said Carl Pinto, vice president of product development, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division. "We are excited to bring this cutting-edge technology to consumers, as there's really nothing like it. The unique capabilities of the laptop's 3D display make enjoying 3D content both convenient and hassle-free. It's like nothing you've ever seen before.

 3D Technology take breakthrough in Consumer

To achieve a 3D viewpoint without the aid of special glasses, the new Qosmio F755 3D laptop uses the latest in auto-stereoscopic display technology. Equipped with a brilliant 15.6-inch diagonal full HD TruBrite® display with Active Lens technology, the double parallax image display is able to project two sets of images at the same time, splitting them between the left and right eyes to create the 3D effect. Toshiba's intuitive Face Tracking technology then taps into the laptop's built-in webcam to further perfect the projection of the image by reacting to the motion and position of the viewer, delivering a broad viewing zone from which to view 3D content. The end result for consumers is the ability to view and enjoy real 3D – no glasses needed.

2D or 3D? The Choice Is Yours

The Qosmio F755 3D laptop offers up two displays in one, giving users the freedom to view content in either 2D or 3D – or both at the same time. As the only laptop of its kind to offer a simultaneous viewing of 2D and 3D content on a single screen, it provides users with the option to watch 3D content in a full-screen or condense it to a smaller window, preserving the 2D desktop to browse the Web or do other tasks. The included Toshiba Blu-ray Player² adds to the laptop's flexibility by delivering easy "one-click" 2D-to-3D content conversion³ for DVDs and videos, giving users the opportunity to enjoy the latest Blu-ray™ 3D movies or experience their existing 2D movie library in a whole new way.

Robust Performance for Demanding HD Entertainment

In addition to its 3D capabilities, the Qosmio F755 3D is equipped with the latest in processor technology and premium components. Powered by the visibly smart Intel® Core™ i7 processor⁴, NVIDIA® GeForce® 540M graphics processor⁵, as well as fast RAM and a spacious 750GB hard drive⁶, the Qosmio F755 3D laptop is built to deliver robust multimedia performance. Built-in harman/kardon® speakers, a suite of sound enhancement technologies from Dolby® and Waves Audio deliver booming cinematic sound to movies, music and games. An integrated Blu-ray Disc™ rewriteable drive offers record and play capabilities, while an HDMI® port supports output of video (up to 1080p) to a 3D-ready TV or display. An elegant Fusion 3D Finish in Brilliant Red delivers standout styling.

Pricing and Availability

The Qosmio F755 3D will be available in mid-August for $1,699.99 MSRP⁷ at select e-tailers and ToshibaDirect.com.

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1. 3D Viewing: Important Safety Information. Due to the possible impact on vision development, viewers of 3D video images should be age 6 or above. Children and teenagers may be more susceptible to health issues associated with viewing in 3D and should be closely supervised to avoid prolonged viewing without rest. Some viewers may experience a seizure or blackout when exposed to certain flashing images or lights contained in certain 3D television pictures or video games. Anyone who has had a seizure, loss of awareness, or other symptom linked to an epileptic condition, or has a family history of epilepsy, should contact a health care provider before using the 3D function.
2. Blu-ray Disc™ Player Technology. Compatibility and/or performance issues are possible.
3. Toshiba Video Player 3D Technology (2D to 3D Conversion). Supported media types are Standard Definition DVD disks and selected video games when used with compatible 3D glasses. 3D effect and image quality may vary depending upon content quality and display device capability/functionality/settings. This technology does not currently support Blu-ray Disc™ format media. The 3D effect function is activated and controlled by you for your personal enjoyment of 2D home video in 3D according to your personal preference. It is not intended for unauthorized use of copyrighted works. To the extent you need to obtain permission from a right holder to view copyrighted works, it is your responsibility to obtain such permission.
4. Processor. CPU performance may vary.
5. Graphics. GPU performance may vary.
6. Hard Disk Drive Capacity. Hard drive capacity may vary. 1 Gigabyte (GB) means 109 = 1,000,000,000 bytes using powers of 10.
7. Price. Reseller prices may vary. MSRP means “Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price.”

 Motorola Droid 4 laptop  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Though many smartphone users prefer typing on a real physical keyboard to tapping on a flat touchscreen, the more advanced 4G handsets don't have one. Last fall, Samsung released the first 4G LTE Slider in the Stratosphere, which had a fairly good keyboard but 2010-era specs such as a slow-moving single-core processor, a mere 800 x 480 screen and a standard-def camera. With the $199 Droid 4, Motorola and Verizon are finally offering keyboard lovers modern amenities such as a dual core CPU, a qHD screen, and an 8-MP camera. Add in a slew of useful apps and the Droid 4 is a truly compelling choice for users who need to do a lot of text entry.

 Verizon & Motorola Introduce for Next-Generation DROID XYBOARD 4G LTE Tablets

Motorola Mobility, Inc. and Verizon Wireless today introduced two new additions to the DROID family to deliver new and unparalleled experiences on America's fastest, most reliable 4G network, the DROID XYBOARD tablets. The two new DROID tablets present new options for consumers looking to stay connected, productive and entertained.
The new DROID XYBOARD tablets both boast the blazing speeds of Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE network and the power of dual-core 1.2 GHz processors, 1 GB of RAM and MotoCast^™ for remote access to non DRM-protected music, pictures, videos and documents stored on work or home computers' hard drives. Both are equipped with scratch-resistant displays that use Corning^® Gorilla^® Glass to stay brilliant and a coating of water-repellent nanoparticles makes them resistant to accidental spills and splashes.
Lighter than a paperback book and thinner than an AAA battery, the DROID XYBOARD tablets feature Android^™ 3.2 Honeycomb, brilliant high-definition displays with wide viewing angles, magnesium-reinforced bodies with aluminum housing and super portable form-factors. Both tablets offer robust Business Ready features, including enterprise-grade security and apps such as Quickoffice HD^® for document editing and creation, Citrix^® GoToMeeting^™ for productivity and collaboration and Google Talk^™ for video conferencing.
The DROID XYBOARD 10.1 is optimized for productivity with stylus support for easy notetaking and markup using a precision tip stylus, included in the box. The XYBOARD 8.2 is perfect for portable entertainment with 2.1 adaptive virtual surround sound and a high-definition display for enjoying Netflix^™ movies in up to HD quality, concert-like music and serious gaming. Powered by the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network, DROID XYBOARD 10.1 and 8.2 customers can soar through the Web at blazing speeds of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps within 4G LTE Mobile Broadband coverage areas.

Additional Features For Droid Xyboard Tablets

• 10.1-inch and 8.2-inch high-definition In-Plane Switching (IPS) display for DROID XYBOARD 10.1 and DROID XYBOARD 8.2 respectively
• Mobile Hotspot Capability – share 4G LTE connection with up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices
• 5-megapixel rear-facing HD cameras with digital zoom, autofocus and LED flash, optimized for capturing the moment
• 1.3-megapixel HD front-facing cameras perfect for video chatting with friends and family
• Dijit^™ app allows DROID XYBOARD tablets to double as a universal remote control with an electronic programming guide for TVs, Blu-ray Disc players, digital video records (DVR), and most other consumer electronics
• Support for Google^™ Mobile Services including Gmail^™, YouTube^™, Google Talk, Google Search^™, Google Maps^™ and access to millions of books from Google Books^™
• Supports a wide array of separately purchased accessories including an HD station for connecting to speakers and a larger screen, an HD dock to send content via HDMI out to HDTVs and home theater speaker systems and a stylish portfolio with Bluetooth^®-enabled keyboard and mouse
• Wi-Fi Connectivity (802.11 a/b/g/n)

Pricing

• Both DROID XYBOARD tablets will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com this month.
• The DROID XYBOARD 10.1 will be available in three models: 16 GB for $529.99, 32 GB for $629.99 and 64 GB for $729.99 all with a new two-year customer agreement.
• The DROID XYBOARD 8.2 will be available in two models: 16 GB for $429.99 and 32 GB for $529.99 both with a new two-year customer agreement.
• Customers that purchase a DROID XYBOARD tablet will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Mobile Broadband data plan starting at $30 monthly access for 2 GB of data.

How to tag yourself in a picture on Faceboook

Facebook made its new-look profile, which has been dubbed Timeline, available to all the social network's members in December this year. Initially, the function, which has plenty of fans and just as many critics, was optional. However, Facebook plans to force all of its users to convert to the new-look profile. As well as featuring a different the layout, some of the ways functions such as photo tagging work in Timeline, differ to the previous versions of the social network.
In the older Facebook profiles, when you tagged yourself in your own picture or a friend tagged you in one of their images, it would automatically appear in the photos of you section and if it was one of the five most recent images to be tagged, it would also appear at the top of your profile, to the right of your main picture. However, now if you tag yourself in an image, it will automatically appear enlarged on your Timeline but if you remove it, it will also disappear from the images you are tagged in.
However with a few simply steps you can keep the image in your tagged photos and still remove them from your timeline.
Step one
Login to Facebook and then select the image you want to tag yourself in. Press the Tag photo button, which can either be found at the bottom of the image, or to the right-hand side.
Step two
Now click on the face you want to tag and in the box begin typing your name. When you're done, press the Finished tagging link on the bottom of the image, or to the right-hand side. The image will now appear enlarged on your Timeline and in the tagged photos. If you click Remove next to the On Your Timeline statement, however, it will be removed from both.
Step three
Instead, head back to your timeline and then click the pencil icon next to enlarged image and click Hide from Timeline. Now your picture will be viewed in tag photos but not on your Timeline.