Chinese tablet maker Chuwi announces the Hi13, a 13.5-inch Windows-powered hybrid device one can safely describe as a Microsoft Surface rival

The Hi13 features a 13.5-inch 3000 x 2000 resolution touchscreen, and is powered by an Intel Celeron N3450 CPU with 4GB RAM and 64GB eMMC storage (expandable to 128GB via microSD slot). It handles stylus input via HiPen H3 stylus, while a detachable keyboard turns it into a notebook.

Lenovo presents a budget version of the Yoga Book hybrid device-- the Yoga A12, an Android tablet featuring the same touch-based Halo keyboard.

Described as an ideal laptop replacement for customers in emerging markets, the Yoga A12 has a 12.2-inch display and carries an Intel Atom x5 CPU, 2GB RAM and 32GB storage. It is 5.4mm thin, weighs around 1kg and claims "immersive cinema-like sound" through the addition of Dolby Atmos technology.

As mentioned earlier, the Yoga A12 also includes the Halo keyboard-- essentially a touch surface with a virtual QWERTY keyboard. Lenovo says the keyboard offers haptic feedback to help users improve their typing, but the version found in the Yoga A12 lacks the Yoga Book's pen-based input.

Consumers do not want to spend on tablets, IDC remarks-- Q4 2016 is the 9th consecutive quarter of tablet decline, with shipments dropping by -20.1% Y-o-Y to 52.9 million units.

Full year 2016 also sees declines, as shipments total 174.8m, down by -15.6% compared to 2015. This marks a second straight year of declining tablet shipments.

"The sentiment around the tablet market continues to grow stale despite a lot of talk about vendors pivoting their product portfolios toward the detachable segment," the analyst says. "Typical tablets without a dedicated keyboard, which IDC refers to as slate tablets, are continuing to lose relevancy across all regions and, as a result, we see the decline happening globally. We do see future growth in some emerging markets like the EMA as well as CEE with the sole catalysts being simplicity and low cost. Unfortunately for the industry these are the devices that don't equate to large revenues."

An overheating risk leads to HP recalling 101000 laptop batteries across the world-- and the company instructs affected customers to immediately stop using the batteries and send for a a replacement.

The recall program follows a previous incident back in June 2016, when HP recalled 41000 lithium-ion notebook batteries due to risks of fire hazards resulting from overheating. Recently HP "received one additional report of the battery overheating, melting and charring and causing about $1000 in property damage," leading to an expansion of the recall initiative.

Asus adds to the ZenBook notebook line with the 13-inch UX430 and 15.6-inch UX530-- a duo described by the company as the thinnest ZenBook models packing discrete graphics.

The UX430 packs a 14-inch display inside a 13-inch chassis, the result of ultra-narrow 7.18mm screen bezels making an 80% screen to body ratio. The notebook is 15.9mm thick, weighs 1.25kg and carries up to a 7th generation Intel Core i7 CPU, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD storage and Nvidia GeForce 940MX discrete graphics. Connectivity comes through x1 USB 3.1 port, x1 USB 2.0, x1 micro HDMI, SD card slot and audio I/O.

A 50Wh lithium-polymer battery promises up to 9 hours of use on a single charge, and the body features a spun-metal finish in Quartz Grey, Shimmer Gold, Royal Blue and Rose Gold.

According to DigiTimes Apple is working on 3 iPad models for 2017, but the new tablets "may not be announced or even released in the market until the second half of 2017."

The tablets were supposed to be announced during Q2 2017, but "lower-than-expected" yield rates for the 10-nanometer manufacturing process apparently led to launch delays. As a result Apple will also be looking into getting components for secondary suppliers.

DigiTimes adds the 3 iPads set to launch this year are a 9.7-inch model with a "friendly price range," a 10.5-inch model armed with the A10X processor and an upgraded 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Apple supposedly plans to have the 10.5-inch model replace the existing 9.7-inch line, with the 9.7-inch iPad becoming an entry-level device aimed at the education sector.

NexDock, the maker of a laptop dock for Windows 10 smartphones and mini-PCs, announces plans to launch a similar device powered by the Compute Card, Intel's credit card-size computing platform.

Recently the company start shipping self-titled laptop docks for use with Windows 10 smartphones, mini PCs and tablets. The result of an April 2016 crowdfunding campaign, the NexDock offers a Bluetooth keyboard, 14-inch display and 10000mAh Li-ion battery, and works best with devices using the Windows 10 Continuum feature (although the company says it can also act as a second display for iOS and Android devices).

CES 2017 has Acer present a Chrome OS-powered notebook able to take a beating-- the Chromebook 11 N7 is compliant with the US MIL-STD 810G military standard, making it tough as nails.

According to the company the notebook can withstand up to 60kg of downward force on the top cover and resist falls of up to 1.2m. It also features corners able to take the blunt foce off impacts, while the keyboard is in spill-resistant rubber and can drain up to 0.3 litres of liquid. As a result of such reinforced casing, the notebook weighs around 1.35kg.