AMD launches the Radeon HD 6970M's successor-- the HD 6990M GPU, saying it's the fast single mobile graphics processor on the market.

Designed for gaming, it carries AMD's CrossFireX and EyeFinity technologies, together with DirectX 11 and Stereo 3D support, with AMD claiming it beats Nvidia's offerings at a number of game benchmarks.

The processor also improves on video playback and internet browser performance via App Acceleration technology.

The HD 6990M will be available in a number Alienware Continue reading...

The IDC reports WW tablet sales are slowing down-- with unit shipments for Q1 2011 reaching 7.2m, a 28% decline from Q4 2010.

Such a decline follows seasonal trends typical to more mature CE and computing categories. The WW eReader market also feels similar seasonality, with shipments going through such a similar decline and reaching 3.3m units.

The eReader market also shows Y-o-Y growth of 105% in Q1 2011 (Y-o-Y growth figures for tablets are not yet available).

The analyst still predicts growth Continue reading...

Huawei announces the MediaPad, saying it's the first 7" tablet carrying Android 3.2-- the OS' version optimised for 7" devices (rather than 10").

It carries an IPS capacitative touchpanel, with a dual-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm processor providing power.

Otherwise all the tablet standards apply-- x2 cameras (1.3 MP front facing, 5 MP rear facing), Bluetooth, HSPA+ and wifi connections, HDMI port and a number of pre-installed apps (Facebook, Twitter, and the like). Being an Android, it also supports Continue reading...

Anyone who is following the tablet market knows the pace at which vendors are announcing and now shipping products to the channel. The category has exploded in terms of number of players from a single vendor in April 2010 (read Apple here) to 19 vendors currently selling tablets in the 18 retail chains monitored by gap intelligence each week.

However, unlike more established categories like computers, digital cameras and TV’s, tablets right now do not have a dedicated section devoted to them in any store...

Medialine launches the i7AN-G, the latest in its line of Android-powered tablets.

This model comes in a portable 7" format, bridging the line between smartphones and tablets further by allowing users to do phone calls by using their current SIM card.

It carries a dual-core 1Ghz processor, complete with 3D hardware acceleration, while the 1024 x 600 resolution 7" screen uses IPS technology for wide viewing angles. Being a capacitative touchscreen it also handles multitouch input.

The OS is Android Continue reading...

AMD's "Llano" Accelerated Processing Units (APUs) find their first home in HP's Pavilion and ProBook notebook lines, which will carry the new processors later this month.

The companies claim the new processors lead to 6-8 hours of battery life, as well as enchancing graphical prowess for tasks like HD video and games.

AMD's APUs combine CPU and ATI graphics cores on the same silicon die.

In total HP will release 11 new laptop models, and offers dual-graphics options for the Pavilion dv-series Continue reading...

Touch-screen apps have limited ways to control content, so access to menu commands or secondary functions requires trips to full menus, which slows down the user.

Now there’s Ringbow, a finger-mounted 5-way controller (four compass directions plus pushing down) that speeds up your passage through accessory menus .

OK, software vendors who make graphical apps (such as Adobe) could make their products easier and faster to use for professionals by adding Ringbow shortcuts, but even without software Continue reading...

First there was the laptop. Then the notebook, and the netbook. Now Intel proposes a new category-- the "Ultrabook", debuting at Taipei's Computex 2011.

The ultrabook category should combine laptops' performance with "tablet-like features", all in ultra-thin designs reaching anorexic thickness levels of 20mm or less.

Asus already has one such ultrabook at the Taipei show-- the UX21 Ultrabook, which reaches 17mm at its thickest and has a Macbook Air-like metal finish.

Similar models from other Continue reading...