Steve Ballmer has just officially announced Microsoft’s own tablet called, Surface, gearing up take Microsoft and Windows 8 in a Mexican standoff with the iPad and Android.

Two models of the Surface will come out – one for Windows 8 Pro and one for Windows RT. Both will have a 10.6 inch display covered with Gorilla Glass 2, bodies made of vapor-deposited (PVD) magnesium case which Microsoft calls Vapor Mg, and a built-in kickstand.

The internals of the Surface are what separate the two models. The Windows 8 Pro model will be powered by Intel’s 22nm Ivy Bridge chips which allow a “full Windows” experience and will ship in 64GB and 128 GB versions.
On the other hand, the Windows RT model will be powered by an ARM processor and will be using a Nvidia Tegra chipset (heavily suspected to be the Tegra 3+). It is lighter and thinner than the Pro version and will arrive in 32GB and 64GB versions.

Take a look at the initial specs found so far.


The Touch Cover though is one of the nifty features of the Surface. Kinda acts like Apple’s Smart Covers but more functional and gives the Surface its personality through different colors. Watch the promotional video below to give you a deeper understanding.



So far no details on pricing but Balmer said that it will be priced “competitively.” As for the release date, the tablets are expected to be released in the fourth quarter of this year after the launch of Windows 8.
What do you guys think? Can the Surface go head to toe with the iPad and Android’s elites? Share your thoughts below.

Source: Yugatech

Cool Features, edge to edge Retina display. Check it out:

LG Mobile now has its own smartphone and tablet combo under the name LG Optimus Vu. The device, a 5-incher, is one of the first few ones to be introduced in the market after the Dell Streak 5 and the Samsung Galaxy Note.
The Optimus Vu has a rather unique aspect ratio of 4:3, giving it a mini-tablet look rather than an extra-large smartphone appeal.

And we though the current line-up of Galaxy Tabs from Samsung is already all we needed to complete the family. Turns out Samsung is not yet done and has just announced the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2.

Aside from that 5.3-incher Galaxy Note that Samsung announced, they’re also re-introducing the 7-inch tablet — this time, it comes with a stunning 7.7-inch Super AMOLED Plus display — the Galaxy Tab 7.7 P6800.

At 7.9mm on the side, this is now the thinnest tablet ever.

The BlackBerry Torch is has finally gone all touchscreen. It started out as an iconic qwerty slider phone and slowly evolved into a touchscreen smartphone.
There were actually two BB Torch handsets that were launched recently. The BB Torch 9810 still features a sliding qwerty keyboard and touch display while our review unit is the Torch 9860 that’s a full touchscreen handset.

Samsung Galaxy S Advance (GT-I9070) now official, features a dual-core processor and a curve 4-inch screen

I wouldn’t recommend trying this at home, but Tech Republic showed how they cracked open the Nokia Lumia 800. They also listed the internal hardware they found.

Samsung very first tablet came out about 2 years ago. Since then, the Korean company has outed half a dozen other tablets with ranging sizes and form factors (from 5.0, 5.3 to 7.7, 8.9 & 10.1 inches). The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus is basically a refresh of the very first model.

The Nokia Lumia 710 just launched at T-mobile, but there’s another Windows Phone device the carrier is offering that may sway customers away. It’s the HTC Radar. The Nokia Lumia 710 costs less than the Radar, but it appears that HTC’s device offers more features. Here’s my video comparison. Take a look.

COMPANY/                 Google Inc, Open Handset
DEVELOPER                Alliance

PROGRAM IN             C (Core), Java (UI), C++

WORKING                 Current
STATE
           
SOURCE MODEL       Open Source

INITIAL RELEASE      20 September 2008

LATEST STABLE        4.0.3 (Ice Cream Sandwich),
RELEASE                  16 December 2011

PACKAGE                 Android Market/ APK
MANAGER

SUPPORTED             ARM,MIPS, X86
PLATFORMS

KERNEL TYPE           Monolithic (Linux Kernel)

DEFAULT USER         Graphical

LICENSE                   Apache License 2.0
                                Linux Kernel Patches under
                                (GNU) GPL v2

The split-up of Sony and Ericsson has left Sony to carry the Xperia line on its own. First up on the podium is the Sony Xperia S (formerly referred to as Nozomi).
Before this Sony-Ericsson did not have any dual-core processor in its handset line-up. The Sony Xperia S will get a dual-core 1.5GHz chip just to impress.

Android 2.3 Gingerbread running on an Intel Atom processor — that’s what the Lenovo K800 is all about. Definitely a first for a smartphone and Intel must be smiling big and wide.

We got a first look at the Nokia Lumia 900 for AT&T here at CES. I say first look and not hands-on because Nokia did not allow the press to play with the devices. If you like the Nokia Lumia 800, you’ll like the 900 even more.

Why Sony Tablet S?





The Tablet S (formerly named S1) is the first tablet computer released by Sony. Featuring a " unique asymmetric design", the Tablet S runs Google's Android operating system and features a 9.4" multitouch display, 1GHZ Nvidia Tegra2 dual core processor, Wi-Fi ability, front-and and rear-facing cameras, bluetooth, and an infrared sensor. It is also configured with access to the Sony Entertainment Network and is Playstation Certified  Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) compatible.

Whatever phone emerges superior in this shoot-out, Sony wins.

When it comes to imaging capabilities, there are perhaps no two smartphones better to compare against each other than Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc - which is inarguably one of the best cameraphones of 2011 - and Apple iPhone 4S, the best cameraphone from Apple thus far. Both of these handsets have an 8 MegaPixel camera with advanced optics made by Sony and a backlit sensor that's supposed to perform well in low-light conditions.

This year, the new flavor of Google’s mobile OS will be Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0 ICS) and majority, if not all) of the flagship handsets that will be launched this year will have it pre-installed so we though it’s best to give you a comprehensive walkthrough on what to expect from ICS.

Our new special features contributor (say welcome to Ronnie everyone) dives deep into Ice Cream Sandwich.

If Digitimes' new insider report were to be believed, then midrange tablet manufacturers might as well start preparing for an all-out Apple offensive.


The Best-selling Apple iPad2

If you’re a big Facebook user, you’ll notice the nice integration within Windows Phone. It’s not even necessary to install any other app. After entering your account login at the settings menu, you’ll be able to update status, check-in, post to friends’ walls, check friends’ updates, share photos, view albums, and start a chat. I shot a video to show you how it works on the Nokia Lumia 800.

Always wanted me to get the BlackBerry PlayBook but have not had the chance to get a good deal. There’s been some limited promos in the US and my friend there wanted to wait ’til it drops to $199. Well, it looks like the BlackBerry Store is now doing a $299 sale on all models of the PlayBook.
What’s weird though is that it’s $299 on all the models, from the 16GB to the 64GB.

In the world of smartphones, bigger is better — and that’s what HTC wants you to think when you see the new Sensation XL. To top it all, they’ve also added Beats Audio into the ring. Check out our full review of the HTC Sensation XL after the break.

The year 2011 was a great year in the field of technology. We’ve seen a lot of new stuff and developments in the last 12 months. I’m sure 2012 will be even better and more exciting. Check out my top 10 tech predictions for 2012.