If You Bought a Nexus 7 in October, Google Wants To Give You Money

Did you buy a Nexus 7 before Google announced a 32GB version and subsequently dropped the price of the 16GB model down to $200? We warned you this could happen. Well, if you bought it from Google Play, Google’s price protection policy probably has you covered. Check to see whether you bought it between the 14th and the 29th of October, and submit an application for a refund of the price difference, and you should get your money back. If you’re in Europe, Asus will won’t give you your money back, but you can get a 25-pound or 30-euro coupon for its online shop. Pretty good customer care from the two tech giants!

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Google’s Nexus 7 tablet reportedly selling nearly 1 million units every month, Nexus 7 tablet is best selling Android tablet in the UK,

ASUS, Google offer monetary compensation for Nexus 7 tablets bought before price drop

Bought yourself a shiny new Nexus 7 just before the priced dropped on October 29th and feel a bit slighted? ASUS and Google want to turn your frown upside down, each offering their own compensation. Folks in Europe who purchased any variant of the tablet from ASUS prior to October 30th are eligible to a redeem a 25-pound or 30-euro coupon for its online shop. Apparently, the deal has been in place since October 30th, and you’ll have until the 30th of this month to submit your proof of purchase (from sanctioned dealers, naturally) and apply. Sure, it may not be as nice as a Google Play credit for apps or cash in-pocket, but at least ASUS is showing it can share at least some love for early adopters. Europeans should move their cursors over to the ASUS source link below for all the details.

Tracking back to Google, Droid-Life notes that Google’s price protection policy might have you covered for some cash-back, as well. If you purchased the 16GB model from Google Play between the 14th and the 29th of October, you have until about the 13th of this month to get a refund for the price difference (15 days from the initial price drop). As always, check out the Google link below for more details.

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ASUS, Google offer monetary compensation for Nexus 7 tablets bought before price drop originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Nov 2012 16:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS giving vouchers to Europeans who bought a Nexus 7 before price drop

If you live in Europe and happened to buy a Nexus 7 right before Google dropped the price, then you might be eligible to receive a €30 voucher from ASUS to make up some of the difference (₤25 voucher for UK users). However, only customers who purchased the device directly from either ASUS or Google are eligible.

There are some stipulations, though, that you must meet in order to claim your voucher. First, you obviously would’ve had to purchase a Nexus 7 before October 29, which was the day that Google announced the price drop. Also, you have to register your Nexus 7 with ASUS and provide your proof of purchase.

Towards the end of October, Google announced a 32GB version of the Nexus 7, as well as 3G HSPA+ capabilities. They released it a price of $249 while bumping the 16GB model down to $199 from $249. Obviously, those who bought a Nexus 7 right before that date are most likely pretty upset, but ASUS is doing their part to make at least some of its customers happy.

In order to claim your voucher, you must submit all the required info by November 30, and the voucher itself is good through December 31. However, the voucher can only be used at ASUS’s online store. We’re not sure if ASUS will be bringing a similar program over the US, but it could just be a matter of time.

[via The Verge]


ASUS giving vouchers to Europeans who bought a Nexus 7 before price drop is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Engadget Giveaway: win an ASUS S400 Windows 8 Ultrabook, courtesy of TigerDirect!

Engadget Giveaway win an ASUS VivoBook S400 Ultrabook, courtesy of TigerDirect!

Microsoft’s finally released the Windows 8 hounds, and retailers aren’t skipping a beat on stocking up on pre-loaded hardware. TigerDirect is one such outlet eager to get you hooked up with a Windows 8 device, and to prove it, it’s provided us with an ASUS S400CA-DH51T Ultrabook (currently an $899 value)! All you have to do is leave a comment below to enter, but you should definitely take a few minutes out of your day to check out TigerDirect’s website for some great online deals!

Note: specs for the Ultrabook include a 3rd generation Intel Core i5-3317U 1.7GHz, 4GB DDR3, 500GB HDD + 24GB SSD Cache, 14.1″ Touchscreen and Windows 8 64-bit. Head to the above link for more details.

Continue reading Engadget Giveaway: win an ASUS S400 Windows 8 Ultrabook, courtesy of TigerDirect!

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Engadget Giveaway: win an ASUS S400 Windows 8 Ultrabook, courtesy of TigerDirect! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Nov 2012 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS unveils MX279H and MX239H monitors with embedded Bang & Olufsen speakers

Monitors that usually come with speakers embedded into them don’t necessarily provide the best sound, but they’re a quick and simple solution for those who wish to keep their desktop as clutter free as possible and who don’t necessarily require audiophile-grade speakers. That being said, it looks like ASUS might have a couple of monitors they have recently unveiled that pack some speakers that will make many sit up and pay attention. Announcing the MX279H and the MX239H, these are 27” and 23” monitors by ASUS that feature 3W stereo speakers by renowned speaker manufacturer, Bang & Olufsen.

These displays feature speakers that utilize ASUS’ SonicMaster technology that has been designed by the ASUS Golden Ear team and Bang & Olufsen’s ICEpower, which comes with Bang & Olufsen’s ICEpower MobileSound 3 chip embedded in them. Given that ASUS has some experience in the sound industry with their soundcards like the Xonar Essence, and with Bang & Olufsen’s expertise in the field, we guess that these embedded speakers should be able to deliver much better quality than one can expect from embedded speakers. As far as the monitors themselves are concerned, they offer display resolutions up to 1920×1080, dual HDMI and D-sub input ports, and a bezel of 0.8mm, giving the illusion of a near-frameless design.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: ASUS announces N55SF and N75SF laptops, ASUS NX90 Gets Blinged Out With 40,000 Swarovski Crystals,

Engadget’s tablet buyer’s guide: fall 2012 edition

DNP Engadget's tablet buyer's guide fall 2012 edition

Three months is a long time in tablet-land, it seems. Since we last brought you a buyer’s guide, a few things have changed. In fact, this is probably the biggest shake-up yet, with not only the long-rumored iPad mini making an appearance, but also new offerings from two other big guns — Microsoft and Google. Oh, and that means there’s a whole new species of device altogether. With Windows RT finally shipping, there’s new hardware to go with it, and we expect to see more popping up on the list in the months to come. This is all good news for you prospective tablet owners, as more competition can only mean more choice. With more options, though, comes more confusion. That’s where we come in, armed with a few notable picks. Read on to find out what made the cut this season.

Continue reading Engadget’s tablet buyer’s guide: fall 2012 edition

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Engadget’s tablet buyer’s guide: fall 2012 edition originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Nov 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Asus ROG GX1000 Laser gaming mouse

The Asus ROG (Republic of Gamers) GX1000 Laser gaming mouse is definitely a gaming peripheral not to be trifled with – after all, apart from having a sensitive keyboard that allows your fingers to dance all over the keys without missing a beat, and not having the keys jam up during those tense moments in a game, an equally well performing gaming mouse is a must have for serious gamers. Asus’s ROG GX1000 Laser gaming mouse might be the mouse that you are looking for, where it boasts of high precision sensors capable of up to 8200dpi alongside PTFE feet for effortless sliding across your gaming surface of choice.

Sporting an ergonomic design, it delivers optimal hand comfort so that fatigue is eliminated as much as possible, all the while ensuring that accuracy does not decrease despite spending hours already in front of your gaming rig. There is a quick-access customizable dpi switching capability as well as half a dozen programmable macros which you can set yourself, catering for games of all genres. To make sure that folks know you are using something from the ROG family as your digital killing machine of choice, a trademark ROG logo is proudly emblazoned on the mouse. Adjustable weights (150g to 175g based on five 5g weight configuration) helps make it an even more personal gaming experience. [Press Release]

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Google’s Nexus 7 tablet reportedly selling nearly 1 million units every month, Asus Announced a Whole Slew of New Windows 8 PCs Today,

iPad dominance slides as Samsung and Amazon tap tablet sales

Apple’s iPad saw its market share slip more than 15-percent in Q3 2012, according to new research, with Android tablets from Samsung and Amazon clawing away sales amid a growing market overall. While still dominating the tablet market overall, with a 50.4-percent share in Q3 so IDC reports, the iPad faced huge growth from Samsung in particular, which saw a year-on-year increase in market share of 325-percent.

According to the researchers, Samsung jumped from 6.5-percent market share in Q3 last year, to 18.4-percent in Q3 this year. It also saw a 115-percent increase from Q2 2012, and overall takes second place in IDC’s global leaderboard.

Amazon, too, took a bite out of Apple’s dominance, with the Kindle Fire HD line-up propelling it to third place and just under a tenth of the market. ASUS was helped to fourth place, Google’s Nexus 7 working its budget magic, while Lenovo snatched fifth place.

According to IDC’s number counters, it’s Samsung’s range of size options that helped it find so many buyers in 2012. “Samsung took advantage of an opportunity in the second quarter,” program manager Ryan Reith suggests. “The company offers a wide range of tablet offerings across multiple screen sizes and colors, and that clearly resonated with more buyers this quarter.”

The fact that the iPad mini extends the company’s tablet footprint into new screen sizes both works for and against Apple’s sales, IDC argues. The long-standing rumors of a smaller model may have dissuaded buyers of the existing, 9.7-inch version, it’s believed, though there’s the potential for a good quarter ahead now that the 7.9-incher is on sale.

However, pricing could still leave room for Android tablet OEMs to slip through. “[The] mini’s relatively high $329 starting price leaves plenty of room for Android vendors to build upon the success they achieved in the third quarter” research director Tom Mainelli highlights. Google in particular reacted aggressively to the iPad mini, ditching its 8GB Nexus 7 and replacing it with a 16GB $199 model.


iPad dominance slides as Samsung and Amazon tap tablet sales is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


IDC: tablet shipments up 6.7 percent in Q3 2012, Apple’s market share drops to 50.4 percent

IDC: tablet shipments up 6.7 percent in Q3 2012, Apple's market share drops to 50.4 percent

Samsung may dominate Apple in smartphone market share, but the opposite is true for tablets. Third quarter figures from IDC suggest the tablet market grew by 6.7 percent during those three months, and 49.5 percent since the same period last year. Apple was responsible for over half of the 27.8 million shipments worldwide, but lost a significant amount of market share, dropping to 50.4 percent from 65.5 percent in the second quarter. IDC attributes this to consumers holding off for the iPad mini, but expects some of these procrastinators will choose Android tablets due to the relatively high entry price of $329 for the mini. Samsung was second on the leaderboard, shipping over five million tablets and increasing its market share to 18.4 percent, mainly driven by Galaxy Tab and Note 10.1 sales. Amazon and ASUS also had a solid quarter thanks to the Kindle Fires and Nexus 7, respectively, shipping around 2.5 million tablets a piece. Lenovo’s presence in China meant it closed out the top five, with modest growth from the same period last year. Apple may still be the biggest player in the tablet market thanks to the iPad brand, but with the significant decline in market share this quarter, it seems IDC’s predictions might slowly be coming true.

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IDC: tablet shipments up 6.7 percent in Q3 2012, Apple’s market share drops to 50.4 percent originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Nov 2012 03:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Editorial: Amazon and Google are undermining mobile pricing, and that may hurt everyone (updated)

Google Nexus 10 and Nexus 7

See the end of the editorial for an important update.

When Google unveiled the Nexus 4, Nexus 10 and a refreshed Nexus 7 in October, the moment was arguably the crescendo of a change in the Android ecosystem that had been building ever since Amazon’s Kindle Fire first braved the marketplace in 2011. Along with a widely expanded Amazon lineup that includes multiple Kindle Fire HD models and a price-cut tweak to the original Fire, two of the largest players in the mobile world now have top-to-bottom device businesses built around selling at break-even prices and recouping their money through content. That might sound good on the surface, but it’s a bad omen for competitors that genuinely can’t respond in kind — and it could erode some of the values of diversity and innovation that we’re supposed to hold dear as technology fans.

Continue reading Editorial: Amazon and Google are undermining mobile pricing, and that may hurt everyone (updated)

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Editorial: Amazon and Google are undermining mobile pricing, and that may hurt everyone (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 03 Nov 2012 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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