Toshiba Encore is the company’s first 8-inch Windows tablet; coming November for $330 (hands-on)

Toshiba Encore is the company's first 8-inch Windows tablet; coming November for $330 (hands-on)

Acer may have beaten everybody to market with the first 8-inch Windows tablet, but we knew it wouldn’t be long before the other guys started catching up. Toshiba just entered the fray with the Encore, an 8-inch tablet that manages to be even cheaper than Acer’s W3. Like the W3, it runs on an Atom processor, but because Toshiba waited longer it got to use one of Intel’s new quad-core Bay Trail chips. What’s interesting, too, is that Toshiba apparently worked closely with Microsoft on this, not just in optimizing the tablet for Windows 8.1, but in making sure the tablet’s dual mics and 2MP front camera will be Skype-certified by the time it ships. The Encore arrives in early November – i.e., not long after Windows 8.1 ships. As for that price we alluded to, it’ll cost $330 with a category-standard 1,280 x 800 display and 32GB of built-in storage (expandable via microSD). Not bad considering the W3 hit the market at $380, and is still going for about $350 in most places. That leaves just one teensy question: what’s it like to use?%Gallery-slideshow79642%%Gallery-slideshow79615%

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Toshiba’s Satellite Click detachable PC promises better graphics than your typical budget system

Toshiba's Satellite Click detachable PC promises better graphics than your typical budget system

We get it: speeds and feeds aren’t everything. But this might be a rare case where a chip could actually make the whole story. Toshiba announced the Satellite Click today, and until you get to the spec sheet, it reads like a totally forgettable product. What we have here is a 13-inch detachable tablet with a 500GB hard drive inside the tablet and an extra battery inside the keyboard dock. Sounds like lots of other things you’ve read about, right? Well, lo and behold, the Click is actually one of the first products to ship with AMD’s Temash chip, whose graphics prowess we showed you back at CES. To be fair, this is a dual-core 1GHz A4-1200 processor with AMD Radeon HD 8180 graphics, not the quad-core one we demoed earlier. Even so, the general concept is the same: this is a system-on-a-chip tailored for tablets that makes use of AMD’s 28nm Graphics Core Next architecture, which you’ll also find inside some of AMD’s discrete GPUs. Depending on the exact chip, Temash promises to compete with Intel’s Atom processors as well as its Core i3 series. Unlike a Core i3 tablet, though, Temash allows for a fanless design, more akin to what you’d expect from an Atom or ARM-powered device.

Also, it drives down the cost. The Click will go for about $599, making it $150 cheaper than the Core i3-powered HP Split x2, which also has a 13-inch screen, dual batteries and a 500-gig hard drive in the dock. Granted, there are likely to be tradeoffs, and we suspect battery life could be one of them, if not speed. A Toshiba rep estimated runtime at three to four hours for the tablet only, and six to seven hours with the dock. That wouldn’t match up well against a new Haswell hybrid but then again, some of its competitors (like the Split x2) are based on Ivy Bridge, which isn’t so hot in the longevity department either. The Click will be available later this month exclusively at Best Buy and on Toshiba’s site.

Update: We’ve just seen the Click on display here at IFA… sort of. Toshiba is showing off the European version, the Satellite W30t, which for whatever reason ships with an Intel Core processor, not an AMD Temash chip. So, similar design (save for the fans), but very different performance, we’d imagine.%Gallery-slideshow79645%%Gallery-slideshow77126%

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Harman’s IFA headphone lineup is Soho chic and audiophile focused

DNP Harman's IFA headphone lineup is Soho chic and audiophile focused

Not into Harman’s over-ear CL headphones? The outfit has you covered at IFA: introducing Soho, a scaled down variant with a similarly classy design. These these headphones differ from their bigger sibling thanks to a headband with adjustable sliders and supra-aural eacups. The Squared leather earpads feature memory foam padding and stay in place with magnets for easy access to the replaceable cabling (separate cables for both iOS and Android are included), and each earcup houses a 30mm driver. The cans even fold flat for easy stowing and come with a matching carrying case. The Soho headphones will hit shelves later this year for roughly $200 in your choice of “camel,” black and tan. For now, we’re left to wonder how these ended up looking so much like B&W’s P3 headphones.

In addition to Soho, two new reference-class headphones are being introduced under the AKG brand. The K545 model builds on the design of its K550 with lighter materials and detachable smartphone-ready cabling, while the K845BT adds Bluetooth and NFC into the mix. Both models feature 50mm drivers, studio-style design and over-ear fits — they’ll also fold flat for when you need to travel to your next listening session. Set to hit later this year, the K845BT will be available in four colors for $350, and the K545 will come in silver and black for $250. %Gallery-slideshow79644%

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Source: Harman Kardon

Harman Kardon Onyx, JBL Spark and Pebbles speakers debut at IFA

DNP Harman Kardon Onyx, JBL Spark and Pebbles speakers debut at IFA

A part of all its audio announcements during IFA, Harman’s showing off new multimedia speakers. The $499 Onyx leads the pack with a leather-wrapped standing circular design, compatibility with Airplay and DLNA, Bluetooth (aptX and AAC) with NFC paring and a six-hour rechargeable battery. A duo of three-inch woofers and 3/4-inch tweeters are housed in its enclosure, all of which are independently powered for a total peak output of 60-watts RMS. The speaker also uses Harman’s DSP and packs dual passive bass radiators for optimal lowend response. A stainless steel handle makes it easy to carry between rooms and there’s a 3.5mm input to ensure your jams never stop pumping if wireless connectivity is an issue. Expect it to be available later in the year.

Aside from that centerpiece, two new speakers are coming out of the JBL division. Getting less serious, the $130 Spark is an indoor Bluetooth speaker with a quirky transparent design that’s shaped like a megaphone. The unit needs to plug into a wall for power, but features stereo output via two 40mm drivers, an inline controller on its fabric cable and a hook if you want to mount it to a wall. Lastly, the brand’s $59 Pebbles are a coupled pair of USB-powered desktop speakers. The enclosures can stand vertically or horizontally and pack dual 50mm drivers aided by DSP. An auxiliary input is also onboard for your mp3 player, as is a cable management system for when you need to pack ’em up. Both the Spark and Pebbles will be available in a range of colors when they eventually hit shelves. Press releases for all the speakers mentioned are viewable after the break. %Gallery-slideshow79641%

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Source: Harman Kardon, JBL

Harman Kardon’s Esquire Bluetooth speaker doubles as a conference system, fits in a briefcase

DNP Harman Kardon's Esquire bluetooth speaker and conference system goes great with your briefcase

Business professionals who’ve dreamt of having a portable conference system and Bluetooth speaker combo have just had their wish granted. Harman Kardon’s aluminum and leather-clad Esquire portable speaker features two drivers, a bass port and noise-cancelling conference microphones. Placing the unit upright adjusts its mics for one person, while laying it flat works best for multiple people. The design is relatively clean, but you’ll find physical buttons at its side for power, playback, mute, volume and Bluetooth pairing (NFC-pairing is also an option). An internal battery keeps it juiced for up to ten hours and its wall charger has three USB ports to handle your smartphone and extra gizmos. The Esquire will be available for your business travels later this year in white, black and “camel.”

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Source: Harman Kardon

Nikon focuses on prosumers with full-function Coolpix P7800 point-and-shoot

Nikon focuses on prosumers with fullfunction Coolpix P7800 pointandshoot

Say hello to the Coolpix P7800. It’s an incremental bump, so we wouldn’t necessarily recommend ditching last year’s P7700 to upgrade, but if you’ve been holding out, there’s a bit more value here. Cosmetically, the most significant addition is a 921k-dot EVF, which Nikon reps feel justifies a jump in price, from $500 to $550. You’ll also find a 1/1.7-inch 12.2MP BSI CMOS sensor, 7.1x 28-200mm f/2-4 lens and a 3-inch 921k-dot RGBW articulating LCD, which, like on the D7100, yields better clarity and contrast. There’s 1080/30p video capture, an 8 fps continuous shooting mode (but only for six consecutive JPG frames) and an ISO range of 80-3200. Surprisingly, there’s no built-in WiFi, but you can add on the $60 WU-1a for wireless connectivity. There’s also a full-size hot shoe, for attaching an external strobe and the like.

One of this flagship point-and-shoot’s most attractive features for advanced shooters is the manual control. There’s a mode dial up top near the shutter release, with access to manual and aperture-priority modes, for example, along with a dedicated exposure-compensation dial, giving you direct access to three stops over and under the metered values. There’s also a built-in three-stop neutral-density filter, netting a bit more flexibility for video shooters. Absent this time around, however, is the quick access dial. It’s been replaced with a dedicated button and a corresponding on-screen menu, which some photographers might even find more efficient. Nikon’s planning to ship the Coolpix P7800 later this month, with an MSRP of $550.

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Nikon’s LD-1000 LED Movie Light, a bright addition to Nikon 1 video shoots

Nikon's LD1000 LED Movie Light, a bright addition to Nikon 1 video shoots

Yup, it’s just a light. But the LD-1000 is made by Nikon, and designed to attach to the company’s 1-Series mirrorless cameras, such as the J3 or V2, which makes it at least mildly interesting. The AAA-powered bracket-mounted lamp includes four white LEDs and a diffuser, and while its primary focus is to illuminate a subject during a video shoot, you can also use it to provide fill light for still photos, or whenever a constant low-power stream of illumination is more appropriate than a flash. Pick it up in black or white in October for a somewhat ambitious $99.95.

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ASUS unveils budget X102BA laptop with 10-point touch and AMD inside

ASUS X102BA

ASUS’ new Zenbook UX301 and second-gen Transformer Book a little too rich for your blood? You’ll be glad to hear that the company has announced what appears to be a more down-to-Earth ultraportable, the X102BA. As suggested in rumors, the laptop is ultimately a rival to Acer’s 11-inch Aspire V5. While the X102BA sports a smaller 10.1-inch touchscreen, it uses the same 1GHz Temash-based AMD processor and should offer both healthy battery life and quicker-than-usual integrated graphics. The base 2GB of RAM and 320GB hard drive won’t impress anyone, but ASUS is sweetening the pot by offering a free copy of Office 2013 Home & Student with every model. The company isn’t providing launch details just yet; still, we wouldn’t be surprised if the X102BA is priced well within the budgets of returning students.

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Via: AnandTech

Source: ASUS

Smart TV Alliance now lets developers submit apps once for use on all supported TVs

Smart TV Alliance

The Smart TV Alliance wants apps that work across multiple platforms, but developers have so far had to submit those apps to each TV maker — a process that can take ages. Things should speed up now that the Alliance has launched a Developer Support Program. From now on, software teams can send apps through a single approval system that qualifies a given release for use with every Alliance-compatible set. Developers can do more with those apps, too. The Alliance has posted a version 2.5 SDK that allows multi-screen integration with mobile apps, and it’s promising a future 3.0 spec that includes support for both Ultra HD TVs and home automation. While there’s no launch date for 3.0 at this stage, TV app creators will find both the Developer Support Program and SDK 2.5 at the source link.

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Source: Smart TV Alliance

Samsung opens up Knox security platform to all consumers

Samsung’s Knox security solution has tended to mostly garner headlines when the company’s phones get approval from the likes of the US Defense Department, but it’s now set to broaden its user base considerably. In addition to announcing that it’s bolstering the offering with some help from Lookout, Samsung has also confirmed today that its opening the platform up to all consumers. That will give security-minded users an added layer of protection, with Knox letting you store personal data and run a set of pre-screened apps in a so-called container — other apps can still be run outside the container, but with only limited access to your personal information. Naturally, you’ll need a Samsung device to take advantage of it. The company says all of its upcoming devices will offer support for the service, and it’s promising to provide details on commercial availability for the Galaxy S III, Galaxy S4, and Galaxy Note II “shortly.”

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Source: Samsung