Hasta La Gadget!

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know Microsoft’s Build developer conference is going on right now in Anaheim, California, and Windows 8 is the belle of the ball. Earlier today, Windows chief Steven Sinofsky spilled more details about the OS, touting the minimum requirements and NFC support, while we fessed up to having had some quality hands-on time ourselves. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the company’s hardware partners are also ready to start talking. NVIDIA just opened its Windows 8 developer program, and says it’ll embrace not just x86-based PCs, but Tegra-powered tablets as well. Specifically, that means support for its forthcoming quad-core Tegra platform, codenamed Kal-El, along with PCs packing GeForce, Quadro and Tesla cards. Any developers who happen to be hanging around the Anaheim Convention Center can sign up at NVIDIA’s booth, though there’s also an online registration page for everyone else. Find that at the source link, along with the full PR after the break.

Continue reading NVIDIA opens Windows 8 developer program with support for Kal-El tablets

NVIDIA opens Windows 8 developer program with support for Kal-El tablets originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If this nifty little bugger looks familiar, that’s because it should. NEC’s LaVie Touch sports the same design and specs as the VersaPro model we spotted back in May. The difference here is, it comes packed with a bevy of accessories, including a keyboard, mouse and a dock that happens to hold a DVD drive. Underneath the 10.1-inch, 1280 x 800, IPS touchscreen is a 1.5GHz Oak Trail CPU, 2GB of RAM and a 64GB SSD. Sure the pair of full USB ports, HDMI jack, WiFi, Bluetooth and SD reader are welcome, but it’s that optical drive packing stand that really makes this a unique package. The NEC LaVie Touch should be landing in Japan next month for around $1,200 with the accessories. Sadly, here’s no word of whether or not it’ll ever find its way stateside.

NEC LaVie Touch Windows 7 tablet comes packed with DVD-sporting dock originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Sep 2011 20:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No surprises here. GameStop, which announced its intentions to become a technology company earlier this spring, has officially selected Google’s Android OS for its upcoming tablet-based “certified gaming platform.” The video game retailer’s prexy Tony Bartel relayed the news to GamesIndustry.biz, and plans to sell the slate alongside offerings from industry heavyweights. The news comes on the heels of the company’s spring acquisition of developer Spawn Labs and Impulse, with a pre-production model design already selected for the tab. Expect the hardware to come pre-loaded with a handful of games, and to have a focus on an OnLive-like, cloud-based gaming platform. Consumers in Dallas were the first to get a hands-on with the beta device that should sport a custom designed inbuilt controller at launch. According to Bartel, “It’s hard to imagine how to stream a game – let’ say Modern Warfare 3 – onto a tablet and then play it with your finger.” The GameStop-made tab could also see third-party exclusives head to the platform, crafted with its controller interface in mind. Bartel made no mention of a release window, but it’s clear the company’s adapting to the industry’s digital download future. Hit up the source below for the full interview.

GameStop to bring Android-based gaming tablet to market originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Sep 2011 12:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If there was one company that could rival Apple, Google and Microsoft, it’s Amazon. It has devices; it has a content marketplace. But what Amazon doesn’t have is its own platform. webOS could be the final piece in its puzzle. More »

Temper that excitement. This isn’t the rumored quad-core, Kal-El running Transformer 2. Still, ASUS is doing its best to port the tab buzz to the enterprise set with its quietly introduced Eee Slate B121. Unlike its tablet PC bretheren, this business-minded slate runs Windows 7 Professional atop an Intel Core i5 processor, and comes loaded with the security tweaks necessary for the corporate road warrior: like Computrace LoJack for remote location and data wipe, and a Trusted Platform Module microchip that stores encrypted data. Also tacked on to the $1,500 12.1-inch package are a Bluetooth keyboard and Wacom Digitizer stylus. As for the specs, well, there’s a 1280 x 800 LED Gorilla Glass display, 4GB RAM, 64GB of storage, dual USB 2.0 ports, mini-HDMI out, SD card slot and 2 megapixel front-facing camera. No official word on exactly when this biz-friendly tablet’ll be available, but now would be a good time to convince your IT department to order it up. Be sure to hit the source below for the company’s soft sell.

ASUS Eee Slate B121 slabs it up for the enterprise market originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 13:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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