Microsoft sells out of 128GB Surface Pro models online and in some stores

If you were wondering how well the public would take to a Microsoft-made tablet costing $899 or more... quite well, at least from initial impressions. The 128GBSurface Pro has sold out at Microsoft's US online store, and checks suggest a lack of stock at both the company's retail stores as well as Best Buy and Staples. Canada is facing similar shortages at Best Buy and Future Shop. Not surprisingly,storage worries (since partly alleviated) have left the 64GB tablet as the only one in consistent supply, and we suspect that the 128GB model in Microsoft's Canadian store won't last for much longer. We'd be cautious before declaring the Surface Pro a runaway hit, however -- there's no word on how many units each store had, and Microsoft has refrained from reporting Surface sale numbers to date. Still, the early uptake is good news for Microsoft's first foray into designing an x86 PC, and it shows that many early adopters aren't hung up on the price.

[Source: Engadget]

Galaxy Note 8.0 Will Reportedly Come in Three Different Iterations

When Samsung releases the Galaxy Note 8.0, it should arrive in three iterations: Wi-Fi-only, Wi-Fi + 3G and Wi-Fi + 3G + LTE. And, according to Bluetooth SIG information, the devices will at the very least arrive in Europe. Of course, we’d expect such a big name Android device to also come to North America and Asia as well, though no such announcement has been made for any continents.

The alleged device has shown its 8-inch face on more than one occasion, so it’s safe to say the device is coming. And the likely platform Samsung will use to introduce the device will be Mobile World Congress, which begins at the end of this month. Specs are still cloudy, but reports suggest we can expect the device to come with Jelly Bean, an S Pen, quad-core processor, 5-megapixel camera and  a1280 x 800 display.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

Nexus 10 launches in Japan

Some two and a half months after the original launch, Google and Samsung's Nexus 10 is now available in Japan. The high-resolution, 10-inch Nexus tablet is on sale through the Japanese Google Play Store, where it's priced at ¥36,800 (around $400) for the 16GB model, and ¥44,800 (around $480) with 32GB.

[Source: AndroidCentral]

128 GB iPads now on sale at Apple online store

Apple's new 128 GB iPads are now on sale at Apple's online store. The new iPads were announced last week and mark the first time users can buy an iPad over 64 GB in size.

The new 128 GB models begin at US$799 for the Wi-Fi version. The Wi-Fi + Cellular version will set you back $929. Currently Apple is showing a 1 to 3 day ship time for the Wi-Fi model and 3 to 5 day ship time for the Sprint and Verizon Wi-Fi + Cellular models. The AT&T Wi-Fi + Cellular model is listed as shipping in 1 to 3 days.

[Source: TUAW]

Monkey Kit: Flexible Tablet Positioning System

The ultimate evolution of the tablet stand. Enjoy hands-free comfort, and use your iPad or tablet in an infinite number of positions.

 Imagine using your tablet hands-free in bed. Whether you're watching a movie or reading a book, your tablet will float effortless in front of you. Then, imagine taking your tablet to the couch and comfortably typing. The Monkey Kit works in bed, on a couch, in the kitchen, on an exercise machine, and in the car. Octa's instruction booklet shows you how to wrap, tuck and stand your Monkey Kit in a wide variety of places.

Most stands simply prop your tablet on a small ledge. For extreme use, Octa wanted to create a stand that literally affixed to your iPad. We started studying vacuum suction handles, which is the technology construction workers use to lift heavy plate glass high into the air. Then we developed our own patent-pending twist. Using innovative chambers and seals, we reduced the size of our Vacuum Dock to fit in your palm, while increasing the amount of air displaced by each pump of its button. We did all this work so that you could affix your Vacuum Dock to your tablet with five easy pumps. (The original system required as many as thirty!) Unlike a suction cup, the Vacuum Dock literally pumps the air out from between its sealing surface and your tablet, creating an incredibly strong and durable connection. The Monkey Kit will adhere to your tablet for days!

[Source: KickStarter]

RIM Basically Confirms New BlackBerry 10 Tablets Coming

RIM just announced that it’s going to run an ad during the Super Bowl. That’s great, but buried in the release the company also re-confirmed that BlackBerry 10-powered tablets are in the pipeline. Here’s the clip that stands out most:

RIM confirms that BlackBerry 10, its new mobile computing platform that will power the next generation of smartphones and tablets, will be featured in a commercial during Super Bowl XLVII.

We haven’t heard of any news on when RIM will launch a follow-up to the PlayBook, but we hope it doesn’t botch this tablet launch as badly as it did that one.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

Sony announces the quad-core, 10-inch Tablet Z

Sony Mobile has announced the Android 4.1-powered Xperia Tablet Z, right as we expected them to do so. The specs also match last week's rumors, with a few extra surprises thrown in. The Tablet Z comes equipped with a 10.1-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) display complete with the Mobile Bravia Engine 2, 2 GB of RAM, 32 GB of on device storage, a microSD card slot, NFC, and an 8.1 MP Exmor R camera. Providing the juice for all this is the Qualcomm quad-core APQ8064 processor clocked at 1.5 GHz, with an LTE modem on board for the ride. As rumored, the Tablet Z is also extremely thin (6.9 mm) as well as water and dust proof like it's slightly smaller cousin the Xperia Z.

What we don't know is pricing and availability. Hopefully we get word at Mobile World Congress next month if not earlier. We'll keep an eye out and let you know when Sony has anything further to tell us all. We've got a picture of the rear after the break.

[Source: AndroidCentral]

Sony Xperia Tablet Z Expected to Launch in Japan on NTT DoCoMo

We recently caught wind of a new Sony tabled dubbed the “Xperia Tablet Z” and now there’s already word that the device may be unveiled in Japan in the coming days. NTT DoCoMo recently listed the slate on a product page, but has since pulled any mention of the tablet. Sure, it may have been mentioned, but we have a feeling this is a product that will make its official debut during Mobile World Congress next month.

What can you expect when it finally does hit store shelves? Leaks suggest it will pack a quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor clocked at 1.5GHz, a full HD 1920 x 1200-pixel resolution display, 32GB of storage,a large 6,000mAh battery and 2GB of RAM. 

Those specs are all competitive with high-end tablets, so don’t expect a budget price point.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

Tegra 4 Likely to Power Next-Gen Surface RT Tablets

NVIDIA’s quad-core Tegra 3 processor powers the current generation Microsoft Surface RT, so it seems like a natural fit for Microsoft to sign NVIDIA on again for the next-generation Surface. Digitimes expects NVIDIA to become a go-to player in the Surface RT market, and believes that the firm’s next-generation Tegra 4 chip will indeed be tapped to power the second-generation Surface RT.

“Since Nvidia has a long history of cooperation with Microsoft in terms of graphics and GPGPU computing technologies, while demand for GPU computing has started to weigh heavier, these advantages are all expected to help Nvidia become competitive in the Windows RT market,” Digitimes Research analyst Eric Lin said.

Lin believes NVIDIA may also struggle to build and ecosystem for the NVIDIA Project Shield gaming device, however, which is a bit bizarre since it will run PC games and Android games. In other words, a media ecosystem is already well established.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

CES 2013: Archos FamilyPad 2 hands on

Well that was quick. Just a few months after Archos introduced their behemoth, family-sized FamilyPad to the UK, the company is here in Las Vegas showing off their follow-up, the FamilyPad 2. Archos was tight-lipped on specs and specifics, but recent rumors suggest the FamilyPad 2 will feature a minor processor bump with a 1.6 GHz Cortex A9-- up from the original's 1 GHz A8. The other major improvement is in onboard storage-- look for 16GB here rather than eight. Based on what we saw today, it looks like the FamilyPad 2 will ship with Jelly Bean, a welcome addition.

Aside from the minor bumps, the rest of the specs look to be the same, including 1 GB of RAM and that behemoth 13.3-inch IPS display. It's a beauty, despite its relatively low 1280 x 800 resolution. As you can see in the video below, handling this thing takes some flexibility, as the sheer size and weight make one-handed operation downright impossible. Make no mistake about it: this thing is a beast, and puts on no airs about being portable or lightweight.

The upside of its huge size is its multimedia capabilities-- watching videos, movies, and streaming content will look gorgeous, and the FamilyTab 2 is large enough for multi-person viewing. As you can see, Archos had it on a nice stand, which in your home would make the FamilyTab 2 a nice small television replacement.

Performance wise, everything seems up to snuff, though we would have loved to test out some games, which this tablet will certainly be ideal for. With Jelly Bean onboard and a more-than-capable processor, I wasn't able to find any lag or serious problems with the basic UI, though we'll reserve judgment until we get one in our home.

As always, we'll keep our eyes peeled for a proper spec sheet, release and pricing information. More photos and a hands-on video can be found after the break.

[Source: AndroidCentral]

CES 2013: Panasonic 4K tablet prototype hands on

The Panasonic liveblog was barely finished when we saw this beauty calling out to us from the show floor. This is Panasonic's 20" 4K tablet, running Windows 8. It's a prototype design right now, but seemed to be pretty well put together, and not something quickly knocked up for the show. Given that it's not a full release model, details on specifications are sparse, but we can tell you that as well as that truly jaw dropping display, there is a front facing camera (no details on resolution, but possibly 2-megapixel), and an Intel Core i5 running the show. Input / output wise there wasn't a lot going on, but there was micro-USB, microSD and at least WiFi. If you're thinking that that display is going to pretty much keep you tethered to a wall to keep it powered, then we were told that it will at least give you two hours of use on the go.

Panasonic also told us that Anoto digital writing technology features in the tablet, which makes sense given that -- judging by the display section for this device -- that the tablet is aimed at marketing professionals, architects, photographers and other such business users. Given the tablet's size, it's not the sort of thing you are likely to be slinging in a rucksack and taking out on the road. That said, in our time with it, picking it up and moving it about wasn't terrible, and you can imagine swanky design houses and media companies lining the walls of their offices with these things. No word on price or availability, but Panasonic were confident that this would make it to production.

[Source: Engadget]

Griffin PowerDock 5 is One Charger to Rule Them All

Griffin has introduced a new charging dock which may take some of the pain out of juicing up all of your gadgets at once.

Introduced at CES, Griffin has unveiled the PowerDock 5. This new charging solution will keep all of your gadgets organized, and your desk clutter free, while charging them. The new charging solution is capable of handling an iPad even in a thick case, so no need to unsheathe your tablet while charging it. While all of the images include images of iDevices, since it based off of USB you can obviously plug in any device you would choose to do so.

The PowerDock 5 will be released this spring with a suggested retail price of $99.99.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]