Acer announces Iconia B1-A71, a wallet-friendly 7-inch Jelly Bean slate

Acer is expanding its tablet lineup with a new budget-minded 7-inch slate running Jelly Bean. The Iconia B1-A71 pairs a dual-core 1.2GHz processor from Mediatek with 512MB of RAM for a machine that certainly wont set any benchmark records, but wont hurt any wallets either. The rest of the specs, like the WSVGA screen, 8GB of storage and lone 0.3-megapixel camera are certainly also helping keep costs down. At 11.3 ounces and 11.3mm thin it's a pretty svelte device, especially considering its expected starting price of under $150. Sadly there's no concrete time frame for release.

[Source: Engadget]

HP's Envy 27-inch IPS monitor with Beats Audio features high-quality sound, extremely long name

LAS VEGAS--A monitor's picture quality is its most important attribute, and sound quality (if it actually does sport speakers) rarely factors into the overall rating. That however may change once I get my hands on the HP Envy 27-inch IPS monitor with Beats Audio.

With the Envy 27-inch IPS monitor with Beats Audio, HP not only breaks the record for longest monitor name ever (to be honest, I didn't confirm that), but according to HP, it also marks the first time a standalone monitor has used Beats Audio.

The monitor's built-in speakers are angled upward and according to HP, deliver high-quality midrange and high frequencies as well as rich bass. Monitors with built-in sound don't usually deliver the highest quality sound, so I'm curious as to how this monitor's sound will be any different.

[Source: CNET - Click here to read the full story]

Gamers, D-Link has a router for you!

LAS VEGAS -- There might be a real solution to your online gaming at home after all, thanks to D-Link.

The networking vendor announced today at CES 2013 the first 802.11ac-based router designed specifically for gamers, which it aptly calls Gaming Router (model DGL-5500). In a way this is the first major upgrade to the first router of this type, the DGL-4500 GamerLouge, that D-Link released more than four years ago

And this seems an upgrade that's worth the wait.

[Source: CNET - Click here to read the full story]

Nvidia announces own 'Shield' gaming device at CES

Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang unveils Nvidia Shield, a brand-new gaming device that leverages Android and the Tegra 4 quad-core processor.

(Credit: James Martin/CNET)

LAS VEGAS--Who says you can't teach an old chipmaker new tricks? Not Nvidia. At CES, the company announced its own gaming device, Nvidia Shield, which will bear its brand name as well as its quad-core Tegra 4 processor.

• Tegra 4, gaming dominate Nvidia's 2013 plans
•  Nvidia unveils muscular Tegra 4 quad-core chipset
• Nvidia's GeForce Experience auto-optimizes gameplay
• Nvidia Grid pushes gaming to the cloud

Project Shield is small -- smaller than a Wii U controller. Fittingly, it looks like a portable Xbox controller with a small flip-up screen. It's got analog joysticks, buttons, and controllers. Nvidia promises between 5 and 10 hours of gameplay on Shield.

Still a prototype, the final name and design could change before the product goes to market, as soon as in a few months, an Nvidia spokesperson said.

"It's pure Android," says Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang. There's nothing proprietary about it; all jacks are standard and the platform is open. It comes with a microSD card slot.

Shield can connect to the cloud to play Android games, TegraZone games, and PC games for PCs with compatible GeForce graphics cards. It also supports multiplayer mode.

[Source: CNET - Click here to read the full story]

The Apple Store begins offering Retina 15″ MacBook Pro refurbs starting at $1869

This evening, Apple began offering refurbished Retina MacBook Pros at the online Apple Store at significant 15% discounts, yielding savings of over $500 on high end models (below). 15-inch Retina MacBooks normally retail at $2200 but we’ve seen them as low as $2,000 (which is also the EDU discount price).

Apple refurbished products are packaged and look like new and come with the same one year of AppleCare. See all of the best prices on Apple Products on our Apple product pages.

[Source: 9to5Mac]

Samsung Support Documents Detail Jelly Bean Upgrade for Galaxy S II

If you’re still grasping onto the glory days of Samsung’s Galaxy S II, your commitment to the almost two year-old device will soon pay off in a big way. Support pages for Android 4.1 Jelly Bean have appeared on the company’s Korean website, meaning users can probably expect the OS to hit the device relatively soon—though how soon is unclear.

In any case, the update is set to arrive through Samsung’s KIES, and bring along the expected Jelly Bean smoothness along with a few of the company’s built-in features like Smart Stay. The support document warns that the incoming upgrade will actually lower your internal memory by 1 full GB (from 12GB to 11GB), so be mindful of that when the upgrade actually starts rolling out.

Hopefully carriers here in the states can do all the necessary testing rather quickly so that Galaxy S II owners can grab the software sooner rather than later.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

Google 'currently working' on Google Maps redirect fix on Windows Phone, explains former stance

As recently as yesterday, Google was explaining its auto-redirect of Google Maps on Windows Phone devices to Google.com as a question of incompatibility rather than one of choice. "The mobile web version of Google Maps is optimized for WebKit browsers such as Chrome and Safari. However, since Internet Explorer is not a WebKit browser, Windows Phone devices are not able to access Google Maps for the mobile web," Google told us yesterday. Case closed, right? Apparently not.

As The Next Web reports, Google's changing its tune today, and is working on a redirect as we speak. "We periodically test Google Maps compatibility with mobile browsers to make sure we deliver the best experience for those users," the statement reads. "In our last test, IE mobile still did not offer a good maps experience with no ability to pan or zoom and perform basic map functionality. As a result, we chose to continue to redirect IE mobile users to Google.com where they could at least make local searches. The Firefox mobile browser did offer a somewhat better user experience and that's why there is no redirect for those users," it continues. The kicker? "Recent improvements to IE mobile and Google Maps now deliver a better experience and we are currently working to remove the redirect. We will continue to test Google Maps compatibility with other mobile browsers to ensure the best possible experience for users." So! It looks like Windows Phone users employing Internet Explorer for Google Maps will soon be back in business. As of right now, we're still seeing the redirect in place, but feel free to let us know if you're already seeing the fix enabled!

[Source: Engadget]

Play Magazines now offering 'free for print subscribers' option

According to a Google Play support document -- and confirmed when we browse to some magazines -- Google is now offering a "Free for print subscribers" option for certain magazines in the Play Store. When browsing many popular magazine subscriptions in the Play Store that have a print component, tapping on "subscribe" offers you three options. On top of the regular monthly or yearly subscriptions, you now have the option to get the digital version for free if you're already a print customer.

Google has likely signed some kind of content deals to make this happen, but however it happened it's a good thing. Many different publishers have offered this feature for their own websites and magazines, but its nice to see Google offering the same option with a digital subscription through the app as well.

[Source: AndroidCentral]

Microsoft working on a fix for Halo 4 SmartGlass issues, arriving in 'the coming weeks'

Microsoft's SmartGlass and Microsoft's Halo 4 apparently aren't quite getting along on Windows Phone 8 devices. Using SmartGlass, Halo 4 players can normally access their stats and other info about their android supersoldier using the long-established Waypoint service -- except for Windows Phone 8 users, apparently. A forum thread dating back to Halo 4's November launch highlights the issue -- as Xbox.com forum user "Scion Eon" puts it: "Whenever I try to log into SmartGlass on my phone while playing Halo 4, I am immediately greeted with a message that says 'Your device is missing certain required features.'" As it turns out, Mr. Eon isn't the only one experiencing said connectivity issues -- specific to Windows Phone 8 devices -- and Microsoft's aware of the situation.

"We are aware that there is an issue with the Xbox SmartGlass experience for 'Halo Waypoint' on Windows Phone 8 devices, which may prevent users from accessing Halo 4 player stats," a Microsoft rep told us this afternoon. Thankfully, Redmond's also taking care of a solution. "We are actively working on a fix and expect to have a solution within the coming weeks. We appreciate your patience as this gets resolved and apologize for any inconvenience this causes," the statement reads. Of course, should you want to access Halo 4's Waypoint functionality on SmartGlass before that fix, you can always use Microsoft's competitor's devices. But then who'd do that?

[Source: Engadget]

Fusion Drive Now Available as Option for Low End 21.5" iMac

As noted by MacGeneration and in our MacRumors Forums, Apple is now allowing the entry level 21.5" iMac to be configured with a 1TB Fusion Drive. 
The Fusion Drive is a built-to-order option for the iMac and Mac mini that combines SSD and traditional hard drives into a single logical volume.

With Fusion Drive in your iMac, disk-intensive tasks — from booting up to launching apps to importing photos — are faster and more efficient. That’s because frequently used items are kept at the ready on speedy flash storage, while infrequently accessed items go to the hard drive. The file transfers take place in the background, so you won’t even notice.

The 1TB Fusion Drive add-on is a $250 option and was previously only offered on the high end 21.5" iMac, high end Mac mini and 27" iMacs.

[Source: MacRumors]

CES 2013 : New Harman Products

Alongside recently launched products from Harman International’s three brands AKG, Harman Kardon and JBL, visitors to the world’s largest consumer electronics show will get an exclusive preview of the latest Lightning Connector dock, wireless loudspeaker, on-the-go portable speaker and AVR range at the Harman booth; all of which will launch in the coming months.

JBL Charge

Music fans seeking great sound and a long battery life from a portable music player will love the JBL^® Charge, a loud and powerful go-anywhere wireless speaker that fits easily into a backpack, beach bag or briefcase. The JBL Charge connects to smartphones, portable music players and tablets via Bluetooth wireless streaming. It also includes a USB port to charge a smartphone or tablet.

JBL OnBeat Mini

JBL was first to market with its Lightning Connector speaker docks, introducing the JBL OnBeat Micro and JBL OnBeat Venue LT in November 2012. CES 2013 sees JBL introduce the third addition to its innovative Lightning Connector range, the OnBeat Mini.

The acoustically sophisticated JBL OnBeat™ Mini fits into a backpack or travel bag, providing a portable charging dock for the office, business trip or bedroom. The JBL OnBeat Mini includes two full-range transducers and built-in digital signal processing to deliver crisp, room-filling sound. It is compatible with the iPad mini, iPad 4th generation, iPhone 5 and the new iPod models.

JBL OnBeat Rumble

The JBL OnBeat Rumble wireless loudspeaker, for the iPhone 5, iPad mini, fourth-generation iPad and other Lightning-equipped Apple Inc. mobile devices, will thrill music fans who love to live loud. It includes HARMAN’s exclusive TrueStream^™ technology to guarantee the highest-quality sound when streaming audio from an Apple product or another smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth^® connection. The forceful speaker dock combines a 4-1/2-inch (114-milllimeter) subwoofer with proprietary Slipstream port technology to deliver pounding bass with low distortion, so there is no unwanted boominess to the sound whether the music source is docked or streamed. The loudspeaker also charges Apple Lightning products when they are docked.

Harman Kardon AVR 270 and AVR 370

Designed to delight music and film lovers with breathtaking sound and video reproduction, the Harman Kardon AVR 270 and AVR 370 (right), have multizone features so users can simultaneously play two different audio sources in two different zones.

The two Harman Kardon AVRs include multiple wireless features, including AirPlay playback from any Apple iOS® device and vTuner™ Internet radio to connect with thousands of terrestrial and Web-based stations and podcasts from around the globe as well as DLNA 1.5

Certified® connectivity to stream from compatible devices on a home network. The Harman Kardon AVR 370 also includes Wi-Fi® connectivity. There is also a free, downloadable HK remote control app that controls the AVRs from Apple and Android™ smartphones or tablets.

All of the above products are on display, alongside key products from the AKG, Harman Kardon and JBL brands, during CES^® at the HARMAN booth – Central Hall, booth number 10431 - from January 8^th through to January 11^th.

Is this the first real glimpse of the Samsung Galaxy S4?

What is supposedly the first press shot of the Samsung Galaxy S4 has emerged online.

The photo was first published by Sam Mobile, which claims to have received it from an "insider at Samsung", who was unable to provide any further detail on the Galaxy SIV. Unsurprisingly, we're approaching this with plenty of caution after the deluge of fake snaps of the Samsung Galaxy S3– just take a look at our gallery.

Button-less
The big talking point is the missing home button - will Samsung really do away with the physical button given that it has remained a Samsung staple even on its most recent handsets such as the Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy Premier?

Credit: SamMobile

Although the design of the phone shown here is very similar to that of the Galaxy S3, the screen appears elongated compared to the older phone suggesting we'll see onscreen Android keys – something which Google has wanted manufacturers to adopt even since Ice Cream Sandwich was launched.

We're not holding out any hope that this is the real deal as the image could easily have been faked, but this will surely open the floodgates to more images claiming to show Samsung Galaxy S4 over the coming months.

[Source: TechRadar]