f Acer's new 7.9-inch Android tablet is any indication CES 2014 will be chock full of products with only marginal upgrades from their predecessors. Thankfully, the chances of that happening are pretty slim. Hopefully. The Iconia A1-830 is Acer's newest 7.9-inch Android tablet, following the release of the Iconia A1-810 in mid-2013. However, aside from a new aluminum backside and a new processor there aren't much in the way of upgrades for the new tablet. Available in the first quarter of 2014 for $149, the new tablet will feature an identical design to the 810, including an iPad-like 4:3 aspect ratio and an unimpressive 1,024x768 resolution. It also uses an In-Plane Switching (IPS) panel, just as the previous generation tablet did. There's 16GB of onboard storage, with a 32GB capacity microSD storage card slot and 1GB of RAM. The Android 4.2.1 tablet has a purported 7.5-hour battery life and since the 810's battery lasted exactly that amount of time in our official battery test, there's a good chance this isn't just wishful thinking on Acer's part. If these specs feel familiar to you, then you're simply realizing that they're exactly the same as the A1-810's, with one exception: the CPU. Gone is the MediaTek MT8125T, replaced with a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Clover Trail+ Z2560. Even with its new Intel inside, these specs don't in any way get me excited about the A1-830. This doesn't mean it won't satisfy some users nor that it won't be successful; however, it may have trouble getting consumers to take notice. As I said before, I'm not expecting much exciting tablet news at CES this year, and Acer is doing nothing to change my opinion. As boring as another 7.9-inch Acer tablet is, it's also showing an equally dull-sounding 7-incher. If the thought of these tablets excites you, awesome. They both appear to be functional, fairly cheap Android slates. However, if you're struggling to muster any level of genuine enthusiasm, you're not alone. The Iconia A1-830 ships in the first quarter for $149. Check back next week for a closer look at the Acer Iconia B1-830 when we actually get our mitts on it at CES 2014.
The Windows 8.1 tablet ships with Microsoft Word and packs a micro-HDMI and Micro-USB 3.0 port.
LAS VEGAS -- If you're looking for a tablet that doesn't sacrifice portability for productivity, Lenovo is offering the small, yet capable, ThinkPad 8. Geared toward workaholics, students, and worker bees on the go, the slim Windows 8.1 slate ships loaded with Microsoft Office and offers useful ports for connecting to an external monitor, TV, or keyboard.
The 8.3-inch ThinkPad 8 features a 1,920x1,200-pixel-resolution display and houses Intel's Bay Trail quad-core CPU with 2GB of RAM. You have the choice of up to 128GB of internal storage, however, it also includes a microSD card expansion slot.
Lenovo's 8.3-inch tablet matches Google's Nexus 7 in thickness.
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)
At a little under a pound, the Think Pad 8 matches the Google Nexus (2013) in depth -- 0.34 inch -- and features a sleek machine-cut aluminum back. The rear 10-megapixel camera, which includes a flash, is accented with a red trim, and the 2-megapixel front-facing camera blends in with the tablet's all-black front facade.
Ensuring productivity on the go, the ThinkPad 8 will be available in a 4G LTE/3G version, in addition to a Wi-Fi-only model. The tablet also includes stereo speakers with audio-enhancing Dolby Home Theater.
The first 8-inch business tablet for the company starts at $449 and will be available in late January. Check back for more information when we get our hands on the ThinkPad 8 tablet at CES 2014.
LAS VEGAS -- The Lenovo Miix 2 is an ultraportable computer for the indecisive.
The Miix 2 is essentially a Windows 8.1 tablet with a keyboard dock, just in case Lenovo's labeling of it as a "detachable" has you confused. That way if you want to travel light, you just leave the dock behind and take the tablet.
For when you want a laptop experience, you dock it.
This keyboard seems to be a better solution than the folio-style keyboard case that was available for the original Miix and is closer to what you could get with the ThinkPad Tablet 2. It's sturdier, so you should be able to more easily use it on your lap and there's a built-in touch pad.
The tablet rests in a slot at the back of the keyboard, so you're stuck with just one viewing angle when it's docked, which might be the biggest negative for the design. However, to go along with its tablet and laptop modes, you can flip the screen around and use the dock as a stand for media playback.
(Credit: Lenovo)
The Miix 2 will be available in 11- and 10-inch sizes. The 11-inch version is designed for performance with up to a fourth-generation Intel Core i5 processor, up to 256GB of SSD storage, up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, and a 1,920x1,200-pixel-resolution IPS with 10-finger touch support. It weighs 1.8 pounds with the dock adding another 1.2 pounds.
For the 10-inch version, the focus shifts to mobility instead of performance, though it still should perform well for a tablet. Measuring just 0.36-inch thick and weighing 1.3 pounds (add another pound for the dock), it features a new 64-bit-enabled quad-core Intel Atom processor, 2GB of RAM, and up to 128GB of eMMC storage. A microSD slot lets you pop in up to 32GB more of storage. It, too, is running on full Windows 8.1 and has a 1,920x1,200-pixel-resolution 10-finger touch screen.
LAS VEGAS -- Alcatel is back with two new tablets coming to North America, but with no actual US release date. The One Touch Pop 7 and Pop 8 are both extremely modestly-spec'ed tablets that appear to focus on their LTE capability over performance. Neither price nor release date have yet been unveiled.
The One Touch Pop 7 is a 7-inch tablet with a 1,024x600 resolution TFT screen. It's not an IPS screen, and its viewing angles are painfully narrow as a result. The tablet houses a 1.3GHz dual-core CPU, a 2-megapixel rear camera, and a VGA front camera.
At 0.62 pounds it's fairly light, but its 0.35-inch thickness screams anything but "sexy." However, the tablet doesn't feel uncomfortable when held and actually reminds me a lot of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8-inch with its smooth plastic backside.
The Pop 8 is a bit more impressive. It features an IPS screen with a 1,280x800 resolution and delivers appropriate wide viewing angles. It has a 1.3GHz quad-core CPU, 2-megapixel camera on the back and VGA camera on the front. It weighs 0.71 pounds and with a 0.31 inch profile is actually thinner than its 7-inch brother. The Pop 8's bezels are impressively thin, and it has the same smooth plastic finish
Each tablet includes a measly 4GB of storage -- only 2.4GB usable -- but thankfully Alcatel outfits them with a microSD storage slot supporting up to 32GB -- on Pop 7; 64GB on the Pop 8 -- capacity cards. The tablets will ship with Android 4.2.2, but will be upgradable to 4.4 after launch.
Prices and release dates have yet to be revealed, but Alcatel says it's targeting "under $200" for the Pop 7 and "under $300" for the Pop 8. While the specs are anything but impressive, LTE on a sub-$200 tablet is a first. I just wish the line had more to offer.
With the introduction of its Free Time PVRs, the Humax HDR-1000S and Humax DTR-1010S, Freesat dramatically shed its somewhat austere image. With a roll-back EPG and closely integrated IPTV catch-up, Free Time proved to be a potent rival to YouView's subscription-free temptations.
Now with the diminutive HB-1000S Free Time zapper box, Humax has delivered the logical evolution of catch-up TV. Unlike its stablemates, the HB-1000S isn't a PVR at all (there's no local hard drive), instead it relies on a network connection and apps to integrate all four mainstream TV catch-up services with the usual selection of 170 (ish) satellite-delivered TV and radio channels. But this box's cleverness doesn't stop there.
The usual suspects lurk around the back
Admittedly, the HB1000S probably won't win any design awards. It's a utilitarian box distinguished mainly by its Freesat HD livery. Backside connectivity comprises a single LNB input, plus legacy phono outputs, USB connector, HDMI, optical digital audio output and Ethernet LAN port. The supplied remote control, though, is a full-size universal-learning wand, effectively the same as that supplied with Humax's bigger set-top boxes.
The remote is fully featured
Features and installation
The Free Time interface is immeasurably better than the first-gen Freesat front-end still commonplace on Freesat-enabled TVs. The Home page offers easy access to that retrospective TV guide which rolls both forward and backwards through channels. There's a Showcase area for curated programme highlights (good for a quick browse, although if your tastes are anything less than populist you probably won't often find much of interest here). Here you'll also find on-demand apps for YouTube, BBC iPlayer, ITVPlayer, 4OD and Demand 5.
On-demand services are easily accessed
Other embellishments include a parental channel lock, as well as the ability to automate power up and power down, a nice little bit of eco management; you can preset both the wake-up channel and volume. And if you do need to timeshift recordings, there's an option to record to a USB device connected to the rear.
Setup is straightforward and takes just a few minutes. Just connect the dish feed and hook the receiver up to your network or router, and you're ready to view. HDMI and Ethernet cables are provided in the box. If you don't have a dedicated wired network connection handy, consider utilising a powerline connection. Failing that, the Humax HB-1000S is compatible with the brand's Wi-Fi dongle.
Operation and performance
General usability is great. There's no sense that this STB is in any way a budget offering. The HD interface is quick to navigate and the animated menu transitions are fast if a tad jerky. We love the way the main TV window retreats into a PIP when each menu item is summoned.
Media sharing menus are straightforward
The HB-1000S turns out to be a pretty darn good media streamer. If you have content stored on your network, Media Share functionality offers a broad range of codecs and container compatibility. This DLNA-certified box will play ball with MKV, AVI, MOV, MP4,WMV and .ts files. Audio support extends to MP3, M4a and WMA. There are also dedicated Video, JPEG Photo and Music readers for connected USB sticks, although here audio support is limited to MP3s (however you do get album art). USB video file support covers AVI, WMV, MKV and MP4.
The wider internet is accessed via the TV Portal button; this boots up a selection of third division web clients, including a curious collection of content silos from the Daily Express, Daily Star, OK magazine and Bible TV. More useful are photo sharing sites Flickr and Picasa. Something tells us this is a work in progress…
Interestingly, the unit doesn't have to be exclusively used with Freesat. An STB mode drops you out of the proprietary Free Time UI, letting you take a more gregarious look at what's available on your sat feed. If the HB-1000S is fed by a standard Sky dish, this means a channel search will deliver a largely impenetrable smorgasbord of stuff. Crucially, the TV listings guide doesn't function in STB mode, and free channels are jumbled in with those encrypted. After scratching your head, you'll soon hanker after the succour of Freesat.
Upscaling goes all the way to 1080p
Image quality is largely excellent. Native HD channels look as crisp as compression allows, while upscaled SD channels appear pleasingly coherent. The box itself will upscale to 1080p. The HB-1000S will output multichannel Dolby Digital Plus from both the HDMI and digital outputs, when it's broadcast. The viewing experience with the various catch-up services is predictably a little bit disparate, but that only because these are unconnected services. IPTV image quality is surprisingly good, provided your broadband pipe is fast enough. We used the box with a fibre service and didn't experience any buffering or break-ups.
Verdict
Ultimately, the HB-1000S should be considered a modestly fabulous alternative to pay-TV propositions from the likes of Sky, Virgin Media et al as well as Freesat's own PVRs. It's just the ticket for those looking for a low price way to shed the yoke of subscription TV. Unlike YouView, this box can even double as a competent media streamer, and its catch-up is comprehensive enough for us not to bemoan the absence of a local hard drive. All things considered, the Humax HB-1000S offers a surprisingly superior TV experience for a paltry £99.95. It truly is a tiny telly titan.
According to a report by WPCentral, AT&T is about to start offering a 32GB model of its Windows Phone 8 flagship - the Nokia Lumia 1520. So if you've been waiting for the 32GB version of the phablet on AT&T, you will be able to buy it starting January 10.
The US carrier started offering the 16GB Lumia 1520 at its brick-and-mortar stores as well as online for direct purchase back in November last year. AT&T asks for $199 with a 2-year contract. Judging by the way this things usually work, the 32GB units will probably retail for $299 on contract.
The report also suggests that the Lumia 1520 will be sold as a Direct Fulfillment device - it will be available for online orders and not in stores.
With the microSD card slot on board of the 32GB Lumia 1520, you'll be able to fit nearly 100GB of files if you get a 64GB microSD card. Anyway, pricing is yet to be announced, but with January 10 just around the corner, we won't have to wait much longer to know all about it.
We've already reviewed the Nokia Lumia 1520 and even put it head-to-head with the Galaxy Note 3. If you still haven't made up your mind about the phablet, you will do well to check out those articles.
Asus has announced the 7-inch Fonepad 7 hybrid on IFA back at September last year. It quickly gained some popularity due to its very attractive price tag and unique mixture of tablet and smartphone experience although it didn't exactly turn into a best seller. Still that doesn't prevent Asus from taking good care of it and here comes its first major update. Originally the Fonepad 7 hit the shelves running on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. Asus didn't specify any upgrade plans, but it seems the manufacturer has been working to bring a newer Android version on the device. So, the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean is now available as an over-the-air update for the Fonepad 7. It brings improved video player and image gallery, Gallery Home Front, and other UI improvements. There is no official change log though, so more upgrades could be hiding under the hood including improved system stability and bug fixes. Anyway, if you own a Fonepad 7, you should check your Update section. There is no info on further updates, but we hope Asus decides to bring Android 4.4 KitKat to Fonepad 7 too.
Posts
