HP rumored to launch its first Android smartphone any day
HP could possibly branch out to the smartphone world very soon
2013 began a trend of low-budget off-contract smartphones. With the Nexus 5, Moto X, and Moto G debut, contracts have begun to become a thing of the past. Rumor has it, HP will soon be included on this list, as well.
The folks at 9to5Google have gotten word that HP could possibly launch their first Android-powered smartphone as soon as next week. Supposedly, the phone will launch for around $200 (off contract), and will somewhat resemble Samsung’s 5.5-inch Galaxy Note. To produce a phone for only $200, they are taking some obvious cost-cutting procedures.
HP has been talking about smartphones for quite some time, and now it’s becoming a reality.
It’s always nice to see a big company like this take a different path. And if the phone turns out anything like the Galaxy Note or HP Slatebook line, we’ll be pretty happy about this.
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Gartner: PC shipments have dropped 6.9 percent in Q4 2014, emerging markets to blame
Those tumbling PC shipments we’ve seen all year? They add up to a 6.9 percent year-over-year drop compared to 2012′s Q4 numbers, according to Gartner. The group’s latest totals puts PC shipments at 82.6 million units for Q4 2013, with the lions share coming from HP and Lenovo – though only the latter managed to grow its business during that period. Dell came in at a distant third, moving 4 million fewer machines than HP while maintaing a 6.2 percent increases in shipments since Q4 2012. The news seems grim for all but a select free companies, but at least it won’t get any worse: Gartner says that most markets have bottomed out, and the losses mostly come from emerging Asia/Pacific markets where consumers first computing devices are typically smartphones and tablets, not traditional PCs. Despite predictions that the US market has reached its lowest point, analysts note that holiday sales were primarily dominated by tablets and mobile devices, though optimistically note that hybrid devices and lower cost notebooks could spur some growth in 2014. Eager to dive into all the nitty gritty numbers? Hit the source link below for Gartner’s full report.
Source: Gartner
HP Slate7 Extreme now available, newest addition to Tegra Note family
NVIDIA may have just announced its newest mobile processor, but doesn’t mean its current generation is going away anytime soon. Today, about four months late, Hewlett Packard announced its rebranded NVIDIA Tegra Note tablet, the HP Slate7 Extreme is available from its website.
The tablet, based on NVIDIA’s reference platform, features a 7-inch 1280×800 resolution display, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, 1GB DDR3 RAM, 5MP rear-facing camera, 3 MP front-facing camera, micro SD card slot, stereo “front firing” speakers and ”a precision stylus pen.”
Many have said it’s hard to recommend the Tegra Note platform over tablets like Google’s 2013 Nexus 7, which is an ounce lighter, has a higher resolution display, double the RAM and gets the latest Android updates quicker, but if you’re looking for a powerful budget tablet with an excellent stylus for only $199, follow the link below.
via HP
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Intel unveils RealSense hardware and software line, including 3D camera module
The takeaway at today’s Intel press event? All signs point to the RealSense product line — a number of hardware and software products that “make interaction with technology simple, more natural and immersive,” according to Intel’s own words. The first product bearing the compound name is the RealSense 3D camera. Intel describes the product as “the world’s first integrated 3D depth and 2D camera module that helps devices ‘see’ depth much like the human eye,” suggesting that this isn’t just a substitute for Leap Motion or Kinect.
The camera does full-color 1080p and has an on-board sensor for gesture and face detection. The latter of which apparently helps it “understand emotions.” It also recognizes foregrounds and backgrounds, so you can replace that messy room and make it appear as if you’re Skypeing from the Moon. But, if you’re looking for something more practical, you can also use it to scan objects in 3D using 3D System’s Sense software. The RealSense 3D camera is set to be integrated into a number of diverse devices come the second half of this year, including tablets, Ultrabooks, laptops and all-in-ones, from top companies like Acer, ASUS, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, Lenovo and NEC. Seven such devices are being demonstrated today, and Intel itself has a demo unit.
If you’d rather talk to your computer than wave at it, there’s also a next-generation version of Dragon Assistant from Nuance that will be part of Intel’s RealSense push. Of, course, while all this sounds good on paper, it remains to be seen how much people will actually want to wink, point or shout at their laptop to get it to open Netflix or point Chrome towards Engadget.
Filed under: Cameras, ASUS, Intel, HP, Dell, Acer, Lenovo
Source: Intel
HP serves up 21.5 inch Android-powered All-in-One
Android hybrid tablet/laptops are so 2013 according to HP, which just announced its new Android-powered HP Slate21 Pro AiO.
Unlike the AiO desktop PCs that dual-boot Windows and Android, this one strictly runs our little green friend, Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.
Said to be designed for productivity in office, education and kiosk environments, the AiO features a 21.5-inch 1920 x 1080 resolution IPS touchscreen display with wide 178-degree viewing angles, plus Its stand design allows it to decline up to 70 degrees. There is also optional “VESA mounting,” that makes it flexible enough for a variety of work environments.
Other specs of the HP Slate21 Pro are an NVIDIA Tegra 4 quad-core T40S Processor (1.66 GHz – Dual-Core/Single-Core mode up to 1.8 GHz), 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of flash storage, SD card slot, 8.11 a/b/g/n dual band wireless, Bluetooth 4.0, a USB 2.0 port on the side and two on the back, HDMI input, a USB 2.0 upstream port, RJ45 network connection, integrated Ethernet, DTS Sound and integrated audio, two, integrated stereo speakers, a 720p HD webcam and access to the Google Play store.
The AiO can use apps such as Kingsoft Office Suite, Google Docs, Google Drive, it’s certified Citrix ready and HDX verified and can deliver a virtual workspace with secure data and Windows application support via Citrix Receiver, so users also can easily switch between the Android environment and content displayed from a Windows PC.
With business users in mind, it comes pre-installed with Citrix XenMobile, which allows companies to manage apps and secure the HP Slate21 within a corporate environment.
When available, you get all of this this, plus 50 GB of Box cloud storage, starting at $399. If you’re not getting this for business, it should be able to handle games such as Dead Trigger 2 beautifully.
via HP
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HP rolls into CES with a bunch of business PCs, including an Android-powered all-in-one
Never mind that it’s CES, short for Consumer Electronics Show. Pretty much everything HP is showing off this week in Vegas is aimed at enterprise users — or rather, the IT guys tasked with outfitting employees. Out of everything HP announced today, the most interesting thing might be the Slate 21 Pro, an Android-powered all-in-one tailored for business users. Granted, this isn’t even HP’s first Android AiO (that would be the original Slate 21), but it is the first time HP’s tried it for the corporate set. And hey, if HP isn’t going to announce any consumer products, the next best thing are products that are at least consumerfied, right?
At any rate, the big story here is the software: In addition to all the usual Google services (e.g., Gmail and Drive), HP is pre-loading the thing with Kingsoft Office, Evernote, Skype, HP Classroom Manager, 50GB of lifetime Box storage and Citrix Receiver for remote Windows access. To be sure, one could use all these apps in the office, if only on a secondary display, but HP also imagines this guy being used in classrooms, computer labs, public kiosks and maybe hospitality settings (think: business centers at hotels). And given that it runs Android 4.3, the owner can use the restricted-profile feature to make it so that guests can only use certain apps (the web browser, for example). It’s available now for $399, keyboard and mouse included — not that you’re likely to buy one of these yourself.
Additionally, HP announced the Pro x2 410, an 11-inch detachable laptop, and its first hybrid for the business market. All told, it seems like the business version of the Split x2, in that it runs a Core i3 or i5 processor and rocks a modest 1,366 x 768 display with no pen input. That will ship this month “at or around $899,” according to a company rep. Also, in addition to the Slate 21 Pro Android all-in-one we just told you about, HP unveiled two other AiOs — the ProOne 400 and the HP 205, both of which run Windows. Starting with the 400, it’s actually available in two screen sizes: 21.5 inches if you want touch, and 19.5 without. Either way, you get a choice of Haswell processors, though screen resolution varies depending on the model; the touch version goes up to 1080p, while the non-touch is capped at 1,600 x 900. Those are available today, starting at $799 with touch and $649 without. Meanwhile, the HP 205 is an 18.5-inch machine with low-end specs (1,366 x 768 display, dual-core AMD Kabini APU) and a budget price to match ($449 and up).
Finally, HP outed a new laptop series, the 300 line, which includes 14- and 15-inch models with spill-resistant keyboards, anti-glare panels and fingerprint readers, but not the premium software add-ons you’d get on the existing 400 series. That will go for $399 and up. And there you have it! Enjoy the press shots, if by chance you’re itching for a closer look.
Leak shows LG’s radical new interface for its webOS Smart TVs
LG’s rumored webOS Smart TV is tipped to arrive at CES in the coming days, but that hasn’t stopped intrepid leaker @evleaks from giving us what could be an early preview of its next connected set. In what appears to be a significant departure from the smartphone-like UI utilized in its current Smart TVs, the leaked render shows off LG’s modern interpretation of the Cards interface we first saw in Palm’s webOS-powered smartphones and tablets. LG chiefs have already indicated that the company has thrown its weight behind the Enyo open-source JavaScript development framework, which it acquired from HP as part of the webOS project, in the hope it will encourage third parties to create apps and services for its next-gen TVs. If the leaked image is real, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Skype apps will likely be available at launch, but we’re set to find out for sure when CES 2014 commences next week.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Software, HD, LG
Source: Evleaks (Twitter)
HP woes continue as 5,000 more employees face the axe
It certainly won’t be a happy new year for thousands of HP employees — not when the company has increased its layoff numbers yet again. Hewlett-Packard already adjusted the number of people it needed to let go from 27,000 to 29,000 a year ago, but it’s now added another 5,000 to the total. According to HP’s new SEC 10-K filing, cutting off 34,000 positions will save the ailing firm $4.1 billion per fiscal year. Since the company’s only done removing 24,600 people, it’s bound to let go of 9,000 more until October 2014. The good news (for everyone left anyway) is that CEO Meg Whitman has promised that this will be the last big round of layoffs. HP’s undergone several management changes and restructuring efforts these past few years, though, so here’s hoping Whitman’s words hold true.
Via: Business Insider
HP’s new tablets may be its way back into the smartphone world
HP has long vowed that it would revive its smartphone efforts, and it may be near that comeback — just not with the fanfare that some were hoping for. The Information claims that the company is weeks away from releasing a slew of phone-capable 6- and 7-inch Android tablets that would target developing markets, like China and India. They wouldn’t cost more than $250 off-contract, and they would reportedly be recycled designs from manufacturers like Pegatron and Quanta. While HP isn’t commenting on the rumor, it’s safe to say that major smartphone makers wouldn’t be losing sleep over the potential launch. The tipsters suggest that HP would instead be testing the waters — it would enter fast-growing mobile markets while it works on original hardware, corporate apps and carrier deals that would be necessary in more established areas.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Wireless, Mobile, HP
HP Chromebook 11 now ships with an all-new charger after official recall
A month after HP and Google put the kibosh on Chromebook 11 sales due to overheating chargers, and the laptop is now available with a brand new power adapter. According to 9to5Google, it looks like a smaller version of the one for the Pixel except it has a micro-USB tip instead. If you already have a Chromebook 11, do remember that you should be sending yours back in exchange for a new one due to a company recall issued a couple days ago. But if you haven’t already pulled the trigger, now is definitely a safer time to do so for one of the best Chromebooks we’ve seen so far.
[Image credit: 9to5Google]
Filed under: Laptops, Google, HP
Source: 9to5Google
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