Where's the madness, CES 2012? So far, this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas has been a pretty staid affair, with the usual array of incrementally better tablets, smartphones, TVs and audio devices.

Thank the tech gods for Razer then, who at least are trying something a little wacky. They've introduced a new gaming tablet concept called Project Fiona at the show, which is designed to put the power of a dedicated gaming PC into a tablet form factor.

With a twist! A pair of handles sit either side of the screen, each packing an array of gaming buttons, triggers and housing a pair of analog sticks, allowing for a genuine portable gaming PC experience with gamepad controls. Multitouch controls, as you'd expect from a tablet, also feature.

"This first-of-its-kind PC gaming tablet with integrated dual controllers is definitely not for playing casual games about unhappy birds or zombie-killing flora," stresses Razer, taking a little swipe at the rise of casual touchscreen gaming.

As it's just a concept design for the time being, precise details are a little thin on the ground at the moment, but the specs revealed so far read as follows:

- Intel Core i7
- 10.1" 1280x800 display
- Multi-touch screen
- 3-axis gryo
- Magnetometer
- Accelerometer
- Force feedback
- Dolby 7.1 surround sound
- Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n; and Bluetooth 3.0.

Hit the video below for a trailer for the madcap concept device:

For more news from CES 2012, click here.

Remember the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga hybrid ultrabook/tablet device we showed you yesterday? Well we've now seen it in person, and it's just as impressive as it seemed.

Running Windows 8, the 13.3 inch screen can be swivelled 360-degrees to position it in a laptop format with keyboard, flat slate like shape, a stand for watching video and, er, a tent as Lenovo themselves like to describe it.

Click here for more info, or hit the video above for a short video demo of the device.

For more news from CES 2012, click here.

Mobile network operators Orange are to deliver their own branded Android tablet in the form of the Orange Tahiti.

Basically a re-branded Huawei MediaPad, it's a 7 inch Honeycomb device running off a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8260 dual-core processor clocked at 1.2GHz and 512MB of RAM.

The Tahiti measures up at 124 x 190 x 10.5mm with a weight of 390g, and also includes 3G+ connectivity, Wi-Fi, AGPS, Bluetooth, a 5MP cmera, micro HDMI out, 8GB of internal storage and the ability to expand up by up to 32GB with microSD cards.

Heavily subsidised, it'll hit the UK at a cost of just £69.99, but with a £25 a month, 24 month data plan attached for a grand total of £699.99. That data plan offers 1GB of anytime data, and an extra gigabyte of late-night data between the hours of midnight and 4am.

Alternatively, the tablet will be available as part of a "connected" plan that adds a smartphone into the mix. For instance, you can throw in an Orange San Francisco handset into the deal detailed above for £41 a month (for a grand total of £984 across the two-year period), which also bags you 2GB of anytime data and unlimited Wi-Fi hotspot access. If the San Francisco isn't your cup of tea, other handset alternatives include the Nokia C3-01 or HTC Wildfire S for a little extra dough.

Lenovo are brinigng a little added flexibility to their latest batch of ultrabooks with the IdeaPad Yoga, a hybrid tablet/ultrabook machine running Windows 8.

Powered by an Intel Core processor backed by up to 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD, the IdeaPad Yoga is engineered around a four-point viewing mode principle.

In other words, the 360-degree twisting 1600x900, 13.3 inch touch screen can be positioned to work like a standard laptop with keyboard, folded flat like a tablet with the screen facing outwards, stood up like an open book, or hinged like a tent in the picture above.

It's also the thinnest convertible ultrabook yet (of which there are admittedly few), measuring just 16.9mm deep and weighing 1.47kg.

"It is clear to us that consumers want their four screens: mobile devices, tablets, notebooks and smart TVs and they want them to work together seamlessly, anytime, anywhere," said Yang Yuanqing, Chairman and CEO for Lenovo.

"The IdeaPad YOGA multi-mode notebook redefines the convergence and convertible user experience by bringing together the best of traditional PCs, with the best of tablets."

Expect to see the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga starting at $1199 (around £775) when it lands sometime in the second half of the year. No word yet on a UK launch.

For more news from CES 2012, click here.

It's been on the cards for quite some time now, but it seems the BlackBerry PlayBook firesale is now looming. Retailers across the land are cutting the price of the under-performing tablet quite drastically, giving tablet bargain hunters plenty of reasons to start smashing their piggy banks.

Head over to the Carphone Warehouse today and you can pick up a BlackBerry PlayBook at 16GB for £169, 32GB for £199 and 64GB for £329. That's down from £399, £479 and £559 respectively.

Amazon are making similar cuts, dropping the 16GB model under the £200 mark.

RIM in the US take the price-cutting biscuit however dropping every model (including the 64GB version!) to just $299 (£191) before tax.

Despite lukewarm reviews and sales to match the general lack of interest in the device, at these prices the BlackBerry PlayBook actually looks quite a good deal, in much the same way the £99 HP Touchpad firesale did.

However, RIM may be shooting their future prospects in the foot with the move. With the PlayBook's QNX OS built on the same foundations as the forthcoming BlackBerry Ten mobile OS (due in just under a year), such desperate measures may be seen by some as an admission of the platform's failure. With much of the upcoming BlackBerry portfolio resting on BlackBerry Ten, that would be a very foolish move.

Amazon have given a rare insight into just how units many off their super-popular Kindle product line they're managing to shift in the run up to Christmas.

The company have revealed that more than a million products bearing the Kindle name (from all generations of their eReaders and newly-formed tablet line) are being sold each week.

Even more startling, given the wealth of items available through Amazon, is that their Android-based Kindle Fire tablet is the most popular product Amazon have EVER SOLD.

"Kindle Fire is the most successful product we've ever launched - it's the bestselling product across all of Amazon for 11 straight weeks, we've already sold millions of units, and we're building millions more to meet the high demand," explained Dave Limp, vice president of Amazon Kindle.

"In fact, demand is accelerating - Kindle Fire sales increased week over week for each of the past three weeks. People are buying Kindle Fire because it's a simple, fully-integrated service that makes it easy to do the things they love - watch movies, read books and magazines, listen to music, download apps, play games, and surf the web."

Until now, Amazon had remained silent as to just how well their products were doing, beyond vague "very well" responses. It's hardly surprising though; the Kindle brand name has caught on in a big way, and the Fire tablet will make a perfect, affordable step up for those currently in love with their Kindle eReaders.

Is that an iPad 2 I see at the top of your Christmas list? Hold fire, eager tech fan! New rumours suggest that the next-gen Apple tablet is merely a few months away, meaning that your new favourite toy may be out of date before too long.

The latest whispers come from supply trackers DigiTimes, who've a decent track record for spotting Apple's gear on the production lines.

They reckon that Apple's parts manufacturers have began sending new components to the assembly plants at Foxconn, where the Cupertino team's gear is made.

iPad 2 production will begin to slow down over the next few weeks, with iPad 3 devices ready in time for the new year. This lines up nicely with a proposed March or April release come the Spring, which is in keeping with Apple's yearly product refresh cycle.

According to DigiTimes, Apple will have a whopping 10 million iPad 3 units ready to hit shelves by Q1 of 2012.

Via: DigiTimes

Samsung are currently said to be building an 11.6 inch Android tablet packing not only Ice Cream Sandwich, but a display running at an incredible 2560 x 1600 resolution.

With many expecting Apple to finally roll out their own high-def Retina display packing iPad 3 next year, Samsung may even beat them to the punch in the high-def slate stakes, with their latest tablet potentially ready for an early 2012 launch at Mobile World Congress next February.

The next-gen slate is also said to feature a much smaller bezel than the current Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 model, meaning that while the screen itself will be a little larger, the actual device as a whole should more-or-less maintain its svelte dimensions.

The device is thought to be powered by a 2GHz dual-core Exynos 5250 processor, capable of pushing out the huge resolutions stated, as well as potentially offering 3D capabilities.

It's been a tough tangle in and out of the courts between Apple and Samsung this year when it comes to tablets. Despite the buzz already beginning to build up around a potential iPad 3 device, it looks as though Samsung are going to come out fighting in the tablet market in the new year.

Via: BGR

Archos's cheap and (mostly) cheerful G9 range of Android tablets are making the jump to the latest build of Google's OS, Ice Cream Sandwich.

Previewed in the video above, the latest build of the operating system seems to be running at a nice pace on the French gadget manufacturer's slate.

It's unsurprising to see an older tablet getting on well with Google's new version of Android, considering the focus of its new functionality. While it's not quite the drastic overhaul Honeycomb was, Ice Cream Sandwich puts more of the processing strain on a tablets GPU rather than CPU, allowing for the swift, smooth screen transitions seen in the video.

No firm release date for the update yet, but we'd imagine some time late this year. Keep in mind that with CES looming in January 2012, we'll see plenty more Ice Cream Sandwich tablets in the New Year.

I was never one for crafty things. My clumsy hands struggled to make a paper aeroplane, let alone any fancy paper swans or card fortune telling devices. Asus, on the other hand, must have been paying special attention to Blue Peter all these years, as their latest tablet cover takes its cues from the ancient art of origami.

Headed to the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime, the cover attaches to the side of the tablet in much the same way that the Apple Smart Cover does, clicking into place where the tablet's keyboard dock also goes.

Once on, the cover doesn't only just protect the device's screen, but also folds at a number of joints to prop the slate up at angles suited for typing, and a higher angle for movie watching.

The Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime is headed to stores in January, priced £499 with a bundled keyboard dock. The Android slate packs a Tegra 3 processor, and supports 1080p video playback.

Via: Engadget

Acer have finally made the much-leaked Iconia Tab A200 tablet official, revealing the specs and features that their latest Android slate will offer.

A 10.1 inch device with a screen resolution of 1280 x 800, it's running Android Honeycomb off a 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 processor. 1GB of RAM should keep things ticking over quite nicely, while a front-facing 2MP camera is onboard for video chatting.

The Iconia Tab A200 will also feature the Acer Ring UI function. A small, round pop-up menu, it allows for the quick-booting of apps through a shortcut-loaded dial.

Though early shipments of the tablet will be loaded with the Honeycomb version of Google's Android OS installed, an update to the latest Ice Cream Sandwich build will be available soon after launch. Shipments of the tablet expected to be ready by January will come with Android Ice Cream Sandwich pre-installed.

Expect to see it instores at the start of 2012, sometime within the first quarter.

Surplus stock of the under-performing BlackBerry PlayBook will cost RIM somewhere in the region of $485 million (£308 million), the company has today revealed.

Despite a number of price cuts, the feldgling RIM tablet is still sticking steadfastly to store shelves, with consumers opting for Apple or Android rivals instead.

That's not to say RIM aren't still hopeful that the tablet will meet its potential in the new year.

"RIM is committed to the BlackBerry PlayBook and believes the tablet market is still in its infancy," said Lazaridis.

"Although a number of factors have led to the need for an inventory provision in the third quarter, we believe the PlayBook, which will be further enhanced with the upcoming PlayBook OS 2.0 software, is a compelling tablet for consumers that also offers unique security and manageability features for the enterprise."

That PlayBook OS 2.0 software that Lazaridis mentioned is pencilled in for a February release. However, despite the continued requests from the small PlayBook using community, the update still wont bring with it native BlackBerry Messenger support.

Which is symptomactic of the PlayBook's failure thus-far in fact. Though not an awful piece of hardware by any means, the PlayBook suffered from key functionality being notably absent at launch. 9 months later, we're still waiting for the likes of BBM to hit the platform.

With such a lacklustre response to this first tablet offering, and RIM's financial woes this year well documented, it makes you wonder whether they'll bother release a PlayBook 2 at all.

Via: RIM

The next gen iPhone and iPad devices from Apple will each be packing 4G super-fast mobile data connections.

That's the report coming from Nikkei Business, who state that Apple's smartphones and tablets will be making the jump to LTE speeds for the first time.

Nikkei Business believe that Apple CEO Tim Cool has already entered into talks with Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo, with the two meeting in Apple's hometown of Cupertino.

It is thought that the two firms have come to an agreement to bring iPad 3 and iPhone 5 devices, each packing the aforementioned 4G connections, to Japan by next autumn. If that's the case, it's likely that a US 4G carrier such as AT&T, T-Mobile or Sprint will also offer the super-fast handsets, though with the UK's 4G infrastructure significantly lagging behind other international territories, it's unlikely Blighty will be able to folow suit.

Despite stellar sales in most every other territory, the iPhone 4S hasn't been quite as successful in South Korea and other Asian nations where 4G is beginning to hit its stride. While the likes of Motorola, Samsung and HTC all have 4G offerings already, it's important for Apple to also make the LTE jump are they to continue to remain competitive in these areas.

Via: Mac Rumours

Acer president Jim Wong has confirmed the rumours that his company are to release a quad-core tablet, revealng that a Nividia Tegra 3 powered slate will be landing sometime in 2012.

"You may have seen some leaked stories in the media relating to Acer launching a new quad-core tablet and I can confirm these stories are true," said Wong.

"Acer was the first to follow Motorola with a Honeycomb tablet in 2011 after the launch of the Xoom and we intend to remain very aggressive on that front".

It's still not yet certain what the name of the tablet will be or, what the rest of its specs will look like. Some have suggested that it will be the Acer Iconia Tab A200 that recently leaked online, though that's expected to be powered by the Tegra 2 chipset rather than the more meaty quad-core Tegra 3.

Wong also suggested that his company will step more bodly into the realm of Windows based tablets, likely putting out a slate running Windows 8, Microsoft's tablet-orientated OS.

"Tablets are a very important category to expand our business," continued Wong.

"We are the only company selling Windows 7 tablets in volume and next year we will continue to do the same thing with second generation Windows tablets on the way in addition to our Android tablets."

Via: T3

Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 is back on sale in Australia, after the South Korean electronics giant had Apple's sales ban on the tablet overruled.

Though the sales ban is still in place until Friday, Federal Court Justice Lindsay Foster has reversed the court order, meaning Samsung's superb Android slate will be back on shelves by the start of the weekend.

That is unless Apple take it another step further by getting the High Court involved, which they most likely will. If Apple push there, it's feasible that the ban could once again be imposed.

However, Samsung see it as a breakthrough moment in their long-running court fiasco with Apple, with the timing perfect in the close run-up to Christmas.

"We believe the ruling clearly affirms that Apple's legal claims lack merit," said a Samsung spokesperson.

Apple and Samsung ahve been battling it out in the courts all year long, with each claiming the other is infringing on patents for copyrighted technology. It's a row that's taken in locations all over the globe, including the UK, US and Japan, as well as Germany, where the Samsung tablet had also been banned following Apple's complaints leading Samsung to develop a modfied version of the slate.

Via: Financial Times

There was once a time when little Jane and Jimmy Christmas wanted nothing more than a rocking horse, an Action Man and a giant Toblerone sitting wrapped beneath their Christmas trees. Now, for better or worse, they want videogames like Gears of War, Modern Warfare and The Legend of Zelda instead. Oh, and that giant Toberlone too.

So to save tears come Christmas morning, what games consoles are they going to need to play all this year's best titles on? And which ones go that extra mile to offer multimedia fun for all the family too? PS3 or Xbox 360? PlayStation Vita or Nintendo 3DS? Read on to find out!

When you're done here, be sure to check out the rest of Tech Digest's 2011 Christmas wishlists too.

Amazon have been giving themselves a pat on the back this morning, revealing that they've been selling their Kindle eReader devices by the buckeltload.

While many analysts believed that the rise of the tablet would mean the demise of eReaders, Amazon's Kindles continue to sell like hot cakes. With a brand new range revealed, Amazon saw its "best Black Friday ever", with Kindle sales "increasing 4x over last year".

Amazon never reveal exact sales figures, but Dave Limp, Kindle VP previously stated that "Even before the busy holiday shopping weekend, we'd already sold millions of the new Kindle family."

Amazon have also stated once again that their Kindle Fire tablet computer remains the bestselling product on Amazon.com. It's been two months now since the tablet was revealed, and the Kindle Fire has been the top seller for the retailer ever since.

With today noted annually as Cyber Monday (one of the biggest days of the year for online shopping), you can expect plenty more cash flowing into Amazon's coffers via Kindle sales.

HTC's first tablet effort, the Flyer (pictured), was a quirky stylus-supplemented curio that never quite lived up to the stellar reputation the company's phones have. Looks like HTC won't be making the same mistakes twice if the rumoured specs surrounding their next effort, the Quattro, are to be believed.

A 10.1 inch device, it's set to be packing Beats Audio, full Dropbox integration, a 2MP camera, WiFi and 3G connections as well as a healthy 1GB of RAM.

Most exciting however is the Quattro's quad-core heart, which is said to boast a Nvidia Tegra 3 chip.

According to DigiTimes and their supply chain sources, we can expect to see the tablet touch down sometime in March 2012.

Having said that, a February reveal at MWC 2012 will likely be our first official glimpse of the device.

Thinking of popping an iPad 2 at the top of your Christmas wishlist? Perhaps hold fire just a for a little while longer. New rumours coming in from DigiTimes suggests that Apple's 2nd generation tablet may have a new sibling ready to wow tablet fans just around the corner.

According to the site (which has a good record for accurately tracking tech manufacturing cycles) the Cupertino team have put in an order of millions of brand new displays for an iPad 3 device, with an aim of going into production as early as January, with a potential retail launch by Spring 2012.

DigiTimes sources are said to be very close to suppliers Samsung, LG and Sharp, all of whom said to be making the iPad 3's screens.

Rumours continue to circulate around a 7.85-inch "iPad Mini" too, with sources suggesting Apple continue to test the waters with prototypes and displays in that size bracket too.

Whether such a device would ever make it to market reamins to be seen; the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs vehemently decried the need for pint-sized tablets, and it's unlikely his successor Tim Cook will go back on the word of his old mentor so soon after his passing.

Amazon's new Kindle Fire tablet costs a reasonable $199. That price becomes even more reasonable when you learn that the Kindle Fire tablet actually costs the eBook and digital shopping giants $201.70 to make.

That's the news from tear-down specialists IHS iSuppli, who've put together a piece-by-piece price breakdown of each of the new Android slate's components.

Heavily subsidised, with Amazon hoping that the thorough integration of their Kindle and gift store will make up the loss, iSuppli note that all components are extremely cost effective.

"All the choices have been made here to minimize the hardware cost," said iSuppli analyst Andrew Rassweiler.

"We expected to see a certain wireless module that's commonly been seen in other tablets, and we were surprised that it wasn't there.There was a cheaper one with fewer features that saved them a few bucks."

The pricing model seems to be paying off too; Amazon are reporting strong pre-order sales, while thrid-party sellers are seeing the slates fly off their stores. Things are going so well that Amazon have already lined up the next major production run of the units.

Via: All Things Digital