Bags, bags and more bags, cases, cases and more cases. Guess what I have for review today? Yep, it’s a bag or a case, it’s sort of both. It’s called a bag, but it looks more like what I think of as a case. Meh, whatever, the product is specifically called the Elecom 10.1” Tablet / Netbook Carry Bag and I like it. This bag has a separate section just for your tablet or netbook and then smaller sections for accessories like a mouse and power adapter. It’s not a bad case overall, it’s made of a water repellent material, but it could be a bit more padded. So read on….

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Dell’s XPS 18 Portable All-in-One Desktop is now up for pre-order. It’s a desktop/giant tablet (I’m calling it a gablet unless you have something better).  This is a full Windows 8 desktop PC running Core i3 or i5 chips, with varying memory, but in all cases sporting a tremendous 18.4” 1080 IPS display and weighing around 5 pounds. Add to that you can just slide it off the powered stand and you have a giant tablet with an 8 hour battery life (see below where I verify this with a Dell rep since it sounds way too high) and it can stand on its own. I’m quite intrigued. It gives you a huge screen to use anywhere. I can do some work while sitting outside; let the kids watch a video during dinner; show off photos on something bigger than a 10” screen. Add a little bit of Slingbox love and you have something here.

You can check it out here. Prices range from $900-$1350 depending on configuration (only the most expensive has the powered stand included, which otherwise is $100). It even comes with an offer to get an XPS 10 RT or Latitude 10 tablet for just $300. Shipments start at the end of the month.

Who’s in?

Have you ever really looked into buying a case for your tablet or netbook or even notebook? There is just a plethora of them out there, yes I used plethora, and that’s the best word to describe it really. I like the word, it’s one that’s not used much anymore I think, but it really applies when it comes to the choice of cases out there today. Anyway, if you couldn’t have guessed, I have another case for review today. With the popularity of tablets on the rise, netbook and notebook cases are now being used for tablets, when you look at a site you’ll find the same cases listed in both sections. This is a good thing I guess as it gives you more choices, then again it can make life more difficult as you’ve now got so many to pick from. So the case I have for review today is the 8.9” iGadgitz Hard Cover Notebook Case and it kind of reminds me of a mini brief case. The case is a hard shell style, but it has a cloth material covering it and some padding in there too of course for protection. The case has velcro straps to hold your tablet or notebook in place and there’s even a mesh pocket to hold any accessories or other stuffs you might want to bring along with you. So without further chitchat from me, read on for the review…

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These days it seems netbook cases do double duty as tablet cases as well. When you’re searching for a tablet case you’ll notice netbook cases come up in your results, and that’s not a bad thing as it offers more choices. Well at least I think more choices is a good thing! Today for review I have a hard case that can be used with a tablet or netbook up to ten inches in size, it’s the E-Volve Tuff-Shell case and it sorts of just like it sounds, a hard shell case. Sleeves for tablets are nice, but I like having a hard shell biter as it offers a lot more protection that just a sleeve will. This particular case is fairly plain looking, basic black really, so you could use it for most any occasion, business or pleasure. The case has dual zippers for easy access and the outside of the case is pretty much spill-proof so it will protect from accidents and of course the weather. The case is good enough to be used on its own, or you can safely toss it into another bag and not worry about damaging the contents.

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Way back in November I reviewed the Rivacase Tablet bag and I liked it a lot, but I’ve recently gotten another tablet bag for review and I like it better and it’s from Rivacase as well! Today for review I have the Rivacase 8112 which is also a tablet bag for tablets up to 10.2” in size. This bag is much nicer than the one I reviewed previously, but the other one still is nice, I just like the functionality of this new one much better. The 8112 not only features a nice roomy and padded section for your tablet, but it has front and back pockets along with a few smaller pockets as well for things like pencils or whatever. The other bag was nice but this one has become my new favorite for sure. Read to to check it out..

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Well when you’ve a Surface Pro or any other Windows 8 Laptop with multi touch screen with resolution equal to almost 2k. You could install Chrome browser and follow our awesome Doug Simmons instructions in response to this MobilityDigest Post, Microsoft Web Apps for free.

Simmons said “For all you awesome Chrome users (specifically, 23.4% of you), grab yourself this extension which when you open an email in gmail that has an attachment, next to the download and preview links you’ll have a Save to Drive thing that dumps the attachment right into your root folder on Google Drive.

And here’s one that claims to let you save to Google Drive, SkyDrive, DropBox and Box but I didn’t try it.

I’m sure IE has that sort of functionality built in though.

Oh, here’s another cool Chrome extension that lets you right click any image or the target of any link to save it to Google Drive. Handy for building up your .. stash to have with you anywhere you go if you know what I mean.”

And here is how to run Chrome Web Apps in Chrome browser without need of Chromebook.

My dear fellas unless you have tons money and your hands are itching for a 4k resolution laptop powered by a browser for HTML5 apps, you could technically use your awesome Surface Pro or any other Windows 8 laptop with close to 2k resolution and run Windows store apps, legacy Windows desktop apps, Chrome Apps, and with the help of BlueStacks, your beloved Android apps. Not only these, you could sync iPhone, iPad (with iTunes), Windows Phone and Android Phones. You also could easily integrate with iCloud, Google Drive, SktyDrive and other tons of Cloud storages easily.

The only benefit you get from a Pixel is 12 free sessions of GoGo Inflight Internet (useless unless you fly regularly), and 1 TB of 3 year could storage on Google Drive. I have shown you in different post, How to Expand Surface Storage, that you could get at least 100 GB of cloud storage with options for paid services for more.

Now if a company like BlueStacks provides a way to run millions of iOS fart apps on Windows 8 Tablets and Touch enabled laptops wouldn’t that be “that” tight feeling while standing behind a ballerina beauty who is drinking water stylishly and we are waiting for our turn to drink water from the fountain in New York Central Park on a hot summer day.

Simmons, thanks for the picture.

Now tell us what do you think about having separate Chromebook including Pixel.

Sources: Doug Simmons, diTii.com, BlueStacks

Engadget’s got the meat on this one, the tablet we all knew was coming finally makes an appearance. The Galaxy Note 8.0 features a 1,280 x 800 8 inch display, a quad core Exynos 4 processor clocked at 1.6ghz, 2GB of ram and comes with a 16GB or 16GB storage option.

As you could imagine, this device probably only has one purpose, to attack the iPad Mini much like the Galaxy S series attacked the iPhone. Aside from the boring cutting edge specs, the Note 8.0 has an interesting trick up it’s sleeve, it can make calls. The Note II continues to enjoy success and receive rave reviews by those who own it, even though the screen approaches the “too big to use as  a phone” size, but this my friends, blows that argument out of the water! This is no longer a phatblet, this IS a tablet! However, as per Engadget, Samsung has no interest in bringing the phone enabled model to the US, so we’ll get the LTE version, which is fine by me.

Loaded with Jelly Bean and full S Pen functionality, Samsung is determined to see Apple’s success with the iPad Mini is short lived, if the sales and comparisons with the iPhone, SG3 war is any indication of what is to come, Apple is in for a fight!

Let me get the obvious out of the way, this thing looks like a 7 inch Galaxy Note II! Which isn’t necessary a bad thing, priced at $166, it could have looked many times worse. Coming in with a 1280 x 800 LCD display, a quad-core 1.4GHz Samsung Exyonos processor, 1GB of ram, two cameras and 8GB of storage, it offers up a lot of the price! Although, the rear camera is only 2MP, the battery is a 3,300mah offering and it ships with ICS, you can’t be too angry at the device. It comes in a bit cheaper than a Nexus 7, cut a few corners to get there, but looks to still be worth it!

Check it out at Pandawill.

I guess it’s because I have kids, but I think tablets for kids are cool. I mean regular tablets are great, but they’re not for kids and tablets aimed at kids just seem more fun to me. I guess I would be embarrassed carrying one around with me, but I could say it’s my kids tablet! Anyway, Ematic just announced several new Android table6ts for kids at CES this year, and I know my kids would just love them…

Ematic, a leader in value tablets, heads to Las Vegas to reveal the full FunTab Family line during the Consumer Electronics Show 2013.  This series of child-friendly tablets come four different sizes and styles with one common mission: to offer children a unique and safe online experience for education and entertainment.  The series is a product of the creative minds at Ematic in collaboration with the award-winning Zoodles Kid Mode^TM.
“There are plenty of children’s tablets on the market right now; but, we [Ematic] want to offer parent’s a platform that creates a safe haven for kids to learn and play,” says Roy Rayn, President of Ematic.  “The FunTab Family offers the best of both worlds: a great time for kids and peace of mind for parents.”
The FunTab Family is comprised of the FunTab Pro, FunTab, FunTab XL and FunTab Mini.  Each tablet is powered by Android’s 4.0 operating system, Ice Cream Sandwich, and comes packed with features and games to keep your child busy for hours.  Some exciting new features included on the tablets are Interactive Story Books and Art Studio.
Children can use the Video Mail function to send video messages to grandparents and other relatives.  It is a great way for family members to connect and keep in touch anytime, anywhere.  Today’s most popular games also come preloaded on all the tablets including Angry Birds, Where’s My Water?, Cut the Rope and more.  Durable and resilient, Ematic innovated a rubberized grip ideal for active children on the go.
Parents can access Zoodles.com from any computer to track and control their child’s activities.  Zoodles gives a detailed report on the child’s educational progress, a gallery of their artwork and storage to record video messages.

The FunTab XL has a 9” capacitive, multi-touch IPS screen for easy viewing of multimedia content.  It has a 1.2GHz processor with 400 MHz GPU and 1GB RAM with16GB of internal storage.  HDMI mirroring allows the child to watch videos and play games on any HDTV. The FunTab XL supports has front and rear cameras.  It retails for $149.99.

The FunTab Mini is a scaled down version of its counterparts.  It’s portable with a 4.3” 480X272 touch screen.  It has a 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, and a rear camera.  It retails for $59.99.

 

The FunTab is a 7” capacitive touchscreen device with 1.2 GHz processor and 400 MHz GPU.  The FunTab comes with front and rear cameras, and the battery allows for 5.5 hours of continuous playtime.  It is available in blue/green and pink/purple.  The FunTab retails for $119.99. 

The FunTab Pro is a 7” tablet with a 1GHz processor and dedicated GPU.  It comes with front and rear cameras, and the battery allows for up to 8 hours of continuous playtime.  The FunTab Pro features an HDMI output to connect your device to a television to view videos, play games and enjoy other multimedia content in 1080p.  Users can customize this tablet with the included interchangeable faceplates which come in blue, pink and red.  The FunTab Pro retails for $149.99.

The FunTab Family is available at walmart.com. 

I still want a Windows 8 tablet, but I think I’ll wait until the prices drop, or I can get a really good deal on one. Vizio just announced one that I ‘m going to be putting on my want list, as it’s 11.6” in size, and bigger is better when it comes to tablets I think. I’ve owned 7” tablets, 9” tablets and 10” tablets and I like the 10” size the best personally. This new tablet features Full HD 1080p capacitive touchscreen with support for 10-finger multi-touch gestures, 64GB onboard SSD storage, all powered by an AMD Z-60 APU processor with Radeon HD graphics. The tablet also features SRS and DTS along with a micro HDMI port for output. I don’t see a price though

VIZIO revealed today the latest addition to its family of premium PCs with the VIZIO 11.6″ Tablet PC featuring Windows 8. Designed to provide a fully-functional desktop Windows 8 experience, the 11.6″ Tablet PC offers the flexibility and versatility of a mobile device, while challenging the very notion of what a traditional tablet can do. VIZIO will be showcasing the 11.6″ Tablet PC at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, NV,January 7-11, 2013 at the Wynn Hotel, by appointment. 

Equipped with a Full HD 1080p capacitive touchscreen with support for 10-finger multi-touch gestures and expansive 64GB onboard SSD storage, the 11.6″ Tablet PC is powered by AMD’s Z-60 APU processor with Radeon™ HD graphics, enabling consumers to tackle work tasks with stellar performance and reliability, while delivering rich HD video for a one-of-a-kind, tablet-based entertainment experience.

“We built a tablet PC with Windows 8 that truly allows consumers to accomplish any task while being mobile,” said Matt McRae, Chief Technology Officer, VIZIO. “We are excited to work together with AMD to bring consumers a Tablet PC with the Windows experience that also delivers exceptional visuals using AMD’s expertise in superior graphics processing.”

Collaborating with AMD for the first time, VIZIO incorporated AMD’s most premium, high performing component designed for tablets into the 11.6″ Tablet PC.

“We couldn’t be more pleased to partner with VIZIO around this release,” said Steve Belt, corporate vice president of ultra-low power products, AMD. “Armed with our Z-60 APU with Radeon HD graphics, VIZIO’s consumers should be prepared to encounter a high-performing tablet with an entertainment experience like no other.”

As with its entire PC line-up, VIZIO went above and beyond to craft an incomparable look and feel for the 11.6″ Tablet PC. At less than 0.4″ thin, the 11.6″ Tablet PC weighs in at an ultra-light 1.8 lbs. A feat of engineering made all the more remarkable considering the ample space for work and entertainment provided by its 11.6″ touchscreen. Adding to the iconic design, VIZIO uses a machined aluminum frame and soft-touch rear panel to create a premium mobility devices designed to turn heads.

“By using AMD’s Z-60 APU, VIZIO’s new tablet can deliver the performance and compatibility of a Windows 8 PC with the fan-less, thin and light tablet design. This is very unique in the industry and the market,” stated Patrick Moorhead, President and Principal Analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy.

Leveraging its HDTV and entertainment background, VIZIO offers dual speaker stereo sound and the performance-tuned SRS Premium Sound HD™ audio system, a DTS technology, to deliver rich, crystal-clear sound and dialogue, consistent volume and an extra bass kick. An excellent complement to the unmatched video performance, it’s a great combination for getting the most out of music, movies, games and more. Also, micro-HDMI output lets you connect to your television or other display, bringing the entertainment experience to an even bigger screen.

To further ensure a premium consumer experience, VIZIO delivers Microsoft® Signature to the 11.6″ Tablet PC. Microsoft Signature is a great way to get the most out of Windows 8. With no pre-loaded junk ware, a meticulous configuration, built-in world-class security software, and 90 days free Microsoft Signature support from Microsoft, it’s an excellent Windows 8 experience on your Tablet PC.*

More information about VIZIO’s CES announcements can be found at www.VIZIO.com/CES.