Unannounced Acer Iconia W3 8-inch tablet leaks on Amazon, priced at $380

Acer's Iconia W3 tablet hasn't been formally announced, but that hasn't stopped Amazon from giving the TBA product a shiny new home on its website. The page appears to be a bit incomplete, with the summary listing an "1.5 GHz Apple A4" in the processor field, which we can't imagine is correct. The product description below might be a bit more on point, though. There you'll find a dual-core Atom Z2760 processor, an 8.1-inch 1280 x 800-pixel CrystalBrite LCD display, integrated graphics with 64MB of memory, 32 gigs of internal storage, 2GB of RAM, 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, 2-megapixel front- and rear-facing cameras, and a two-cell 3,500mAh battery, keeping the Windows 8 tab powered for up to 8 hours. There's no word on when the 1.1-pound slate is set to ship (or when it'll make an official debut, for that matter), but assuming the Amazon web producers have managed to input pricing info correctly, you'll be able to pick one up for $380 sometime in the future.

[Thanks, Jake]

Filed under: Tablets, Amazon, Acer

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Source: Amazon

via http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/03/acer-iconia-w3-on-amazon/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

Acer brings options galore to new Aspire V5 and V7 laptops (hands-on)

Choice, you say? Acer's newest laptop duo is offering that in spades. At a gala this morning in New York City, the company rolled out quite the arrangement of new kit -- not the least of which was a revamped Aspire V5 and Aspire V7. The two lines ship with a 14- or 15.6-inch display, giving users the option of a 1,366 x 768 panel or a (highly recommended) 1,920 x 1,080 IPS panel; those seeking something even smaller will also find an 11.6-inch option in the V5 range, weighing just three pounds and measuring under an inch thick. The whole lot can be selected with dual- or quad-core chips from AMD and Intel, while select configurations are equipped with NVIDIA's GeForce GT7XXM series or AMD's Radeon HD8750 discrete graphics.

In essence, the V7 only differs from the V5 by adding a "silky touch" finish on the bottom, the "latest Intel CPUs," optional SSDs and Intel's Wireless Display (WiDi) technology. Both ranges offer the new Acer Converter Port, which aims to make the act of connecting to an external display, HDD, router, etc. a lesson in simplicity. The newfangled V series will ship at the end of the month with prices starting at $499, but you can bet that the model you're really after will land far north of that.

Gallery: Acer Aspire V5 hands-on (2013)

Gallery: Acer Aspire V7 hands-on (2013)

Filed under: Laptops, Acer

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Source: Acer

via http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/03/acer-new-aspire-v5-v7-ultrabook-laptops/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

DoD clarifies faith-sharing policy

Members of the military are free to share their faith as long as they don't harass others, the Department of Defense said in a prepared statement Thursday.

via http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130503/NEWS/305030015

Acer announces new Windows 8 PCs!

At a press event in New York City today, Acer has announced several new Windows 8 PCs.

Aspire R7

The Aspire R7 is a new 15.6-inch notebook that is designed to take advantage of the new computing lifestyle, which increasingly combines touching and typing. The Aspire R7 has some impressive specs:

• A full HD 1920 x 1080 touchscreen display.
• An Intel Core i5 processor.
• 6GB of memory.
• A 500GB hard drive and 24GB SSD.
• A full-size backlit keyboard.
• Includes an HDMI port, SD card reader, 3 USB ports, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
• Also comes with a converter port supporting VGA, RJ45 and USB.

But this new PC has something unique – what Acer calls an “Ezel Hinge”.

What this does is enables this PC to do is move it’s HD display forward and into 4 different modes: “Ezel Mode”, “Notebook Mode”, “Display Mode”, and “Pad Mode”. With “Ezel Mode”, the display can float over the keyboard at various angles for example. With these 4 modes, the Aspire R7 can be used as a traditional laptop or like a tablet sitting on a table. The idea is that this hinge can make the combination of touching the screen and using the keyboard more intuitive and natural. The dual hinge technology allows for single-hand switching between the 4 modes and keeps the display rock-steady when touched. It also has an ergonomic design allows people to determine their own preferred way to interact with the PC.

With a repositioned keyboard and a revolutionary “Ezel Hinge” that moves the display forward and into different positions, the R7 makes the combination of touching the screen and using the keyboard more intuitive and natural. Its ergonomic design allows users to explore and determine their own preferred way to interact with technology.

The Aspire R7 will be available on May 17^th for the suggested retail price of $999.99 (U.S.). Consumers who place pre-orders with Best Buy between May 3rd and May 16th, 2013 will also receive a free download of Star Trek: The Video Game for PC as part of Acer’s marketing partnership campaign with Paramount for the upcoming film, “Star Trek Into Darkness,” opening on May 17, 2013.

Aspire P3 Ultrabook

The Acer Aspire P3 is an Ultrabook that comes with all the Ultrabook benefits but can easily transform into a “tablet” mode.

The Aspire P3 only weighs 3.06 pounds and measures 0.77-inches thin. And Acer has packed in quite a bit in this highly portable form factor for excellent performance with long battery life:

• An 11.6-inch HD display with touch and IPS technology (wide 170-degree viewing angles).
• Available with Intel Core i3 and Core i5 processors.
• Up to 6 hours of battery life.
• Either a 60GB or 120GB SSD.
• Dolby Home Theater boosts sound for headphones as well as built-in speakers.
• USB 3.0 port and HDMI port.
• A built-in Acer Crystal Eye HD webcam in the front that can capture 720p HD, and a 5MP back camera.
• A full-sized chiclet keyboard.
• An optional stylus that fits in the case for customers who want the convenience of pen-based input.

The Acer Aspire P3 is available immediately starting at a suggested retail price of $799.99 (U.S.).

Acer Aspire V5 and V7 Series

The new V Series represents Acer’s biggest line of mainstream Windows 8 laptops with numerous models with a variety of options. The new V Series PCs are up to 9 percent slimmer than the previous generation and come with full HD displays, more powerful graphics and SSDs for even better performance.

All V5 series models are available with a choice of touch or non-touch screen. They also include a full size keyboard with an 8 percent larger key cap area than previous generation V5 laptops. All V5 models with touch screen configurations will also include backlit keyboards.

New V5 Series laptops with 15.6-inch or 14-inch displays:

• Available in either high definition (1366x768) or full high-definition (1920x1080) with IPS technology.
• Includes 4 speakers and are supported by Dolby Home Theatre.
• Available with the next generation AMD dual core or quad core processors, or the latest Intel processors.
• Select configurations are equipped with NVIDIA GeForce GT7XXM series or AMD Radeon HD8750 discrete graphics.

New V5 Series laptops with 11.6 displays:

• Includes a high-definition (1366 x 768) display.
• Just 3 pounds and less than an inch thick.
• Models are available with the next generation AMD dual core or quad core or the latest Intel processors.
• Also includes a full size keyboard (backlit keyboards will also be available in some regions).

All V5 Series laptops include an Acer Converter Port, making it easy to connect to an external display, hard drive, router, etc. Some models include a converter cable, which supports VGA, USB and RJ45 connections.

New V7 Series Ultrabooks:

• The new V7 Series Ultrabooks offer the same stylish and thin design found on the V5 models, but adds a “silky touch” finish on the bottom.
• All V7 models include a variety of the latest Intel processors, SSDs, Acer Theft Shield, the new Acer Converter Port and WiDi - Intel’s Wireless Display technology.

The Aspire V Series will be available at the end of May starting at the suggested retail price of $499 (U.S.).

via http://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/windowsexperience/archive/2013/05/03/acer-announces-new-windows-8-pcs.aspx

Acer unveils Aspire P3 Ultrabook convertible (update: video)

Acer brought a whole bunch of folks out to NYC for a global press conference and made sure the attending press got their money's worth. In addition to outing the unique convertible R7, the company unveiled the Aspire P3 -- its first convertible Windows 8 Ultrabook. The screen can be angled forward to use as a traditional (ish) laptop or completely folded down in slate mode. As you can see in the image, there's even a place to clip on a stylus. Acer wasn't too forthcoming with specs during the presentation, but we'll be sure to dig up those specifics when we get our hands-on (which should be coming shortly).

Update: You'll find impressions and specs after the break.

Gallery: Acer Aspire P3 hands-on

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Livescribe-Old School Meets High Tech

For many years I have typed my notes directly into a laptop or tablet device and was quite content using that approach.  As many of you know, there are times/places when that is not an acceptable practice.  There are still companies, meetings, or educational seminars where typing on keyboard is viewed as disruptive, unacceptable practice, [...]

The post Livescribe-Old School Meets High Tech appeared first on The Doc's World.

via http://thedocsworld.net/livescribe-old-school-meets-high-tech/

Letters to the editor: Tape test is not the measure of the man

What a waste of a good officer to retire Col. Timothy Bush, 319th Air Base Wing commander at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D.

via http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130502/NEWS01/305060014

Seeking troops' ideas is good: Here are a few of my own

To most readers, it must have looked like an everyday news reporting story.

via http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130502/NEWS01/305060013

Targeting toxic leaders

Cases of misconduct and abuse of authority by military leaders have proliferated across the services in recent years, running the gamut from creepy serial sexual predators to vein-popping, f-bomb-dropping martinets.

via http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130502/NEWS01/305010027

Camera inspired by insect eyes can see 180 degrees, has almost infinite depth of field

Technologists have been drawing inspiration from the insect world for a long time. And folks working on robotics really seem to love their creepy-crawlies and buzzing arthropods. Researchers at the University of Illinois are looking to our eight-legged planet mates, not for mobility lessons, but as a reference for a new camera design. The system mimics the vision of bees and mantises by combining multiple lenses on a half hemisphere to provide a 180-degree view with a nearly infinite depth of field. The optics themselves are described as "soft, rubbery" and each individual microlens is paired with its own photodiode. The work gets us a heck of a lot closer to the dream of a digital fly eye than previous efforts, though we're likely still quite a while from seeing applications outside of the lab. DARPA funding suggests the artificial compound eyes may have a future in surveillance, though the researchers also see uses for it in medicine.

Filed under: Cameras

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Via: The Verge

Source: University of Illinois

via http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/02/camera-inspired-by-insect-eyes/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

Why you should take hacked sites’ password assurances with a grain of salt

Eric Bangeman

Reputation.com, a service that helps people and companies manage negative search results, has suffered a security breach that has exposed user names, e-mail and physical addresses, and in some cases, password data.

In an e-mail sent to users on Tuesday, officials with the Redwood City, California-based company said the passwords were "highly encrypted ('salted' and 'hashed')," a highly vague description that can mean different things to different people. "Although it was highly unlikely that these passwords could ever be decrypted, we immediately changed the password of every user to prevent any possible unauthorized account access," the e-mail added unconvincingly.

It's unfortunate that companies make such assurances, because they may give users a false sense of security. As Ars has been reporting for nine months, gains in cracking techniques means the average password has never been weaker, allowing attackers to decipher even long passwords with numbers, letters, and symbols in them. Even Ars' own Nate Anderson—a self-described newbie to password cracking—was able to crack more than 45 percent of a 17,000-hash list using software and dictionaries he downloaded online.

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via http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/05/why-you-should-take-hacked-sites-password-assurances-with-a-grain-of-salt/

Toshiba reveals WT310 business tablet: Windows 8 Pro, 11.6-inch display and digitizer pen

Toshiba's got an Ultrabook hybrid on the way for general consumption, and now it's targeting the business-savvy Windows 8 user with its WT310 tablet (a product code borrowed from an old Windows 7 model). Running Windows 8 Pro, the 11.6-inch 1080p slate packs an unnamed Intel Core processor, SSD drive, and comes bundled with a DigitizerPen for quick note scrawling. Around the edges, you're looking at an HDMI-out port, an SD card slot and USB 3.0 port, with standard WiFi (Intel WiDi supported), Bluetooth 4.0 and optional HSPA+ / LTE radios for connectivity. A dock that offers additional ports will also be available.

As the tablet "means business," it comes with a bunch of pre-installed utilities for those that need a slate for more than browsing and media, including the Trusted Platform Module, as well as Intel's Active Management Technology and Anti-Theft software. It measures 229 x 189 x 12.4mm (roughly 9 x 7.5 x 0.5 inch) and weighs in at 825g (29 ounces), with the only choice of color being "steel grey metallic." We should find out some of the finer details, like specific CPU, RAM size and SSD capacity, closer to the UK release window of Q2 2013, which we assume will coincide with a US launch. We're also in the dark about price, but given it's aimed at business users, it probably won't be cheap.

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via http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/02/toshiba-wt310-business-tablet/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

EFF report knocks Verizon, praises Twitter for protecting user data

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has released its annual "Who Has Your Back?" report, ranking 18 companies by how well they protect user information from government eyes. Twitter and Sonic.net get high scores from the EFF, as they meet all six of the organization's privacy guidelines, which include requiring a warrant for sharing content and telling users about government data requests. On the other end of the spectrum are MySpace and Verizon, both of which score zero out of six stars. Meanwhile, Apple and AT&T get one gold star each, and Google, Dropbox and LinkedIn are tied for second place. You'll find the complete breakdown in the EFF 's comprehensive infographic (partially displayed above), and the full report is available via the source link.

Filed under: Internet, Apple, Google, Verizon, Facebook

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Via: Electronista

Source: EFF

via http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/02/eff-report-knocks-verizon-praises-twitter-for-protecting-user-d/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

Finger-free phones, full body gesturing, and our “touchscreen” future

Aurich Lawson

Understatement of the century: touchscreen technology evolved at a rapid pace in the past decade. In the days of Y2K, Palm Pilots were a big deal. Five years ago? The iPhone debuted and the corresponding touchscreen explosion hasn't slowed up since. Today we're at a point where we think we understand how all the innovations in touch technology can fit into our future. But based on these last few years, good luck. Did anyone see the tablet-craze coming?

The locomotive of technological innovation has yet to be derailed, but it’s come to a point where we must find particular uses and integrations for all of these advancements. Looking at how companies like Microsoft and Samsung are approaching the future of  touchscreen technology may be the surest clues we can get. Talking with visionaries like Bill Buxton, one of the pioneers of touchscreen technology who now works as one of the principle researchers Microsoft Research, doesn't hurt either. It may be impossible to accurately gauge the future of touch, but that won't stop Ars from trying.

Envisioning the future

A photo of the living room "of the future" in Microsoft's Envisioning Center.

From touch-enabled Ultrabooks to smartphones and tablets, consumers expect most gadgets to natively feature touch interaction. This precise buy-in has led companies like Microsoft to create live dioramas centered on the concept.

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via http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/05/looking-ahead-at-touchscreen-technology-where-do-we-go-from-here/

Utahns Making Millions on YouTube

Did you know you can make money with videos on YouTube? Several Utah YouTubers (called Utubers) have quit their day jobs and are living off their online success. Utah is the #3 location in the world for YouTube celebrities, just behind Hollywood and London.

YouTube’s partner program allows Google ads to appear on videos and the video owner makes a portion of the advertising proceeds.

Here are a few of the Utahns prominent on YouTube:

1. Devin Graham, a BYU film student, and his roommate Jeff Harmon, are behind the channel DevinSuperTramp, which has over 1 million subscribers and 195 million video views. You may have seen the extreme sport videos World’s Most Insane Rope Swing Ever!!! – Canyon Cliff Jump (10 million views), Flyboard – Coolest Water Jet Pack EVER!!! (5.5 million views), or Human Slingshot 2X – Vooray (1 million views).
2. Jeff Harmon produced the first YouTube video for Orabrush, which went viral. The channel how has 190,000 subscribers and over 41 million video views. You may have seen Bad Breath Test – How to Tell When Your Breath Stinks (18 million views) or Orabrush the Movie—Official Trailer (1.9 million views).
3. BYU student Lindsey Stirling is a classic violinist who also loves to dance. Her talent was so unique that she became a quarterfinalist on America’s Got Talent. Today, the LindseyStomp channel has 2 million subscribers and 276 million video views. Her Dubstep Violin Original- Lindsey Stirling- Crystallize video has 54 million views.
4. Stuart Edgington is known in the YouTube world for several kissing videos, such as Mistletoe (20 million views) and Spider-man Kissing Prank (4 million views). His latest Magic Kissing Card Trick video had 8.8 million views in the first 8 days. His channel Stuart Edge has 300,000 subscribers and 37 million video views.
5. BYU student Jason Bagley was one of the masterminds behind the Old Spice’s YouTube success (325,000 subscribers and 231 million video views). The video Old Spice-The Man Your Man Could Smell Like has been viewed 45 million times.
6. When BYU film student Scott Winn produced his first video, Cute kittens fly in slow motion to hip hop (3.6 million views), he recognized the opportunity available on YouTube and decided to pursue it full-time rather than finishing school. His slow-motion film Fruit Ninja in Real Life to Dubstep! has been viewed 20 million times. His channel ScottDW has 90,000 subscribers and 28 million video views.
7. The Roberts brothers grew up making home videos. But each went their own way in their own careers, but then came together with a friend and created Bored Shorts TV (Kid History). They finally turned it into a business and hired full-time people and a studio and are now producing weekly videos. The channel has 96,000 subscribers and 20 million video views.
8. The Piano Guys are perhaps the most famous Utahns. Their top videos have 10-20 million views each. Their channel has 1.5 million subscribers and 210 million total video views.

Read the back story about several of these people in the article “Utahns Making Millions on YouTube.”

There are more than 800 million monthly unique users to YouTube who watch more than 4 billion hours of video. 72 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute.

via http://ldsmediatalk.com/2013/04/29/utahns-making-millions-on-youtube/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LDSWebGuy+%28LDS+Media+Talk%29

Samsung outs $650 NX2000 camera with 20.3MP sensor, NFC, WiFi and touchscreen

If you've been torn between Samsung's NX300 and NX1000 mirrorless cameras, you should know the company has officially split the difference with its new NX2000. While it likely won't sway NEX-3N lovers away from Sony, the $650 NX2000 is only a Benjamin more than Sammy's lower-end NX1000 and packs the same 3D-capable DRIMe IV processor and NFC functionality as the pricier NX300. Of course, you still get the 20.3-megapixel APS-C sensor seen across the line. The differentiating factor from its siblings is the Galaxy Camera-like 3.7-inch, 1,152k-dot touchscreen (fixed) on the back, rather than the usual assortment of rear buttons. The 100 to 25,600 ISO range and maximum JPG burst rate of 8 fps is just like the 300's, though this is only capable of recording 1080p video at 60 fps. Unfortunately, the autofocus is only contrast-detection, but Samsung claims that it's one of the fastest to the draw.

As you'd expect, this shooter features WiFi (single band) for connecting through AllShare or the Smart Camera app, plus there's a microSD slot for transferring files physically. Sure, it's not the most exciting update to Samsung's camera line, but it's clearly a big leap up from the NX1000 -- on paper, anyway. The NX2000 will be available soon in your choice of white, black or pink, and it comes bundled with Adobe Lightroom 4, a 20-50mm lens and a hotshoe-powered flash. Grab more looks in the gallery below and hit the press release after the break for all the technical details.

Gallery: Samsung NX2000 (press images)

Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.

Filed under: Cameras

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via http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/01/samsung-nx2000/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

Qualcomm aims to solve the coming mobile data crunch with small cell base stations

Qualcomm's been doing very well lately, and most of those chips it builds are for mobile devices that demand a lot of data to serve their owners' needs -- and as more and more folks jump on the smartphone bandwagon, the demand for data will continue to grow exponentially. Today at Qualcomm's What's Next in Mobile event in Santa Clara, California, the company told us more about its plan to help build a network that'll be able to serve up the data all its SoC's need. The goal is to give us 1000 times the capacity of what we currently have. One of the key parts, as Qualcomm sees it, is small cell base stations in homes, offices and retail spaces working in tandem with the large cell towers that currently adorn so many roofs and mountain tops -- the same thing ex-FCC head honcho Julian Genachowski talked about last year.

You see, macrocells (read: towers) can blanket wide areas in signal, but they struggle to penetrate the innards of buildings, which is where small cells come in handy. For those who aren't familiar, small cell base stations like femtocells and picocells have been around for years, helping to boost cell signal in small areas by hooking into a local wired network. Until now, these small cells have served as a small-scale supplement to macro networks, but Qualcomm CTO Matt Grob sees them comprising a much bigger chunk of the network of the future. According to him, there are a few issues with using them in an expanded role, however.

Filed under: Mobile

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via http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/01/qualcomm-small-cell-network/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

Visualized: Boeing supersonic airliner concept soars in a wind tunnel, quietly

No, you're not looking at an early preview of Star Wars Episode VII -- it just might represent the future of air transport, though. Boeing has spent years developing a truly quiet supersonic airliner concept, the Icon II, and what you see is an aerodynamics test of a mockup in a vaguely Death Star-like wind tunnel at NASA's Glenn Research Center. The starfighter design is for more than just show, as you'd suspect. Its V-tail design moves sonic booms further back, reducing the chance that shockwaves will reach the ground (and our ears) intact, while the top-mounted engines isolate engine noise. Boeing and NASA are ultimately hoping for production passenger aircraft discreet enough to fly over land at supersonic speeds, although we can't help but think that the sci-fi look is a convenient bonus.

Filed under: Transportation, Alt

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Source: New Scientist

via http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/27/visualized-boeing-supersonic-airliner-concept/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

Engadget's laptop buyer's guide: spring 2013 edition

You asked; you got it. When we ran our first-ever laptop buyer's guide earlier this year, many of you wrote in, requesting that we include more affordable picks (not just, you know, twelve-hundred-dollar Ultrabooks). So with this latest seasonal guide, we've added budget and mid-range options, some with touchscreens, some without. The only unfortunate thing? We're expecting Intel to drop its new Haswell chips sometime this summer, so it should go without saying that it might be worth waiting for the various PC giants to refresh their lineups before committing to anything. If you absolutely can't wait, though, we've picked our favorites, with a particular emphasis on models we don't think will be going anywhere anytime soon.

Filed under: Laptops, Samsung, Sony, ASUS, HP, Dell, Acer, Lenovo

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via http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/26/engadget-laptop-buyers-guide-spring-2013/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

Razer Edge: A Gaming Tablet with Extreme Horsepower

The Razer Edge is a new kind of tablet: it’s a portable high-performance gaming PC and also a device that can morph into four different configurations. The Razer Edge has impressive performance specs and is optimized for hardcore PC gaming. In this article I’ll share some of my experiences with an early shipping Razer Edge Pro unit. It’s a tablet like no other!

Razer Edge Pro 10.1” Intel Core i7 tablet with optional gamepad controller (click to enlarge)

When I got the Razer Edge Pro, I decided to load Dirt 3, a DirectX 11 game that I play frequently and have tested on several systems with different configurations. I set the game resolution to full (1366x768), graphics quality to high, and started a race. FRAPS indicated 65-70fps when running Dirt 3 at these quality settings, a very good gaming experience. This Dirt 3 game play demonstrated to me how the included dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M LE graphics performs with hard-hitting DirectX 11 games: it’s amazing! One of the other things I noticed when playing the game was the awesome sound quality. The speakers built into the Razer Edge Pro are impressive and sound much “bigger” than what you expect with a tablet.

The Razer Edge is a great gaming tablet, and there’s also a long list of special features and design details that are worth discussing. The illuminated Razer logo detail on the back of the tablet is really cool with its illuminated glow:

Illuminated Razer logo glows when the screen backlight is on (click to enlarge)

The Razer edge Pro also has a great screen. The image overall image quality for this IPS panel is high and it features good clarity, color, contrast, and brightness. Windows 8 touch gestures worked flawless for me (swiping from edges, dragging apps down to close, etc.) and the overall touch experience is very good.

The Razer Edge Pro without gamepad controller – this screen looks great! (click to enlarge)

With an Intel Core i7-3517U processor and 8GB DDR3 ram, this is a powerful PC regardless of the form-factor. Since this tablet runs Windows 8, you can run any app on it, including both Windows Store apps, and Desktop apps.

The Razer Edge Pro has plenty of CPU horsepower – 4 powerful logical cores

The Razer Edge is a very powerful tablet- but it’s also quite flexible. The design team at Razer was determined to make this gaming platform as versatile as possible – and that’s great for enthusiasts that want to use their PCs in a variety of places and for different tasks.

The Razer Edge (Pro and non-Pro) supports 4 distinct hardware configuration modes:

1. Tablet mode (tablet only)
2. Keyboard mode (with optional keyboard dock, not covered in this article)
3. Mobile console mode (using optional gamepad controller)
4. Home console mode (using optional docking station)

In Tablet mode, using the Razer Edge Pro feels a lot like using other Windows 8 tablets. But when you want to get down to business and start gaming, snapping the Razer Edge Pro into the optional gamepad controller (sold separately) turns this tablet PC into a unique mobile PC gaming console type device.

The gamepad controller has some awesome features:

• Extended battery bay
• Vibration feedback
• Dual analog sticks with backlit buttons

Analog sticks (right-hand shown) include d-pad, many different buttons, triggers, and hat controls (click to enlarge)

After setting up buttons and controls the way I wanted them in Dirt 3, it felt completely natural to initiate drifting turns, accelerate, and brake in Dirt 3, all with the analog stick controls on the gamepad controller. I could play DirectX 11 games like this all day on the Razer Edge Pro.

When you’re done gaming (or want to do some mouse/keyboard gaming), it’s a good time to dock the Razer Edge Pro. My test unit came with the optional docking station, and I used it quite a bit while installing apps, charging the unit, and when performing related desktop type tasks.

Razer Edge Pro optional docking station – from left: USB 2.0 ports (3), HDMI out (1), headphone out/microphone in, power connector (click to enlarge)

With 3 USB 2.0 ports, you can run a dedicated wired mouse and keyboard and still have a port left over for another USB device (or hub). The integrated USB 3.0 port is also accessible on the top left edge of the tablet when docked. I ran an external 1920x1080 display via the HDMI output on the dock, and found it to be a great multi-display experience. It’s great to have extra screen real estate when the Razer Edge Pro is docked. Because this is such a flexible and powerful PC, I could imagine using it as a primary PC with great results.

Here are some specs for the Razer Edge Pro Tablet PC: (full detailed specs available here)

• Processor: Intel Core i7 1.9GHz base, 3.0GHz turbo, dual-core, hyper-threaded
• RAM: 8GB DDR3
• Screen: 10.1” IPS Multi-Touch 1366x768
• Graphics: Intel 4000, NVIDIA GT 640M LE, 2GB DDR3
• Storage: 128GB or 256GB SSD
• Weight: 2.1 lb

For fun, I have put together a couple wallpaper-sized Razer logo images from my photo shoot that you can download here:

1920x1080: (click for full size)

2560x1440: (click for full size)

If you are a gamer with mobility in mind or just need a mega-powerful tablet, check out the Razer Edge and Razer Edge Pro!

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via http://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/extremewindows/archive/2013/04/26/razer-edge-a-gaming-tablet-with-extreme-horsepower.aspx