Google 7-inch tablet imminent, says report

Heads up, Google 7-inch tablet incoming. It could be released as soon as July.

The Google 7-inch tablet is on the way, according to a fresh report -- the latest in a long line of reports dating back to the beginning of the year.
The tablet will hit the market in July, according to a Thursday report from DigiTimes. Shipments -- about 600,000 initially -- are set to begin in June, the Taipei-based publication claimed.
Asus is expected to manufacture the device.
NPD DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim told CNET previously that a 7-inch Goggle tablet was in the works, though a June shipment date means that an original projection of an April production run was apparently premature.
That said, total production for 2012 of about two million units, cited in today's report, is in keeping with NPD DisplaySearch's original estimate.
The tablet's details are not known but there has been speculation about Android 4.0 running on top of a quad-core chip.
If Google's 7-inch tablet materializes and a rumored tablet 7.85-inch "iPad Mini" from Apple also surfaces, that would add to a growing collection of smaller tablets from first-tier suppliers.
Amazon is already a major force in the 7-inch market segment and Samsung has recently begun selling its 7-inch Galaxy Tab 2.

Intel" Windows 8" tablets to hit retail stores in November

Windows 8: should available by November when Intel-based devices hit retail stores

The first wave of Intel-based Windows 8 tablets are expected to land in retail stores in November, a source familiar with device makers' plans told CNET.

"The schedule is tight," said the source. "Looking at what Windows is trying to achieve not only with a new OS, but a new OS that needs to run four to five architectures -- three ARM, Intel, and AMD," according to the source.

And don't expect just tablets. "More than 50 percent" of the "more than a dozen" designs will be hybrids, aka convertibles, the source said. Those designs combine aspects of a traditional physical keyboard-based laptop and tablet.

All the devices described by the source will tap Intel's upcoming "Clover Trail" Atom chip. Clover Trail is Intel's first dual-core Atom design based on its 32-nanometer process technology. (The single core version of this chip powers a phone from India-based Lava and is slated for phones from Lenovo, Orange, and Motorola, among others.)

Hybrid Windows 8 designs based on the higher-performance Ivy Bridge processor are also expected but the source did not address that market segment specifically.

Windows 8, like Windows 7 before it, will be powered by chips from Intel and Advanced Micro Devices and will be able to run older, so-called "legacy" applications.

A separate release from Microsoft, Windows RT, will land on devices powered by ARM chip suppliers Nvidia, Qualcomm, and Texas Instruments. RT will not run older Windows applications.

The sources added that Intel has a chip called "Bay Trail" in the works -- the company's future 22-nanometer follow-up to Clover Trail.

"It is a gigantic performer, with similar battery life to Clover Trail. It will also have a lot of security features built in and Infineon [3G/4G] silicon inside," the source said.

Bay Trail would use Intel's own graphics tech, not Imagination's.

When that chip will arrive isn't clear yet.

Best tech: Ivy Bridge rigs, slim iPad keyboard case

Sometimes, CNET goes weeks without bestowing an Editors' Choice award. We give the badges only to tech that we love so much, we'd personally buy these devices. There must be some magic in the air (or our drinks) this week, because we doled out not one, but three CNET Editors' Choice awards.
But before I walk you through our award winners (a surprising and diverse group in their own right), I'd like to point out to non-winners that deserve your attention. These two four-star computers, the Origin Genesis and the Origin EON17-S are a desktop and a laptop respectively, both in the vanguard of PCs outfitted with Intel's brand-new, quad-core third-gen Core i7 chips (previously code-named "Ivy Bridge"). We haven't seen any mainstream Ivy Bridge machines yet, so we'll try to satisfy your curiosity with these gaming rigs.
Origin, a gaming PC company founded by two Alienware graduates, pays extra-special detail to the speed and power behind its machines. The Origin Genesis tower, specifically, wowed us with its awesome speed. It's one of the fastest gaming computers we've seen, and that's saying something given that you can't really overclock an Ivy Bridge processor.
A case for a keyboard case
But enough feeds and speeds. The three Editors' choice devices we reviewed this week include something for everyone and for every budget.
The first is a lowly iPad accessory turned glam CNET favorite. Scott Stein declares that the magnetized, Smart-cover-like Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover "might be the best keyboard accessory ever made for the iPad." There are bizillions of iPad keyboards on the market, so that's saying something.
This one is thin and relatively spacious for an iPad keyboard and, more importantly, it looks beautiful, using magnets to attach to the iPad in order to keep bulk down. The case does cost $99 -- not cheap -- but that's a standard price for a keyboard case these days, even a case not intended to protect your tablet. I've held off on buying an iPad keyboard myself because they were all bulky and ugly compared to my laptop's keboard until now. I'm convinced.
Shining example of an e-reader
Our second CNET Editors' Choice winner is the Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight, the Barnes and Noble e-reader with a deceptively simple e-ink screen that lights up when you're reading in the dark to keep you buried in your book and your bed-mate blissfully asleep.
Now, if you already have an e-reader without a light, stick with it. You can buy an attachable lamp for much less, but if you're replacing a broken e-book or buying a gift, look at the Nook. (Sorry for that. I couldn't help it.) Our critic (and published novelist) David Carnoy says this reader "sets the standard for e-ink e-readers going forward and is well worth the extra money if you do a lot of nighttime reading."
And finally, we've chosen a rare Editors' Choice tech car. The 2012 Toyota Prius C overcame our intese skepticism and does what I feared impossible: It makes the Prius cool. This small, sporty hybrid drips with tech, gets more than 50 MPG, and fits anywhere. Plus, you can buy it in orange. OK, orange is controversial. But at least it's bold.
We've uncovered a few more treasures this week, so browse our slideshow to see them all...cent news

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