Ultrabook prices unlikely to drop much until 2013

After the constant bombardment at CES last month, it’s hard to deny that Intel’s Ultrabook spec hasn’t hit its stride. And while most are hitting the $1000 mark (for base models, and with a few exceptions) the valuable perks they add in portability and battery life have made them a few fans – including us. Unfortunately, they aren’t likely to budge on the all important sticker price for at least another year: DigiTimes reports that ultrabook hardware suppliers are having a hard time lowering the price of components, and the total cost for the skinny laptops is unlikely to shift significantly until 2013.

The primary culprit is SSD drives, which remain pricey even as traditional hard drives offer greater capacities as lower prices. Solid-state drives continue to offer comparatively huge dollar to gigabyte ratios, and their speed and power advantages are unlikely to win over the consumer market, which tends to focus on raw storage. Thin display panels and expensive metal chassis aren’t helping the situation. Many “premium” ultrabooks are still saddled with relatively high retail prices, like HP’s Envy 14 Spectre, hitting the street on Friday with a price of $1399.
Still, there’s light at the end of the tunnel for those who want power, style and battery life without breaking the bank. Suppliers and vendors claim that many models will land in Q2 just south of the $800 mark, though computer sellers will be making razor-thin margins and will likely push for either upgraded internals or more expensive alternatives. Intel stated at their CES Ultrabook press event that they’re hoping to see the spec lead to significant increases in both computing power and affordability – us too, Intel. Us too.

Samsung kills 32GB Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ model

Bad news if you’ve been waiting for the 32GB version of the GSM Galaxy Nexus, as according to retailers Samsung has cancelled plans to release the larger-capacity model. Already stung by delays, the 32GB HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus has now been dropped from production by Samsung altogether, according to a spokesperson from retailer Expansys, and “at this time it looks like they will not be releasing it.”


Meanwhile, the retailer’s pre-order page for the 32GB Nexus – which had initially been promising deliveries in early January, based on Samsung’s own timescales, but was then pushed back to February and subsequently into March – has been updated to show the phone as discontinued. The alternative suggestion is the existing 16GB model which went on sale last year.

The decision by Samsung is made all the more frustrating because the Galaxy Nexus’ storage options are more limited than most Android devices. While in many cases onboard capacity is less important, as there’s a microSD slot to augment it with affordable memory cards, the Galaxy Nexus lacks such expansion.
It’s been suggested that Google is trying to push reliance on its cloud storage options – Google Drive rumors resurfaced earlier this month, suggesting a full online storage product was imminent – but also that Samsung has been struggling to meet production demand of the cheaper 16GB model. Either way, GSM network users hoping to get 32GB for their media will have to struggle on without it.

Samsung officially unveils Galaxy Tab 2 running on Android 4.0

Samsung can’t seem to wait for the Mobile World Conference that's just a few days away and have officially unveiled the successor to the Galaxy Tab (7.0) Plus – the Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0). The highlighted feature of this tablet is that it features Google’s latest operating system, Ice Cream Sandwich already installed on it. Apart from this most features remain the same as the Galaxy Tab (7.0) Plus.

Android Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box

Besides the operating software preinstalled on this 7-inch tablet, there are some differences in the specification sheet as compared to its predecessor. The rear camera found on the latest model has a fixed focus camera unlike the auto focus shooter found on the Galaxy Tab (7.0) Plus. The other difference is that the CPU is clocked at 1GHz and not 1.2GHz like the one found on the previous model. Samsung's removed the LED flash on the 2012 version of the Tab 2 and it is also a bit thicker measuring at 10.5mm in depth.

Here is a quick look at the features of the Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0)

• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with Samsung TouchWiz UI
• 7-inch WSVGA PLS LCD display with a resolution of 1024 x 600
• 1GHz Dual-Core Processor
• 3 Megapixel fixed focus rear camera with full HD 1080p video recording capabilities at 30fps
• VGA front facing camera for video calling
• 8/16/32GB Internal memory
• MicroSD Card support up to 32GB
• 1GB RAM
• GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
• HSDPA 900 / 1900 / 2100
• 3.5mm audio jack
• Samsung L!ve Panel UX
• Samsung Apps
• Samsung Kies / Samsung Kies air
• A-GPS, Glonass, Bluetooth v3.0, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct
• Accelerometer, Digital compass, LightProximity
• Dimensions are 193.7 x 122.4 x 10.5mm
• Weighs 344g
• 4,000mAh Li-ion battery

The Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) will be available in 3G and Wi-Fi versions and will launch in March with the UK getting the first go at it. It will later be rolled out to the rest of the world. As of now, there is no official indication on the pricing of this slate but as per a report by GSMArena, the tablet is expected to be priced at approximately Rs. 21,000 (€320). For more information on the Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0)

iPad 3 to be announced on March 7, cites report

A lot of rumours and speculations regarding the upcoming iPad have been making the rounds, for a while now, but these rumours have gathered a fair amount of steam in the past few weeks. The latest and most interesting news came a few days back, when a report surfaced citing that Apple would make the iPad 3 announcement during the first week of March. So, those eagerly waiting to know more about this device should pencil in March 7th on their 2012 calendar, as a report by iMore indicates that this will be day the next generation iPad will be announced.

The announcement date expected to fall in the first week of March

As per the report, reliable sources have informed them that the next tablet from Apple will be announced on Wednesday, the 7th of March, 2012. The source has also informed them that the slate will feature a resolution of 2048 x 1536, making it a Retina Display and the iPad 3 will also feature a quad-core Apple A6 system-on-a-chip, and possibly 4G LTE networking. In the past, there was only a tentative time frame, but since there is a date, it keeps in line with the AllThingsD report that the tablet would be announced in the first week of March.

With regard to specifications, the website notes features which were already mentioned in the past like the resolution, quad-core processor and 4G LTE capabilities. The report states, “4G LTE networking has been another mystery surrounding the iPad 3, with a compatible Qualcomm chipset becoming available, but international LTE coverage is still slim, and in some cases a year or more away. It sounds like Apple has 4G LTE lined up for iPhone 5 this October, but we’re still not certain if the iPad 3 will get it earlier. Verizon is going to want iOS devices that go faster than 2-3mbps, of course, especially with AT&T offering HSPA 14.4, and potentially faster, models. Apple could release a 4G LTE variant model, targeted at Verizon, AT&T, Rogers, Bell, and other carriers that have rolled out enough support to see demand, or they could wait and debut it in the next iPhone instead.”

Let us know your thoughts on the possible announcement date of the iPad 3 and do you think that 2012 will be year of the upcoming iPad or will the competition have the last laugh.

Experts say Iran has 'neutralized' Stuxnet virus

Iranian engineers have succeeded in neutralizing and purging the computer virus known as Stuxnet from their country's nuclear machinery, European and U.S. officials and private experts have told Reuters. The malicious code, whose precise origin and authorship remain unconfirmed, made its way as early as 2009 into equipment controlling centrifuges Iran is using to enrich uranium, dealing a significant but perhaps temporary setback to Iran's suspected nuclear weapons work.

Many experts believe that Israel, possibly with assistance from the United States, was responsible for creating and deploying Stuxnet. But no authoritative account of who invented Stuxnet or how it got into Iran's centrifuge control equipment has surfaced. U.S. and European officials, who insisted on anonymity when discussing a highly sensitive subject, said their governments' experts agreed that the Iranians had succeeded in disabling Stuxnet and getting it out of their machinery.

The officials declined to provide any details on how their governments verified that the Iranians had ultimately defeated the virus. It was not clear when it occurred but secrecy on the subject has been so tight that news is only now emerging. Some officials said they believe that the Iranians were helped in their efforts by Western cybersecurity experts, whose detailed technical analyses of Stuxnet's computer code have circulated widely on the Internet. Once the Iranians became aware that their equipment had been infected by the virus, experts said it would only have been a matter of time before they would have been able to figure out a way of shutting down the malicious code and getting it out of their systems.

Cleaning out the infestation

"If Iran would not have gotten rid of Stuxnet by now (or even months ago), that would indicate that they were complete idiots," said German computer security consultant Ralph Langner. Langner is regarded as the first Western expert to identify the ultra-complex worm and conclude that it was specifically targeted toward equipment controlling Iranian nuclear centrifuges.

HP unveils Z1, the world's first all-in-one workstation

We’re used to all-in-one PCs and pretty much every major desktop PC manufacturer, out there has a few models. They’re usually not as powerful as their mainstream desktop PCs, because of slightly lower spec’d hardware, but HP has taken the same compact design and built a workstation around it. The HP Z1, as it’s being called is the world’s first ever workstation. Traditionally, workstations are massive - much larger than the standard desktops and they bundle a ton of processing power, all thanks to massive processors, graphics cards and hard drives. HP has managed to squeeze all of that firepower into the elegant, compact chassis of an all-in-one PC.
The Z1 is designed for professionals working on CAD and 3D modelling or any other graphics intensive applications. The Z1 has a 27-inch LED-backlit IPS display and HP has stuffed it with quad-core Intel Xeon processors in place of the desktop Core i3/i5/i7 line of processors. There’s also NVIDIA’S workstation class of graphics solutions - Quadro built into it. Customers can choose from a variety of options for the hard drive solutions to choose from - 7200 and 10,000 rpm drives, SSDs and even RAID setups - like in a regular workstation. This is probably one of the few all-in-one PCs that can be opened up and upgraded with ease. HP boasts that it’s a tool-less setup, so users can swap out hardware with ease. 

Like any other all-in-one, there are speakers built into the display, too and the integrated webcam is capable of recording HD video as well. There’s no official date on the Indian launch yet, but the Z1 will start selling in the U.S, sometime around April with the cheapest model priced at $1,899 (approx. Rs. 95,000). Of course, with customizations that price is expected to swell up. The Z1 changes the way users look at workstations. They’re no longer bulky, ugly boxes that make a lot of noise. With a few compromises, it’s possible to shrink them down to the size of an all-in-one. Workplaces that require the processing power, but don’t have a lot of space will find the Z1 to be a blessing.