Asus Memo 370T

Nvidia and Asus teased a product that may change everything. At the Nvidia press conference at the CES 2012 show the companies flashed that a quad-core, Tegra 3-based 7-inchtablet would soon be released for only $250.

The tablet in question actually turned out to be the Asus Memo 370T. An upgraded version of the 7-inch stylus-supported Memo tablet Asus debuted at CES 2011.

While the previous version ran on Honeycomb and utilized a dual-core Qualcomm 8260-1.2Ghz CPU, the 370T will ship with Ice Cream Sandwich and houses a quad-core Tegra 3. No word yet on the actual speed of the processor, though. The previously announced stylus peripheral has been dropped for the device.

The 370T comes with 1GB of RAM and at least 16GB of storage. It also sports a 1,280x800-pixel IPS screen that delivered smoothly scrolling menus. Holding it in my hands, the tablet felt and looked very similar, dimensionally, to the Acer Iconia Tab A100. The 370T even hits the typical-for-a-7-inch-tablet weight of 0.88 pound, right on the nose.

Other details include a Micro-USB port, a microSD card reader, and a Micro-HDMI port. Lastly, the tablet will feature the same great 8-megapixel camera found on the Transformer Prime.

Last year, the $200 Kindle Fire had a similar effect, by offering users a quality tablet experience that didn't necessitate taking out a second mortgage.

The existence of the 370T now demonstrates that performance doesn't necessarily require a price premium. While this is likely to have a tangible effect on tablet prices, we may see an even greater effect on the portable gaming market.

Look for the Asus Memo 370T in the second quarter of 2012.

Envy 14 Spectre

Pretty much every computer maker showed off an Ultrabook laptop at this years 2012 CES in Las-Vegas, with varying chassis designs and sizes but with the same MacBook Air-inspired fundamentals of being thin, weighing little, using power sparingly, and using SSD storage, plus Intel's own contribution of fast bootup.

Hewlet-Packard's Envy 14 Spectre stands out not because it is in the Ultrabook camp but because of its innovative glass lid, which frees up the space normally used by the frame to allow the use of a larger screen in the same space. HP claims it can thus fit a 14-inch LCD in the same laptop dimensions normally holding a 13-inch LCD. It also supports nearfield communications (NFC) very-short-range wireless. The base model ships on Feb. 8 for $1,399.

Acrylic iPhone and iPad holders

Ice Blue Line is a Danish design firm that is offering some unique iPad and iPhone holders made of acrylic and steel. There are four different iPad wall mounted holders. Three of them are arcylic and one is steel. There is also one iPhone holder for your desk, that is made of acrylic and available in two colors. The wrap around hands are cute, but I think they would just get in the way of using the devices… All of the Ice Blue Line holders are available now with a price range of $42.00 – $60.00.

IPad Holder
A feminine expression characterizes this wall-mounted iPad holder: Powder Puff. With its soft ornamental look it is a fine contrast to the somewhat tighter iPad. Bright polished and special-designed screws come with this model. Hung on the wall it serves both as a decoration and as a holding device for the iPad when recharging.

IPhone Holder
One Hand. Toned in grey or green this iPhone holder signals timelessness. Its classic colour matches the iPhone whereas the design adds a twist of lively youthfulness. Together they form a fine frame for the iPhone when parked or recharging. The holder is made by curved acrylic.