2012 Tablet Comparison Guide

How do the top tablets of 2012 compare?
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Tablets are everywhere. No matter where you turn this holiday shopping season, you'll see them. Apple's iPad is still in the driver's seat, but its field of competitors is rapidly growing. How do you sort through all the noise, and make the best purchase? Look no further than our 2012 Tablet Comparison Guide.

Specs aren't everything, but they can suggest a device's capabilities. Our comparison highlights the most important measurable categories, as well as those hard-to-define intangibles.
We condensed our list to the most popular tablets of the season. They are:

• Apple iPad (4th generation)
• Apple iPad mini
• Google/Samsung Nexus 10
• Google/Asus Nexus 7
• Amazon Kindle Fire HD (7")
• Microsoft Surface RT
• Barnes & Noble Nook HD

There are omissions. Digging deeper would yield devices like the Transformer Pad Infinity and Galaxy Note 10.1. There are also variations on the included tablets, like the iPad 2, Nook HD+, and Kindle Fire HD 8.9". Perhaps we'll tackle these devices later. For now, we narrowed it down to an elite seven.
Without further ado, let's compare the best tablets of 2012.

Dimensions

Our field is filled with three 10-inch tablets, and four 7-inch tablets. Those screen sizes are rough ballparks, as you'll soon see.
In terms of surface area, the Nexus 7 is the smallest, and the Surface is the largest. The beefy Nook HD is the thickest, and the svelte iPad mini is the thinnest.
All of the tablets can be used in either portrait or landscape, but the Surface RT and Nexus 10 are the only ones intended primarily for landscape.

Weight

With the Nook HD hot on its heels, the iPad Mini takes the prize for lightest tablet. The small tablets have other tradeoffs, but they're the most comfortable to hold for extended periods.
Surface is the heaviest of the three 10-inchers, followed by the 4th-generation iPad.

Display

On paper, the Nexus 10 wins the resolution prize. In practice, it, the iPad, and Nook HD are all extremely sharp.
The Surface has the least pixels per inch, but its ClearType (sub-pixel rendering) technology gives it some leeway. That may leave the iPad mini with the lowest perceived pixel density.

Processor

The days of single core tablets are long gone. Our list has five dual core, and two quad core processors. Chip manufacturers include Apple, Samsung, NVIDIA, and Texas Instruments.

RAM

The Surface and Nexus 10 have the most random-access memory (RAM), and iPad mini has the least.

Storage

All the tablets are available in multiple storage options.
There are a couple of caveats: Windows RT takes up lots of space, so Surface's available storage is 16-18 GB less than what's listed. Its microSD card slot, though, helps to make up for that. It and the Nook HD are the lone devices with external storage.

Wireless

Most of these tablets are Wi-Fi only. The iPad, iPad mini, and Nexus 7 are the only devices sold in cellular data models (LTE for iPads, HSPA+ for Nexus 7).

Battery

Take this category with a few grains of salt, as these are estimates. Most deliver good (if not great) uptimes, with Surface being the most questionable.

Cameras

If you want the best cameras, look at the Nexus 10 and the two iPads. Look away from the Nook HD, as it has none.

Intangibles

This is where the two iPads shine. The App Store has over 275,000 tablet-specific apps. None of the other platforms come close. For many customers, this spec trumps all others.
Surface has two keyboard covers (sold separately), which Microsoft is marketing as integral companions. The Touch Cover is unique (it has pressure-sensitive keys), but you can buy third-party keyboard covers for other tablets.
In addition to the full-sized iPad, the Nexus 10 and Nook HD also have razor-sharp displays. The Nexus 10's display has the highest resolution of any commercial tablet.
The Nexus 7 (as well as the Nexus 10) ships with Android 4.2, Jellybean. Unlike most Android devices, the Nexus tablets have no manufacturer skin, and will receive future updates quickly.
If you invest in the Kindle Fire, you'd better like Amazon. The tablet's "operating system" is a heavily-skinned version of Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich. It's essentially a storefront for Amazon, with heavily-featured content from Amazon.com, Kindle, Instant Video, and MP3.
... ditto for the Nook HD, only with Barnes & Noble content.

Starting prices

All of the tablets are sold at different price points, but these prices reflect the Wi-Fi only base models.
The Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD, and Nook HD are the cheapest (US$200). The iPad mini carries a $130 premium over the seven-inch slates. Depending on your needs, its premium build, larger display, and superior software library could justify that.
The Nexus 10 tempts with a $100 cheaper price than the other ten-inch slates. Also remember that Surface's keyboard – its killer feature – adds an extra $100 to its price.

Summing up

Tablets are indeed everywhere, but these are probably the most worthy of your attention. One size rarely fits all, and half the fun is in sifting through the variety to find your favorite.

This article was taken from the article of  By Will shanklin

HP EliteBook

HP targets enterprise users with EliteBook Revolve convertible tablet

HP's EliteBook Revolve tablet is aimed at enterprise users

With the success of the iPad, it’s easy to forget that convertible units with a rotating hinge and physical keyboard were once the form factor of choice for tablet computers. While touchscreen-only devices now dominate the consumer space, convertible tablets continue to find a market, particularly amongst business and government users. It is these markets that HP is targeting with its latest touch-enabled convertible tablet, the EliteBook Revolve, which is due for a March, 2013 release.
Powered by third-generation Intel Core processors and with 4 Gb of RAM, the EliteBook Revolve features a touch-enabled, 11.6-inch, 1,366 x 768 pixel resolution display that pivots and twists to switch between traditional laptop and tablet form factors. The display is made from scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass 2, while the all-magnesium chassis helps keep the unit’s weight down around 3.04 lb (1.37 kg) – that figure is based on the preproduction model, as is the estimated 22.4 mm thickness of the device.
The full-sized physical QWERTY keyboard features a backlight and is spill-resistant, while the screen orientation and brightness will adjust according to the unit’s position. Connectivity features include optional WWAN (LTE in the U.S. and HSPA+ elsewhere), secure NFC, Bluetooth, Ethernet port, two USB 3.0 ports and a DisplayPort.

Onboard storage comes in the form of a 256 GB SSD, with a 720p HD4 camera positioned above the display, a dual-microphone array, DTS Studio Sound and CyberLink’s YouCam software also on board. An optional pen is also available for touchscreen input. The battery should be good for eight to ten hours of use, and 210 hours of standby.
Although it has been optimized for Windows 8, HP will offer the option of preloading the EliteBook Revolve with Windows 7 for those not yet prepared to jump on the Metro train.
The EliteBook Revolve is that latest bid by HP to grab a slice of the growing enterprise tablet market. In October it announced the business-oriented ElitePad 900 boasting a rugged form factor and compatibility with Smart Jacket peripherals. The company has also announced a new Multi-Tablet Charging Module that can store and charge up to 10 tablet PCs with screen sizes under 10.1 inches from a single power outlet.
Like the ElitePad 900, the Multi-Tablet Charging Module will be available in the U.S. in January. It will be priced at US$499. Pricing of the EliteBook Revolve will be announced closer to its March, 2013 release date.

Article taken from the article  By Daren Quick

Atmospheric Vortex Engine

Atmospheric Vortex Engine creates tornadoes to generate electricity

The LM-6 prototype AVE system

Just Tell Us How RS Helps You Keep Your World Running

Tornadoes generally evoke the destructive force of nature at its most awesome. However, what if all that power could be harnessed to produce cheaper and more efficient electricity? This is just what Canadian engineer Louis Michaud proposes to achieve, with an invention dubbed the “Atmospheric Vortex Engine” (or AVE).
AVE works by introducing warm air into a circular station, whereupon the difference in temperature between this heated air and the atmosphere above creates a vortex – or controlled tornado, which in turn drives multiple wind turbines in order to create electricity. The vortex could be shut down by simply turning off the source of warm air.

Michaud’s company, AVEtec Energy Corporation, reports that the system produces no carbon emissions, nor requires energy storage to function, and that further to this, the cost of energy generated could potentially be as low as US$0.03 per kilowatt hour.
"The power in a tornado is undisputed," enthused Michaud. "My work has established the principles by which we can control and exploit that power to provide clean energy on an unprecedented scale."
The heat required to get the mini-tornado started would be provided by a temporary heat source, such as a heater, or steam. However, AVEtec states that once the vortex is thus established, the continuous heat could then be provided by a more sustainable source – such as waste industrial heat or warm seawater. According to the company’s figures, a functional AVE power station with a 100-meter (328-foot) diameter is capable of generating up to 200 megawatts of electrical power.
For now though, efforts are focused on producing an 8-meter (26-foot) prototype, which will create a 40-meter (141-foot) high vortex, with a diameter of 30 centimeters (11 inches). The vortex will power a single 1-meter (3.2-foot) turbine, and will be manufactured in partnership with Lambton College, in Sarnia, Ontario. This development is helped forward by a grant awarded by Breakout Labs.

Article taken from the article of Adam Williams