ZTE Optik Unboxing and Review

Tablets have been a mixed bag for most carriers and many consumers. Their size and capabilities are appealing, but the price has just been too high for many people to consider buying a tablet. ZTE and Sprint plan to turn that hesitation upside down with the ZTE Optik for Sprint. The ZTE Optik is both powerful and affordable, with a 7-inch high-resolution display (1280 x 800 pixels), dual-core processor, 16GB of onboard storage and a microSD slot for memory expansion, and it runs the tablet-friendly Android 3.2 operating system. 

New glass could make touchscreens lighter, more responsive

By Brandon Griggs, CNN
 The new Corning glass supports two steel balls, showing its strength and flexibility.
 

Las Vegas (CNN) -- The makers of Gorilla Glass, the glass that's used in touchscreen gadgets such as iPhones, iPads and more than 500 other models of electronic gadgets, has officially unveiled a thinner and more touch-sensitive version of their product.

Ultrabooks appear to be the star product category of CES 2012.

The super-thin notebook computers are being pushed by Intel as well as several of its hardware partners. Ultrabooks emphasis design, performance and a degree of affordability, but will consumers bite?
Ultrabooks will make a strong showing at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES), to be held in Las Vegas Jan. 10-13, with Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) and several computer vendor partners demoing products.
"The new category is already gaining momentum, with many Ultrabooks powered by second-generation Intel Core processors in the market today, and more than 60 designs already underway for 2012," Intel spokesperson Becky Emmett told TechNewsWorld.
"[Ultrabooks] are an attractive product and very portable," said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group. "The intention is to push them [into the] mainstream."
"The shipment of Windows 8 ... will put tablet features into Ultrabook-like products, and tablets may become redundant," Enderle suggested.
People "don't want to carry multiple large devices," and Ultrabooks will gain tablet-like features such as touch, Enderle explained.

What's an Ultrabook? 

 

Intel announced the Ultrabook category at Computex in Taipei in May, and it has trademarked the term.
Ultrabooks are intended to be less than 0.8 inches (21 mm) thin and are priced at levels Intel describes as "mainstream."
The first Ultrabooks, based on second-generation Intel Core processors, nicknamed "Sandy Bridge," hit the market in 2011. Many Ultrabooks to be announced at CES 2012 will be powered by the third-generation Intel Core processor, nicknamed "Ivy Bridge." They will be availability in systems in Spring, Intel's Emmett said.
These will be followed in 2013 by Ultrabooks powered by the fourth-generation Intel Core processor, nicknamed "Haswell," Emmett stated.

To the Bridg...