Dell XPS 10Qualcomm wants to bring smartphone features to Windows RT tablets with its S4 chips, said Luis Pineda, senior vice president of product management at Qualcomm. The chip in the Samsung and Dell tablets will bring a wide range of cellular and Internet connectivity features, while also enabling long battery life on tablets, Pineda said.

The S4 chip being used in the tablets has an integrated 3G/4G radio, Pineda said. The S4 chips also have a powerful graphics core, and the integration of all key components helps enable thin and light devices with long battery such as Dell Inspiron E1505 Battery, Dell Inspiron E1705 Battery, Dell Inspiron Mini 10 Battery, Dell Inspiron Mini 1011 Battery, Dell Inspiron Mini 10v Battery, Dell Inspiron Mini 12 Battery, Dell Inspiron XPS M170 Battery, Dell Inspiron XPS M1710 Battery, Dell Latitude 120L Battery, Dell Latitude C Battery, Dell Latitude C500 Battery, Dell Latitude C510 Battery life, Pineda said. Qualcomm has also announced a quad-core S4 chip for tablets, which will bring more performance to tablets.

Tegra will be the only quad-core processor for Windows RT devices this year, and great graphics performance will bring console-quality gaming to devices, said an Nvidia spokesman via email. The Tegra 3 processor is already being used in some high-performance gaming tablets. Nvidia in the future will offer chips with integrated radios, but for now is working with partners to offer a separate 3G/4G radio on chips.

While chip makers in the ARM camp are watching each other closely, the companies also have to contend with x86 processors from Intel and Advanced Micro Devices, on which the Windows OS has grown up. Beta testers have played with Windows 8 on x86 tablets and PCs for months now, giving it a leg up over Windows RT, which has been shown as a product in development via a few tightly monitored tablet demonstrations at trade shows.

The first choice buyers will make is whether they want Windows 8 or Windows RT, after which they will decide on the device, said Nathan Brookwood, principal analyst at Insight 64.

Both the operating systems have a similar touch user interface, but existing Windows applications will not work on Windows RT devices. Microsoft is trying to make RT attractive to new buyers by bundling desktop Office productivity applications.

Windows 8 Start screenSome longtime PC users may want Windows 8 on Intel chips for access to legacy x86 applications, which by default users have to leave behind when going to RT, Brookwood said.

Microsoft has kept Windows RT under tight wraps, which has frustrated device and chip makers, analysts said. But the success of Windows RT devices will ultimately depend on the price and the features buyers identify with.

Adding to the already modish and explicitly fashionable Dell Inspiron series, the latest 14 R and 15 R are creating a buzz in the laptop market with their pocket friendly techniques. Endowed with a fully functional Windows 7 Basic edition, USB 3.0 ports and Bluetooth 4.0 modules; this 14-inch screened workstation is available to you for as low as Rs 39,990 configured with Core i3, 320 GB HDD and 2GB RAM!

Reasonable, yet Dell Inspiron 14 R doesn’t forget to add its style quotient with the tactility and roundness of the ergonomic keyboard.

The Dell Inspiron 14 R is well versed with a battery like Dell Latitude D420 Battery, Dell Latitude D430 Battery, Dell Latitude D500 Battery, Dell Latitude D505 Battery, Dell Latitude D510 Battery, Dell Latitude D520 Battery, Dell Latitude D531 Battery, Dell Latitude D531N Battery, Dell Latitude D600 Battery, Dell Latitude D610 Battery, Dell Latitude D620 Battery, Dell Latitude D800 Battery life lasting up to 5 hours along with superb screen clarity providing you a real high definition experience. With Core i5, 500GB HDD and 4GB Ram with a GT630 1GB Nvidia graphics processor and a full sized keyboard, cost effective and chic 14 R is priced at Rs 43,490. Not only is that, adding to this wonderful package a complete cover policy for one year (including only accidental damage)!

With the glitter of Dell Inspiron 14 R, it’s not all that gold alone. The insubstantial peripheral plastic production and the atrocious peel of the paintwork act as snags to this artefact; but that’s about it. Everything but the below average build quality of 14 R seems like a drawback.

New Windows RT tablets announced at the IFA trade show in Berlin this week have intensified competition among ARM-based chip makers, which are adding unique capabilities to processors so tablets become more attractive to buyers based on performance and features.

Samsung and Dell announced Windows RT tablets with Qualcomm's dual-core Snapdragon S4 APQ8060A processor, which is built on ARM architecture.

These are the first Windows RT tablets using Qualcomm's chips, while tablets announced earlier in the year, such as Microsoft's Surface and Asustek's Vivo Tab RT (previously called Asus Tablet 600), were based on Nvidia's quad-core Tegra 3 processor.

Microsoft is working only with ARM-based chip makers Qualcomm, NVidia, and Texas Instruments for Windows RT on tablets and PCs. Toshiba previously showed a Windows RT tablet based on Texas Instruments' OMAP processor, but the device was scrapped due to a component shortage.

Microsoft has also announced Windows 8 for tablets and PCs based on Intel and Advanced Micro Devices chips. The Windows operating systems will become available Oct. 26, at which time devices like tablets and hybrid laptops are also expected to ship.

Much like Android, the Windows RT ecosystem is fragmented with the OS divorced from the hardware, said Dean McCarron, principal analyst at Mercury Research. Hardware makers are offering unique features in Windows RT devices, and key differentiators could be connectivity, performance and form factors, McCarron said.

The U845-S406 comes equipped with a 500GB, 5,400rpm hard drive and a 16GB flash cache, a one-two punch designed to deliver storage capacity without sacrificing brisk boot-time. The 16GB flash cache is invisible to the user, toiling behind the scenes during repetitive tasks and whenever the system is roused from sleep mode. The 500GB hard drive has plenty of capacity, though it comes stuffed with preloaded software. As is often the case, these programs range from useful apps (Microsoft Office Starter 2010, Microsoft Live Essentials) to needless bloatware ( desktop links to Skype and Amazon), with a slew of proprietary software (Toshiba BookPlace, Bulletin Board, Media Controller, and the like) and trial versions (30-day trials of Norton Internet Security, QuickBooks Online Banking).

The U845-S406's combined Intel Core i5-3317U 1.7GHz processor and 6GB DDR3 RAM with battery such as Dell GX047 Battery, Dell H766N Battery, Dell HD438 Battery, Dell HF674 Battery, Dell J399N Battery, Dell J590M Battery, Dell JD634 Battery, Dell KD186 Battery, Dell KD476 Battery, Dell KG046 Battery, Dell KM958 Battery, Dell MM165 Battery yielded steadfastly average results in our benchmark tests. Its PCMark 7 score of 3,946 outperformed most comparable systems, save for the HP Envy 4-1043cl $829.99 at HP(3,962) and the Toshiba U845W-S410 (4,652). Similarly, the U845-S406 almost always landed in the middle of its class in our multimedia tests. It completed our Handbrake video-encoding test in 1 minute 57 seconds, outpacing the Lenovo IdeaPad U310 $729.99 at Walmart.com(2:03) while falling short of the Satellite U845W and Inspiron 14z (1:58, each) and, to a much larger extent, the class-leading Asus UX32VD-DB71 (1:43). Its Cinebench R11.5 score of 2.41 is competitive, but nonetheless fell far behind the Asus UX32VD-DB71 (3.58). The U845-S406 completed our Photoshop CS5 test in 4 minutes 33 seconds, still falling short of the Asus UX32VD-DB71 (3:58) and, to a greater extent, the Toshiba U845W (3:42).

The U845-S406's integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000 GPU churned out 3DMark 06 scores that, for the most part, fell short of its peers (5,792 at medium detail settings and 1,024-by-768 resolution; 3,278 at native resolution with 4x anti-aliasing). Accordingly, the U845-S406 trumped the Lenovo IdeaPad U310 (4,978 and 2,672, respectively) but was still bested by most others in its class, particularly the Inspiron 14z (6,031 and 5,510, respectively) and, by a significantly wider margin, the Zenbook Prime (8,627 and 5,148, respectively).

The U845-S406 measures 0.8 by 13.5 by 9.1 inches (HWD). Its relatively light weight of 3.6 pounds inches it toward the heavier end of the ultrabook realm, landing somewhere between the Asus Zenbook Prime UX32VD-DB71 $1,099.00 at Microsoft Store(3.2 pounds) and the Dell Inspiron 14z (Summer 2012) $791.99 at Dell(4.08 pounds). Its chassis is constructed entirely out of brushed aluminum and is handsomely decked out in what Toshiba has dubbed a "Sky Silver" finish. Its 14-inch display has a resolution of 1,366 by 768, which is good enough for 720p HD video and looks great, though not as sharp as the as the Asus UX32VD-DB71's class-leading 1080p HD (1,920 by 1,080) resolution. The screen is bright and glossy, so it's not ideal for bright, sunny environments.

That said, the U845-S406's backlit keyboard will still allow anybody trapped with battery like Dell 01X284 Battery, Dell 083KV Battery, Dell 0F965N Battery, Dell 0X217 Battery, Dell 0XR693 Battery, Dell 1691P Battery, Dell 1894W Battery, Dell 1G222 Battery, Dell 1X793 Battery, Dell 2127U Battery, Dell 2941E Battery, Dell 310-0083 Battery in dimly-lit settings to work comfortably. Moreover, the tiled keyboard is great for typing, exhibiting minimal flexing and, thankfully, there's also a caps-lock light, an otherwise ordinary feature that's strangely absent in many ultrabooks. The generously-sized palmrest offers plenty of space for your hands to comfortably lounge about on, save for the occasional stray thumb inadvertently grazing the clickpad. The clickpad itself is responsive, with a good amount of tactile feedback for two-finger scrolling and pinch-zooming. And while the left- and right- click buttons are integrated into a singular design, its elliptical markings distinguish both sides, thereby eliminating any inadvertent clicking of the wrong button.

Five speakers can be found on the underside of the U845-S406, with two extending up the system's left and right sides. Testing them out with The Knife's "Silent Shout" yielded fairly loud playback by ultrabook standards, though the bass was somewhat subdued. Typical of ultrabooks, port selection on the U845-S406 is limited. The system's right side has two USB 2.0 ports, a multi-card reader (SDHC/SDXC/SD/MMC), and an Ethernet port. The left side sports a USB 3.0 port (with "Sleep and Charge" technology for charging USB peripherals when the system is asleep), headphone and microphone inputs, and a full-size HDMI port. The latter nicely eliminates the need to fuss with any dongles, so connecting the U845-S406 to a larger display is a straightforward affair. Alternatively, you can ditch the cables altogether and utilize the U845-S406's built-in Intel Wireless Display (WiDi) technology to beam the its audio and video to an HDTV kitted out with an aftermarket adapter, like the Netgear Push2TV ($99 list).

After more than 18 years of working in this industry as a journalist and analyst, I come across much more business as usual announcements and briefings than products and ideas that you know have the potential to transform the IT world as we know it. Just ask Intel and my ramblings that the Ultrabook is not much more than a slim notebook that is, essentially, just a fancy version of the 1989 Compaq LTE.

This one, however, may have dramatic implications and open up the door to computer performance promises we have heard since the introduction of Windows 95. A fast, instantly responding system without noticeable delays. The technology that may be required to achieve this goal could come from a company called AgigaTech, which received two patents, 8,200,885 and 8,200,929, and is sampling products based on these patents now.

These patents describe a form of non-volatile RAM, or NVRAM, which is nothing spectacular as the most common type of NVRAM today is Flash memory – a storage technology that retains its contents even when the power supply is interrupted. What makes AgigaTech’s Technology so interesting is the fact that it is NVRAM that comes in the shape of a DDR2 or DDR3 DIMM and combines traditional DDR memory with Flash as well as a data transfer controller and power source.

Similar approaches have been released in the past. For example, there was Gigabyte’s i-RAM in 2005, which, however, required and external power source and was clumsy to use and not especially useful as a result. The AgigaRam is the first truly non-volatile DIMM I have seen.

The most obvious application is the vision of keeping, for example, Windows completely stored in a DIMM. The way the AgigaRAM achieves this feat is a clever way to make sure that the data in the volatile SDRAM is kept safe. When the DIMM loses power, for example when you turn of your PC, the controller initiates a data transfer from the SDRAM to the NAND Flash. The necessary power is provided by ultracapacitors, which do not need an external power source such as a battery such as Dell 312-0068 Battery, Dell 312-0518 Battery, Dell 312-0625 Battery, Dell 312-3250 Battery, Dell 3149C Battery, Dell 315-0084 Battery, Dell 3R305 Battery, Dell 5081P Battery, Dell 53977 Battery, Dell 6171R Battery, Dell 6T473 Battery, Dell 6Y270 Battery, and offer power just enough to transfer the contents, and will be recharged in a few seconds when the PC is turned back on. At this point, the data is immediately put back into the SDRAM.

AgigaTech says that the data retention time is about 10 years. The manufacturer claims that the devices have a shelf life of several years, are much easier to handle than battery-backed RAM and can sustain operating environments up to 70 degrees Celsius. What we do not know is the data transfer performance inside the DIMM, which currently samples in 1 GB, 2 GB and 4 GB capacities.

Initially, this technology will not be coming to PCs and target targeting RAID storage, servers, data deduplication, workstations, embedded systems, communications/networking, as well as industrial/medical as initial application fields instead. The implication is, of course, that this will not be an exactly cheap technology.

With proper scaling and industry support, this technology has massive implications and is, conceivably, the most significant evolution of SDRAM technology since the creation of the first SDRAMs in 1993. The first DRAMs, by the way, were manufactured by Fairchild Semiconductor in 1968.

The upside is the 14z has ample horsepower to handle most tasks, including basic video editing and light mobile gaming if you spring for a separate graphics processor found in the $899 model. But with battery like Dell 75UYF Battery, Dell 8027U Battery, Dell 8649R Battery, Dell 8N544 Battery, Dell 9943E Battery, Dell 9T119 Battery, Dell 9T255 Battery, Dell 9X821 Battery, Dell BAT1194 Battery, Dell BAT1297 Battery, Dell BAT30WL Battery, Dell BAT3151L8 Battery life clocking in at around five hours of moderate use, the laptop's power conservation is at the low end of the longevity spectrum compared to other ultras like the Series 9.

Dell's latest incarnation of the Inspiron 14z is one of several sensible budget options available to buyers in the market for an ultrabook, but who don't want to shell out a lot of cash. The 14z is something of a oddity among its brethren in that it comes with an optical and 500 GB hard drives plus a 32 GB SSD. The extra hardware puts this entry-level ultra at slightly under 2 kg, which may put off users looking for a lighter option.

The upside is the 14z has ample horsepower to handle most tasks, including basic video editing and light mobile gaming if you spring for a separate graphics processor found in the $899 model. But with battery like Dell 75UYF Battery, Dell 8027U Battery, Dell 8649R Battery, Dell 8N544 Battery, Dell 9943E Battery, Dell 9T119 Battery, Dell 9T255 Battery, Dell 9X821 Battery, Dell BAT1194 Battery, Dell BAT1297 Battery, Dell BAT30WL Battery, Dell BAT3151L8 Battery life clocking in at around five hours of moderate use, the laptop's power conservation is at the low end of the longevity spectrum compared to other ultras like the Series 9.

However, even with its marginal battery life shortfalls, the 14z strikes a nice balance between the three Ps: performance, portability, and price.

Regardless of what you'll be buying for back-to-school, it always works to your advantage to know exactly what you're after before stepping into a store.

Most retailers have knowledgeable staff on site to offer advice to shoppers in need of a helping hand.

"Asking lifestyle questions about how consumers use their technology is extremely important," said John Kennedy, Future Shop store manager. "Customers are coming in very knowledgeable. They know what technology exists on the market but they may not know what they want to do with it. We help match the right tech with their lifestyle."

Most back-to-school sales already feature lower-than-normal prices, but it never hurts to ask retailers if they offer student pricing on top of sale discounts. Dell Canada and Apple offer their usual raft of student and educational bargains ranging from special offers and gift cards to straight-up cash savings, while some stores will match competing prices.

But be mindful of discounts that require you to spend a certain amount before the benefits kick in. There are times when it's better to forgo a student offer if you can save a couple of hundred dollars in the process by not buying costly add-ons you don't need

The Z930's internal 'honeycomb' design helps to achieve its low weight, although the magnesium alloy chassis clearly also has a part to play. There are also a couple of slight weight-saving design elements in the general build with battery such as Dell FK890 Battery, Dell FT080 Battery, Dell G2053A01 Battery, Dell G5226 Battery, Dell G5266 Battery, Dell G5345 Battery, Dell GD761 Battery, Dell GG386 Battery, Dell GK479 Battery, Dell GR986 Battery, Dell GR995 Battery, Dell GW240 Battery. The lid section wraps around the hinges, while the base is recessed along its left and right edges where the keyboard sits. Both are nice design features that also shave a few grams off the overall weight.

With its Portégé range, Toshiba was making high-quality small, lightweight notebooks long before they were fashionable — and long before the Intel-inspired ultrabook was around. Toshiba continues to shine at this end of the market with the new Portégé Z930.

According to Toshiba, the 1.12kg Portégé Z930 is the world's lightest 13.3in. laptop, and we're certainly unaware of anything lighter. It's a delight to handle, unobtrusive in a laptop bag, and generally an excellent travelling companion.

The Z930's internal 'honeycomb' design helps to achieve its low weight, although the magnesium alloy chassis clearly also has a part to play. There are also a couple of slight weight-saving design elements in the general build with battery such as Dell FK890 Battery, Dell FT080 Battery, Dell G2053A01 Battery, Dell G5226 Battery, Dell G5266 Battery, Dell G5345 Battery, Dell GD761 Battery, Dell GG386 Battery, Dell GK479 Battery, Dell GR986 Battery, Dell GR995 Battery, Dell GW240 Battery. The lid section wraps around the hinges, while the base is recessed along its left and right edges where the keyboard sits. Both are nice design features that also shave a few grams off the overall weight.

As far as robustness is concerned, the base section should handle normal working circumstances perfectly well. The lid gives us more cause for concern, though. As with many ultra-lightweight designs, the lid is extremely thin and flexible. With the notebook open, it flexes alarmingly if pressed — and although you might not deliberately do this, it's still a worry. When it's closed, the lid depresses easily, raising the spectre of screen damage if enough pressure is applied. You'll definitely need a protective case for the Portégé Z930 in your travel bag — which, of course, will increase the weight you have to carry.

Needless to say, a notebook weighing 1.12kg is small: the maximum thickness is 15.9mm at the back, which is where most of the ports and connectors are located. The chassis tapers to just 8.3mm at the front, while the footprint of 31.6cm by 22.7cm is pretty much minimal for a 13.3in. notebook.

The LED-backlit screen has a 1,366-by-768-pixel resolution and a non-reflective finish, which should help viewability in bright lighting. Viewing angles aren't great though: the horizontal plane is fine, but the optimal range is small in the vertical plane. Colours are somewhat washed out, and although this shouldn't affect basic productivity, it does impact the media-viewing experience — we were even a little disappointed with everyday web browsing.

As you'd hope with a premium-priced notebook, the keyboard has a backlight that kicks in when you tap it. There's no light bleed around the keys when you're using the Portégé Z930 at a desk, although there is when you're slouching in a chair — but not enough to be distracting.

CHICAGO — Trading Technologies International, Inc. (TT), a global provider of high-performance trading software for derivatives professionals, and Eris Exchange, a U.S.-based futures exchange, today announced that TT will offer a new gateway to connect its trading software to the Eris SwapBook™ electronic trading platform. With the new connection, which is currently targeted for release in the fourth quarter of 2012,

TT customers will gain the ability to trade benchmark Eris Exchange Interest Rate Swap Futures and inter-market spreads through TT’s X_TRADER® trading platform and related products.TT clients will have access to 2, 5 and 10 year Forward Starting with battery like Dell GX047 Battery, Dell H766N Battery, Dell HD438 Battery, Dell HF674 Battery, Dell J399N Battery, Dell J590M Battery, Dell JD634 Battery, Dell KD186 Battery, Dell KD476 Battery, Dell KG046 Battery, Dell KM958 Battery, Dell MM165 Battery IMM-dated Eris Exchange Interest Rate Swap Futures. In addition, clients using TT’s Autospreader® spreading tool will have the option to easily trade cross-exchange spreads if they have access to other exchanges, including:Cash/Futures Swap Spreads using Eris Exchange Futures and BrokerTec Cash Treasuries

Futures Invoice Spreads using Eris Exchange Futures and CME Group Treasury Futures

“Connecting to Eris Exchange is an ideal way for Trading Technologies to help traders capitalize on the new opportunities driven by recent financial regulation,” said Harris Brumfield, CEO of TT. “By embedding swap economics into a futures contract with standardized dates and rates that provides margin offsets with CME Group interest rate futures, Eris Exchange has anticipated the evolution of the swaps market toward the standardization and capital efficiency that have long been hallmarks of the futures industry.”“TT’s support of Eris Exchange extends our distribution to thousands of buy-side and sell-side firms eager to trade Eris Exchange Interest Rate Swap Futures with TT’s powerful X_TRADER platform and related products including ADL™, Autospreader® and FIX Adapter tools,” said Neal Brady, CEO of Eris Exchange. “TT’s server-side spreading engine, Autospreader Strategy Engine, in particular, unlocks the potential for traders to execute compelling inter-market trading strategies electronically using Eris Exchange Interest Rate Swap Futures.”TT offers connectivity to approximately three-dozen markets in North America,

South America, Europe, the Middle East and the Asia/Pacific region. TT customers can choose to host gateways internally or outsource connectivity to TTNET™, TT’s fully managed hosting solution.About Trading TechnologiesTrading Technologies (www.tradingtechnologies.com) develops high-performance trading software for derivatives professionals, including the world’s premier investment banks, proprietary traders, brokers, Futures Commission Merchants (FCMs), hedge funds and other trading institutions. The company’s X_TRADER software and related services provide direct access to dozens of the major international derivatives exchanges. TTNET™, TT's fully managed hosting solution, delivers maximum system stability and fast trade execution via hubs located close to the major exchanges in Chicago,