Samsung Galaxy Axiom Now Available at U.S. Cellular for $79

Samsung‘s budget-friendly smartphone, the Galaxy Axiom, is now available at U.S. Cellular.
Similar in specifications to the Galaxy S III Mini, it sports a 4-inch, 800 x 480 pixel screen, a 1.2 GHz dual-core CPU, 4 GB of storage (further expandable via a microSD memory card), as well as a 5-megapixel camera on the back and a 1.3 megapixel camera on the front.
The device supports NFC and Google Wallet. It runs Android 4.0 or Ice Cream Sandwich.
The handset will set you back $79 with a two-year contract, or $399 without one.

10 Tech of the week

1. Samsung Galaxy Camera Phone

Is this a camera or smartphone? Yes to both. Looking at the Samsung Galaxy Camera from this angle, it looks like a point-and-shoot with a rather large lens, a 21x optical zoom.

2. Razer Blade Gaming Laptop

You remember the Razer Blade, that gaming laptop with an additional screen right next to the keyboard? The main complaint early adopters had about that unique laptop, released almost exactly a year ago, was that it wasn't powerful enough.

3. Logitech | UE Boombox

Logitech rolled out some gorgeous boomboxes and headphones this week, and my favorite is this Logitech|UE Boombox. It's so lusciously rounded and tastefully designed that I was tempted to prop it up on my shoulder and carry it around all day, old-school.

4. VW XL1 Prototype

It's hard to believe that a 235-miles-per-gallon car is actually getting close to production, and might be available in limited numbers starting next year. Although its exact release date is unknown, Volkswagen's XL1 is currently undergoing warm-weather testing, and these spy shots tell the tale.

5. Flat Pack Mouse Concept

At first glance, it's a wireless mouse that looks like a stealth fighter, and has a wireless USB receiver but then when it's time to hit the road, this design concept can unfold into an object the size of a typical optical disc, slipping right into a DVD drawer for easy toting. When you fold it -- as if you are engaging in a pleasant session of origami -- this flat CD mouse morphs into its useful configuration, automatically powering up.

6. Energizer Folding Lantern

Take a trip into the future of portable lighting with this Energizer folding lantern. Here are two of them sitting on a table, ready for action. Energizer sent us a prototype, one of the only ones in existence.

7. Super-High-Def 4K TVs

At the big IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, one of the major trends was the rollout of 4K TV, those super-high resolution displays that offer four times the resolution of ordinary HDTV. A variety of companies were getting into the act, such as LG, with its 84-inch 3D TV (model 84LM9600) that's already shipping in Korea.

8. Paper-Thin Lens

Why do point-and-shoot and digital SLR cameras deliver better quality pics than smartphone cameras? One reason is the size of the imager, but another important factor is the size of the lens. Now, researchers at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have figured out a way to revolutionize lenses, making them as thin as a sheet of paper.
The 60-nanometer-thin lens is built around a gold-plated silicon wafer, and by chipping away part of that wafer to create rows of V-shaped structures, somehow (insert miracle here) that lens can capture wide-angle images with virtually no distortion. Someday, this technology might enable super-thin smartphone cameras to shoot photos that are just as good as those shot with today's bulky digital SLRs.

9. Hybrid Windows 8 Tablet-Laptop Transformers:

Another big trend at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin was Windows 8 tablets that can also transform into a device quite similar to a laptop. Perhaps manufacturers are figuring if they can't beat the iPad, might as well shimmy into a niche somewhere between laptops and tablets. That's what Samsung did with its 11.6-inch Ativ Smart PC, whose laptop-like keyboard can be easily removed with a simple push of a button.

10. iPhone 5 Comparison

Now there are even more iPhone 5 spy shots, this time comparing the new iPhone to its predecessors. Here you can see a taller iPhone compared with the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3. Look at how old-fashioned the iPhone 3 was, looking like some sort of toaster from the '90s.

Hybrid Windows 8 Tablet-Laptop Transformers

Another big trend at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin was Windows 8 tablets that can also transform into a device quite similar to a laptop. Perhaps manufacturers are figuring if they can't beat the iPad, might as well shimmy into a niche somewhere between laptops and tablets. That's what Samsung did with its 11.6-inch Ativ Smart PC, whose laptop-like keyboard can be easily removed with a simple push of a button.
[via ExtremeTech]

Sony rolled out its hybrid transformer Duo 11, whose keyboard isn't detachable. It's about twice as thick as an iPad at 17.85mm, but that puts it close to the MacBook Air.
[via Gizmodo]

Here's Asus's horse in this race, an 11.6-inch tablet with an optional docking station to make it feel like a laptop. It's running on an Intel Atom processor for Windows 8, which might be faster than it seems, because the chip will be the new dual-core "Clover Trail" Atom processor.
Said to pack the power of a midrange laptop, this baby is just 8.7mm thin.
[via TechRadar]

HP introduced its Envy x2, which looks like a detachable version of that Envy 14 Spectre laptop I tested (and liked) back in March. Like many of the hybrids it also has an 11.6-inch screen, runs Windows 8 and will be available by the end of the year.
There's no pricing details on any of these hybrid tablets, with manufacturers playing coy at this point, merely wanting to introduce the products at a major trade show, and leaving the pricing decisions for later. I'm eagerly anticipating their decisions, because pricing will be a crucial factor for the success of these hybrid tablets, which I think must roll out at rock-bottom prices to compete with the iPad.
[via ZD Net]

We wouldn't want the iPad to feel left out, so here's $129 ZAGGkeys Pro Plus, a new iPad keyboard from Zagg that turns Apple's tablet into a hybrid, too. This one's a lot like the Zagg keyboard I reviewed last year -- and liked a lot -- but it goes one step better: Its keyboard is backlit, with eight different colors at your disposal.
But won't that backlit keyboard use lots of battery power? Zagg told Gizmag that the keyboard will hold a charge for "a few weeks," even if you leave it on all day. By contrast, the non-backlit $99 ZAGGkeys Pro can run for 4 to 6 months on a charge.
Just like its predecessor, the keyboard also functions as a case, snapping into place using magnetic closures, and there's a well-placed slot that props up your iPad when you want to start typing.
The ZAGGkeys Pro and ZAGGkeys Pro Plus will be available later in September.
Via Zagg and Gizmag

Samsung All-in-One PC Troika

 

In anticipation of Microsoft's forthcoming Windows 8 operating system, Samsung is releasing several new Series 7 and Series 5 all-in-one desktop PC models with full 1080p HD screens and 10-point multi-touch. The three systems feature third-generation Intel Core processors, 1920-by-1080 resolution screens, and have their components integrated into their screens. The three systems will be available along with Windows 8 at its launch on Oct. 26, 2012. 

The Series 5 entry-level all-in-one is built into a 21.5-inch widescreen with 10-point capacitive multi-touch. It comes with an Intel Core i3 processor, 4GB of DDR3 memory, and a 500GB hard drive. Like the pricier models, this Series 5's 21.5-inch screen comes with a full 1080p HD (1920-by-1080) resolution display, which is very good for such a small system. The Series 5 comes with a compact wireless keyboard and mouse, and will retail for $749.

The Series 7 all-in-one sports a 23.6-inch widescreen, also with 10-point capacitive multi-touch. The system comes with a mid-range Intel Core i5 processor, 6GB of DD3 memory, a 1TB hard drive, and also has a full 1080p HD screen. Samsung's mid-range Series 7 has a full-sized wireless keyboard and mouse, and retails for

The high-end Series 7 all-in-one boasts a 27-inch, 10-point multi-touch widescreen. The system's Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of memory, and 1TB hard drive mean that this is meant to be the power users' system. The system comes with a proportionally sized price, $1,699 retail.
All three systems come with Microsoft Windows 8 (64-bit) installed and they will be able to use all of Microsoft's anticipated touch features, thanks to their high-resolution, 10-point touch screens.

http://www.pcmag.com/