Amazon Kindle Fire

The Kindle Fire tablet, currently unavailable in the UK but doing good business in the US, is already one of the best value for money computers on the market thanks to Amazon’s aggressive pricing and it could become cheaper still.

AdAge reports that the retailer is looking to integrate advertising into the Kindle Fire, so that users will see marketing material from their tablet’s home screen, in return for an even lower asking price for the device itself.

Advertisers are currently being sought to see whether this is an avenue worth pursuing and Amazon is seeking a minimum of around £380,000 from those who want to get their products and services promoted via Kindle Fire.

Amazon has experience with the ad-supported model in the past and you can get about 25 per cent off the price of a Kindle if you choose one which comes with the occasional full screen ad.

For those who can afford to pay extra for their Kindle Fire to avoid advertisements, this news may not be particularly pertinent. However, anyone who is thinking about getting a tablet computer but is currently put off by the price, will probably have their interests piqued.

Intel Ultrabook Laptop

Intel is the dominant force in the home computing market, with 80 per cent of all laptops and desktop computers utilising one of its processors.

Its recent creation of the Ultrabook family of laptops, which are designed to take on the Apple MacBook Air at its own game, are also proving to be popular, which is quite a feat in a market that is turning towards tablet computers.

However, rival chip manufacturer, AMD, is hoping that its new Trinity processor will allow it to expand its share and allow manufacturers to build its technology into Ultrabook-style laptops which are slim and energy efficient.

There are going to be both dual and quad core AMD Trinity processors on the market, the former clocked at up to 2.6GHz, while the latter can operate at 2.8GHz when working overtime.

The chipset will not only integrate a typical processor but will also feature a combination of Radeon HD 7000 series graphics capabilities for extra visual punch.

There is no doubt that AMD is facing a tough battle, given the saturation of the market by its rival Intel. However, giving consumers more choice when it comes to slender laptops, cannot be seen as a bad thing.

Touch the future with Windows 8

The internet can be a dangerous and distressing place for young children, which is why many parents choose to install and use filtering services, so that they can browse safely.

However, this often requires a third party software suite, which can be tough to manage and difficult to keep activated.

This means that the news of Microsoft’s new Family Safety service, due to arrive onboard the Windows 8 operating system later in the year, will be welcomed by those with children.

The service will essentially allow parents to monitor the sites that are being visited and then block any they deem to be inappropriate on their kid’s Windows accounts.

The tools will only be accessible when logged in as a parental administrator, which means that the little ones will not be able to tinker with the controls.

The service extends beyond just the internet, because it will also look at the types of games and software apps that are being accessed by each user. This should help compartmentalise laptops and desktop computers, so that adult content is not being viewed inappropriately.

Microsoft could, arguably, have made it easier for parents to control their PCs in this flexible way a little earlier, but this could make Windows 8 all the more appealing.

Apple Macbook Pro

Apple is likely to unveil a freshly updated edition of its MacBook Pro range of laptops during the WWDC this year, according to TechRadar.

While there are scant details about the precise plans that Apple has for its high end notebooks, it seems likely that these models will be thinner than their predecessors, while also packing in more power.

An ultra high resolution Retina Display is also thought to be an option on the 15 inch iteration of the MacBook Pro, with Apple choosing to integrate USB 3.0 ports, to sweeten the deal.

The new devices are unlikely to come close to matching the MacBook Air, or the Intel range of Ultrabook laptops, when it comes to thinness, but any kind of reduction in depth will be welcomed by fans.

Apple is getting ready to release the latest version of its OS X operating system in the middle of the year, which would coincide nicely with the arrival of new laptops. The promise of a Retina display would also show that there is a growing convergence between Apple’s laptops and its mobile devices like the iPad, the latter of which are becoming the testing ground for the latest technology.

iPad 4G

When the new iPad launched earlier this year, it was touted as being capable of delivering 4G network performance, which would go above and beyond what was capable with previous 3G generations of the tablet.

However, the tech giant has now been forced to rename the top end iPad 3 as capable of offering Wi-Fi and cellular networking, which notably drops the 4G tag.

This move has been prompted by a raft of complaints from those who believe that Apple has been selling its tablet to consumers under a false premise.

Apple stores across the world, including in the UK, will no longer put the two letters of 4G anywhere near a new iPad, which is perhaps particularly sensible in Britain, where there is no 4G LTE coverage in the first place.

It has taken Apple some time to comply with assurances it gave to the Advertising Standards Agency in the UK, over the extrication of any 4G marketing, because this could clearly put consumers at risk of being fooled into thinking that their new tablet was faster than anything else around.

This also highlights the need for the speedy rollout of 4G network technology across the country, because the UK is still lagging behind others in this area.

HP_EliteBookFolio

The current crop of high end Ultrabook laptops are sleek, slender machines that are great for web browsing and media playback. However, HP is attempting to inject a little more practicality into the market, with its EliteBook Folio model.

While the EliteBook Folio is not set to hit stores until the autumn, it promises to be an intriguing introduction to the market.

A 14 inch display, super slender 1.9cm chassis and the subtle Beats Audio branding, suggests that this will be superficially similar to the growing number of Ultrabook models available at the moment.

However, it will be available with a separate battery pack which boosts its portability and also adds to the amount of inputs which are available, making it quite a useful docking station.

In the meantime, the integrated Trusted Platform Module (TPM), will allow it to offer enterprise-grade data encryption and easy integration into existing business networks.

Given that the EliteBook Folio is still in development, it is anticipated that it will arrive with a spanking new Intel Core iSeries processor when it hits later in 2012. For business users who want an eminently classic laptop, this could well become the device of choice.

The arrival of App Centre is significant for a number of reasons, most pertinently because it will be able to offer third party developers the chance to actually charge people to use their software.

App Centre will not only be available from a standard web browser but will also be coming to the mobile iterations of Facebook, for Android and iOS in the short term and perhaps for other platforms further down the line.

While it is still in its early phases, the App Centre will be relatively fully featured, allowing users to see which apps are the most popular, as well as getting a personalised list of programs that they might like based on their previous usage.

Charging users for apps could be a brand new way for Facebook to extrapolate money from its users, since the service has previously relied almost entirely on advertising to generate revenue. Quite how much of an impact the service will have in the long term remains to be seen.

The M6 could be a very interesting addition to the market because it seems to be aping the look and feel of an Ultrabook device, with a slim, stylish chassis crafted from metal and a premium grade finish throughout.

However, TechRadar reports that the M6 is unlikely to achieve full Ultrabook status, because it will not use a solid state hard drive, instead sticking for the more traditional type of storage, with all the platters and moving parts intact.

HP’s partnership with Beats Audio will mean that the M6 has some excellent speakers, for a laptop. Meanwhile, the company has confirmed that processors from both AMD and Intel will be available under the bonnet.

The M6 could be a compelling choice for anyone who wants to get an Ultrabook experience without shelling out the extra cash for the privilege. It should be out at some point next month, with a preliminary price tag of under £600.

Apple MacBook Air

Reports suggest that Apple could be making its MacBook Air laptop range a little cheaper, with the addition of a more budget-oriented option, rumoured to be scheduled for later in 2012.

Sources quoted by DigiTimes, imply that the updated model will be made available at around £729, which is £120 less than the current entry level option in this super-slim range of laptops.

This move is perhaps unsurprising, given that chip manufacturer Intel and various partner companies have been pushing out the Ultrabook laptops to compete directly with the MacBook Air, often at more competitive price points.

Intel is hoping that the typical price of an Ultrabook will eventually settle at the equivalent of £431, which is still significantly lower than Apple’s alleged asking price for the MacBook Air.

Of course, Apple is always known to price its products above its competitors, relying on the prestige that this generates to foster sales. This tactic has worked well so far and it should be no different if Apple does cut the cost of owning a MacBook Air in the fourth quarter of 2012.

The Ultrabook market will get some help of its own before the end of the year, as the arrival of Windows 8 will renew interest in these laptops.

Touch the future with Windows 8

In a slightly odd move, it looks like Microsoft has decided to remove native support for the playback of DVD movies from Windows 8, its upcoming operating system that will be appearing on laptops and desktop computers before the end of the year.

In a blog post about the software, it was explained that Windows 8 users will either have to turn to a third party media player when the platform arrives, or alternatively, splash out for the edition of the OS which includes Media Centre.

Microsoft’s reasoning is that Windows 8 will be all about online media, with streaming and digital file playback pushed to the foreground.

While this may be seen as a slightly silly move, given that millions of people still use DVDs and have vast collections of discs, it will not be much of a practical problem.

When you buy a new laptop or PC, it will typically come preinstalled with some form of third party media player to augment the basic Windows software, so popping in a DVD will still be a legitimate way to entertain yourself.

This move does suggest that the world really is being altered by the proliferation of streaming sites and a move away from physical storage.