Google had already achieved a measure of success with the Chromebook Pixel, according to an analyst at Gap Intelligence. “[It’s] a fantastic ploy to get people to think about Chrome differently,” said Deron Kershaw, an analyst Gap Intelligence who follows retail sales of laptops. The Pixel is now being sold by Best Buy at a …

Thank you, Google. For obsoleting my MacBook. Question: What two killer hardware features are missing on MacBooks? My answer: a touch screen and 4G. What a coincidence. Just what Google is offering on the Chromebook Pixel. And in a package that comes close to matching the MacBook’s aesthetics. Not everyone may agree with that. Take the laptop flat-earthers. They will …

The HTC One has taken the pixel density crown, leaving phones like Retina iPhone 5 in the dust. First, to get a sense of the HTC One screen’s density, a quick comparison to Microsoft’s Surface Pro, which has also been praised for its display chops, puts this into perspective. The Surface Pro packs a resolution of 1,920×1,080 into a 10.6-inch …

If Hewlett-Packard introduces an Android tablet, the newfound rivalry with Microsoft will be one motivating factor, according to analysts. “I can see why they would go down this route instead of sticking with Microsoft for everything,” said Ben Bajarin, a principal at Creative Strategies. That may be putting it charitably. “[PC makers] are pissed off at Microsoft. That’s the general …

Hewlett-Packard is doing an Android tablet too, according to a report from ReadWrite. HP’s first Android tablet will be a “high-end” affair based on Nvidia’s upcoming Tegra 4 chip, according to the blog. “It could be announced soon,” the report said. This would come about two years after HP’s WebOS tablet debacle. In August of 2011, the company terminated its …

Asus, the maker of Google’s Nexus 7, will debut a 7-inch Fonepad at Mobile World Congress later this month, according to sources familiar with the product. Reports say the Fonepad may be priced in the same ballpark as — or slightly higher than — the Nexus 7 but below the MeMO Pad, which Asus launched Friday in Asia. Leaked photos …

As Android tablet shipments surge, probably the best thing that can be said about Microsoft is that it’s not going away. Android tablet shipments totaled about 30 million in the fourth quarter, IDC reported today. And that number (total market) jumps to 50 million if you throw in Apple’s iPad. “There is no question that Microsoft is in this tablet …

Safaricom today announced a smartphone based an Intel design — part of the chipmaker’s effort to enter the global low-cost phone market. The Yolo smartphone is aimed “cost-conscious…first-time buyers” in Kenya, said Intel, which is responsible for both the core electronics and phone’s design. Related stories Xolo X900: Meet Intel’s first smartphone That design was announced at CES 2013. Inside …

Sony’s new tablet is really thin. How thin? Thinner than the already-very-svelte iPad Mini. The 10.1-inch Xperia Tablet Z measures 6.9mm or about 0.27 inches. The uber-thin Mini is 7.2mm and 0.28 inches, by comparison. Thinness is important in tablets because it translates to very light, easy-to-hold designs. And here Sony delivers too: it weighs in at 485 grams or …

The latest version of Android is now sitting on about 10 percent of all Android devices, while Gingerbread dropped below 50 percent, according to the latest numbers from Google. Jelly Bean — that is, Android 4.1 and 4.2 — is up in the two weeks ending January 3, though it’s Android 4.1 that’s made most of the gains (see chart …