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WITH KOREAN HARDWARE GIANT Samsung adding more tablets to its expanding portfolio, The INQUIRER managed to get its hands on the 7in Galaxy Tab 2 running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

The Galaxy Tab 2 retains most of the design and traits that made the original Galaxy Tab popular with enterprise users and consumers. However, in terms of looks, the Galazy Tab 2 isn’t the sexiest and slimmest in the Galaxy Tab range and we prefer the original 7.7in Galaxy Tab.

Samsung hasn’t gone over-the-top with the specifications on the Galazy Tab 2 either, in a deliberate attempt to keep the price of the device as low as possible to try to entice first time tablet buyers.

The main area where Samsung has made cost savings is the 7in display, shipping the Galaxy Tab 2 with 1024×600 resolution. This is not as good as the original Galaxy Tab’s Super AMOLED screen with 1,280×800 resolution.

However, under the hood Samsung has not skimped on components. The Galaxy Tab 2 is powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor, has 1GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. There is a microSD slot that allow users to boost storage by another 32GB, which is always handy.

We found the performance of the Galaxy Tab 2 to be smooth, although not as quick as that of the quad-core powered Transformer Prime.

Samsung has also pre-loaded Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich onto the tablet so it is capable of offering the most up-to-date software experience of any tablet, which is important, as Apple gears up to unveil the Ipad 3.

The 3G device also retains the ability to make calls so you can use it as a smartphone if you wish, although using a Bluetooth headset is probably best though, to avoid getting strange looks.

HSPA+ network connectivity of up to 21Mbit/s, plus 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are also supported, but no LTE model is planned. µ

Outside of the Envy series and the bygone era of Voodoo (anyone remember the Blackbird?), HP hasn't exactly been a brand associated with high performance gaming desktops, at least not on the consumer side. They're a large vendor and we tend to expect basic computer systems from them–the type of system we'd buy for our parents or grandparents, not something that would be competitive with the kinds of desktops we can get from boutiques. Yet companies like HP or Dell can leverage their size to produce slick, heavily customized chassis designs for their builds, and that's exactly what HP has done with the Phoenix h9se.

In its nearly sub-midtower dimensions, HP has crammed the Phoenix with a heck of a lot of power while producing something with a unique aesthetic. It's attractive without being gaudy, and in true big-box fashion they've managed to keep the price down. Read on to find out if the Phoenix worth the gaming dollars of you and yours.

RESEARCHERS have reported a technological breakthrough that is set to speed the arrival of real-world quantum devices that will be orders of magnitude more powerful than today’s best supercomputers.

A team at IBM Research reported that they have achieved major advances towards creating real-world quantum computing devices that exploit the underlying quantum mechanical behavior of matter.

“The quantum computing work we are doing shows it is no longer just a brute force physics experiment. It’s time to start creating systems based on this science that will take computing to a new frontier,” said IBM scientist Matthias Steffen, manager of the IBM Research team that’s focused on developing quantum computing to a point where it can be applied to real-world problems.

The scientists described how they have established new techniques for reducing errors in elementary computations and retaining the integrity of quantum mechanical properties in quantum bits (qubits) – the basic units that carry information within quantum computing. They explained they have chosen to employ superconducting qubits, which use established microfabrication techniques developed for silicon technology, providing the potential to one day scale up to and manufacture thousands or millions of qubits.

The special properties of qubits have the potential to allow quantum computers to work on millions of computations at once – a single 250-qubit state contains more bits of information than there are atoms in the universe. The most basic piece of information that a typical computer understands is a bit. Much like a light that can be switched on or off, a bit can have only one of two values: “1″ or “0″. For qubits, they can hold a value of “1″ or “0″ as well as both values at the same time. Described as superposition, this is what allows quantum computers to perform millions of calculations at once.

The IBM boffins reported that one of the great challenges for scientists seeking to harness the power of quantum computing is controlling or removing quantum decoherence – the creation of errors in calculations caused by interference from factors such as heat, electromagnetic radiation, and materials defects. To deal with this problem, scientists have been experimenting for years to discover ways of reducing the number of errors and of lengthening the time periods over which the qubits retain their quantum mechanical properties. When this time is sufficiently long, error correction schemes become effective making it possible to perform long and complex calculations.

To address this issue IBM is focusing on using superconducting qubits that will allow a more facile transition to scale up and manufacturing.

IBM has recently been experimenting with a unique “three dimensional” superconducting qubit (3D qubit), an approach that was initiated at Yale University. Among the results, the IBM team has used a 3D qubit to extend the amount of time that the qubits retain their quantum states up to 100 microseconds – an improvement of 2 to 4 times upon previously reported records. This value reaches just past the minimum threshold to enable effective error correction schemes and suggests that scientists can begin to focus on broader engineering aspects for scalability.

In separate experiments, the group at IBM also demonstrated a more traditional “two-dimensional” qubit device and implemented a two-qubit logic operation – a controlled-NOT (CNOT) operation. Their operation showed a 95 per cent success rate. These numbers are on the cusp of effective error correction schemes and greatly facilitate future multi-qubit experiments.

Out of the labs and in the real world, quantum computers are likely to have widespread implications foremost for the field of data encryption where quantum computers could factor very large numbers like those used to decode and encode sensitive information. Other potential applications for quantum computing might include searching databases of unstructured information, performing a range of optimisation tasks and solving previously unsolvable mathematical problems. µ

CHINESE HARDWARE MAKER Shenzhen Proview Technologies is extending the reach of its campaign to claw back the rights to the name Ipad.

Late last week we reported that Proview took its case into a California court. Now more is coming out about its complaint.

Proview argues that Apple mislead it during the transaction to buy the name and sent a sham company with a fraudulent story to make the deal. Apple counters that everything was done properly.

In a statement released today the firm said that it has amended the complaint in China, and has filed it with the California Superior Court in Santa Clara. In it the firm accuses Apple of fraud and unfair competition.

The amendments to the complaint are an attempt to add more weight to the argument that Apple behaved fraudulently.

“Among the many allegations in the U.S complaint are fraud by intentional misrepresentation, fraud by concealment, fraudulent inducement, and unfair competition. The complaint provides evidence that the December 23, 2009 agreement that Proview Taiwan entered into was fraudulently induced by the concealment and suppression of material facts by Apple’s agents, and that, as a result, the 2009 agreement is void,” said the statement.

“Once the agreement is voided for fraud, the Ipad trademarks in the European Union, South Korea, Mexico, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam will revert back to Proview Taiwan,” it added, suggesting that it is ready to take the lawsuit on a world tour.

Proview suggests that it was a worried Apple that made the deal, and one that wanted to grab the Ipad name as quickly and with as little transparency and honesty as possible.

“While some technology companies create special purpose vehicles in order to obtain trademarks, in this case the sole function of Apple’s special purpose vehicle was intentional misrepresentation, and an effort to fraudulently induce Proview Taiwan into a sale of the IPAD trademarks,” added Cal Kenney, a spokesman for Proview Taiwan.

“Proview Taiwan had concerns about the purchaser’s intentions, and was very diligent in trying to understand the facts surrounding its interest in Proview Taiwan’s IPAD trademarks. But even careful diligence is ineffective when the counterparty is engaging in intentional fraud,” he continued.

He added, “Proview wants compensation and ‘disgorgement of Apple’s profits from the unfair competition”, and also wants an injunction against the use of the fraudulently obtained trademarks.”

We have asked Apple to comment. µ

TOY MAKER FOR THE WELL HEELED Apple has started sending out invitations to the launch of its Ipad 3.

The invitations – ours must be coming as a hard copy and we have not had a delivery yet – show what looks like a very high resolution screen and the suggestion that someone out there has something that they want people to see and touch.

Fortunately the clue is in the picture, and from what we can see, it is a picture of a very shiny looking Ipad 3. So unless this is the launch of a brand of polish for Apple Ipad screens, we can only assume that it is the invitation to the release of the third tablet in the series.

We saw the invitation at The Verge, then we checked, but our postal delivery is still not here, and there we learned that the launch event is being held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco at 10AM PST on Wednesday, 7 March. µ

Intel had two more announcements yesterday about its Atom smartphone progress. The first was a partnership with Lava, an Indian mobile handset manufacturer. The Lava Xolo X900, a rebranded Intel Atom Z2460 reference design, will go on sale early next quarter in India.

The Lava announcement marks Intel's first foray into India. Intel's previously announced Lenovo partnership begins work in China, while the Orange announcement earlier this week kicks off Europe. The non-North American focus is unusual for Intel but I suspect that we'll see Motorola change that in due time. I'm not expecting to see any North American design wins from Intel until next year though. The focus is clearly Europe and Asia today, likely due in part to the strength of the iPhone in the US. 

The second announcement was a partnership with device manufacturer ZTE. Similar to the Motorola partnership announced at CES, ZTE committed to a multi-year partnership where it will build smartphones and tablets with Intel SoCs. The first Intel powered ZTE devices will ship by the end of this year.

TAIWANESE PHONE MAKER HTC is excited about its One range of smartphones, and after having had a play with its flagship One X handset, so are we.

The One X has a 4.7in behemoth of a display that might intimidate some users, but the thin design and lightweight nature of the handset make it comfortable to hold and the screen size is great for web browsing and viewing multimedia content.

HTC has set the screen at 1280×720 resolution and a pixel-per-inch density of 312ppi, putting it up there with other high-end devices such as the Iphone 4S.

Under the hood is the Nvidia quad-core Tegra 3 processor clocked at 1.5GHz and supported by 1GB of RAM. We found the performance of the device to be very smooth, with no latency detected. This was impressive considering that the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system runs the resource hungry HTC Sense overlay on top.

The camera performance appears to have been greatly increased and it is good to see that HTC has finally addressed a feature that let down the performance of previous devices. The 8MP camera loads up in the blink of an eye and the f2.0 lens and a BSI sensor should make the One X handset a great camera, even in low-light environments.

HTC has added a number of features to its Sense 4 interface as well. When the applications menu is opened, there are options to search for an app, enter the Android Market or activate the menu. This is particularly useful for users who have dozens of apps spread over a number of pages.

HTC has chosen to keep three capacitive buttons below the screen as they found that users would still like these to complement the onscreen controls on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The buttons are used to go ‘back’, ‘home’ or bring up most recently used apps.

The recent apps feature has been given the Sense treatment and is displayed differently than on stock Android handsets. Instead of appearing in a list form in the left hand column, active applications are each given a large icon and users move between them horizontally as opposed to vertically. A flick upwards on an app will also shut it down.

The only area where we are slightly disappointed is storage. There is no microSD card support and although HTC will ship the device with 32GB of internal storage, this is likely to make it expensive. Users might be attracted by the 25GB of free storage from Dropbox for two years, though.

The One X will come with near field communications (NFC) capabilities, so it will be ready to use the infrastructure that’s slowly being rolled out in the UK and beyond. Digital living network alliance (DLNA) technology is also included as standard, so images and video can be transmitted to larger HD displays.

From the looks of it, the One X is shaping up to be HTC’s best handset to date, and could be a serious challenger to other high-end smartphones on the market. µ

TAIWANESE HARDWARE MAKER Asus’s Padfone might sound like a bit of a silly name, but Asus could be onto another winning hybrid concept.

Granted, the concept of combining a smartphone and a tablet is a little “out there”, but stranger things have caught on.

When the smartphone and tablet are joined together you get the appearance of a regular Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich tablet. The device is reasonably comfortable to hold, but at 724g weight it’s not the lightest.

This can be forgiven though, as there are two batteries – a 1520mAh Li-ion in the handset and a 24.4Whr pack in the 10.1in chassis. Plus the large screen of the tablet suggests that the device isn’t exactly made for pockets.

As with all the latest Asus tablets, the design is very impressive and the Padfone oozes premium quality. The display looks like it means business, and the 10.1in screen has 1280×800 resolution, which isn’t quite as crisp as we would have liked but it’s impressive nonetheless.

Most people will probably just mistake the Padfone for a regular 10.1in tablet until you pop open the top and pull out the smartphone to answer an incoming call.

The handset itself looks like a cross between the Samsung Galaxy S II and the Galaxy Nexus, which is no bad thing. The handset weighs 129g, making it reasonably lightweight. On the back of both the smartphone and the tablet is the familiar metallic concentric circle design that has become a trademark for Asus devices.

From what we have seen so far, the performance looks to be strong too. Asus has gone with the Qualcomm 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor and 1GB of RAM. The transition between the devices when connected and disconnected is extremely quick as they share the same memory pool.

Additionally, you can also buy a Transformer Prime-like keyboard dock and convert the Padfone into a netbook. Asus claims that this three-in-one device has a battery capacity that is nine-times better than most netbooks.

Added to this, there will be a stylus that doubles as a headset and it could well prove very popular with business users.

The only potential stumbling block could be the pricing, with Asus yet to announce how much the Padfone will retail for, but with two devices and a possible keyboard dock, it might not be cheap.

However, with shipments set to start in April, we should discover pricing soon enough. µ

MOBILE PHONES running the Android mobile operating system are putting their users’ data at risk and compromising security, says a security analyst outfit.

The warning comes from UK security firm MWR Infosecurity and is timed to coincide with the start of Mobile World Congress, an event where man plus dog will be showing off smartphones based on the Google operating system.

“Android mobiles are being compromised daily exposing users to a real security risk,” said Ian Shaw, MD at MWR InfoSecurity, as he chided manufacturers for not doing enough to protect their users from a wide range of attacks.

“The increasing lack of security controls on the phones are exposing users to fraud and other criminal activity,” he said.

“Manufacturers must spend more time looking to see how they can safeguard users. Many seem to forget that they have a duty of care. The problem is that many users just don’t realise how vulnerable they actually are. Criminals can steal personal details like bank passwords and other personal information.”

MWR Infosecurity keeps itself fairly busy in its hunt for Android security issues, and so far has found ten on Samsung’s smartphones and tablets. It said it had warned the firm about these and had been assured that it was working on them. µ

At CES Intel announced both Lenovo and Motorola would be bringing Atom based smartphones to market in 2012. Lenovo showed off its K800 for the China market at the show, while Motorola offered a more vague commitment to bring multiple devices to market starting later this year. Today Intel announced its next Atom/Medfield customer: Orange.

A French Telecom brand, Orange is one of the world's largest mobile network carriers. The nature of the partnership with Intel is quite unique – Orange will be selling a co-branded version of Intel's Medfield reference design platform, effectively cutting out any branded device manufacturer and going direct to customers with Intel's platform.

Read on for our analysis of the announcement.