The week in gadgets, featuring HP’s new tablet and a possible wireless Lightning adaptor

8 Oct 2012

The HP ElitePad 900

A look at gadget happenings, as HP introduces a tough new tablet for business users, Logitech offers stylish surround sound for your PC, and Apple is rumoured to have a wireless Lightning adaptor in the works.

HP ElitePad 900

As promised, HP has introduced a new enterprise tablet, the HP ElitePad 900 for touch, enabled for pen or voice control. The thin, light tablet runs on Windows 8 and is built to withstand falls, vibration, dust, extreme temperatures and high altitudes – for the adventurous businessperson.

Its 10.1-inch display has a 16:10 aspect ratio and is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 2. It also features a 1080p front-facing video camera, 8MP rear camera with a LED flash, and under the hood are next-generation Intel mobile processors.

HP has also introduced a range of Smart Jackets, accessories designed for the ElitePad 900 that can add a keyboard, digital pen, docking system, extra ports and enhanced battery life.

Expansion options for HP ElitePad 900

The HP ElitePad 900 will be available in the US from January 2013. European release information is not yet known.

Logitech Speaker System Z553

Logitech’s new PC speaker system claims to bring crystal-clear acoustics and powerful bass in a compact design perfect for the desktop or mounted to the wall.

Logitech Speaker System Z553

The Logitech Speaker System Z553 consists of two satellite speakers and a down-firing subwoofer offering 40W (RMS) of power. Up to three devices can be connected to the system at any one time, and a control pod lets users control volume and bass levels.

The new speaker system is available in Ireland this month at a suggested retail price of €129.99.

A wireless adaptor from Apple?

In future gadget news, Apple may be preparing a wireless adaptor, which could solve compatibility issues posed by its new Lightning connector. Apple was awarded the patent for the universal adaptor last week, according to Apple Insider. The patent covers an adaptor for portable media players that allows for the transmission of data wirelessly to any accessory.

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Elaine Burke is the host of For Tech’s Sake, a co-production from Silicon Republic and The HeadStuff Podcast Network. She was previously the editor of Silicon Republic.

editorial@siliconrepublic.com