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Continuing it's trend for budget devices, Acer has announced the latest generation Acer Iconia B1 tablet for the masses. Taking over from the previous version, the 7-inch Iconia B1 is firmly aimed at those on a budget with a price tag of $129.99 (RM426). In line with this, tech specs for the Iconia B1 are predictably entry-level and include a 1.3GHz dual-core processor, 7-inch OGS or One Glass Solution, 1GB RAM, 16GB storage with 32GB microSD support and a single front camera. While Acer haven't mentioned how big the battery is they say it should be able to last 5 hours unplugged. For the price, the tablet looks good with a nice swirly pattern on the back and it comes with Android 4.2.1 with gray and red coloured models. A launch is expected in the US for the middle of January. We should be able to expect a Malaysia release date from that time onwards.

It seems to be a trend in the tablet industry these days where someone takes the aluminum shell and display of the Apple iPad mini and deck it out with their own internal tech specs, features and branding. This time around we have the Acer A1-830 which predictably has a 7.9-inch display with 1024 x 768 pixel resolution and 4:3 aspect ratio. While it does run on Android, the internal tech specs include a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z2560 processor and 1GB of DDR2 RAM. The tablet has a front and rear camera (details of which Acer hasn't revealed but probably include a 5MP rear camera and 2MP front camera), dual speakers, 16GB of storage and microSD support. The tablet comes with an appropriately sized Acer Crunch keyboard cover and an Acer Crunch Cover. The Acer A1-830 will initially be available in the US and Canada starting from Q1 2014 but we should be able to expect a Malaysia release date sometime afterwards.

Looking to offer another device range from Lenovo is the Lenovo Beacon which looks to be a home NAS with cloud storage and streaming functions along with up to 6TB of storage. The Beacon looks like a squashed up accordian but it offer two hard disk drive bays and is powered by a dual-core Intel Atom processor. Other tech specs and features include a HDMI port, Ethernet port and two USB ports. In terms of features it can smoothly stream media to a PC or Android device, but this is probably through a WiFi router. The Lenoco Beacon will be available in black, blue, gray and orange with a Malaysia release date expected from April 2014. Pricing is expected to be at $199 (RM655) which is actually quite low considering the price of a standard dual-bay NAS in the market.

More 8-inch touchscreen tablets running Windows 8.1 are coming and one of the most recent is the Lenovo ThinkPad 8 which is aimed at the business crowd more than the common consumer. This means more premium features and tech specs which include an 8.3-inch screen with full HD 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution, a metal body, a micro HDMI port, an 8MP rear camera wih flash and the option to add 4G LTE. The tablet runs an Intel Z3770 processor and chipset with 2GB of RAM and 128GB storage. The resulting price is still quite affordable at $399 (RM1313). While there isn't any mention of business-class features like Intel vPro it does have Intel Anti-theft technology in place but if you're looking for a bit more security expect to have to set it up yourself with a third-party app. No news on Malaysia release dates but we should see it reach Malaysia in 2014.

Just like LG, Samsung are also going to offer a home automation service platform which they have named Smart Home. This platform will be cloud-based and allow you to control devices, view your home (from devices with cameras) and get servicing information like when you should clean or service your connected devices. The Smart Home platform will also allow voice commands through devices like your Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch or smartphone. Samsung has said that this is mostly for the future as the platform service will also include functions for home-energy, security, healthcare and eco home applications. Samsung will be showing the Smart Home service platform off at CES 2014 but will roll out the service by Q2 of 2014. No news yet on pricing but it will likely be free in the beginning. For now, check out the video about it last year for a refresher.

The giant rumour mill continues, this time with a rumour about the next Apple iPhone, which many are saying could be coming in 4.7-inches or going phablet-sized with a 5.7-inch display. Recent reports have come up saying that Apple may announce these new iPhone models in May 2014 with a Malaysia release date expected later in the year (probably Q3). Other tech specs and features that may come with the new models include rumours that they will be using the same A7 processor in the Apple iPhone 5S but no news if these processors will be tweaked or overclocked or just the same old 1.3GHz. Other rumours indicate that these larger sized Apple phones could be a completely new range rather than the next version of the Apple iPhone, which would be iPhone 6. As always, do take this rumour with a pinch of salt, as the jump in display size is rather large for Apple, who are fairly conservative when it comes to a design that isn't broken.

Starting off the new year with a deal, Celcom are now offering the Apple iPhone 5C from a more affordable price of RM1888 for the basic 16GB version with, in their own words "no strings attached", which means zero contract. This offer is available from 2 January 2014 to 7 January 2014 but is exclusive to online sign ups only. The other Celcom offer involves the HTC Wildfire S, Nokia Lumia 520 and Sony Xperia U, where Celcom is offering these previous generation entry-level smartphones for FREE provided you sign up for a 12 month or 18 month contract. That deal ends on 31 January 2014. Check out the table and links in the article for more details.

Sony's Cybershot DSC-QX10 and DSC-QX100 wireless lens can improve photography immensely for almost any tablet or smartphone, provided the clip of the frame can fit. Since the clip can only reach 5-inches, this means a lot of larger phablets and tablets won't be able to clip the lens on, and this includes the Sony Xperia Z Ultra phablet. For this reason, Sony have created a QX lens camera case allowing you to clip on either the DSC-QX10 or the DSC-QX100. At first the Sony QX Lens case will only be available in Hong Kong, but it should eventually reach Malaysia. The QX Lens case will be priced at 238 Hong Kong dollars (RM100) which doesn't sound too bad at all.

The recently revealed Nokia Lumia 635 or codenamed Moneypenny may also have 4G LTE connectivity, on top of having dual active 3G dual SIM support. This rumour comes courtesy of evleaks who has leaked another Moneypenny screenshot this time with 4G LTE. Unfortunately it looks like it won't be 4G LTE for both SIMS as there is one active. The Moneypenny looks to be headed to China, India and other emerging markets where dual-SIM is used a lot. Still no news on Malaysia release dates or pricing, but we'll let you know as soon as we do.

Apart from the other rumoured Samsung Galaxy Grand Lite it appears that there could be another version coming as well called the Samsung Galaxy Grand Neo. Tech specs for this version could include a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, a 5-inch display and Android 4.3. The design is likely to follow the Samsung Galaxy Grand 2. While this could be just another name for the Galaxy Grand Lite it could be a slightly upper scale version (better screen, camera, etc) or it could be priced higher or targeted for a specific country or market. Unfortunately, there isn't any news on how much it might cost or any Malaysia release dates just yet. Stay tuned and we'll keep you posted.