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HP's Slate Android tablets were just recently announced and include the HP Slate7 Plus, HP Slate7 Extreme and HP Slate8 Pro along with pricing for each tablet. The HP Slate7 Plus is priced at $149.99 (RM484) while the HP Slate7 Extreme goes for $199.99 (RM644). The 8-inch display HP Slate8 Pro on the other hand is going for $329.99 (RM1062). Tech specs for the 3 HP Slate tablets are quite impressive and include:

• HP Slate7 Plus
• NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor and chipset
• 7-inch display
• 1GB RAM
• 8GB Storage
• Android 4.2.2
• 4000 mAh battery

• HP Slate7 Extreme
• NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor and chipset
• 7-inch display (IPS, 1280 x 800 pixel resolution)
• 1GB RAM
• 16GB storage
• Android 4.2.2
• 4100 mAh battery

• HP Slate8 Pro
• NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor and chipset
• 8-inch display (Corning Goorilla Glass 3, 1600 x 1200 pixel resolution)
• 1GB RAM
• 16GB storage
• Android 4.2
• 5680 mAh battery

The Samsung Galaxy J used to be a Japan-exclusive smartphone and incorporated the tech specs and features of both the Samsung Galaxy S4 along with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. These tech specs included a Snapdragon 800 processor and chipset, 3GB of RAM, 32GB microSD, 5-inch Full HD Super AMOLED display, 13MP rear camera, 2600 mAh battery and even added on water and dust proofing as well. According to Taiwanese press, this hybrid Galaxy J smartphone is going to Taiwan with an announcement due on 9 December 2013. A release in Taiwan for what was originally an exclusive smartphone could mean that it would be released globally as well, eventually reaching Malaysia. No specific Malaysia release dates were available at the time though, but stay tuned and we'll keep you updated.

While the Google Glass smartglasses may have started it all, other smartglasses makers are soon catching up as a company called Vuzix has come out with their own M100 smartglasses. Rather than go for a pair glasses with a built-in display and smartphone tech, the M100 is more like a longer and larger Bluetooth headset attached to a headband. Tech specs for the M100 are certainly impressive as it includes a 1GHZ OMAP4430 processor, 1GB RAM, Android ICS, 4GB storage, 32GB microSD support, 600 mAh battery, 5MP camera and WQVGA display. According to Vuzix, the M100 is basically a smartphone in wearable form, and since it isn't attached to a pair of glasses you can switch it between the right or left eye. Originally designed for industrial and enterprise use the Vuzix is available for preorder from $1000 (RM3218). Check out the Vuzix site for more information and their other smartglasses.

UPS has also announced that they are looking into using unmanned drones for delivery as well. However they have not said how their drones will look like, how they would use them and what range their drones would fly. The only official comment from UPS was quoted as:

"the commercial use of drones is an interesting technology and we'll continue to evaluate it."

It makes more sense that a courier delivery and logistics company like UPS would look into unmanned delivery drones than Amazon, but again there comes the issue of airspace regulations and permissions. No news when we may see UPS delivery drones in Malaysia but since we do have an official UPS presence here, it seems more likely that we'll see UPS delivery drones here first before Amazon's.

As one of the biggest online sellers of stuff it is perfectly understandable that Amazon need to also deliver. While the traditional method is to call the DHL guy or some other courier service, Amazon may soon make deliveries through the air with automatic octa-copter drones. This drone based system will be called Amazon Prime Air and deliver packages of up to 2.2kg and can make deliveries within a 16km radius from the package center. Amazon says the drones can make the delivery in about 30 minutes or so. Amazon goes on to show off how this would work in a video and say that right now they are just going through airspace regulations and confirmations. Check out the article to see what Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO had to say about it.

While the Nike FuelBand isn't really a smartwatch, in terms of design it does look a lot better than any other smartwatch currently on the market. Rumours are swirling that Nike may soon change this perception by coming out with a smartwatch of their own with rumours saying that Nike are currently testing it under trial production. Unfortunately, there aren't any other tech specs or features available but it would likely offer standard Bluetooth synced notifications like other smartwatches. The source report goes on to say that it could arrive in Q1 or Q2 of 2014. Hopefully, the Nike smartwatch won't be limited to just Nike apps but then again do remember to take this rumour with a big pinch of salt as the source of the rumour isn't really the most accurate.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 phablet now has 6 official colour options to choose from. While we initially reported on the Rose Gold colour option, Samsung have come out with a White Rose Gold option and a Black Rose Gold colour option in addition to the new Red colour option. Add on the existing Black, Pink and White colour options and you have a total of 6 colours to choose from for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 phablet. Tech specs and features for the phablet remain the same though. Unfortunately, Malaysian users may have to wait a while as these colour options may only be released in China starting from December 2013. Malaysian release dates are expected to be in early 2014.

Celcom remains one of the major LTE network providers in Malaysia but is currently working hard to upgrade LTE performance in Malaysia. Celcom have recently revealed that they are spending millions of Ringgit to upgrade their LTE network with the goal of providing 1200 active LTE sites in Malaysia by Q3 of 2014. The previous target was only 300 active LTE sites but with this 4x increase we could soon see faster LTE network speeds, better reliability and above all better LTE coverage in Malaysia. Focus areas will include the Klang Valley, Eastern areas of Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak, major highways and popular tourist locations with an expected completion date in April 2014. This move is largely seen to be an appeasing gesture due to the recent MCMC announcement that local telcos are not pulling their weight. Hopefully, things will indeed improve but we'd still recommend a wait-and-see approach if you're still on the fence about going into LTE as even 3G networks have yet to deliver the maximum speeds possible.  

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is the latest and greatest phablet in Samsung's pioneering phablet range, but if rumours are true, we may soon see some less premium versions coming in 2014. Supposedly due for announcement at MWC 2014 which happens between 24 and 27 February 2014, the rumours indicate that the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Lite or SM-N7505 may come in 2 versions, one with a 5.49-inch display and a 5.7-inch display. Both versions will use LCD screens instead of Super AMOLED which could mean that they are cheaper or have lower resolutions. Other tech specs include an 8MP rear camera and a standard plastic back cover instead of the current artificial leather back cover. These downgrades will allow the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Lite to be priced at a lower price point. In related news, another Samsung Lite product rumoured to appear at the MWC 2014 is the Samsung Galaxy Grand Lite or GT-I9060 which offers a similar 5-inch display, 1.2gHz quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB storage and 5MP rear camera. No specific pricing or Malaysia release dates were available at the time but both Lite products should be more affordable than their more premium versions.

With the end of the year 2013 looming ahead, DiGi are offering a number of smartphones that include the Samsung Galaxy Ace 3, Samsung Galaxy Grand Quattro, Samsung Galaxy Note II, Samsung Galaxy S4, HTC One, Sony Xperia Z and Sony Xperia C for FREE. The catch is that you have to sign up for either the DG SmartPlan 88 or DG SmartPlan 148 under a 24-month contract. For more details check out the table and links in this article.