Last week we discussed how Intel could power several touchscreen Windows 8 devices for a price below $200, and while these will be very good in terms of profit for Microsoft, there is still a need for high-end devices to compete with the likes of Apple. One such competitor is the Toshiba Kirabook, which has its sights set on two Apple notebooks.

It’s clear by looking at the specs and pricing structure that Toshiba has its sight set on the 2013 MacBook Pro and 2013 MacBook Air, but does the Toshiba Kirabook have what it takes? What makes this new Windows 8 laptop so interesting is how the one device will take the fight to the two Apple devices.

If we are to go on design, then it looks a little like the MacBook Air, but spec wise it’s much closer to the MacBook Pro. Some of the main specs of the Toshiba Kirabook include the choice of an i5 or i7 processor, 256GB SSD and 8GB or RAM. The complete specs can be seen below; on the left are the Toshiba Kirabook specs and to the right the 2013 MacBook Pro.

The 13-inch display of the Kirabook has a 2560 x 1440 resolution, which is similar to the Chromebook Pixel and MacBook Pro with Retina Display. However, there is a downside, as the viewing angle is rather limited on the Kirabook, so you need to sit right in front of the device. However, this is not much of an issue, because I never sit on my laptop at an awkward angle.

This is the first Windows 8 laptop with such a high screen resolution, and while it is $100 more and has an hour less battery life than the MacBook Pro, it’s lighter and comes with touchscreen. It’s for this reason if you are not bothered about Mac OS X or Windows 8, then the Toshiba Kirabook could be the laptop for you if you love the specs of the Pro and the design of the Air. However, it’s worth remembering that Apple could revise these two notebooks later this year, maybe during WWDC.

Thanks to Digital Trends.

Toshiba is trying to up their game in not only the TV and laptop markets but also smartphones and tablets as well. Many of us would look over the past few years and feel that Toshiba have let things slip a little, but seeing as though they are embracing Windows 8 proves that they are committed to new ventures – even if Windows 8 has proved a bit of a disappointment to many consumers.

However, we’re now hearing from sources that the first Toshiba Tegra 4 tablet will have a release date in June, which if true could prove very interesting considering the Tegra 4 processor was only unveiled a few weeks ago during CES. The new Toshiba tablet will not be alone in the second half of this year because the same processor will also power the Vizio 10-inch Android tablet, although this will be a budget model when compared to Toshiba.

It’s been said that the Tegra 4 is having trouble trying to compete with Qualcomm’s quad-core platforms, but how can this be the case when the Tegra 4 processor has only recently been unveiled? Once the likes of Toshiba begins to back the new chip and rumors that Acer could also back the same processor then things could take off, but if Asus partners with Qualcomm as they have in the past then it could be a huge blow.

As yet Toshiba has not confirmed or denied this, but we have seen in the past that these reports from Taiwanese makers have been correct in the past, although they have been known to be wrong as well.

After recently watching the 2012 Dredd movie it reminded us about gadgets that recognize the user, and this is something we have seen in many Sci-Fi movies over the years but has become a reality at CES 2013 for Toshiba. It might not blow your arm off like we saw in Dredd when the wrong person picked up a gun, although Toshiba’s OLED smart watches will disable the device if the wrong user attempted to wear it.

Toshiba showcased a prototype of their OLED smart watch at CES, which understands different users by their pulse. This is achieved by technology that has been around for a while and uses an embedded ECG sensor, which understands your unique pulse pattern. If someone else tries to use your watch and you don’t want them to, then the Toshiba smart watch will shut down all smart functions if the pulse pattern is incorrect.

This Toshiba prototype can be seen in the video below this article and you can also listen to the other smart features the watch will include at release. These include the ability to connect to iPhone and Android smartphones, and then see calendar events, emails, GPS directions, and even incoming calls right on your watch display.

Would you like an OLED watch that connects to smartphones and disables if the incorrect user tried to wear it? The reason you can see thick black bands scrolling the display in the video below, as seen in the above image as well, is thanks to the lower refresh rate found with OLED displays.

We have already seen a few of the new products Toshiba are promoting at CES 2013, an Ultra HD 4K TV is one of them, and today we’ve heard about Toshiba embracing Windows 8 with some ultrabooks that when combined with the new Microsoft operating system, merges the line between computers and tablets.

The two Windows 8 ultrabooks include the Satellite U845W, which features a super-wide 21:9 screen that would be perfect for movie lovers, and those of you that want to run apps side-by-side. That wider display makes performing these tasks much easier. There might not be a touch screen this year for this model, but you gain 30% more screen real estate. You can see a hands-on with the Satellite U845W in the video below, which had been shot during CES within the last 24 hours.

You will also see the Toshiba Satellite U925T featured during the video, although this ultrabook does feature a touch screen and also a folding design, which blurs the line between laptop and tablet further. This is a nice feature if you want the best of both worlds; also the way the computer converts from an ultrabook to tablet is a little different. You only need to push the display flat and then slide forward into a tablet, although the draw back is a slightly heavy portable computer.

Would you consider purchasing one of these new Toshiba ultrabooks running Windows 8? Take a closer look at both in the video below, or see the full Satellite U925T specs on the official website here.

The announcements are coming in thick and fast for what we can look forward to seeing during CES 2013, and one device that will get a great deal of attention is the TV, although this has been the same year after year. Technology moves at a fast rate with televisions, and the big advancement will be UltraHD TVs this year, and the Toshiba L93000 Series Ultra HD 4K LED TVs are the first to start the ball rolling.

This new range will have to be something special because there’s going to be a great deal of competition, although we don’t think Toshiba will be worrying about the Westinghouse 4K LED TV, which will be on show during CES this year. However, the L93000 Series will have to contend with the Sony XBR-84X900 84-inch 4K TV, but it does have one serious issue that works against its success, the price, which is $25,000.

While Toshiba has been happy to give us a rough release date for their HD 4K TV, which is in the summer, they seem more reluctant to offer us the Toshiba L93000 Series Ultra HD 4K TV price, let’s hope that they drop a few hints during this years event. However, it has already been reported that these new better quality TVs will come in three sizes, 58-inch, 65-inch and 84-inch.

Toshiba has packed some great technology into this new range, such as ClearScan for a 240Hz refresh rate and quad and dual core processor. However, let’s hope that they have gotten over their Achilles heal, which seems to be poor build quality – although I had a Toshiba TV for years and did not have one issue.

We do love the idea of 4K TVs, but the only worry is where is the future because there isn’t much 4K content at the moment, this could end up being an even slower process that 3D was a few years back, which is still struggling to get the recognition that it deserves.

There is a view among some people that PC gaming is a thing of the past, and it’s the PS3, Xbox 360, and next-generation consoles that rule the gaming world. This line of thought could not be more wrong, and you only need to look at games like Skyrim to see the many extras – mods is one reason – you get by gaming on a laptop or desktop PC.

Toshiba want to entice laptop gamers with the new 3D Qosmio X870 laptop, which is “turbo-charged for games and movies“. The main features include Harman speakers to give the user more immersion, a 17.3-inch 3D LED display with full high definition for the best visuals while gaming, and also a next-gen NVIDIA GPU for some of the best graphics on a laptop.

We’ve included a quick look at the main specs for the Toshiba Qosmio X870 below, although those that want to really understand Toshiba’s “most advanced gaming laptop” yet should see the full press release via this PDF. The release looks at how entertainment is a new dimension, and that the connectivity and storage is designed “without compromise“.

What do you think of these specs, and can you see anything missing from this gaming laptop? You might also want to see some details on the Medion Erazer X6815 gaming laptop, which we gave a hands-on review towards the end of last month.

We have had the ASUS Transformer Prime hit the market to rave reviews, while an upcoming quad-core tablet from Lenovo is also the subject of regular interest as consumers weigh up which tablet to buy in an already hectic market.

CES 2012 kicks off this week of course, and many tablet manufacturers will be showcasing their latest products as they see the event as the big opportunity to tempt consumers into a purchase and perhaps change consumer perception that the best tablet on the market is Apple’s iPad. With this in mind, Toshiba has just announced that they will be unveiling two new tablet computers at CES, one of which they are touting to be the ‘world’s thinnest and lightest tablet’ and the other one tablet which is said to be waterproof, as reported from Phandroid.

As for the thin model of the two, Toshiba are calling it the Excite and it will debut at CES 2012 with the model name of AT200. The device will feature a staggering 7.7mm of thickness and will carry a weight of just 558 grams. Rumored specs include a 10.1-inch 1280×800 HD display, a dual-core 1.2Ghz processor, a 5 megapixel camera with 2MP front-facing camera and storage options of either 16 or 32GB.

The hardware specs are nothing to get excited about of course, but as seen with Apple’s Macbook Air, this device could become very popular indeed for its slimline and lightweight dimensions. Just to put that thinness in perspective for you, the Toshiba Excite is thought to be 1mm thinner than the iPad 2 and 0.79mm thinner than the Samsung Galaxy S II. Also worth mentioning is that this device will ship with Android Honeycomb, but will be upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich later on in the year.

Also coming from Toshiba at CES 2012 is a waterproof tablet which is thought to be equipped with an OLED display screen. Further details are unknown at this point, but we don’t have long to find out what this device can actually do and just how impressive the waterproof aspect of it really is.

Are you considering the Toshiba Excite in your plans to buy a tablet this year, or is it still about the iPad 3 which is rumored to be equipped with a A6 quad-core processor?

According to a report the company is planning to make available glasses-free 3D TV to US consumers during the first quarter of 2012. It would be the first device of its kind in the American market, and will be similar to sets from Toshiba in both Germany and Japan.

These were released back in December in respective countries, and the 55LZ2 retails for over $10,000 in their currencies. A Toshiba representative has revealed that the US version would be similar to what is available in the two countries, but couldn’t reveal the model numbers or screen sizes, except that they will be big.

Both the versions found in the European market and Japan use the 55-inch 4K resolution screens, but in 3D mode this is limited to an effective resolution of 1,280 x 720 pixels. Toshiba is set to showcase an improved prototype at CES 2012 on Sunday in Las Vegas. It is thought there are some differences between the model that were shown at last year’s show.

Would you get a glasses free 3D TV if the price was right?

The 2011 CEATEC event began in Japan with Toshiba announcing their new AT700 tablet, and according to TechRadar it looked similar to its other device the AT200. The AT700 could be a tablet that is focusing on the Japanese market, but could also find its way around the world as well.

It has a very slim form factor at only 7.7 thick and weighing only 558g from its 10.1-inch display. There are a number of connectivity ports available, and the device will come running Android 3.2. It also has Resolution+, five megapixel camera, and an audio enhancer and noise equalizer.

Toshiba said “We are transcending the boundaries between PC and TV”, but will only happen if you purchase other Toshiba devices such as a TV. For instance you can stream video content from a Toshiba Blu-ray tablet to the tablet, or access PC data from the AT700.

The company is keeping sales figures for the device at a realistic level though, and said they expect to shift over one million units globally. It also feels it share of the tablet market should go up to ten percent along with similar figures for its TV range.

It is expected to release in Japan during December, but pricing and availability around the rest of the world isn’t currently known. Do you think the Toshiba AT700 will do well?

This smartphone is part of Fujitsu-Toshiba’s IS Series, it is called the Arrows Z ISW11F and it features a dual-core 1.2GHz Texas Instruments OMAP4430 1.2GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of ROM, a 4.3-inch 720p LCD display, a 13.1 megapixel camera on the rear (with autofocus and capable of 1080p HD video capture) a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera and a waterproof body. In terms of connectivity it boasts WiMAX, WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, GSM, CDMA and there is also HDMI-out and a microSD memory card slot.

In our opinion the Arrows Z has quite a desirable design, there will be pink, black and white variants available and it will measure in at 64 × 128 × 10.1mm (weighing 131 grams) – check out the images below, do you think it is a nice-looking smartphone?

You can find out a little more about this smartphone over at TechCrunch – we are told that it is headed to Japan via KDDI and will cost 525 yen, however currently there is no sign of a release anywhere else on the globe – but we would certainly love to see it shake up the European and American smartphone market – would you?