Nokia Windows RT tablet to launch in September, sources suggest

While many companies are turning away from Windows RT, it seems Nokia is still looking to launch its own RT tablet device in September.

An image from Chinese website Digiwo purports to show the back of a Verizon-bound red Nokia tablet, that matches the sort of dimensions we saw in a previous Nokia tablet leak in July. The rounded edges and colours appear to match those of Lumia Windows Phone 8 devices, making this look very much like it's part of the Lumia design family.

The previous rumours, as well as today's addition, point to a 10.1-inch tablet with a 1080p display. There's the suggestion of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, making for a quad-core Windows RT tablet, along with LTE support, which the pictured device seems to suggest with it's Verizon 4G LTE branding. There's also talk of a keyboard attachment containing additional storage and battery.

The Verge adds to the mix, reporting that "sources" have detailed that Nokia is working on a tablet codenamed Vanquish and it's looking at a 26 September launch date with a special event in New York.

There's no word of confirmation from Nokia on the tablet, although the company has previously expressed interest in tablet devices. With companies such as Asus looking to step away from the Windows RT platform, Nokia will have to bring a world of unique innovative features to its tablet, as it does with Windows Phone, to get it off the ground.

We will keep you posted.

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Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch launch in September rumoured, again

The Samsung smartwatch, believed to be called the Galaxy Gear, has again been touted for a September launch, this time with Bloomberg claiming to have had the information confirmed by "two people familiar with the matter".

The plans for an IFA 2013 launch of the Galaxy Gear smartwatch tie in with reports we brought you earlier this week from SamMobile, who also has a good track record for Samsung's plans, all pointing to a reveal at the Samsung Unpacked event, scheduled for 4 September.

Bloomberg reports that the device will be able to make calls, browse the internet and take emails, but doesn't really add too many details to what we've gathered already.

Samsung filed a trademarkfor the Galaxy Gear name earlier in the month which confirms that a product line of wearables is coming.

Smartwatches are enjoying something of a renaissance, with rumours of the Samsung device in question here, as well as Apple's iWatch, although the former certainly has more credence than the latter at the moment.

Sony launched its Smart Watch 2 alongside the Sony Xperia Z Ultra in July, and still claims to be the original and first smartwatch manufacturer.

We will be in the halls at IFA 2013 to bring you all the action as it happens, smartwatch or not.

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Asus Chromebooks reportedly set to launch by end of year

Asus plans to enter the Chromebook market by the end of 2013 in an attempt to hook more consumers and boost its shipment numbers for notebooks, according to a new report.

Digitimes reported on Thursday that Asus wants to nab consumers in the education industry, specifically. Upon experiencing a drop in notebook demand in Q3, Asus has begun looking at other options. The third quarter typically sees a back-to-school spike for manufacturers, but Asus fell from 22 to 24 million units to 17 to 19 million for the quarter in 2013. 

Read: Chromebook march continues, Acer and Asus reportedly planning new devices

Digitimes doesn't have the best track record. That said, the website originally reported in April that both Asus and Acer were considering Chromebooks for Q3 and Q4. Jim Wong, Acer's president, told investors earlier this month during a conference call that the company had indeed decided to pull back focus on Microsoft-based products in order to expand on Chromebook and Android-based products instead.

Read: Acer says more Chromebook and Android-based products are coming

Asus was more hesitant to embrace Chromebooks, but the company is apparently now more eager after seeing its notebook shipments drop. However, Chromebooks as a whole still suffer from weak demand. So, if the news is true, it'll be interesting to see whether Asus finds more success with Chromebooks.

There are no additional details at this time - including whether the company will launch just one Chromebook model or a few. Chromebooks are simply PCs running Google's Chrome OS. The first Chromebooks for sale - by Acer and Samsung - launched at Google I/O in May 2011 and began shipping a few weeks later. 

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