Tablets

When it comes to ultrabook-tablet hybrids, Intel doesn't discriminate. Touch- and keyboard-enabled convertibles in sizes big, small, and somewhere in between are going to be faster, lighter, and more high performance than ever with Intel's new fourth generation Intel Core processor in 2013. The part-time laptop, part-time tablet devices running on Intel's new lower-power computer chips will do double duty for up to 13 hours — the biggest battery life gain in the company's history.

Read on for more about what Intel's CES event told us about the future of mobile computing, and see the new high-performance hybrids available this year for yourself.

The Kindle Fire was big news when announced last year as a multimedia tablet ready to battle with the kingpin iPad, and now Amazon's taking aim at the new iPad's retina display with the introduction of the Kindle Fire HD.

Available for preorder today, Amazon revealed four new Kindle Fire models:

• Kindle Fire HD 7" (16GB $199 & 32GB $249; ships Sept. 14)
• Kindle Fire HD 8.9" (16GB $299 & 32GB $369; ships Nov. 20)
• Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G LTE Wireless (32GB $499 & 64GB $599; ships Nov. 20)
• Next-Gen Kindle Fire (8GB $159; ships Sept. 14)

Read on for details of Amazon's latest Kindle Fire tablet line and why the company's calling them its "most-advanced tablets" yet. After taking a look at the Kindle Fire HD's new features, do you plan on buying it?

Make way for the newest product on the forever-hot tablet scene, the Sony Xperia Tablet S. Running on Android 4.0, the Xperia has the same hallmarks of many tablets currently on the market: an 8MP front camera, full-sized SD card slot, an HDMI port, and WiFi compatibility. Where Sony hopes to differentiate the Xperia Tablet S is by making it the hub of the home theater. Control a TV, DVD player, and audio system while using the Watch Now app as an interactive visual program guide for live TV. Use the Tablet S to change the channel or update your current show selection to the social network sites.

With the idea that tablets, more than any other device, are used by the whole family, there's also a Guest Mode functionality, with which custom profile settings can be created for each user. If children are likely to have the Xperia Tablet S within their grasp, specific applications can be set to restrict access to everything questionable the Internet has to offer.

Available Sept. 7 with preorders beginning today, the Xperia Tablet S comes in three models: 16GB ($400), 32GB ($500), and 64GB ($600). Does the latest tablet addition interest you?

Whether you're on the go or kicking back poolside, you should know that the best way to keep your tablet or ereader safe is to invest in a waterproof case. Scratches, dirt, water damage — you won't have to worry about any of it. Sounds too good to be true? From iPad sleeves to Kindle cases, these smart waterproof options protect all kinds of tablets.

Graduation is the perfect opportunity to ask Mom and Dad for the tech you are dying to own. While grads may have once vied for gaming consoles and laptops, these days it's all about sleek, multifunctional touchscreen tablets. We rounded up the five best tablets for every type of grad that may be on your celebration list this year.

Maybe it's our affinity for the Doctor, who has been known to sport a Harris tweed jacket from time to time, but tweed is one of our favorite fabrics. It's such a smart staple to have in your closet . . . or in your bag. In honor of Tweed Day (it exists), cover your tech in tweed, keeping your gadgets warm from the chilly nights of Spring.

You don't have to spend hundreds of dollars on a stylish tablet sleeve. Case and point: the Stormy Weather iPad case ($58) from McLoveBuddy. This case is beautifully crafted from repurposed Italian infantry gunnysacks, and hand-dyed with ombré earth and sky tones of blue, cream, and brown. The inside cradles your tablet in soft black felted wool.

This piece has a story, too. A part of the Sessa Carlo Series, the moniker was inspired by the name sewn in McLoveBuddy's first vintage gunnysack ever bought. Kinda cool knowing that there was an actual Sessa Carlo out there somewhere!

Get a closer look at the bag in the gallery.