ASUSTeK, which produces ASUS computers and smartphones, has announced a new converged device called the Padfone.

It combines a smartphone with a tablet computer, sharing information and 3G access across both formats. The tablet 'pad' can also charge the smartphone's battery.

A new report from the Consumer Electronics Association says the average US household spent $1,179 (around £732) on consumer electronics products in the past 12 months, a drop of $201 from the previous year.

American households were calculated to contain 24 separate consumer electronics products, down from 25 in 2010.

The latest Ipsos MediaCT Technology Tracker survey shows that 31% of British adults own a smartphone, which is a dramatic increase from 13% at the beginning of last year.

The increase is highest amongst under 35s, where 48% of men and 40% of women now own smartphones.

Mark Bridge writes:

As any Star Trek fan knows, Apple didn't invent the tablet computer. The crew of the Enterprise regularly used handheld devices that looked remarkably like an electronic clipboard... or an iPad. In fact, engineers in the 1960s were working on tablet devices as the original Star Trek series first aired.

Then there were the Microsoft Tablet PCs from around ten years ago. I bought one - an Acer TravelMate - as my main computer and loved it. I even loved the special pen that was needed to write on the screen.

RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook will launch in the UK on Thursday 16th June 2011, with pricing expected to start at £399 for the 16GB tablet.

The 7-inch PlayBook was first revealed in September and was released in the USA last month.