Among the plethora of new devices unveiled during Samsung’s event in London today, the Samsung ATIV Q is certainly one of the most intriguing. Yes, there are a handful of people on the planet who would love to take pictures with a mirrorless DSLR running Android, but a laptop/tablet hybrid running Windows 8 and Android 4.2 is definitely a product the general public will be interested in.

The Samsung ATIV Q features a 13.3-inch 3200 x 1800 qHD+ (275 ppi) display with a 178 degree viewing angle, Intel’s new Haswell processor, S Pen that tucks away nicely into the magnesium body, measuring a mere 13.9mm thick and weighing in at 1.29 kg  (2.85 lbs). Samsung has yet to disclose the size of the battery used to power the ATIV Q, but they are promising 9 hours of battery life. Taking a few pointers from Sony and Lenovo’s latest Windows 8 laptop/tablet hybrids, the Samsung ATIV Q sports a  four-position hinge, which allows the device to be used in tablet, typing, floating and stand mode.

While the specs of the Samsung ATIV Q may seem impressive, what intrigues us most is how Samsung has managed to seamlessly run Android and Windows 8 at the same time. Samsung’s black magic allows users to switch between the two operating systems at will. Tap an app shortcut and you’re ported from one OS to another. To make things even more simple, users can pin Android app shortcuts to the Windows 8 start screen and launch directly into an Android app from Windows 8. The two operating systems are also capable of sharing the same file structure so that images, videos and other documents can be accessed and edited regardless of the operating system the user is running.

Pricing and launch details have not yet been confirmed, but Samsung is expecting the ATIV Q to hit retail shelves around the back-to-school season.

Over the past few years we have only seen a handful of Android tablets that are actually good. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of a large device with less functionality than the phone that fits into my pocket. A device like the ATIV Q may be the perfect marriage of work and play for those who need Windows 8 for productivity, but also want a better tablet ecosystem than what Microsoft is currently able to provide.

For the right price, do you think the ATIV Q could be this year’s best-selling Android tablet?

Project Spark game maker announced for Xbox One and Windows 8

Microsoft's Dave McCarthy announced the Project Spark game maker today, for use with Xbox One and Windows 8, during the company's E3 press conference.

Users will utilize the Kinect to issue voice commands and Microsoft's SmartGlass to create, building different types of terrain such as rivers, grasslands and mountains. Commands can also be issued for times of day and night. Users can add objects and build towns at will.

Everything in Project Spark has a "brain" and their behaviors can be changed. In a gameplay demo shown during the conference, a town was built and populated with heroes and enemies, with each being given its own AI behavior.

Community-created items and objects can be shared with other users and added to your own game. Users can also modify their game world on the fly, and can create events such as setting up battles between characters.

Acer's 8.1-inch Windows 8 tablet now up for preorder

Consumers looking for a small Windows 8 tablet can now preorder the Acer Iconia W3 through Amazon or Staples.

Dubbed the world's first 8.1-inch Windows 8 tablet, the 32GB flavor of Iconia W3 is going for $379 through both Amazon and Staples. Amazon also lists a 64GB version for $429.

Staples promises a delivery date of anywhere from Tuesday, June 11, to Wednesday, June 19. Amazon isn't nearly as quick, listing an estimated delivery time of three to five weeks for both models of the tablet.

Equipped with Windows 8, the Iconia W3 comes with an 8.1-inch LED-backlit LCD multitouch screen sporting a resolution of 1,280x800 pixels. The tablet is powered by an Intel Atom 1.5GHz dual-core processor, includes 2GB of memory, and features 2-megapixel cameras in the front and back.

Beyond the built-in 32GB or 64GB of storage, a microSD card slot can handle an additional 32GB. Other slots include a Micro-USB port, a Micro-HDMI connector, and an audio jack. Acer promises up to eight hours of battery life per charge. The Iconia W3 also comes with Microsoft Office preinstalled.