Details on Asus’ newest tablet remain a bit thin, but the PadFone is certainly one of the more interesting devices — or pair of devices — to be shown off at Computex 2011 so far. If the name itself and image weren’t enough clarification, the PadFone is a tandem consisting of a 4.3″ Asus Android […]
We just got to spend some quality time with ASUS’ newly unveiled Padfone and you can see the smartphone that doubles up as a tablet on video after the break. It’s still a mere mockup for now, but ASUS has big plans for it — plans that coalesce around the Christmas period and the very latest version of Android at that time. ASUS’ Benson Lin was careful not to openly admit the company intends to ship with Ice Cream Sandwich, but he did point out that you can’t launch a smartphone with Honeycomb as the OS. We were encouraged to draw our own conclusions.
The smartphone is actually the only smart aspect of this hardware pair — the slate part acts as a display, a set of speakers, an extended battery, and an I/O extender, but it doesn’t work by itself. ASUS also tells us there’ll be other functionality enabled by the tablet panel, but that’s being kept under wraps for now. Compatibility between the display dock and subsequent phone generations is being contemplated but couldn’t be confirmed, and as to the UI, ASUS says it’ll be almost the same as its second-gen Android tablets. You heard that right, second generation ASUS Android tablets — to succeed the Transformer and Slider — will be coming around the same time as the Padfone.
Gallery: ASUS Padfone first hands-on
ASUS targets Christmas for Padfone launch, hints at Ice Cream Sandwich (video hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 May 2011 06:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Wow, so our theory and mockup turned out to be pretty much spot on: indeed, the oddly named ASUS Padfone does tuck itself into a shielded docking bay on the back of its companion tablet, and the latter’s hinged cover appears to pop up upon releasing the latch. You can also just about make out the two ports inside which are likely to be HDMI and micro-USB — one for driving the larger display, and the other for taking care of touch input while possibly sipping juice from an extra battery somewhere. Now, what we really like to know is which version of Android will be shipped (if ever) with this split-personality phone — our money’s on Ice Cream Sandwich, given that this flavor will happily cater both phone and tablet form factors later this year. That said, given the uniqueness of this product, ASUS could probably still get away with taking a step back and launch this as a Gingerbread tablet. Well, we shall dig up more answers for y’all tomorrow, and stay tuned for some sweet hands-on time.
Continue reading This is the ASUS Padfone
This is the ASUS Padfone originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 May 2011 14:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Acer was already kind enough to give us a heads up that it would not be launching the Iconia Tab A100 in May, as planned. But the company wasn’t exactly champing at the bit to explain why its 7-inch, Tegra 2-powered tablet is taking such a tedious trip to market. According to a DigiTimes report, at least, the hangup comes down to compatibility issues with Honeycomb, an OS that so far hasn’t been seen on many 7-inch slates. Specifically, the site’s unnamed sources say Acer has encountered problems with certain applications and that Google, meanwhile, is “busy resolving other issues.” All in all, precisely the kind of complication that Ice Cream Sandwich promises to circumvent. Oh, and speaking of delays, DigiTimes adds that the Iconia Smart might go on sale in July due to earthquake-related supply shortages. We asked Acer for clarification, but the company declined to comment, so it looks like we’ll just have to wait and see what goodies late summer brings.
Acer Iconia Tab A100 delayed due to Honeycomb compatibility issues? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 May 2011 11:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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i3D is a new app that can create a glasses-free 3D display on iDevices, using a technology known as Head-Coupled Perspective (HCP). Developed by the folks from the Engineering Human-Computer Interaction (EHCI) Research Group, HCP uses a front facing camera to track the movements of a user’s head, allowing the app to adjust the display accordingly. The result is a monocular 3D screen that creates the illusion of looking into a box. If the concept sounds a little familiar, it could be because Google unveiled a similar headtracking feature for Ice Cream Sandwich during the opening keynote at this month’s I/O event. And by “similar” we mean “pretty much the exact same thing.” i3D is now available for free in the iTunes Store and runs on the iPad 2, iPhone 4 and fourth generation iPod Touch. You can compare both iOS and Ice Cream Sandwich 3D generators after the break (Google’s demo kicks off around the 16:50 mark).
i3D app brings glasses-free 3D to iOS, tracks your gaze like a creepy portrait tracks Scooby Doo (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 17:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Is there anything you don’t know about Google’s blowout I/O 2011 developer conference? If you’ve read our recap of happenings over in San Francisco this week, you should be well on your way to becoming the most knowledgeable Google geek in your local data cluster, but if you’re looking for all the key info in a more digestible format like, say, video, Google’s taking care of you as well. Both of the company’s I/O keynotes have been posted to YouTube, where they can be consumed in up to 720p resolution, and we’ve done our bit too by embedding them for you after the break. So what are you waiting for, your Googlification awaits!
Continue reading Google I/O 2011 keynotes available on YouTube (video)
Google I/O 2011 keynotes available on YouTube (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 20:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Is there anything you don’t know about Google’s blowout I/O 2011 developer conference? If you’ve read our recap of happenings over in San Francisco this week, you should be well on your way to becoming the most knowledgeable Google geek in your local data cluster, but if you’re looking for all the key info in a more digestible format like, say, video, Google’s taking care of you as well. Both of the company’s I/O keynotes have been posted to YouTube, where they can be consumed in up to 720p resolution, and we’ve done our bit too by embedding them for you after the break. So what are you waiting for, your Googlification awaits!
Continue reading Google I/O 2011 keynotes now available on YouTube (video)
Google I/O 2011 keynotes now available on YouTube (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 20:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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This week’s Gadget Lab Podcast is packed with Android announcements, hackable hardware and a teensy new smartphone you may dig (if you can fit your thumbs on it).
Staff writer Mike Isaac went to Google’s annual I/O developer conference this week, and came back with a ton of Google news, not to mention an armload of free swag. Mike joins senior editor Dylan Tweney to talk about what he saw, including a taste of the new version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich.
They also show off the limited-edition Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 given out to I/O attendees, some of which are already going for big bucks on eBay. Our verdict: It seems an awful lot like an Android-powered iPad.
Next, the crew looks at Google’s new Accessory Developer Kit (or ADK), which you can use to make stuff that will interact with your Android device. Just imagine: One day you may be able to make sure your front door is locked from the comfort of your smartphone. Is there no bottom to man’s level of laziness?
And this week, we got to play with Samsung’s version of Google’s Chromebook (although we couldn’t take it home). It’s an updateD version of the CR-48 web-only notebook released in beta last year. Though the Chromebook isn’t out yet, we liked what we saw.
Finally, Gadget Lab intern Christina Bonnington stops by to give her take on the Veer, HP’s latest smartphone release on AT&T’s network.
Like the show? You can also get the Gadget Lab video podcast via iTunes, or if you don’t want to be distracted by our unholy on-camera talent, check out the Gadget Lab audio podcast. Prefer RSS? You can subscribe to the Gadget Lab video or audio podcast feeds
Or listen to the audio here:
Gadget Lab audio podcast #115
http://downloads.wired.com/podcasts/assets/gadgetlabaudio/GadgetLabAudio0115.mp3
This week’s Gadget Lab Podcast is packed with Android announcements, hackable hardware and a teensy new smartphone you may dig (if you can fit your thumbs on it).
Staff writer Mike Isaac went to Google’s annual I/O developer conference this week, and came back with a ton of Google news, not to mention an armload of free swag. Mike joins senior editor Dylan Tweney to talk about what he saw, including a taste of the new version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich.
They also show off the limited edition Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 given out to I/O attendees, some of which are already going for big bucks on eBay. Our verdict: it seems an awful lot like an Android-powered iPad.
Next, the crew looks at Google’s new Accessory Developer Kit (or ADK), which you can use to make stuff that will interact with your Android device. Just imagine: one day you may be able to make sure your front door is locked from the comfort of your smartphone. Is there no bottom to man’s level of laziness?
And this week, we got to play with Samsung’s version of Google’s Chromebook (although we couldn’t take it home). It’s an update version of the CR-48 web-only notebook released in beta last year. Though the Chromebook isn’t out yet, we liked what we saw.
Finally, Gadget Lab intern Christina Bonnington stops by to give her take on HP’s latest smartphone release on AT&T’s network, the Veer.
Like the show? You can also get the Gadget Lab video podcast via iTunes, or if you don’t want to be distracted by our unholy on-camera talent, check out the Gadget Lab audio podcast. Prefer RSS? You can subscribe to the Gadget Lab video or audio podcast feeds
Or listen to the audio here:
Gadget Lab audio podcast #115
http://downloads.wired.com/podcasts/assets/gadgetlabaudio/GadgetLabAudio0115.mp3
No, you aren’t losing your mind. You’re really tuned in to the second Google keynote in as many days, and if we had to guess, we’d say Chrome and / or Chrome OS will take top billing. Things haven’t started just yet, but your patience (or impatience) is greatly appreciated. Have a look below to see when things get going!
06:30AM – Hawaii
09:30AM – Pacific
10:30AM – Mountain
11:30AM – Central
12:30PM – Eastern
05:30PM – London
06:30PM – Paris
08:30PM – Moscow / Dubai
12:30AM – Perth (May 12th)
12:30AM – Shenzhen (May 12th)
01:30AM – Tokyo (May 12th)
02:30AM – Sydney (May 12th)
Continue reading Live from Google I/O 2011’s day 2 keynote!
Live from Google I/O 2011’s day 2 keynote! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 May 2011 12:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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