Archive for the ‘Tablets’ Category

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Google to unveil Chromebooks

Tuesday, May 10th, 2011

Google will reveal its first Chrome-based notebooks from Acer and Samsung at the Google I/O conference in San Francisco. They will be available for order online from June 15.

The Samsung Chromebook will cost $429 for the Wi-Fi only version and $499 for the 3G version, while Acer’s Wi-Fi only Chromebook will cost $349.

It’ll be interesting whether consumers will bite, considering that you can buy a decent Netbook or an iPad the $499 price-tag for the 3G Samsung Chromebook.

Acer Chromebook, available from June 15, 2011

Acer Chromebook

Chromebooks will be available online June 15 in the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Netherlands, Italy and Spain. More countries will follow in the coming months. In the U.S., Chromebooks will be available from Amazon and Best Buy and internationally from leading retailers.

Equipped with dual-core processors from Intel, the Chromebooks boast all-day battery life, and instant-on ability and built-in Net connectivity. Chromebooks will get updates and patches automatically every few weeks, like its browser cousin Chrome.

A special pricing is available for schools – Google will charge $20 a month for each Chromebook. The price will include hardware, administrative support, hardware upgrades, and warranty.

With this long awaited foray, Chromebooks will be taking on the tablet market dominated by Apple’s iPads, and the PC market dominated by both Microsoft and Apple.

Samsung Chromebook, available from June 15, 2011

Samsung Chromebook

The Chromebooks will run a new new bare-bones operating system that is basically a web browser that allows users to access applications like email, wordprocessors and spreadsheets directly on the web, instead of installing software such as Outlook or Office directly on the computer’s harddisks.

Users can also store their music and documents in the cloud for access from other computers as long as there is an Internet connection. Naturally, that means that a lot of the functionality may likely be unavailable or crippled offline.

Google has been touting Chrome as an alternative to Microsoft Windows for some two years now, but it has encountered delays producing computers designed to use the software.

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Posted in Acer, Apple, Chrome, Events, Gadgets, Google, Launch, Microsoft, Notebooks, Operating Systems, Samsung, Tablets, Tech news, Technology | 2 Comments »

Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101 arrives in Singapore

Friday, April 29th, 2011
The latest 10.1 inch Android 3.0 tablet from Asus arrived in Singapore today at the launch event at Zirca in Clarke Quay. The 16GB Wi-Fi only version (Eee Pad + Docking keyboard) is priced at S$898.

But as part of its launch promotion, you can get a S$99 discount at S$799. If you choose to purchase only the pad and not the docking station, you can get the 16GB Wi-Fi only version at the launch promotion price of S$699.
The Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101 arrived in Singapore on April 29, 2011

The Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101 arrived in Singapore on April 29, 2011

What are the biggest grouses of tablet users today? No Flash, short battery life, no keyboard, no USB ports and card readers. Asus tries to address all these shortcomings in the Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101.

The optional docking station provides a full QWERTY keyboard for work involving intensive typing. It costs S$199 if you purchase it separately, but purchased together with the pad, you need only top up S$100 for it. The docking station makes available an additional 24.4 Wh battery that extends the pad’s 9.5 hours battery life to 16 hours instead.

A card reader (MMC/SD/SDHC) and two USB 2.0 ports are also available on the keyboard. The keyboard also props up the docked pad as a stand.

And finally, Adobe Flash 10.2 is supported, so you can visit all those glitzy sites running Flash animations and video.

The docking station is a full QWERTY keyboard that doubles up as a stand and contains an extra battery to extend the 9.5 hours battery life of the pad to 16 hours. It also contains USB ports and a card reader.

The docking station is a full QWERTY keyboard that doubles up as a stand and contains an extra battery to extend the 9.5 hours battery life of the pad to 16 hours. It also contains USB ports and a card reader.

I played with the Eee Pad on display and found the IPS (In-plane switching) LED backlight screen brilliant and sharp at with 1280×800 pixels packed into the 10.1 inch panel, offering a wide viewing angle of 178 degrees – I could still view the screen display from the side.

The touch screen senses up to 10 fingers for multi-touch - seen here with the Piano app from Android Market.

The touch screen senses up to 10 fingers for multi-touch - seen here with the Piano app from Android Market.

The pad feels slightly heavier than the iPad 2 but comfortable to hold. The book reader app included with the pad was standard fare – offering animated page turning, highlighting and bookmarking etc.

Photos and videos taken with the camera was clear even though the ambient lighting was dark.

Prices and configurations

The 16GB Wi-Fi only tablet is the only configuration available at the moment. Together with the docking station (keyboard), it sells for S$898 at the major retailers in Singapore – Challenger, Best Denki, Harvey Norman etc.

During this launch period, the promotional price for the 16GB Wi-Fi only Transformer sells for S$799 (Eee Pad + Docking station) and S$699 (Eee Pad only). Currently, the docking stations are out of stock and will only be available from the week of May 9 onwards.

The 32GB Wi-Fi only version will also only be available later in May.

“The 3G version is being tested now and will likely be launched in the second or third week of June,” Bernard Wen, Business Operation Manager of Asus Technology told me. “In the meantime, we’ve tested the Pad with USB dongles from SingTel, Starhub and M1 and found that they are all compatible,” he added.

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Posted in Android, Asus, Eee Pad Transformer TF101, Gadgets, Prices, Specifications, Tablets | 2 Comments »

Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101 launch in Singapore tomorrow

Thursday, April 28th, 2011
Another tablet arrives in Singapore tomorrow – this time from Asus, the Taiwanese company that created the netbook niche. This Android-based tablet tries to redefine the tablet experience by packaging it with a docking keyboard cum extra battery.

Will update on the actual use and feel after the launch event tomorrow.

The Asus Eee Pad Transformer has a 10.1″ LED backlight WXGA (1280×800) screen and a docking QWERTY keyboard which also serves as a tablet stand, provides USB ports  and contains an extra 24.4 Wh battery that extends the 9.5 hours battery life of the tablet to 16 hours.

Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101 launch in Singapore

The screen is IPS (In-plane switching) Panel which typically has a wider view angle than a traditional LCD screen – Asus boast a wide view angle of 178° for this screen. Apple’s iPad also uses an IPS panel.

The 10.1 inch screen screen is an IPS that provides a wide viewing angle of of 178 degreesThere is a 1.2M pixel front Camera and a 5M pixel rear Camera. The standard range of sensors are included: G-Sensor, Light Sensor, Gyroscope, E-Compass, GPS.

The Transformer is based on the Android 3.0 Honeycomb OS and supports Adobe Flash 10.2. It has an NVIDIA Tegra 2 1.0GHz dual-core CPU which provides multitasking and 1080p video playback.

Memory-wise, it has 1 GB RAM and comes in either 16 or 32 GB versions for permanent storage. Unlimited ASUS Webstorage is included free for a year.

Network-wise, it is fairly standard with WLAN 802.11 b/g/n at 2.4GHz and Bluetooth V2.1+EDR. What is conspicuously missing is a 3G version so you’ll probably need a mobile broadband USB dongle or a Wi-Fi network to access the Internet.

The docking QWERTY keyboard extends battery life to 16 hoursThe docking keyboard comes with two USB 2.0 ports, one card reader (MMC/SD/SDHC) and a touch pad. It can be purchased in the UK for an additional £50 and in the US for an additional US$149 over the base price of the tablet alone.

The tablet itself contains one 2-in-1 Audio Jack (Headphone/Mic-in), one Micro SD Card Reader, and one mini HDMI 1.3a for outputting the display onto an external HD screen. Stereo speakers are built in.

Physically, the tablet measures 271 x 171 x 12.98 mm and weighs 680 g.

The Transformer was first launched in Taiwan on March 25, then in the UK on March 30, and two days ago in the US on April 26. Prices in the US are $100 less than the “equivalent” iPad model.

US Prices

  • 16 GB: US$399
  • 32 GB: US$499
  • Keyboard: US$149

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Posted in Android, Asus, Eee Pad Transformer TF101, Events, Gadgets, Launch, Tablets, Tech news | 2 Comments »

iPad 2 debuts in Asia and arrives in Singapore

Wednesday, April 27th, 2011
The iPad 2 debuts in Asia tomorrow in Japan and will arrive in 11 other countries including Singapore on Friday. China will only see the iPad 2 on May 6 one week later.

The iPad 2 with its Smart Cover arrives in Singapore on Friday - April 29, 2011The iPad 2 was first launched in the US on March 2 and released in 25 more largely European countries on March 25. Tomorrow, it will debut in Japan – the first Asian country to launch it. On Friday, it will arrive in Singapore together with 10 other largely Asian countries. China will only see the iPad 2 with only Wi-Fi on May 6.

Compared to the original iPad, the iPad 2 is 33 percent thinner and up to 15 percent lighter, while sporting the same 9.7-inch LED-backlit LCD screen. iPad 2 features Apple’s new dual-core A5 processor for faster performance and stunning graphics and now includes two cameras, a front-facing VGA camera for FaceTime and Photo Booth, and a rear-facing camera that captures 720p HD video, bringing the FaceTime feature to iPad users for the first time. The iPad 2 promises the same 10 hours of battery life as its predecessor.

Prices and configurations in Singapore

The Smart Cover doubles up as a stand.1. Wi-Fi only versions:

  • 16GB: S$668
  • 32GB: S$798
  • 64GB: S$928

2. Wi-Fi/3G devices:

  • 16GB: S$848
  • 32GB: S$978
  • 64GB: S$1108

iMovie and GarageBand for iPad apps are available for US$4.99 each from the App Store on iPad or www.itunes.com/appstore. The Smart Cover is available in a range of colors in vibrant polyurethane for S$54 or rich leather for S$98.

The iPad 2 will be available in Singapore at select Apple Authorised Resellers, and online through the online Apple Store beginning at 1am local time.

The iPad 2 debuts in Asia in Japan tomorrow - April 28, 2011The 10 other countries getting the iPad 2 together with Singapore on Friday are: Hong Kong, India, Israel, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, South Africa, Turkey and UAE.

For those interested, the earlier 25 countries who got their iPad 2 on March 25 are: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.

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Posted in Apple, Gadgets, iPad, Launch, Prices, Tablets | No Comments »

BlackBerry PlayBook’s first day sales beats Motorola’s Xoom and the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

Friday, April 22nd, 2011
First day sales of the newly launched BlackBerry PlayBook from RIM was said to reach 50,000 on April 19. RIM is expected to sell 500,000 of the 7 inch tablets in its first quarter ending in May.

BlackBerry PlayBook from RIMThe first day sales number of 50,000 includes pre-sales and was estimated by an analyst at RBC Capital Markets. This appears to surpass the equivalent first day sales for Motorola’s Xoom and the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

Analyst Mike Abramsky’s staff checked 70 retails stores and found 11% of the locations that stocked the device had sold out, according to Matt Hamblen from Computerworld.

This may come as a surprise to many observers in view of the negative reviews that have bombarded Research In Motion (RIM) over the launch of the tablet computer.

Punters feel the software for the PlayBook was not ready yet because native support for email, contact and calendar apps were not available. Such support may only be provided as an over the air update in summer.

In the meantime, only those who own a BlackBerry smartphone can enable the PlayBook to access these basic apps via a Bluetooth connection. The tablet is only available in WiFi configuration with 3G available only in summer.

It is still too early to tell whether the PlayBook will be able to grab any market share from a tablet market seeing an influx of competitors to Apple’s iPad.

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Posted in Figures, iPad, PlayBook, RIM, Tablets | No Comments »

Apple profit almost double after iPhone’s Verizon debut

Thursday, April 21st, 2011
Profit for the second quarter almost doubled due to iPhone sales via Verizon, even though sales for newly launched iPad 2 were below estimates because of supply shortage.

Fears of growth being affected by supply disruptions from Japan’s earthquake and tsunami were also allayed.

2nd Quarter A year earlier Bloomberg survey
Net income
(almost doubled)		 $5.99 billion,
$6.40 a share		 $3.07 billion,
$3.33 a share		 $5.04 billion,
$5.39 a share
Sales
(up 83%)		 $24.7 billion $13.5 billion $23.4 billion

Apple began selling the iPhone through Verizon Wireless in February, and launched the iPad 2 on March 11.

Demand for the iPad has been so strong that Apple has not been able to make enough, leading to sales that were lower than what most analysts predicted.

2nd Qtr Analysts predictions
iPhones sold through Verizon 18.7 million 16.3 million
iPads sold 4.69 million 6.1 million
Mac computers 3.76 million 3.6 million
iPod media players 9.02 million 9.8 million

“Apple is ramping up production as it prepares to start selling the tablet computer in 13 additional countries this month”, Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook told Bloomberg.

Still, sales of products in the country may be $200 million lower as consumers coping with the temblor and tsunami buy fewer gadgets, he said.

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Posted in Apple, Figures, iPad, iPhone, Phones, Tablets, Tech news | No Comments »

Innards of the BlackBerry PlayBook

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011
Have you ever wondered what the insides of a tablet computer looks like? Teardown specialists iFixit has opened up the latest RIM BlackBerry PlayBook – launched only yesterday in the US.

Innards of the BlackBerry PlayBook

Innards of the BlackBerry PlayBook

The PlayBook was easier to tear down compared to an iPad, and has a smaller battery which is not straightforward to replace. The motherboard has to be removed in order to get to the battery, which is glued to the mid-plane assembly.

BlackBerry PlayBook from RIMMany of the chips are from Texas Industries. The main chips include:  1GHz TI OMAP 4430 dual core processor, SanDisk 1GB NAND Flash, Elpida B8064B2PB-8D-F 1GB DRAM, Bosch Sensortec BMA150 Digital 3-axis accelerometer, and an Invensense MPU-3050 3-axis gyroscope.

For those into chips, other components include: Texas Instruments TWL6030 Power Management, STMicroelectronics XTV0987 5 MP mobile imaging processor, Wolfson WM8994E audio codec, Texas Instruments WL1283 WLAN/Bluetooth/FM, TriQuint Semiconductor TQP6M9002 802.11a/b/g/n + BT front-end module.

Motherboard of the BlackBerry PlayBook

Motherboard of the BlackBerry PlayBook

Not detailed enough? There’s also the Texas Instruments LMV339 Quad General Purpose Low-Voltage Comparators, Texas Instruments SN74AVCH4T245 4-Bit Dual-Supply Bus Transceiver with Configurable Voltage Translation and 3-State Outputs, and a Texas Instruments PS63020 High Efficiency Single Inductor Buck-Boost Converter with 4A Switch 

For the gory details, visit iFixit’s report.

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Posted in BlackBerry, Gadgets, Howtos, PlayBook, Review, RIM, Specifications, Tablets | No Comments »

BlackBerry PlayBook Launch

Tuesday, April 19th, 2011

The 7-inch tablet from Research In Motion (RIM) hits the shelves in the US today. Here’s a quick roundup of the likes and dislikes from those who have tried out the shipping version of the BlackBerry PlayBook.

RIM PlayBookThere’s a lot to like about the PlayBook, but there’re also plenty of frustrations out there from those who’ve had the privilege of playing with the PlayBook. The general feel seems to be that the PlayBook has the potential to be something great – just that it’s not quite complete at the moment.

Already behind the iPad 2 and other Android tablets in terms of launch date, my feel is that RIM wants to get the hardware out as soon as possible before the specs get old – even though the software isn’t quite as ready yet.

RIM PlayBookDare I compare that with an evolutionary release of the iPad 2 with bigger steps only to be expected for the upcoming iPad 3?

With such stiff competition in the tablet market, it is no wonder these slate-makers are rolling off their products as soon as possible. In all honesty, I do believe RIM will sort out the grouses that reviewers have complained about, but the question is whether consumers are willing to fork out the dough to buy what’s beginning to be perceived as an unfinished product, that is only going to be made complete after a few more months – if ever.

RIM PlayBookPerhaps, RIM should have launched it at a discounted price – you know, an early bird discount – to entice consumers and grab market share. Given that the hardware is fabulous, the discount may have worked to convince consumers to buy first and wait out for the software to catch up.

At any rate, below is a quick round-up of the likes and dislikes from people who has played with the PlayBook so far. Prices for the 16, 32 and 64-gigabyte models in the US are $500, $600, and $700 respectively.

Likes Dislikes Mitigation
Fabulous display, and user interface Tiny recessed power button difficult to find and press Nothin’ much can be done about this – but do I care?
Sleek:
10mm / 0.4 inch thick 

Light:
0.9 lbs / 425 g

 No native email, messenger, contacts and calendar Need to be Bluetooth tethered via a BlackBerry smartphone to access these. 

Native support could be added later on
Lightning fast processor No 3G connection 3G version in summer 

4G version end 2011
Impressive multi-tasking Small repository of Apps (~3,000) Compatibility with selected Android apps to be introduced later, plus build-up of PlayBook specific apps.
Supports Flash and HTML5 No video chat Video chat app to be released later.

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Posted in BlackBerry, BlackBerry Tablet OS, Events, Gadgets, Opinion, PlayBook, Review, RIM, Tablets, Tech news | 2 Comments »

BlackBerry PlayBook preview in Singapore

Friday, April 15th, 2011
The BlackBerry PlayBook Bus will tour Singapore tonight, showing off a preview of RIM’s 7-inch tablet computer, that is due to be launched in the US on 19 April next Tuesday.
Preview of the BlackBerry PlayBook in Singapore

Preview of the tablet on the BlackBerry PlayBook Bus in Singapore

Keep a lookout for the limo bus driving around town tonight. Sources tell me it will launch from the Tanjong Pagar area. The first time that the BlackBerry PlayBook debuted in Singapore was back in March. But the two devices I played with were still beta release versions.

Tonight, the preview will provide some hands-on for the real McCoy. Perhaps RIM (Research In Motion) will also provide some hints as to when the aspiring challenger to the iPad will be launched in Singapore and at what pricing.

For now, here’re some of the main specs of the BlackBerry PlayBook:

Looks
7″ LCD display, 1024 x 600 WSVGA Multi-touch capacitive screen

Physical feel
0.9 lbs (425g) and 5.1″ x 7.6″ x 0.4″ (130mm x 194mm x 10mm)

Performance
1 GHz dual-core processor
1 GB RAM
Symmetric multi-processing
Full Adobe Flash 10.1 enabled
Built-in support for HTML 5

Configuration
Internal storage of 16, 32 or 64 GB
GPS, Orientation Sensor (Accelerometer), 6-Axis Motion Sensor (Gyroscope), Digital Compass (Magnetometer)
Stereo speakers and stereo microphones
Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n) connectivity, Wirelessly connect to your BlackBerry smartphone for real time access to: Email, calendar, address book, task list and BBM

Cameras
3 MP high-definition forward-facing camera
5 MP high-definition rear-facing camera
Codec support for superior media playback, creation and video calling
1080p HD video; H.264, MPEG4, WMV HDMI video output
Micro USB and Micro HDMI ports
Video calling with dual video cameras

BlackBerry Tablet OS
Powered by QNX technology, supports POSIX OS, SMP, Open GL, BlackBerry 6, WebKit, Adobe Flash, Java and Adobe Mobile AIR

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Posted in BlackBerry, BlackBerry Tablet OS, Events, Gadgets, PlayBook, RIM, Specifications, Tablets, Tech news | No Comments »

Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Web Premium suite

Wednesday, April 13th, 2011

Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Web Premium suite is a major mid-cycle update to the software for Web designers and developers. The new version give Web professionals the ability to bring high-impact content experiences and mobile apps to the latest form factors across Android, BlackBerry Tablet OS and iOS platforms.

New in the suite are updated versions of Adobe Dreamweaver, Adobe Flash Professional, Adobe Flash Catalyst, Adobe Flash Builder, the all-new Flex framework for mobile devices, Adobe Device Central and Adobe Acrobat X Pro.

Key enhancements include substantive HTML5 advancements in Dreamweaver, new tablet and smartphone application development capabilities in Flash Professional CS5.5 and Flash Builder Premium 4.5, and enhanced cross-browser testing as well as mobile emulation and on-device debugging.

Estimated street price for the Creative Suite 5.5 Web Premium suite is US$2185. It is one of five suite editions of the Creative Suite 5.5 line of software.

Advances in HTML5

Web Premium CS5.5 advances HTML5 authoring tools, enabling Web designers and developers to create browser-based content that gives end-users a seamless and immersive experience across virtually any screen.

New HTML5 support in Dreamweaver CS5.5 includes jQuery mobile framework integration for browser-based content and PhoneGap integration for native and mobile application design and development.

Enhancements to the multiscreen preview panel in Dreamweaver have also been made, supporting the latest in media queries, WebKit engine updates, and CSS3 attributes, enabling side-by-side renderings of what a single design looks like on different form factors.

“With Adobe the jQuery project has spent a significant amount of time researching and developing user interfaces for mobile browsers, the final result being the creation of the jQuery Mobile framework,” said John Resig, founder of the jQuery Project.

Enhanced Flash tooling

New additions in Flash Professional CS5.5 include content scaling so users can easily scale their content on stage to adapt to different screen sizes, which is a huge timesaver.

Flash Professional CS5.5 also includes a new shared assets feature for more streamlined publishing, as well as more than 20 new code snippets for creating mobile and Adobe AIR applications for accelerometer, multitouch gestures, and save/load data.

Enhanced Application Development for Mobile Devices

Adobe CS5.5 Web Premium includes new mobile application development support to deliver rich interactive applications to the latest Android, BlackBerry Tablet OS and iOS devices.

In the updated Flash Builder 4.5, users have new mobile support for ActionScript and mobile Flex projects, as well as improved designer-developer collaboration throughout application development with a new bi-directional workflow with Flash Catalyst CS5.5 and Flash Professional CS5.5.

New capabilities in Adobe Flash Builder 4.5, Flash Professional CS5.5 and the introduction of the Flex 4.5 framework for mobile devices, let designers and developers build mobile applications that run on iPhone, iPad, Android devices and BlackBerry PlayBook. The apps can be easily deployed through the application markets such as Apple’s iTunes App Store, Android Market and BlackBerry App World.

Enhanced Browser Compatibility Testing

To keep Web developers and designers ahead of rapidly changing technology, Web Premium CS5.5 includes new HTML5 emulation and support for the latest mobile devices in Adobe Device Central, software that simplifies the production of innovative and compelling content for mobile phones and consumer electronics devices.

Adobe BrowserLab, a key component of Adobe CS Live online services, has also been updated for cross-browser compatibility testing for the newest browsers to help ensure Web projects are accurately previewed across a spectrum of browsers.

Adobe CS Live online services are free until April 12, 2012.

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Posted in Adobe, Creative Suite, Flash, Phones, Prices, Software, Specifications, Tablets | 1 Comment »

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