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BRINGING INNOVATIONS TO LIFE issue 16 MWC 2012 SPECIAL www.techinstyle.tv
Answering the call Yes, the PadFone IS a smartphone AND a tablet upwardly mobile
Introducing the Transformer Pad Infinity and the Transformer Pad 300
All hands on deck
We get in touch with the ET2700 All-in-One PC
FOREWORD
EDITOR'S NOTE
W
ith the desert dust barely settling after CES in Vegas, we’ve crossed the Atlantic to Barcelona for Mobile World Congress 2012. While not exactly a leader in the mobile telecommunication space, ASUS looks set to steal the show with the PadFone — the smartphone/ tablet hybrid that ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih first introduced at Computex last year. The PadFone is an Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone which, when paired with the PadFone Station, becomes a 10.1” tablet. The transition from smartphone to tablet is seamless; with the PadFone slotting into the PadFone Station. Both devices even share a single data plan through the smartphone’s HSPA+ connection. And of course, Transformer tablets are bound to make an appearance. With processors from Qualcomm and NVIDIA, along with 1GB RAM, the Transformer Pad Infinity is being touted as a mobile entertainment platform. Its sibling, the Transformer Pad 300, will feature a palette of colours along with an attractive price to boot, ensuring that there's a tablet out there for everyone. Since we’re on the subject of mobility, we’re taking a look at the ASUS P1 portable LED projector for you business types out there. The P1 packs a mercury-free LED light source into a portable package with a footprint no bigger than an audio CD jewel case. We hope you enjoy the MWC Edition of Tech in Style. Find us on Facebook facebook.com/techinstyle.tv or online at www.techinstyle.tv
EDITORIAL Editor-in-chief Tim Smalley Editor Joseph Yadao Contributor Julian Prokaza PRODUCTION Production Manager Helen Ling Art Director Quawn Hsu Lead Designer Chiou Chong Lee
Copyright: ASUS Technology Private Limited, 2012. All editorial content in this magazine has been sponsored by ASUS. While every care was taken preparing this magazine, ASUS Technology Private Limited cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the information nor any consequences arising from it.
Please recycle this magazine when you have finished reading.
Joseph Yadao Editor
About ASUS ASUS, the world’s top 3 consumer notebook vendor and the maker of the world’s best-selling and most award winning motherboards, is a leading enterprise in the new digital era. ASUS designs and manufactures products that perfectly meet the needs of today’s digital home, office and person, with a broad portfolio that includes motherboards, graphics cards, optical drives, displays, desktops, Eee Box and allin-one PCs, notebooks, netbooks, tablet devices, servers, multimedia and wireless solutions, networking devices, and mobile phones. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, ASUS won 3,886 awards in 2011, and is widely credited with revolutionizing the PC industry with the Eee PC™. ASUS has a global staff of more than 11,000 and a world-class R&D team of 3,100 engineers.
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CONTENTS issue 16 • MWC Special 2012
04 Answering the call
The PadFone – the future of mobile productivity and flexibility?
06 When two become one
Like the PadFone? You’ll like it even more with the PadFone Station
08 Home cinema you can hold
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An Android tablet with a Full HD display and SonicMaster audio technology – the ultimate in mobile entertainment?
10 An individual tablet for everyone Because a stylish product doesn't always mean compromised performance
12 The Midas touch
We go hands on with the ET2700 All-in-One PC
14 A big picture in a small package
Project a clear picture with the P1 portable projector
15 Reader Q&A
Wi-Fi dead zones? Media streaming? We have the answers.
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INSPIRED
ASUS PadFone
Answering the call The ASUS PadFone caused quite a stir when ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih first introduced it onstage at Computex 2011. Once it hits the market later this year, the PadFone could prove to be the answer to the calls for an entirely futuristic mobile experience.
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f you’re one of the many who own both a smartphone and a tablet PC, you’re in for a treat once the PadFone comes to town. This innovative computing platform consisting of both the PadFone and its PadFone Station will offer users unparalleled mobile productivity and flexibility under a single data plan. And now, our sources confirm that it has entered the first stage of testing, with ASUS looking at a launch date later this year. This yet-to-be-released device has already been recognised as a Best of Innovations honouree in the Wireless Handsets category at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year.
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Under the hood
The PadFone smartphone comes with a Qualcomm MSM8260A Snapdragon S4 Krait dual-core 1.5Ghz processor and runs on Google’s Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS. And with 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of eMMC Flash memory and 1GB LPDDR2 RAM, we’re pretty sure the PadFone can fully meet the demands of today’s discerning smartphone user.
Best-in-class camera
Who uses a digital camera anymore? The PadFone comes with a built-in 8-megapixel camera that features a Fuji-sourced image processor and a 5-element lens. What that means is we’re given 1080p video recording and playback capabilities; along with the ability to shoot quality images which were once the preserve of DSLRs just a few years ago.
Crystal clear visuals
The PadFone features a 4.3” Super AMOLED, qHD display that delivers crystal clear visuals at a resolution of 960 × 540. The panel is made from scratch resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass with HCLR Film which resists fingerprints. ASUS’ innovative Dynamic Display provides a seamless transition between smartphone and tablet modes; we’ll be looking into that in the coming pages.
Zen-inspired
The Zen design philosophy ASUS first employed for the ZENBOOK™ continues with the PadFone. The concentric circle finish found on the back of the PadFone and the PadFone Station is not only there for aesthetic reasons, but provides a comfortable grip as well.
Tech Specs Operating System Android 4.0 ICS CPU Qualcomm MSM8260A Snapdragon S4 Krait dual-core 1.5Ghz Memory 16GB/32GB/64GB eMMC Flash + 1GB LPDDR2 RAM Connectivity 802.11bgn, Bluetooth 4.0, 3.5mm audio jack, Micro-USB 2.0 GPS GPS and A-GPS Display 4.3” Super AMOLED, qHD (960 × 540), scratch resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass with HCLR Film (prevents fingerprints) Camera 8-megapixel, Auto Focus/VGA Camera/LED Flash Expansion Slot Micro-SD (supports SDHC/SDXC up to 32GB) Messaging SMS/MMS/Email/IM/Push E-mail (Gmail, Exchange) Talk time WCDMA: Up to 510 mins; GSM: Up to 650 mins Standby time WCDMA: Up to 440 hours; GSM: Up to 373 hours Dimension 128 × 65.4 × 9.2mm Weight 129g *Specifications may differ from country to country. Actual performance may vary depending on usage and environment.
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DESIRED
ASUS PadFone Station
When two become one We’ve already seen what the PadFone does on its own; let’s see what it does when it’s paired with the PadFone Station.
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he PadFone delivers a different mobile experience — This 4.3” Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone becomes a 10.1” tablet with five times the battery life; operating on a single data plan when it is docked.
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Two devices, one data plan
The PadFone’s 3G network access is shared when it is docked in the PadFone Station, so there’s no need to get a separate data plan — ensuring maximum cost savings.
We’re all ears
The PadFone Station’s high-quality speakers are further boosted by ASUS SonicMaster Technology to provide a crystal clear audio experience.
Dynamic Display
From data and apps to the interface, the Dynamic Display technology allows you to take full advantage of the PadFone Station’s 10.1” 1280 × 800 screen by ensuring seamless transition and an optimised layout.
All the bells and whistles
An optional bluetooth stylus headset lets you receive calls when the PadFone is docked in the PadFone Station. It also has a proximity notification whenever the headset and tablet go out of range from one another, ensuring that you do not leave one or the other behind. There’s also the PadFone Station keyboard dock that converts the PadFone tablet into a clamshell ultraportable. With its own builtin battery, it extends the PadFone’s battery capacity by up to nine times.
Tech Specs
Connected interface Micro-USB / Micro-HDMI Display 10.1“, 1280 × 800, with capacitive touch/multi-touch and scratch resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass with HCLR Film (prevents fingerprints) Camera 1.3-megapixel (1280 × 800, front) Camera; 8-megapixel via PadFone (rear) Others Built-in vibrating proximity sensor, 2 color LED indicators for battery status
Battery 24.4 Watt-hr Interface 2-in-1 Audio Jack (Head Phone, Microphone-in), 40pin connector External Antenna Phone Antenna / GPS Antenna Audio High Quality Speaker, SonicMaster technology Dimension 273(W) × 176.9(D) × 13.55(H)mm Weight 716 g February 2012
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DESIRED
Unrivalled visual acuity
Ultra performance
Brilliant Super IPS+ display with ultra-wide 178° viewing angle, incredible 1920 × 1200 resolution, and an outdoor reader mode at 600 nits.
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Powerful NVIDIA® Tegra 3 or Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor runs the most demanding Android apps with ease and delivers an immersive gaming experience, all with extreme low power consumption.
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Supreme sound quality
ASUS SonicMaster technology provides unrivalled audio quality for music, movies and games.
Incredible images
8-megapixel rear camera with backlit sensor, LED flash and a large f/2.2 aperture for outstanding low-light performance.
Home cinema you can hold
Transformer Pad Infinity
A Full HD 10.1” screen and SonicMaster audio technology make the new Transformer Pad Infinity the ultimate Android tablet for mobile entertainment
Tech Specs Screen 10.1” (1920 × 1200) LED-backlit Super IPS+, Corning® Gorilla® Glass 2 Wifi Processor NVIDIA® Tegra® 3 (1.6GHz) 3G Processor Qualcomm MSM8260A Snapdragon S4 Krait dual-core 1.5Ghz LTE Processor Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon S4 Krait dual-core 1.5Ghz Memory 1GB RAM + 32/64GB user storage Camera 8-megapixel rear with LED flash and autofocus, 2-megapixel front Operating system Android 4.0 ICS Size & Weight 263 × 180.8 × 8.5mm; 586g (pad only)/263 × 180.8 × 8 ~ 10.4mm; 537g (dock only)/ 263 × 180.8 × 17.2 ~ 19.6mm; 1123 g (pad with docking)
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“THE MUPPETS”, © 2011 Disney. Photograph by: Scott Garfield. All rights reserved.
T
he ASUS Transformer range already sets a benchmark for slim and powerful Android tablets, but the new Transformer Pad Infinity raises the bar higher as ASUS’ most impressive tablet to date. With powerful processors from either NVIDIA or Qualcomm with 1GB RAM, the Infinity runs even the most demanding Android apps without breaking a sweat, while up to 64GB of user storage means all kinds of multimedia can be carried with ease. Multimedia is one of the Infinity’s major strengths, thanks to its stunning 10.1” multi-touch screen. This uses Super IPS+ technology to deliver a brilliant image that won’t be washed out by bright daylight, while Corning® Gorilla® Glass 2 makes it sturdy and extremely scratch resistant. Best of all, the screen also has a wonderfully high resolution of 1920 × 1200 that makes the Infinity perfect for enjoying Full HD video. The same SonicMaster audio technology used on ASUS laptops ensures crystal clear sound quality to match, too. Superior mobility is a major selling point of any tablet, but the Infinity has a significant edge over the competition when it comes to productivity. The bundled mobile dock instantly transforms this tablet into an ultra-slim ultraportable with a nearfull size Qwerty keyboard and trackpad, creating an ideal set-up for more serious use. Some tablets may sacrifice usability for portability, but the Infinity offers the best of both mobile words — and unbeatable multimedia performance, too.
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DESIRED
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ASUS Transformer Pad 300
An individual tablet for everyone
Its quad-core processor and keyboard dock make the Transformer Pad 300 one of the most capable Android 4.0 ICS devices around, but this 10.1” tablet has one more thing going for it – its got style
M
eet the Transformer Pad 300 — the latest Android tablet from ASUS that has been designed with affordability in mind. The 300 shares many of the same great features as the rest of the Transformer range, including a 10.1” multi-touch screen, a powerful NVIDIA® Tegra 3 quad-core processor and an eightmegapixel autofocus camera. With a sleek and slimline design, it’s the ideal tablet for anyone buying on a budget, not least since it also ships with a mobile keyboard dock that adds extra features, increases productivity and extends the 10-hour battery life to up to 15 hours. Available in red, white or blue and in Wi-Fi, 3G, and LTE versions, the Transformer Pad 300 runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich too, for a user experience that’s second to none.
Tech Specs Screen 10.1” (1280 x 800) LED-backlit Processor NVIDIA® Tegra 3 quad-core (1.2GHz) Memory 1GB RAM, 16GB user storage Network Wi-Fi, 3G, LTE Camera 8-megapixel rear with auto-focus, 1.2-megapixel front Operating system Android 4.0 ICS Size 263 x 180.8 x 9.9mm Weight 635g
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RE-WIRED
ASUS ET2700 All-in-One PC
The Midas touch With a 27” capacitive multi-touch screen, the sleek new ASUS ET2700 is an all-in-one desktop PC with a magical touch
B
ringing a desktop computer into the home runs the risk of making the living room look like the office, but that’s something that will never happen with the new ASUS ET2700. This beautifully designed all-in-one PC blends seamlessly with any interior decor, yet is powerful enough to act both as a serious productivity tool and a complete multimedia entertainment centre. The ET2700’s frameless 27” screen has a 1920 × 1080 resolution that makes light work of managing multiple applications when serious work is the order of the day, but delivers a stunning Full HD image when the time comes to relax. Integral stereo speakers with ASUS SonicMaster technology provide crisp, clear sound without additional desktop clutter, but the optional external compact subwoofer brings added audio depth with minimal extra space. Although the ET2700 makes the perfect heart of a traditional desktop set-up, its 10-point capacitive multi-touch screen offers entirely new ways to interact with technology. Whether it is learning to play an instrument using the Instrument Suite software, or doing away with a traditional keyboard and mouse, the options are almost endless. Eye-catchingly stylish it may be, but the ET2700 also has a specification to match. A choice of Intel® Core™ processors with NVIDIA® GT-540M graphics mean that it can cope with even the most demanding applications and games, while a full complement of ports opens up a wide array of expansion options.
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The world’s first 27” all-in-one desktop with 10-point capacitive multi-touch.
Wide 178° viewing angle with 5° forward/20° rear tilt adjustment in a small-footprint desktop stand.
Monitor energy use and track electricity costs with ASUS Energy Intelligent software.
3.5W stereo speakers with 580cc resonance chambers, plus ASUS SonicMaster technology and DTS Surround Sensation Ultra-PC™ with an optional external subwoofer.
Tech Specs Screen 27” (1920 × 1080) LED-backlit with 10-point multi-touch Processor Intel® Core™ i3/i5/i7 Memory 4GB DDR3 (8GB max) Graphics NVIDIA® GT-540M Optical Drive Tray-in SuperMulti DVD/Blu-ray Combo/Blu-ray Writer Storage 1TB ~ 2TB SATA hard drive Operating system Windows 7 Size 508 × 660 × 233mm
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RE-WIRED
ASUS P1 Portable LED Projector
A big picture in a small package Projecting a big image in a small space is now a whole lot easier thanks to the new ASUS P1 Portable LED Projector
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athering a group of people around a laptop screen isn’t always the best way to deliver a presentation, but who wants to lug a large projector just for the purpose? The ASUS P1 solves this problem by packing ample projector power into a package that’s just 3.3cm thick and takes up no more desktop space than an audio CD jewel case. The key to the P1’s compact dimensions is its mercury-free LED light source. This not only generates less heat and requires less cooling than a traditional projector lamp, but also has the added advantage of being ready for action within a matter of seconds. Better still, it’s rated for up to 30,000 hours, which is equivalent to 20 years if the P1 is used for hours every day. Setting up the ASUS P1 is easy, not least because its small size means it can
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sit just about anywhere — putting it a metre away from the wall means it can still project a 40” image. Or, if there’s enough space, the P1 can project a 120” image from 10 feet away. Projecting an image onto a surface that isn’t perfectly perpendicular poses no problem either, since auto keystone adjustment always ensures the perfect image proportions. The P1 can even be used for rear projection, ceiling mounting — or even both — thanks to menu options that adjust the image accordingly. With a 1280 × 800 native resolution and 200 ANSI Lumens brightness, the P1 works extremely well with a variety of projection content and ambient light conditions, and its low 28dBA noise level won’t distract, even in the most intimate meeting spaces.
Tech Specs Display technology DLP with LED light source (200 lumens) Native resolution 1280 × 800 Projection distance 0.5m to 3m Screen size 20” to 120” Size 125.5 × 33.5 × 130mm Weight 415g
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Q&A
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My Wi-Fi won’t cover my home
Q
My four-storey house has problems with Wi-Fi dead zones on the upper two levels. My 802.11b/g router and internet connection are on the ground floor, but while the Wi-Fi signal is strong in the basement, concrete floors on the other levels and lots of nearby wireless networks seem to cause problems with laptop wireless reception everywhere else. Would I be better off with a wired network?
RT-N66U
EA-N66
Silent media streamer urgently sought
Q
Tech in Style gives practical advice on eliminating Wi-Fi dead zones and how to stream media to an HDTV in style
I currently have a small form factor PC in the living room that I use to stream video to my HDTV, both from the internet and a media server I keep in another room. The PC is quite noisy, so I’d like to replace it with something smaller and quieter (or preferably silent) that also has a HDMI output — I currently use a run-of-the-mill quality VGA connection. What can you recommend?
Maintaining a strong wireless signal across several floors is always a problem, particularly when they’re concrete — a material known to absorb the microwave radio waves used by Wi-Fi. If your laptop supports 5GHz 802.11n Wi-Fi (most modern ones do), then you could upgrade to a router that supports this faster wireless technology, like the ASUS RT-N66U. This extremely capable router can run both 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks at the same time, and although the range of 5GHz Wi-Fi isn’t as great as 2.4GHz, this frequency won’t be affected by interference from other wireless networks. Its Ai Radar technology automatically optimises signal strength, too. Given that you have three concrete floors to contend with though, we’d also recommend using a Wi-Fi extender on the second floor to give more complete wireless coverage. The ASUS EA-N66 connects to your existing WiFi network and provides a strong 5GHz 802.11n signal of its own, which means no more dead zones at home.
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A silent media PC is likely to be quite large, due the extra passive cooling required, so a better option is a dedicated media streaming device. Relatively silent and only 40mm thick, the ASUS O!Play TV Pro can unobtrusively slip into any living room. Built-in Wi-Fi removes the need for an unsightly Ethernet cable to connect to a home network. HDMI means it can deliver a Full HD image too, and support for a wide range of online services makes for easy internet video streaming. The O!Play TV Pro’s broad codec support enables easy offline media playback, either from a networked computer, an iOS or Android device, or its own optional internal 3.5” hard drive. The O!Play TV Pro also supports 3D video playback for convenient future-proofing, and even allows video clips to be captured and shared on Facebook, via its O!Capture feature. Simple set-up makes the ASUS O!Play TV Pro the very definition of plug and play, too.
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