Tech in Style Issue 15 (UK)

Tech in

BRINGING INNOVATIONS TO LIFE

DO YOU BELIEVE IN LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT?

Intel, the Intel Logo, Intel Inside, Intel Core, Core Inside and Ultrabook are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.

as on m ti st di ri l e ch ia ec sp

ASUS recommends Windows® 7.

insearchofincredible.com/zenbook

the eee pad transformed Meet the new Eee Pad Transformer Prime

Ultrabooks!

Discover the fashionable future of mobility

ISSUE 15 december 2011 www.techinstyle.tv

ASUS New N Series

Still searching for that

incredible

gift?

Performs excellently, looks great and sounds perfect

www.insearchofincredible.com

I

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t’s the hardest part of this time of year: finding something just right for that special someone. ASUS SonicMaster Technology and musical sensation, Jason Mraz, are currently searching for incredible sound in conjunction with the new N series, but we’re more interested if it fits the bill as an incredible gift.

On the surface the new N series sports its highly sexy piano black or arctic white finish and a real aluminum edging that begs to be touched. Inside the minimalist approach is chic and fashionable, drawing focus to the strong, geometric aluminum panels and keyboard.

Sound is obviously a key feature, with audio Bang & Olufsen ICEpower® and SonicMaster Technology innovations including a patented and bundled subwoofer and larger, tuned internal speakers with improved amplifiers and a premium audio codec. Together, this provides richer sounds and deeper bass, giving the new N series has room-filling audio that is arguably the best of any notebook on the market.

Dive inside and you’ll find a 2nd-generation Intel® Core™ mobile processor with Turbo Boost 2.0 technology, up to 8GB of DDR3 memory and Nvidia GeForce GT540M graphics with Optimus Technology that together will power anything thrown at it. Coupled to display options up to full HD (1920 x 1080) this provides plenty of desktop real-estate for multitasking or watching Blu-ray movies.

With premium sound, a HD display, cutting-edge performance and beautiful design, stop searching now, because the new N series notebook is an incredible gift for anyone this year!

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Music Now! Thanks to its SonicMaster technology, the new N series is a laptop that’s made for listening to music. That’s why ASUS has included Music Now! — a fast-boot music player that gets the new N series ready to play from a cold start in just eight seconds. Music Now! uses a pre-boot environment to deliver a complete music management application, complete with playlist creation, album cover display and a sleep timer that lets you listen to the new N series while you drift off to sleep.

ASUS recommends Windows® 7.

Find out more at www.techinstyle.tv

Tech Specs ASUS N55SF CPU Intel® Core™ i7-2670QM 2.30GHz Operating System Genuine Windows® 7 Home

Premium 64-bit Screen 15.6” 16:9 HD+ (1600x900) Graphics NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 555M

2GB DDR3 VRAM Capacity 640GB (5400rpm) Memory 6GB (2048 x3) DDR3 1333 MHz

SDRAM Audio Bang & Olufsen ICEpower®

SonicMaster

Contents 02 Still searching for that incredible gift?

Performs excellently, looks great and sounds perfect

04 Welcome to the ultra era

Balance outer beauty with inner peace

Where to buy

Comet, Currys, HMV, PC World, Dixons, Amazon, Ebuyer and Micro Anvika

06 Little treasure

The best things come in small packages, like the sleek and stylish new ASUS U46 business ultraportable

08 Slated for business

Tired of your work laptop? The B121 could be exactly what you need

10 For the adventurer in your family

The Eee Pad Transfomer Prime — primed with beauty and brains

12 Colour that's meant to run

The cool K series laptops blend performance and style

14 The most affordable ultraportables Instant On Technology Tired of waiting? The new N series instant on technology will resume from standby in just two seconds and it’ll stay that way for up to two weeks. Compared to standard sleep, which lasts only 2-3 days, and hibernation, which takes as long as a normal boot up; ASUS instant on technology is clearly an extremely practical addition.

USB Charger+ One of the two included USB 3.0 ports has a special USB Charger+ function that lets you recharge and power devices over the USB connection, without first booting the notebook. This saves time and battery when all you need is just to juice up your phone.

ASUS brings fresh inspiration to the netbook world with three slim and stylish Eee PCs

Tech in Style issue 15

EDITORIAL Editor Richard Swinburne PRODUCTION Production Manager Helen Ling Art Director Quawn Hsu Lead Designer Chiou Chong Lee

Copyright: ASUS Technology Private Limited, 2011. 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.

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ASUS ZENBOOK™

Tech Specs

Aluminum monoshell design with intricate, spun metal finish Ultra-slim 3 ~ 17 mm profile Intel® Core™ i5 and i7 processors SATA Revision 3.0 SSD options USB 3.0 connectivity

ASUS Super Hybrid Engine II technology

Audio technology from Bang & Olufsen ICEpower® and ASUS SonicMaster

Welcome to the

Ultra Era Balance outer beauty with inner peace

O

riginally demonstrated at Computex this year, ASUS’ new ZENBOOK is a masterclass in Ultraportable design.

From the outside its spun-metal finish exhibits an extremely elegant and eye-catching design. At just 3-17mm thin it’s also the thinnest ASUS notebook to date, while its minimal proportions help draw focus to the large

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surfaces of spun-metal. It also means the 1.1kg Ultrabook is extremely easy to slip into any backpack or handbag, or simply whipped under an arm. Clearly the ZENBOOK’s form and function creates a natural synergy for people predominantly on the go.

Backing up its beauty is yet another ASUS innovation, as the SonicMaster team has managed to work their

ASUS recommends Windows® 7.

Find out more at www.techinstyle.tv

Where to buy

UX21E available from PC World, Currys, Comet and Amazon.co.uk UX31E available from PC World & Currys

magic on the audio here as well. With audio Bang & Olufsen ICEpower® and SonicMaster technology, the ZENBOOK incorporates genuine technology that includes a premium audio codec, larger, more refined speakers with appropriately beefed up amplifiers and a larger bass chamber for deeper vibrations and to back them up.

Together, this brings a professional grade audio experience in an extremely mobile package.

That’s not all squeezed in under the keyboard though.

The nutty center also houses a second generation Intel Core i7 CPU, 4GB of DDR3 and a SATA 6Gbps SSD. This means this tiny Ultrabook is actually faster than most notebooks! The incredibly fast SATA Revision 3.0 SSD and DDR3 help feed the premium performance Core i7 CPU with all the data you can throw at it. This keeps the system extremely nippy, even if you stress it heavily with work or

video. Add in display resolutions up to the HD+ 1600 × 900 pixels on the 13 inch, ASUS ZENBOOK UX31 model, and the extra desktop real-estate for multitasking comes in handy.

While an impressive spec, that’s still your usual laptop tech though. What really brings the ZENBOOK alive is the innovative Super Hybrid Engine II that features instant on technology. This saves your system state for up to two weeks in standby, yet it is also able to relaunch the system in just two seconds. This means that no matter how far and for how long you have to go from your office, your finger is always on the button, raring to go!

So, do you get it now? Here, the Zen is about getting things done fast and efficiently, anywhere, anytime: keeping you cool even when the things get tough. It really is a mobile mogul’s new best friend.

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U46 ultraportable

Little

The best things come in small packages, like the sleek and stylish new ASUS U46 business ultraportable

T

he definitive ASUS ultraportable just got even more portable — meet the new U46. On the outside, there’s a gorgeously sleek design and a brushed aluminium lid that’s not only built to shrug off the knocks of a life spent on the move, but stunning to behold, too. On the inside, the U46 still crams an expansive 14" screen on and a standard-voltage 2nd generation Intel® Core™ processor, plus a battery that lasts for up to 10 hours. Weighing in at under 2kg, it won’t cause backache however long you spend travelling with it.

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The small footprint doesn’t mean that the ASUS U46 skimps on other features, though. There’s a full-size chiclet keyboard and internal DVD writer, not to mention USB 3.0 for connection to the latest high-speed accessories.

Best of all, there’s a clever screen hinge that sits further forward than usual, which means the U46’s screen can open at a more comfortable angle when it’s squeezed into the tight space of a passenger jet or train seat. Why can’t all ultraportables be so well designed?

ASUS recommends Windows® 7.

Find out more at www.techinstyle.tv

The advanced mechanical design of the U46SV has the thinnest 14” panel available in a compact frame for superior ultraportability.

Tech Specs

CPU Intel® Core™ i5 2410M (2.3GHz) Operating System Genuine Windows® 7 Professional Screen 14” (1366 x 768) Memory Up to 8G DDR 3 SDRAM Graphics NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 540M with 1GB DDR3 VRAM

Where to buy

Available from Comet and Micro Anvika

Dimensions 333 x 245 x 24.6~26.2mm Weight Under 2kg

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ASUS Eee Slate B121

Slated for business

Tired of your work laptop? The B121 could be exactly what you need

T

here’s no doubt that tablet PCs have their advantages; the touchscreen interface adds an extra angle to the mobility that already changed a generation of business people. Not every job is writing documents and Excel spreadsheets and when you’re using anything else other than Office apps, a pen or your finger are excellent input tools. After all, how often have you tried to use a mouse on your leg or found the tiny touchpad just too inaccurate?

The new Eee Slate B121 increases the size and performance of what you’d expect a tablet PC to be though, sporting a larger 12.1 inch size and Intel Core i5 dual-core processor with 4GB of memory and 64GB SSD storage. For those who find the integrated storage limiting, the two USB ports support any flash drive, while ASUS also bundles its own Web Storage that provides unlimited space free for a year. Using Microsoft’s Windows 7 OS so you can use all the software you already own, meaning you don’t have to rebuy it or find alternatives.

Its impressive AFFS display provides better color than standard mobile IPS displays and offers a 178° viewing angle, which is ideal for creative professionals who use Adobe applications, while its Corning® Gorilla® Glass screen can withstand the inevitable knocks, bumps and scratches of everyday use.

It’s extensive range of ports, including two USB 2.0, a card reader and mini-HDMI out mean it’s highly versatile

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for any situation or application, and the bundled Microsoft Bluetooth keyboard means you can choose whether you need to take a real keyboard with you (versus using the touchscreen keyboard) when you travel.

Finally, the trusted computing module means that even if your Slate is lost or stolen, the data within is untouchable as the TPM security keeps the hardware locked down even if it’s taken apart!

The New Year is coming and for some that means upgrade time, so consider the alternative, and go Slate.

Tech Specs

CPU Intel® Dual-Core i5 470UM

Processor Operating System Genuine Windows® 7 Professional Screen 12.1” LED Backlight WXGA

(1280x800) Screen(Capacitive and

Electromagnetic Touchscreen

with AFFS) Capacity 64GB SSD storage Memory DDR3, 1 x SO-DIMM, 4GB I/O Ports Two USB 2.0 ports, 2-in-1 Audio

Jack (Head Phone/Mic-in), one

mini HDMI port, one MMC/SDHC/

SDXC card reader Connectivity WLAN 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth V3.0 Dimension 312 x 207.2 x 16.95 mm Weight 1.16 kg

ASUS recommends Windows速 7.

Find out more at www.techinstyle.tv

ASUS Eee Slate B121

Advanced Fringe Field Switching (AFFS) display provides better a color range than standard mobile IPS displays and an ultra-wide 178尊 viewing angle Multi-input: touch, type, write

Ultra-tough, Corning速 Gorilla速 Glass screen protects against scratches Unlimited ASUS Web Storage for 1 year Included digitizer pen TPM security keeps data safe

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Adventurer in your family For the

Eee Pad Transformer Prime

Primed with beauty and brains

H

ot on the heels of the hottest selling Android tablet this year, the Transformer Prime is the second iteration of the popular Eee Pad Transformer line-up that combines a new, exquisite design with the most powerful tablet hardware ever.

The immediate impression the Transformer Prime gives is from its new spun-finished metal design. First previewed on the ZENBOOK during Computex this year, this technique produces a stunning textured patterning that seems to catch the light at any angle; perfect for showing off your brand new ultraportable Eee Pad anywhere.

The Transformer Prime sports a thinner 8.3mm profile than any existing tablet on the market, including the iPad and Galaxy, and combined with a lighter 582g design

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than even the Apple iPad 2 (at 601g), it’s effortlessly transportable and feels closer to the natural ‘magazine’ hold than ever before.

The revised locking mechanism makes the new keyboard dock easier and more secure clipping together.

This was an improvement ASUS engineers worked on from feedback from existing Transformer users, over social media platforms such as the popular ASUS Facebook page.

There’s still the Corning® Gorilla® Glass needed to protect the IPS panel underneath, and its backlight is now capable of a super-high 600nits brightness, making the Prime readable even outdoors! Another upgrade is the rear camera, which is now 8MP with auto-focus and flash. The front facing camera is a HD-capable 1.2MP for applications

ASUS recommends Windows® 7.

Find out more at www.techinstyle.tv like video conferencing, which is perfectly suitable for the recently updates Skype app.

Powering the Prime is a brand new, quad core Nvidia Tegra 3 CPU. This latest ARM chip is the most powerful packed into a tablet to date, enabling unprecedented performance in anything you can throw at it. With Google’s Android and its Apps getting ever more advanced it’s a clear investment if you’re interested in doing some serious work or gaming on the go. This is backed up with 32GB or 64GB eMMC storage, as well as unlimited ASUS WebStorage (using the built-in App) for a year, and not to mention support for USB hard drives and thumb drives. You should never be without your data again!

While the design and Tegra 3 are perhaps the most anticipated upgrades,

the most understated change is perhaps the SonicMaster speaker upgrade.

SonicMaster is more than just a name, it must achieve a suitably primed audiofidelity in order to bare the brand; this includes upgraded speakers, amplifier and codec. The Transformer Prime is no exception as it has even larger, tuned stereo speakers, while encapsulated in the dock is the biggest subwoofer ever incorporated in a tablet!

The Transformer Prime is the perfect gift for any adventurer who likes to travel, share and blog on the go, in style, wherever and whenever they want.

Tech Specs CPU Nvidia® Tegra™ 3

Quad-core Screen 10.1” LED Backlit

IPS HD display

(1280x800) with

10-point multi touch and Corning

Gorilla Glass Capacity 32-64GB eMMC

SSD with

Unlimited ASUS WebStorage for

1 year Operating Android 3.2 System Honeycomb (4.0

Ice Cream

Sandwich

Upgradable) Memory 1GB LP-DDR2 Connectivity IEEE 802.11b/

g/n, BlueTooth™3.0 Cameras 8MP Auto-focus

rear camera with LED flash, 1.2MP HD front camera Dimension 263 x 180 x 8.3 mm Weight 582 g Battery Life 8 ~ 14 hours

(depending on

usage)

Where to buy

Available from Comet, Currys, HMV, PC World, Amazon, Ebuyer, Carphone Warehouse, John Lewis and Micro Anvika

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Colour meant ASUS K Series laptops

ASUS K Series laptops

Tech Specs

CPU Intel® Core™ / Intel® Pentium™ Operating System Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium Screen LED-backlit Capacity 320GB/500GB/640GB/750GB HDD 2.5” SATA Memory Up to 8GB DDR3 1333Mhz memory Optical Drive DVD Super Multi DVD Connectivity 802.11b/g/n Weight 2.45 ~ 3.2kg

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Sleek, stylish design with tough aluminium keyboard surround

Second-generation Intel® Core™ processors deliver new levels of mobile performance and intelligent power management

Optional NVIDIA® GeForce GT 520M/540M DirectX 11 graphics with Optimus 20% better battery life than previous K Series models

iF Design Award-winning chiclet keyboard, large multi-touch trackpad and ICE Cool palm-rest makes even long laptop sessions cool and comfortable

ASUS recommends Windows® 7.

that’s to run The cool K series laptops that blend performance and style

Find out more at www.techinstyle.tv

Where to buy

Available from Comet, Amazon.co.uk and Ebuyer

B

uying a new laptop has never been easy, but the new ASUS K Series is ideal for anyone looking for a splash of style. The sleek design with a tantalizingly textured lid and metallic interior, is available in eight appealing colors to suit every taste.

Whether it’s a first-time laptop for a new user or a household’s second (or even third) computer, the K Series is the perfect all-rounder that can cope with any task, without breaking the bank. Based on the latest Intel® ‘Huron River’ mobile platform with ‘Sandy Bridge dual and quad-core processors, each model combines outstanding performance with incredible energy efficiency to give up to seven hours mains-free use on certain models.

Optional DirectX 11 graphics with NVIDIA® Optimus technology boosts battery life and also provides incredible multimedia potential and the power to play the latest games.

The K Series includes thoughtful touches seldom found on affordable laptops, too. An award-winning keyboard with exclusive ASUS IceCool Technology gives an extra-comfortable typing experience, with palm-rests that remain cool at all times, while the generously sized trackpad makes it easy to exploit a wide range of multi-touch gestures. Brilliant LED-backlit displays and high quality Altec Lansing speakers ensure stunning multimedia performance.

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ASUS EeePC 1011PX Available in black and white

The most affordable

ultraportables ASUS brings fresh inspiration to the netbook world with three slim and stylish new models

G

iven that ASUS invented the whole idea of the netbook with the Eee PC launch just a few years ago, it should be no surprise that it continues to innovate with low-cost ultraportables.

Three new models lead the charge this year, and they’re among the best-looking affordable portables ever to appear in Tech in Style.

Available in four striking colours, the ASUS Eee PC X101 is an excellent choice for anyone who wants an ultraportable that offers a perfect combination of portability, performance and style. Thanks to an Intel® Atom™ N570 processor that, while extremely capable, still offers outstanding energy efficiency, the Eee PC X101 generates much less heat than other netbooks. This in turn allows the Eee PC X101 to feature an all-new super -slim design, making it the ideal travelling companion for people who want a computer to hand, wherever they go.

A large chiclet Qwerty keyboard with wide palm rest makes for comfortable typing, while the LED-backlit screen gives a crystal clear view of the task in hand.

For those looking for notebook-like performance in a netbook-size package, the new Eee PC 1011PX and 1015PX are just the thing.

Powered but the new Intel® Atom™ dual-core N570 processor, they offer seamless video playback and smooth multitasking with several applications — not to mention all-day battery life, courtesy of ASUS Super Hybrid Engine technology. Express Gate Cloud offers an instant-on solution when it comes to web browsing and email too, while the exclusive ASUS Eee Docking service delivers a convenient, one-stop solution for easy access to digital content, services and other useful software.

ASUS

EeePC X101 Available in red, white and black

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ASUS recommends Windows® 7.

Find out more at www.techinstyle.tv

Tech Specs

ASUS EeePC 1011PX CPU Intel® Atom™ N570 processor Operating System Genuine Windows® 7 Starter Screen 10.1” LED-backlit (1024 x 600) Capacity 320GB HDD Battery Life 8 hours ASUS EeePC 1015PX CPU Intel® Atom™ N570 processor Operating System Genuine Windows® 7 Starter Screen 10.1” LED-backlit (1024 x 600) Capacity 320GB HDD Connectivity Bluetooth 2.1 Battery Life 11 hours ASUS EeePC X101 CPU Intel® Atom™ N570 processor Operating System Genuine Windows® 7 Starter Screen 10.1” LED-backlit (1024 x 768) Capacity 250GB HDD Connectivity 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz Battery Life 4 hours

ASUS EeePC 1015PX

Available in black, white, red and blue

Where to buy

Eee PC X101 available from Dixons Eee PC 1011PX & 1015PX available from Currys, PC World, Dixons, Comet, Amazon.co.uk and Ebuyer

in search of incredible special |

15

Intel, the Intel Logo, Intel Inside, Intel Core, Core Inside and Ultrabook are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.

ASUS recommends Windows® 7.

DO YOU BELIEVE IN LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT? It looks like nothing you’ve ever seen. It feels like nothing you’ve ever felt. It’s breathtakingly beautiful. It’s ultra thin — with a minimum thickness of only 3mm. It’s ultra light — the brushed aluminum body weighs only 1.1kg. It’s ultra fast - powerful 2nd Gen

Intel® Core™ i7 processor, SATA 3.0 SSD and

USB 3.0. It resumes in just 2 seconds, and the SonicMaster Audio delivers astounding sound. Introduce yourself to the most incredible Ultrabook™, the ASUS ZENBOOK™ - it will be love at first sight. insearchofincredible.com/zenbook