Tech In Style Issue 3

Tech in

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INNOVATION IN TECHNOLOGY

A touch of class…

Discover touch screen interactivity with the brand new ASUS Eee Top

Plus…

Get faster Wi-Fi The best wireless solutions

Tougher LCDs Monitor vs crossbow on p18

Objects of desire

The world’s most beautiful laptops

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Speedy, green and secure Smarter computing with the ASUS N10

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A touch of class The brand new ASUS Eee Top brings together great looks and cutting-edge technology‌ YOUR ONLINE SOLUTION

The Eee Top includes a built-in webcam and mic, and is ready for wireless networking. Express Gate technology gets you online in nine seconds.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED

You can control the size and appearance of screen icons, and use Soft Stylus for handwriting on the screen. You also get MS Works and Eee Cinema Touch.

Main photography: Philip Sowels

BEAUTIFUL AND FUNCTIONAL

The most stylish home computer, ever, the Eee Top emits a blue LED glow when switched on. A carry handle makes it easy to move, and it can be wall-mounted too.

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Illustration: Justin Maller. Photography: Joby Sessions, Philip Sowels, Jesse Wild.

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Elegance and taste

Arriving in mocha brown or charcoal, the ASUS Eee PC S101 is the most elegant netbook we’ve ever seen. Slim and light with classic lines and a sleek finish, it can slip from boardroom to cocktail party with ease.

A luxurious moleskin case and corner hinges tastefully embellished with Swarovski crystals cap off the whole effect. This desirable new model redefines the netbook category.

Plus shot with laptop and the bag it comes with here

SPECS 1.6GHz Intel Mobile Atom, 1GB RAM, 16GB SSD plus 16GB SD Card, 30GB online storage, 10.2-inch display, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth, Windows XP Home

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Important that the lamborghini badge is as clear as possible.

Need back to look as glossy as possible, and need to see the leather detail below the keyboard

Moving in luxury

Just like its automobile counterpart, the Lamborghini-branded ASUS VX3 is built for speed and power, but rolls in luxury.

Choose from a black or yellow exterior, with a scratch-proof, high gloss finish and that stamping bull badge. With a titanium alloy chassis, it’s impact resistant by design. The luxurious leather palm rests are overlooked by a glorious 12.1-inch screen with built-in webcam and protected by a sapphire crystal housing, while fingerprint technology offers state-of-the-art security.

SPECS 2.5GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T9300, 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD, 12.1-inch TFT, Wi-Fi, HSDPA, Ethernet, Bluetooth, 1.68kg, Genuine Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit, 2-year global warranty

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Explosive gaming power

The ultra-shiny black finish of the futuristic new ASUS G50V is like gazing into onyx, while a blue glow from LED strips set around the sides of the lid create the scene for the gaming experiences its powerful graphics hardware promises to deliver. Open it up and tangerine highlights add a touch of warmth, before the graphics from your favourite games explode from its 15.6-inch widescreen display.

SPECS 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8400, 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD, 15.6-inch TFT widescreen, nVIDIA GeForce 9700M GT with 512MB VRAM, Wi-Fi, USB, Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium

Again, glossy back and need textured sections to be apparent. Blue and orange sections to look as bright as poss

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The essence of cool

With its shiny case and subtle curves, this model impresses by being understated. Like other ASUS N-series laptops, the N20A comes in dark purple-brown. Trickling down the exterior are stippled lines of varying length – a playful nod towards The Matrix, perhaps. This laptop is so shiny it’s a shame to get fingerprints on it – but the N20A is so irresistible you’ll want to touch it anyway.

SPECS 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5800, 3GB RAM, 320GB HDD, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 12.1-inch widescreen, DVD, Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium

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Closer to nature

The innovative approach to this laptop’s look and feel (it comes in bamboo casing) denote its green credentials. Artisan quality Moso bamboo panels provide an organic finish, and the variance in fibre patterns means each one is unique. Enhance the individuality of your Bamboo U6V by having it etched with an illustrative pattern. The bamboo palm rests and mousepad complete the natural effect.

SPECS 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T9400, 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD, Wi-Fi, 12.1-inch TFT, Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium, 2-year global warranty

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“What’s the best laptop for me?” #1: Kevin Jones, surveyor

He commutes for work, and loves music and comedy. We help Kevin find the right notebook

L USER PROFILE NAME Kevin Jones AGE 26 LOCATION Bristol JOB Junior surveyor INTERESTS Meeting friends, football (Man Utd) and rugby (Bristol), music and going to gigs, movies with Simon Pegg, Ricky Jervais or Ben Stiller in them, The Mighty Boosh, catching up on Facebook, rock climbing and camping, Tolkien and fantasy games.

ET’S FACE IT, MY old laptop can’t cope. The hard disk is jam-packed with stuff I’ve downloaded, music and work files. It takes an age to boot up when I turn it on and it takes another age for me to open Internet Explorer or my email software. My time is valuable to me, so I’m extremely frustrated watching the hourglass symbol in Windows XP.

Longer lasting battery

The other thing I hate about my old laptop is that its battery life now lasts under 40 minutes. If I can’t find a socket to use on the train, I risk the dreaded powerdown when I use it in public. It’s annoying and embarrassing to have to sneakily use a plug socket in the corner when I take a break at Starbucks.

Ideally, I want something that starts quickly and lets me check Facebook or get into my programs fast. It needs to be light and portable because I want to use it on the train to and from work.

I like to download movies and comedy shows to watch while I’m commuting, and I’m a heavy iTunes user. Right now I’m into the Kings of Leon, Glasvegas and I’ve been a fan of The Verve for years.

I love games but lately I don’t seem to have much time. It would be great to get into Civilization IV and maybe World of Warcraft on my new laptop.

My old laptop is a bit of an old brick as well. I’m not vain, but I would like something in my bag that’s a lot smaller, lighter and more modern than my existing model.

Photography: Philip Sowels. Inset images: Shutterstock.

I want something that starts quickly and lets me check Facebook or get into my applications fast…

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find out more at www.techinstyle.co.uk

We recommend…

The N10 notebook, from £499

Small and perfectly designed, it won’t make Kevin look like a Luddite when he uses it on the train or in a café. The Express Gate system means he can boot it up and get online in as little as eight seconds. The Poweron-demand switch on the side saves battery life when you’re not playing games by turning off the extra graphics chip, conserving battery for when you need it most.

Alternatives…

Eee PC 1000 From £349 For something sleeker and more portable, try this netbook.

It’s great for web surfing on the go.

Q&A I’ve got an old wireless

G router. Will it work with an ASUS notebook?

Yes. Any N-series laptop can use a wireless G network. For more speed you should consider a model that supports the wireless 802.11 N standard which, together with a wireless N router, will deliver data many times faster.

What’s the difference

between a G70 and a G71?

The G70 (below) has a powerful Intel quad core processor and is great for anyone who likes a broad range of games. The G71 has a dual core processor and it has a pair of nVIDIA graphics cards with two banks of 512MB graphics memory – ideal for hardcore 3D gaming.

N80 notebook From £699 Get more power for your games and a bigger screen to watch movies on with the N80.

Kevin’s choice:

The N10 looks amazing. It’s surprisingly powerful for its size, too.

For more details on the N10, turn to page 14

Can I install MS Office

on an Eee PC?

Yes, you can. However, if you purchase an Eee PC with the Windows XP operating system (instead of Linux) you’ll get MS Works included. Like Office, this covers word processing, databases and spreadsheets.

Send us your questions at the following address: questions@techinstyle.co.uk

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The technology of tomo Discover 12 remarkable engineering innovations, and find out how each one is used in pioneering ASUS products…

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ROM AI LIGHT SENSORS THAT intelligently detect the ambient light in a room and adjust the brightness of your screen accordingly, to the latest slimline lithium polymer batteries that enable the smallest of laptops, ASUS is continuously innovating. And luckily for you, these technological

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1. Facial recognition

SmartLogon recognises your face, and then logs you in to your laptop. By using the built-in video-conferencing camera/webcam in many ASUS laptops, along with advanced face-recognition software, you can just sit in front of your computer and you’ll automatically be logged in. Very clever indeed.

Open up the ASUS N80 laptop and login without even typing a password – thanks to advanced face-recognition technology.

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advancements aren’t squirrelled away in a lab somewhere – they’re in ASUS’ latest range of stylish portable, ultra-portable and notebook PCs. Over the following pages, discover how the latest technologies are used by ASUS to make your life – whether working, playing or learning – much easier and far more fun.

2. Drive without a disk?

No moving parts, lighter, slimmer and more reliable: just some of the benefits of an SSD (or Solid State Drive) over a traditional hard disk drive. Another benefit is the fact that it’ll dramatically reduce the amount of time it takes to boot up your laptop, and it also consumes less electricity.

Perfect for those on the move – needing portability, power and great battery life – the ASUS U2 laptop features a Solid State Disk.

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Touch screen technology enables users to interact with their PCs and devices in ways like never before. Open documents, play video, even write emails using your finger or a stylus. No longer are you restricted to a mouse with the latest in resistive touch panels – resistive meaning the panel will last a long time.

The revolutionary ASUS Eee Top enables you to play, learn and surf via ingenious touch screen technology.

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4. The power-saving graphics switch

A powerful graphics card can quickly eat up battery life. One solution is to put two graphics cards into the same laptop – one for everyday things like email and word processing, and the other for games. The N10 has a switch on the side to turn on extra graphics power.

A long battery life is a great feature of the N10. At the flick of the switch it becomes a great gaming laptop as well.

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5. Healthier air

By creating negative ions, ASUS’ innovative Health Ionizer cleanses pollutants from the air around you and protects you from germs and inhaling particles that make you sneeze or cough.

Negative ions also increase the flow of oxygen to the brain, resulting in higher alertness and mental energy.

The ASUS N50 will keep you alert and focused on the job in hand with its Health Ionizer. It could also prevent nasty colds!

6. Perfume-emitting

Using highly advanced heat transfer technology, ASUS has created laptops that emit a fragrance. Lasting between three and up to about six months (in colder weather the scent lasts longer), the fragrance is released from a plastic film that has been scented and applied to the top of the laptop.

The ASUS F6V comes in four different designs with a fragrance to match the emblazoned pattern… and your mood.

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7. The fastest chips

Extreme gamers need extreme processors. And there’s none more powerful, whilst portable, than the Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9300. Featuring four cores, running at up to 2.53GHz, along with 12MB of shared cache and a 1066 MHz frontside bus, this processor is blisteringly fast.

Packing the brand new Intel Core 2 Extreme processor QX9300, the ASUS G71 is the ultimate gaming laptop.

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8. Slimmer, sleeker and lighter batteries

Providing up to five hours battery life, in an incredibly thin form factor, ASUS’ advanced Lithium Polymer battery is a four-cell, 4,900mAh battery just millimetres thick. A marvel of engineering that puts the Eee PC at the height of portable technology.

The advanced Lithium Polymer battery on the ASUS Eee PC S101 will keep the fun – or work – flowing for up to five hours.

9 9. Get online faster

Utilising a compact Linux environment that is integrated onto the motherboard, Express Gate technology enables you to gain access to the internet (including the VoIP app Skype) within eight seconds of turning your computer on (and without having to wait for the normal operating system to load)!

The Eee Top has Express Gate technology – you don’t have to wait for the operating system to load to access the internet.

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Saving power, saving the planet An AI Light Sensor in the N50 notebook means you never have to fiddle with the brightness settings again when you move from one location to another.

Intelligently detecting the ambient light in a room, the AI Light Sensor technology automatically adjusts the brightness of the LCD screen backlight accordingly. This innovation saves on power consuption, not to mention your eyes!

The Super Hybrid Engine (SHE) is an ASUS software utility that intelligently boosts performance by up to 20 per cent when you’re running multiple applications, and saves energy and extends battery life when you’re only running a few. SHE enables you to quickly maximise system performance and minimise the power consumption of your machine through an easy-to-use dialog.

Included in ASUS N-series laptops and the Bamboo U6.

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10. Dual camera combo

Why have two cameras? Well one, usually on the front of an ultra-portable device or cell phone and with smaller, VGA resolution (about 0.3 megapixels) can be used to make video calls. The other, usually of higher resolution, can be used to take photos and record video.

It’s versatility at its very best.

The R50A UMPC (Ultra-Mobile PC) has two cameras: one for conferencing, the other for shooting pics and videos.

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11. Quick and easy

An alternative to Windows but with pretty much all the power, Linux is a real powerhouse of an operating system.

From text-editing to spreadsheets to emailing, surfing the web and video calling, Linux is a fully-fledged OS that is extremely easy to use. And it’s also extremely fast.

The Eee PC 901 uses a custom Linux GUI (Graphical User Interface), providing easy access to common applications.

12. Fingerprint ID

Fingerprint scanners on ASUS laptops – manufactured by AuthenTec, and with TruePrint technology – read from the live layer of skin on your finger (just below the surface) preventing common skin surface conditions such as moisture and dirt from impairing the accuracy of the scanner, keeping your data safe.

The stylish, ultra-portable ASUS U6 keeps identity fraudsters at bay with fingerprint scanning technology.

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Viewing pleasure Legendary design excellence courtesy of ASUS. It’s evident in every electronic accessory you can think of…

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HEN IT COMES TO laptops, ASUS is renowned for high quality, good service and innovative products. What you may not realise, though, is that the company makes much more than just laptops, and applies the same values to everything it does.

From mobile phones to mice, PDAs to PC cases, you’ll find the ASUS brand everywhere – always synonymous with

quality and cutting-edge design. To demonstrate this, we’ve selected three of the finest ASUS LCD monitors and WiFi routers to showcase the excellent new electronics available.

Whether you’re interested in gaming and entertainment, family and learning or business use, if you purchase an ASUS product you’ll discover the company’s commitment to quality and service.

VK266H LCD widescreen £386

This brand new 26-inch widescreen monitor is designed to fit in with the most up-to-date home system. With 1080p HD playback via an HDMI input, it’s ready to work with just about any device in your home entertainment system from PCs to games consoles and on to DVD or Blu-ray players. An integrated webcam makes it ideal for video conferencing.

Why colour matters

Ever wonder why some LCD screens just look better than others?

Picture quality is more complex than just mixing red, green and blue pixels together. Subtle changes in the hue of a monitor’s backlight, for example, can drastically affect the colour range of an on-screen image.

A monitor’s colour space, or ‘gamut’, is the full range of tones that it is able to display. The larger the gamut, the more shades it can show, and the more vivid and detailed the picture is. Most LCD monitors reproduce around 70% of the standard NTSC colour gamut, but the ASUS MK241H accurately displays a staggering 92% of the NTSC gamut.

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SPECS SCREEN SIZE 26-inch widescreen 16:10 NATIVE RESOLUTION 1920x1200 REFRESH RATE 2ms CONTRAST RATIO 20,000:1 INPUTS HDMI, DVI, VGA, Component/ S-Video, 2 megapixel webcam SPEAKERS 2x3W DIMENSIONS 597x462x230mm, 7.9kg

Lego Batman: The Videogame available now for Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS, PSP, PS2 & PC

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Elegant and powerful, the screen is enhanced with ASUS SPLENDID colour technology plus advanced video technology for exceptional image quality.

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The colour gamut is often represented as a subsection of all the colours physically possible.

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style Your product guide Tech in

Use this quick reference guide to find out more about every ASUS product featured in Tech in Style…

Product Eee PC 901 (pg 17)

The 901 is available either with Linux and 20GB of storage, or with Windows XP and a 12GB hard drive.

Eee PC 1000 (pg 13)

The portability of a netbook with the storage capacity of a notebook – Windows or Linux options available.

Eee PC S101 (pg 07, 16)

The gorgeous Eee PC comes in a choice of black or champagne, with an attractive carry case.

Eee Top (pg 04, 10, 14, 16)

With its touch screen and gorgeous looks, the Eee Top represents a breakthrough in home computing.

N10 notebook (pg 15)

Compact and elegant, this model looks cool and, with Express Gate technology, it gets you online quickly.

F6V Pink notebook (pg 15)

Illustrated designs on the case – in black or pink – this laptop exudes style as well as a perfumed scent.

N20A notebook (pg 10, 13, 17)

Long battery life, a spacious hard drive and a crystal-clear screen give the N20 durability and usability.

N80Vc notebook (pg 13, 14)

The big brother of the N-series laptops, the N80 still comes with a slimline design and affordable pricetag.

N50 notebook (pg 15)

Beautiful stylings, a 15.4-inch widescreen and an ionizing filter for better air quality make the N50 stand out.

R50A ultra mobile PC (pg 17)

ASUS presents a totally new take on computing with a Windows XP-powered GSP unit with built-in TV tuner.

U6VC-2P002C notebook (pg 17)

Despite its 12.1-inch screen and graphics power, this dualcore model comes in at under 1.6kg.

G50V notebook (pg 09)

A monster gaming rig offering you all the power of a quad core processor, a great screen and more.

U2E notebook (pg 14)

Supreme mobility and security thanks to a lightweight design and fingerprint scanner. Optional leather finish.

Bamboo U6V notebook (pg 11, 17)

This luxurious notebook is the epitome of green tech, with its bamboo case and power-saving features.

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Features

Price

1.6GHz Intel Atom N270, 1GB RAM, 12GB/20GB SSD 8.9-inch TFT display, Linux or Windows XP Home Wireless 802.11 AGN, Bluetooth, 1.3 megapixel webcam, 2-finger zooming

£299

1.6GHz Intel Atom N270, 1GB RAM, 40GB SSD/80GB HDD 10-inch TFT display, Linux or Windows XP Home 20GB online storage, 1.3 megapixel webcam, wireless 802.11 AGN, Bluetooth

£349

Intel Atom N270, 1GB RAM, 32GB SSD storage 10.2-inch LED backlit screen, wireless 802.11 BGN, Bluetooth SD card reader, 0.3 megapixel webcam, 2-year UK warranty, weighs 1kg

£449

Intel Atom N270, 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD 15.6-in widescreen touch screen, 1.3 megapixel webcam Hi-fi speakers, support for 5.1 surround sound, wireless 802.11 N

£449

1.6GHz Intel Atom N270, 2GB RAM, 250GB HDD 10.2-inch LED backlit screen, nVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS, 1.3 megapixel webcam Genuine Windows Vista Business, 2-year global warranty, fingerprint security

£499

2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5750, 4GB RAM, 250GB hard drive 13.3-inch widescreen TFT, ATI Mobility Radeon with 256MB VRAM Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium, fingerprint security, built-in webcam

£649

2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5800, 3GB RAM, 320GB HDD 12.1-inch LED backlit widescreen, 1.3 megapixel webcam Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium, 2-year global warranty

£649

2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5800, 3GB RAM, 320GB HDD 14-inch widescreen, nVIDIA GeForce 9300M G with 512MB VRAM 1.3 megapixel webcam, fingerprint security, 802.11 wireless BGN

£699

2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T9400, 3GB RAM, 320MB HDD 15.4-inch widescreen, nVIDIA GeForce 9300M G with 512MB VRAM Blu-ray combo, Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium, 2-year global warranty

£749

1.33GHz Intel Atom Z520, 1GB RAM, 32GB SSD 5.6-inch touchscreen display, external DVD drive, 802.11 wireless BG Bluetooth, GPS, 2 megapixel plus 0.3 megapixel video cameras

£899

2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5800, 3GB RAM, 320GB HD 12.1-inch LED backlit TFT widescreen, nVIDIA GeForce 9300M G (256MB VRAM) Under 1.6kg, wireless AGN, fingerprint security, 2-year global warranty

£949

2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8400, 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD 15.6-inch TFT widescreen, nVIDIA Geforce 9700M with 512MB VRAM Blu-ray combo, extended keyboard, wireless 802.11 AGN

£1,049

Intel Core 2 Duo U7500 (1.06GHz), 4GB RAM, Genuine Windows Vista Business 11.1-inch LED backlit widescreen, Intel GMA X3100 video graphics memory Fingerprint security, under 1.4kg, optional Solid State Drive, Bluetooth

£1,199

2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T9400, 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD 12.1-inch LED backlit widescreen, nVIDIA GeForce 9300M G Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium, wireless AGN, fingerprint security

£1,349

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