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Tech in
BRINGING INNOVATIONS TO LIFE
Seeing, Hearing, and Feeling Technology ASUS remixes the senses at Milan Design Week
Tablets Galore
driven by style
Experience the new tablet Eee Slate and Eee Pad Transformer
Take a look at the Lamborghini-inspired VX6 and VX7 laptops
design week Special APRIL 2011 www.techinstyle.tv
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We take a look at the team behind ASUS’ efforts at this year’s Milan Design Week showcase
T
he ASUS tagline of “Inspiring Innovation ˙Persistent Perfection” serves as the company’s formula for exceeding expectations and delivering complete consumer satisfaction. ASUS is relying on this approach as it establishes itself as a leading enterprise in today’s digital world, and it is on the right track, receiving 3,398 awards in 2010 alone.
It’s all about teamwork
Until recently, the ASUS Design team based in Taipei designed all ASUS products. Established in 1998, the team has about 100 designers from around the world. There are also 30 more designers based out of the Singapore and China design offices. The ASUS Design headquarters is split into nine teams, with each team responsible for areas such as market research, material development, mechanical design, industrial design, and packaging. Regardless of their specialty, the design teams always work with one thing in mind — giving users an enhanced user experience. All design is ultimately about people, with a successful product considered as one that people love to use.
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Design philosophy
ASUS believes that everything revolves around the human experience when interacting with technology; it all starts with what consumers are thinking, feeling, and doing. The ASUS Design team is focused on understanding consumer needs and wants in order to craft the perfect product. The end result — innovative products that are well-crafted, intuitive, and sustainable.
IRIS in focus
The IRIS (Inspirational Research for Immersive Space) concept for Milan Design Week 2011 is an answer the growing need to maximize the ever-shrinking personal space. The IRIS concept proposes a flexible device that is able to change its physical size to suit different needs; it is also one that can seamlessly connect to various accessories like a Panorama Projector. For more on the IRIS concept, turn to page 12.
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design
Different by
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ong recognized as a global technology leader, ASUS wants to be seen as more than just a trailblazing IT company, but one that leads in terms of design as well. The company’s efforts have not been in vain either, and its various offerings have won highly sought after international design awards that include the iF Design Award, the Reddot Design Award in Germany, and the Good Design Award in Japan. Its dedicated team of designers constantly anticipate the next big market trend; and are on the lookout for new materials and form factors on which to work their magic. The company has worked with leading designers like Karim Rashid and Bang & Olufsen chief designer David Lewis. Through these collaborations, the Eee PC Karim Rashid edition and the ASUS NX90 came about, expanding ASUS’ line up of products that excite the senses.
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Establishing an emotional connection
ASUS will attempt to tug at heartstrings and emotions at this year’s Milan Design Week with its Senses Remix concept. ASUS’ concept derives from the company’s endeavors to create a warm connection between consumers and its products. ASUS has three rooms that center around this concept, the first features interactive installations with ASUS products and content designed to stir up visitors’ senses and emotions by tapping on key life moments.
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“Most of the important memories are encoded by senses, so when one smells a particular smell – may it be a brand of shampoo or home cooking or the humidity in the air – something important is triggered, and the emotions attached to the memory revive. It’s the same thing with sound,” said project leader Jen Chuang. “Often times when we hear a tune or sound – maybe it was the song playing at the prom, things we thought we’d forgotten are suddenly remembered.”
See, hear, and feel at the Milano Studio Digital
The second room showcases “The Making of ASUS Sound” and displays the design processes and technology behind the Bang & Olufsen ICEpower® co-developed ASUS NX90. Consisting of 16 ASUS NX90s, Senses Remix is in essence a single instrument, with each NX90 acting as an amplifier that projects different sounds orchestrated by 16 individual Eee Slate tablet PCs. Senses Remix has a performance and interaction mode. In performance mode, all 16 NX90s will perform together as a single entity, with an ASUS designer conducting the symphony through an Eee Slate.
In interaction mode, visitors will be able to play their own tunes with the Eee Slates on display, which have been individually programed as different instruments. And finally, ASUS will showcase its new range of tablet PCs — the Eee Pads. Introduced at CES, the Eee Pad range, consisting of the Eee Slate EP121, the Eee Pad Transformer, the Eee Pad Slider, and the Eee Pad Memo, will be available for the public to play with.
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Unique among many I
n a world increasingly full of portable devices, the Eee Slate EP121 still manages to stand out, unique. Yet, at the same time it blends seamlessly into the task at hand; beyond the limitations of a tablet PC and above an ordinary notebook. Powered by an Intel® Core™ i5 processor and Windows® 7 Home Premium, the Eee Slate packs all the performance of a full notebook PC, into an ultra-portable slate form factor. It’s 12.1-inch LED-backlit display generates ultra-wide viewing angles suitable for impromptu presentations or sharing movies with
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family, while the capacity touchscreen lets you take control with the flick of a finger or the stroke of its digital pen. Either work with all your favourite Windows applications natively, while also showing off your creativity with specific slate-friendly applications. For those times you just need a keyboard, simply sync up the bundled Bluetooth keyboard. With built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluebooth 3.0, the Eee Slate is the perfect mobile partner, which has already adapted to this ever changing world.
slim, stylish and subtle
intuitive input options
versatile typing
The Eee Slate EP121 is just 16.95mm thick and weighs a mere 1.16kg, so you can slip it into a bag, stand it on a desk, or sit back with it on the sofa. It’s easy to hold and use on the move, too, and the screen’s ultra-wide viewing angle makes it a great way to share content with others.
The capacitive multi-touch screen responds to the lightest of touches, but Wacom® digitiser technology adds a new dimension. Grab the digitiser pen and the Eee Slate becomes anything from an electronic notepad with sophisticated handwriting recognition, to a digital canvas for aspiring artists.
Typing on the Eee Slate screen is a breeze. Corning Gorilla Glass means it’s super-strong and feels great under a fingertip, while the capacitive multitouch sensor is ultra-accurate. Reach for the supplied Bluetooth Qwerty keyboard and you can sit down for a solid writing session, too.
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Tablet? Notebook?
Both!
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ith tablets in the forefront of tech companies’ agendas this year, ASUS wanted to create a product that stood out from the crowd, and they did just that. The ASUS Eee Pad Transformer is set to take off the runway in two styles. First is the sleek tablet form, that’s just made for showing off. At less than 13mm thick, the Transformer is portable enough to pack for any trip, but it’s just as well suited for surfing the web on a sofa. The Android™ 3.0 Operating System lets you choose from thousands of applications for just about every purpose, while the NVIDIA® Tegra 2 with Flash 10.2 support means you can enjoy smooth streaming video on the 10.1” IPS panel — or in full 1080p on an external display via mini HDMI. While the tablet form looks like it knows how to have a good time, it knows when to get serious. The optional keyboard dock gives the Transformer a professional demeanor, turning it into a notebook that shows it’s not to be trifled with in the office. The versatile docking station provides not only a full sized keyboard to type on, but extra USB ports, SD card reader and boosting battery life up to an amazing 16 hours.
up to
16 hours
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Eee PC 1015PW
An eye for the future:
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f you’re always on the go, you want something that won’t weigh you down, but also won’t let you down on performance. ASUS has the perfect solution with the new Eee PC 1015PW. The 1015PW is powered with the new Intel® Atom™ N570 Dual Core Processor, delivering exceptional performance with up to 10 hours of battery life. It also features two USB 3.0 ports which provide transmission rates 10 times faster than that of USB 2.0. Enjoy smooth video streaming from YouTube, connect with friends old and new on Facebook or have a conversation with family over Skype using the built-in 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi. Boasting a streamlined and aerodynamic design with strongly defined contours, the 1015PW is available in three exciting colors: Passionate Purple Rain, Glimmering Gold Dust and Delicate Angel Skin. It’s a combination of power and beauty that will attract users to fawn over the netbook.
ASUS I.R.I.S project B
etween designing all the fashionable new additions to ASUS’ product ranges, its Design Center also delves in futuristic thinking and the pursuit of next generation concepts. The I.R.I.S project, which stands for Inspirational Research for Immersive Space, is its latest vision of future technology consolidation. That basically means you can own a single gadget to do a multitude of things. While we already experience this with mobile phones which also double-up as media players, internet portals and even alarm clocks, they are but one limited size. What if you could blend your laptop, tablet, eReader and PC into one ever-ready machine? The I.R.I.S concept proposes a flexible device, which adapts to suit your different needs and personal space by changing its physical size. It would then seamlessly connects to various accessories such as a Panorama Projector that eschews the notion of a fixed sized display. To keep a minimal design and a free-form, future Waveface Cloud computing will power the processing required for the device. While the technology the achieve all this has yet to be even invented, as you’ll see in the rest of this edition, it helps to have a visionary team pushing the future rather than just waiting for it.
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Fashionably high-tech Eee PC 1008P Karim Rashid Collection
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ast year’s release of the Karim Rashid Collection netbooks were a smash hit, as his personal style had never before graced a laptop in any class and those with an eye for fashion quickly gravitated towards the splendid machines. It became the ultimate fashion accessory in computing, and got you noticed whenever and wherever you used it. The series is back, this time packing in more powerful hardware in the same beautiful design.
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Glitter on the fast lane
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SUS-Automobili Lamborghini VX6 and VX7 laptops epitomize a harmony of technology and impactful design. They reflect the aggressive yet elegant look of Automobili Lamborghini supercars such as the Murcielago LP640 roadster, sharing their inspiration’s trademark aerodynamic approach. Both models carve a special niche among luxury portables, applying quality materials and meticulous engineering to achieve a premium balance of performance and reliability that extends across diverse applications, from high-end multimedia to hardcore notebook PC gaming. In this they also embody the supercar spirit, catering to discerning connoisseurs who demand the best, most optimized technology available in a complete package that instantly stands out from the notebook crowd.
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While both are eminently mobile, the totally compact VX6 lends itself perfectly to jet-setting portability with its lean form factor and light construction, bringing to the fore many of the design and craftsmanship values learned through the ASUS Eee PC range. The powerhouse flagship VX7 ups the ante in every way, affording relentless output that can handle even the most ardent performance seeker. Both provide a lucrative feel with sleek surfaces, enhanced ergonomics and exclusive user features. This is the culmination of the designer PC concept, and a testament to the role style plays in delivering better technology.
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A slice of design heaven
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SUS notebooks have become among the best-selling and most respected in the world because they deliver outstanding tech and do so with a clear knack for style and intelligent design, balancing great aesthetics with superior functionality. The new U36Jc continues this theme. At only 19mm, it’s the thinnest notebook PC available with the processing capabilities of a standard voltage CPU. With ASUS designers inspired by razor sharp samurai swords when creating this ultra-slim PC, the U36Jc succeeds in sustaining an impressive 10-hour battery
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life for the freedom of all-day computing with no awkward recharging. It also weighs a mere 1.66Kg thanks to advanced aluminum and magnesium material research that applies carefully formulated surfaces to the slender form factor. The exterior panels further use new nanometer micro-fabrication for a unique look, providing users with a highly tactile soft-touch feel. At the same time, the U36Jc is very durable and easy to maintain, resisting everything from fingerprints to dust and water. This delivers on ASUS Design’s promise of meticulous engineering with an artist’s mindset and approach.
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Desktop stylistas
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esktops allow you to enjoy the latest technology in your private space, and while recently the focus has been on mobile devices, ASUS invests time and energy on crafting powerful desktop displays and PCs that bring a design emphasis to your environment.Just one look at the award-winning Designo ML Series and you’ll be taken with these LED-backlit, environmentallyfriendly monitors. Their streamlined look highlights thin boundaries to create a bigger-looking screen, while the ultra-slim profile makes for easy placement even in tight spaces. Plus there’s the eye-catching ring stand: easy to use and utterly attractive. Accompanying them are Essentio CG8250 gaming desktops, packed with the newest technology but also gifted with a subtle yet aggressive angular design that veers way off the tacky cosmetics of other gaming PCs. With the CG8250, designers went for a stealthier look, managing to integrate extensive venting for better cooling while retaining smooth and seamless surfaces. Likewise, the ASUS ET2400 Series of all-in-ones succeeds in delivering a sophisticated artistic approach to a typically bland niche. It encompasses a surprising amount of powerful tech, but still succeeds in keeping a trim and elegant form factor to minimize desktop real-estate requirements. The ET2400s balance diverse design approaches, harmonizing smooth surfaces with passionate curves. ASUS remembers the desktop was where it all started. Time to give it some love again.
• ML Series LCD monitor
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• CG8250 desktop
• EeeTOP All-in-One 2400 Series
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