Las Vegas is often associated with excess, usually when it comes to money. It's most fitting, then, that Tonino Lamborghini Mobile brought their latest offering, the 88 Tauri smartphone, to CES in Sin City in order to promote it. The headline-grabbing stat about the hand-made device is its starting price tag -- $6,000.
Asus unveiled a number of products today in preparation for CES, including three new Transformer Book Chi hybrid tablet-ultrabook models. Joining the Transformer Book V and the T300Chi are the T100Chi and the T 90Chi, both of which are wafer-thin tablets with an option to become laptops. Both tablets run Windows 8.1, powered by a quad-core Intel Atom processor with 500MB of memory and 64GB storage.
Asus showed off two new smartphones at its keynote, including one designed with photography in mind. The ZenFone 2 is the company's flagship, packing a 5.5-inch Full HD IPS display, and though the ZenFone Zoom has a similar 13-megapixel rear camera to the ZenFone 2, the Zoom opts for a more sophisticated setup with three-times optical zoom and more advanced camera features.
Taiwan's National Communications Commission has issued a report clearing a variety of companies of breaking local data privacy laws, according to Reuters. The organization says that all 12 of the previously-implicated cellphone brands -- including Apple, Huawei, Samsung, LG, Sony, ZTE, and Xiaomi -- are in the clear, despite Xiaomi being the impetus for the investigation. In August, Xiaomi apologized and promised to make changes after a Finnish security firm discovered Xiaomi software was collecting address book data without permission.
When Chromebooks hit the market back in 2011, consumers didn't know what to do with them. The low-cost laptops, powered by Google's ChromeOS, were initially considered inferior to more expensive options -- but some sectors, like education, saw the potential they bring. Nearly three years after Chromebooks first went on sale, the affordable notebooks are still going strong, with numerous manufacturers producing them. Asus currently makes two Chromebooks, one of which is the C300. For consumers that have decided to dip into the Chromebook pool, would the C300 be a good introduction? Find out in our review.
Asus is bringing its attempt at an Android Wear smartwatch to the United States this weekend, a report claims. Initially revealed at a pre-IFA event in September, the Asus ZenWatch will ship in the US on November 9th, with Best Buy being the first to sell the smartwatch before a wider general release via Google Play at some point afterward.
Last week, Google suddenly halted all pre-orders on the new Nexus Player set-top box after it was discovered that the company didn't have the proper US government approvals to sell the device. Google jumped the gun on selling the player, which is set to ship in November, since the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) had not yet granted the required approvals for Asus to begin selling the device, which it manufactured for Google. However the suspension of sales was short-lived, as the FCC approved the device for sale on Sunday.
The Asus PadFone X mini is heading to the United States later this month, with AT&T set to be the exclusive carrier for the device. Effectively a smaller version of the PadFone X, the PadFone X mini uses a 4.5-inch IPS smartphone at its core, with the smartphone component able to be docked inside a larger seven-inch tablet section, increasing the screen size while reusing the phone's processor and other internals.
Asus has launched another tablet in its VivoTab range, just a week after its similar IFA launches. The VivoTab 8 is visibly similar Windows 8.1 tablet to the VivoTab Note 8 from February, and though it loses the Wacom digitizer and has the same 8-inch 1280x800 display, Asus has made a number of changes to the tablet's internal specifications.
Asus added a variety of other electronics to its line today. At the IFA, Asus announced the 13.3-inch QHD+ Zenbook UX305, the EeeBook X205, and an extension to its tablet line -- the MeMO Pad 7. Asus also unveiled the ProSieben Entertainment Pad, an eight-inch device tailored for the German market, and developed in conjuction with ProSieben and Intel.
Asus Corporate Vice President Eric Chen today went on stage at a pre-IFA 2014 event to announce the company's latest lineup of innovations, including Asus ZenWatch, the company's first wearable device produced in partnership with Google. Asus ZenWatch is the first wearable device from the company, is powered by Android Wear, and features a version of the Asus ZenUI user interface developed specifically for the product.
Asus has started to tease the launch of its smartwatch, ahead of an event taking place at IFA on September 3rd. The image on the Asus Twitter account gives a small glimpse of the device, with the shape of one side suggesting it will be using a square display instead of a circular version, despite it having rounded corners on its face.
An unannounced Asus tablet powered by a 64-bit Intel Atom processor is on the way, according to a filing at the FCC. The listing for the tablet, under the model number K007, also unusually provides a partial list of components used in the device, with the filing indicating the Intel Moorefield chip will be a quad-core version clocked at 1.8GHz.
Although Apple's iPad is still the leading tablet globally, the company is continuing to lose marketshare, according to new IDC shipment data. Year-over-year, Apple's June-quarter tablet share fell from 33 to 26.9 percent, based on shipments of 13.3 million iPads this quarter versus 14.6 million in Q2 2013. The company's next closest competitor, Samsung, saw its share slip from 18.8 percent to 17.2.
Currently, Amazon is offering the Asus Chromebox desktop PC bundled with a wireless keyboard and mouse for $379 with free US shipping. That is $20 less than the list price of $399, and $30 less than buying this Chromebox configuration alone anywhere else. The unit features a 1.7GHz Intel i3 processor, 4GB of RAM, 16GB of solid state storage and runs Chrome OS.
Hardware producer Asus will be attempting to make its smartwatch a 'hero product,' claims the company chairman. Speaking at the Taiwan Economic Summit in Taipei, Jonney Shih effectively confirmed the company is still working on a wearable device, and that Asus is still deliberating over 'trade-offs' between a good watch design and the technical requirements of including various features to the device.
Asus will launch its smartwatch at a far lower price than other Android Wear devices, according to a report. The Taiwanese computer producer is said to be looking to charge at most $149 for its wearable device, and potentially as low as $99, heavily undercutting both the Samsung Gear Live and the LG G Watch, and is likely to be far below the Moto 360 when it ships.
Electronista had a chance to get up close with the intriguing new Asus Transformer V at Computex Taipei. The Transformer V is, according to the Taiwanese PC maker, the world's first five-mode, three-in-one converged notebook. The Transformer V functions as a full Windows 8.1 notebook, Windows 8.1 tablet, Android smartphone, Android tablet and Android notebook. The way that Asus has executed the design is particularly interesting, as the device carries not one, but two Intel chips to get the job done.
Asus has quietly put a small touchscreen display on show at Computex, one that runs off a USB cable. The unnamed 14-inch USB touch monitor is powered-by and connects solely over USB 3.0, with Engadget noting it to have a resolution of 1,366x768 and ten-finger multitouch support. There are no launch details for the monitor, due to it being a prototype, with no suggestion made of a possible release date nor price.
Asus has continued its run of product launches at Computex, with a second event showcasing its Republic of Gamers line of products. Gaming-focused components and accessories are accompanied on stage by a 4K gaming notebook and two gaming PCs, one of which is set to be released as a Steam Machine variant running Valve Software's Steam OS.
At the same time as launching 4K notebooks and monitors, as well as more additions to its Transformer device range, Asus revealed a new collection of Fonepad and MeMO Pad tablets. The new Fonepad 8, MeMO Pad 7, and MeMO Pad 8 all use quad-core Intel Atom 64-bit mobile processors, with the former two tablets clocked at 1.8GHz, and the MeMO Pad at 2.3GHz.
Asus introduced two new devices capable of displaying a 4K-resolution image at Computex today. The Zenbook NX500 continues the notebook line, and is a 15.6-inch Ultrabook running Windows 8.1 with a 3840x2160-resolution display, while the ProArt Monitor PA328Q has the same resolution in a 32-inch 16:9 screen, in a monitor aimed at professionals using desktop computers.
Asus has expanded its collection of Transformer devices with a number of new convertible tablets running Windows, at its Computex presentation. The Transformer Book V heads up the launches as a five-mode, three-in-one converged notebook running both Windows and Android, accompanied by the Transformer Book T300 Chi, and the Transformer Book Flip notebook.
Global tablet shipments fell year-over-year for the first time in the March quarter, according to tracking data from NPD DisplaySearch. Whereas 59 million units were recorded in Q1 2013, the market shrank to 56.3 million units last quarter. If paired with laptops, tablets nevertheless represented over half of mobile PC shipments.
The Asus PadFone X will finally arrive to the United States later this year, with AT&T announcing it will be starting pre-orders for the device from June 6th. The carrier did not reveal exactly when it will start shipping the smartphone and dockable-tablet combination, but it did confirm it will be selling both components together as a bundle.
Apple has taken the top spot in a JD Power satisfaction survey of US tablet customers. The iPad brought Apple a score of 830 out of 1,000, and a full five stars on the company's Power Circle ratings. Samsung managed a score of 822, but just three stars. ASUS and Amazon also received three stars, with slightly lower scores of 820 and 817, respectively. Overall consumer satisfaction has dropped from 853 points in 2012 to 835 in 2014.
The next version of the Asus PadFone could ship with a keyboard dock, according to photographs in an FCC filing. The images show a smartphone inserted into a tablet dock, just as with earlier models of the device, with the combined unit connected to a small keyboard, effectively turning the entire device into a netbook or a small notebook, just like the original model.
HTC may be working with Google to produce the Nexus 8 tablet for a third-quarter release, according to a report. Marking a departure from its previous work with Asus for the Nexus 7 tablet, the move to partnering with HTC apparently stems from previous production discussions before Asus became involved, though there is also talk of it possibly being the last iteration of Nexus tablet.
AT&T has revealed details about the upcoming PadFone X, close to three months after its initial announcement. The smartphone section will use a 5-inch 1080p display, which can be slotted into the back of an accompanying tablet dock, providing a larger 9-inch 1920x1200 screen as well as an extra power supply by a secondary battery, among other extras.
Asus is receiving pressure from both Microsoft and Google to drop plans to sell a dual-booting notebook, according to reports. The manufacturer has apparently postponed its plans to ship the Transformer Book Duet, a combined notebook and tablet that could switch between Android and Windows, and is also looking to stop the sale of other dual-boot devices as well.
The small form factor Asus Chromebox has gone up for pre-order at a handful of online retailers ahead of a March 14 release. Previously, the desktop machine was listed for a release in March without a firm date attached. Pre-orders cover only the Intel Celeron 2955U 1.4GHz-powered low-end option for the Google Chrome OS-based machine.
Android ruled global tablet marketshare in 2013, accounting for 62 percent of devices by shipments, according to somewhat questionable data from research firm Gartner. That represents a significant upset, since in 2012 the iPad was in firm control with a 52.8 percent share. Apple, however, continued to do best among individual tablet makers in sales, with a 36 percent share and claimed sales over 70.4 million units -- an increase from a figure just under 61.5 million in 2012.
Amazon has shot to the top of Rescuecom's latest annual Computer Reliability Report, according to a press release. The company achieved a score of 7,590, vastly outdoing Samsung, which came in second with 768. Rescuecom determines reliability rankings by comparing computer and tablet vendors' marketshares with the numbers of repair calls its Level 3 technicians handle.
The Asus VivoTab Note 8 has gone on sale in the United States, with Microsoft's online store being the first retailer to offer the Windows 8.1 tablet. Originally confirmed by Asus itself via a leaked user manual before its launch at CES in January, the VivoTab Note 8 has an 8-inch IPS 800x1280 display using a Wacom digitizer, offering over 1,000 levels of pressure sensitivity.
Asus has launched a new Chromebox it will be shipping later this quarter, one it hinted at during Intel's IDF Keynote in September. The small form factor device is similar in size to the Intel NUC Kit, with the compact computer running Chrome OS on a choice of a Haswell-based 1.4GHz dual-core Celeron, Core i3, or Core i7 processors, and integrated Intel HD graphics.
Following up on its release of smartphone data, IDC has published numbers on tablet shipments and marketshare for the fourth quarter of 2013. Apple's iPad saw shipments grow from 22.9 million to 26 million year-over-year, but lost marketshare, sliding from 38.2 percent to 33.8. This appears to have primarily benefited Samsung, which grew its share from 13 percent to 18.8, based on a unit increase from 7.8 million to 14.5 million.
Intel's CES press conference on Tuesday focused on the interaction between man and machine, thanks to an embedded 3D camera the company has developed in conjunction with a number of hardware partners. The devices Intel will integrate the technology into include 2-in-1 tablets, ultrabooks, touch-enabled all-in-one PCs, and other mobile devices.
Asus today announced the Transformer Book Duet TD300, the world's first quad-mode, dual-OS laptop and tablet convertible that allows users to switch between Windows and Android, in either laptop or tablet modes, with a push of the Instant Switch button or a virtual key on the tablet. With a Intel Core i7 processor at its heart, the Transformer Book Duet runs up to twice as fast as existing tablets based on ARM processors, according to Asus.
Asus has accidentally confirmed the existence of the rumored VivoTab Note 8 tablet, by publishing its instruction manual. The PDF on the company's website, still accessible at the time of writing, confirms the tablet's name and Windows 8.1 as its operating system, as well as giving a general view of the front and back of the tablet, and basic operating instructions.
Asus could be preparing a trio of smartphones to show off at CES next month, if rumors based on the company's second video teaser are to be believed. The clip, asking "What's your number?" and focusing on the numbers 4, 5, and 6, could be suggesting that Asus will be showing off three devices sporting a 4-inch, 5-inch, and a 6-inch display.
A dual-booting tablet may be making an appearance at CES, according to a new teaser video from Asus. The hardware producer has released a clip of a computer-generated Statue of Liberty, showing the peace hand gesture and holding a color-changing tablet in the air, with the alternating green and blue hinting at a device that runs both Android and Windows.
Asus may be preparing to release another Windows tablet in the VivoTab range, according to a new leak from a presentation. A low-resolution image for what is described as the VivoTab Note 8 has surfaced, apparently showing it will have some form of stylus support, as well as a list of specifications suggesting it will have a 1.33GHz quad-core Intel Atom "Bay Trail" SoC for processing.
Asus has launched its rumored PadFone Mini in Taiwan, as well as revealing that part of the PadFone range will be making its way to the United States in the future. The smartphone and tablet-dock system seen in earlier, larger iterations is now available as a 4.3-inch 960x540-resolution smartphone that combines with a tablet with a 7-inch 1,280x800 display.
Asus is launching a smaller version of its combinable smartphone and tablet-dock device range in the very near future. Invitations have been sent out to the media for a launch event in Taiwan on Wednesday, 11th of December, with the invitation naming the Padfone Mini outright as the device being shown off by the company.
A tablet from Asus capable of running two operating systems has appeared in an FCC filing. The tablet, going under the model names M82T, L82T, and R82T, is able to run on both Android KitKat and Windows 8, though a further six variants are listed as Windows-specific and Android-specific models, suggesting there will be a total of nine available using the same base hardware.
Samsung continues to hold top place in RescueCom ranking of the most reliable computer brands. The firm's scores are determined by balancing each company's US marketshare versus the number of repair calls handled by Level 3 RescueCom technicians. In Q3 figures, Samsung holds a score of 694; coming in a distant second is Apple at 259, which RescueCom notes is less than half of what it managed in Q2.
Newegg.com has cut the price on the Asus Designo Series 29-inch widescreen LED backlit cinema LCD monitor from $570 down to $520. This $50 price cut is not the only savings; mailing list subscribers can take advantage of promo code 'EMCWXVV39' dropping the price further to $470, which is the lowest price currently offered by about $50. This extra-wide monitor features 5ms refresh rates, a resolution of 2560x1080, an aspect ratio of 21:9, built-in 32mm diameter speakers, and multiple connectivity options including HDMI, DVI and DisplayPort 1.2. A three-year warranty on parts and labor is included from Asus.
All MacBooks are on sale now at BestBuy.com, with big savings on a wide selection of models. The 13.3-inch MBP with a 2.5GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive is now $1,050 after a $150 price cut. Save $350 on the 15.4-inch Retina MacBook Pro with a 2.6GHz Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM and a 768GB flash drive which was $3,500, but is now $3,150.
ASUS has introduced a new all-in-one computer, the ET2321, featuring a minimalist design that appears to be as compact as a standalone display. The device integrates a 23-inch IPS panel with 1920x1080 resolution and 178-degree viewing angles, with a choice of Intel Haswell processors and optional Nvidia discrete graphics.
Google could be planning to launch an updated Nexus 10 tablet in the coming weeks, according to a leaked store inventory screenshot. The claimed image from a retailer's inventory system arrives at the same time as another rumor suggesting a change of manufacturer for the Nexus 7 tablet could also be on the cards for next year.
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