ASUS PadFone 2 Smartphone Unveiled

ASUS has tried to make its mark in the tablet marketplace using a series of Transformer-branded convertible tablets, but its PadFone – which was unveiled in February and made available just a few months ago – seemed to take a different tack. Instead of a tablet plus keyboard combination, this device was a three-in-one device: a smartphone that docks into a tablet with an optional keyboard attachment.

Intriguingly, the successor to the PadFone, the predictably-named PadFone 2, was just announced by the Taiwanese manufacturer. While the original model was a mid-range smartphone with an interesting accessory, the PadFone 2 aims quite a bit higher, and demands a place at the flagship handset table.

Its 4.7-inch 720p Super IPS+ display, quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset, 2GB RAM, and 13-megapixel f/2.4 camera may just about earn it its place at that table. The PadFone 2 does come out of the box with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, but an upgrade to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean has been promised.


The phone comes with a 2140mAh battery and should be compatible with WCDMA 900/2100MHz and LTE 800/1200/2600MHz networks for the international model. No microSD card support is available, but the device does come with either 64GB or 50GB of free cloud storage via ASUS’ WebStorage service.

This smartphone is compatible with a new slimmer and lighter PadFone Station, which is a 10.1-inch tablet with a 1280 x 800 resolution. This accessory comes with a 5000mAh battery that’s smaller than its predecessor, but helps cut down weight to a combined 649-g. A keyboard dock has been promised, but no timeframe has been given.

Buyers in Taiwan could have the PadFone 2 in their hands as early as next week for a contract-free price of around $610 to $750 (phone only) or $720 to $860 (bundled with the PadFone Station). Consumers in Europe and various Asian markets could expect the new smartphone/tablet combination in December.

Source : gadgetinsiders

iPhone 5 Glitch Messes With Date And Time

As previously reported, iPhone 5 users are complaining about an apparent software glitch related to the keyboard feature. Users are also complaining about another glitch involving the automatic date/time settings.

Specifically, users are talking about incorrect days and times being displayed. There’s a big thread about this in Apple’s support forums. The thread starts with a user saying:

So, I activated my vzw iPhone5 Saturday. Very much enjoying it. Woke up yesterday and was very confused because my phone thought it was 8/26/12 and 30 minutes later than the actual time. I reset network settings and it self resolved…until this morning. I woke up and looked at my phone and had a melt down because my alarm never went off. I hurriedly got ready and looked at the microwave as I ran out, and it was 30 minutes earlier than my iPhone said.

My iPhone apparently is doing something weird and reverting to 8/26/12 + 30 minutes while I (and it) sleep. It throws off iMessage and I’m sure the rest of the date/time dependent apps, so I’ve turned off the automatic time setting for now, and its fine now (so far lol). But I would like to know what the real issue is if possible!?! Is it my phone? VZW? Does it matter?

Since the original post on September 24, there have been numerous complaints along the same lines from other users. To date, there are 361 replies.

Some believe the glitch is related to Verizon’s network in the U.S. AppleInsider reported on the issue, and was unable to obtain comment from either Apple or Verizon. Mikey Campbell writes:

While the exact cause of problem is unknown, speculation points to a bug with how the timing code embedded in Verizon’s CDMA cell network is handled.

In order to operate properly, all CDMA cell towers transmit a time signal based on data from an on-site GPS receiver, allowing the network to stay in synchronization. It is possible that either Apple’s handset is somehow misinterpreting the time signals, or timing data from certain Verizon cell towers is faulty, though at this point the theories are mere conjecture.

One user in Apple’s forum said they had talked to Verizon, who confirmed that they had heard other complaints about the issue.

Source : webpronews

Sony Vaio T13 with touchscreen; larger model announced

Sony is working on two new Vaio notebooks. The existing Vaio T13 will now be available with a touchscreen, and a larger Vaio T14 model has been announced. The Vaio T14 is the 14" version of the T13 and uses the same design, only larger. As a result, the notebook is slightly thicker and heavier. Because of its larger size, the T14 has room for an optical drive. Also present on the notebook are USB 3.0, USB 2.0, HDMI, Gigabit LAN, VGA and audio connectors. The system is powered by an Intel Core i3 CPU, clocked at 1.8 GHz. Sony has opted for 4 GB of memory the Windows 8 operating system.

For an extra cost of $100, the Vaio T13 is fitted with a 13.3" touchscreen with a 1366x768 pixel resolution. A glass plate provides an edge-to-edge finish. The recommended price for the T13 without a touchscreen is $670 (£415), the same as the T14.

Source : ukhardware

Sony Details New Ultrabook & Mobile All-In-One PC Devices

Sony is joining the Windows 8 bandwagon with the announcement of the company’s first ever hybrid ultrabook tablet, the VAIO Duo 11 Ultrabook. Joining the new series of ultraportable laptops will be a new hybrid-mobile Tabletop PC, the VAIO® Tap 20 PC and a few more Vaio laptops belonging to the T, E and S Series.

“VAIO Tap 20 is creating a new category of PC’s by combining desktop PC functionality, battery-powered mobility, and multi-angle viewing,” said Steven Nickel, VP, Sony VAIO. “This along with the innovative VAIO Duo 11 and the intuitive touch solutions incorporated across our existing PC portfolio, offers consumers flexibility to optimize their Windows 8 experience. Through the combination of compelling applications, Sony’s network services, and cross device connectivity, VAIO is leading the way in developing a new Touchworld experience. We expect when consumers think of touch PCs, they’ll think of VAIO.”

VAIO Tap 20 PC

The Vaio Tap 20 is a unique all-in-one PC. However, unlike traditional all-in-one PCs, this device provides a certain level of mobility, at least within a house or in a workplace. The device sports a 20 inch 10-point touch screen with wireless keyboard and mouse and can used either propped up by the stand or like a large tablet by laying it flat on a table. Featuring a removable battery for extended periods of unplugged usage, the device benefits from Sony’s Mobile BRAVIA® Engine 2, the same hardware that powers Sony’s Bravia range of HD television sets, providing high level of picture quality.


VAIO Duo 11

The Duo 11 is a Tablet/Ultrabook hybrid device which transforms into a tablet by the way of a sliding screen mechanism, which sony calls “Surf Slider.” This easily allows the user to switch between tablet mode and keyboard mode. The Vaio Duo 11 sports a 11.6-inch Full HD display touch screen and comes with a pressure-sensitive digitizer stylus. Being part Ultrabook, the Duo 11 will be powered by an Intel Core processor and battery life can be expected to last somewhere around 8 hours.

Other features shared by VAIO Tap 20 and VAIO Duo 11 are Dolby® Home Theatre® v4 Audio Technology, Sony Music Unlimited, Active Clip (an image editing tool developed by Sony), ArtRage Studio ( a premiere digital arts software, developed in partnership with ArtRage), Fingertapps Organizer (a touch based calendar app) and My Daily Clip.

Other Ultrabooks announced include the touch capable T13 Ultrabook and T14 Ultrabook (with built-in Blu-Ray Disc player). The E Series also gets two new models, the E Series 14P with aluminium chassis and touch screen and E17, a 17 inch full HD Ultrabook powered by a Quad Core processor. E17 is also available in 11-inch, 14-inch and 15-inch model options. The top end S Series Ultrabooks come built in lightweight magnesium, aluminium and carbon fiber materials and is available in 13.3-inch Premium and 15.5-inch models. Also the 13 inch model is now available in Burgundy Red.

Source : studentnewsie

Motorola Droid RAZR HD, Maxx HD getting Android Jelly Bean ASAP?

The “mid-range” Motorola Droid RAZR M is the latest Android smartphone to join the Android Jelly Bean land.

As reported by Phandroid, the official Android Jelly Bean ROM for the Verizon LTE smartphone has been leaked out on Saturday, four days ahead of the scheduled release date of the top-end phones of Motorola Mobility for this year, the Motorola Droid RAZR HD and Droid RAZR Maxx HD.

The unofficial Android Jelly Bean update for the Droid RAZR M is working properly, according to Kellex of Droid Life. The operating system’s top features like Google Now, Google voice search and “project butter” are all in place and ready for action.

Is it safe to say that the upcoming Motorola Droid RAZR HD and Maxx HD will also receive their respective Android Jelly Bean “leak” shortly after their launch later this week? Apparently, Google’s Motorola Mobility will ship its new phones with the older Android Ice Cream Sandwich mobile operating system, but according to Motorola’s official press release, an update will arrive “later this year” and users will receive the update over the air or OTA.

The Motorola Droid RAZR M is powered by a dual-core Snapdragon processor, 1GB RAM, includes Android Ice Cream Sandwich OS out of the box and 8GB of built-in storage, 8-megapixel primary camera, front-facing camera, and 4.3-inch Super AMOLED qHD touchscreen display.

Source : popherald

In the scheme of things in the Android ecosystem, the latest iteration of the Google mobile operating system is Android 4.1 Jelly Bean which was announced a couple of months back at Google I/O. As expected, Google developer devices such as the Samsung Galaxy Nexus have already gotten the Android 4.1 refresh because their operating systems have no overlaid custom user interface to complicate the update process. Some high-end devices from last year on the other hand have already been cranked up to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, Jelly Bean’s predecessor while the others are still stuck in the Gingerbread generation and still waiting for the chance to get a tasty dessert of Ice Cream Sandwich.

However, if you happen to rock a Motorola Atrix 2 from AT&T, you can already say goodbye to Gingerbread and say hello to Ice Cream Sandwich. That’s right, folks! The months of waiting for the official Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update to land on the Motorola Atrix 2 has finally and mercifully come to an end. As confirmed by AT&T, the ICS update is now rolling out to the handset via the usual OTA manner so be on the lookout for that little notification that’ll let you know of the update’s availability on your device. Barring that, you also have the option of manually checking for the update by going to Settings > About phone > System updates. There has been no solid word as of yet just how large the whole ICS update file for the Motorola Atrix 2 is but it is best to have it downloaded via Wi-Fi once it becomes available.

Actually, we already had an idea that the update was already on its way after reports came out a couple of weeks back that Motorola is already in the process of doing an ICS soak test so it was just a matter of time before ICS gets rolled out to the Motorola Atrix 2.

Once your Motorola Atrix 2 gets cranked up to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, it will become more powerful and yet easier to use than ever. The update brings a lot of goodies and treats to the handset and these include:

• Improved page loading, offline reading, tabbed browsing and desktop mode on the handset’s new browser
• Quick-launch lock screen that enables a user to unlock directly to home screen, phone dialer, text messages and camera
• Creation of home folders on the handset’s home screen
• New Peoples app to replace the old Contact app
• Swipe-away notifications bar
• Data usage monitor
• Face Unlock

With this update to Ice Cream Sandwich, the Motorola Atrix 2 which is already a capable device to begin with has become even more capable than it already is.

Source : mobilebloom

Verizon to launch the Motorola Droid Razr HD on October 18?

A couple of weeks back, we saw a lot of smartphone manufacturers hold their respective press events to unveil the latest and greatest devices in their lineups. We saw Nokia come out with a bevy of Windows Phone 8 devices such as the Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 while Samsung on the other hand has finally gone official with its second generation Samsung Galaxy Note II phablet. HTC on the other hand unveiled its new HTC One X+ superphone while Motorola came out with a triumvirate of Razr handsets that include the Motorola Droid Razr HD.

During the announcement, Motorola confirmed the rumors that the Motorola Droid Razr HD along with the other two devices, the Droid Razr M and the Droid Razr Maxx HD, are all headed to the shelves of Verizon. Although there was no mention of a specific timeframe as to when these handsets will make their debut in the shelves, the manufacturer confirmed that they will be out “before the holidays.”

However, there were reports that came out last week that intimated that the Motorola Droid Razr HD could possibly be delayed in hitting Verizon shelves because of an apparent issue that concerns the antenna of the handset. According to sources, this issue is caused by the size and location of the handset’s antennas. Not only that, the antennas also make contact with the Motorola Droid Razr HD’s external edges which can cause degradation of the signal every time a user touches the affected surfaces. Motorola on the other hand is said to already be working on getting the antenna issue on the Motorola Droid Razr HD rectified so that it could still release the handset during the holidays.

However, there might be some good news for those eagerly awaiting the availability of the Motorola Droid Razr HD. If certain sources are to be believed, the handset could hit the shelves of Verizon as early as next week. According to these sources, the wireless carrier has already started training its staff about the Motorola Droid Razr HD and has allegedly pegged October 18 as the launch date of the handset. There was no info regarding the handset’s pricing scheme but we are willing to bet the farm that it would come with a price tag of $199.99 with a new two-year contract with Verizon.

As for the Motorola Droid Razr HD, the handset is expected to ship with Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich for its operating system but is also slated to get cranked up to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean in the future. As for its internals, the circuitry of the handset revolves around its QualComm MSM8960 SnapDragon chipset. This brings to the table a dual-core Krait processor clocked at 1.5 GHz and a full gigabyte of RAM. The handset comes with a built-in memory of 12GB which can still be expanded using the microSD card slot of the device. Display-wise, the Motorola Droid Razr HD sports a 4.7-inch SuperAMOLED HD panel with an HD resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels while its camera department includes a rear 8MP shooter and a front 1.3MP snapper.

Source : technobloom