Asus today announced the mid-range smartphone that completes its PadFone range – the new Asus PadFone E.

The smartphone hybrid features a 4.7-inch 720p display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chip with a 1.4GHz Cortex A7 CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 13MP LED-enabled camera at the back and a 1820mAh battery.

The device will run on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and just like the PadFone Infinity and PadFone Mini will come with a dock that transforms the smartphone into a tablet. The PadFone E’s dock boasts a 10.1-inch 720p display, a 1MP front-facing camera and a 5000mAh battery.

The Asus PadFone E will come in either Black or Pearl White for $560 starting in Taiwan. 

Google is reportedly planning to release the second generation of its 7-inch tablet – the Google Nexus 7 by July of this year according to reports from Reuters.

The Nexus 7 which was Google’s first entry to the now highly competitive tablet market has received mostly positive feedback from consumers thanks to its very capable Nvidia Tegra 3 chipset that packs a 1.2GHz quad-core Cortex A9 processor and ULP GeForce GPU. However, its most striking feature is its price.

The Nexus 7 was the result of the collaboration between Google and Asus. And unlike other Android tablets from Asus, Google’s influence on the Nexus 7 was not isolated on the software used by the tablet but rather the competitive pricing of the device.

Google was one of the few manufacturers who dared to challenge Apple’s iPad not only in terms of hardware specifications and software but also in the pricing category. With its $199 initial price it’s almost half the cost of an iPad mini of the same capacity and specs. So it’s very interesting how Google will follow this act.

For starters, reports suggest that the new Nexus 7 will ditch the Nvidia chipset in favor of a Qualcomm Snapdragon. Furthermore, the new tablet may also have a higher resolution display and a smaller bezel compared to its predecessor. And of course, in true Google fashion, the release of this new tablet may also coincide with a new Android version - Key Lime Pie.

In terms of pricing Reuters say the Google might choose to sell the new Nexus 7 for $199 at the same time giving a discount to the old model; or they might sell the tablet for around $149 which will effectively kick the old model out of the market. The next generation Nexus 7 is rumored for launch on July 2013.

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We all know that Asus was the company that made Google’s recent 7-inch tablet. The Nexus 7 was one of the first devices in the market that boasts considerable performance without the steep price. And Asus is at it again with a new tablet made for the extremely budget conscious.

The Nexus 7 is currently priced at around $200 and its younger brother, the Memo Pad is priced almost $50 lower. Of course the lower price tag meant it had to throw away some things in terms of performance though.

For starters, unlike the Nexus 7, the Memo Pad is not powered by a Tegra 3 chipset, but rather by a VIA WM8950 chip. Moreover, this device had to make do with a single core 1GHz processor instead of the Nexus’ quad-core Cortex A9 processor. Storage options have also been reduced from the minimum of 16GB to just 8GB.

It is also a few millimeters thicker than the Nexus 7 and its display has been downgraded to an ordinary LCD panel as opposed to the IPS display that the former has. Resolution has also been downgraded as the tablet has a native resolution of 600 x 1024 pixels with a pixel density of 170 ppi. The Corning Gorilla Glass panel is also most likely to be replaced by an ordinary glass panel and battery life is expected to be lower in capacity compared to the Google tablet.

On the other hand, some things that will remain the same would be its Wi-Fi capabilities, Bluetooth, Android Jelly Bean OS, accelerometer, microSD cardslot and its messaging and browser features.

The Memo Pad is expected to be released before the month ends or early to mid-February in the Philippines. 

Hello everyone, the tech world is once again buzzing with anticipation as we are only a few hours away from the opening of the world’s largest consumer electronics show – CES 2013. This annual event is held in the Las Vegas Convention Center in Nevada and is the place where manufacturers of electronic goods show off their latest creations to the public.

This year, over 3000 exhibitors are expected to flaunt and introduce their newest products straight from their top secret mad labs. From the newest generation of TVs, mobile phones, computers and portable devices, CES is definitely the place to be for all tech lovers out there.

So what are we expecting to see this year? Here are a few things that have already leaked on the internet a few days and hours ago before the official opening of the event.

DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY – a hot topic in CES this year are about how manufacturers are pushing the boundaries in terms of display technology. One particular innovation that’s making waves is Ultra HD displays. In fact, Toshiba has already announced an 84-inch Ultra HD 4K TV a few hours ago. There is also news that TV screens are going to get bigger this year with displays exceeding the 100-inch mark.

Moreover, there will also be a more diverse selection of TVs as more and more manufacturers are adopting OLED displays for their TV lineup. And because of this, OLED and LED displays are expected to be relatively cheaper compared to previous years.

GAMING AND COMPUTING – of course CES wouldn’t be complete without the latest on gaming and computing. A recent newsmaker in this field is Nvidia with its announcement of two very interesting product – The Tegra 4 mobile quad-core chip and an Android Game controller called Project shield. Based on reports, the Tegra 4 chip will be the world’s fastest mobile processor which features 72 GPU cores and an ARM Cortex-A15 quad-core CPU. This chip is also scheduled to power the SHIELD portable gaming console which features an advanced sound processing technology and connectivity options to allow game relaying from a computer connected to a network.

Other PC, tablet and smartphone manufacturers are also expected to show off their latest devices, specifically their latest android and Windows 8 powered gadgets. Lenovo for example has already spread the word about its Yoga 11S Windows 8 convertible device.

PRACTICAL LIVING – Last but definitely not the least is the practical living section. According to reports and press conferences, this year’s CES will feature several companies and brands involved in the development of practical living technology. That is, the particular sector of the IT industry involved in the invention and innovation of products that help people become more efficient and more productive such as home automation, motion-based technology and even self-driving cars.

So there you have it everyone. What types of technology are you most excited to see at CES? Do tell us by leaving a comment below. You can leave your messages and shout outs on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google Plus. Lastly, please do subscribe to our blog for the latest and freshest stories on Filipino lifestyle. Until next time!

The first part of the year is now over and gadget manufacturers have already hinted if not already released to the public their new products and technologies. And as we usher in the second half of the year, let’s take note of a few things that will probably be the trend in the IT world in the months to come.

TABLETS

Tablets have obviously swept the market by storm, especially now that other players and platforms have entered the battle field. Apple, with its iPad, is no longer the lone player in the tablet industry. Android OS has made it possible for other manufacturers to join the race in producing the best tablet for consumers. So far, Asus, with its Transformer Prime line and the recently announced Google Nexus 7 brought us the best droid tablets in this market segment.

Microsoft’s hand is also already in the ring. Their upcoming Windows Surface tablet which will run the latest version of Windows will ship before this year ends. Amazon is also rumoured to announce a new Kindle Fire, while an iPad mini is reportedly in the works.

ULTRABOOKS

Intel’s Ivy bridge processors have made it possible to cram incredible amounts of computing power in small form factor devices. Ultrabooks are probably the best example of the application of this technology.

As of now, almost every known PC manufacturer has announced or released an ultrabook. Prices have also been observed to slowly drop as more and more ultrabooks are made.

ILC (INTERCHANGEABLE LENS CAMERAS)

The little but not necessarily less powerful brother of the DSLR camera is slowly gaining popularity among professional and sub-professional photographers. Their less bulky bodies make ILC units make them handier and easier to handle compared to the beefier DSRLs.

Sony and Olympus were the pioneers in this market, but other brands, such as Canon, Nikon and Panasonic have their own offerings as well.

SMARTPHONES

Smartphone use and ownership will probably increase even further this year as consumers are treated with more price flexible array of smartphones. Android phones for example have now entry-level units that can fit people with tight budgets.

Hardware specifications are also likely to improve in the future. Entry level phones nowadays, have specs that are worthy for a mid-range phone from last year. Multi-core phones will also likely become a norm in smart phones especially with SoC manufacturers like Intel, Qualcomm and Nvidia are working hard to bring to consumers the best mobile experience.

Battery capacity for smartphones is also looking good in the future. Higher capacity batteries like that of the 2500mAh battery of the Lenovo P700 and that of the Philips W732 smartphone are leading the way for phones with longer battery life.

CLOUD SERVICES

Cloud services are not something new, but it was only late last year that the technology has been commercialized. The convenience of having your data available on any device at any time has made the technology really popular especially in this age of seamless data transfer.

Cloud services like Apple’s iCloud, Asus’s WebStorage, Google’s Google Drive, Microsoft’s Sky Drive and Drop Box are all readily available on smartphones and computers. And this year, we’re also seeing that their capacity is slowly increasing and their features improving.

And these are the things that we should look forward to in the months to come. Whether or not they become a hit to people, is still a question if something new and better will come our way. But for now, all the signs are pointing to a bright future. J