Tag Archives: headlines

Jul 31

Frontier FT103 is a 21.5″ Android 4.0 ...

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Many of the headlines popping up about the monstrous device you see above are calling it a tablet, but there’s really no way that Frontier’s FT103 fits that description. For one thing, it doesn’t have a battery. For another, the display is permanently locked to landscape mode. It’s also got a 21.5-inch diagonal, clearly placing it in the all-in-one desktop category.

Under the hood, you’ll find a dual-core TI OMAP 4428 processor clocked at 1GHz, 1GB of LPDDR2 RAM, and 8GB of internal storage to get you started. a multi-format digital media reader and USB host port provide plenty of options for expandable storage. There’s also an Ethernet port in case you’d rather not utilize the built-in 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, a 1.2MP webcam for video chats, and Bluetooth for connecting a cordless keyboard and mouse.  The 1920 x 1080 panel also only offers two-point touch control, but that should suffice for the vast majority of your favorite Android apps.

Think 21.5 inches doesn’t give you quite enough elbow room to meet your desktop computing needs? just hook up a secondary display to the HDMI jack and you’re good to go.

On the software side, Android 4.0 comes preinstalled and the machine even has access to Google Play — which is not always the case with atypical Android devices. being that the FT103 is a Japan-only device right now, it’s no surprise that the Tapnow Market is also included.

The FT103 Smart display is selling for 38,400 Yen (about $440) — about $40 less than the 22-inch VCD22 from Viewsonic. What say you, Geek readers? Would you spend that kind of money for a desktop Android system, or would you rather just plug in an $80 MK802 to your existing display and save some cash?

More at Mobility Update

Frontier FT103 is a 21.5″ Android 4.0 all-in-one

Jul 25

Asus: There’s no rear-facing camera on the ...

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Google’s newly unveiled Nexus 7 has been making the headlines on our website for some weeks now, and, while the tab has just started to ship, it’s very likely that we will be talking about it for some time to come.

We’ve had a very interesting take on Nexus 7’s effect on the Android tablet market, we’ve updated you several times on when to expect the tablet to come your way, and we’ve even hit you with a cool unboxing video. now it’s time to turn our attention to a very interesting official statement from Asus, which clarifies the reasons behind an important missing feature on the Nexus 7.

Yes, we are talking about the rear-facing camera, which has become a rather standard feature for Android tablets in the past couple of years, but is nowhere to be found on the Nexus 7. And, while we pretty much suspected why Asus and Google chose not to slap a shooter on the back of the new tablet, we now have some official confirmation on the matter.

According to a quick Q&A session from Asus about the Nexus 7, “adding a high quality rear facing camera will increase the price point and many users would not have a use for it”. also, “adding a lower quality rear facing camera would compromise on the overall user experience so the decision was not to include a camera therefore keeping the price down and user experience extremely high.”

There you have it, folks, what we knew from the get-go has now been confirmed by Asus. There’s no high quality rear-facing camera on the Nexus 7, because its inclusion would have affected the Nexus’ strongest selling point – its pricing.

As for the decision to forgo a lower quality camera, I’m not sure it would have compromised the “overall user experience”. I mean, it’s not like a poor camera would have affected the smooth running of Jelly Bean in any other area, is it? also, there are a couple of practical uses, even for a low-quality rear-facing camera, other than actually taking photos (barcode scanning, for example).

All in all, however, I think that this entire rear-facing camera problem comes down to a matter of opinion and personal taste for users. I for one don’t use barcode scanning and very rarely take photos with my tablet’s camera, so this Nexus 7 “inconvenience” doesn’t put me off in the least. other users, though, might have a problem with that, no matter how Asus is trying to explain it.

What side are you guys on? Is the lack of a rear-facing camera on the Nexus 7 a deal-breaker for you, or are you actually happier with the tablet as it is?

Asus: There’s no rear-facing camera on the Nexus 7 to keep the price down

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Jul 04

Nokia warns Google and Asus over possible Nexus 7 ...

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Nokia warns of legal action over patents against Google, Asus and the Nexus 7, but would prefer to sort it all out without going to court.

The patent battle between Samsung and Apple may routinely grab the most headlines, but it’s by no means the only one being fought, with everyone from Microsoft to Motorola and even Yahoo all wanting a slice of someone else’s pie.

Nokia has also added its voice to the cacophony, but instead of sending a team of lawyers in the direction of the court, it has suggested the objects of its attention get in touch to work something out.

The problem is the Nexus 7 tablet, launched last week at Google I/O, which Nokia claims uses some of its intellectual property, and according to a Nokia spokesperson talking to TheInquirer.net, neither Asus or Google has licensed the technology from them.

However, instead of letting bands of frenzied lawyers, all armed with legal pads full of carefully considered arguments loose on the alleged infringers, Nokia has asked the pair to get in touch and work something out in a civil manner.

The statement says “neither Google nor Asus is licensed under our patent portfolio,” adding that “companies who are not yet licensed under our standard essential patents should simply approach us and sign up for a license.”

Wi-Fi patents could be the problem

So what’s the problem with the Nexus 7? Fosspatents.com says the complaint is probably related to the IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi standard. Nokia is known to own patents related to this standard, and is already fighting it out with ViewSonic over them in Germany.

Nokia sued ViewSonic, HTC and Research in Motion in May over 45 different hardware and software technologies, it claimed had not been properly licensed. The outcome of these lawsuits has yet to be determined.

Nokia is believed to own a portfolio of at least 10,000 individual patents and earns around $650 million per year from royalties, but a strong result against a big company could increase this amount substantially, providing a cash injection Nokia would probably welcome. It’s possible too, as HTC famously pays Microsoft $5 for each Android phone it sells, and based on performance estimates for HTC in 2011, this would have been $225 million.

Nokia has previous form in intense courtroom battles against big-name opponents too, as it won a two-year legal fight with Apple in mid-2011, where it was agreed Nokia would receive a one-off payment and ongoing royalties, although the exact figures weren’t released.

Here’s hoping Nokia, Asus and Google manage to avoid the courtroom this time, in turn curbing the possibility of a potential halt in sales or price increase for the Nexus 7 should the complaint prove successful, and settle any disputes with a handshake and a signature. you never known, it could encourage others to do the same in the future.

Nokia warns Google and Asus over possible Nexus 7 patent infringement