Tag Archives: slides

Aug 16

Leaked slides show the RIAA might hit snags ...

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The RIAA is still pushing hard for anti-piracy policies, but it may be looking more towards private agreements than legislation. TorrentFreak has published leaked slides from a presentation given by Deputy General Counsel Vicky Sheckler to members of the IFPI, a global recording industry advocacy group. Dated April 26th, 2012, the presentation lays out the RIAA’s post-SOPA plans, including the then-recently formed Center for Copyright Information and the “graduated response” program for copyright infringement. It also, however, gives us a look at how the RIAA hopes to approach consumers and businesses.

Among other things, Sheckler discussed some issues with the RIAA’s proposed “consumer-friendly” copyright review process, which users could request for $35 in order to avoid measures like internet throttling or account suspension. Sheckler wrote that things like fair use, “misidentification of account,” or “pre-1923 work” (much of which would be in the public domain) would be “potential challenges” to the system. These problems come up frequently in copyright cases, and they may not be compatible with an arbitration process as perfunctory as the one that’s suggested.SOPA an “important principle, but legislation not likely to have been effective tool for music.”

A more ambiguous statement suggests that the RIAA thought SOPA and PIPA were not likely to be feasible technically, at least for music. SOPA was an “important principle regarding intermediary responsibility,” the presentation says, “but legislation not likely to have been effective tool for music.” Since it was written after the fact, it’s possible this was decided once the bills were effectively dead, but it’s still a sign that they were supported more for the principle than as a solution.

The presentation also echoes criticisms the RIAA would later make of Google. All companies were on heightened alert after SOPA, Sheckler says, but some were more cooperative than others. While payment processors and some advertisers worked closely with the RIAA, “Google has resisted voluntary best practices,” including removing the cap on how many requests to delink individual sites could be sent each day. Sheckler urges IFPI members to “keep pushing” for Google and others to adopt stronger anti-piracy stances.

Leaked slides show the RIAA might hit snags identifying copyright infringement, doesn’t really care about SOPA

Apr 20

Intel’s Letexo Brings the Hybrid ...

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Tablets. Laptops. Peanut butter and jelly, right? in fact I’d argue that’s been the case from the start, so much so that I’m as surprised now as I was when the iPad first arrived two years ago that we haven’t seen a vanguard hybrid from a company like Apple.

I’m betting there’d be huge demand for such a device once we topple conventional thinking about keeping these two form factors separate. Wouldn’t you rather not have to choose between your predominantly casual-use tablet and a more work-angled laptop with a full QWERTY keyboard? (Assuming “work” involves typing more than 20 or 30 words a minute, accurately, as well as manipulating pixels precisely in ways stubby-ended fingers never will.)

Intel just demonstrated such a creature at IDF 2012, a prototype hybrid Ultrabook dubbed “Letexo” based on Intel’s Ivy Bridge platform that runs Windows 8 and uses a sliding screen. Tom’s Hardware says it can transform three ways: into a tablet (screen flush to the casing, keyboard completely hidden), into a touch-based all-in-one PC (screen slides up at an angle, keyboard still obscured) and into a full-on Ultrabook (screen slides to the back, keyboard fully accessible).

(MORE: Survey Shows 85% of Tablet Owners Use them while Watching TV)

The Android-based Asus Eee Pad Slider comparisons are obvious, but the latter’s screen only slides halfway up the chassis, thus it uses a cramped keyboard. The Letexo prototype’s screen, by contrast, can slide almost to the case’s edge, offering access to a full-sized QWERTY keyboard with palm rests. And unlike other hybrids, there’s no awkward screen rotation. It’s also said to include an HDMI port and at least two USB ports.

As Tom’s Hardware rightly notes, consumers aren’t flocking to the Asus Eee Pad Slider, instead opting for Asus’s Transformer, a tablet that can be used with an optional standalone dock. Apple’s iPad offers a similar standalone keyboard dock, something I’m personally familiar with because my wife and I bought one for her mother this Christmas as a testbed replacement for her parents’ desktop computer — so far, so good.

But some of us using Apple laptops and watching iPads fly off store shelves — I know I’m not the only one — have probably glanced at our MacBook Airs or Pros and wondered why those lovely Apple LCD screens couldn’t be replaced by actual touch-based tablet technology, with either a sliding (like the Letexo) or some sort of detachable mechanism. Who wouldn’t pay a little extra for a MacBook whatever, say, to be able to slide down or detach the screen and boot up iOS?

The only reason I haven’t picked up a tablet yet, is that my smartphone does most of what an iPad would otherwise. Adding a discrete third device to the mix (fourth, if you count my 3DS or PS Vita) starts to feel unwieldy. How many devices I have to carry has been on my mind since the mid 1990s, when mobile phone and computing applications began to merge. I’ve always viewed my operational computing bubble in those terms, not as a gadget laboratory where I’m splitting what I do across four or five or half a dozen devices. And I’m always thinking about what I have to take with me when I’m out, since I’m often on the move.

Tablets are in process of becoming far more than just “the casual computer you use on the couch” or “in bed” or “at family get-togethers.” I’ve been convinced since the iPad 2 debuted in 2011, for instance, that it or any number of competing products could eventually replace game consoles as well as set-top entertainment center boxes and interface, wirelessly, with all your other home devices, transmitting wireless video, say, to your big-screen TV or letting you interact with cutting-edge games using a wireless controller.

In the meantime, in anticipation of that, I’d love to see Apple take a stab at melding the iPad and MacBook families, combining the versatility of OS X with the tote-ability of iOS. I’m oversimplifying things, of course, but when I look at my laptop’s screen these days, I see a potential twofer technology. I don’t really want two separate tablet-sized screens in my mobile work/play life anymore. And with Intel’s Letexo, I’d like to think we’re getting a look at where that concept is headed next.

MORE: 7 Reasons Apple’s New iPad could Replace your Games Console

Intel’s Letexo Brings the Hybrid Tablet/Laptop Party — So Where’s Apple’s?

Mar 05

Asus unveils PadFone

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Computer manufacturer, Asus has rolled out the PadFone, a three-in-one device that combines a smartphone, tablet and notebook, at the Mobile World Congress this week, Computerworld reports.

The PadFone has a 4.3-inch super Amoled HD touch-screen and a dual-core Snapdragon S processor. It includes an 8MP digital camera and runs Android 4.0.

The PadFone is a smartphone that slides inside a tablet for a bigger screen and more battery life, Canadian Business says.

Slip the tablet into a keyboard, and it’s a laptop that works as a phone.

Asus took cues from its own Transformer Prime and Motorola’s Laptop Dock when designing the device, CBS News states.

Asus chairman Jonney Shih says in a report in TheStar.com that the “time has finally arrived when every screen in your lives could transcend into a portal with real-time access into your digital world”.

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Asus unveils PadFone

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Dec 04

Asus Eee Pad Slider – best of both worlds

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ADAM TURNER

Designed for work and play, the Slider might be your dream mobile companion.

We’ve seen a wealth of hybrid Android 3.x “Honeycomb” devices hit the shelves this year, blurring the line between tablets and netbooks. the Eee Pad Slider’s party trick is that the screen slides back and tilts up to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard underneath.

the built-in physical keyboard adds to the Slider’s bulk, as to be expected, but not so much that it’s a deal-breaker. the Slider is 17.3mm thick, with slightly tapered edges, and weighs in at 960gm. that makes it around 200gm heavier and 4.5mm thicker than competing devices such as the Motorola Xoom, Acer A500 and Asus Eee PC Transformer. Of course that extra bulk buys you a built-in keyboard, which makes the Slider an attractive option if you’re weighing it up against carrying around an Android tablet and separate Bluetooth keyboard.

if you’re after an Android device with a keyboard, you should certainly weigh up the Slider against the Transformer which is designed to dock with a keyboard that sports an extra battery. the Slider is thinner and lighter than the Transformer connected to its keyboard. to be honest you’ll find smaller, lighter and cheaper Windows-powered netbooks with better keyboards than the Slider or Transformer, which might be a better solution for road warriors. it just depends on whether you’re keen on the Android or the Windows environment. I’m not a fan of the current crop of Windows 7 tablets, but maybe Windows 8 will get it right.

I’ve tested a few Honeycomb tablets and I’m quite taken by the new tablet-friendly interface, but I’ve talked about it at length before so I’ll try not to cover too much old ground here. Running your eye down the spec sheet, the Eee Pad Slider has a lot to offer including;

– Android 3.1- 10.1-inch, 1280×800 IPS display with gorilla glass- NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor with 1GB of RAM- 802.11 b/g/n (2.4GHz only)- Bluetooth V2.1+EDR- 1.2 MP front camera and 5MP rear- full-sized USB 2.0 port, mini-HDMI, micro-SD, 40-pin USB port and combined headphone/mic jack

the full-sized USB 2.0 port will catch the eye of many people, as it’s a USB host which lets you hook up USB storage and peripherals. unlike the Acer A500, when you slip a USB stick into the Slider it appears in the Android system tray for easy access to the contents. You can also hook up a USB travel mouse, making it easier to interact with the tablet but obviously not always offering the advanced right-click options you’ve come to expect with Windows.

the 40-pin connector on the back is the USB slave connector which attaches to the supplied USB cable for connecting the Slider to a computer. You also get a USB-to-AC adaptor for charging via this cable, but you can’t charge the tablet directly via USB.

the next thing on that spec list that caught my eye was the IPS LCD display, which offers 16:10 aspect ratio and wide 178 degree viewing angles. It’s a gorgeous display and a welcome change to the mediocre screens I’ve seen on some Android devices such as the tiny Acer A100. the Slider offers vivid colours but also very white whites, helping combat outdoor glare. it also offers excellent contrast and viewing angles.

All up I’d say the display on the Slider is as good as the display on my iPad, but with the added benefit of scratch-proof gorilla glass. while the Slider is a fraction narrower than an iPad, it’s about 20mm longer due to the Slider’s 16:10 aspect ratio and slightly rounded ends.

so far, so good, but what of that built-in keyboard? You can’t access it by sliding the display up with your thumbs like most slideout keyboards. instead you fit your fingers into a groove above the webcam and lift the display, at which point the spring-loaded hinge raises the back of the screen while sliding back the front of the screen to reveal the keyboard underneath. the hinge feels reasonably sturdy but I can’t vouch for its longevity and I know a few people who’ve sworn never to buy another mobile gadget with sliding parts after bad experiences with slideout keyboards.

the QWERTY keyboard is around 80mm deep, taking up a little less than half the depth of the Slider. the display comes to rest at a 45 degree angle and there’s no way to adjust this, which is when the wide viewing angles come in handy. You obviously can’t adjust the display to avoid screen glare, but the 45 degree angle means lights directly above you or behind you won’t be visible (assuming your head is higher than the display so you’re looking down at it). the Slider is very well balanced in this position and doesn’t feel in danger of tipping backwards even when resting on your lap.

As someone who spends his days typing, I think the keyboard is the make-or-break feature on mobile gadgets. the Slider’s keyboard is a little cramped but I’m prepared to cut it some slack because I think Asus has done quite a good job considering the space restrictions, unlike the cramped keyboard on the Windows-powered Toshiba Satellite Z80 ultrabook or the disappointing keyboard dock for the Android-powered Asus Eee Pad Transformer. those keyboards are bigger than the Slider’s keyboard but I don’t think they do as good a job of utilising the available space. In their defence they do sport a trackpad, something that’s missing on the Slider, but the Slider’s USB 2.0 port lets you connect a mouse to compensate for this.

to be honest I’d rather type on Motorola’s excellent standalone Bluetooth keyboard than the Slider, but a separate keyboard obviously adds weight, bulk and cost to your portable productivity solution. I think the Slider finds the best balance between those three factors, but sacrifices usability. You have however got the convenience of instant access to the keyboard whenever you need it, without having to carry it around separately or worry that its battery might be flat.

considering all this I’d say the Slider is one of the best tablet/netbook hybrids I’ve seen to date, assuming you’re happy with Android. if you can’t live without Windows then take a look at something like the Samsung Sliding PC 7 series, although I’m still not a fan of Windows 7 on tablets (hopefully Windows 8 will finally get it right).

if you’re just after standard Android tablet then you’ll be put off by the Slider’s bulk – that’s fair enough and you should look elsewhere. but keep in mind the Slider is aimed at someone who really wants both an Android tablet and a physical keyboard. if this sounds like you, Asus’ Eee Pad Slider should definitely be on your short list when shopping for your next mobile companion.

– the Age

Asus Eee Pad Slider – best of both worlds

Sep 08

Asus tablet packs a real keyboard

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my paper Tuesday, Aug 16, 2011

By Yeong Ah Seng

Asus Eee Pad Slider Android Tablet

ASUS’ Eee Pad Slider will be available in Singapore at the Comex show early next month.

Unlike the earlier Eee Pad Transformer tablet, which has an external keyboard attachment, the Slider’s keyboard is attached and slides out when deployed.

In addition to the micro-SD card slot and mini-HDMI port – also found on the Transformer – the Slider comes with a USB port.

Like most Android tablets these days, the Slider is powered by an Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, which makes it quite responsive.

It comes with 1GB of memory and 16GB of flash storage, plus Asus Web storage.

The OS used is Android 3.1 (upgradable to 3.2). the Slider is available in pearl white or metallic brown.

One of the first things you’ll notice about the Slider is how sharp the screen resolution is. the 10.1-inch WXGA (1280×800) display, with capacitative touch, is one of the best in its class.

Processor speed is also good, with the Tegra 2 chip handling most tasks with ease and speed.

Although battery life is rated at up to eight hours, it is much less in practice. Typing on the slide-out Qwerty keyboard is like that on a normal full-sized keyboard – a clever feature that separates the Slider from other tablets on the market.

How much: $799

For more my paper stories click here.

Asus tablet packs a real keyboard