PadFone 2 surfaces in video, ASUS CEO gives viewers a brief tour (video) (update: leaked press shots)

Original posted by Sharif Sakr

A launch event invitation has already given us a glimpse of the ASUS PadFone 2, but Bloomberg TV India caught up with the firm's CEO Jerry Shen and snagged a video tour of the device before its October 16th reveal. The second iteration of the PadFone packs a 4.7-inch HD (presumably 720p) screen and 13-megapixel camera, which jives with specs on supposedly leaked packaging. Rather than having to fuss with a cover flap to slide the smartphone into its tablet shell, users will be able to dock the device straight into a lighter and thinner slate component. Other details are scarce, but we're sure to find out more when the curtain is ceremoniously pulled back next Tuesday. In the meantime, you can forge past the break to see footage of the hybrid starting at the 1:40 mark.

Source: Engadget

Nexus 7 now available at Google Play Store

Original posted by Eric Abent

Itching to get your hands on the Google Nexus 7? The highly sought-after tablet is now listed as “in stock” at the Google Play Store, with orders shipping out immediately. Previously, the Google Play listing for the Nexus 7 said that shipping would take 1-2 weeks. However, be warned that this “in stock” status only applies to the $199 8GB model, as Google seems to be running low on 16GB models – the listing for those has been updated as well, but now the 16GB model has an estimated delivery of 3-4 weeks. Ouch.

It could be that Google was expecting the 8GB model to be the more popular of the pair. With a pretty attractive price point of $199, that logic doesn’t seem like it would be too far off the mark, but it looks as if Google was mistaken. Then again, it’s also possible that Google made a significant number of 16GB Nexus 7s, but it turned out that the 16GB model was incredibly popular consumers and now Google is struggling to keep up with demand.

Whatever the reason, Google now has Nexus 7s ready to ship to your door, so long as you don’t mind ordering the 8GB model. If you do mind, Android Community suggests looking at brick and mortar retail stores like GameStop and Staples. It’s possible that they’ll have a few 16GB tablets on hand, but don’t get your hopes up – it’s very likely that the 16GB Nexus 7 is in short supply throughout the country, not just at the Google Play Store.

Source: ( slashgear.com )

Asus PadFone, it's tablet it's phone

By Jon Phillips

• | Edit

The 4.3-inch PadFone inserts directly into the 10.1-inch PadFone Station. Photo: Asus

OK, Asus, you’ve convinced us: You’re a world leader in clever mobile docking strategies.
At Mobile World Congress Monday, Asus announced the PadFone, a 4.3-inch smartphone that can be directly inserted inside a 10.1-inch docking tablet, aptly named the PadFone Station. Think of the system as two devices that share a single brain. It’s a smartphone, sure, but it’s also a full-fledged tablet that’s powered by smartphone processing.

But, wait, it gets more clever still. If you insert your PadFone Station into an optional keyboard dock, your system becomes something akin to a traditional notebook. It appears to be the ultimate, docked-together daisy chain: the phone that becomes a tablet that becomes a serious computing device.
This is so, so Asus. Just look at the Transformer Prime for a glimpse into the company’s obsession with docking strategies.
When operating as a handset, the PadFone offers decidedly high-end features. You’ll get Android 4.0 (aka Ice Cream Sandwich); a 4.3-inch, 960×540 Super AMOLED display swaddled in Gorilla Glass; a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm processor backed by 1GB of RAM; and an 8MP rear camera. Neither LTE nor specific carrier support was announced, but if Asus sticks to tradition, this will be an unlocked device, and you’ll be expected to sort out service on your own.
As for the PadFone Station, it boasts a 10.1-inch, 1280×800, capacitive multi-touch display covered in Gorilla Glass,. It also increases the PadFone’s battery capacity by 500 percent, says Asus. The PadFone’s 8MP camera continues to work when docked, and the Station also includes speakers befitting a true tablet. According to an Asus press release, the system boasts “Dynamic Display technology which allows seamless transition between the PadFone and PadFone Station display screens.”

Oh, and in case you were wondering what happens when you get a phone call on your docked PadFone, there’s an optional PadFone Stylus Headset. You can use it as a “traditional” tablet stylus, but also transforms into a Bluetooth headset.
We just wish this cleverly integrated system boasted a faster processor, like the quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 that ships in the Transformer Prime. In an integrated system with notebook aspirations, we’d like as much processing performance as possible.

Source  (wired.com)