ASUS PadFone Mini - 4.3 inch Smartphone plugged into 7-inch tablet

Asus brings out a smaller smartphone tablet combo. (Photo: Asus promotional film)

ASUS has unveiled the PadFone Mini in Taiwan. It combines a 4.3-inch smartphone, which is in a 7-inch tablet dock. It provides a powerful 1.4GHz quad-core Snapdragon MSM8226Prozessor and a GB of RAM.

Small and portable

Thus the PadFone Mini is a much smaller alternative to the PadFone Infinity , which is a combination of 5-inch smartphone and 10.1-inch tablet dock. The smartphone has a 4.3-inch Super IPS display with 960 x 540 and triggers pixels. The Tablet Dock is equipped with a 7-inch HD display equipped (1280 × 800 pixels). It has 16GB of internal memory which can be expanded via microSD card. The operating system is Android 4.3 installed.

Low entry

In Taiwan, the ASUS PadFone Mini to early 2014 for the equivalent of about 300 euros are at the dealership. An export to the U.S. is also planned. Whether the smartphone-tablet combination will also be offered in Europe, yet is in the stars.

Video: Asus PadFone Mini

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Lumio The reading light in book format

Finally a good book recommendation! Great idea, elegant design: Lumio looks like a book and lights as bright as a normal lamp.

Lumio looks like a book - when opened comes enlightenment.

A book could be the solution for dark- at least if Lumio is on your bedside table. The book imitation wood turns when opening in an original lamp. The concept and the elegant, minimalist design comes in: In order to be successful Kickstarter, had her $ 60,000. Lumio reached nearly tenfold.

The enlightenment in book format

Lumio can be taken not only as compact as a book, but just as easily. Absolutely wirelessly it lights up to eight hours, then you need to charge it via a USB connector. The makers also strive for sustainability: The book pages are made ​​of environmentally friendly Tywek, a paper-like plastic, the book cover made ​​of wood. You have the choice whether it should rather be walnut, cherry or maple. Installed in the cover are strong magnets, so that you can attach to metal surfaces Lumio also. For $ 160 Lumio is probably the most beautiful book you will never read. Ordered the unusual lamp is here .

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Rapoo A500: Test the Bluetooth speaker with NFC

The Rapoo Bluetooth Portable Speaker NFC A500 are available in four colors.

Smart phones and tablet PC manufacturers ship in getting slimmer housing. There's barely any room for reasonable speakers. The solution is mobile boxes that wirelessly via Blutooth with mobile phones and tablets contact record. The latest copy is called Rapoo A500.

Transparent Packaging

Available in a blue, green, yellow and gray A500 is in a pretty perspex packaging. In the package you will find a bag, a USB cable for charging and a 3.5mm jack cable.

Contact by Bluetooth

To establish a connection between your phone and the A500, you must first Blutooth enabled on the phone, then can locate the speaker and pair the two devices together. This worked in the test without any problems. The range between the devices may be ten meters according to the manufacturer, the test, this distance was almost ausreizen. Good: Per Multipoint Connection allows up to two devices, such as a smart phone and tablet PC, connected in parallel with the A500.

Simple connection thanks to NFC

The A500 has NFC technology on board. Are smartphone or tablet with the same technology ( NFC smartphones and NFC tablet PCs can be found at Idealo) which provides a connection can be established easily: Provided NFC is enabled on the phone, you need the phone only to the A500-top hold, even the contact is made. Super: NFC turns on the A500 an even - even if the power switch on the rear panel is set to "OFF".

Sound pretty neat

Music and language give the A500 in a fairly ordinary quality again. High and low notes sound relatively clean, but rich bass missing - no wonder, are the A500 only 14x6, 2x3, 6 inches tall. Pity: from the maximum volume, the testers have hoped for something more. For background music's enough though.

Handsfree well

The 216-gram A500 have even included a microphone, with which the Bluetooth speakers are to qualify as a speakerphone. The sound of the conversation partner is rather mediocre and the voice distorted to the called person - even if you speak directly into the microphone.

Conclusion: Rapoo Bluetooth Portable Speaker NFC A500

The currently around 60 euros expensive A500 are a useful accessory for smartphones and tablet PCs. Assuming you have an appropriately equipped device, make a quick and easy connection.And thanks to the included audio input and 3.5mm jack cable can also use the A500 on many devices without Bluetooth. The sound quality is pretty neat, but the speakerphone improvement.

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Toshiba Satellite Pro NB10t-A-108 11.6 inch notebook for students

Toshiba Satellite Pro NB10-A 108 (Photo: Toshiba)

With the Satellite Pro NB10t-A-108 would like Toshiba to offer pupils or students a low-priced entry-level notebook and business users the ideal secondary device on the go. The highlights of the 1.5-pound mobile PCs will include a HD display with LED backlighting that brings a touch function with it.

In conjunction with the touch controls designed and pre-installed Windows 8 (64-bit version) allows the screen by the user via the controller and cue use. Whether organizing the application tiles, navigating through the web, playing games or scrolling through text and images - everything works as needed as with a tablet PC by touching the display. Of course, the notebook can also use classical means clickpad and comfortable keyboard.

Cheap entry models

Who needs no touch function, is better off with the Satellite Pro NB10-A-109. Until We display both have laptops on the same equipment. The Satellite Pro NB10t-A-108 with touch screen function costing 419 EUR, per derSatellite NB10-A-109 without touch function is 200 grams lighter and is 369 EUR (including VAT). Both models are from mid-December is available in Europe.

Everything important on board

The lightweight and compact devices are compatible with all Windows applications and easy to use. Because you can install the same applications on the Satellite Pro models, exactly like on the possibly existing desktop PC, the devices are also as a second PC .Compatibility problems are just as little to fear as lack of synchronization capabilities. Both notebooks are waiting for with interfaces such as WLAN, Bluetooth or Ethernet LAN. Any kind of data is available on the integrated 500 GB hard disk space. To protect against theft - while working in the university library or meeting breaks - there is a device for a Kensington ® lock. Thanks to Intel ® processor, the mobile PCs have grown all used office and web applications and are also available for entering large amounts of text available.

Many junctions provide a comprehensive connectivity (Photo: Toshiba)

Extensive Connectivity

Despite its compact dimensions, there are many interfaces. They are designed in standard size and do not require special cables or in addition to acquiring adapter. About a VGA and HDMI port can be larger external displays such as TVs or projectors connect - ideal for presentations that can then be controlled via the touch screen. The built-in speaker of the Satellite Pro NB10t models give stereo sound in high quality re-optimized by DTS ® Sound . One of the three USB ports corresponding to the USB 3.0 standard and ensures fast data transfers.Via SD card slot allows data to, for example, cameras exchange.

Facts & Figures

Satellite Pro NB10t-A-108
• Display: 11.6 inches (29.5 
cm) HD Touch Display 
(1366 x 768) with LED backlight 
(ten-point touchscreen) 
• Operating system: Windows 
8 64-bit (preinstalled) 
• Processor: Intel Celeron N2810 
• Graphics: Intel HD graphics 
• Hard disk: 500 GB HDD 
• Memory: 2 GB DDR3 (1600 MHz) 
• Connectivity: WiFi b / g / n, Ethernet LAN, Bluetooth 4.0, 1x USB 3.0 , 2x USB 2.0, HDMI, SD / SDHC card slot, Microphone input / headphone output 
• Webcam: 0.9 MP HD with built-in microphone 
• touchpad with gesture recognition 
• Dimensions: 284 x 208.6 x 13.8 to 25.1 mm , 
weight: 1.5 kg 
• RRP including VAT: 419 EUR

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Capture asteroid: NASA tests its new spacesuits

Of course, NASA has already imagined its astronauts Buzz Lightyear , it seems that this new spacesuit is not best suited for its mission to capture asteroid. That is why the U.S. space agency has developed another model, currently being tested in the laboratory.

It is in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston, the prototypes are tested by astronauts. It is an improved version of the iconic spacesuit ACES, recognizable by its bright and used since 1994 orange color. This new combination should allow them to move easily inside and outside the spacecraft Orion. Furthermore, it will be less bulky and more flexible to the depth of the space explorations. The goal is to gain mobility while making it easier for astronauts.

Note that NASA plans to capture an asteroid before then put it in orbit around the moon to investigate. The pressure suit will be worn by astronauts in charge of his field study, scheduled for 2025.

Test new spacesuits

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McLaren wants to replace the windshield wipers by a force field

If McLaren is known for its sports cars , we do not expect to see the brand communicate the windshield wipers . With few exceptions, it is the most shared items on cars. And for good reason: they are simply indispensable when it starts to rain to maintain a minimum visibility. Except obviously, this technique is not sophisticated enough for future automobiles. engineers are therefore working on a more sophisticated system to simply dispense with the traditional mechanism and hence the constant comings and goings of brushes: the ultrasound . These waves pass through the 30 kHz windshield constantly, which create a force field that would keep the elements away from the glass. Rain, snow or projectiles are therefore rejected, what ensure optimal visibility or disturbed or altered. course, the technique is still in draft form and should not land immediately in a product. But it may well be that the next generation of sports signed McLaren are equipped with this revolution, much suede manufacturers wiper blades.

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Google developed robot

The U.S. search giant Google has taken the robot manufacturer Boston Dynamics for an undisclosed purchase price.The company was founded in 1992 and developed a few years ago, among other robots for the U.S. Department of Defense. In recent months, Google had already taken over other companies that have also specialized in robotics.

Developed to the robots which Boston Dynamics PETMAN and include Atlas, which almost look like human beings and to be used during disasters. The aim of focusing on robotics is likely to be the development of household robots, autonomous UAVs and shopping robots. The Pentagon wants to use an 2020 military robots and Google is likely to hold on to the lucrative military contracts.

The development of autonomous thinking and acting fighting robots deemed to be unsafe, as some experts fear that this may turn against the human intellect rises. What goals is being chased by Google exactly with the robot technology is not known. As the person responsible for the robotic department Andy Rubin was committed, who had already successfully developed the mobile operating system Google Android.

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