AsusTransformer
Latest
ASUS hints at next-generation Transformer in brief teaser video
ASUS has just posted a new video teaser for what appears to be a next-generation Eee Pad Transformer. Titled "The next Transformation," the clip is pretty light on details, though the mysterious device does make a brief appearance toward the end, sporting a design similar to what we saw last week, with ASUS' Zenbook lineup. No word yet on whether the forthcoming Transformer will be powered by NVIDIA's quad-core Kal El, as rumored, but you can see the teaser for yourself after the break. [Thanks, Lorenz]
Play Wii games on your Android tablet via network streaming (video)
In case you haven't met him already, Obiwan222222 represents the minimalist alternative to hardcore modding. He's already shown us Wii games running on the PSP and iPod Touch, and now he's pulled off the same trick on his Asus Transformer. It's all done with network streaming: he loads up Super Mario Galaxy 2 on his PC using the open-source Dolphin emulator and then transmits it to his tablet via the Splashtop HD remote desktop app for Android. He also throws in an Xbox 360 controller to make things look more confusing than they really are. We'd obviously worry about lag with this type of setup, but the video after the break makes it look just about playable.
Engadget's back to school guide 2011: tablets
Welcome to Engadget's Back to School guide! We know that this time of year can be pretty annoying and stressful for everyone, so we're here to help out with the heartbreaking process of gadget buying for the school-aged crowd. Today, we're leaning back with our tablets -- and you can head to the Back to School hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back -- at the end of the month we'll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides -- and hit up the hub page right here! There are certain back to school purchases we could never talk you out of. A laptop? Vital. A smartphone? Highly recommended. A printer? Necessary -- if you're the kind of person who finishes papers minutes with minutes to spare, leaving no time to swing by the computer lab on the way to class. But a tablet? We'll be honest: we can't think of a good reason why you need one, but we can more than sympathize if you're dead-set. We've picked a few noteworthy choices for each budget, though if you're really lucky you'll win one of 15 Samsung Galaxy Tabs and won't have to pay a dime. Simply leave a comment below to be entered to win, and check out our giveaway page for more details. So wipe off the glasses, grab your clicker, and get ready to jump past the break for this year's tablet picks for back to school.
ASUS Eee Pad Transformer stand and adapters surface on Amazon Germany
We feel like if you're going to buy an Eee Pad Transformer, you may as well spring for the $150 docking station -- you know, the thing that makes the tablet so noteworthy. And we don't need to remind you it also happens to be a solid value proposition: the dock brings not just a full keyboard, but two USB ports, an SD card reader, and up to seven hours of extended battery life. There must be some people content with just the slate, though, because ASUS is rolling out a trio of accessories that offer pieces of the docking station's functionality. Head on over to Amazon Germany and you'll find individual USB and SD adapters for €19 ($27) a pop. And though it's not listed with the adapters, NetbookNews also spotted a €29 ($41) stand with a USB port, SD slot, and headphone jack. Before you get too excited, though, Amazon is saying the adapters will ship one to three months from now, which leaves you quite a bit of time to save up for the full keyboard dock. Just saying, folks. %Gallery-130235%
Netflix patch arrives for rooted Asus Transformers, it's okay to be happy
If you've seen this handsome screen on your Asus Transformer, it means you've finally managed to root it. Congratulations. And yet, it's all so... anticlimactic. What was the point of it? In fact, what's the point of anything? Hey, don't go down that road. Install Netflix instead, courtesy of a new patch from XDA Developers at the source link below. Then watch Kung Fu Panda one more time and the sense of order in your life will magically return. Like the wise Oogway said: "You may wish for an apple or an orange, but you will get a peach." [Thanks everyone who sent this in]
3G ASUS Eee Pad Transformer spotted online, priced starting at 499 euros
By this time, hopefully, all of you who were on the hunt for a Transformer finally got your mitts on one. If you were holding out for the 3G version, though, you can stop fidgeting -- it's already been priced in mainland Europe, putting it almost a month ahead of its expected arrival in the UK. Notebook Italia spotted both the 16GB and 32GB iterations listed online, fetching €499 and €599, respectively, VAT included. Notebook Italia also grabbed a screenshot of an updated product page on ASUS's Italian site, though when we peeped the listing we just found the WiFi-only versions, with predictably lower prices to match. Either way you slice it, though, both the instruction manual and illustrated product guide are alive and well on ASUS' site, suggesting you should see this on the streets of Milano soon enough. [Thanks, Marco]
iPad 2, Motorola Xoom, Asus Transformer displays compared, iPad stands out
If you have an iPad, an iPhone or any other handheld device with a screen on it, you'll know how important its screen quality is. We spend hundreds of hours staring at (and touching) those displays; they are the primary means of interaction with our devices. Therefore, it's no wonder that frustrations arise (a poor viewing angle, limited brightness, ambient light reflection, to name a few) when displays don't perform the way we want them to. Dr. Raymond M. Soneira, President of DisplayMate Technologies, has compiled a very interesting "Tablet Display Technology Shoot-Out" between the iPad 2, Motorola Xoom and Asus Transformer. We've previously covered Dr. Soneria's thoughts on the iPad 2's display, but now he compares it to the competition. Dr. Soneria's objective test uses the following criteria: screen reflection, color and intensity, brightness and contrast, viewing angle, the display backlight, power consumption and, finally, the running time on the battery. Each display's performance was summarized and put into a comparison chart. The report concludes that the iPad 2's display is the clear winner in all categories. The Asus Transformer comes in at a solid second (which is impressive, as it costs US$100 less than the iPad 2), and finally, the Motorola Xoom arrives as a "distant third." Interestingly, the report also looks head-on at some of the rumors surrounding next generation displays in tablets. Most notably, the report dismisses the likelihood of a quadrupled resolution of 2048x1536 in the next generation iPad as well as detailing what an iPad Retina Display, similar to that found in the iPhone 4, would likely look like. Dr. Soneira says, "...to make the iPad 3 a Retina Display does not require the same pixels per inch (ppi) as the iPhone 4 Retina Display because it is typically held much further away from the eye, whose visual sharpness is based on angular rather than linear resolution. The iPad is typically held 15-18 inches away as opposed to the iPhone 4's 12-15 inches. As a result, to meet the 300 ppi Retina Display specification made by Steve Jobs at WWDC for the iPhone 4, an iPad Retina Display would need only 240 ppi. So an iPad Retina Display could start anywhere above 1862x1397 pixels. That is still a major overkill that carries a significant performance and cost penalty – so it would be primarily a marketing ploy." The full article can be found here, and it's definitely worth a read. [Via ZDNet]
ASUS Eee Pad Transformer gets Android 3.1 update right on schedule
It's here! We've received word that owners of ASUS' shape-shifting Eee Pad Transformer woke up this morning to find a nice big hunk of an over-the-air Honeycomb 3.1 update awaiting them. We first caught wind of the Android upgrade at Google IO less than a month ago, and just one week later ASUS was boasting of a June rollout on its Italian Facebook page. If you need a quick reminder, 3.1 brings resizable widgets, support for a slew of USB devices, and new Movie and Books apps. Now isn't that refreshing? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Acer Iconia Tab A500 and ASUS Eee Pad Transformer getting Android 3.1 updates in June
Well, that was fast. Almost immediately after Google unveiled Android 3.1, Motorola was first out of the gate with an update, and now, not even a week later, Acer and ASUS are following suit with plans to freshen up their respective tablets with the newly minted software. To recap, 3.1's benefits include resizeable widgets, support for USB peripherals, and new Movies and Books apps, among other perks. Acer confirmed to us that it aims to start selling the Iconia Tab A500 with 3.1 next month, as well as upgrade existing units running Android 3.0. ASUS, meanwhile, has been touting the impending update for the Eee Pad Transformer on its Italian Facebook page. To which we say, grazie!
Transformer rooted before ASUS can get it out the door
When ASUS dumped the source code for its 10.1-inch, Honeycomb-powered Transformer tablet online we knew it was only a matter of time before someone cracked it open and bent it to their will. Before it hit store shelves here in the US MoDaCo founder Paul O'Brien managed to get his hands on one of the upcoming Android devices and, with a little help from Twitter user BumbleDroid, gained root access to the tablet. So, you'll still have to hang out for a bit before getting yours, but at least when it lands you won't have to wait to get your hack on. [Thanks, Alessandro]
ASUS Eee Pad Transformer and Eee Slate EP121 get official UK pricing
We've heard a fair amount of rumors and speculation about the impending release of ASUS' latest and, perhaps, craziest new slates, and now its giving us the real details -- for the UK at least. The wildly unique Eee Pad Transformer, the first of its kind rocking Honeycomb, is up for pre-order now, with an official release date of April 6th and a price of £379 for the 16GB version and £429 for the 32GB version, each on its lonesome -- you can get the 16GB iteration with the docking keyboard for £429 . Its less flashy companion, the Eee Slate EP121, sporting Windows 7 and an Intel Core i5 processor, hits Britain April 10th for £999, and is ready for pre-order exclusively through Amazon UK through May 1st. Unfortunately, we're still not sure when they'll cross the pond or how much they'll cost when they get here, but we're still fairly certain the Transformer's coming sometime next month.
ASUS Eee Pad Slider and Transformer arrive for those that can't imagine using a tablet without a physical keyboard
Here they are: ASUS's duo of Tegra 2-powered, 10.1-inch tablets with unique physical keyboards. Starting with the craziest of them, is the Eee Pad Slider (pictured on the left), which reminds us a lot of HTC's old school Shift with its slide out QWERTY keyboard. The device is planned to run Google's Honeycomb, sports a IPS, 1280 x 800-resolution display, and houses mini-HDMI and miniUSB ports as well as a microSD card slot. The 2.2-pound / .5-inch thick slab also has dual cameras -- a 1.2 megapixel front-facing one and a 5 megapixel one with an LED flash on the back. We have to say we love the idea of always having that keyboard around, but if you don't want to drag along a physical keyboard all the time, ASUS has something for you too. It's the Transformer, and like the Eee Pad we saw at Computex, it's a 10.1-inch tablet that will come with a laptop like dock with a full size keyboard and touchpad. The tablet part -- like the Slider -- will run Android 3.0 and packs a dual-core Tegra 2 processor, two cameras, and a 1280 x 800-resolution IPS display, however, the dock has an integrated battery that will keep the tablet running for 16 hours on a charge -- the tablet on its own should last eight. We're obviously aching in our seats here waiting to get these two in our hands so stay tuned for some crazy videos of the two in action -- until then we leave you with the specs after the break. Update: How much will it cost you to keyboard-ify your slate and how long will you have to wait? ASUS says the Transformer will run between $400 and $700 and the Slider from $500 to $800. Expect them in April and May respectively. %Gallery-112500% %Gallery-112544%
