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Lightning to HDMI and VGA cables incoming, says Apple
Apple has already announced a 30-pin adapter for the iPhone 5's new Lightning standard, but its product page betrays a pair of limitations: "video and iPod Out not supported." That's nothing another accessory can't fix, of course. According to The Verge, Cupertino has plans to release Lightning to HDMI and VGA cables "in the coming months," giving early adopters something to pine for on day one. No word on pricing or specific availability of course, but we wouldn't be surprised to see it hover around the existing adapter's $29 price tag. Fine by us, assuming it pulls its weight.
Shimi by Tovbot is a dancing robot iPod dock
As the world can't get enough robots to groove to music, Shimi Tovbot was demonstrated this week at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco. Call me a purist, but I like my dancing robots to resemble soda cans, wear sunglasses and be completely clueless to my verbal commands. Of course, I'm kidding. Shimi is quite advanced, and won me over after watching the demo video. Shimi isn't just a dumb sound-activated automaton. Based on a lot of awesome research in conjunction with Georgia Tech and MIT, it's the first commercially available robot from startup Tovbot to distill the findings of this group. Well, it's still a Kickstarter project at this point, but I'm hopeful the tech community will see how great this is -- and the potential. Shimi "holds" your iPhone in its "hand" like a dock. It can move about, and wiggle its limited appendages and head. It also responds to voice commands, can detect the beat of a song by you clapping your hands (and finds songs that match) and somehow learns what you like. How the learning aspects of Shimi play out was never really explained in the video, alas. Still, if you've ever been a fan of WowWee's line of consumer robots (as I am), Tovbot is a good bet, and Shimi is available on Kickstarter.
Onkyo shows off a few mini audio systems, one amp and Roku-ready receivers
Onkyo's CEDIA booth served as a way for it to show off all manner of new audio technology including this funky iLunar dock (above), which uses tech developed by Swiss audio company Sonic Emotion to create a "3D sound field" from stereo sources. We couldn't get much of a feel for it on the show floor with the wide open spaces and noise, but according to Onkyo, its six full-range drivers and downward-firing subwoofer combine to send sound in all directions, resulting in a stereo experience no matter where the listener is seated in smaller rooms. There's more details on that, as well as a few other mini audio systems and a new amp in the gallery and press releases after the break. One other development we noted was the Roku Streaming Stick-ready branding popping up on Onkyo receivers since its partnership was officially revealed, and there was even a dongle conspicuously front mounted right there in the booth. We're still for a release date and pricing, but it looks like hardware partners are ready to go.%Gallery-164751%
Samsung ATIV Smart PC dock hands-on
And hey, what's a Windows 8 tablet without a docking station? Sure enough, Samsung was showing off a snazzy one tonight that turns your bright and beautiful ATIV Smart PC (which is a bit chunkier than its brother) into a notebook. The tablet slots into the top of the keyboard dock, with the Windows 8 button obscured slightly by the top of the dock. The device does look a fair amount like a netbook when it's firmly nestled inside. But we have to say, the quality of the dock doesn't match the beauty of the tablet itself, the plasticky bottom clashing with the brushed aluminum backing, particularly where the lip shows up slightly on the rear of the device. When using the dock, you're likely going to spend most of your time in the classic UI -- and when you want to switch, you can just hit the button at the top of the dock to release the tablet from its docky prison. The buttons and trackpad feel a bit like a low-end netbook, and we had to do some fiddling to get that mouse across the desktop. We're hoping that Samsung will either release a slicker version or we'll be seeing something from a third-party manufacturer. In the meantime, the dock feels more like a second home for the tablet, best saved for those rare occasions when you'll need to do, say, some serious word processing.%Gallery-163712%
LG Spectrum 2 caught posing with docks and cases
At this point, there isn't much mystery left surrounding the LG VS930, aka Spectrum 2 for Verizon. Despite the onslaught of rumored specs, however, we still haven't seen much in the way of the phone's accessories. That has all changed now, as we've gotten our hands on a few smallish images of the new Spectrum residing in a car dock, home dock and a rugged-looking protective case. We're still waiting on an official announcement along with availability and pricing (though we imagine all three details will come at the same time), but we try to convince ourselves that each new leak is a step closer to reality. [Thanks, Anonymous]
SoundShrine gives your iPad the royal treatment
Noticed by Foolish Gadgets, the SoundShrine is the most luxurious looking iPad dock that you will never own. Created by Bavarian photographer Georg Dinkel, the TonSchrein (loosely translated from German to SoundShrine) will cradle your iPad in an ornately-designed, golden-colored polymer clay. The dock also adds a Dolby 2.1 sound system to the tablet device. It's conversation piece that's sadly only a concept and not for sale. [Via Uberreview]
Philips' Mini Hi-Fi System lets you dock iPhones, spins them into turntables
The iDevice clique's had no shortage of options when it comes to choosing DJ-friendly gear. Now one of the latest peripherals to enter the spinning market is Philips' Mini Hi-Fi System, which boasts a modest 300W total output power and offers a cozy turntable canvas that has docking room for a couple of iPhones -- in theory, iPod touches should be okay to fit as well. Furthermore, the beat-inducing apparatus is also compatible with that rather popular djay application for iOS, making it easier to mix, scratch and blast all your favorite tunes in one place. Philips launched this Mini Hi-Fi add-on a while back, but today it's finally placing it up for grabs in the UK for a hefty £300, or about $470 if you're this side of the Atlantic. Be sure to click on past the jump to quickly gaze at a largely appealing pic gallery. %Gallery-161543%
Nexus 7 dock and covers leak, promise high style in small sizes (update: source goes down)
There have been teases here and there that Google's Nexus 7 was going to get a full, official accessory treatment from ASUS, but actual details have been scarce. Consider ASUS' cover blown, almost literally. Presentation files finding their way to Nordic Hardware show the known Smart Case-like, $20 Travel Cover that's already lurking on the ASUS and Google websites, but they also spoil a leather Premium Cover that will reportedly cost $40. As for a cradle to round out the set? While the company had previously confirmed that a dock was coming, we're now getting a glimpse of the $50 Nexus Dock's super-simple wedge design and audio output. With the exception of the Travel Cover, the accessory bonanza is pegged by the slides as arriving in late August -- just in time for that last-gasp summer vacation. Update: Nordic Hardware has since taken down its original post "at the request" of an unnamed party.
iHome's iP76 3-foot tall LED Color Changing Speaker Tower dock now available
All music should be accompanied by a light show. And, if said light show comes in the form of a three-foot tall self-contained iPod dock, all the better. iHome's iP76 LED Color Changing Speaker Tower is not just a catchy name any more, it's now a product you can actually purchase for $199. The unnecessarily tall iDevice dock is loaded with color changing LEDs that pulse, fade and blink in coordination with your tunes and you can even connect other media sources via Bluetooth. You can pick up the GlowTunes dock now direct from iHome or at unnamed "retailers nationwide." Check out the PR and video after the break.
Grace Digital's MatchStick speaker dock for the Kindle Fire hits Amazon
We heard back in March that Grace Digital's FireDock for the Kindle Fire would be available in July, and it turns out that was at least partly true. The device is now shipping from Amazon (at a $30 discount of its $130 list price), but it's been rebranded with the even more Kindle-esque name of MatchStick. It remains unchanged otherwise, though, packing the same rotating cradle designed specifically for the Fire (despite the silver-framed device in the press image above), an aux input for other devices, a pair of 3-inch speakers with a 16 watt class D digital amplifier, and an optional lithium-ion battery pack that will be available in August.
Motorola Atrix HD now on sale at AT&T: $100 on contract for LTE, 720p and ICS
Well, lookie here. It didn't take long for Motorola's latest Atrix variant to go from unveiled to launched, as the Atrix HD is now on sale at AT&T for a wallet-pleasing $99.99 on contract. Sign the dotted line for two years, and you'll be getting a 4.5-inch Android superphone, complete with Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0), a true 720p display, Kevlar-infused backing, a "splash resistant" casing and an LTE radio. Those who indulge quickly are set to grab a gratis Vehicle Dock for "a limited time," and you'll also enjoy the first Moto handset to bring the outfit's Circle Widget to the homescreen -- which is engineered to take owners directly to their AT&T account info, displaying data usage, battery status and more. The phone's listed right now in AT&T's smartphone section in Titanium and Modern White, but the link to buy it seems deactivated for the moment. Still, it's all square to go on sale today, so keep a close eye on the source link if you're dead-set on an upgrade. Psst... you can learn more about the Atrix lineage through our original Atrix 4G and Atrix 2 reviews.
Pure unleashes Contour 100i iDevice speaker with swiveling dock
It was this past CES when we got a quick look at Pure's curvy Contour 200i AirPlay system, and now the company is getting a bit more basic -- and wallet-friendly -- with its 100i. It may not be wireless, but this little rig pumps out a maximum of 20 watts through its speakers and features an FM radio, an auxiliary port, a headphone jack and a remote. Although it's exceedingly par the course as far as speaker docks go, the 100i does feature a swiveling dock that stows away when you're not mounting your iDevice. Additionally, Pure's made its internet radio-enabling Lounge app free for a limited timed from the iTunes and Google Play store, noting plans to launch a subscription service later this year. The unit is only compatible with iThings, but it can be had now at Brookstone for $169 bucks if your interest is piqued. You'll find more info in the press release after the break.
AT&T Atrix HD priced at $99: coming July 15 (video)
While we've already stared down the specifications, AT&T's announced that it will bring Motorola's big and skinny slab to the US later this month, while Bell will do the honors in Canada "this summer." Priced at $99, the Atrix HD will tie together LTE connectivity with a 4.5-inch 720p display, available in both Modern White and Titanium colors. Better still, it's all arriving later this week, on July 15. If you're thinking about becoming an early adopter then you'll want to move quickly, as a free Vehicle Dock will ship with each one for a "limited time", designed to work perfectly with the included Smart Actions. Finally, this is the first phone to feature Motorola's "circle widget" on the home screen, designed to take owners directly to their AT&T account info, displaying data usage, battery status and more. Check after the break for a quick video walkthrough from AT&T plus a press release with all of the specs and details. %Gallery-160067%
GameDock would turn your iPhone into a retro gaming station
Gaming is obviously a big deal on iOS, but traditional gamers generally want something that the iPhone and the iPad don't provide: Buttons. Gaming on a touchscreen works in many cases, but for some games and some genres, you need a d-pad and some buttons to press. We've already seen some popular third party solutions to that problem (including the uber popular iCade), and here comes another one, in the form of a Kickstarter project called the GameDock. The GameDock is still seeking funding, which makes it still just an idea at this point. But it does have a few things going for it, including a nice-looking dock for any iOS devices you happen to have that will plug right into a television, throwing your games and apps right up on the screen. There are also two retro controller ports on the dock, and the controllers will smartly work along with the iCade protocol, so any games compatible with iCade will work on this. I'm not ready to start singing this product's praises just yet -- let's wait until they actually make their goal, and then make some devices for real. But it is a good idea, and if you've been seeking some solid buttons for your iOS games, it might be worth your backing money. [via The Verge]
Insert Coin: GameDock lets your iPhone interface with a TV and controllers, game it old school
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. With its GameDock, Cascadia Games has a new twist on iOS arcade play -- it lets you use your TV and two classic controllers. While retro games are popular on iPhones right now, an intense session can go haywire if your digits start slippping around on the screen, and head-to-head play is literally that if you're sharing a small device with a foe. That aforementioned situation inspired the GameDock, which turns into a full-blown console when you plug in and pair your iPhone, iPad or iPod using Bluetooth, then connect your TV, along with a couple of USB game controllers. Just like that, you and a buddy are playing big-screen Asteroids, Centipede and 100 or so other iOS games that work with iCade. With 43 days remaining, just shy of 10 grand has been offered toward the $50K goal, so check the source if you want to revel in the gaming days of yore -- eye or thumb strain-free.
Gear4 speaker dock supports USB audio for Jelly Bean at Google I/O 2012 (hands-on video)
Another day, another speaker dock. We initially dismissed Gear4's latest accessory at Google I/O 2012 until we noticed that the attached Nexus 7 was playing audio digitally via the USB port instead of simply through the headphone jack (or wirelessly over Bluetooth for that matter). It turns out that Jelly Bean supports USB audio, a software feature that's bound to spearhead a whole new generation of accessories for Android devices. Gear4's universal speaker dock with alarm clock radio is the first to handle USB audio. While the sound for any app can be routed to the USB port in Jelly Bean, the functionality is missing from older versions of Android. Thankfully, Gear4 includes an app with its accessory that can be used to set alarms, sync time, tune the radio and play media over the USB port on legacy versions of Android. Want to know more? You'll find our gallery below and our hands-on video after the break.%Gallery-159523%
The whys and wherefores of a shrunken Dock connector (Updated)
Rumours that Apple would be switching the next iPhone to a new, smaller connector than the venerable 30-pin Dock connector go back a long way -- as far as iMore's writeup from February. They resurfaced recently following a claim by TUAW's sister site TechCrunch that a source had confirmed this was definitely happening. Now, I'm not one to put too much stead in rumors -- the Apple rumormill is too fast, frantic, and frequently fictional for that (thanks for the lulz, Digitimes!). But I do believe that if you apply some common sense, and if you see a rumor pop up multiple times, well, it often suggests there really is something afoot. So let's assume there's some substance to the rumors, the spy shots of leaked case pieces are real, and Apple is at least prototyping (if not releasing) a smaller Dock connector. Does this make any kind of objective sense? What will it mean for users? Let's see what we can puzzle out. Before we begin -- this article contains some supposition on my part about exactly how some existing devices work when plugged into the Dock connector. Apple's official documentation is all locked up behind ironclad NDAs, and none of the OEMs we reached out to were willing to comment off-the-record on the fine details of making peripherals for iPods and iPhones. Update: after publication of my original article, I was contacted by Brian Klug of Anandtech. He shared with me this picture of an internal iPhone component board, which clearly shows a smaller Dock connector and a bottom-mounted headphone jack. The board picture pre-dates the case leak shown in the picture above, so taken together, each component leak corroborates the other. This makes it more likely the rumors are genuine. The argument for shrinking the Dock connector It's pretty clear why Apple would want to do this: to save space inside the device, which it could then fill with goodies like more battery or LTE chips or a stash of powdered unicorn horn. There's an obvious counter argument, however. Surely the Dock connector isn't that big? Can Apple really save enough space to be worth the time and effort? Well, let's ponder this for a moment, with the aid of some admittedly hand-wavey mathematics. If you (as I just did) take a ruler to the plug part of a Dock connector, you'll find it measures 21 mm × 2 mm × 6 mm. (Yes, gentle reader, I used a ruler rather than a micrometer. I'm afraid TUAW's budget doesn't push to precision engineering instrumentation. I also offer no apology at all for using millimetres, which are so very clearly better than the arcane and baffling "sixteenths of an inch" that I cannot begin to describe how ridiculous the Olde World units look to those of us in the metric haven of the actual Olde World.) Anyway, digression aside, that works out to 252 cubic millimetres, and that's just the volume of the part of the plug that goes into the phone. There's additional space taken up within the handset, of course, by the surrounding metal shield, connection points, and so forth. Hang on to that number for a second. Now, consider the micro SIM that Apple uses in all current iPhone and iPad models. It's 15 mm × 12 mm × 0.76 mm -- 135 cubic millimetres. The little tray it sits in adds some size though; on my iPhone 4, that's about 19 mm × 14 mm × 1 mm, or 266 cubic millimetres. Famously, of course, the iPhone 4 was an early device to adopt micro-SIMs; before that, Apple used mini-SIMs, which are about twice the volume (25 mm × 15 mm × 0.76 mm). The switch to micro-SIMs wasn't without pain for consumers. I bought my iPhone 4 on launch day, and although I could have had a new SIM with a new contract that day, I couldn't convince my carrier to send me a micro-SIM attached to my existing account for a few days later. Similarly, there were no pre-pay micro-SIMs to be had for several weeks. By foisting that inconvenience on me, Apple saved something like 300 cubic millimetres, give or take. Again, I am fudging slightly to account for the extra room taken up within the phone by the mechanism the drawer slides into, but for the general point I am making I only need approximate figures. That wasn't enough, though, but it's OK -- Apple can rebuild it. Smaller. Sleeker. Even easier to misplace. Yes, it's the nano-SIM, coming soon to a phone near you. It's taken Apple since May 2011 to get ETSI to approve the new standard, and it took some horse trading with Nokia, but approve it it has. The new standard is 12.3 mm × 8.8 mm × 0.67 mm -- or 72.5 cubic millimetres. So, let's recap. We saw Apple cause consumers some minor pain by switching to an as-yet-unused standard, the micro SIM, to save about 300 cubic millimetres. We've seen Apple go through a year-long standards fight to shave about another 100 cubic millmetres away (including the space saved with a smaller drawer). Clearly, Apple believes every single scrap of space inside an iPhone is worth working for. Now let's look at that Dock connector again: 252 cubic millimetres, plus the space for the metal housing within the phone that it connects to. If Apple was prepared to fight as hard as it has to save space on the SIM card, I think it's credible that the potential savings from a smaller Dock connector are also on its roadmap. Looking at the size of the rumored new connector, it looks like it's around a third the size of the current Dock plug. That implies a saving of something like 160 cubic millimetres from the new design. How could Apple do it? If you glance over the Dock connector pinout, you'll see the 30 pins in the existing connector break down as follows: 5 pins for miscelleneous ground and reserved wires. 9 pins for AV out, in various formats (line-level audio, composite, S-Video, video formats). 4 pins for the iPod accessory connectivity (e.g. for add-ons like Nike+, the TomTom standalone GPS, iPad Camera Connection Kit, and so on.) Includes a 3.3 V power line, so the accessory doesn't need its own battery. 8 pins originally used for Firewire, now presumably unused on newer devices. 4 pins for the USB connection (for both syncing and charging). It's easy to see that Apple could slim this down to the rumoured 19-pin connector without causing significant loss of functionality, simply by ditching the long-deprecated Firewire and then either some of the older video-out formats like composite or some of the "reserved for future use" connections. Then, because the new connector would be electrically compatible with the old one, Apple could supply cheap mechanical adaptors that would allow any older Dock cable to accessory to work with the new iPhone. Standards, standards, everywhere, but not a port to use One criticism often levelled at Apple's industrial design is that it has never adopted the industry standard micro-USB for the iPhone. If Apple is going to change ports, wouldn't it be a good idea to change to the same one everyone else is using? Let's examine the arguments in favour, first of all. Micro-USB is inarguably popular; practically every other mobile device now uses it, including other smartphones, Kindles and every iPhone battery case I've ever handled. It can do charging and syncing, and cables are cheap and ubiquitous. It's good for users, who can purchase accessories cheaply and share them between devices; and the reuse angle mean it's also good for the environment. Update: as several commenters have pointed out, the environmental angle drove the 2010 decision by the EU to mandate that all chargers should be universal, following the voluntary trade agreement by 14 cellphone manufacturers in 2009. However, Apple is already compliant with this ruling. Note that the EU's FAQ explicitly states that "[t]he agreement allows for the use of an adaptor", and Apple have just the thing. As long as Apple issued a similar adaptor for any micro Dock standard -- and there's no reason why it couldn't -- then there would continue to be no need to put micro-USB on the device itself. Why might Apple want to avoid micro-USB? Because charge and sync is about all micro-USB can do, on the face of it; the accessory support, line-level audio out, and video out features the current-day Dock connector sports aren't possible down a four-wire connector. There's a nascent standard called Mobile High-definition Link which can be used for video out but it's rather clumsy, involving three-tailed pass-through cables on existing Android phones. Note that, unlike with Apple's AV connector, the MHL adaptor cannot draw power from the handset and so has to be plugged into a USB charger to function. It's possible that Apple could address this by using a software layer to multiplex different data types on top of the USB connection, but that would require rather more complex controllers on either side to unpick the data again and do something sensible with it. In fact, something similar is already in place -- several car stereos, for example, connect to the Dock port via a USB cable, then retrieve music, track data, and other information from it. Multiplexing digital 1080p video streams is a harder problem, however, and even if Apple solves it, it still couldn't maintain backwards compatibility with existing Dock-equipped accessories. Why not Thunderbolt? Thunderbolt is a sophisticated interface that achieves never-seen-before bus speeds; 20 times faster than USB2, twice as fast as USB3, three times faster than eSATA. To manage that, no expense was spared on any aspect of the design, which is why the cables alone cost $50, with even more money spent on the chips inside the computer to make all those bits whizz around. Meanwhile, the NAND flash memory Apple uses for the iPhone is about a third as fast as USB2's maximum speed, or less than 2% of Thunderbolt's capacity. Adding Thunderbolt to an iOS device needlessly and greatly inflates the cost of production for absolutely no practical benefit. It's nonsense. The outlook for gadgets So, yes, that vexing backwards compatibility angle. There's no escaping the fact that a new Dock connector will, on the face of it, immediately invalidate every single cable, add-on, and charger you own. There's no escaping the fact that this sucks, either. For cables, at least we will (presumably) quickly be able to get cheap ones from eBay to replace all our existing Dock USB cables. That's assuming Apple doesn't do anything funky like adopt a standard that is rigidly patent-protected like MagSafe, anyway -- let's all sincerely offer a silent prayer of hope that we won't have to buy every microDock cable from Apple for $19 a pop for all eternity. And of course, chargers that have a USB port will still work if we exchange the cable. For peripherals the picture looks less rosy. The best we can hope for is that the rumours are correct and we get a 19-pin connector which is electrically compatible with the existing one, then at least Apple could throw us a bone, in the form of a physical dongle, not unlike the new MagSafe to MagSafe 2 adaptor. That would work for most devices, but perhaps not all -- some speaker sets, for example, have a cradle that won't be physically capable of supporting the phone with it propped on a dongle that adds a half-inch or so of height. Devices like Nike+iPod will look a little ungainly sticking even further out of the device. Of course, these adaptors won't be free, and I'm sure Apple won't object to making a little extra scratch from them -- particularly if people choose to buy one adaptor for each of their legacy devices, to save the hassle of moving them around from device to device. Households with lots of iOS devices of mixed generations will be inconvenienced too. Right now, I have three Dock cables next to my bed -- for my iPhone 4, my wife's iPhone 4, and my iPad. I have one in the office, a couple downstairs that float around between chargers in various rooms when we need it, one at my desk in work, a couple in my travel kit, and two in my car. We're used to being able to use any charger and any cable with any of our devices. A new port means I'll be back to having to think about where and when I might need a cable again, which is going to be a low-level annoyance until I finally snap and order half a dozen cables from eBay. Or, I'll have to buy a handful of adaptors, then keep attaching and detaching them as necessary -- and trying not to lose them when they are detached. The bottom line If I were a gambling man, I'd wager that we were getting a new, smaller Dock port on the new iPhone. I don't think it's certain, by any means, but I think it's more likely than not; the reasoning I've outlined in this post strongly suggest to me that Apple has the means, the motive, and the opportunity to put the old timey Dock port to sleep. The work Apple has put in to forcing through the nano-SIM standard shows just how ruthlessly focused it is on space-saving within the iPhone, and the fiddling it has done with micro-SIMs and the new MagSafe 2 port shows it isn't scared to inconvenience us users to achieve these goals.
AOC Aire iPlay desktop LCD docks iPhones and iPods, rocks the joint (modestly)
AOC has a bit of a long-term memory issue: it claims the Aire iPlay E2343Fi is the first computer monitor to have a built-in iPhone and iPod docking station. Nope. But don't let that deter you from checking out the new 23-inch LCD, whose cradle in the base will both keep your Apple gear topped up as well as play movies and music through the display. The 10-watt speakers won't exactly bring the house down, though they will let you take the headphones off. As an actual computer display, it's a typical TN-based panel with a 1080p resolution, a quick 2ms pixel response time and a boldly claimed 50,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. Those who find a separate dock or (gasp) wires too much can officially spend $280 for an Aire iPlay of their own today; Amazon and other shops have already knocked the price down to a more palpable $230.
Samsung's tube powered DA-E750 audio dock hitting the UK, Korea on June 18th
Have a thing for wood grain and high-end audio? You're in luck, as Samsung has announced that its DA-E750 Audio with Dock will be available in the United Kingdom and Korea beginning Monday, June 18th. As a refresher, this rather handsome boom box uses a handful of glass fiber speakers, a dedicated subwoofer and vacuum tubes to output 100 watts of "natural and harmonious" sound. What's more, the device (available in mahogany or piano black) can accommodate your Galaxy or iOS handheld of choice via a dock, or, for those that abhor cables, stream audio via Bluetooth 3.0, AllShare or AirPlay. Sammy didn't specify a price in its latest announcement, but the figure $800 was mentioned back at CES 2012 when the model was first announced. Any audiophiles out there interested in this tube-driven shelf unit with a bookcase-sized price tag?
Lenovo's IdeaTab S2110A transforming tablet hits the FCC, doesn't mind the mess
From the looks of it, the coffee-chugging folks in the FCC's underground bunker were so excited about investigating Lenovo's IdeaTab S2110A (formerly the IdeaTab S2) that they didn't have time to clean up. The transforming Android tablet (with optional keyboard dock) was splayed and tested to determine if its 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0 radios were safe for human consumption -- with the thumbs up meaning that it shouldn't be long before the hardware arrives stateside.
