HongKongElectronicsFair
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Alleged 'iPad 5' case spotted in Hong Kong, hints at slimmer and narrower body
Rumors of an upcoming iPad sporting a similar design as the iPad mini go as far back as late January this year, when our reliable friends at 9to5Mac shared some clear photos of a leaked chassis (check them out at the "More Coverage" link below). This was followed by an alleged photo of the front panel sent around earlier this month. But as before, cases for this unreleased "iPad 5" have also been making the rounds in China, and we've managed to get our hands on one at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair earlier today. It's the same old story according to a staff at the booth: the case is based on a leaked mold. Oops! Compared to a similar case made for the two latest generations of the bigger iPad, this case again suggests a slimmer and narrower iPad is in the works, which would mean that this mysterious tablet is likely to have the same screen size but thinner left and right-side bezels -- just like the iPad mini. Similarly, the straighter edges support 9to5Mac's earlier leak of the iPad mini-like body. Let's just hope that Apple will still have a few surprises up its sleeves then, eh?
R.BOT shows off Synergy Swan, a phone- or tablet-powered telepresence robot (video)
While wandering around the show floor at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair, we had to stop and take a closer peek at these cute-looking robots. Conveniently dubbed the Synergy Swan, this 14kg machine from Russian-based R.BOT (or Quanzhou Future Robot Technology in China) uses an Android device as its face and camera, as well as sending movement commands for its neck (with four degrees of freedom) and wheels (maximum speed about 1.8km/h) via Bluetooth. The Android phone or tablet will obviously be equipped with the appropriate apps for either telepresence or automated interaction with people -- the latter can simply be the tablet automatically starting to "talk" or play a video clip when a person smiles at it. Interested? You can nab a Synergy Swan for a surprisingly affordable $450, and there's also a smaller but stationary Synergy Mime for just $250. Jump right past the break to see R.BOT US CEO Dmitriy Subbotin show off his robots. %Gallery-185785%
Ultmost Technology's 42-inch oval LCD on display
There's perilously scant detail to be had here, but this puppy -- a 42-inch LCD by Ultmost Technology --was on display at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair. Called the Fuss LC-4212B, we don't know anything about its specs, pricing, or availability... but we do know that it's pretty crazy looking, and we'd like to see a little more of it. One more shot after the break.
