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Xiaomi Phones may enter Europe next year, because China ain't big enough
Here's a bit of good news to soak in over the weekend. After the unveiling of the Xiaomi Phone 2 (aka Mi2) in front of some 3,000 people yesterday, a reliable source informed us that the Chinese startup is already looking to bring its highly affordable phones to Europe next year. Alas, we couldn't get a more specific time frame, but assuming Xiaomi wants to deliver its first quad core device to the Europeans as well, it'd likely be within the first half of next year, well before the next August 16th announcement (the company's managed to stick to the same date so far). Of course, it all depends on whether Xiaomi can scale its business model for the unknown territories, and it'll certainly need some solid partners to do so -- much like its collaboration with local retail channels China Unicom, China Telecom and Vancl. Luckily, the MIUI developer will be doing a warm up first in Taiwan. As reported by Business Next last month, chairman Lei Jun made a high profile visit to several Taiwanese carriers in the hopes of breaking into their market by the end of this year. If successful, Lei should be able to meet his ambitious sales target of 6 million Xiaomi Phones accumulated -- still some way away from the 3.52 million units sold so far. Judging by the madness at the event this week (see gallery below), it should be no problem. %Gallery-162748%
X-Cap automatically protects your lens even if you forget
Most point-and-shoots have an integrated lens cap that closes off, protecting the delicate glass underneath the moment you're done taking shots. DSLR's and other interchangable-lens cameras? Well, you've got to remember to put those covers back on yourself. The X-Cap, however, brings that automated protection to your fanciest of cams with a simple add-on that wont interfere with your picture taking (provided it's mounted right). It's pretty self explanatory really, you can see the Taiwanese designed and manufactured cap in action after the break and hit up Engadget Chinese for an interview with the designer.
iTunes in the Cloud movies find their way to Australia, Canada, the UK and 32 more countries
The advent of movie support in iTunes for the Cloud was a boon to Apple TV owners as well as any iTunes user with a tendency to hop between devices -- within the US, that is. Apple today swung the doors open and let Australia, Canada, the UK as well as 32 other countries and regions around the world get access to their movies whenever they're signed in through iTunes or an iOS device. Not every studio is on the same page, as many American viewers will know all too well: it's more likely that you'll get re-download rights for a major studio title such as Lockout than an indie production, for example. Even with that limit in mind, there's no doubt more than a few movie mavens glad to avoid shuffling and re-syncing that copy of Scott Pilgrim to watch it through to the end.
Facebook App Center goes globetrotting with 7 new countries, blankets all of the English-speaking world
Facebook's App Center is having its passport stamped quite a lot lately. Just days after the HTML5 app portal set foot in the UK, it's making the leap to seven more countries. Brazil, France, Germany, Russia, Spain, Taiwan and Turkey will all get a crack at using web apps both on the desktop as well as in the Android and iOS native clients. The new group is coming onboard in the next few weeks. In the meantime, countries where English makes a frequent appearance -- Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK and the US -- now supply the App Center for every single user. To help speed along the virtual customs claims, Facebook is trotting out a translation tool to get developers on the right track. It shouldn't be long before App Center is a mainstay of the entire Facebook world, even though we may end up cursing the company after hour three of a Jetpack Joyride marathon.
Nintendo debuts new 3DS variants in spicy summer colors
While we're still itching to handle its bigger (and more stylish) XL iteration, that hasn't stopped Nintendo rolling out the acid colors for two Asia-bound handhelds. The 3DS in Cerulean (the bright blue one) and Shimmer (the hot pink version) will hit stores in Hong Kong and Taiwan, accompanying the launch of the 3DS XL in September. No word from Nintendo so far on whether it'll follow the Aubergine-hued model to the US .
iTunes Store opens in Hong Kong, Taiwan and 10 other Asia-Pacific territories
Our Apple-loving compatriots on the west side of the Pacific Ocean have been able to purchase the latest in iPhone and iPad software from the App Store for a while, but believe it or not, they've been shut out of the iTunes Store. Apple has just opened the virtual iTunes storefront in a dozen locations across the Asia-Pacific region. The "big three" Asian markets that will get access to music and movies for the first time today are Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan. Other locations that are going live today are Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Macau, Malaysia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. All of the new stores will feature local content as well as the big international favorites. Apple chose to launch the new branches of the iTunes Store complete with iTunes in the Cloud and iTunes Match subscriptions.
Apple opens iTunes Store in Hong Kong, Taiwan and 10 other Asia-Pacific territories
Many Apple fans on the opposite side of the Pacific from Cupertino haven't had much of a choice to shop from iTunes, even though they've had the App Store for some time. There's now a much better sense of balance: Apple just flicked the switch on the iTunes Store for music and movies in a dozen countries and territories across the Asia-Pacific region. The company singles out our own Richard Lai's Hong Kong as well as Singapore and Taiwan, but we'd be remiss if we didn't mention that Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam are also getting the media catalogs, which include local content along with the international hits. It's a full catch-up as well, with iTunes in the Cloud re-downloads and iTunes Match subscriptions available in every new country. If you're a huge Andy Lau fan but wanted his albums from the most iPhone-friendly store possible, the wait is over.
Google Maps live traffic updates served up to seven new regions, 19 more get 'expanded coverge'
Ready for yet another dose of news related to Google Maps? The service's live traffic update functionality has been expanded yet again, and now seven more cities including the likes of Mexico City and Greater Johannesburg, South Africa can join in on the action. Better yet, 19 other major areas that already get traffic information are receiving "expanded coverage" for their roads. Naturally, all of the new goods are accessible through Google's various Maps apps by simply enabling the traffic layer. If you're eager to start scouting the traffic flow, you can hit up source link below to find out whether your locale is on the list.
HTC confirms One S with 1.7GHz Snapdragon S3 being sold 'in select markets'
Confirming the news that HTC's One S had arrived in the mother land of Taiwan toting a higher-clocked (but older) Snapdragon processor, the company has added where this rejigged device is headed -- at least broadly. While the US, UK, Japan, Korean, France and Germany have been enjoying the high-performance thrills of a dual-core Snapdragon S4, according to The Verge, the S3 variant will launch across Asia-Pacific regions and some (as-yet unspecified) European markets. HTC will, however, be marking out which sort of processing hardware's inside the two models -- if it's got a dual-core 1.7GHz processor, you've got the Snapdragon S3, if it's 1.5GHz then you have the newer S4. The company is also working to claim more of Qualcomm's latest mobile processor for the One S roll-out, but we'd advise checking the spec sheet before you take the plunge in the aforementioned regions.
Open-mesh PC case keeps heat, dust bunnies at bay
If you haven't done it in a while, opening your PC case can be like a slasher flick -- you know you'll see something disgusting, but you're never sure what. Taiwan's YoungYear Electronics claims to stop the horror with its Green Mesh case, which has neither fans to suck dust, nor filters, and keeps your components cool with a "chimney effect" instead. It's this same action that repels dust out the top, so that only one quarter the usual amount of filth is drawn in -- according to the company. The only downside is that with poor heat dissipation, the maximum power supply unit size is 300 watts -- which probably scratches it off the list for most modders or power-users. For the rest, if you don't mind your computer's innards blowing in the breeze, at least you'd have no nasty case-opening frights.
Computex 2012 wrap-up
After getting our hands on more than three dozen Ultrabooks, tablets and plenty of other miscellany over an intense gadget-fueled week in Taipei, Computex is finally winding down, and we're packing our bags for the 24-hour journey back to New York. There's no question that Windows 8 stole the show, with hundreds of devices making an appearance both at flashy press events and on the exhibit floor -- Release Preview in tow. We happened upon quite a few surprises on that front, including a touchscreen-based ASUS Zenbook UX21A and Intel's prediction that the majority of next year's Ultrabooks will be touch-enabled, along with the unique (and perhaps even slightly bizarre) TAICHI, which will change the way we interact with at least two clamshell models. We've barely scratched the surface here, however -- you'll find direct links to all of our Computex coverage just after the break.%Gallery-157630%
THD N2-A is a KIRF MacBook Air that runs Ice Cream Sandwich for $149, we go hands-on (video)
It wouldn't be Computex without some KIRF Apple products. And what we have today isn't quite a MacBook Air. But it's amazingly close. The N2-A, as it's known in the OEM underground, is one of the most impressive MacBook Air lookalikes we've seen -- and one of the cheapest. $74,500 will net you 500 of these lovely 13.3-inch bundles of almost-Mac goodness, which comes out to just $149 apiece. The THD (Thread Technology Co.)-made clamshell comes complete with an LED-backlit 1366 x 768 LCD, 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor, 1 gig of DDR3 RAM and 8 gigs of SSD storage. There's also built-in 802.11b/g/n WiFi (we're a bit devastated about the lack of 802.11ac), and the option to add a 3G dongle or Ethernet adapter via the pair of USB 2.0 ports. As you may have gathered from the image, there's a full-size QWERTY keyboard and a familiar, yet incredibly mediocre trackpad, along with a 2-cell 4200 mAh battery (rated to 8 hours), an SD card slot, a not-so-MagSafe 110-240-volt AC adapter, a headphone out, mic in and an HDMI port.In typical MacBook Air fashion, the N2-A is very thin and quite light (1.55 kilograms or 3.4 pounds) -- it's not as svelte as a top-of-the-line ICS tablet, but it's manageable for sure. While it may look perfectly fine on camera, the device's build quality certainly isn't up to Apple's standards -- but then again, it doesn't cost $1,000+. After a few busy trade show days, the trackpad was noticeably scratched up, with plenty of other blemishes around the silver case to boot, along with some warping here and there. The N2-A wasn't hideous by any stretch, even upon close inspection, but any Apple newbie would be able to recognize that this didn't come out of Cupertino, even before noticing the missing Apple logo and the added Windows key (it's there to support the nearly identical N2-C, which adds a dual-core Atom processor and Windows 7 support).ICS felt quite snappy, though without a touchscreen you're forced to use the unimpressive trackpad, which wasn't responsive enough for regular use. (You can always sacrifice portability and use a USB mouse instead.) Overall, the N2-A is a pretty slick device -- not to mention quite a bit of fun. Don't expect to see this KIRF in any stores in the US -- you'll need to order 500 units or more directly from THD to take advantage of that $149 price tag, though we may see the Android laptop make its way to the public through third-party channels, perhaps with a retail price of about $200. For now, you can take a closer look in our meaty gallery below, or in the hands-on video after the break.%Gallery-157461%
Intel invests in display manufacturers, predicts 'majority' of Ultrabooks will have touch in 2013 (update)
Intel is presenting at the e21 Forum at Computex in Taipei, and SVP Tom Kilroy just announced that the company is planning to focus on touch-enabled Ultrabooks, investing in factories that produce panels that are 13 inches and larger. Some of the partners listed included TPK, Wintek, HannsTouch and Cando, several of which are based here in Taiwan. This of course marks a departure from last year's models, many of which featured 11-inch displays, and didn't include touch functionality. Kilroy made a point of emphasizing that Intel won't be stopping at 13 inches either, opting to produce larger-screened Ultrabooks as well -- which seems to be in line with what we heard back at CES. Either way, touch is here to stay. Update: We caught up with Tom Kilroy following the keynote, and he further explained the investment, suggesting that it's an "insurance policy" to motivate display manufacturers to increase large-panel production, even though there may not yet be demand. He also predicted that the "majority" of Ultrabooks shipping in 2013 will include touch panels, though he also said that there will continue to be a market for non-touch devices for some time to come. Check the press release below for more info. Show full PR text Intel, Industry Shaping Future Of Computing Experiences On Intel® Architecture Intel Corporation Senior Vice President Tom Kilroy officially introduced the next wave of Ultrabook™ systems during a keynote address at Computex Taipei 2012. Making a bold statement around the importance of touch technology, Kilroy also announced that Intel has signed agreements with several leading touch panel manufacturers to ensure adequate capacity to meet the expected demand for touch-enabled Ultrabook experiences over the next several years. He also highlighted the company's efforts to deliver user-centric experiences across a range of mobile devices from the Ultrabook to smartphones and tablets, pointing to momentum across all three. More than 35 new ultra-sleek, ultra-responsive Ultrabook systems are available now or will be for purchase within 30 days, with more than 110 designs expected in the next year. Powered by 3rd generation Intel® Core™ processors and made with the world's most advanced 22nm 3-D tri-gate transistors, these new Ultrabook devices are more responsive and offer enhanced security in a selection of stylish designs for consumers and business users. "Our life experiences are defined by our senses -- by what we see, hear and touch," said Kilroy. "These human senses are also at the foundation of Intel's vision for the Ultrabook to deliver a no-compromise, must-have computing experience. "Today, thanks to the work of the industry at-large, we are one step closer to meeting that vision with the arrival of the next wave of 3rd generation Intel Core processor-powered devices. The innovation must continue as we move to touch-based Ultrabook convertible designs, and in the future aim to give them and other devices senses, making our interaction with them natural and intuitive." Next Wave of Ultrabook Devices Bring More Responsiveness, Enhanced Security In addition to increased responsiveness and enhanced security features, Ultrabook devices powered by the new 3rd generation Intel Core processors deliver up to two times the media and graphics performance compared to the previous generation, long battery life and offer more choice of stylish, thin designs.
We're live from Computex 2012 in Taipei!
Taiwan's tech typhoon is one day away from making landfall in Taipei, with thousands of manufacturers setting up shop at this year's Computex. We expect to see our fair share of laptops and tablets on the show floor, with plenty of local wares sprinkled in for good measure. Several teasers have come to light over the past few days, with ASUS hinting at dual-OS (Android/Windows) devices, Intel set to demo a barrage of third-gen Ultrabooks and Viewsonic abandoning tradition with its 22-inch Ice Cream Sandwich "tablet," so it's definitely shaping up to be a busy week. As always, you can stay on top of all the Computex news as it happens right here!%Gallery-156738%
HTC One S shows up in Taiwan with 1.7GHz Snapdragon S3, speed lovers wail
We'd been wondering just where the HTC Ville C would go with its odd mix of a 1.7GHz Snapdragon S3 and the One S' otherwise sleek hardware. Of all places, it's HTC's home turf of Taiwan: although the One S is still branded as the same phone, the usual 28-nanometer, 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 we've come to love has been replaced with a high-frequency version of its ancestor. When grilled about the switch by ePrice, HTC insisted that the new version would "provide consumers [with] the same experience." We're not so sure after having seen lower Nenamark scores, but we suspect many owners will be too happy with the micro arc oxidized body and rapid-fire camera to notice. All the same, charging NT$17,900 ($600) for a less efficient take on the same formula makes us wonder if supply for the 28-nanometer S4 didn't force a swap.
ASUS throws up two more Computex teasers, hints at dual-OS and dual-side devices (video)
After the rather vague teaser from three days ago, ASUS is back with two new videos to highlight its surprises at Computex next week. The first one comes with the tag line "All-in-one is no longer in one," with the money shot being the Windows 8 logo and the Android mascot showing up on two water droplets after they separated. This dual-OS and possibly dual-body concept reminds us of the Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Hybrid that never really materialized on the market (at the time of publishing this article, Lenovo's product page still embarrassingly says "This laptop is not available to purchase yet"), so we certainly hope ASUS won't fall into the same pit with its upcoming mysterious product. The second teaser, titled "When two sides unite," features a suspended cardboard with "Tai" printed on the left of the white side, and "Chi" on the right of the black side. After a finger smears a dot of paint on the "i" on both sides, the cardboard starts spinning to show a flickering image of "Tai Chi." Our money's on a laptop with a dual-side touchscreen on the lid (the smearing being the hint for touch input), thus saving the need of extra mechanical parts to make a convertible device (and out goes the Eee Pad Slider). Ultimately it depends on whether the cost of such double-sided displays like LG's would be feasible for ASUS to realize this idea; or worse yet, this could be just a matter of slapping two display panels back to back à la Samsung SCH-W999, which might not make sense when you take both weight and cost into consideration. Well, we shall find out the truth in a few days. Check out the video clips after the break.
ASUS Zenbook UX32VD unveiled, packs discrete graphics to flaunt that 1080p screen
New high-resolution Zenbooks are on their way, but ASUS has now revealed another addition that's packing its own discrete graphics. Like its recently unveiled siblings, the Zenbook UX32VD still packs a 1920 x 1080 IPS panel and "the latest Intel Core processor" -- likely something from the Ivy Bridge family, although ASUS is keeping schtum on the details for now. Graphical horsepower is delegated to NVIDIA's GT620, while the UX32VD also had a hybrid HDD on show at the event, not the standard SSD -- explaining why this new model is slightly thicker than the UX31A. Alongside a lack of processor specifics, there was no info on prices or release dates at the Taiwan press event but for now, Engadget Chinese have posted their full impressions at the source below. Ultrabook and graphics mavens can hit up the Google translation for a few more details. %Gallery-155120%
The Distro Interview: MSI Senior Vice President and co-founder, Jeans Huang
The MSI brand should be no stranger to connoisseurs of desktop motherboards, graphics cards and gaming laptops, but did you know that this Taiwanese company started off as a computer terminal maker 26 years ago? To find out more, we sat down with the very likable Senior Vice President (R&D Division) Jeans Huang. Read on to hear the co-founder's interesting story on how MSI was formed by five ex-Sony engineers, his frank reason behind MSI's reluctance to enter the smartphone market, and his thoughts on 3D display on the PC.
Acer's Q1 2012: World's fourth biggest PC maker made just $11.2 million in profit
Acer's Q1 financial report reveals that the fourth biggest PC maker in the world is feeling weak after posting a very modest profit -- three months after it declared a $212 million loss for 2011. Turnover for the first three months of this year was NT$113 billion ($3.8 billion) and profits after tax were NT$331 million ($11.2 million). To put that in context, it made a $40 million profit in the same quarter last year -- so this is a spectacular collapse of 72 percent year-over-year Reuters is suggesting that the problem is in part due to increased hardware costs caused by the Thailand floods, but the company isn't giving anything away. Instead its terse announcement just advised that the company grew its global PC market share by 0.8 percent to 10.9 percent, while in the EMEA region it grew 2.4 percent to 13.5 percent, adding that it is the only one of the "big five" that's seen any increase at all. You can read the scanty details for yourself, after the break. [Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons]
ASUS Zenbook Primes with 1080p IPS panels and probable Ivy Bridge CPUs are real, coming to Taiwan in June
We've already seen spec sheets suggesting that ASUS's 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch Zenbooks are being fattened up for a major update, but now Engadget Chinese has glimpsed the new devices in their cold aluminum flesh. Tentatively called Zenbook Primes, or the UX21A and UX31A respectively, they both have 1920 x 1080 IPS panels with a matte finish and excellent viewing angles (please, ignore the dumb 1024 x 768 screen-saver in the pic, it doesn't do it justice). Judging from the fact that ASUS refused to let us go hands-on in case we identify the internals, we can be pretty confident that these beauties are running on next-gen ULV Ivy Bridge processors, which -- unlike their more powerful brethren -- have yet to be formally announced. We asked if there'd be room for discrete graphics, such as one of NVIDIA's new Kepler mobile GPUs for Ultrabooks, and were told that "anything is possible." Responses were equally vague when it came to global availability, because apparently the devices are awaiting clearance from Intel. All we know is that they should be out in Taiwan in June, likely with similar price tags to their predecessors.
