ASUS' new Fonepads are solid tablets, but still awkward for making calls

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/02/asus-fonepad-hands-on/

ASUS' new Fonepad 7 and 8 are sleek, well-built Android tablets equipped with 3G connectivity and dual SIM slots, along with a speaker and mic. Whether making calls on a gigantic slate is something you're into is another question, but if you're at all interested in a tablet that can pull double duty as your handset, ASUS' products are the best ones you could ask for. And they work quite well as tablets, too.

Announced at Computex in Taiwan earlier today, the Fonepad 7 and 8 are updates to last year's Fonepad 7 -- both sport 64-bit Intel processors for improved power efficiency and speed. It's impossible to draw conclusions about a tablet's performance based on a few minutes of use, but basic Android 4.4 (KitKat) navigation on both Fonepads felt a smooth as you'd expect. On the 1,280 x 800 IPS display, colors are extremely crisp and vivid as well.

The larger Fonepad 8 is definitely the more premium of the two, with a dimpled texture on the back as opposed to the Fonepad 7's simple rubberized finish. The bezels are extremely narrow, which makes gripping the tabs with one hand relatively easy. At a show full of run-of-the-mill Android tablets, these two definitely stand out.

While both devices are quite thin and light, there's no getting around it: holding a 7- or 8-inch slab up to your face to make calls will never feel natural. If you mostly communicate via text -- or if you're content to use the speakerphone -- this won't be a huge problem, but the Fonepads' size is definitely not ideal for lengthy calls.

Fortunately, both tablets have much more going for them than just the phone functionality; they're attractive, with premium specs to boot, and dual front speakers make them ideal for streaming music and watching movies. ASUS is the master of multifunctional devices -- seriously, check out this phone-laptop hybrid also unveiled at the show -- and the Fonepads are high-quality, if unexciting, Android tablets.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, ASUS

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Google is building 180 satellites to spread internet access worldwide

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/01/google-making-internet-satellites/

Google's plans for satellite-based internet access just got a little more concrete. The Wall Street Journal hears that the search firm is preparing to build 180 "small, high capacity" satellites (not pictured here) that will go into low orbit and provide internet connections to underserved areas. While details aren't forthcoming about the machines, there may be more on the way; reportedly, the company could "double" its vehicle count if all goes well. A spokeswoman didn't confirm or deny the efforts, but did note that having an internet link "significantly improves people's lives."

The initiative might be very expensive, with tipsters estimating a cost between $1 billion to $3 billion. However, the satellites could eventually pay for themselves. They would really be an extension of the thinking behind the balloons from Project Loon -- getting more people online increases the number of people who can see ads, improving Google's bottom line. Any orbital internet service would most likely serve as a complement to Project Loon, providing data in far-flung, sparsely populated regions while the balloons handle places with greater demand.

[Image credit: NASA/GSFC/Landsat, Flickr]

Filed under: Internet, Google

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Source: Wall Street Journal

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The ASUS MEMO Pad 8 is 'the world's lightest eight-inch LTE tablet'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/02/asus-memo-pad-8/

ASUS boss Jonney Shih is barreling through his announcements at Computex 2014. Between routers, 4K monitors and flagship laptops, he also revealing the company's newest tablets, and the MEMO Pad 8 is the first salvo. With a 64-bit 2.3GHz Intel processor, Gorilla Glass 3 and a full HD display, Shih says it's the lightest LTE tablet in the world -- it's only 299 grams.

It was swiftly followed by the slightly smaller, and logically named, MEMO Pad 7. It'll also pack Intel's 64-bit Atom processor, although the screen is merely HD(that's 720p), not 1080p like the 'Pad 8. If you haven't quite bought an Android tablet yet (and you're still in the market for one), the MEMO Pad 8 will arrive later this year in pink, white and royal blue color options, while the MEMO Pad 7 will be dressed in turquoise, red, white and yellow. Summer shades, people. Summer shades.

Both tablets feel light, and while the range of color options is attractive, we can't fight the feeling that there's nothing here to woo over prospective tablet buyers that haven't yet made the leap. Both of them handled exactly like you'd expect from an Android tablet, we have no complaints about the Intel processor working away inside. The MEMO Pad 8 proved to be our favorite of the two, with bright, pixel-dense panel. The styling of the eight-inch tablet also follows the Padfone series, while the seven-incher settles for looking awfully similar to last year's MEMO Pad which not-so-coincidentally launched at Computex 2013.

Zach Honig contributed to this report.

Filed under: Tablets, ASUS

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Here's a semi-professional 32-inch 4K monitor from ASUS

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/02/asus-PA328Q-4k-monitor/

Following ASUS' $799 28-inch 4K monitor from earlier this year, the Taiwanese tech giant has today unveiled yet another high-res display, but this time it's aimed at semi-professionals instead of mainstream users. The new ProArt Monitor PA328Q is a 32-inch, 16:9 3840 x 2160 monitor, and it boasts factory calibration with 10-bit color, 100-percent sRGB color gamut plus 350cd/m² brightness. On the back, you'll find three HDMI ports (one of which with built-in MHL 3.0), one DisplayPort 1.2, one Mini DisplayPort 1.2 and four USB 3.0 ports. ASUS added that this pretty monitor lets you adjust its tilt, swivel, pivot and height.

As with many product announcements today at Computex, ASUS doesn't yet have a solid date or price for the PA328Q, but our understanding is that it's aiming for around half the price of the high-end $3,799 PQ series when it lands in Q4. If you need something fairly reliable for your graphics projects but are stuck with a smaller budget, then this monitor is probably worth your consideration -- if you can wait for it, that is.

Filed under: Displays, ASUS

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FilmOn Lets You Watch Broadcast TV Online for Free

Source: http://lifehacker.com/filmon-lets-you-watch-broadcast-tv-online-for-free-1583948264

We're big fans of cord-cutting here at Lifehacker, but you still occasionally miss broadcast TV, especially sports. FilmOn is a way of watching broadcast TV online for free.

FilmOn includes a variety of TV stations based in the US as well as international stations. The free version of the service includes standard definition broadcasts and embeds ads before you can watch. For an additional $9.95 a month, they provide a higher quality stream as well as the ability to save shows for later watching. Both the paid and free versions of the service have the original broadcast TV ads as well.

Similar to broadcast-to-online service Aereo, FilmOn's long-term legality is questionable and it's been ordered to shut down. Until that time, catch broadcast TV online for free at the link below.

FilmOn Live TV | via MakeUseOf

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