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• Asus Padfone, ViewSonic ViewPad 7x, HTC Mazaa: US Update
• HTC Mazaa touts 12-megapixel camera sensor, still unofficial [video]
• MacBook Air price drop signals mid-2011 refresh?
• ViewSonic ViewPad 7x: Android Honeycomb lands a new 7-inch tablet
• Asus Eee PC X101: £120 MeeGo netbook inspired by MacBook Air
• Asus Padfone: a delicious tablet smartphone sandwich

Asus Padfone, ViewSonic ViewPad 7x, HTC Mazaa: US Update Posted: 30 May 2011 09:45 AM PDT Bringing you the latest tech news on this fine holiday evening it's your US Update. We've got the latest scoops from the annual Computex trade show in Taipei, including the new tablet smartphone hybrid from Asus, a 7-inch ViewSonic Honeycomb tablet and a 12-megapixel Windows Phone smartphone from HTC. The Asus Padfone takes a 4.3-inch smartphone and conceals it in the rear of a 10.1 tablet. The two devices share a single SIM card, applications transition between devices and there's a single storage pool so no need to transfer data. This is the definition of device synergy. Love the MacBook Air design but not ready to stomach the sticker shock? The £120 MeeGo-powered Asus Eee PC X101 netbook could be your cure. Available in either a HDD or SSD configuration, this netbook is a mere 17.6mm thick and weighs in at just 950grams. ViewSonic is taking the Android Honeycomb fight to the HTC Flyer and upcoming Acer Iconia Tab A100. With the race to deliver the first 7-inch Android Honeycomb tablet heating up, the dual-core Tegra 2-powered ViewSonic ViewPad 7x might be the tablet to beat. Next week when Apple kicks off its annual WWDC convention, we might see a mid-year refresh of the MacBook Air. Now priced at $829 (£503), down from $849 last week, the refurbished 11-inch MacBook Air sits at a 17 percent discount. Will we see an ARM-powered MacBook Air or is this the Sandy Bridge Core I refresh? Last up this morning is the HTC Mazaa, a 12-megapixel Windows Phone packing a new CPU and GPU configuration. We've seen the device in Microsoft Mango IE 9 demonstrations, but for the first time the device is handled in detail by notorious Nokia insider Eldar Murtazin — this is a video you don't want to miss. That wraps up the latest and greatest in the fine world of tech news. As always I'm Nick Marshall and I'll see you again tomorrow. Related posts: ViewSonic ViewPad 10S: hands on photos ViewSonic ViewPad 4: hands on photos Asus Padfone: a delicious tablet smartphone sandwich

HTC Mazaa touts 12-megapixel camera sensor, still unofficial [video] Posted: 30 May 2011 08:45 AM PDT The mysterious HTC Mazaa has received a lengthy hands-on video courtesy of Eldar Murtazin. After making several appearances in Microsoft Windows Phone Mango demos for IE9, the HTC Mazaa is quickly becoming the focus of the Windows Phone community. Today we learned the Mazaa packs a 12-megapixel camera, capable of capturing RAW images. The HTC Mazaa is by all accounts the future of Windows Phone hardware. Microsoft insider Tom Warren of Winrumors.com believes the Mazaa includes "an updated CPU and GPU configuration". The new chipset "allows HTML5 content on Internet Explorer 9 to run better than current retail Windows Phone 7 devices". While still very much speculation, rumors point to the HTC Mazaa launching in the U.S. on the Sprint network. Additional worldwide carrier releases are unknown at this time. The Mazaa is believed to feature a 3.7-inch display and a single LED flash for its 12-megapixel shooter. Now that we've seen a brief glimpse of Windows Phone Mango and the updated hardware — are these the first signs of a Windows Phone growth spurt for 2011? Coming Soon | HTC | TBD Related posts: Sharp unveils 12 megapixel mobile sensor Analyst confirms iPhone 5 will feature 8-megapixel camera and dual-mode Qualcomm chip Nokia X10 concept packs quad-core processor and 15-megapixel camera

MacBook Air price drop signals mid-2011 refresh? Posted: 30 May 2011 08:00 AM PDT The tall tell sign of an Apple product refresh has long been either inventory shortages or refurbished price cuts. Now priced at $829 (£503), down from $849 last week, the refurbished 11-inch MacBook Air sits at a 17 percent discount. We've heard rumblings the 2011 MacBook Air could see an Intel Core I upgrade or possibly even the iPad 2's A5 processor — assuming Apple's alleged departure from Intel to ARM proves true. Will we see new MacBook Airs announced next week? The third-generation MacBook Air was released just seven months ago, but Apple's 2011 WWDC convention may be the perfect time for a product refresh. The low-power Intel Core2Duo processors and solid-state drives combine for excellent performance and always-on finesse, but the need for more powerful processors has sidelined many potential power users. The move to Intel Core I Sandy Bridge chips would bring the power of the MacBook Pro line to the razor-thin 11 and 13-inch Airs. What about ARM and the A5? Truth be told, an Intel Core I MacBook Air seems like the most logical progression — at least in the near future. Apple may in fact switch to ARM processors for all of its mobile products, but not until after the release of OS X Lion. The reason being, OS X Lion is the first stage of Apple's grand scheme to transform computing. Before an ARM processor finds its way into an Apple laptop, the paradigm between its smartphone, tablet and laptops must shift towards a universal OS. An iOS-powered MacBook Air in 2011 still seems a little far fetched, don't you think? Coming Soon | Apple | TBD Related posts: 2011 MacBook Air: powered by A5 processor with Thunderbolt I/O? Apple bumps up plastic MacBook price HP Envy 14: UK price mimics Macbook Pro

ViewSonic ViewPad 7x: Android Honeycomb lands a new 7-inch tablet Posted: 30 May 2011 07:15 AM PDT Hitting the scales at less than a pound, the 7-inch ViewSonic ViewPad 7x will be one of the first bite-sized Android Honeycomb tablets to come to market. Despite its small stature, the ViewPad 7x is no slouch in the specs department, packing the same 1 GHz nVidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor as its much larger counterparts. It appears the Acer Iconia Tab A100 and HTC Flyer have a new competitor, game on. The ViewSonic ViewPad 7x features a 7-inch 1024 x 600 resolution 10-point multi-touch display, front and rear cameras, DLNA support, HDMI output, HSPA+ modem for mobile broadband and ships with Android 3.x Honeycomb. Specs alone should bring the ViewPad 7x into the conversation for anyone considering an Android tablet. Is 7-inches becoming the new tablet sweet spot (we're sure RIM would agree)? The HTC Flyer could be the first 7-inch Honeycomb tablet, barring a timely update, but soon will face the Acer Iconia Tab A100 and the ViewPad 7x. Which of these three 7-inch Android Honeycomb tablets will be making a home in your gadget collection? Coming Soon | ViewSonic | TBD Related posts: Another Android tablet: the ViewSonic ViewPad 7 ViewSonic ViewPad: Tablet trade-in shaves £100 off shelf price ViewSonic ViewPad 10S: hands on photos

Asus Eee PC X101: £120 MeeGo netbook inspired by MacBook Air Posted: 30 May 2011 06:38 AM PDT Asus may have hit a home run with its latest creation — the Eee PC X101. This ultra-thin netbook will be offered in two flavors, a Windows 7 and £120 ($199) MeeGo edition. With styling reminiscent of an 11-inch MacBook Air, Asus is bringing world-class design to the affordable entry-level netbook market. Let's take the Eee PC X101 for a spin, shall we? At the heart of the Asus Eee PC X101 is an Intel Atom processor with your choice of either a HDD or SSD configurations. The latter, delivers the same instant-on experience of the Apple MacBook Air and iPad 2. At a mere 17.6mm thick and just 950grams, you should have no problem carrying around the X101 with ease. When you consider the £120 ($199) price tag and the amazing design, Asus is offering a tremendous value for potential netbook buyers. Compared to the £867 11-inch MacBook Air, the Eee PC X101 becomes an even more attractive proposition. Pre-orders anyone? Coming Soon | Asus | £120 and up Related posts: MeeGo smartphone and netbook design revealed: photos MacBook Air 3G netbook family on the way? MacBook Mini: more rumours on Apple’s netbook

Asus Padfone: a delicious tablet smartphone sandwich Posted: 30 May 2011 06:04 AM PDT The Asus Padfone is without question the ultimate convergent device. At first glance the Padfone looks like an ordinary tablet, but tucked inside the back casing is a smartphone. RIM might have set the bar for smartphone tablet harmony with BlackBerry Bridge, but Asus Padfone is on an entirely new level. Is this the tablet future? Described as the symbiotic gadget, the Asus Padfone is quickly becoming one of the most interesting pieces of tech as of late. The synergy that exists between the smartphone and the tablet is remarkable — both devices share a single SIM card, the smartphone can be 'docked' inside the rear of the tablet for charging, applications can transition between devices and there's no need to transfer data since both devices share a single storage pool. Hardware-wise, the Padfone is a 4.3-inch smartphone and a 10.1 inch tablet. The core concept behind this amazing creation is a "people-centric design" — something Asus likes to call "N+1". N represents the current product (smartphone), +1 evolves the product (tablet dock).  Now it’s decision time — Asus Padfone or Eee pad Transformer? Coming Soon | Asus | TBD Related posts: US Update: Dell's 10-inch tablet, first Honeycomb smartphone, Asus iPad 2 competitor Orange Quick Tap outed: pay for your sandwich with a smartphone ASUS E600 Windows Phone 7 smartphone leaked!

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