So Much News in China… #075

Star Chang, Mar 18, 2013 1:11 PM, 504 views, Got something to say ?,

There are so much news from China that passes by that we couldn’t possibly cover it all. Here are the Chinese tech news that have left behind because we are just too busy or too lazy to post. There are stories on Chinese hacker, HTC one, WeChat on trouble, surveillance on China’s Skype and so on, check them out after the break. Video for this week: a short film about a window cleaners who keep the Shanghai World Financial Centre sparkling … Hope everyone have a fresh start to your week.

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Acer Plans to Release Affordable ‘Phablet’ Device at Computex 2013

Star Chang, Mar 15, 2013 1:47 PM, 418 views, Got something to say ?,

Acer plans to unveil its first phone-tablet hybrid handset at this year Computex, hoping to gain traction in the fast-growing smartphone market. The “phablet” category, which is defined by Acer as a mobile device larger than 5 inches that still can be held with a single hand, has become very popular among female and elderly consumers. The new Acer phablet will have special features in terms of size, camera and software. The company’s CEO projected that the global phablet market will grow to about 10 million devices in 2013, up from between 7 million and 8 million devices last year. Pricing for the large-screen handsets will be critical to drive demand, since consumers ideally want to pay about US$299 for such devices, lower than the US$399 to US$499 for which the product currently sells. During 2011, Acer had released the Iconia Smart S300, a handset with 4.8 inch display, 1024 x 480 resolution and run Android 2.3. The screen has a uncommon scale ratio and it only gained limited market popularity. Now all top Chinese PC makers are tapping into phablet segment, we will see how Acer’s new phablet is going to compete with Asus PadFone Infinity and Lenovo K900.

So Much News in China… #070

Star Chang, Feb 3, 2013 10:15 AM, 418 views, Got something to say ?,

There are so much news from China that passes by that we couldn’t possibly cover it all. Here are the Chinese tech news we have left behind this week because we’re just too busy or too lazy to post. There are stories on Samsung big investment in China, difficulties on bringing Chinese games to the West, Apple desperately needs an cheap iPhone and so on, check them out after the break. Video for this week: watch how American satirical television show laugh at the China’s air pollution… Hope everyone have enjoyed your weekend and a fresh start to your week.

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Intel Patners with Acer to Introduce More Intel-powered Smartphone

Star Chang, Feb 1, 2013 2:20 PM, 259 views, Got something to say ?,

Intel is trying all their best to expand its presence in the smartphone industry. The world’s biggest chipmaker joined Acer to unveil the Liquid C1 smartphone, a US$330 device running Google’s Android operating system, which will be launched first in Thailand market and then rolled out across Southeast Asia. Last year, Intel persuaded Chinese hardware manufacturers ZTE and Lenovo to build their own phones with Intel chips, but sales have not been stellar. Lenovo shipped more than 1 million units of its best-selling phone in China in the third quarter of last year, but shipped only about 20,000 of its first Intel phone, the K800. Look like Lenovo has not put in too much effort on establishing an x86 beachhead in ARM territory …

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Acer Sees Success in Google Chromebooks, Gripe on Microsoft Windows 8

Star Chang, Jan 29, 2013 6:08 AM, 385 views, Got something to say ?,

Acer’s Chromebooks have accounted for 5 percent to 10 percent of U.S. shipments since being released in US last November. The Taiwanese computer maker currently only offers one Chromebook model. The C7 is currently only selling through Google Play, Best Buy and TigerDirect.com, the WiFi-only model cost US$199. Google has focused on the use of Chromebooks, which is a browser-centric Linux-based operating system, in schools and large enterprises and positioned them as alternatives to more expensive Windows-based laptops. The search giant also argues that the cost of ownership of a ChromeOS device is significantly lower than for a standard Windows machines …

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Lenovo Introduces Expensive Chromebook Under ThinkPad Line for Schools Kids

Star Chang, Jan 18, 2013 12:54 PM, 313 views, Got something to say ?,

Lenovo introduced its first Chromebook, a laptop the company says is designed primarily for use in schools. But while the Lenovo ThinkPad X131e Chromebook is priced at an so-called affordable US$430, it’s more expensive than the Chromebooks offer by Acer($200) and Samsung($250). So, what’s with the high price tag ? Lenovo said that their ThinkPad Chromebook is more sturdy — the corners, hinges and hinge brackets have all been reinforced. There is a rubberized bumper coating the back of the laptop’s monitor, rather than the plastic construction on the other Chrome OS devices. You also get a high-definition, 11.6-inch, 1366×768 LED display, a 6.5-hour battery, and an Intel Celeron processor inside. And of course, you have to pay a little bit more for its signature red trackpad nub …

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CES 2013: Acer Announces Budget 7-inch Jelly Bean Tablet for US$150

Star Chang, Jan 8, 2013 6:49 AM, 643 views, 3 Comments »,

[UPDATE] Acer has finally announced a new seven-inch Android Jellybean tablet which cost less than US$200. The Iconia B1-A71 features a 1.2GHz MediaTek dual-core processor, 512MB of RAM and a 7-inch display with a 1,024 x 600 resolution. Other specs include 8GB of storage, 3MP front camera and a tiny 11.3mm-thin package that weighs just 11.3 ounces. Based on rumors and speculation we’ve previously heard, the price should be as low as US$99. Let’s be clear, this is no Nexus 7 killer with relatively modest specs. (512MB only ? WTF …) It’s just a mini tablet at a cheap as hell price that is actually from a reasonably popular brand. Best of all, the Taiwanese PC maker didn’t give us an official release date. Few more pics after the jump.

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Acer Plans to Launch US$99 Android Tablet in CES

Star Chang, Dec 25, 2012 2:33 PM, 687 views, 3 Comments »,

Acer is planning to launch a 7-inch super cheap tablet next month (CES 2013 ? ) called the Iconia B1, as the Taiwanese PC maker looks to expand its reach in the handheld market. According to the Wall Street Journal, Acer Iconia B1 will come with a very low price tag. Going head to head with the likes of the Google Nexus 7 and Amazon Kindle Fire HD, Acer is so-say planning on stealing the show by offering the Iconia B1 for just US$99 (616 yuan). The small tablet device will pack a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and a 7-inch 1024 x 600 display – neither of which matches the power and output of its closest rivals …

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So Much News in China… #065

Star Chang, Oct 15, 2012 6:42 AM, 463 views, Got something to say ?,

There are so much news from China that passes by that we couldn’t possibly cover it all. Here are the Chinese tech news that have left behind because we are just too busy or too lazy to post. There are stories on Lenovo becomes world’s top PC maker, China Mobile not willing to carry the iPhone 5, Windows 8 tablet from Taiwanese vendors and so on, check them out after the break. Video for this week: a gorgeous tilt-shift video that turns Shanghai into a giant model playset … Hope everyone have a fresh start to your week and stay tune on the upcoming Asia largest Apple store in Beijing.

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So Much News in China… #062

Star Chang, Sep 10, 2012 8:17 AM, 637 views, Got something to say ?,

There are so much news from China that passes by that we couldn’t possibly cover it all. Here are the Chinese tech news we have miss last week because we are just too busy or too lazy to post. There are stories on Apple ‘unfair’ repair policies, the end of Eeepc, Foxconn workers wages increse, Lenovo’s global ambitions and so on, check them out after the break. Video for this week: a short CGI animation on Chinese mythology and Kungfu fighthing … Hope everyone have a fresh start to your week and look forward to the super huge Apple’s announcment on Wednesday.

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