The Lenovo LePad Hybrid U1: The Apple iPad2 Killer?

The LePad is a unique Android-based tablet that will stand out among competitors. We saw the tablet and its optional dock at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year and I came away impressed with the versatility and the functionality of LePad. As an Android tablet, the LePad will be coming, according to Lenovo, to the U.S. later this year. The optional U1 dock will have users slide the screen into the lid, to create a laptop-like environment where the Windows-based notebook will utilize processing power from the dock while converting the tablet display into the notebook screen. When in laptop mode, LePad owners will be able to use the tablet display to view content, type and interact with the device via the touchpad and keyboard, and experience the power of Intel’s Core i5 CPU along with Windows 7.

Unlike other Android tablets on the market that are geared more as content consumption devices, the LePad will offer users the ability to produce content and remain productive via the optional U1 Hybrid Dock. In tablet mode, the lightweight ARM-based CPU will power Android’s OS, but once docked, the dock will provide turn the tablet’s display into a screen and will utilize the RAM, ROM, HDD, Intel Core i5 CPU to power Windows 7. Unlike the Atrix 4G’s Laptop Dock, which only provides a screen, touchpad, and keyboard to the phone and the phone will continue to power the webtop environment, Lenovo’s offering will provide the necessary horsepower to turn the tablet into a fully functional, powerful Windows 7 laptop.

Also, unlike Tablet PCs offerings of yore, which runs the Windows OS, the LePad cannot be used as a Windows tablet. In docked mode, the tablet’s screen will not be able to accept finger or pen input, from my understanding with the conversation we had with Lenovo. The benefit of the detachable screen is that in tablet mode, the LePad will not be as clunky as traditional tablet PCs, including the company’s X200 series tablet with the convertible form factor. Without having to carry around the keyboard portion in tablet mode, users will have a more lightweight tablet.

While the tablet itself will be competitive priced against other Android tablets, the device will have built-in mobile broadband support. The U1 Hybrid Dock will also add to the cost of the device for users who need the power of Intel’s CPU and Windows 7. The estimated cost will be between $400-$1,000.

A LePad 2 is being geared up to be announced by the end of the year, according to Lenovo.

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The Powertube. =)

When you're always on the go - one thing that would worry the most is the battery life of your phones. =) Imagine being in meetings all day long and there's no place to charge your phone... what do you need then?

You'll probably need something like this mobile charger.

This one is called the Powertube - and it comes with so many different adapters.

That's a closer look of the adapters.

Use it to charge your iPhone...

Or even Blackberry. =P

Now... who wants one?

The New iPad 2 - all the drills and the spills. =P

Steve Jobs hit the stage today at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco to launch the iPad 2. Jobs says it's a whole new design, with a dual-core 2X faster CPU, 9X faster graphics. Same low power as A4, with same 10-hour battery life. There are two cameras, front and rear as speculated. But it's 33 percent thinner: 8.8mm thick. It ships March 11 — for the same prices, starting at $499. International roll-out is March 25.

"This thing's going to be everywhere in the month of March," says Jobs.

"It's thinner than an iPhone 4," says Jobs. And lighter too, at 1.3 lbs. There's now a built-in gyroscope along with the accelerometer. As rumored, it will come in two colors. Black and white, which will ship "from Day 1," says Jobs.

The iPad 2 will support Verizon and AT&T networks from Day 1, too. However, they won't be 4G speeds — LTE or even HSPA+ compatible — according to the press release, which only confirms "HSUPA support for enhanced 3G upload speeds on iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G on AT&T.

There will not be a major new iPad OS release, or any new tweaking of the home screen or notifications, apparently. Instead, the iPad 2 will ship with iOS 4.3, which has been out in beta. This includes amped-up Safari browser performance, iTunes home sharing, improvements to AirPlay, and a preference option for the switch on the side for muting or rotation lock.

There are also a few camera-friendly apps, including FaceTime, the video-conferencing utility that is now on iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch and Mac. There's also Photo Booth, which has zany effects (Picasso distortion, "Predator" view, etc.), like the version that's been on the Mac for ages.

SO.... will you get the new iPad2?

LIVE Updates on the iPad 2 Launch. =P

....yes... the event we've been all waiting for....

*wooooots*

The Apple iPad 2 to be announced on March 2nd, 2011.

March Madness could take on a whole new meaning if Apple gives the world another iPad next week. Apple Inc is expected to unveil the second generation of its wildly successful media Tablet, widening its headstart against competitors just starting to sell their first Tablet computers. The Cupertino, California-based company e-mailed invitations to a media event in San Francisco on Wednesday that show a calendar page with the corner peeling away to reveal an iPad underneath.

The large "2" on the calendar page denotes the event's March 2 date, but is also a hint that Apple is about to announce the follow-up to the original iPad. The iPad, about the size of a large book, has been likened to an overgrown iPhone or iPod touch, as it is powered by similar software and can run the same applications, or "apps." But it has a bigger screen that makes reading e-mail messages, surfing the Web and watching movies easier on the eyes.

With a starting price of US$499 (RM1,600), it's less expensive than many computers and, at 1.5lbs, it also weighs less. Unlike small, inexpensive laptops such as netbooks, the iPad turns on instantly, so people don't have to wait through a sluggish boot-up. And the iPad also lasts about 10 hours unplugged, making it ideal for travellers and other people on the go. Apple sold more than 15 million iPads in its first nine months on sale, including 7.3 million to holiday shoppers during the October-December quarter - about a million more for the quarter than analysts were expecting.

Since the iPad's launch, other consumer electronics makers have been scrambling to develop Tablets of their own. For example, Samsung Electronics Co began selling the Galaxy Tab last year, and Motorola Mobility Inc's Xoom has just gone on sale. Many of these new Tablets run Google Inc's Android software. The iPad is the first Tablet computer to win over mainstream consumers. A decade earlier, PC makers were selling Tablets that ran Windows, the same operating systems found on most fully-fledged PCs.

While some businesses bought them, they never sold well among consumers. These Tablets were heavier and had shorter battery lives. They were also more difficult to use as touchscreen devices, as Windows was meant to be used with a mouse and keyboard. As usual, Apple has not said anything about the highly anticipated next version of the iPad, leaving rumours to swirl unchecked online. Some bloggers have speculated that the new iPad will have a front-facing camera, which would allow people to hold video chats using services such as Skype.

If that were the case, its design would more closely match the iPhone 4, which went on sale last June with a front-facing camera and Apple's own video-chatting software, called FaceTime. Others have speculated that the new iPad will be thinner and lighter than the original, and will come with a bigger built-in speaker. Also on Wednesday, Apple shareholders rejected a proposal that called for the company to disclose a succession plan for its chief executive. The rejection came a month after Apple CEO Steve Jobs went on an indefinite medical leave for unspecified problems - an absence that could be related to his previous bout with pancreatic cancer or his 2009 liver transplant. Apple announced the preliminary vote on the non-binding proposal at its annual shareholders meeting, but did not provide a breakdown.