From MWC 2012

[Sil_liS]

Samsung shows off Beam projector smartphone and 10.1in Note tablet

The projector smartphone is interesting for the business sector since "claims can be visible up to 50in in size" means that it is good for a small group of people. Depending on the image quality maybe it will replace a TV and make it easy to view films anywhere. On the other hand, I'm not sure about the size of the battery needed for such an action.

I'm confused about the new tablet. The 5" Note made some sense as it was in size between a phone and a tablet. But this is a tablet. Maybe they are trying to distance themselves from the Galaxy tab.


Asus debuts phone-tablet hybrid PadFone and Transformer Pad family
Compared to Fujitsu's Lifebook 2013 that is supposed to be a laptop that has a phone in it, this seems to follow the opposite direction being marketed as a phone that you dock into a tablet that you dock into a keyboard.

It makes me think of a 3 in 1 shoe:


The Transformer Pads seem to have good specs and they both come with quad core processors. They could be very nice replacements for netbooks.


HTC, Polycom Bring RealPresence Video Conferencing to Smartphones, Tablets
Just one step away from the hologram conferences that I've seen in SF films.


ZTE launches four Android tablets at MWC
My first reaction was "who?", and I still not clear about that. They make (or made) low end tablets, but it looks like they are moving to better specs.

Neonode 3D touch headed to tablets and phones
This looks like fun for gaming and 3D design. They call it optical touch, but it doesn't involve touching anything. You are supposed to move your fingers through a frame. It looks a little awkward to me since you have to hold the frame with one hand while "touching" with the other. On the plus side it's supposed to be very cheap "less than a dollar apiece".

Waterproof Your Smartphones, Tablets

Dropping a phone into a glass of water might be an obvious way of showcasing water protection. However, these companies were more creative at Mobile World Congress. HzO took the water test a step further by removing external panels to expose the battery and circuitry. Liquipel demonstrated how a tissue treated with the same nano coating can be dunked into water and remain completely dry as the water beads off immediately. P2i had examples of two phones with covers removed–one had been treated and one had not. It was easy to see the corrosion and damage that water damage does over time to a phone. This is why phones with water damage often show delayed signs of bad performance or misbehavior.

Instead of using a case to protect the device, they are coating the components. The article mentions a slideshow, but I can't see it on the website. However there is a youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebMfF8R1XfE.

Underwater reading anyone?


MWC 2012: Tablet surcharge for 3G 'widens digital divide'

Dunn claimed in the US, the hike in price from a Wi-Fi only tablet to one with 3G averaged out at $130 (£82), which he said was "just too expensive for many people."

"I think operators, OEMs and the industry should work together to figure this problem out," he said. "Until we do, these devices will remain out of reach for a significant group of people."

Cheaper 3G sounds good, but I like the other point that the CEO of Best Buy made:

Dunn also took a dig at the number of locked devices, only allowing users to access one operator, that were on the market.