-
Recent Reviews
Categories
-
Archives
-
Calendar
Lenovo today announced a new addition to its family of tablets – the IdeaPad Tablet A1. The 7-inch (LED with 1024×600 pixel resolution) IdeaPad A1 runs Android 2.3 and features a magnesium alloy “roll-cage” that is designed to protect critical internal components. The A1 is Lenovo’s third Android tablet to hit the market — the first two being the 10.1-inch IdeaPad K1 and the ThinkPad Tablet, also with a 10.1-inch screen.
Other vital specs include a single-core 1Ghz Nvidia Tegra Cortex A8 processor with 512MB RAM and 16GB of on board storage. You also get a 3MP rear camera (VGA front), a micro SD card reader and Mini USB connector
The A1 also features a “unique offline GPS navigation technology that allows direct satellite connection regardless of internet access”. We’re not sure how this is unique because virtually all devices can access GPS without the need for internet connectivity. You need connectivity to render the maps not to access GPS satellites but we’re not sure if that is what Lenovo means by this unique offline GPS navigation technology.
The A1 is available in black or white and will go on sale in Malaysia in January 2012 for RM799.
That RM799 price tag is very attractive for a 7-inch tablet but we’re not expecting that single-core 1GHz processor to deliver blazing performance either.
Head after the break for the IdeaPad Tablet A1 promo video.
Here’s a pair of stylus with a nostalgic twist. Instead of the standard, humdrum pen-like pointing apparatus that we’re used to, designer Mike Mak from Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design, harks back to the digital past to bring back this pair of delightfully designed styluses.
Inspired from the cursor designs of yore, the Big Big Cursor and Big Big Arrow styluses are ruberised, magnetic to perfectly complement your iPad 2 or your fridge.
Asking price? A fair $12.99 (about RM40) for either design. There’s also free worldwide shipping. Definitely adding this to cart.
It certainly looks like it. This picture is apparently a revised design of the top back cover of the HTC Flyer. As you can see there is a second camera port added to the cover where there was previous just one camera on the original Flyer.
Two cameras can only mean one thing, 3D photos and videos. Despite not running Honeycomb, we like the HTC Flyer very much and the only thing that’s stopping it from flying off the shelves is the price. At RM2,499 outright, the 7-inch tablet looks overpriced compared to the 10-inch Asus Eee Pad Transformer and Apple iPad. If only the device was priced lower, HTC would have a winner in its hands.
So now this mystery back plate begs the question, will 3D capabilities increase the appeal of the Flyer so much so that buyers will look beyond the outrageous pricing? We think not. Besides, 3D — for the most part — is just a gimmick.

While we’re all wondering when will the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer be available for purchase, Maxis has confirmed that the HTC Flyer will be available from them starting May 27.
Earlier Maxis made a joint announcement with HTC to announce the HTC Flyer. At the event, availability was set at May 12 but apparently due to stock issues, the availability date of the flyer had to be delayed.
What is still unclear and is still intriguing to us is the RM199 deal for the HTC Flyer that Maxis says it will be offering. Maxis COO, Jean Pascal Van Overbeke said that the offer is not a gimmick and its something worth looking forward to.
Come May 27, we will all know if this is indeed true. Stay tuned.
Big thanks to commenter Jason for the tip!
[source]

HTC is a prolific device manufacturer, that is a fact. Yes, all the HTC devices out there probably all look the same but there’s no denying that there are probably more HTC smartphones in the market then any other manufacturer right now.
But it’s not all quantity with the Taiwan-based manufacturer. Being chosen by Google to built the first Nexus phone, HTC is prominent when it comes to building quality devices too.
So we’ve established that HTC is a pro when it comes to making devices, and when it comes to Android devices, one can argue that HTC makes some of the best of them. But so far it’s been phones, phones and more phones from HTC.
2011 is the year of the tablet. For the first time we will see tablets coming in from more manufacturers than ever before. Aside from the usual suspects, tablet devices will come from HP, Acer, RIM and many others.
While others have been quick to jump on the Android tablet bandwagon, HTC have been taking their own sweet time. So why has HTC taken this long to put out a tablet? Was it to make sure that they have a winner in their hands? Is the HTC Flyer a real contender in the tablet wars? How does it stack up against the iPad 2? Is the stylus and HTC Scribe just a gimmick or does it really bring innovation to offer users an enhancement that they can really appreciate?
Head on over to after the jump to find the answers to these questions and more. This is our first impressions of the HTC Flyer.
At the HTC Flyer launch, Maxis revealed that it will offer the RM2,499 RRP device for a ridiculously low RM199 with contract. That is a whopping RM2,399 off the list price or a very generous 90% discount.
Naturally, we posted this right away and immediately the comments and tweets came flooding in. Some said we made a typo, some said Maxis made a typo, others claim that Maxis will offering a high monthly fee to compensate for the low price.
So to settle this once and for all We asked Maxis Chief Operation Officer, Jean Pascal Van Overbeke, what is the catch behind this to-good-to-be-true deal. Was the RM199 price announcement a misprint, did he mention the wrong number during his speech? What about the monthly commitment? Will it be ridiculously high?
Jean Pascal’s answer was frank and straight to the point. “The package will be competitive and interesting, otherwise we wouldn’t do it. We don’t want to have it (the HTC Flyer) stuck you know, we want to sell it.”
He promised to reveal all the details on May 12. Very well, we’ll keep in touch then. To register your interest, head over to Maxis Android Tablet page.

Maxis and HTC today announced the launch of the HTC Flyer. Here are some of the updates at the event.
The HTC Flyer will be priced at RM2,499 outright with market availability starting from May 12 at all Maxis Centres and Maxis Exclusive Partners. Maxis has yet to reveal plans and packages for the Flyer but have indicated the that the Flyer will be offered for as low as RM199 with contract.
MCMC regulations states that an operator can’t offer contracts for more than 24 months. If we take that into consideration and assuming that the monthly bundled plans are reasonable, this is one good deal for a rather interesting tablet device.
Stay tune for more updates.
Update: We spoke to Maxis COO, Jean Pascal Van Overbeke about the RM199 contract purchase price for the HTC Flyer. He confirms that there is no typo and that Maxis will indeed offer the HTC Flyer for RM199. When asked whether there is a catch, he answered “There is no catch”. Watch it all here.

Update: It looks like we missed a very important clue in the invite. The HTC Desire S will be joining in the fun as well this Friday. So we are actually looking at two more new devices from Maxis! Hats off to the product people at Maxis.
Just to refresh your memory, the HTC Desire S is an evolution of what was one of the best Android smart phones in its time — the HTC Desire. The Desire S features a unibody chassis that is slightly thinner (0.27mm) than the original Desire. Specs-wise, the Desire S runs Qualcomm’s latest single-core 1Ghz Snapdragon MSM8255 that is in the Incredible S, Sony Ericsson Xperia arc and Xperia Play.
The significant difference is that the Desire S comes with 768MB of RAM and 1.1GB of on board storage. Also, it’s very likely that the Desire S that will be launched this Friday will be running Android 2.3 Gingerbread. If this is indeed that case, this makes the Desire S the third device in the local market to run Google’s latest mobile OS.
Other than that, you get 3.7-inch 480×800 pixel Super LCD screen, a 5MP camera with a single LED flash and 720p video recording, there’s also a VGA front camera, dual-mic for active noise-cancellation and a 1450mAh battery to power it all up.
Check out a promo video of Desire S here.
===
One of the most promising and yet vastly underrated tablets to come out this year is coming to Malaysia and it’s happening this Friday!
Yeap, we’re talking about the HTC Flyer with its tremendously fresh Scribe Technology stylus interface will launch at the end of this week with Maxis.
We got to hand it to Maxis for being really proactive in bringing all this new and exciting devices to Malaysia. In the span of less than two months we’ve seen the Nexus S, the awesome Xperia arc and now the HTC Flyer tablet make their debuts with Maxis. All this action is certainly is keeping a lot of geeks and device junkies out there very, very happy.
Keep up the awesome Maxis! Now can you tell us when the Xoom and Atrix are coming?
Excited about the HTC Flyer? Check out a full six minute demonstration video of the device here.
We’re pretty stoked that the HTC Flyer will be coming to Malaysia via Maxis, and looking at this new video from HTC, there is a lot to look forward to in the company’s first ever Android tablet.
We can’t wait to experience HTC’s new Scribe Technology. It uses a stylus as an input device but instead of just being a pointing tool, the stylus that comes with the Flyer works more like a pen and paper.
Take a look at the video, the implementation the Scribe Technology is interesting, and if it works the way HTC says it does, then the Flyer is a tablet that brings something new into the tablet game.

HTC’s upcoming 7″ tablet, the HTC Flyer seems to be coming to Malaysia very soon. Maxis via its Maxis 10 programme has announced on twitter that they are accepting new applicants to review the HTC tablet.
The HTC Flyer runs on a single core 1.5GHz processor with Android 2.3 Gingerbread and comes with a 7″ screen supporting 1024×600. It comes with 4000mAh battery and weights 420 grams. You can check out more details of the specs here.
