NVIDIA and Asus Unwrap Transformer Prime Tablet

 NVIDIA and Asus Unwrap Transformer Prime Tablet with Tegra 3 Processor

The Asus Transformer Prime, in docked configuration.

 

 

 Asus and Nvidia have collectively taken the wraps off the next-generation version of Asus' well-received Transformer tablet line, and the new system aims to carve out a slice of the premium tablet market. It's far from a sure bet given the tremendous difficulty Android tablets have had cracking into the iPad-dominated industry, but the Prime impresses at least, so far. We reserve final judgment until we've actually seen shipping hardware. 

 

 

 

The Transformer Prime incorporates Nvidia's new Kal-El processor and it's one of Tegra 3's upper-end launch systems. We've discussed Kal-El in depth several times before; the new chip contains a fifth 'Companion Core' to reduce idle power consumption and contains 12 GPU cores, up from Tegra 2's eight. NV claims that Tegra 3's GPU is up to 3x faster than Tegra 2's thanks to additional architectural enhancements.                                                                                                                               

 

The Transformer Prime uses the same dock as the Transformer and the tablet itself is the same size and offers the same size screen at a 1200x800 resolution. One new feature of the Prime, however, is what Asus is calling "Super IPS+." The display's normal brightness tops out at ~500 nits, but the Prime offers an alternate 'Super IPS' mode that pushes display brightness up to 600 nits for use in bright outdoor environments.
  

System ports and additional info

 

 

Asus has also worked with Nvidia to improve touch-screen lag and claims the screen responds with just a 50ms lag time, compared to an average lag of 110ms on competitor's products. Battery life has improved over the Transformer's claimed 9.5/16 hours for mobile and docked mode; the Transformer Prime can supposedly run 12 hours independently and up to 18 hours when connected to the dock. When we asked Asus how it conducted its battery life tests, the company responded: " In addition, battery life results were obtained with a constant 720P video playback with all ports on and screen brightness at 60nits.  We are still optimizing battery life with NVIDIA and expect these numbers to hold true or improve slightly."

The new tablet will launch with Honeycomb 3.2, but Asus intends to offer an update to Ice Cream Sandwich once it finishes testing that OS.
 

  

 

Asus is positioning the Prime remarkably well, at least as far as the original Transformer is concerned. An extra $100 buys you 16GB more storage, a significantly faster system, and an improved camera, plus the Super IPS+ display. There's no arguing that the Transformer Prime's specs are much stronger than those on the iPad 2 even if Kal-El only matches the A6 overall, the Transformer Prime would come out ahead in terms of its price/performance ratio. It's an impressive, exciting machine and we're curious to see if the new generation of Android tablets can finally chip away at Apple's iPad.

  

 Unfortunately for Asus, it's unclear if impressive specifications and good design are going to be enough. Thus far, none of the manufacturers that've introduced Android tablets have seen them go on to become smash hits, though we suspect the less-hyped devices from smaller players have done far better than the dramatic failures of the Motorola Xoom or BlackBerry PlayBook. Even so, the Transformer Prime is expensive, all the more so considering Asus wants $149 for a keyboard with a small battery, USB 2.0 port, and an SD slot in it. That's not nearly the rip off that the Atrix 4G's dock was earlier this year, but it's scarcely a compelling value. $649-749 buys a nice laptop these days, and we're not convinced that the Transformer Prime's price structure is going to win it any converts.

 Somehow, in all the excitement over the iPad 2, OEMs have apparently forgotten that netbooks became popular precisely because they didn't cost as much as full size noteboooks. Nvidia's Tegra 3 isn't going to be able to match the performance of an x86 laptop, which is going to make it harder for any tablet this expensive to carve out a niche for itself, particularly given the enormous economic uncertainty gripping the US and Europe. With tablets like the Kindle Fire set to debut at $199, Asus may have priced the Transformer Prime too high for the buyers it's hoping to attract.

Who Else Needs Motivation?

 

You maybe? Are you not sure how to motivate yourself? It is not hard to learn how to do it. Wikipedia states that “Motivation is the driving force by which humans achieve their goals.”

If you have set up your goals, you should not have a problem with self-motivation.  If you haven’t, then you may find yourself in a need for goal setting.Setting up goals is, in a way, crucial in life, they help us to move forward.  Once you have set up your lifetime goals, set up a plan of smaller goals for 25 years, 10 years, 5 years, 1 year, to a 6 month plan, and a 1 month plan of progressively smaller goals that should help you achieve lifetime goals.  Finally set up daily activities – priorities that will work towards your lifetime goals.

Tip: goals should be crystal clear. It is hard to get where you want if you don’t know what you want. Avoid ambiguous goals.

Sense of achievement of your goals should be enough to motivate you daily. You can also create a wish book, or a wall, that contains all the photos of all the things you want to achieve and experience in your life. Motivation comes from within, so make sure that you know what motivates you.

Your motivational thoughts should be your first thoughts when you wake up in the morning, throughout the day and your last thoughts before you fall asleep. Remember, you can pick your thoughts, so make sure you choose the right ones, the ones that are motivating you.A good technique is to bring your inner child back, and the wishes you had as child back into your own life. Children don’t know how to stop; they don’t stop until they get what they want. When babies learn how to walk, they don’t stop trying after they fell, they get up and try again.

That is motivation in itself.

If haven’t seen it yet, see the movie “World Fastest Indian” with Anthony Hopkins. In that movie the main character is chasing his dream for 25 years. Do you think he got it? Do you think he was not motivating himself? What he said in one dialog was, and still is, epic “If you don’t chase your dreams, you might as well be a vegetable.”

How to motivate yourself:

1. Set up goals, make a wish book
2. Start and finish your day with your most motivating, positive, thoughts
3. Believe in your values, believe in yourself. Think of kangaroos, they can only move forward – that should be the way you are going in your life.

Action time. Revise your motivational skills. Motivation is a skill that can be learned. Use the tips above; make a list of motivation hot buttons and techniques that you will start to use from today.

Eid ul Adha Wishes to all

 assalamu alaikum wa-rahmathullaye wa-barakathvum
Advanced Eid ul adha wishes to all muslim brothers & sisters in the world. Please pray for all muslim brothers & sisters in the world to stay peace & calm.

Samsung launches Galaxy Note in India at Rs 34,990

Samsung launched the newest member of its Galaxy lineup of smartphones and tablets in India - Galaxy Note at Rs 34,990.

Samsung launched the newest member of its Galaxy lineup of smartphones and tablets in India - Galaxy Note at Rs 34,990.The Galaxy Note is nominally a smartphone, albeit with a massive 5.3 inch HD Super AMOLED display.With a host of tablet-like features, Samsung’s taken to rather breathlessly calling the Note “the next chapter of the mobile industry.”The phone’s giant size and the inclusion of Samsung’s digital S pen for on-screen scribing do add to the smartphone/tablet conversation.Samsung promises a 180 degree viewing angle, which should make for more relaxed and less-squinty video sharing.The 1280×800 resolution also means less zooming and scrolling when surfing the web and dealing with any business-related tasks like going over PowerPoints.On the hardware side of things, the Note runs a 1.4GHz dual-core processor with 1GB of RAM and 16GB or 32GB of built in storage.The Note has a pair of cameras, one with 8MP on the rear and a 2MP device on the front. The Note has a host of productivity software as well as a built-in stylus that slides right into the phone’s body.The S Pen allows users to scribble to their heart’s content without using their clumsy fingertips.The included S Memo software offers a platform to combine pictures, audio and handwritten notes and drawings that can be packaged and sent via text or email. (Image courtesy: Samsung)