Hands-on with the Honeywld Power Zest ICS set-top box at Computex 2012 (video)

Looking for an unwieldy product name for your next game of tech Scrabble? How about Honeywld Power Zest? Yes, don't adjust your television, there's no "i" in Honeywld. Speaking of TVs, this err... zesty little item we discovered here at Computex is a set-top box running Ice Cream Sandwich. Feel the power! To be clear, this is not a Google TV device -- it runs Android 4.0 with a heavily skinned, remote control-friendly UI.

The box (available in blue, red, yellow and black) is built around a 1.2GHz dual-core Marvell SoC featuring Qdeo technology paired with 1GB of RAM. An embedded 2GB microSD card provides flash storage for the OS. In front you'll find a power LED and infrared receiver, while in back there's a power button, 3.5mm AV connector (for analog audio and composite video), optical audio output, HDMI socket, two USB 2.0 ports, an 100BaseT Ethernet jack and a 12V DC power input. There's no wireless support.

We took the device for a spin using the supplied IR remote (which includes a mix of standard buttons plus the home, back, menu and search keys required for Android) and the experience was a bit of a mixed bag. It certainly worked as advertised but navigating Android with just a D-pad and four buttons was quite frustrating. Text entry was painful and buggy (an infrared keyboard will be offered as an extra accessory) -- then again, the box we used was still running early firmware.

Honeywld plans to make the Power Zest available to Taiwanese retailers late July for somewhere between $95 to $120. Retail pricing will be a a little higher depending on markups. Until then, feast your eyes on the gallery below and hit the break for our hands-on video.

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Gigabyte GSmart G1362, G1342 and M1348 at Computex 2012 (hands-on video)

Want a dual-SIM phone running Ice Cream Sandwich? You've come to the right place. Here at Computex in Taipei we uncovered three of the handsets Gigabyte announced yesterday -- the GSmart G1362, G1342 and M1348 -- and took two of them for a spin.

First up is the G1362 which sports a 4.3-inch FWVGA (854x480) display, 5 megapixel AF camera with LED flash, 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 CPU, 512MB or RAM and 4GB of internal storage. Next is the G1242, featuring a 3.5-inch HVGA (480x320) LCD, 5 MP autofocus camera with flash, 800MHz single core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 512MB of RAM and a lowly 1GB of built-in flash. The M1320 M1348 was non-functional and hidden in a display case. It's expected to match the G1342 in specs but uses a 1GHz MediaTek CPU and offers 4GB of built-in storage. As previously mentioned, all three phones include two SIM slots (one of them HSPA 7.2Mbps-capable) and run Android 4.0.4.

Despite packing a Snapdragon S4, the G1362 looks and feels like a mid-range handset, with a less-than-stellar display (poor brightness and viewing angles). The UI was reasonably responsive, however, which is pretty much what you'd expect from a phone with such a powerful processor. As for the G1362, it's basically your standard fare low-end Android handset albeit with dual-SIM support and ICS. Build quality was in line with other prototypes we've handled -- that is to say a little rough around the edges. Of course, it's important to keep in mind that we played with pre-production units running non-final software.

The G1362 should be available in July for less than $300 unsubsidized, the G1342 is shipping this month (June) for under $200 and the M1348 is expected later this summer at a sub $150 price point. Want to know more? There's a gallery below and a pair of hands-on videos after the break.

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Nintendo Wii U Pro Controller hands-on (video)

Although we managed to get our mitts on the Wii U and updated GamePad here at E3 following Nintendo's keynote, the recently unveiled Pro Controller turned out to be harder to find. We were thankfully able to visit the company's amusement park massive booth on the show floor where we discovered the wireless peripheral, along with a GamePad, tethered to a demo of the upcoming title, Rayman Legends. Join us past the break for our initial impressions in text and on camera.

Nintendo Wii U Pro Controller hands-on





There's no getting around how similar the Pro Controller looks to Microsoft's Xbox 360 gamepad, aside from lacking a bulging battery on the rear and having its joysticks on an even horizontal plane. From what we can tell so far, however, the controller seems to be slightly wider and a bit shorter than the 360's. The unit's ergonomic shape and button layout proved very comfortable during our session, not least of which includes its fairly sturdy feeling build quality and light weight. From left to right under the joysticks, you'll find a D-pad and four action buttons, while the center plays host to a battery indicator, Wii U function buttons and controller assignment indicator lights. The top-rear of the controller there are bumper and trigger pairs on the left and right sides, along with a Mini-USB port in the middle for charging.

We really have little to complain about regarding the buttons, as each has a nice amount of play without being too stiff or loose. If we had to nitpick, we'd say that the action buttons could stand to have just a bit more bounce-back after each press. While we're complaining, we should also note that the glossy front plate is a fingerprint and grease magnet -- our controller was completely smudged after a few seconds of use -- so it's too bad the controller isn't finished in matte all the way around. The Joysticks roll about smoothly with a pleasing amount of tension, and they can be clicked down to act as L3/R3 buttons. The back of the controller lays claim to sync and reset buttons, and there's a screw down door for its battery. However, we weren't able to pry the bay open to find out what type of batts you'll specifically need to power it.

During our Rayman session with a Nintendo rep, the tactile controls (which would normally have been accessed from the GamePad) were delegated to our Pro, while the GamePad's touchscreen display became their primary input method. Essentially, while we moved Rayman around the world with traditional controls, while touch gestures on the Pad (which displays exactly what's on the TV screen with added touch prompts) allowed our sidekick to manipulate various items within the level to help us get from point A to B. Surprisingly to us, both controllers felt equally natural for playing even though the gaming experience provided is clearly different for both. We'd be remiss not to mention that the Pro Controller didn't seem to be packing any vibration functionality, but overall we'd say it performs pretty well -- just plan to keep the microfiber cloth handy.


via Engadget

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ASUS G75VW is world's first notebook to sport Broadcom 802.11ac WiFi, we go hands-on (video)

In the back corner of ASUS' brightly lit Computex booth there's a simulated gamer's lair, complete with dim LED lighting, the sound of frequent gun fire and a small handful of nondescript gaming notebooks. The G75VW is one such device, but in addition to the Ivy Bridge Core i7 processor, NVIDIA GTX 670M and massive 17.3-inch LCD, this otherwise standard portable rig includes one very important distinction: it's the very first of its kind to pack 802.11ac WiFi. Approaching gigabit Ethernet speeds, this 5th-generation WiFi-equipped notebook supports up to 900Mbps of wireless throughput -- though we certainly wouldn't expect to see such speeds smack in the middle of a tech trade show exhibition hall. Instead, the device performed within the 200-400Mbps range, only jumping beyond that upper limit for a second or two during our demo.

You can't get 802.11ac without a properly equipped router, so we weren't surprised to see an ASUS RT-AC66U positioned an inch away from the lappy's rear. Computex may be an appropriate venue to launch the first 802.11ac-capable computer, but it's certainly not the best place to demo any flavor of wireless technology, so we look forward to putting the new spec through its paces in a slightly less saturated setting. For now, you can get a closer look at the router and G75VW gaming system in our gallery below, followed by our hands-on video just after the break.

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MK802 Android 4.0 Mini PC hands-on impressions

There must be something in the water in in hardware-designer land. Small is en vogue, it seems, and to say we've been intrigued about this latest twist on diminutive form factors would be an understatement. So far, Android has largely (though not exclusively) kept itself firmly in the palms of our hands. But, increasingly it is popping up in places we never even thought about. For the uninitiated, that thing above -- the Chinese-made MK802 -- is a complete "mini PC" that's about the size of a USB flash drive or card reader. It has a 1.5GHz Allwinner processor, 512MB of RAM and 4GB of onboard flash storage. You can get at these internals via two USB ports (which can also power the device,) and pump the result out to a display via HDMI. If that 4GB of memory isn't enough, you can expand it via a microSD slot. All good and well, but what would you do with such a thing? Plenty is the answer. This not only makes any HDMI display a PC, it also ushers in a new type of portability. Bring your Netflix over to a friend's house without needing your phone, or never worry about using public PCs again. All of these niche uses give the MK802, and its kind, lots of potential. But what is it like in real life? Shimmy past the break to find out.

Hardware-wise, there isn't all that much to talk about that we haven't already covered. Unsurprisingly, it is light and plasticky feeling. However, you can imagine that this would be quite safe, being thrown around in the bottom of a bag, or in a key- and coin-filled pocket. It seems a little unfair to say it feels cheap, but then, it is cheap ($74). In the best possible way of course. Set up was easy enough, just plug this little fella into an HDMI port (cable provided) and a USB slot for juice (we used one on the TV, there's the option for a power pack too,) and you're away. It takes a few moments to boot up, but once it does, you're into good old Android (4.0.3). We used a wired mouse in the second USB port which worked straight away with no problems. Another option could be to explore some VNC or remote control applications, but this seemed more complicated than it was worth. A dongle-based wireless mouse might be better. What could also be nice, for later versions, would be Bluetooth support for additional HID options.

In use, the only difference to a tablet flavor of Android is the mouse part. In the main it's no problem, and you soon get used to it, but apps where touch -- especially of the "multi" variety -- might not translate so well. All media tasks (HD video, Spotify, YouTube etc,) were handled pretty well. Sometimes there is a bit of a lag on the UI -- especially with things like Google Maps, or busy webpages -- but in general it keeps up nicely. We did have a few frustrating moments when taking power from some USB ports which caused the MK802 to keep restarting, but plug it in to one meant for power, and performance is solid.

Out of curiosity, and being the number fetishists that we are, we ran a few quick benchmarks on the wee chap. Now, we didn't go quite as in-depth as we would, say, for a phone, but over all it gave modest, to lower-end results. Quadrant clocked in at around 1238, GL Bench 20fps, and Sun Spider 5075.8, which -- if pushed to measure it against something -- puts it in Panasonic Eluga territory.

Back in the real world, it's fair to say that it didn't take long before we got right into the whole Android-on-a-TV thing, and started to wonder about all the apps that might be well suited to this configuration. YouTube is an obvious example, and it worked much better on the MK802 than some native Smart TVapps we've seen. The same is true for things like BBC iPlayer, where the Android interface is sometimes snappier than the TV app. Of course, it's even better when it brings apps to your TV that otherwise might not be available, like Netflix (which does have TV apps, but only certain models). The more time you spend with this, discovering suitable apps, the better it gets, and we could see some really unique uses for it going forward.

Right here and now, though, this is neat little solution that will really appeal tinkerers and Android fans. Of course, anything with a processor and some memory instantly has the Linux wolves circling, and this too would be ideal for your favorite install. As mentioned above, media playing works a charm, which is makes it a good light solution for dumb TVs, or those with poor app options. The general population might not have sufficient use for it just yet, but with a few tweaks like a small battery (so it doesn't switch off with the TV,) Bluetooth, or an audio out, this could really gain a lot of fans. But hey, who wants to be part of the gen pop anyway? We're quite taken with it as it is, and are curious to see how the Cotton Candy stacks up against it. In the meantime, you can check the video below to see how it handles various tasks.

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