With some e-reader and tablet manufacturers apparently feeling the strain, and other brands pushing hard to corner more of the increasingly commoditized market in smaller generic tablet devices, Budapest showcases one example of a regional device maker trying to build itself some brand equity and move up the value chain, closer to the dizzy heights of an Apple Store. Hungarian tablet, smartphone and mobile device manufacturer MyAudio has opened its MyAudio Arena on central Budapest's hip Király Street, showing off its product range in fine style. The MyAudio Tablet Series 7 range is probably the most suitable for e-reading, with the...

The tablet gods seem happy with us today. Aside from the obvious news of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3-, 8-, and 10-inchers, Taiwanese company ASUS has also rolled out their latest mobile slate computer on Monday. This time, they’ve updated their MeMO PAD, consciously keeping its overall affordability and target audience. For the most part, the MeMO Pad HD7 takes on where its predecessor left off, remaining a budget-friendly tablet with modest features, perfectly suitable for an average user. The 7-inch tablet introduces HD resolution to the MeMO family with a 1280×800 IPS display and came down a bit in size...

We love the Nexus 7 tab. Google’s valiant iPad competitor nicely packs inside everything we enjoy about the company’s Android OS, their services and the streamlined symbiosis among them. Oh, and it being a full ‘Benjamin’ cheaper than Apple’s must-have tab makes the 7-inch Nexus even more desirable. First unleashed in July, it makes sense for an updated version to be quickly approaching, no? Well, we’re happy, as a report published today from Reuters leads us to believe exactly that. Google will allegedly be discontinuing its first batch of Nexus 7 devices alongside the roll out of its next-gen model. Ridding the floor plans of NVIDIA’s...

When looking for a new tablet, it seems consumers have Apple on the brain. The Yankee Group recently disclosed the results of a December survey in which it asked, "What brand of tablet do you intend to buy [next]?" For Apple, it was good news as nearly half of the 506 questioned picked the iconic brand. Apple Insider contends this is bad news for the rest of the tablet market, as 47 percent of surveyed consumers mentioned their intention to purchase an iPad. That left 26 percent of respondents going for an Android-based tablet, and 23 percent saying they were unsure, or didn’t know. Just one percent...

No, this doesn't mean I've given up on my Kindle Touch. It still has its uses, but I am really liking the Google Nexus 7 as a e-reader. For all my complaints in my earlier post about the Kindle app for Android, reading on it is a beautiful thing. The screen is gorgeous, and the text is clear and sharp. I've almost completely stopped reading on my iPad because the screen resolution is so much better on the Nexus 7. As soon as Instapaper is updated to add page flipping in the Android version, the only reading I'll be doing on...

By Jeremy Hill Asus recently revealed its new MeMO Pad tablet that’s going to be released in “emerging markets” this month, and the United States in April. This 7-inch tablet will be priced at $150, and it specifications go right along with its budget price. The MeMO Pad isn’t meant to lure anyone away from the Nexus 7 (which Asus also manufacturers) but those looking to save a little money may find this device enticing. The MeMO Pad has a 7-inch 1024×600 display, 1GB of RAM, a 1GHz processor, 8GB-16GB of expandable storage and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.  This tablet also differs from...

Remember that lawsuit from Hasbro complaining about Asus naming its new Android tablet the “Transformer Prime,” out of concern that consumers might confuse it with Hasbro’s popular transforming robot toy line? It’s still going to trial, but a judge has expressed sufficient skepticism over Hasbro’s claims to deny the company’s request for a preliminary injunction that would have stopped Asus from continuing to sell its tablets pending the outcome of the trial. The judge didn’t find sufficient resemblance between the Android tablet and Hasbro’s toys to warrant worries over consumer confusion, and noted Asus’s case is strengthened by the...

Perhaps this isn’t directly about e-books, except insofar as a tablet can be used as an e-reader, but I was so amused to learn today that Hasbro is suing Asus over the name of its latest hybrid tablet/netbook device that I just had to share it. I’m not surprised. I can honestly say I had half-expected it since I heard Asus was calling its original such device the Transformer, and I completely expected it when I heard the newest version was the “Transformer Prime”. I mean, really, what is any child of the eighties going to think when he...

ASUS announced the DR-900 back in January 2010, and it's finally shipping now in the UK for £279.99 ($450). The DR-900 is a 9" e-reader with a touch Sipix (AUO) display. It has 4GB of internal memory (and an SD card slot) and supports Wi-Fi and 3G (and optionally WiMax, too). The DR-900 got a web-browser, a virtual keyboard and it supports handwriting input. Formats include PDF, TXT, MP3 and ePub. Via E-Reader-info...

From a press release I received today: Fremont, CA & Barrington, IL (June 7, 2011) - ASUS, the world's top 3 consumer notebook vendor, and Page Foundry, the leading provider of white label digital content solutions for OEMs, are proud to introduce the Versent ebookstore, powered by Page Foundry. The new ebookstore enables ASUS @Vibe customers to quickly and easily find, buy and read today's most popular eBook titles including New York Time's Bestsellers, Digital Bestsellers, and hundreds of thousands of top selling ebooks. "At the heart of the @Vibe experience our customers will find convenience and choice," said Vira Chang, head...

The ASUS “Campus Life” blog reports that the Eee Note EA800 is about to hit shelves in North America at a list price of under $200 (which probably means “exactly $199.99”). The device is an 8” touchscreen 4GB e-ink “digital notepad” that comes with a stylus (or, as they call it, a “2,540dpi resolution touch pen that has 256 levels of pressure”) for precise, pressure-sensitive note-taking, annotating e-books, and so on. It also includes a 2MP camera, micro USB, micro SD, 802.11 b/g WiFi, headphone jack, and speakers. Battery life is given as 13.5 hours with a 10-day standby....

According to Linux Devices the new reader will be offering a high definition 1024x768, 64 grey scale LCD touch screen with Wacom technology. It will be released in Taiwan at about $230 and may make it to the US in the first quarter of next year. It is called the Eee Note EA800. It will run the Linux operating system. The unit will ship with 42 templates for note-taking needs and will have a built-in camera and voice recorder. Battery life is expected to be about 13.5 hours. The Asus web page is here. ...