Energy Sistem beefs up its budget i8 slate with Ice Cream Sandwich inside

Low-cost tablets are a dime a dozen in the Android world, what with no name offerings from Ainovo to budget stalwarts like Archos. But there's always room for more competition and Energy Sistem seems intent on elbowing its way to a prominent place at the bottom. A mild update to its existing slate lineup, the Energy Tablet i8 keeps the same 8-inch LCD display and 1,024 x 768 resolution (in 4:3 aspect ratio) of its Gingerbread-baked predecessors, but this time packages it with Ice Cream Sandwich onboard. The tab also comes equipped with an Arm Cortex A8 processor clocked at 1GHz, VGA front-facing / 2-megapixel rear camera setup, 8GB of storage (expandable to 64GB via microSD), 1GB RAM, HDMI-out, a 3,800mAh battery and support for WiFi b/g/n. It's up for pre-order now on the company's site, with an official release slated for this August 23rd. But at €185 (about $227), you might be better off saving up a few extra bills and shelling out for the more premium Nexus 7. Official PR after the break.

Continue reading Energy Sistem beefs up its budget i8 slate with Ice Cream Sandwich inside

Filed under: Tablet PCs

Energy Sistem beefs up its budget i8 slate with Ice Cream Sandwich inside originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 14:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments]]>

View the original article here

Exclusive: A look inside the Volkswagen Group Electronics Research Laboratory

Filed under: Concept Cars, Technology, Volkswagen, Design/Style


Manufacturers realized long ago that the most effective way to leverage niche talent was to embed a team in the heart of the segment. From surfboard makers to chocolatiers, firms relocated offices to seek specific talents and a better local feel.

Automakers jumped on the bandwagon too. Southern California, long recognized for its fanatical car culture, became a mecca for automakers seeking to get a better taste of the region's motor vehicle passion. In no time, automakers had established Southern California design studios in places like Camarillo (Volvo Monitoring and Concept Center), Newbury Park (BMW DesignworksUSA) and San Diego (Nissan Design America). Cars like the BMW "E46" 3 Series, Nissan 370Z and Volvo's S80 are products of those facilities.

Today, with innovative electronics and forward thinking every bit as important as design, automakers are maneuvering to get a jump on the next big innovation. No place on the planet is more synonymous with high tech than Northern California's Silicon Valley. Located in Belmont, in the heart of the region, is the Volkswagen Group Electronics Research Laboratory. Established in August of 1998 with just three employees, the lab is tasked with "developing innovation and technologies for future generations of cars and to transfer technologies from many industries into the automotive domain." Just think of it as VW's version of Walt Disney Imagineering, but for automotive geeks.

The automaker recently invited us north to take a tour of its facility, touted as the Volkswagen Group's largest research facility outside of Germany. Read on to learn more about what we saw.
Continue reading A look inside the Volkswagen Group Electronics Research Laboratory

A look inside the Volkswagen Group Electronics Research Laboratory originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 30 Jun 2012 12:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

View the original article here