It’s easy to forget that often the people who buy technology are not necessarily the ones who are childfree, income heavy, and travel mad, but actually parents whose use of tech can often be as innovative as the technology itself.
The recent conceptual announcement by ASUS is something that is simply perfect for the parent. In fact, I am willing to bet that a mum or dad or two were a part of the design team. Think about it. Here you have a smart phone. This nifty phone will let you reply to emails (awesome for the school run), take photographs (you forgot camera and is school play), make mini movies (also school play, video camera in same bag as camera), and stay in touch with family and friends via easy access social media.
Useful, brilliant, and indispensible. Few parents are without the helpful extras of a smart phone nowadays. However, the battery life can die at inconvenient times ( grocery run, car breakdown, nappy crisis) and the small screen isn’t ideal for tiny fingers.
So imagine being able to slot your aforementioned smartphone into a pad. You aren’t losing any applications, in fact they are seamlessly transferred, but all your work and fun are translated onto a bigger screen. Two incredibly versatile devices converge to become one. The pad will charge the phone while you play, and you can immediately use the larger screen and controls to your advantage while you work or travel. And ASUS have invented this very device. The Padfone.
When you consider how many educational apps are being created for Android Market right now, and how long holiday trips can be, this is a nifty idea indeed. If you happen to get a call while using the Pad format you merely whack in your headphones, or use your Bluetooth headset, and take the call. Or you can slip the smartphone out the slot and talk.
This enormously clever idea was announced at Computex 2011, and ASUS were quoted as saying that the Padfone lets the tablet make use of the smartphone’s 3G connection, that the dual interfaces ensure enhanced user experiences, and that the layout automatically adjusts according to the required activities.
It is going to be very interesting to see how the Padfone pans out – what pricing structure it will get and when it will delicately land on UK shores. Either way it is definitely worth looking into if you fancy a device that will translate well into the busy home.
Tamsin