ASUS Showcases Innovative Products at Milan Design Week 2014
Our Touch of Life exhibition show how ASUS product design embodies humanity, beauty, and functionality
ASUS Design Center today presents the Our Touch of Life exhibition at Milan Design Week 2014. This exhibition showcases ASUS’s design philosophy of delivering a touch of life to every product it creates. ASUS products are designed to form a personal connection with users; with designers tasked to provide products that not only answers users’ needs, but are aesthetically pleasing as well.
The Our Touch of Life exhibition features a product gallery divided into the 2-in-1 Concept, Smartphones, Ultra Mobility, and Desktop Evolution categories. Each section features a host of products that lets visitors experience how ASUS creations embody humanity, beauty, and functionality.
The ASUS Our Touch of Life Exhibition is being held at Milano-Tortona 32 from April 8th to 13th, 2014
2-in-1 Concept
ASUS PadFone mini is a uniquely versatile device that combines the pocketability of a smartphone with the screen size of a tablet. Consisting of a 4-inch smartphone that docks seamlessly in a palm-sized 7-inch tablet, PadFone mini lets users expand their view and charge their phone at the same time. With a powerful Intel® Atom™ Z2560 processor with Intel Hyper-Threading Technology, 8GB of internal storage, and up to 64GB micro SD card support, PadFone mini has all the power and resources needed for both phone and tablet apps. It also features dual SIM support for incredible connectivity, giving users the freedom to have two phone numbers or separate data and phone lines.
ASUS Transformer Book T100 is an extremely compact ultraportable device for people who want the productivity features of a laptop with the easy portability of a 10.1-inch tablet — and the flexibility to switch between the two in an instant. The T100 features a new Intel Atom Z3740 quad-core processor for smooth multi-tasking performance and incredible energy efficiency, and lasts for up to 11 hours on battery power. The lightweight keyboard dock features precision-engineered keys designed for comfortable extended use, plus a multi-touch touchpad with full Windows 8.1 gesture support.
ASUS Transformer Pad TF701 is a 10.1-inch Android tablet with a 2560 x 1600 WQXGA display with 178-degree wide-viewing angles and IPS technology for crisp, vibrant images. The TF701 has a durable spun-metal finish and is just 8.9mm thick and weighs 585g. A high-performance NVIDIA® Tegra® 4 quad-core processor and 72-core GeForce® GPU provides outstanding performance for games and smooth video playback, it can even drive a 4K/UHD (ultra high definition) display via HDMI. It has a mobile keyboard dock with its own built-in battery for a total battery life of up to 17 hours.
ASUS Fonepad 7 is a 7-inch tablet with full 3G phone functionality. It features a high definition IPS display for sharp, vivid images, dual front speakers with ASUS SonicMaster-enhanced audio technology, and is powered by an Intel Atom processor for powerful multitasking performance for apps and games. Fonepad 7 sports precise, compact lines and features ASUS’s iconic Zen-inspired concentric circle textured finish.
Smartphones
The ASUS ZenFone smartphone series is available with screens ranging from 4 to 6 inches and come in a variety of striking colors. The use of Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 gives ZenFone unprecedented levels of damage and scratch resistance.The ZenFone’s front façade also features a brushed metal lower bezel which sports the iconic concentric circle finish — a signature design detail that is found in many ASUS products. The lightweight ZenFones deliver a vibrant, youthful look thanks to interchangeable covers that let users personalize and express themselves with colors that range from classy Charcoal Black to more striking hues like Cherry Red or Solar Yellow. The color themes continue with the ASUS ZenUI interface, which can be customized to match the device color. On top of that, ZenUI sports a cleaner visual design with modern 'flat' icons, animations, new ringtones and notification sounds, as well as useful apps like What’s Next and Do It Later.
Ultra Mobility
Visitors to the exhibition will get a world exclusive preview of the ASUS Zenbook NX500 – an Ultrabook™ that combines superior computing and visual performance with an ultra-slim form factor for maximum portability. The meticulously crafted and engineered NX500 is the first ASUS notebook to sport a 4K/UHD 3840 x 2160 resolution IPS panel.
The ASUS Zenbook UX301 is the world’s first Ultrabook to feature a lid covered with beautiful Corning® Gorilla® Glass with Native Damage Resistance™, making it highly damage-resistant to scratches and chips. A ceramic coating on the keyboard and palm rest keeps away stains and fingerprint smudges to preserve the Zenbook’s pristine appearance; while the blade-thin profile is accented by a book spine-inspired hinge design. The UX301 has a 13.3-inch display for vibrant, detailed 2560 x 1440 WQHD visuals.
The ASUS S1 Mobile LED Projector is a palm-sized projector with a built-in 6,000mAh battery that provides up to three hours of projection time. The S1 can also be used as a power bank to recharge mobile devices. Its aluminum chassis sports the iconic Zen-inspired concentric circle finish and measures just 3cm and weighs 342g, making it ideal for mobile professionals that need to travel light. The S1 has a 200 lumens light source, updated DLP™ technology, and a best-in-class 1.1:1 short throw lens, giving it the ability to provide clear, vivid 41-inch diagonal projections when placed just a meter from the screen. The S1 provides a complete multimedia experience thanks to HDMI/MHL input port and ASUS SonicMaster audio technology for incredible sound.
The ASUS VariDrive is a compact slot-loading 8-speed optical disc drive with a dock that includes USB 3.0, HDMI, VGA, and Ethernet ports. Its unibody construction sports a concentric circle finish in line with that of the Zenbook. The VariDrive features a clever transformational design with a ‘twisting’ base section that allows it to stand vertically when being used or lay flat when being carried around.
Desktop Evolution
The ASUS ET2321 All-in-One PC features simple, elegant lines with a slim panel and small footprint designed to save users precious desktop space. It has a 23-inch, 10-point multi-touch display that provides users with an intuitive Windows 8 touch experience. This Full HD display showcases rich, colorful 1920 x 1080 visuals with no color shift thanks to a wide 178-degree viewing angle on both vertical and horizontal planes. The ET2321’s exceptional visuals are accompanied by ASUS SonicMaster Premium audio technology and an external subwoofer for an immersive audio-visual experience. The ET2321 has an exquisitely-designed ergonomic stand which can be tilted to an ideal viewing angle for the user.
The ASUS ET1620 AiO PC features a stylish, space-saving design that makes it ideal for use in the home or for businesses. It has a responsive 15.6-inch, 10-point capacitive touch screen housed in a slim 1.3cm thick bezel, and weighs just 2kg. The ET1620 has compact dimensions as well as a fold-out U-shaped stand so it can be easily picked up and used anywhere in the home or office. It comes pre-installed with ASUS Business Manager, a one-stop tool that simplifies and optimizes routine maintenance and management tasks. It also lets users configure and manage system parameters like hard disk password protection and I/O port locking easily through the mouse-controlled UEFI BIOS.
ASUS VivoPC is a compact PC that’s ideal for home productivity and entertainment applications. Just 56mm tall and a footprint slightly larger than a standard DVD jewel case, VivoPC slips easily into the smallest of spaces, and has a stylish spun metal finish to complement both home offices and living rooms. VivoPC features ASUS SonicMaster audio technology for incredible sound quality with external speakers and high-performance 802.11ac Wi-Fi for smooth HD video streaming and seamless web browsing. Despite its compact dimensions, VivoPC is also well-equipped when it comes to expandability. A sliding case cover gives quick access to the two internal memory slots and the drive bay can accommodate a 3.5-inch or 2.5-inch SATA 6Gbit/s hard drive.
The ASUS VivoMouse combines the familiarity of a traditional mouse with advanced touchpad and wireless remote capabilities. VivoMouse is a standard optical mouse with a large circular touchpad with full Windows 8/8.1 multi-touch gesture support for even greater levels of input. It also doubles as a PC remote to give users control over PC multimedia as well as apps when away from the computer, making it ideal for use at home, or when conducting boardroom presentations. The ASUS VivoMouse WT720 Metallic Edition is made out of crafted aluminum and features the iconic concentric circle finish on its touchpad.