Huawei’s MediaPad is world’s first 7-inch Android 3.2 Honeycomb dual-core tablet.

Say hello to the Huawei MediaPad, an entertainment powerhouse driven by Qualcomm’s dual-core 1.2 GHz processor, supported by Huawei Device's Hi-Space cloud solution and Google Android Market. If looks and specs are anything to go by, the MediaPad should provide an excellent user experience in a stylish package.

Billed as Huawei’s smartest, slimmest and lightest tablet yet, it measures just 10,5 mm deep and weighs about 390 g. It supports 1080P full HD video playback and features a 1,3 megapixel front-facing camera and 5 megapixel autofocus rear-facing camera with HD video recording capabilities. With HSPA+ 14,4 Mbps and high-speed WiFi 802.11n Internet connectivity, this device really keeps you connected.

It supports HSPA+ data services and Flash 10.3 videos, and comes pre-installed with applications such as Facebook, Twitter, Let’s Golf and Documents to Go. The MediaPad is scheduled for release in overseas markets sometime in the third quarter. When will it be available in South Africa? Anyone’s guess…

Super-quick business jet concept unveiled in Paris.

HyperMach's concept business jet will really move the goalposts.

Having just completed a long-haul flight in Cattle Class, we are acutely aware of the need for some form of air transport that reduces the travel time between continents – and HyperMach’s ZEHST concept plane would seem to fit the bill. Just unveiled at the Paris Air Show, this slim and sexy business jet (dubbed SonicStar) will theoretically cruise at Mach 3.5 at an altitude of around 19 000 metres. This would enable it to go from Paris to New York in under two hours.

Of course, to achieve all this requires something rather special in the way of aircraft design, not to mention propulsion systems. HyperMach say they intend to fundamentally change the way aero gas-turbine engines operate in order to significantly improve the performance of aircraft systems, using hybrid engine technology and highly efficient, supersonic, variable bypass fan ratio engine design. We await developments with great interest.