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Acer Extend concept makes your phone power your laptop (pictures)

Only a concept for now, the Acer Extend is a laptop without a brain -- it instead uses your phone's processor to run your programs.

Andrew Lanxon
Andrew is CNET's go-to guy for product coverage and lead photographer for Europe. When not testing the latest phones, he can normally be found with his camera in hand, behind his drums or eating his stash of home-cooked food. Sometimes all at once.
Andrew Lanxon
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BERLIN -- We're out at the IFA tech showcase in Germany and we've cast our eyes over the Acer Extend. Just a concept for now, the Extend is effectively a laptop without a brain. It connects to your smartphone, using the phone's processor to run apps.
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It connects to your phone over the Micro-USB port.
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The Acer Liquid E2 is shown here, but any Android smartphone should be able to work. You're also able to use the phone's camera for video calling, while seeing the other person on the laptop screen.
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The Extend is in the concept stages for now. Acer wasn't willing to discuss exactly how likely it is that it'll come to stores.
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That's not the laptop you're seeing -- it's mirroring what's on your phone's screen.
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With the keyboard and larger screen, it makes it much easier to do work from your phone than simply tapping away at the onscreen keyboard. The top row of keys are hot keys for Android functions like Wi-Fi and settings.
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While the laptop doesn't have its own processor, it does have its own battery.
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You can plug in a mouse to navigate Android, but Acer says it might build a touch screen in, too, if it'll be cheap enough.

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