Quote:

Onyx has product listings on Alibaba. They have 10 different case designs ready to manufacture. They range from nice but bland to a couple very pretty ones.

I also just got an email from Onyx telling me that we had incorrect information yesterday. The default CPU speed is 532MHz, and the BOOX does support EPUB. (I don’t know about you, but this makes the device even more tempting.) There is also a Youtube video.

You gotta see the video. It shows how to use the touch screen to use the menu, write and erase notes, and swipe to turn the page. It also shows the web browser.

Join the discussion over at MobileRead: http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40424

First of all, the Nautiz X5 is fast and powerful. Its 806 MHz Xscale processor, 256 MB RAM and 512 MB Flash memory is just wow. With Windows Mobile 6.1, a full VGA screen, and a battery that lasts more than a full workday on a single charge this handheld takes no prisoners.

The Nautiz X5 has an integrated 3 megapixel autofocus camera, and it also includes integrated 1-D laser barcode scanning or an optional 2-D imager. It offers a standard GSM/UMTS voice and high speed HSDPA data connectivity with lightning-fast, 3G communication. The Nautiz X5 has integrated Bluetooth and 802.11b/g, with WPA2 encryption for improved security and CCX certification for better interoperability. And with state-of-the-art SIRF Instant Fix II technology, the Nautiz X5’s GPS computes positions in seconds.

Did I mention abuse in the title? An IP65 rating means the Nautiz X5 is impervious to dust and highly water-resistant, and it can withstand drops from 1.8 meters and operate in a wide range of temperatures. It weights only 410 g (14.46 ounces) including rechargeable battery and fits comfortably in anyone’s hand, 160mm (6.3”) x 80 mm (3.15”) x 35.5mm (1.4”).

More specs:

Connections:  USB host/client, Serial (ttl), Audio jack, IrDA, Ethernet (via desktop cradle), MicroSD slot.
Communication:  PAN: Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, WLAN*: integrated 802.11b/g, WITH WEP, WPA, WPA2, CCX Cisco Compatible extensions, Integrated GPS Sirf III with Instant Fix II, GSM/UMTS (HSDPA/EDGE), Integrated speaker & microphone.
More: http://www.nautiz.com/default.asp
Source: Engadget

For this article I will be focusing on the 3G set-up and my initial thoughts about the HP Mini 1000.

Stalking the HP Mini 1000

I have been watching the netbook market with some varied interest over the past year.  I had only a few criteria for purchasing a netbook; it had to comfortably run Windows OS software, weigh less than 2 1/2 pounds, have internal 3G, and a semi competent keyboard.

The HP Mini 1000 seemed to fit all of my needs out of the box. After watching the HP site for the last couple of months I decided to take advantage of their $100 3G upgrade offer and order a custom unit. To the basic configuration I added Bluetooth, the 3G upgrade offer, 1 GB ram upgrade offer. This brought me to just under $550 shipped with a coupon.

With my order placed my next question was how to get the 3G activated. The HP site said I could use Verizon or AT&T. OK, great except they never asked me which one I wanted; in the past I would have had to pick one or the other. I saw no place to select an EVDO 3G card or a HSDPA/UMTS 3G card on my order. I kept expecting HP to call or email me asking what card to install into the HP Mini 1000. About a week and half later a curiously small box arrived from Asia; the HP Mini 1000 had arrived.

Continue reading: HP Mini 1000 3G Set-up and Initial Impressions

Super Talent Technology today launched an SSD upgrade for the Asus S101 Eee PC in capacities up to 64GB. This is a nice upgrade to the Windows model of the S101 which includes only 16GB SSD local storage.

Models and size:

FPM16RSE / 16GB
FPM32RSE / 32GB
FPM64RSE / 64GB

This new SSD has been rigorously tested in Super Talent’s compatibility labs for both performance and functionality to ensure it meets Super Talent’s high quality standards. According to their testing the new kits deliver 90 MB/sec max sequential read speeds and up to 55 MB/sec write speeds.

All three models are shipping now. The 64GB model will retail for approximately $169.

http://www.supertalent.com/products/ssd_detail.php?type=SATA%20Mini%20PCIe

Quoted from AndroidAuthority.com:

The phone, called the DSTL1, is shown in a few renderings in the gallery below.  Astute readers will note that the button configuration on the phone, as shown, won’t fly for Android.  Android phones currently need 5 hardware buttons in order to work (home, back, menu, call send, call end).  General Mobile says that the front of the phone will change from what is shown in the renderings in order to accommodate Android.  But I’m also a bit worried about the display, which is said to be a 400x240 pixel unit manufactured by Sharp.

The specs as they stand today are as follows:

Dual-SIM cards with dual-Standby mode
624MHz Marvell PXA 310 processor
Tri-band GSM/EDGE support (900/1800/1900MHz)
3-inch WQVGA touchscreen display, 260k colors
802.11b/g WiFi support
Bluetooth
135g (4.75oz), 112 x 54 x 16mm (4.4 x 2.1 x .6 inches)
5 megapixel autofocus camera with flash (made by Sharp)

Source: Engadget.com

I spotted this on Engadget this morning. It appears our home location is listed as America’s most wired city, edging out Atlanta for the first time. Since we are located about two blocks from Microsoft and AT&T, i am not supprised by this development.

Quote:

Move over, Atlanta. Seattle, Microsoft and Amazon.com’s home base, is now the country’s most wired city.

While these marquee names have long lent the Emerald City tech-y cachet, it was Seattle’s increased use of broadband that powered it up Forbes’ annual list of the 30 most broadband-connected cities in the U.S. High marks in two other wired city categories—broadband access and wi-fi hot spots—helped Seattle clinch the top spot.

http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/22/wired-cities-2009-tech-wire-cx_ew_0122wiredcities.html

The new HTC Touch Cruise, an update to 2008’s HTC GPS device of the same name, sports a new, more compact design and new capabilities.

With HTC Footprints you have the ability to take notes and an audio clip of that favourite restaurant or special place while identifying its specific geographical location. In addition to identifying each postcard with its specific GPS co-ordinates, Footprints also auto-names each postcard with its general location or area.

When placed into its accompanying car cradle, the HTC Touch Cruise automatically kicks in its one-touch interface that provides seamless turn-by-turn directions for in car navagation.

Key HTC Touch Cruise Specifications

Size: 102 x 53.5 x 14.5mm
Weight: 103 grams
Connectivity: WCDMA/HSPA: 900/2100MHz. HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
Operating system: Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
Display: 2.8-inch TFT-LCD touch-sensitive screen with QVGA resolution
Control panel: HTC TouchFLO, 4-Way navigation wheel with Enter and HTC Footprints buttons
Camera: 3.2 MP, with fixed focus
Internal memory: 512 MB flash ROM, 256 MB RAM
Expansion Slot: microSD memory card (SD 2.0 compatible)
Bluetooth: 2.0 with EDR
Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
GPS: GPS/A-GPS
Interface: HTC ExtUSB (mini-USB 2.0 and audio jack in one)
Battery: 1100 mAh
Talk time: GSM: up to 400 minutes
Standby time: GSM: up to two weeks
Chipset: Qualcomm MSM7225, 528 MHz

The new HTC Touch Cruise will be available to customers across all major global markets in spring 2009.

http://www.htc.com/www/press.aspx?id=81678

Congratulations to our 44th President of the United States of America; Barack H. Obama!

http://www.whitehouse.gov/

We missed this during CES, a pitfall of a small staff. However Engadget caught wind of it. The design is interesting and is squarely aimed at the enterpriser market or uber phone geek. The device is not exclusive to WinMo as it is built around an open platform with an open source u-boot bootloader and the usual toolset to bake your own ROM’s for WinMo, android, and Angstrom Linux.

The Exeda has a 3.5” VGA touch screen, a five row full QWERTY keypad with backlight and a capacitive touchpad acting as a mouse.

More Specs:

- Marvell PXA270 520MB CPU
- 128MB RAM
- 2 banks of internal FLASH, 512MB each
- 2MP camera with flash
- GPS with built-in and external antennas
- MicroSD socket with SDHC support
- Built-in microphone and speaker + 3.5mm stereo jack
- High capacity 3000mAh battery

The Exeda will be available for purchase in March ‘09 pricing to be released at that time.

http://www.exedamobile.com/web/?gclid=CMrT-cH4i5gCFQFqxwod2HPLkQ

More pics after the break…

Here is a brief round-up of the vendors we saw at this year’s Lunch@Piero’s event during CES 2009.

VIA Technologies showcased their latest in ultra mobile and small form factor computing featuring the VIA Nano processor and the VIA C7-M ultra mobile processor. More info at http://www.via.com.tw

VIA Embedded showcased their new ARTiGO A2000 barebone storage system and innovative home server set-up using the touch-screen VIPRO. http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/embedded/

Graphics will demonstrated the latest HD video and image applications using the all-new Chrome 500 series graphics cards running on a VIA Nano processor-based board. http://www.s3graphics.com
Blendtec, famous for their “Will it Blend” videos in which they blended an iPhone in their kitchen blender, was on hand to talk about their highly successful viral youtube campaigns. Blendtec CEO Tom Dickson and VP George Wright was on hand throughout Lunch@Piero’s to blend a phone, a garden rake.  http://www.blendtec.com

Developing and organizing your thoughts isn’t always a straightforward linear process, especially in groups. Comappings “mind-mapping” tool helps you make sense of even the most complex topics and projects with its innovative approach to formulating, developing, and organizing ideas. http://www.comapping.com

Continue reading: Round-up of the vendors we saw at this years Lunch@Piero’s event during CES 2009.

While at ShowStoppers during CES 2009 I was able to spend some time with a Plastic Logic e-reader prototype. What an amazing product for an early prototype, it felt and operated like a product ready to ship and use. I was told early samples will trickle out in mid to late 2009 with shipping units in early 2010.

The screen contrast seemed to be on par with my Sony 505, however I did not have it on hand to compare side by side. The page response was quick as you can tell from the video I took.  The device looks like it will support many if not most formats including DRM material when it ships. I did not discover what DRM formats are planned.

Their e-reader interface runs on top of a version of Microsoft WinCE, measures a thin 7mm weighing in at less than 16 oz, with a form factor of 8.5” x 11”. Basically it is the size of a typical magazine.  The touch screen was also quick and responsive and featured a soft keyboard.

I am enthusiastically waiting to make one of these units my new daily e-reader.

http://www.plasticlogic.com/

More pics and videos after the break!

I took the new HP Mini 2140 for a spin today and liked what I saw. The feel was nice and the keyboard felt similar to the Mini 1000. Since this unit comes with Vista i decided to run the Windows Experience tool. The processor pulled a 2.9, memory came in with 4.4, graphics got a 4.2, gaming graphics saw a 2.8, and hard disk pulled a 5.7.

The basic specs:

- 10.1-inch LED display with 16:9 aspect ratio available in either standard-definition (1,024 x 576) or high-definition (1,366 x 768) resolutions.
- 92 percent of full-size QWERTY keyboard and a touchpad.
- Scratch-resistant acrylic LCD cover and magnesium hinge bracket.
- The integrated VGA webcam enables video
- Two battery solutions - 3 cell or 6 cell lithium-ion battery.
- 2.6 pounds with 3 cell battery
- Atom 1.6Ghz Proc
- Wifi, bluetooth, etc
- Express Card Slot
- 2 Gigs of RAM

http://h71016.www7.hp.com/html/interactive/mini2140/model.html

Yesterday, Pharos unveiled the Traveler 137 smartphone, winner of the 2009 CES Innovations award.  The Traveler 137 is an unlocked Windows Mobile phone that is distinguished by its slender profile, cool applications, and bright, 3.5 inch touch screen.  True to Pharos’ roots in the navigation space, the Traveler 137 provides full-featured navigation with voice prompts on a pay-as-you-go basis that spares users an ongoing monthly fee.  In an industry brimming with mobile devices, the Traveler 137 stands apart by offering users great navigation on a powerful, sleek smartphone that runs on the GSM network of their choice. The Traveler 137 will be available late in the first quarter of 2009 from major retailers for a suggested price of $599.95. 

Traveler 137 Specifications

- Operating System: Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
- Hardware partner: Pharos works closely with Inventec
- Processor: Qualcomm MSM 7201A 528MHz
- Memory: 256MB DDR SDRAM, 512MB Flash ROM
- Phone: unlocked GSM quad band 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, EDGE / GPRS, Tri-band 3G, 1700/1900/2100 MHz, UMTS 384Kb/s, HSDPA 7.2Mb/s, HSUPA 2Mb/s
- Talk time: up to 4 hours talk time and 200 hours standby time
- Display: 3.5” TFT LCD with touch panel, 480 x 800 Wide-VGA with 65,000 colors
- Wireless: GPS aGPS compatible, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth™ v2.1 + EDR , FM tuner
- Camera: 3 megapixel for picture or video, .3 megapixel on the front for video conference
- Expansion: USB 2.0, micro SD slot support SDHC, stereo audio jack
- Battery: 1380 mAh Li-Ion, rechargeable/replaceable
- Size: 4.60in (L) x 2.40in (W) x 0.51in (H)
- Weight: 4.9 ounces

http://www.pharosgps.com/default.asp

Compact and lightweight, the portable MBP200 can connect to mobile phones and laptops and by utilizing the DLP pico chip from Texas Instruments it allows users to transform their traditional two inch screen to a HVGA (480*320) 50-inch viewing screen allowing others to share in the video experience. In addition, users can easily transfer files and project content independent of an attached source via the microSD card slot. The MBP200 has a simple shape and design with touchpad controls on the right side of the device for easy navigation and a 2.2-inch QVGA LCD screen which allow users to view content privately.

The unit can accommodate a range of projected image sizes - from an 8 1/2 x 11 standard sheet of paper to a large 50-inch screen. For added convenience, the MBP200 comes with a small screen holder with a telescoping pole hidden inside, which can instantly turn a standard sheet of paper into a screen to view movies, document files or pictures. The 3.5mm standard jack allows users to enjoy their own headphones or speakers, or the built-in external speaker allows the MBP200 to play audio directly from the device.

The P3 8GB Widescreen Portable Multimedia Player has a 3-inch WQVGA TFT-LCD touch screen, the P3 allows for widescreen enjoyment of video and photos at a 16:9 aspect ratio without the need for letterboxing. Adding a new level of connectivity between the player and its user, the P3 includes Samsung’s upgraded EmoTure touch interface with true haptic feedback. With every command gesture, from swiping a finger across the screen, to switching audio tracks, to holding down a digital button for fast-forwarding video, the P3 reacts with a variety of physical sensations for a more intimate user experience versus other media players. Mmmmm, stimulus.

At just 0.39 inches thin, the P3 squeezes a 16:9 widescreen video player, studio-quality audio player, ultra-portable photo album, personal voice recorder, FM radio, and even a portable storage drive into one compact device. The P3 can also be paired with a Bluetooth TM enabled phone, allowing owners to use the built-in microphone to answer calls directly through the player.

The P3 will be available in the first half of 2009 in 4GB, 8GB, 16GB and 32 GB storage capacities.

Haptastic!