Hasta La Gadget!

We’ve heard plenty of talk about Android-powered netbooks — and even seen a few hacks demonstrating the concept in action — but it sounds like little-known I-Buddie is actually planning on shipping a product sometime soon. That’s really all we have to go on at the moment — Sascha from netbooknews calls this a “prototype,” so anything could change, but we’re definitely intrigued. Here’s the question, though — would you rather have an Android netbook or a more MID-style device like the Movit Mini? We’re leaning MID. Video after the break.

Continue reading I-Buddie shows off its Android netbook prototype

Filed under: Laptops

I-Buddie shows off its Android netbook prototype originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We were pretty stoked by GiiNii’s Movit Mini when we got some hands-on time with it at CES this year, and while the 4.3-inch, Android-powered tablet was originally due out in the middle of this year, the company’s now targeting an October 1st ship date for the Mini and January 1st, 2010 for the 7-inch Max. Specs look to be the same as before, although given the new date we’d say Cupcake is now all but guaranteed. Mum’s still the official word on pricing, but last we heard the Mini was expected to cost “less than the iPod touch” — here’s hoping the company manages to keep that goal.

Filed under: Handhelds, Portable Audio, Portable Video

GiiNii’s Movit Mini Android tablet coming in October, Movit Maxx in January originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Months later we’re still thrilled at the discovery that the original Dream G2 doesn’t run the free and open Android OS, but instead a carefully built, stylus-driven clone. Well, SciPhone’s Dream G2+ followup continues in that noble tradition, running with some tweaked looks and the addition of WiFi on top of what looks to be that same Android-cloning interface. It’s pretty thrilling stuff, and not at all bad for the $185 asking price.

[Via PMP Today]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

SciPhone Dream G2+ adds WiFi to the Android KIRF madness originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve known that Cupcake has been floating around in dev circles for months now, but it’s been clear as mud how the Open Handset Alliance plans to incorporate all of the lovely features it brings into Android’s trunk, how Android will be versioned going forward, and in general, how the group plans to present a unified front to developers, manufacturers, and end users. That all gets a little clearer today with the official unveiling of Android 1.5 that fully incorporates the Cupcake branch, and — perhaps much more importantly — a home screen framework for developing widgets and populating live folders with whatever content you can dream up. There’s no word on exactly how 1.5 will come to existing Android handsets in the field, but as far as we can tell, there’s nothing listed in the changelog that would prevent current hardware from taking full advantage — and the OHA is going to be releasing a series of articles about new-to-1.5 features in the coming weeks to help devs “prepare your applications for the release of Android 1.5 on phones.” Sounds encouraging, doesn’t it?

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Android 1.5 announced, early-look SDK available today originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know from countless encounters with our dear, dear friends at the Bluetooth Special Interest Group that their certifications aren’t as… shall we say, “detailed” as their counterparts at the FCC; frequently, we don’t even bother with them because there’s simply nothing there to talk about. Android phones are still pretty difficult to come by, though, so whenever we see the platform mentioned in a certification of any kind, we’re bound to sit up and take notice — particularly when said certification comes via HTC. Tipster Jeff came across a filing for an HTC “Fiesta” in the SIG this time around, descriptively noted as “an Android phone” that’ll be available in Asia, Europe, and North America. Other than that, we can count on it having Bluetooth (would be funny if it didn’t, wouldn’t it?), but that’s about it; the G1 / Dream was the Kila, the Magic was the Sapphire, so what’s this gonna be?

[Thanks, Jeff]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

HTC Fiesta is “an Android phone,” so says Bluetooth SIG originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Apr 2009 17:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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