Hasta La Gadget!

See that? It’s an Android-green invitation to the unveil of the 5-inch Archos Internet Media Tablet. The September 15th date isn’t new (it was announced back in June) but it’s still good to see things moving ahead as planned. To whet the appetites of would-be developers, Archos has also announced its AppsLib application store for “advanced Android devices.” The development guidelines, however, describe just a single, 5-inch 800×480 pixel device with accelerometer, OpenGL 3D graphics support, and HDMI output pushing an oddball 1160×652 pixel resolution to your TV. Right, specs already rumored for the Archos tablet. While not mentioned, we still expect all the other details — 500GB storage, 10-mm thickness, 7-hours of battery when playing video, voice and HSUPA data radio, and OMAP3440 processor — unexpectedly announced (by TI!) for the tablet way back in February to be in place when this thing gets live in Paris next month.

[Via Pocketables]

Filed under: Handhelds, Tablet PCs

Android-based Archos 5-inch Internet Tablet coming September 15 with (you guessed it) an AppsLib store originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 07:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How do you cook up the perfect KIRF product? Well, you take a well-loved device, say the Nokia N810, and start chopping off the things that made it a winner, like that oh-so-bulky QWERTY keyboard, until you get a device cheap enough to be sold as “the world’s first MID under $300.” The painfully unoriginal Inkia 500 — which isn’t even the first to rip off Nokia’s internet tablet — isn’t entirely without merit, as it comes with a 5-inch touchscreen plus a ULV Atom processor, and once you pony up for 3G and GPS options it might even be useful. All that’s holding it back now is the tiny issue that you can get a real N810 for the same price.

[Via Shanzai]

Filed under: Handhelds

Keepin’ it real fake, part CCXXX: Inkia 500 is a mutated, hamstrung N810 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Aug 2009 07:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Two more MIDs were spotted running Android recently, and the kids over at Pocketables were kind enough to clue us in on the developments. First off, Eston’s MID-02 (also known as the M4301) is a dual Windows CE 6.0 / Android device that boasts a 4.3-inch touchscreen, a Marvell XScale PXA300 (624MHz) CPU, 128MB DDR-RAM, 256MB Flash (supports up to 16GB) and a screen resolution of either 480 x 272 or 800 x 480, depending on whose product page you believe. Apparently one of the company’s main markets is Europe, so keep your eyes peeled if you’re interested. And why not? The keyboard is “almost entirely in English.” But that ain’t all! There’s also an interesting video making the rounds of the SFR’s Intel-powered M! PC Pocket at least booting the open source OS — not necessarily compelling evidence that the rumors are true, but if the French wireless carrier isn’t developing an Android device of their own at this very moment, it isn’t a stretch to believe that they’re toying with the idea. See for yourself after the break.

Read – Eston MID-02 slider runs Android and Windows CE 6.0
Read – SFR M! PC Pocket caught on video booting Android

Continue reading Android turns up on MIDs from Eston, SFR

Filed under: Handhelds

Android turns up on MIDs from Eston, SFR originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he’ll explore where our industry is and where it’s going — on both micro and macro levels — with the unique wit and insight only he can provide.

In one of the great blunders of journalism, Mark Twain once found his name listed in the obituary column. His famous reply, “Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated,” has forever become part of our lexicon for describing hyperbole. Yet, at a certain point in time, Mark Twain’s death was no longer exaggeration and Samuel Clemens did indeed pass away. Today, many are lamenting the passing of the personal computer as the information device of choice for the masses of consumers, and like Mark Twain, the news of its death is greatly exaggerated. But like all good things, the PC and its complex operating system foundation will also eventually come to an end. Here’s why the PC isn’t dead yet but over time might no longer be the dominant platform for the digital age.

Continue reading Entelligence: The death of the PC is greatly exaggerated (at least for now)

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Entelligence: The death of the PC is greatly exaggerated (at least for now) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Last we heard, Dell was secretly at work on a handheld / MID that would challenge the likes of the iPod touch, but it turns out it may also have its eye on the Kindle and the still emerging e-reader market, or the two may be one in the same — or neither, but bear with us for a minute. According to Wired’s Gadget Lab, Dell is looking to shake things up in a fairly big way by offering a touchscreen tablet of unspecified size for free to folks willing to enter into a contract and sign up for “one or more digital media subscriptions.” Details are otherwise a bit light, as you might expect, but Dell is rumored to be collaborating with Intel on the device, and the pair are supposedly looking to launch it in “about six months.”

[Via SlashGear]

Filed under: Handhelds

Latest Dell tablet / MID rumor: Intel-based, free-on-contract originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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