Apr 14

Toshiba’s leaked product roadmap gets us hot, extra bothered by fuel-cell powered L01 MID

Posted in: breaking news, BreakingNews, capacitive, leak, MID, qwerty, roadmap, Today's Chili, Toshiba, UMPC

If the roadmap posted after the break is to be believed (and we think it is) then Toshiba is set to capture a lot of attention with its Snapdragon-based handhelds over the coming year. Techblog.gr has what it claims to be the Toshiba Device Roadmap through 2010. They’ve shown us a PowerPoint sample off-line that seems to support the claim. Of course, this isn’t the first time Tosh has leaked an entire product cycle and the named devices align nicely with some of the prototypes Toshiba was showing-off at CES in January (see gallery below). Toshiba was already off to a good start in 2009 with its incredibly thin 4.1-inch TG01 running atop Qualcomm’s snapdragon platform. It just gets better from there. First we’ve got the TG02 (launching in Q4) update to the TG01 that adds IPX4 water resistance without changing the specs or the dimensions. The TG03 ups the ante again with the inclusion of a 3-channel speaker for a better video experience.

Also in Q4, Tosh looks ready to launch a 15-mm QWERTY slider version of the 9.9-mm TG01 with new capacitive (!) touchscreen called the K01. All other specs look unchanged including WinMo 6.5. Next is the K02 clamshell with primary 3.5-inch WVGA display and QWERTY on the inside coupled with a secondary LCD and 10-key on-screen keypad on the outside. The K02 features a resistive touchscreen, HSPA data, and same QSD8x50 chipset found in the TG01 (and all the other devices on this roadmap). Last, but by no means least, is the 7-inch L01 looking every bit the love-child of a Nokia N800 and HTC Advantage. The very same device that was shown powered by a DMFC (fuel cell) at CES in January. Interesting since Toshiba has promised a consumer device powered by a fuel cell before March of 2010. Unfortunately, it’s limited to WinMo 6.5 (with a hint of a Windows Mobile 7 in 2010) and the same WVGA resolution seen on the smaller screens when it launches. Assuming the leak is true, of course.

Gallery: Toshiba’s DMFC “internet viewer” prototypes are truly next-gen

Continue reading Toshiba’s leaked product roadmap gets us hot, extra bothered by fuel-cell powered L01 MID

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Toshiba’s leaked product roadmap gets us hot, extra bothered by fuel-cell powered L01 MID originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 05:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 13

Special edition Mintpass goes dark, gets DMB

Posted in: MID, PMP, Today's Chili
Special edition Mintpass goes dark, gets DMB

Tired of pale gadget offerings? Live in South Korea? If “yes” on both counts you may want to keep your eyes open for what looks to be a special edition of the tiny CE-powered Mintpad MID. It not only offers the rich, ebony exterior that its pasty predecessor could only dream of, but also adds DMB functionality for capturing all the digitally broadcasted media floating through the Asian aether. The announcement page for the Mintpad DMB was hastily pulled after fans picked up on it, but this tease proves to be true look for the dark device to sell for ₩239,000, about $180, or a $30 premium over the vanilla version — of which we’re still waiting on that promised domestic release.

[Via Pocketables]

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Special edition Mintpass goes dark, gets DMB originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 08:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 09

Nokia working on new MID for this year, wild QWERTY tech for next?

Posted in: MID, nokia, rumor, Today's Chili

Let’s start this out with a word of warning: TheStreet.com’s latest report allegedly from deep within Espoo’s most secretive labs contradicts itself on a couple occasions — and Nokia has a decent (though not stellar) track record of keeping most prized secrets under wraps — so we’re bringing this up with a good deal of caution, healthy skepticism, and cold, hard reality on our minds. That being said, some aspects of the report seem totally plausible, particularly a new bit about a fresh MID (likely to replace the aging N810) in the works with a sliding keyboard and 4.2-inch display targeted for release before the holidays this year; Maemo 5 development is well underway, so we’d actually be kinda surprised if this didn’t happen. Odds are it wouldn’t be that rumored Sparrow-powered device, though, since we’d heard 2011 for that one.

Here’s where it starts to get a little strange — next up, the report mentions a “Nautilus project” intending to create an ultra-thin touchscreen phone of some sort that uses a “sensor” (you know, a “sensor”) to motorize the keyboard in and out of the body; what’s more, the keys would rise up when deployed for better feel. This sounds unlikely at best, considering the added weight, complexity, bulk, and reliability concerns around that kind of a mechanism, not to mention the fact that it’d serve almost no practical purpose whatsoever. At first, TheStreet says this is a device, then later changes its mind and says “the first Nautilus phone isn’t due out for another year” — but whether it’s a phone or an entire range of phones, we’re just not seeing it; it’d be fun to play with, yes, but we think this is the kind of thing where the engineers would putz with it for a while and realize that it’s a really, really bad idea.

[Via Unwired View]

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Nokia working on new MID for this year, wild QWERTY tech for next? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Apr 2009 12:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 09

BYD’s “Mars” MID clamshell has a phone on the back, runs full Windows XP

Posted in: intel, MID, Today's Chili, Windows XP

Intel isn’t just showing off its new Atom hotness at IDF Beijing, they also pulled out a previously unseen MID from previous non-player BYD. Codenamed Mars, the MID runs an Atom processor in a clamshell form factor, with a full Windows XP install and QWERTY keyboard. On the back of the lid there’s a regular phone keypad and secondary screen. It’s not going to beat the RAZR at a weigh-in, and we’d feel pretty dumb holding something this large up to our head, but it’s a pretty wild concept all the same, and a nice teaser of the sort of MID / phone “synergy” we might come to expect when Moorestown rolls around. No word on the timeline for commercialization, but there’s supposed to be a working unit floating around IDF so we’ll keep our eyes peeled. Video is after the break, with the BYD unveiling a bit after the 3 minute mark.

Continue reading BYD’s “Mars” MID clamshell has a phone on the back, runs full Windows XP

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BYD’s “Mars” MID clamshell has a phone on the back, runs full Windows XP originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Apr 2009 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 08

Video: HY Research’s Beagle Board-based MID

Posted in: diy, MID, mod, Today's Chili, touchscreen

This next item is a homebrew MID loosely based on the funky and fresh Nokia N800. Sure, until Mr. HY Research gets a battery installed, the “mobile” part of this internet device will rely on an extension cord… but that said, this is one fun little project. Based on the ARM Cortex A8-based Beagle board, it features a 4.3-inch (480 x 272) display, Bluetooth, support for OpenGL ES 2.0, S-Video and HDMI outputs, USB, SD / MMC, RS-232, and audio in / out connections. As controls go, this thing sports not only a touchscreen, but a five position joystick, three position slider, and plenty of buttons as well. Not bad, not bad at all. The company is on the lookout for “consulting and designs of custom expansion boards,” so if you’re in the mood to do some business, hit that read link. If you’re really just a fan (aren’t we all?) there is an action packed video of the thing in action, after the break.

[Via SlashGear]

Continue reading Video: HY Research’s Beagle Board-based MID

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Video: HY Research’s Beagle Board-based MID originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Apr 2009 22:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 08

Intel debuts 2GHz Atom Z550 processor, demos Moorestown platform

Posted in: intel, intel atom, IntelAtom, MID, Today's Chili

In celebration of the Atom‘s one-year anniversary, Intel’s unveiled Z550, the latest processor in the family and as the rumors suggested, it clocks in at a pretty impressive 2GHz along with support for Hyperthreading, all in under three watts of power usage. Additionally, it took the veil off of the Z515 with Intel Burst Performance Technology, which can bump the speed up to 1.2GHz. In more forward-thinking news, senior VP and general manager Anand Chandrasekher demoed its Moorestown MID platform on stage at a presentation, which we last heard was supposed to show itself in a more tangible form sometime this month via an Archos netbook. We’ve contacted Intel for video of that demonstration, so you’re just gonna have to wait a bit for that.

Update: The Moorestown demo was (how should we put this)… lame — from a consumer’s standpoint anyway. Instead of demonstrating it in a hand-held MID, Intel was again showing off silicon in a desktop rig strapped to enough life support to keep AMD afloat. The demo did show the 10x less idle power consumption promised but we’ve got a ways to go (2010 or before) before we see Moorestown product.

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Intel debuts 2GHz Atom Z550 processor, demos Moorestown platform originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Apr 2009 01:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 07

dmedia renames G400 MID, hopes to showcase M0 at Computex

Posted in: 4G, MID, Today's Chili, UMPC, WiMAX

While dmedia has definitely shown signs of life here lately, we’ve been decidedly left in the lurch with regard to its elusive MID. Initially spotted last November as the WiMAX-packin’ G400, said unit skipped out on promised booth appearances at both CES and Mobile World Congress 2009. Being that we’re the forgiving bunch, we’re still maintaining some level of hope that the recently renamed M0 will indeed make itself seen at Computex this June. Outside of the identity swap, most everything else looks the same; specifications include a 4.3-inch touchscreen (800 x 480 resolution), a 5 megapixel webcam, a Fujitsu-sourced WiMAX module, built-in GPS module and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR. Details beyond that are few and far betwixt, but hopefully we’ll know more as warmer months approach.

[Via Pocketables]

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dmedia renames G400 MID, hopes to showcase M0 at Computex originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Apr 2009 22:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 03

Wistron’s Snapdragon-powered PurseBook gets demoed

Posted in: ctia, MID, netbook, qualcomm, snapdragon, Today's Chili

NVIDIA is showing that wacky Mini 1000 / Tegra mashup at CTIA, but Qualcomm’s not far behind with its own creative ways to repurpose smartphone silicon into MID and netbook-class devices. Making an appearance at Qualcomm’s booth was a prototype PurseBook from Taiwan’s Wistron, which stuffs a Snapdragon chipset into a device looking (and weighing) a little bit like a VAIO P. That’s where the similarities to the Sony box ends, though, because Qualcomm sees the PurseBook (and devices like it) hitting in the $299 to $499 range — we’d like to see them even cheaper, truth be told — and you won’t be running Vista here. Instead, you’ve got a pretty slick Linux distro from ThunderSoft that’ll edit Office docs, give you a desktop-class web experience, and connect with social networks, which are the three things most of us spend 90 percent of our PC face time doing anyhow. It’s not going to replace your laptop by any stretch, but with a claimed 8 hours of battery life, we could totally see packing this thing as an ultra-lightweight alternative for day trips. Qualcomm expects the PurseBook and devices like it to ship in 2009 — as does NVIDIA, so we’re definitely lining up for a sweet battle royale here. Follow the break for video.

Gallery: Wistron’s Snapdragon-powered PurseBook eyes-on


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Wistron’s Snapdragon-powered PurseBook gets demoed originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Apr 2009 21:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 03

BenQ’s Qisda QPD-111 Creative Design Center MID wins design awards, doesn’t exist yet

Posted in: MID, multitouch, Today's Chili

Not that we have anything against products that don’t exist, but it would seem to us convenient to have something to show on the other end of a couple design awards. BenQ’s Qisda QPD-111 just won a red dot and iF award, but BenQ doesn’t seem quite ready to show it off to the world. The MID sports a 5-inch screen, and is “designed for highly mobile people pursuing the best Internet experience while on the go.” That fancy little red “Hot Key” sends you to the world wide internet with a single press, and the device can handle multitouch pinch-to-zoom and other gestures for browsing. There’s also a built-in accelerometer, which lets you switch between communication and Internet functions with a little shake of your precious, imaginary MID. There’s obviously no information on price or availability at this point — we’re not even sure what OS it’s running — but it’s certainly a sexy and almost potentially usable entrant into the confounding and primarily useless MID market.

[Via SlashGear]

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BenQ’s Qisda QPD-111 Creative Design Center MID wins design awards, doesn’t exist yet originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Apr 2009 11:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 02

Intel turns Moblin over to the Linux Foundation

Posted in: intel, Linux, MID, netbook, Today's Chili
Alpha version of Intel's Moblin OS released for brave netbookers

If you love something, set it free — and if it truly loves you back, it will return as the market’s dominant MID and netbook OS. We’re pretty certain that’s what our mom said to us when we were kids — it’s a fairly hazy memory — and it sounds like Intel’s heeding that advice with Moblin, turning over “stewardship” of the fledgling OS to the Linux Foundation. It’s an interesting move that seems to be more about politics more than anything else — Intel still employs all the lead developers, so it’ll basically be in charge of things, but companies that want to use Moblin can do so secure in the knowledge that it’s formally controlled by a neutral body. Very clever. So — now that that’s out of the way, can everyone get back to work on that insane concept MID we’ve been drooling over for two years? Thanks.

[Thanks, Chris]

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Intel turns Moblin over to the Linux Foundation originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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