Aug 21

Eking E5 UMPC brings tilting, sliding 5-inch display

Posted in: handheld, intel, Sharp, Today's Chili, UMPC

It’s been awhile, eh Eking? The elusive handheld maker is storming back onto the scene today with an all new UMPC, despite that fact that UMPCs have been largely left behind and covered up by this new “tablet craze.” All that aside, the E5 is definitely one of the more delightful units that we’ve seen, and we can’t help think of HTC’s Advantage when it’s opened up as shown above. Specs wise, this guy is boasting a 5-inch WSVGA (1,024 x 600) Sharp-sourced display that tilts and slides back, and an Intel Atom Z515 (1.2GHz) is powering things under the hood. There’a also 1GB of DDR2 memory, a 16GB SSD, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth, inbuilt 3G connectivity, a GPS module, 3 megapixel camera and a 2,600mAh battery that lasts for an undisclosed amount of time. Eking’s also going the generous route and tossing in a load of accessories, but given the nearly $800 price tag for those who choose to import, we can understand why. Hit the links below for a few more looks, but don’t expect it to ship outside of China anytime soon.

Eking E5 UMPC brings tilting, sliding 5-inch display originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 21 Aug 2010 04:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 12

Off-contract Dell Streak is still SIM-locked to AT&T, wrongs still being done in the world

Posted in: Android, att, MID, slate, streak, tablet, Today's Chili, UMPC

Bummer. If you were planning to get your Streak pre-order in today, but were going to opt for the $549 off-contract version rather than the $249 on-contract version, we’re sad to inform you that it’s the exact same device in both scenarios. Not that we’re shocked or anything, but Dell’s own Lionel Menchaca has confirmed the tragedy via Twitter (shot after the break), noting that the $549 version of the Dell Streak “will not be SIM unlocked.” In case that needed any more clarity, he continued: “It is SIM-locked to AT&T.” Fairly lousy news for those hoping to snag one and pop a few international rental SIMs in as they headed off on their late-summer escapades, but it still makes us wonder whatever happened to that T-Mobile-ized version that sauntered through the FCC back in April. Angela Lansbury, we need you. Desperately.

Continue reading Off-contract Dell Streak is still SIM-locked to AT&T, wrongs still being done in the world

Off-contract Dell Streak is still SIM-locked to AT&T, wrongs still being done in the world originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 11:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 02

OQO crawls back from the dead, releasing Model 03 in China this month (Updated)

Posted in: intel atom, IntelAtom, kirf, SSD, Today's Chili, UMPC, windows 7, Windows7

Holy moly! We genuinely never saw this coming. If you recall, the last we heard from OQO was when it said its final goodbye back in May 2009, and even today its website still declares the company “out of business.” Well, that’s not exactly the case anymore — a little research led us to CCW, which reports that Audiotone — OQO’s business partner in China — confirmed a successful merger with the UMPC manufacturer in April this year (on the condition that the latter’s R&D to remain in the US). This would explain why OQO’s Chinese site was still being updated with news after the “closure,” while its Western counterpart remained frozen in time.

The juicier news, however, is that OQO’s launching a Model 03 for Chinese buyers in Q3 2010 (and the website’s banner specifically says August). Don’t be fooled by the model number, though — this 15-ounce device essentially shares the same chassis with the Model 02, but is now packed with Windows 7, Intel Atom Z500 series chip, SSD, 3G radio (compatible with WCDMA, EVDO and TD-SCDMA), and a 4.8-inch 1024 x 600 multitouch LCD (previously 5-inch 800 x 480 single-touch). You’ll also get the same old Bluetooth, WiFi, built-in mic and HDMI across the four flavors: Gold, Diamond, Elite and Business, which range from 1.2GHz to 2GHz, 32GB to 128GB (1GB to 2GB of RAM), and ¥12,999 ($1,919) to a whopping ¥31,888 ($4,708). Well, these are still far from what most of us would consider as affordable, so here’s hoping the Chinese market will keep OQO alive until it can bring us some cheaper alternatives. Or at least avoid sending the company to its second funeral.

Update: Eerily, the long static OQO home page has been updated with a brief, but telling bit of text at the bottom of the page: “We did not sell out to Audiotone. Anything by them is a Clone.” So much for the ressurrection. [Thanks, Picasso]

Update 2: Looks like the previous OQO home page update is a hack… by zombies!

OQO crawls back from the dead, releasing Model 03 in China this month (Updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 01:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 31

Enso whips up two smartphones and three new slates, but we wouldn’t order any of ’em

Posted in: Android, Google, GoogleAndroid, maemo, MID, slate, smartphone, tablet, tablet pc, TabletPc, Today's Chili, UMPC

Oh, Enso — must you really give us a reason to hope? After dealing with what felt like a case of the vaporwares, and then being epically disappointed with the zenPad (which is now out of stock, curiously) that you finally shipped, we just can’t muster up the courage to look fondly upon the five new products that are gracing your webstore. That said, those that don’t mind risk taking and actually enjoy the thought of fighting for a refund have three new MIDs / slates to ponder along with a pair of Android-based smartphones to consider. Let’s break ’em down real quick, shall we?

  • zenPad 2 ($219; shipping now): Here you have a 5-inch, Android 1.5-based MID with an 800 x 480 resolution resistive touchscreen, a bundled stylus, inbuilt 3G, 802.11a/b/g WiFi, microSD slot (8GB included), 128MB of RAM, 256MB NAND Flash, a 624MHz Marvell PXA303 Xscale CPU, integrated accelerometer, onboard GPS, micro-USB port, 3.5mm headphone jack and a battery good for 4.5 hours of use. We’re told that an Android 2.1 update is “imminent,” but we believe that about as much as we believe BP’s promise to “make it right.”
  • zenPad 3 ($249; pre-order): This here tablet boasts the exact same specifications as the zenPad 2 (right down to the battery life and resolution), but it rocks a 7-inch design that’ll aid those who can’t squint hard enough to see fonts on the 5-inch sibling.
  • zenPad 4 ($199; shipping now): We hate to state the obvious, but this is quite obviously an iPad KIRF — right down to the Home button. You’ll find a 10.2-inch resistive touchpanel with a 1,024 x 600 resolution (one that Enso swears up and down “has a fast response and works very well”), along with Android 2.1, 802.11a/b/g WiFi, 256MB of RAM, 2GB of storage, a microSD slot (8GB included), a 1GHz Cortex A8 CPU, built-in accelerometer and a 2,400mAh battery that’s good for 5 to 7 hours of life.
  • zenPhone ($349; shipping now): So… it looks like a Nexus One KIRF, it’s called a zenPhone, yet it says it’s a MID. Oh, and it’s not this ZenPhone. Whatever the case, it’s got a 4.3-inch resistive touchscreen (800 x 480), 3G HSDPA radio, 802.11a/b/g WiFi, Bluetooth, 256MB of NAND Flash, a microSD slot (8GB included), a 3.2 megapixel rear camera, 0.3 megapixel front-facing camera, a 2,600mAh battery, onboard GPS, 3.5mm headphone jack and — wait for it — Maemo 5 running the show. Yeah, seriously.
  • zenDroid ($319; pre-order): In the market for a Droid KIRF, are you? You’ve come to the right place, with this one offering a 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen (800 x 480), 3G HSDPA, 802.11a/b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, an FM radio tuner, Android 2.1 (“upgradable to 2.2,” we’re told), a microSD slot (8GB bundled in), 512MB of NAND Flash, a 624MHz Marvell PXA935 processor, 5 megapixel rear camera, 0.3 megapixel front-facing camera, a 1,500mAh battery, onboard GPS, 3.5mm headphone jack and a micro-USB connector.

[Thanks, Neil]

Gallery: Enso zenDroid, zenPhone, zenPad 2, zenPad 3 and zenPad 4

Enso whips up two smartphones and three new slates, but we wouldn’t order any of ’em originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 08:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jun 28

Viliv’s N5 UMPC finally reviewed, deemed worth the wait

Posted in: review, reviewed, Today's Chili, UMPC
Viliv's N5 UMPC finally reviewed, deemed worth the wait

We wouldn’t say that Viliv is always tardy with its product releases, but neither would we say that we’re particularly surprised the N5 UMPC is only now making its way to retail seven months after being announced. It’s a Windows 7-toting, clutch-sized device packing specs that are at least seven months old: a 1.3GHz Atom Z520 processor, 1GB of RAM, and a 32GB SSD. Despite that, performance is said to be good, capable of handling 720p and even 1080p video without a hitch on its 4.8-inch, WSVGA display. Build quality is said to be “superb,” the optical thumbpad thing is apparently a respectable mouse replacement, and 3G wireless (in addition to 802.11b/g and Bluetooth) is quite easy to enable. Unfortunately we’re still not sure what Viliv is going to charge for this, but we’re told it’ll be appearing for order in the very near future.

Viliv’s N5 UMPC finally reviewed, deemed worth the wait originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Jun 2010 10:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 11

Keepin’ it real fake: the Shanshui P72 is the oversized, XP-running iPhone you’ve always secretly wanted

Posted in: iPhone, kirf, MID, Today's Chili, UMPC, video, Windows XP
A true iPhone KIRF running Windows XP may still be the stuff of dreams — crazy, fevered dreams — but it looks like we now have the next best thing: the iPhone-ish Shanshui P72. Boasting a 7-inch WVGA screen, this MID-sized device packs a 1.2GHz VIA C7-M processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB or 32GB of storage, WiFi and 3G connectivity, built-in GPS, and no less than three USB ports, which will let you attach a keyboard and mouse for an authentic Windows XP experience. Sadly, there’s no indication of pricing or availability, but you can check it out in action in the video after the break, and get an extensive look at the device at the source link below.

Continue reading Keepin’ it real fake: the Shanshui P72 is the oversized, XP-running iPhone you’ve always secretly wanted

Keepin’ it real fake: the Shanshui P72 is the oversized, XP-running iPhone you’ve always secretly wanted originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 May 2010 19:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mar 29

Creation Tech’s $65 UMPC is cheap and unlovable

Posted in: Today's Chili, UMPC
If you’re in the market for another Vivienne Tam-designed masterpiece, keep looking! Coming straight outta Shenzhen, Creation Tech’s CTEB7G is a 7-inch UMPC featuring damn near everything you could reasonably expect from a $65 UMPC, including a 533MHz VIA VT 8505 CPU, 128MB RAM, 2GB flash storage, 7-inch (800 x 600) display, WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Ethernet, keyboard with built-in touchpad, three USB 2.0 ports, SD card slot, built-in speaker, microphone, and Windows CE 6.0. This thing is underpowered and underpriced, and it looks it — but we’re sure that Ruslan Kogan can find an excuse to rebadge it nonetheless. Please direct all order inquiries to the source link below.

Creation Tech’s $65 UMPC is cheap and unlovable originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Mar 2010 12:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mar 08

Fujitsu’s LifeBook UH900 gets reviewed, notable flaws found

Posted in: reviewed, tablet, tablet pc, TabletPc, Today's Chili, UMPC, unboxing

There’s no question that Fujitsu’s LifeBook UH900 is a niche device; much like Sony’s VAIO P, there’s just not a lot of demand for an expensive clamshell with an extremely high resolution and an exceptionally cramped keyboard. That said, there’s a curious seduction surrounding this thing, and critics over at Pocketables seemed to agree. After spending some long days (and nights, don’tcha know?) with the Japanese version of this here device, they came away with a huge mixed bag of emotions. On one hand, the snappy performance and excellent portability made it difficult to put down, but the downright dreadful 2 – 2.5 hours of battery life more or less forced them to. There’s also more gentle gripes about the screen color, the “toy-like” build quality and “useless multitouch.” For us, that’s probably one flaw too many to accept, but the forgiving among us should definitely check out the full skinny before making a final call.

Fujitsu’s LifeBook UH900 gets reviewed, notable flaws found originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 06:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feb 28

Fujitsu’s LifeBook UH900 gets unboxed, sized up against the competition

Posted in: tablet, tablet pc, TabletPc, Today's Chili, UMPC, unboxing

Fujitsu’s LifeBook UH900 started shipping to Americans just over a fortnight ago, and now one has landed into the capable hands of Pocketables. Boasting a 2GHz Atom CPU and some of the most unsightly adapters we’ve ever seen, this flip-open handheld — which just looks too lovely to be saddled with the “UMPC” moniker — strangely stirs something within our heart. It’s one of those “I know I don’t need it, but I just have to have it” things. Don’t agree? Hit the source link, scroll all the way down, think about the upcoming weekend, and then see how you feel. Oh, and feel free to check out those size comparisons if you need extra encouragement in the “ooh” and “aah” department.

Fujitsu’s LifeBook UH900 gets unboxed, sized up against the competition originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Feb 2010 07:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feb 26

Viliv’s S10 Blade netvertible priced at $699 and up

Posted in: MID, price, pricing, tablet, tablet pc, TabletPc, Today's Chili, UMPC

There’s hardly a shortage of tablet news these days, but Viliv is managing to cut through somewhat with its relatively robust S10 Blade. Introduced (and toyed with) at CES this year, the Atom-powered device is now up for pre-order at Dynamism (sort of, anyway), with the big reveal being the heretofore unannounced starting price: $699. We get the feeling that some of the more well-appointed units will end up costing far more than that, but at least you know you can get 10.3-inches of resistive multitouch action into your life for less than a carbon fiber Mustang hood. Or pretty much anything else that cost over seven Benjamins.

Viliv’s S10 Blade netvertible priced at $699 and up originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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