Jul 25

DIY wearable computer: now you don’t have to go to MIT to look like a total nerd in public

Posted in: mit, Today's Chili, UMPC

We admit it: despite our general disregard for the benefits of higher education, we’ve always harbored deep jealousy for those incredibly intelligent jerks at MIT’s Media Lab, traipsing around Massachusetts in their incredibly great wearable computers. Well, now that a MicroPCTalk forum member has built his very own wearable computer from a few spare parts lying around the house, we can finally put aside those futile dreams and get to work on our very own nerd-badge-of-honor. Mr. Fiveseven808 took a VAIO UX, Myvu Crystal wearable display, a bevy of Bluetooth peripherals and a iDEN i425 handset for connectivity. Sadly, his UX has since died, but there’s more UMPC where that can, and those elitist MIT types can’t keep us down forever.

[Via SlashGear]

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DIY wearable computer: now you don’t have to go to MIT to look like a total nerd in public originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 25 Jul 2009 19:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 23

Viliv X70 EX Premium 3G on sale now in Hong Kong

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

The folks behind the Viliv brand of consumer electronics don’t ever stop swinging, it seems. They hit us with the beloved X70, the keyboard-sportin’ S7, and before we have a chance to blink they’re back in the ring with the X70 EX Premium. Currently on sale in Hong Kong, this bad boy features optional 3G (in which case you should ask for the X70 EX Premium 3G) and sports a 1.3GHz Intel Atom Z520 processor, 1GB RAM, a 32GB SSD, and an SDHC slot for extra storage. As you’ve probably guessed, the display is your standard 7-inch with 1024 x 600 resolution. Throw in Windows XP, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, and a GPS, and this guy is yours for $6,898 in Hong Kong bucks (roughly $890 US). No word yet on a Stateside release.

Update: Hello! You can get this badboy in the States, courtesy of Dynamism. The site is offering the device at $599.99 along with a bundle of free accessories. So, if you absolutely must have it today… you know where to look.

[Via Gadget Mix]

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Viliv X70 EX Premium 3G on sale now in Hong Kong originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 10:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 17

HDR imaging for the cheap and gifted

Posted in: diy, hack, homebrew, Today's Chili, UMPC

People who are seriously after HDR output tend to pony up the dough for a big and chunky DSLR, knowing they’ll get the highest quality possible. But if you’re short on cash, here’s a homebrewed mod that combines a gutted Polaroid x530 Foveon shooter with a Viliv to produce HDR-like imagery on the cheap. Essentially, the Viliv does all the processing and control work, while the el cheapo camera is used for its ability to save to raw format. You could instead pick up a compact Ricoh CX1 and save yourself a lot of trouble, but where’s the fun and tinkering in that? The homemade hardware might not be pretty to look at, but make your way past the break to see if the results are worth the effort.

[Via Hack a Day]

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HDR imaging for the cheap and gifted originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Jul 2009 08:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 14

Raon Digital: maker of UMPC monstrosities meets its maker?

Posted in: rumor, speculation, Today's Chili, UMPC

There’s nothing official yet, but evidence is mounting to suggest that Raon Digital has closed up shop in similar fashion to OQO before it. Following rumors of bankruptcy and anecdotal observations of limited stock and reduced service, all Raon Digital communications have gone silent and the website’s been taken offline. If true, then the demise will be met with styli held at half mast by UMPC enthusiasts who were particularly fond of the overpriced ($879 at launch) and problematic Everun Note “premium” netbook. For everyone else, rejoice, your fears of a Vega 2 may have been assuaged.

[Via Pocketables]

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Raon Digital: maker of UMPC monstrosities meets its maker? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 04:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 07

Viliv S7 UMPC gets final pricing and specifications

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

We’ve held onto our hats for quite awhile waiting for this day to come, but at long last, Viliv is dishing out the final specification lists and prices for its remarkably striking S7 UMPC. First shown way back at IDF 2008 as a prototype, this QWERTY-packin’ machine has matured quite nicely over the months, with a trio of models on tap to showcase its mobile prowess. The entry-level I-LOG HX is equipped with a 1.33GHz Intel Atom Z520 CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 60GB hard drive, a battery good for 9.5 hours of use and Windows XP, while the mid-range I-LOG 3X steps up to a 32GB SSD. The flagship D-LOG 3X even gets an internal DMB TV tuner, while WiBro (South Korea’s WiMAX) is an option on all three. We expect the 7-inch device — which is priced at ₩729,000 ($572), ₩799,000 ($628) and ₩849,000 ($666) in order of mention — to ship in its homeland soon, though no official release date has been made public.

[Via SlashGear]

Update: jkkmobile has it that international versions could feature processors as speedy as 2GHz along with Vista and a free upgrade to Windows 7.

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Viliv S7 UMPC gets final pricing and specifications originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Jul 2009 07:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jun 23

Intel and Nokia officially partner on mobile devices: “the possibilities are endless”

Posted in: business, hspa, intel, Linux, maemo, MID, netbook, nokia, open source, opensource, partnership, Today's Chili, UMPC

Just as we heard, Intel and Nokia have today announced a long-term partnership that just might / might not revolutionize the way you live. The all-too-mysterious release doesn’t go into great detail about what exactly the partnership will lead to, but it’s clear that the two are joining hands in order to “shape the next era of mobile computing.” Indeed, the duo has stated that they expect “many innovations to result from this collaboration over time” and they are hoping to “define a new mobile platform beyond today’s smartphones, notebooks and netbooks, enabling the development of a variety of innovative hardware, software and mobile internet services.” It’s hard to say if we’ll be seeing a Nokia UMPC, MID or smartbook in the near future, but we have to wonder if the world is even interested. An Intel-powered smartphone? Color us interested. An Intel-powered Nokiabook? Meh.

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Intel and Nokia officially partner on mobile devices: “the possibilities are endless” originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jun 22

Kohjinsha SK3 convertible UMPC adds Windows 7 support, excitement, and danger

Posted in: Today's Chili, UMPC

We know what you’re thinking: sure, lime green netbooks are fun, but when is Kohjinsha going to revisit that dapper little SC3 convertible UMPC that won our hearts way back in the summer of ’08? You’re so predictable — and you’re in luck! According to the cats at a little UMPC portal we like to call UMPC Portal, the newly re-jiggered Kohjinsha SK3 sports subtle design differences (including a new WiFi module that brings 802.11n to the table), but otherwise the same ol’ 1.3GHz Menlow processor, GPS, SD card slot, VGA out, and LAN of its predecessor. If that weren’t enough, this device contains two cameras and Windows 7 support. No word yet on price or a release date on this beauty — or whether or not it will sport a HDD or SSD drive. But we do have one more lovely promo shot for you after the break.

[Via SlashGear]

Continue reading Kohjinsha SK3 convertible UMPC adds Windows 7 support, excitement, and danger

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Kohjinsha SK3 convertible UMPC adds Windows 7 support, excitement, and danger originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jun 12

Video: Archos 9 pctablet resistive touchscreen impresses

Posted in: archos, intel, Today's Chili, touchscreen, UMPC

Archos attempt to resurrect the UMPC category of devices got off to a good start yesterday in Paris with the launch of its 16-mm thick Archos 9 pctablet — a 8.9-inch 1024×600 pixel tablet riding an 800MHz or 1.2GHz Atom Z515 processor, 1GB of memory, up to 120GB disk, webcam, Bluetooth 2.1, 802.11b/g WiFi, and SIM card slot for WWAN connectivity. Archosfans just posted a video of the Archos 9 prototype in action and honestly, that resistive touch-screen looks pretty damn impressive to finger taps. However, since it’s running Windows 7, a full-blown desktop OS, you’ll still need to pull out the included stylus on occasion to interactive with the Windows 7 UI or applications designed for a mouse and keyboard. Fortunately, the Archos 9 offers an optical mouse on the right-side bezel and left and right mouse keys along the left. Other notable highlights include a removable battery of undetermined capacity, a docking port for added expansion (Ethernet, 2x USB, VGA output), stereo speakers, and an adjustable kickstand for viewing video or working on the Archos 9 with attached USB keyboard and mouse. The Archos rep says it’ll be priced between €450 and €500 when it ships around the time Windows 7 launches at the end of October. What we’re wondering is how much finger-friendly UI customization will be included by Archos and how they plan to market the device to consumers who already own smartphones, laptops, and even netbooks. Video after the break.

P.S. While Archosfans claims the Archos 9 is multi-touch, nothing that we’ve found supports that claim on the Archos site or in the video demonstrations. Nevertheless, multi-touch resistive touchscreen technology does exist as demonstrated to us by Stantum back in February. In fact, the ASUS Eee PC T91 also features an 8.9-inch resistive display that does support mult-touch.

Continue reading Video: Archos 9 pctablet resistive touchscreen impresses

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Video: Archos 9 pctablet resistive touchscreen impresses originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 04:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jun 11

Video: dmedia M0 gets the hands-on treatment

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

This little devil here’s been bouncing around in some form or another for nearly a year, and now it looks like dmedia’s M0 might actually see the light of day sometime soon. The video shows the 4.3-inch touchscreen device running Windows CE and sporting the specs that we’d been clued into many months ago, including: Samsung 533-800MHz CPU, 800 x 480 capacitive touchscreen, and a 5-megapixel camera. No word yet on a price or Stateside release, but we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled. Video after the break.

[Via SlashGear]

Continue reading Video: dmedia M0 gets the hands-on treatment

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Video: dmedia M0 gets the hands-on treatment originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jun 11

Archos announces Archos 9 Windows 7 tablet Update: hands-on pics

Posted in: Android, archos, tablet, Today's Chili, UMPC

Archos is currently having an event in France, and while we’re still expecting some sort of Android announcement, the company’s leading off with the Archos 9, a nine-inch Windows 7 tablet. It’s basically a netbook in tablet form, with an Atom Z515 processor, 80GB disk, Bluetooth, and dual DVB-T antennas — yep, Archos has brought back the UMPC. No word on pricing or availability yet, we’ll let you know.

Update: Sounds like a 1.2GHz processor — not exactly a rocket, but probably adequate for a stripped-down Windows 7 build. We’re also hearing September / October availability, in line with Windows 7, and a €450 ($633) pricetag.

Update 2: So much for our hopes — the event is now over and no Android announcements were made. Charbax from techvideoblog (who is at the event) says we’ll see more info on September 15.

Update 3: As you’d expect, ArchosLounge is on the scene and they’ve nabbed some hands-on pics. Check a couple after the break — we think it looks sort of gigantic, but maybe that’s what the world’s been waiting for.

[Via UMPC Portal]

Continue reading Archos announces Archos 9 Windows 7 tablet Update: hands-on pics

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Archos announces Archos 9 Windows 7 tablet Update: hands-on pics originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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