HP iPAQ 910 Video 1st Look and Unboxing

So, it’s been a busy last couple of days for me. Almost busy enough to make me forget that I have had this hot device sitting unopened under my desk. Knowing it was there for 3 days did make me a bit jittery though.

We’re sending this one to our iPAQ Expert, Microsoft MVP Julie to review. She has been looking forward to checking out the iPAQ 910. Have fun Julie.

Giving away a Amtek U560 UMPC

todoUMPC the largest Spanish community about UMPC just announced that they are preparing a event called 3000 - that’s the number of registered members that they are going to reach soon - and for that event they are giving away few things. The page is teasing members and not members with this event so they have not said officially what has to be done to get any of the prizes and what are the prizes. The only thing known so far is that there are going to be to big prizes and one of them is a Amtek U560 UMPC. 

The event will be opened to all users around the world speaking Spanish or English. But like I said, no details of how and what needs to be done to participate have been revealed yet.

I’ll keep posting about all the details as soon as I have them.

Samsung Instinct Video 1st Look

I have had the Instinct a few day and before I do a bit more testing, I wanted to give everyone a look at the device.

HTC Victor - An HTC Diamond without the Diamonds

I kind of think those Diamonds look sexy, but the back of this one does too. Hmm… Heck, I’ll take either in a US GSM variety. This version is being dubbed as the HTC Victor and according to Mobile Burn, it will be coming to Telus in Canada.

Source: Some Taiwanese Blog via Mobile Burn

gOoops (Beta)

It has not been a good few weeks for Google.

First of all, as has been reported here and all over the net, Android developers have been expressing unhappiness for several months with the fact that Google has been very slow with giving them updated versions of the potentially game-changing software. Last week they found out why.

It seems that a Google employee accidentally sent word of a new SDK release to a public mailing list for Android developers. However, the message that the SDK was available at a private download site, was only intended for the winners of a development contest and not for all developers. Now Google had promised that ALL developers would get the same chance to create applications for their revolutionary OPEN SOURCE mobile phone OS. Apparently that was not the case at all. When the outrage followed, the poor, Send button challenged Google employee (assuming he still IS a Google employee) apologized, and while doing so admitted he had sent the message to the wrong list. It had been meant to go to the secret, private list for privileged developers…not to the unwashed mob of little people. These contest winners who were on the special mailing list then publicly stated that yes, they had had access to all the SDKs that the developer forums were abuzz with demands for, but they had stayed mum due to having signed a non-disclosure agreement to hide updates from other developers. Google had also stayed silent, when it wasn’t telling the forums that there were no SDKs, this wasn’t the Android they were looking for, and to move along, move along.

Open source? Looks more like Closed Shop to me.

Google now faces a potentially massive walkaway by developers to other platforms such as Apple’s iPhone, where they clearly let any and all developers who follow the rules write apps for the new Apps store. Not only are the developers angry that they have not been given a fair chance to create applications for the OS, but they are upset over Google’s duplicitous behavior. The industries great expectations for Android are beginning to fade as the OS is looking more and more like vapourware. It may not matter, as the 3G iPhone software may make Android superfluous anyway. [Read more]

3G Aspire One, Data Included

According to a report on IDG, Acer is in talks with several mobile service providers to bundle Aspire One netbooks with data contracts right out of the box. The companies in question (says a conveniently anonymous Acer flak) are Chunghwa Telecom and Taiwan Mobile in Asia and T-Mobile International, Vodafone Group and Orange in Europe.

The Aspire One comes with 802.11 b/g connectivity in all models, but Acer is discussing adding HSDPA and HSUPA (High Speed Downlink/Uplink Packet Access) for the Asian and Euro 3G models for fast and easy data traffic. A WiMax version for the US is also being discussed as a possibility by Acer. No prices have been mentioned, but Asus has already been bundling Eee UMPCs with wireless contracts in some markets. In those deals, such as one recently announced in Japan, the UMPC itself is practically free being heavily subsidized, but the data comes a little more dear. Considering the apparent ease of Acer’s Linpus Linux based operating system, the Aspire One could be an ideal machine for this kind of scenario, especially if it doesn’t light the marketplace on fire on its own. As the UMPC market gets more and more competitive (and level), companies will be looking for all sorts of way to move product and expand the value of these devices.

No data contract details were provided, and it appears the talks are still in a very early phase. Likely the providers are waiting to see how the market treats the Aspire One before committing to anything. Clever fellows.

Samsung Channels the iPaq 2215

Yet another Samsung WM6 smartphone has been announced for Korea and Asia (isn’t this like the fifth this month?), the SPH-M4655, called the MultiTouch II by service provider LG Telecom. The PDA style phone is the follow-on to the successful SPH-M4650. The phone currently supports CDMA2000 networks with EV-DO Rev A. high speed data transfer.

Feature wise, the Samsung SPH-M4655 boasts the following:

• 624MHz processor
• 128MB of RAM
• 256 MB of ROM
• Windows Mobile 6.1 OS
• 2.8-inch 240×320 LCD touchscreen
• 2 Megapixel camera
• Bluetooth
• MicroSD expansion card slot.
• LG Telecom’s OZ 3G services.

The phone seems to be reasonably well appointed if not a powerhouse, but it’s design takes me back to the golden age of HP iPaqs, especially such devices as the sleek, silver and very popular 2215. All it’s missing are the black rubber side grips. Sort of a strange time for Samsung to be reaching back a few years for design tips, but it’s a tough market at the moment. I can honestly say I haven’t seen another smartphone recently with similar styling, and as so many devices these days look so similar perhaps they are on the right track.

A Centrino 2 UMPC?

In the veritable avalanche of product announcements today in the wake of Intel’s Centrino 2 rollout, a tidbit from Lenovo caught my eye.

I was not surprised to see that the Chinese PC maker announced they would be adding a Centrino 2 powered series to their Ideapad line to be designated their G series, which is a prefix Lenovo often uses for budget consumer devices.

The inaugural unit in the series, the 14.1 inch G430 wasn’t a great surprise, nor was that they were targeting the entry level market with the laptop. What DID catch my attention was that they have more units in the series planned to target the NETBOOK market. Could we be seeing a 10 inch Centrino 2 powered Lenovo Ideapad in the future? I have a feeling we will be able to tell better as we see how the new Centrino 2 laptops do regarding energy management and power consumption. We may be looking at yet another example of Intel competing against itself, as Centrino 2 based laptops challange the tiny Intel Atom chip.

Time will tell. I love this industry.

Dell E Gets a Date in Time for School

News of Dell’s long awaited entry into the UMPCaloosa has been swirling for some time, with information about all the various configurations of the 8.9 inch Dell E and the 12.1 Dell E Slim being leaked pretty regularly over the last few weeks. In addition, we have known for a month or so that the Dell Es will start at the very attractive price of $299 and the following features (more or less):

• Linux (distro unknown)
• Intel’s 1.6GHz Atom processor
• 1,024 x 600 display
• 3x USB ports
• SSD (sizes unknown)
• Integrated webcam
• WiFi
• 2.2 lbs

Now we also have more confirmation of the rumored roadmap, as Digitimes is quoting channel sources that the first shipments will happen in August, and that Dell has it’s ducks in a row to ship 2-3 million of the little beauties before the end of the year. That works out to Dell estimating a 6-9 million yearly output. Hubris or realistic?

UMPC vendor blood will soak the back to school sales this year. By Christmas, I have a feeling Dell will be the new brand to beat in the UMPC/Netbook market.

Thanks to Blitz50 at pocketables.net for the tip.

Early Arrival - HP iPAQ 910 Smartphone

Ok, so I ordered this thing Thursday and knowing the load I had on me with the iPhone 2.0 software, the Palm Treo 800w, and a few other phones, I decided to opt for the free shipping (4-5 Business Day). Well, It’s Monday and guess what shows up a few days earlier than I expected…

Photo Taken with the Palm Treo 800w

It will most likely be tonight or tomorrow night before I get to this one though. Stop by later to check.

Sprint Palm Treo 800w Video 1st Look

I apologize in advance for a couple things… a) The delay getting the video online. 250mb takes a while to upload to YouTube, b) some minor mistakes I made in the video and c) The length of the video. 20+ minutes is a lot to sit through. Of course, if you are in the market for the Palm Treo 800w, it’s worth it to watch.

Thanks for watching and let me know if you have any questions.

Windows Mobile 6.1 for the Samsung SCH-i760

Gear Diary has the goods on an update for the Samsung SCH-i760 that Jack reviewed last year. This was a super cool WinMo phone that hit Verizon last year. It’s good to see older phones get the upgrades!

[Read more]

Palm Treo 800w Hands On Photos

The Palm Treo 800w may have showed up on Sprint’s Website yesterday, but the device showed up at my office late last week. I’ve had a little time to play/test the phone and so far, so good. I am uploading a 20 Minute video unboxing and 1st look right now too, so make sure to check back later.

Pros and Cons and More photos after the jump…

[Read more]

Palm and Sprint Introduce the Treo 800w Smartphone

Latest Windows Mobile Treo from Sprint Provides a Fast, Feature-rich, Out-of-the-box Experience

Palm, Inc. and Sprint today introduced the Palm Treo 800w, Sprint’s newest smartphone with Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional. Designed for business users who depend on their smartphones for high-speed productivity on the go, the Palm Treo 800w operates on the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network⁽¹⁾ and comes out of the box with support for EV-DO Rev. A data speeds, WiFi for data and GPS capabilities.⁽²⁾

The Treo 800w is Palm’s most business-friendly phone yet. IT departments can simplify infrastructure and lower costs with a direct connection to Microsoft Exchange Server, giving users up-to-date email, contacts, calendars and access to other productivity applications. Palm designed the Treo 800w for easy-to-use mobility with a full QWERTY keyboard, five-way navigation and one-touch buttons to the most-used applications, making it a smartphone people want to use.

[Read more]

Asus EeePC 901-X

Asus is releasing a new version of its popular Eee PC line in Japan. The 901-X uses a N270 Intel Processor at 1.6 GHz, powerful enough to move Vista decently and save battery at the same time.

ASUS rolled out its Atom-based notebook ‘EeePC 901-X’ in Japan market, which is powered by Intel N270(1.6GHz) CPU and Windows XP OS. Adopting a 8.9-inch display with 1,024*600 resolution, the EeePC 901-X supports up to 8.3 hours of battery life, 12GB SSD, 1GB of memory, 1.3M camera, wireless LAN and Bluetooth connectivity.

AVING USA - Global News Network