HTC Shift Photos

Yes, I know what you are saying… “There are already tons of photos of the Shift online, why more?” Yes, but these photos are special. What makes them so? They are mine and not someone else’s.

So, I got a chance to use the HTC Shift for a couple days before forwarding our review unit on to Steven Borders to review and I have to say that I am still in love with it.

Read on for some more photos…

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First Intel MID pre-order/pricing: M528

Chippy from UMPCPortal has found that the first Intel MID can be preordered already at Tegatech, Australia.

Interested in mobile Internet devices? You know, the ones aimed at the consumer with consumer features and consumer pricing? Then read on… Tegatech, a well-respected UMPC retailer in Australia has recently signed a deal with Gigabyte for the distribution of it’s UMPCs and MIDs in Australia and New Zealand and has sent out an email to it’s media contacts announcing that my favorite MID, the M528 is on their books. A quick look at their website reveals that, yes, the M528 is listed, still looking very desirable, with a nice 8GB flash drive, the 3MP auto-focus cam, an 800×480 touch screen, 11Wh battery, built-in GPS, 3G radio and an 800Mhz Intel Atom processor. With a pocketable size, a pocketable weight and that slide out keyboard it’s a dream device for many.

But here is the interesting thing, the price for this device is around 1280 dollars! Was not the Intel’s MID concept talking about very cheap devices which only main task was Internet Connectivity? For that money you can buy a decent UMPC! A powerful laptop! 3 iPhones! And the other thing is that this price fiasco for some reason reminds me the 500 dollars price tag for UMPCs in the initial Microsoft/Intel marketing campaign. And I said Microsoft/Intel because during that marketing campaign Intel was part of it and a very active part of it and I wonder if the 500 dollars price tag really came from Intel and not from Microsoft.

New pictures of the Noahpad

Courtesy of todoUMPC I received today a few new  pictures of the Noahpad, a new Subnotebook with a VIA processor that should hit the market this summer.

It’s really interesting the new keyboard concept. You can replace it with new language layout in just few minutes.

HTC Shift Video 1st Look

Ever since CTIA Wireless at a dinner with HTC where they showed the Shift, I have really been excited to get some serious hands on time with it. You see, we were able to play with, but not change anything, take photos, or anything else fun with the Shift at this dinner. Now, it’s playtime. Unfortunately, I have decided to let Steven Borders give us the full spin. Not unfortunate for you guys though, Steven will do a great job working the Shift into the automotive work force. I will take some time to test it out on my end for the next day or two though.

Here is my  video 1st look at the HTC Shift…

C2Call - browser based telephony

This caught my eye because there is NO SOFTWARE to install and I do have a need to make international calls.  It looks pretty neat and it’s FREE so I thought I’d pass it on.

Actai Networks launched a public beta of C2Call, a Web-based telephone service that lets anyone using a Windows, Linux or Apple computer make browser-based international phone calls for free.

What is C2Call?
C2Call lets you make FREE web-based phone calls straight from your browser. It works like web-based email without any software installation. You can talk to anybody on the web free.

“C2Call is a leap forward,” said Martin Feuerhahn, director of Actai Networks GmbH. “There’s nothing to install. It works on all platforms. Unlike closed networks, it connects anyone. And all you need is a microphone and speaker, or a headset connected to your PC. It works at home, office and on public terminals while traveling; to make a call, just log in to C2Call wherever you are online.”

How does C2Call work?
It is a java widget that is loaded temporary from the C2Call web page into your browser each time you use C2Call. It works with Windows, MAC and Linux.

Click here to begin using C2Call: http://www.c2call.com.

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Earthmate GPS LT-40 & Street Atlas USA 2009

DeLorme, the leading digital mapping, software, and GPS provider, today announced the release of its Earthmate GPS LT-40, a next generation GPS for laptop PCs. The LT-40 features the STMicroelectronics Teseo chipset for superior signal acquisition, retention, and positional accuracy, even in challenging urban GPS environments.

This launch also debuts Street Atlas USA® 2009 DVD mapping software, for family and everyday use, and the more feature-rich Street Atlas USA 2009 PLUS DVD, aimed at business and advanced users. In addition to the U.S., each also covers Canada (street-level detail) and Mexico (main roads).

Breakthrough New Low Price Expands the Market

Both software titles, along with the LT-40, support the new generation of ultra-mobile personal computers (UMPCs). This is in keeping with DeLorme’s commitment to supporting the latest hardware advances.

More after the break

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HP’s Mini-Note PC, is it for you?

The better question is, is it for your kid?  First looks seem to indicate yes and that it is a great investment for your kids education.  With a variety of options for making the price point palatable for most families, my guess is that this entry from HP may well prove to be wildly popular. Ctitanic had a neat video he linked for you to today from GottaBeMobile that is an absolute MUST WATCH.  I saw this piece from Erica Ogg and thought it was a good complementary piece to read if this this device has sparked an interest in you.

On Tuesday, Hewlett-Packard is expected to officially announce the availability of the Mini-Note PC. The device will begin shipping next week.

Now HP has just put its fairly large boot smack into the middle of Asus’ territory. Will it be able to steal the Eee PC’s thunder? It has a good chance.

HP is looking at two very specific niches of users for the Mini-Note–primary and secondary school students, and business travelers.

It is an interesting piece that you can read here at CNET News.com

Nokia N810 - WiMax Edition Announced

Nokia unvieled at CTIA today the WiMAX verison of their Nokia N810 internet tablet. Exsisting users of earlier version will have the ability to nab a free upgrade in the 2nd quarter. I’ve been eyeing this device for quite some time, but have been unable to pull the trigger. I am getting closer to just shooting blindly into the wind soon.

…Nokia today unveiled its newest Nseries device, the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet - WiMAX Edition, Nokia’s first device engineered to take advantage of new wide-area high-speed mobile WiMAX networks.  This pocket-sized device lets consumers enjoy an open Internet experience, allowing for access to the full Internet without barriers, while on the go. The Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition is the latest iteration of Nokia’s popular line of Internet Tablet products. For the first time, the power and convenience of the Internet Tablet platform is combined with next generation wide-area wireless broadband capability, allowing users to easily and quickly access all of their favorite Internet services beyond local area hot spots. The Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition is expected to be available in the United States during the summer of 2008 in areas where WiMAX connectivity is available.

Read on for the full press release…

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Sharp’s MID released in Japan

This year is going to be the year of MID (Mobile Internet Devices). A good sign of that is this new MID released by Sharp in Japan. 

Sharp launches its 3G mobile phone ‘922SH’ in Japan market through SoftBank, which is expected to be available on 28th March.

Oh, wait a minute… I forgot my opinion… Well, I don’t know but the antenna seems to me a little bit “retro”… Do not you think?

Via AVING USA - Global News Network

All-in-one device ‘Hybrid Dual Portable Computer’

The literature says it’s better than a Smartphone, It’s an Intelligent Phone. Hmm… Don’t know what the hell it is, but it sure looks like a Swiss Army knife to me.

AVING USA has some photos of this wild looking all in one. Check them out.

As the name ‘HDPC’ signifies, user can converge the stand-alone technologies of existing portable devices such as car PC, navigation, mobile phone, PMP, mp3, UMPC, electronic dictionary, internet phone, PSP, digital camera, voice recorder, mobile IPTV into HDPC.
The HDPC is expected to be available in July 2008, and the price would be between 400,000(KRW) and 500,000(KRW).

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Firefox 3: Is it ready for prime-time?

Mozilla seems to think so!  In an article today on Reuters, the new version of Mozilla’s Firefox Web browser indicated that it is ready for download.

“In many ways it (Firefox 3) is much more stable than anything else out there,” Mozilla Corp Vice President of Engineering Mike Schroepfer said in an interview.  More has to be done but these finishing touches will be ready for the late June release.  Security enhancements and the ability to to run Web sites when not connected to the Internet will be key factors in the success of this release. This version will use less computer memory than Firefox 2 which will be a key factor for users.

Still discouraging the “average user” from downloading and discovering its new features but that will soon be changed as they have decided the release is ready for prime time.

Read the full story here at Reuters

Enjoy Windows Mobile on your Shift!

 MoDaCo shows you how to Liberate your HTC Shift!

I like my Shift. It has some obvious failings (such as the pretty horrible battery life) and also the ‘crippled’ Snapvue, which is really a locked down Windows Mobile 6 with bits removed. Wouldn’t it be great if you could Liberate SnapVue by making it full WinMo 6, and then installing as normal? Wouldn’t it be great if this was made really easy? Wouldn’t it be great perhaps if the process was demo’d on video? Wouldn’t it be great if the software you really wanted was bundled up into easy to use ‘packs’?

Well you can now do that because Paul from  MoDaCo has the solution for you and it’s called SHIFTpack.Liberate and SHIFTpacks!

Click the image below or the MoDaCo link to view the video

First Look The Mobile Demand xTablet T8700 Rugged Tablet PC

If you are looking for a rugged small tablet be here is a review that you should not miss under any circumstance.

This go anywhere, do anything Tablet PC makes me re think my decision not to have a rugged Tablet pc as part of my everyday Tablet arsenal.     In fact the screen alone makes this Tablet Pc worth owning for anyone who likes or needs to use their computer outside in sun.

Nokia N810 Plays Musical Price Chairs

Yesterday, a number of sources indicated that the Nokia N810 had a $90 price cut.  This brought this nice little internet tablet down to $389. That is perfectly priced for impulse buying for people with my addiction.

Now, jkOnTheRun (via Gadgetel) is reporting that the price has gone back up now. It’s not back up to original price, but $50 more than it was yesterday so you can still save $40.

Gigabyte M528 MID

Steve and JKK keep informing the whole community from CeBit 2008. Here is their latest video, this time about the Gigabyte M528.