iPhone Buzz » Ultra Mobile PC

Rumor: Apple releasing slate touchscreen device

James Allan Brady — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 03:33:55 +0000

Could it be another go at the Newton? Could it be My iTablet? Or could it be a MacBook Touch? Maybe an Apple UMPC?

Right now no one knows for sure, what is known is that there are reports of a touchscreen device that is larger than the iPhone with a bigger, better, multi-touch touchscreen. What is also known is that the engineers from this project have on occasion taken time off from this project to work on the iPhone, which means to some extent, they are interchangeable. It could be an Apple UMPC, wouldn’t that be great.

The reports say that the device is only about one and a half times the size of the iPhone, so a new Newton sounds like the most probably this time. However this does also show that Apple is willing to spread their highly successful multi-touch technology around. That combined with some patents we have seen for reducing the space required for some things coming out of Cupertino, means that the other two, an iTablet and a MacBook Touch, aren’t completely out of the question. I know I am keeping my fingers crossed, I just don’t see a market for a PDA, especially when they have the iPhone, but I would definitely buy an iTablet or MacBook Touch.Rumor: Apple Newton making a comeback? [via SlashGear]

New HTC Shift Released

Chris Davies — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 05:46:42 +0000

HTC has finally released its upcoming PDA/UMPC entitled the shift. Well, they have at least released it in Korea.

The HTC shift is quite revolutionary, whereas up until now, if you wanted to do even the most basic of functions on your UMPC you had to fully power it on and begin sucking away at that battery, with the Shift, this is not the case. There are separate OS and processors for use at your disposal.

There is the 400MHz Qualcomm processor and Windows Mobile 6.0 for PDA types of use, and you can use it without recharging running solely on this set of hardware/software. Then you simply push a button and you are using the Intel A110 800MHz processor and Windows Vista Business which only lasts about 3 hours.

Other specs include a 1.3MP webcam, fingerprint scanner, 1GB DDR2, 40GB HDD, WLAN, HSDPA, and the latest revision of Bluetooth. There isn’t a price listed, but it should be available now (once again, at least in Korea). One note of caution, HTC’s latest press release containing info on the Shift says it should be released in US and European markets by Q3 of this year, so, it may be available in Korea, but probably won’t be available here for at least another month.

www.htc.com/product/03-product_HTC_Shift.htm

HTC UMPC ‘Shift’ to load two CPUs [via AVING]

VIA shows off ultraportable smartphone alternative

Chris Davies — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 16:00:36 +0000

Oh to have Bjorn Stromberg’s job – not only does he get to play with new VIA-based UMPCs as much as he likes, but he can also pretend to be a spy and sneak pre-production samples out from under the noses of engineers. Today’s internal espionage involves a pair of ultraportables, based on VIA’s Ultra Mobility Platform, the VIA NanoBook and Packard Bell EasyNote XS.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLR8wLDFtCU[/youtube]

Sadly he only got around fifteen minutes to compare the two – before the sharks with head-mounted lasers found him – but it’s enough time to take a tour around the different ports and options each has. While the VIA design – which has apparently been picked up by an as-yet unannounced distributor for the US – has the clever pop-out module, the Packard Bell version – which will be Europe only – shifts the screen more centrally and has a fixed webcam and microphone module. Bjorn points out that the removable module could be used for an HSDPA modem, and hopefully the XS will also have some sort of cellular broadband option.

Both are expected to run to $599, with the EasyNote XS launching in late August, and both have an estimated 5hr battery life and weigh in at just 890g. You can find out more about the VIA reference design over at our sister site, SlashGear.

Introducing, not one, but two new UMPCs [ultramobilelife]

New HTC phones leaked

Vincent Nguyen — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 22:04:28 +0000

Phone manufacturers need to be on guard for HTC’s attack on the US phone market! CTI Miami, an online retailer obtained information on a variety of upcoming HTC phones targeting the CDMA networks.First is the Vogue, which is a CDMA version of the Touch. Then there’s the Excalibur, which will become an upgraded model called the Iris (S640), featuring a 2-megapixel camera, 256MB of ROM and assisted GPS.There is also more info on the Kaiser, featuring WiFi, a 2.8-inch screen, quad-band GSM/EDGE, and HSDPA broadband up to 3.6Mbps. It will also have a VGA camera for video calls while the digital camera will either be two or three megapixels.The Nike (not mistaken for the shoe company) has similar specs, featuring a 2-megapixel camera and is actually a vertical number pad slider rather than a horizontal QWERTY in design. The Volans will have a fixed numberpad and a QWERTY slide-out. The Polaris sports a larger than life 3.5-inch display with full GPS functionality, and a 3-megapixel digital camera (no video). The Sedna will have similar specs in addition to HSDPA boosting speeds up to 7.2Mbps. Finally, the X9500 might be another name for the Shift.Demo video of the HTC Shift[flv]http://www.myitablet.com/media/htc_shift_umpc.flv[/flv]HTC phone details see daylight [Via Electronista]

Intel shows off new Donley UMPC

Chris Scott Barr — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 19:15:24 +0000

It looks like sliding screens are out, swivel screens are where it’s at. Well, my Helio Ocean says that sliding still rocks, but this new UMPC from Intel shows us that swivel screen can be sexy.

This little guy packs a 5-inch screen that as we know swivels and rotates so you can view in portrait and landscape modes. You’ll also get Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS and WWAN. Other than that, not much is known about this little guy. It does appear to be running Vista from the pictures.

The keyboard looks like it might be a concern. Though when looking close, it reminds me a lot of the keyboard that was on my Cingular 8125, and it was pretty easy to use.

Concept UMPC Packs a Swiveling Screen [via gizmodo]

VIA’s NanoBook UMPC

Chris Davies — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 08:22:47 +0000

The NanoBook ultraportable is a sub-850g mini notebook with 7-inch WVGA 800 x 400 touchscreen and VIA’s 1.2GHz C7-M ULV power-sipping processor, it bridges the gap between UMPCs and traditional subnotebooks.

Despite the small size there’s a full keyboard, 1GB of RAM, 30GB or 60GB hard-drive and 4-in-1 memory card reader. Most interesting, the panel next to the display can house a variety of slot-in modules bringing new functionality to the NanoBook – VIA suggest a Bluetooth VoIP phone, GPS, DVB, 3G/CDMA cellular networking and even a world clock for those of you (like me) who have trouble with timezones.

The 4-cell battery promises up to 4.5 hours of battery life, and we’re told that a production version will be coming out soon. It should be interesting to see how many of the unique features make it through to the showroom.

The NanoBook will be officially launched at the VIA Technology Forum tomorrow in Taipei.

VIA

My life, my freedom, my OQO model 02

Vincent Nguyen — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 08:14:41 +0000

I escaped the real world and flew to Maui for a couple of days to get some rest and relaxation. Being away from the office doesn’t mean I have to be completely cutoff from civilization – as long as you have an ultra-mobile pc that fits in your pant pocket. The OQO model 02 is the only pocket-able device on the market.

Make sure to check back in a few days for a full review!