Tuesday, December 30, 2008

OQO model 2+ with 1.86Ghz Intel Atom to be at CES 2009


Touch screen too! Yeah!

Click here to see more


" OQO, Inc. announces the new model 2+ with the Intel® Atom™ processor, the world’s first PC OLED display, and worldwide 3G capability. Based on the 1.86GHz Intel Atom processor and 2GB RAM, the OQO model 2+ offers performance up to twice as fast as its predecessor and includes an embedded touchscreen for easier input. "

Great news! I was hoping for a smaller housing but it looks like it's the same design with better hw.

Touchscreen is much better than the old active digitizer and OLED should look great.

Now let's just wait for the final details and pricing..

Thanks GottaBeMobile!

Details, News and Links for OQO's older model 2




Monday, December 29, 2008

Preview of the MIDs at CES 2009


Click to see the video





Hmmm.. so there should be more at " Atom Zone "

Let's hope some great designs..




RunCore releases new SSDs, 1.8 and 2.5 inchers with good speeds and pricing


Yes, and I just got them for testing...

Continue reading...


"RunCore Product Announcement Dec 29, 2008– RunCore releases 1.8” Low Cost Zif PATA and Hyper Speed 256GB 2.5” SATA SSD.

RunCore is happy to announce the immediate availability of our Low cost 1.8” Zif/PATA SSD solution in 16GB, 32GB, 64GB (5mm) and a special 128GB (8mm). Retail pricing for these parts will be $69.99, $119.99, $199.99, and $389.99 respectively.

This low cost upgrade promises to boost computer performance vs. the traditional 1.8” HDD by more than 400% with read/write speeds up to 75/40MB/sec. This will prove to be a life/computer saver for the hundreds of thousands of people who have bought computers running on a 1.8” HDD. The upgrade process is user friendly and rewarding due to our onboard USB slave port allowing for easy cloning with any off the shelf cloning software. This option will truly unleash the power of any compatible PC allowing for a much more rewarding user experience for both the personal and professional user. In many cases the speed gains seen are equal to that of a power desktop PC.

We are also happy to announce the release of the 256GB Pro III Hyper Speed 2.5” SATA SSD that will reach 230MB/sec read and 150MB/sec write. For the Power Notebook or Netbook user this upgrade will be very affordable at only $699.99. Most users will see a speed boost of over 700%."

Great news for netbooks and UMPCs!

RunCore Press Release

Get yours from MDD




Live Broadcast tonight at 21:00 CET


RunCore SSD winners will be picked live in an hour.. Join to talk some SSD and ultra mobile stuff!

Show is over. Thanks for joining!

Jump to live broadcast..




Friday, December 19, 2008

Hands-on with Wibrain i1, UMPC with Atom cpu and 3G HSDPA


Click to see the video




It's not a looker but it has some great features..


Read Steve's testing notes from UMPCPortal

Details, News and Links for Wibrain i1 3G UMPC




Samsung to release new netbook


Continue reading..

Blogeee is reporting that Samsung is making a new netbook and releasing it in April.

I think they did a great job with their NC10, but I would like to see something smaller, lighter and more "hightech design"..

.. maybe a super thin 8.9 incher with zero bezel?


Thanks Blogeee [ translated ]





MSI gets official with their U120 netbook with 3G


Continue reading..


Details from the press release:

10 inch 1024 x 600 screen
1.6 GHz Intel® Atom™ with1GB RAM
160GB HDD
Wifi b/g/n
Bluetooth 2.0edr
3G HSDPA/HSUPA
3 x usb2
4-in-1-card reader
1.3Mpix cam with mic
4400mAH 6 cell battery
XP Home

In Germany at January for 499€

Via EeePCNews [ translated ]

Details, News and Links for MSI Wind U120




Hoda's touch screen kit for netbooks at MSNBC’s top 10 techkie gift list


Wow!

Continue reading...

Guys at Hoda Technology have been hard at work making touch kits for netbooks and now they are getting some well deserved attention.


Their 'Easy and Fun' touch-screen kit for netbooks got on MSNBC’s '10 gifts for the hard-core techie' list!

Btw, you can get it from Conics.net ..



Check the whole list at MSNBC

Hoda Technology

Via GottaBeMobile




Thursday, December 18, 2008

Competition time: Win 128GB Runcore SSD for Asus Eee PC or 64GB for Dell Mini 9


Yep, goodies to go!

Continue reading..

jkkmobile.com is giving away:

128GB Runcore mini pcie SSD, which will speed up your Asus Eee PC 900, 900A, 901 or 1000


64GB Runcore mini pcie SSD for your Dell Mini 9


How to enter to the contest:

1. Subscribe to jkkmobile YouTube channel ( click the Subscribe button )

2. Write here, to the comments:
- which one you want ( Dell or Asus )
- why do you want Runcore SSD
- your YouTube name for identity ( I will use it to contact you )

3. Hope for the best

Winners will be picked 29th December at 21:00 CET on live event here at jkkmobile.com

RunCore SSD winners will be picked live in an hour.. Join to talk some SSD and ultra mobile stuff!

Jump to live broadcast..


UPDATE: Winner for 128GB is Jacktek and winner for 64GB one is Franciscoqt !!!

Check the Runcore SSD on Dell Mini 9 video

Check the Runcore SSD on Asus Eee PC video

Thanks Runcore and MyDigitalDiscount for the SSDs!




Dell Mini 9's shipping with smaller batteries than they should


Quality control problem or margin seeking?

Click here to see more

Peter has been testing his Dell Minis and noted that one of his Mini 9's had smaller 24Wh battery than on the other one. Marking on the both states it should be 32Wh.


I just checked mine with a battery software. It's 24Wh too. The review unit I had earlier had 32Wh 4 cell.

So if you were wondering how Mini 9 got 4 hours on reviews but only 3 hours on your use, this is the reason.. If you are shopping one, check the battery label, if it starts with KR it's the cheapo, if it starts with CN it's ok.

But is it just bad quality control or is Dell trying to push up their margins by using cheaper batteries?

Not good...

UPDATE: Forum members now testing more.. looks like a battery firmware error and difference seems smaller too

Read the forum post at MyDellMini.com

Details, News and Links for Dell Mini 9




Wednesday, December 17, 2008

New netbooks coming from Clevo, touch screen options too


Click here to see more


Clevo TN70xM, 7 inch convertible, available rebranded with many different specs.


Clevo M71xL, 10 incher with Atom with optical drive



Clevo M81xL, 10 inch netbook looking like a real book!

And last but not least: Clevo T89xM, 8.9 inch touch screen netbook with Intel Atom Z series cpu. Sorry, no picture yet, but we are tracking...

Thanks Gophn

Via Engadget




Monday, December 15, 2008

Acer, Asus, and Toshiba to make Snapdragon based netbooks


Qualcomm has been showing their netbook or MCD as they say..

Continue reading..


Qualcom Snapdragon netbook prototype .. eh, Dual-mode MCD


Now they are bit by bit giving more details out:

"Mobile Computing Devices (MCDs) offer a revolution in computing and communications in a thin and light form factor with a 7-12” display and full keyboard. MCDs are perfect for viewing movies and maps, or editing spreadsheets and documents while also having access to full Internet browsing and social networking. Dual-mode MCDs allow for notebook and tablet/reading mode to further improve the user experience."

"Our vision is that (the device is) always connected. Even when you shut it down, it's still 'on.' (The laptop) goes to your Exchange server, gets your e-mail, puts it on the drive--solid-state or hard drive--and then when you're ready to do e-mail, you flip it open and it's right there. Instant on, always connected,"

So full day, always on and very mobile.. but it's ARM based, Linux only. Could they really compete with Intel on more computer than phone like devices, netbooks?

It would need a lot of co-operation between them, Linux vendors and OEMs. Intel has been building their Linux only MID community for 2 years and all we have seen is very basic and not even nearly finished software. Hardware can enable, but to bring ARM based Linux netbook even near to current ones will need work.. maybe too much work?

Qualcomm seems to believe highly themselves as they are now naming Acer, Asus and Toshiba as their future Snapdragon customers:

"Companies including Acer, Asus, and Toshiba are planning devices based on Snapdragon, according to Qualcomm. Acer, for example, will initially introduce Qualcomm's Gobi 3G modem into its devices, then gravitate to products based on Snapdragon."

We will see it soon hopefully..


Read the full interview at CNET

Image source

Details of Snapdragon




Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Asus R50A unboxed with mixed feelings


Rock Solid - Heart Touching?

Click here to see more



Ben is testing R50A...

... with Vista on 1.33Ghz Atom Z520. Not the best combination.

But jump to his unboxing and first impressions post of this $1399.00, 32GB SSD, 3G, 5.6" WSVGA touchscreen UMPC to read more...

Asus R50A UMPC unboxing and first impressions

Details, News and Links for Asus R50A UMPC




MSI to show Wind netbook with touchscreen at CES


Great news!

Click here to see more

Joanna from Laptop Magazine interviewed MSI’s Director of U.S. Sales Andy Tung and among other things she got some surprising news about future MSI's products:

" .. during CES we will display a 10-inch touch notebook and a 16-inch touch notebook. The Wind with the touch screen is something we are demoing at CES but we are not sure this will come to market. We will be gathering feedback on this, because we are not sure a 10-inch display is large enough for a tablet. "

Feedback from jkkmobile: BRING IT ON!


Read the rest of the interview




Meet the ugliest battery ever: 10 cell 13000mAh for Eee PC 901


Uuuuh..

Click here to see more




lqbweb just got his 10 cell 13000mAh ( 96w/hr ) battery for Eee PC 901 and shered it to the world...

It should give 10 to 14 hours of computing power, but man it's ugly!

Thanks lqbweb for the pix




Ultra Mobile Podcast no. 22


Welcome to listen Ultra Mobile Podcast no. 22. Join me, Steve and Sascha talking about Ultra Mobility.

On the podcast: Netbooks, MIDS, Netbook World Summit, the Snapdragon netbook concept, the HP Mini 1000, optimum speeds for SSD’s, the Amtek T10L and the Lluon Mobbit MID.

Click here download it [ mp3, 01:31:21 ]




Friday, December 05, 2008

Intel's Mobile Internet Design contest gets great concepts


Design is one major factor on a personal device...

Click here to see more

Intel had this design contest at Czech Republic November 2008. Here are some of my picks from them:


" Grand design prize to the design by Petra Matyščáková, an industrial design student at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Brno University of Technology.
“The famous adage, ‘Simple is beautiful,’ is absolutely true about this winning design. The simple concept is perfectly designed for the typical user model of mobile devices,” raves Martin Drdúl, Market Development Manager CEE at Intel. "








" The design winning jury’s highest acclaim was submitted by Petr Kubík, an industrial design student at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Brno University of Technology. His approach to MID closely resembles a mobile phone, but once you open it, it looks like a book and a notebook at the same time. The design reflects the need for a wide display for comfort when reading and working while seated, as well as for ergonomic controls that can be used when walking. "







Some great new ideas...

.. what's your favorite? Me likes the the basic black/silver slider with keyboard and track pointer... and the sliding/folding thingy on the last pics.

Check the rest of the designs at MediaKom ( translated ]




Thursday, December 04, 2008

Buffalo pcie SSD vs RunCore pcie SSD on Asus Eee PC 901


Click here to see more

All test on Eee 901 at Super Performance mode






So Buffalos new SSDs are better than the old ones, but RunCore eats them alive...


Thanks X-Gadget for Buffalo tests [ translated ]




How-to: 3G HSDPA to HP Mini 1000


Click to see the video





Yep, It was BIOS locked, but there is always away to go around.... Bad HP, bad!

Next up with HP Mini 1000: SSD and HDD options


My favorite 3G modems:

Novatel EU870D 3G modem at MobilX

with SIM slot on the modem:

Novatel EU850D 3G modem at MobilX



Details, News and Links for HP Mini 1000




Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Video preview: gOS Cloud, instant internet


Click to see the video




6 seconds and you are online with gOS Cloud..

..I will be testing it soon too.

Thanks Sascha! [ translated ]

gOS Cloud homepage




Samsung NC 10 dissected


Click here to see more





Thanks EeePCNews