ULTRA MOBILE PC TIPS

TabletPc2.com 2009 Holiday Gift Guide

2009-12-04T05:17:00.000-04:00

Linda Epstein has published her Holiday Gift Guide for this Christmas. You may find many other guides but I'm sure that none of them will have the artistic touch that Linda gives to her. Check this picture:

This year's list includes more than 100 products from over 35 vendors. Tablet PCs, Netbook's, Laptops, All-In-One PCs, Entertainment, Accessories, iPhone, Digital Cameras, Storage Solutions and more............

Lenco will be soon in UK

2009-12-02T04:44:00.000-04:00

For our UK readers is this news:

Venlo/Hampshire, November, 2009 – Lenco, the well known Swiss originated consumer electronics brand from Venlo, The Netherlands, is from now available in the UK market. This is the result of an exclusive distribution agreement, which has been signed between Lenco and IT Industries Europe in Hampshire, United Kingdom.

“The introduction of Lenco in the UK market fits in our agenda to further internationalise our brand. On a global scale, we aim to bring Lenco into markets in more countries. We are, thanks to the co-operation with IT Industries, confident in a successful market introduction in the United Kingdom”, comments Lenco CEO Nico Brabers.

IT Industries Europe is a well known distributor in the United Kingdom and will introduce Lenco products to the whole country. “The distribution agreement with Lenco means for us a qualitative enhancement of our portfolio. For over sixty years, Lenco has been synonymous with Swiss precision in the field of Hi-Fi and electronics and is recognised as a valuable brand in the market. Therefore, we are happy with the challenge to be able to introduce the brand in the UK. There is a huge demand for state-of-the-art and innovative products in the UK and with Lenco, we are able to deliver premium quality for a reasonable price”, says Chris Mole, Product Manager at IT Industries.

The first products will be available in the UK in due course, with the innovative Lenco iPod Tower hitting UK shelves early Q1 2010.

* * *

About Lenco

For over sixty years, Lenco (www.lenco.eu) has been synonymous with Swiss precision in the field of Hi-Fi and electronics. Lenco manufacturers and distributes a complete range of consumer electronics products, such as advanced turntables, micro audio systems, mini audio systems, portable DVD players and TFT television screens. All products of the quality brand unite state-of-the-art technology and design, conveying value and style. Lenco delivers premium quality in every aspect, for a reasonable price. The head office of Lenco is in Venlo, The Netherlands.

Camangi WebStation Android

2009-12-01T13:16:00.000-04:00

The Camangi WebStation is what now people are calling Tablet (Without PC, do not confuse with Tablet PC), in this case it’s a device with a 7 inches screen, using a processor Marvell 624MHz PXA303 and Android. Here is a video of it in action:

YouTube
- Google Android OS runs on 7-inch Camangi WebStation

Kohjinsha DZ dual screen netbook

2009-11-27T11:27:00.001-04:00

The less I can say about the Kohjinsha DZ is that it's completely different to any thing that I have seen in the last 3 years. It will hit the market next month but only in Japan. And that's really bad. I really do not understand what's what this company is waiting to start selling every where in the world.

It comes with two 10.1 inch LCD screens that slide together to make transporting the thing easier, with each screen having s a resolution of 1024 x 600. The screens rotate too, all the way round so they can face backwards.
The Netbook runs on a 1.6GHz AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 processor with S780MN chipset and ATI Radeon HD 3200 integrated graphics.

Kohjinsha DZ dual screen netbook on sale in Japan next month

Microsoft talking about IE9

2009-11-26T05:40:00.000-04:00

Steven Sinofsky, president of Windows Live Division discussed the future of IE9 in the PDC 2009 keynote.

Kindle with more battery life and PDF Support

2009-11-25T04:53:00.000-04:00

That's basically what second generation Kindle owners will get with the latest firmware, more battery life and PDF support without any conversion needed. And what about the first generation Kindle? Abandoned?

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced two new enhancements to the latest generation Kindle—85 percent more battery life and a native PDF reader.

Amazon.com -- News Release

Google Maps for Android updated

2009-11-24T05:36:00.000-04:00

Google maps for Android updated. We did not have to wait for Android 2.0 to get GPS navigation in Google Maps but G1 owners, don't get too excited. To use this new feature you have to install a Language package of around 4 MB. Space that in a G1 is hard to find free.

Hacks and HACKS

2009-11-23T21:11:00.002-04:00

There are hacks and HACKS with upper case. This one is one of those with upper case. The news was posted at GottabeMobile but the pictures can be seen in this other site. A Sony UX where the owner has change everything that could be changed and replaced and even more.

Hardware
SSD: 48GB SSD –> 128GB RunCore Pro IV SSD
Processor: 1.2GHz Core 2 Solo U2200 –> 1.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo U7700 overclocked to 1.438GHz
WLAN: HSDPA 3G module for voice and data
Wifi: Intel 3945ABG –> Intel 4965AGN

Google Chrome OS, all time connected

2009-11-20T08:45:00.001-04:00

Recently I found a video, and honestly I do not remember where in the web, where Google explains What’s Google Chrome OS. To summarize, an all time connected to the cloud OS. A version of Android and I even hesitate to say this because it seems to me that Android does much more thanks to all the applications currently available for this OS. In the way the video explains it, sounds like we all expend 100% of our time in Internet. And probably that’s the case when you are at home, but if I take my day and analyze it, I expend 10 hours at work, around 2 hours at home no connected, around 4 hours at home connected and 8 hours sleeping. That means that I have 10 hours using a PC where I spend just a few minutes in Internet and only 4 hours per day where potentially I could be using Google Chrome for everything. I don’t know if you are getting me point. Google Chrome is not for everybody. I see it in my case like a really good option for a dual boot configuration. But no as my only one OS, unless it’s in a device which only use will be Internet.

Now the question is, will Google Chrome OS be prepared to cover or be fully compatible with all the hardware currently in the market? Because that has been the biggest problem that Windows always has faced and the cause of most of the problems and instability of this OS, drivers. are we going to have a full plug and play OS or another version of MacOS?

And here is the video:

YouTube
- What is Google Chrome OS?

UMID mbook Pink ready for women's Christmas lists

2009-11-18T05:37:00.001-04:00

Dynamism is a company that clearly understands that women also love computers. And a proof of it is that they have just released the UMID mbook in pink. An UMPC with the perfect size for the purse of our other half.

Because it runs Windows XP on an Intel® Atom™ processor, you can enjoy unbridled web browsing, movies, music, & games -- or ultramobile video Skype calling with someone special.

Kohjinsha PA review

2009-11-17T05:14:00.001-04:00

Pocketables has posted a very interesting review about the Kohjinsha PA. After ready it I arrived to this conclusion: Beauty is a very complicate criteria. I find the Series PA exterior design attractive.

From a usability standpoint, the Kohjinsha PA series packs a lot of function into a portable package weighing just 14.1 ounces. The convertible form factor is versatile and encourages a wide range of usage scenarios, while Windows XP makes it a fairly robust system to carry around in a pocket. Unfortunately, because of its high price, unique aesthetics, and limited RAM, I don't think the PA will be able to find success in the already niche market of UMPCs and MIDs.

Dell Inspiron Zino HD

2009-11-14T09:38:00.001-04:00

Dell has just released what's in my opinion on of the best Media Center machines in the market: Inspiron Zino HD. Why I'm saying this?

Very small I easy to hide in your living room.
Starting price of $229
Full customizable with options for a Dual Core AMD processor and an ATI Radeon HD 4330 512 MB Specifications - Video Card video chip.
HDMI and VGA output.
1080p full capable.
Integrated DVD player and Burner and an optional Blue-ray player.

Here is the First review I have found about this just released machine.

…this is quite a capable little device that was whisper quiet with low power requirements. It was able to handle just about everything I could throw at it without issue. Even at the base configuration, to have such an elegantly designed, HD capable machine available at for $229 from Dell is astounding. It would be hard to build a similar machine yourself at that price.

20 tips and tweaks for W7

2009-11-12T08:36:00.001-04:00

Computer World has updated a very good article with 20 tips and tweaks for Windows 7, if you have a browser “Popup proven” this is an article that I would recommend to read.

An earlier version of this story was written when Windows 7 was still in beta. Now that the final version has been released, we've overhauled the story, updating some tips, eliminating others that are no longer relevant, and adding seven new tips.

Kindle in an UMPC

2009-11-11T13:06:00.000-04:00

Kindle for PC has been released by Amazon. I should had post about it but I did not and the reason is because I own a Kindle and I would never go back to read a book in a PC, PPC or any other LCD or similar display. Beside the fact that the visual experience is not the same, an UMPC is too heavy for the task and a PPC, iPhone, etc, are too small. Christmas is coming guys, save some money and get the real thing. Anyway… Here is a video showing Kindle running in an UMPC.

YouTube
- Amazon Kindle for PC Software on a Viliv UMPC

enTourage eDGe, new eReader with dual screen

2009-11-09T09:04:00.001-04:00

The enTourage eDGe is one of those cases where I sit for moment to think, is this what the market wants? I mean, it’s nice but I would prefer to wait for a color e-ink screen instead of sacrifice my battery life in a LCD touch screen.

Rolltop

2009-11-05T08:38:00.001-04:00

Since long time ago I have not seen a notebook design that I could had called innovative. All looks the same but this one, the Rolltop from Orkin Design.

It’s hard to believe that what you are seen in the above picture is a notebook. If you don’t believe it check the video in their page.

Eston MID-05 MID and N97 coming soon

2009-11-03T08:35:00.001-04:00

It seems that the MID concept finally is picking some steam because lately there are a bunch of new devices being released. This time we have two new MID coming from a company called Eston, the MID 05 and the N97 both using Android thou the first one could be loaded with Windows CE too.

The company has sliced off the hardware keyboard from their MID-02 and produced the touchscreen-only MID-05, a 5-inch handheld running either Android or Windows CE. If your fingers are too chubby for that, Eston also have the N97 MID, with a larger 7-inch touchscreen and integrated 3G.

Via - SlashGear

Video Encoders (H264/VC1)

2009-10-29T17:06:00.000-04:00

Windows Media Center 7 is my latest toy. I have been playing with it the last few weeks and one of the tasks that has consumed most of my time is the one that has given me most of my frustrations, encoding video. And what is the problem? Probably that the question you may have after reading my words. Well, I have been trying all this time to encode video using the mkv format and the h264 encoder. I have tested many tools and I have obtained the best results using Avidemux. But… for some reason 4 of every five DVDs that I’m trying to convert with this tool end with a crash. This issue has made me start using Nero Recode 2, a wonderful tool that never crash. The few things that I don’t like on it is that it save in mp4 format and even when it includes the subtitles in the file, there is not any way in 7MC to use them. English is not my first language so subtitles help me a lot when I do not understand a word. Using Avidemux I’m embedding the subtitle in the movie and on that way I can see them in 7MC. Anyway… I can’t say that I have not enjoyed all this quest to find the perfect encoder and VideoHelp.com has been one of the best source of information in this adventure. I have almost tested all the freeware mentioned in that page and most of them have crashed in W7 or the results have not been the best. What encoder are you using to play HQ movies in your Media Center? May be you want to share your experience with me.

Flexible e-book reader

2009-10-28T07:54:00.001-04:00

The Tire maker Bridgestone is thinking seriously about entering the market of the eBook Readers considering the prototypes shown in this article.

Bridgestone says the prototype has a 10.7-inch-screen, is just 5.8mm thick (Kindle 2: 9.1mm) and can display color pages. The device can be bent to some extent since the circuit board and the electronic paper are flexible.

Color and flexible eReaders, awesome.

Tire maker Bridgestone shows world’s first flexible e-book reader

FUJITSU: Windows 7 Compatible Drivers

2009-10-27T07:53:00.001-04:00

Fujitsu has released Windows 7 Compatible Drivers for some of devices: P1630, U820, etc… Still has not released yet anything for the P1620 and P1610 series. I hope that this does not mean that this machines are not supported by this company any more.

FUJITSU: Fujitsu America - Support

Netflix in Media Center 7

2009-10-26T07:44:00.001-04:00

Windows 7 has been released and Microsoft had ready for this release two modules of Media Center: Internet TV and Neflix. I really impressed with Netflix, the player made in silverlight works perfectly adjusting the streaming to whatever download speed you have from your Internet provider, and it does it during the playback. So you notice when you start a movie how the quality goes up after a few seconds of playing (I’m using a 12 mbps service). The HD still no there but the quality that I’m getting in movies and some series available in HD is fantastic. The Netflix software for 7MC was very well designed. Basically, you don’t need to visit Netflix website to manage anymore your queue. You can search for movies and the navigation options during the playback are compatible with MC Remotes.

YouTube - Netflix in Windows Media Center 7

XP to W7 and Apple TV commercials

2009-10-23T12:34:00.000-04:00

Lets start with one of the TV commercials released by Apple yesterday talking about the release of Windows 7.

YouTube - Apple's "Get a Mac" ad: "PC News "

Pathetic. That’s the word that came to my mind after I saw the 3 commercials. The first one was talking about Microsoft promising a new OS without bugs and I have to say that that was the stupidest of all 3 because Snow Leopard has been the buggiest of all the releases of Mac OS X. How can Apple talk about bugs when they have not removed yet all the “fleas” from their own spotted animal.

But anyway, lets go back to this video. The migration path from Windows XP to Windows 7. How many times we have said and all my fellow IT friends have said that a clean install is better than an upgrade? Millions. Now this is where the whole thing fails. Everybody does not know about Windows Easy Transfer. This program makes a backup of all your documents, emails, programs configurations, etc, from your old XP and restore it back in your Windows 7 installation. Simple like that. After that all you have to do is reinstall your programs. Windows Easy Transfer is a freeware that comes pre installed in Vista and Windows 7 and can be downloaded for XP at Microsoft.

Now, I won’t lie to you, this is where the thing becomes a really mess if you are not a very organized person and you do not keep track of your serial numbers. But come on! You can’t blame on Microsoft for your own problems. You have paid for most of those programs, that’s like an investment so you should keep or your serial organized in a document kept in a CD or somewhere safe.

I understand that many people buy pre configured computers because they are afraid of installing anything. For those people the message is simple. Do not be afraid. All those big programs have a Setup Wizard that guides you during the whole installation process. Every thing is easier than what you think. A lot easier than switching to Apple, a new completely world for you. And a closed world I should say. A word where everything comes from Apple and should be approved by Apple, in a single word, a Dictatorship . What are you going to do with your freedom of choosing from millions of programs every time that you want to buy a program? Or… what you are going to do when you want to find a freeware for something that you want to do and you find that there are not that many options in the Apple World. And let’s not talk about games!

I’ll tell you how you are going to end. You will end like the 85% of the Mac users out there that still have a PC or have installed Windows in their Macs in a sort of virtual machine.

This commercial like all the other commercials of this series is just a lie. And if you think that I’m too rude when I said that let me rectify. The commercial is not reflecting the reality. The switch from XP to Apple is not a lot easier than switching to Apple. Oh, by the way, where is the part in the commercial that says that Apple does not allow you to install Mac OS X in your PC and that means that all your hardware investment is useless and you will have to buy Macs that is a lot more expensive than your current PCs.

The next time that you see on of these commercials from Apple in your TV remember me. They are the last thing that you can use as a reference or research if you are seriously thinking about to switch from Windows to Mac. I have not seen one in the last few years reflecting the reality in any grade.

Windows 7 is here!

2009-10-22T12:41:00.000-04:00

Those who beta tested W7 should have already received an email like this:

We’ve reached the final milestone in our Windows 7 release schedule—general availability! Thank you all for the feedback you have provided during the Beta and Release Candidate processes. You have helped us make this the strongest Windows client operating system to date.
For continued support for your deployment and migration processes—including resources to help you with application compatibility, security, networking, manageability, and much more—bookmark these resources:
- Guidance, tools, and demonstrations - Springboard Series for Windows 7 on TechNet
- Community advice, tips, and best practices – TechNet Windows 7 Forums
- Virtual labs, webcasts, and podcasts – Windows 7 IT Pro Events and Webcasts Portal
Also, to stay up to date on new resources, the latest guidance, and upcoming events, sign up to be a Springboard Series Insider!

Thank you for all your support!
The Springboard Series Team

Today many stores are making available many good deals including W7 for free in many of their new boxes. Do not miss this opportunity.

Major Update to 7MC: Netflix, Internet TV…

2009-10-20T15:44:00.001-04:00

According to a note just posted at SuperSiteBlog:

the version of Windows Media Center in Windows 7 has gotten a significant update today, with the addition of Netflix and a new version of the Internet TV functionality, the latter of which has all kinds of new content, including great TV shows, Zune video podcasts, and more. It's an excellent update, from what I can tell so far, and I will have a short, more formal write-up about this later in the week. Check it out if you're using Windows 7!

Wow! That’s really good news! I have a Roku box at home for Netflix but lately I have been playing most of the time with 7MC (Windows 7 Media Center) using a Ruvo mini PC and I have been waiting for this update. I really want to see how Netflix works within 7MC. A friend of mine just tried Windows Update and did not find anything so let’s hope that tonight this new update is finally released to everybody.

Playing DVDs with 7MC

2009-10-19T12:43:00.001-04:00

One of the features a like from 7MC (Media Center 7) is the interface for playing DVDs. I like the fact that when you have the DVD in the drive MC pulls the information about the DVD and it’s available during the playback without having to stop the movie. Here is a short video that I prepared using a Ruvo mini Cap 7 and an external DVD drive connected to it.

YouTube - Playing DVD in a Ruvo mini PC Cap 7