Pocketables

Why tethering plans don't make any sense

2009-07-11T07:49:04-10:00

This guest article was submitted by Ben L. Cellular carriers try to make a dime off of their customers wherever they can. With all the hidden fees and overage charges, it would seem that their goal is to suck every penny from every customer they have. What might be more ridiculous, though, is that consumers actually stand for it . . . even when the cell companies find ways to make us pay more for the same product. Our subject...

W100 MID phone runs Windows Mobile 6.1

2009-07-10T09:01:13-10:00

Since ARM-based Windows Mobile devices being called MIDs is a trend that clearly isn't going anywhere, I'll just go with it and introduce you to this 5.6" x 2.9" x 0.66" slate-style MID phone running WM 6.1on its 4.3" WVGA display. It's called the W100 and is most likely the successor of what eventually became known as the Zhongyi S101, that Linux unit with the portable dock attachment. I heard something unconfirmed about a second-gen device a couple of days...

SmartQ 5 MID will also run Windows CE

2009-07-10T00:02:13-10:00

Users of the low-cost SmartQ 5 that was originally released with Ubuntu will soon be able to run Microsoft Windows CE 6.0 on the compact MID's 4.3" WVGA touchscreen as well. It's a little unclear whether the two operating systems will actually be dual-booting, which PCpop seems to suggest, or if WinCE will simply be an option for consumers, which Smart Devices implies. The latter does sound more likely (Smart Devices is the maker of the device, after all) but...

BenQ S6 MID relaunches with Windows XP

2009-07-09T10:32:11-10:00

BenQ announced today that the previously Midinux-based S6 MID will be released with Windows XP and unlimited 3G through Taiwanese mobile phone carrier FarEasTone. Those not scared off by a three-year contract will be able to take advantage of NT$1890 (~$57)/month subsidized pricing, while commitment-phobes can pay a non-binding fee of NT$13990 (~$424) and be done with it. The Z500 Atom-powered slate has been available in various parts of the world (US not included) for nearly a year now, so...

The (long overdue) need for another spec: Pixel size

2009-07-09T08:13:12-10:00

This guest article was submitted by Robert A. Anson. Question 1: Which screen has larger text and pixels, the one measuring 14.1-inches diagonally with a resolution of 1024 x 768, or the one measuring 18.1-inches diagonally with a resolution of 1280 x 1024? If you don’t know the answer, don’t feel bad. The point of this article is that you can’t tell from the information (specs) you are given. The only way to know is to look at the two...

Sony Vaio P WiMAX edition expected this month

2009-07-08T08:46:07-10:00

Despite what that excessively veined hand in the image seems to suggest, the message in this Sony Vaio P ad isn't that the mini notebook is impervious to destruction by crushing or squeezing. No, the news here is what's written in that little white circle on the right: WiMAX. A little more than a month after we first learned that Sony Japan and UQ Communications were prepping a WiMAX-enabled Vaio P, the team has completed their work and are making...

Gaming, the UMPC/MID, and you

2009-07-07T12:44:00-10:00

This guest article was submitted by Steven Law. So, you're on the road and tired of listening to the music you have on your UMPC or MID, watched all the videos, read all your emails and ebooks, and don't have any websites you want to check out (or have no internet connection . . . where are you, in a submarine?) What to do? Well, you could take a nap do some work game! You certainly won't be playing Crysis,...

Viliv S7 convertible priced, poised for release

2009-07-06T22:11:09-10:00

Boy, Viliv is certainly on a hot streak. The X70 preorder event has barely cooled and already the company is promoting the highly anticipated Atom-based S7 convertible UMPC on its website. Advertised as being capable of providing "true all-day computing" thanks to its 9.5 hours max of runtime, the 7-inch device will be available in three configurations with the following prices: 729,000 KRW (~$573) S7 I-LOG HX: Windows XP, 1.33GHz Atom Z520, 1GB RAM, 60GB HDD 799,000 KRW (~$628) S7...

As the iPhone outgrows its name, what's next?

2009-07-06T07:05:00-10:00

This guest article was submitted by Chris King. When the first iPhone was released back in the summer of 2007, it laid to rest all of the rumors that had been circulating for years. While the original handset was a complete game-changer in the cellphone industry, its true potential wasn't fully realized until last summer with the introduction of the iPhone 3G and the App Store. Even more than the upgraded specs in the new phone, the App Store is...

Reminder: Viliv X70 preorder event

2009-07-05T00:15:00-10:00

Just a quick reminder for those eager to be among the first to get their hands on the Viliv X70 UMPC: the Dynamism preorder event begins at 1 p.m. EST on Monday, July 6th. Be one of the first 777 customers to purchase the Express or Premium models of the 7-inch slate (all configurations include Windows XP Home, 1GB RAM, and GPS) and get a bunch of free goodies: Upgrade to 1.3GHz Atom Z520, leather case, car kit, and protective...

Packing slowed down by carry-on gadget decisions

2009-07-02T00:45:05-10:00

My husband and I are in the middle of packing for the last vacation we'll take before our lives are changed forever, and while he knew immediately that his Samsung NC10 and iPod touch would be coming along, I've been mulling over what I should take for the past few weeks and am still undecided. I'm a chronic gadget overpacker and tend to come home with more than I left with, so regular readers might be surprised that I'm having...

Inkia shows unnamed Atom-based MIDs

2009-07-01T00:06:56-10:00

Portable consumer electronics from China aren't always held in high esteem and are therefore often overlooked. No one's missing out on much by skipping the devices in most cases, but when two new Chinese MIDs come equipped with the Intel Atom N270 and an array of Z5xx series processors, we'd be remiss not to give them a closer look. Inkia International recently added two new slate-style Intel MIDs to its website and has just begun promoting them. Both units run...