Crunchpad Project Collapses on Partner Disagreement.

The Crunchpad project has collapsed due to a critical business issue between the two partners controlling the project. In a post this afternoon, just weeks after I picked up on the comments by Mike Arrington in the Gilmor Gang videocast, Mike Arrington explains how he and Fusion Garage, the partner company in the project have failed to reach an agreement on terms. There’s no statement from the Fusion Garage yet. Related posts:

1. CrunchPad event possibly at the end of this month, unit for less than $300 You’ve probably heard of the upcoming CrunchPad by now....
2. Sponsorship-supported Crunchpad is alive. ‘Steamrolling’ says Arrington. I should have been in bed but I got hooked...
3. Guessing the Specs: Techcrunch ‘CrunchPad’ Update: All specs and details now in a new Crunchpad...

Kohjinsha to sell its dual-screen netbook next month, turns out to be a convertible too

You may have seen the Kohjinsha dual screen netbook concept floating around the web recently, but apparently they are actually going to be putting this thing on the market. The unit will go on sale as the Kohjinsha DZ, and…

Related posts:

1. New Kohjinsha PA series convertible MID/UMPC In interesting device popped up at JKKMobile yesterday. A new...
2. S41 notebook-style UMPC with DVD drive on offer at Expansys UK. Another offer from Expansys. This time it’s the Vye...
3. A quick look at the Kohjinsha PA series Jenn over at Pocketables.net is getting ready to take...

The problem with recent no-name MIDs out of Asia

Wow… and I thought netbooks were boring…

Seems strange that we’ve been seeing quite a few MIDs lately, but not in the capacity in which they were expected. Intel is responsible for propagating the term MID and the initial plan was…

Related posts:

1. NYTimes: T-Mobile USA working on 7″, Android-based ‘Tablet’ There’s a lot of talk about Android-enabled devices out there...
2. The GiiNii Movit Mini Wifi Tablet Could this be considered a MID? Engadget has gotten...
3. Motorola Droid brings another interesting Android device onto the radar It is just me or does it seem like...

Pixel Qi Low-power / Daylight Screens go to Mass Production

While Intel, AMD, ARM and VIA might want you to believe that low-power silicon is the answer to all battery life problems, the truth is somewhat different. We’re at a point now where all silicon, be it X86 or RISC-based, can perform at low enough power consumption that other components on a device become more significant in the power, heat and battery life equation. Talk about ‘ídle’ power drain is irrelevant when you’re using a device in constantly-connected mobile computing scenarios. Related posts:

1. Samsung gets it right Again, Again With the NC10 Remember my in-tent Samsung Q1 Ultra test? 9hrs battery life...
2. Pixel Qi shows off new power saving screens [video] We’ve been hearing rumblings of this for a while...
3. Inquirer talks about UMPC battery life. The inquirer has an interesting comment on UMPC battery life...

Meet:Mobility Podcast 35 is now available.

This could be one of the best podcasts we’ve done to date. It’s honest, passionate, up-front and covers a whole lot of news and information. It’s an hour long but it’s packed full of info. We hope you enjoy it.…

Related posts:

1. Meet:Mobility Podcast 33 now available. Over at Meet:Mobility, Sascha, JKK and I have just posted...
2. Meet:Mobility Meet:Mobility Podcast 34. IDF, Maemo and the Attack of the Tablets Over at Meet:Mobility, Sascha, JKK and I have just posted...
3. MeetMobility (and Podcast 25) Sascha, JKK and I have been working together for a...

Live Podcast and E-King S515 Videocast Today. 2130 CET.

Sorry about the late notice on this one but we’ve found a slot and we need to jump on it.

At 2100 (CES) tonight (about 4hrs from this posting) we’ll be sitting down to prepare for a Meet:Mobility podcast (broadcast live) followed…

Related posts:

1. Eee PC 900. Live video hands-on podcast. (Today. 20:30 CET) If you’re free in about 5 hours from the time...
2. @Chippy @JKKMobile @Sascha_P Podcast and Live Session Today. In about an hour I’ll be getting together online with...
3. 10” Netbook Double-Bill. Live Q&A, video walkthrough with Dell Mini 10 and Gigabyte T1028M Tonight, 07 April, 2130 CEST: JKK just announced on...

Number 10 in the Top 10 most popular

This wallpaper has had 2348578 views and was submitted by John Slater

Chrome(ium) OS PC’s: Dumber than your Mobile Phone.

Information is coming through on Google’s Chromium OS from a number of sources. (See below.) I’ve been following the Techcrunch blog and as a mobile-focused end-user, I'm picking up a number of things that turn me off. Related posts:

1. Chrome OS. Be Dynamic or Forget It. There’s lots of excitement about ‘Chrome OS’ floating around...
2. New Web Browser. Chrome ‘Beta’ from Google. has Webkit and Mozilla roots. Google Window I suspect. Breaking News (Meaning I don’t have much information at this...
3. Google announces Google Chrome OS In the same way that Google Wave is being...

Chrome OS. Be Dynamic or Forget It.

There’s lots of excitement about ‘Chrome OS’ floating around at the moment. Apparently, Google will be giving us more details tomorrow and I hope for the sake of them that it’s more than just a browser and a set of HTML5…

Related posts:

1. New Web Browser. Chrome ‘Beta’ from Google. has Webkit and Mozilla roots. Google Window I suspect. Breaking News (Meaning I don’t have much information at this...
2. Google announces Google Chrome OS In the same way that Google Wave is being...
3. Google Chrome OS. Round-Up, Podcasts, Thoughts. On the 7th July, Google announced that they are developing...

Archos 5 Mini-Video/USB Dock and Firmware 1.3

What a hectic few hours! I’ve had DHL at the door with the Archos 5 Mini Dock, a tweet from Pocketables alerting me that the new firmware is available and the whole lot has been captured in a video. I’ll…

Related posts:

1. Archos renews my faith in mobile tech companies My mobile tech interest feels reinvigorated, thanks in part...
2. Archos 5 Internet Tablet info. 229 for 8GB SSD. Available tomorrow? As the Archos press conference starts in Paris, it seems...
3. Planning the thin blogging kit (slate experiment) You might have seen me mention a thin blogging...

What would you want in a Microblogging-Pad?

Here’s a post I’ve just found in my drafts folder. I wrote it in March and forgot to post it. It’s still relevant now so here it is.

March 2009

I realise that many of you couldn’t give a damn about Twitter…

Related posts:

1. The ‘Ring of FIE’ and the Perfect Mobile Microblogging Device. I’ve been thinking about this subject for a while...
2. How big can a Mobile Internet Device Be? Kindle-Sized? This is the question that I’ve been battling with over...
3. BusinessWeek on MIDs Business Week summarises the current position on Intel-based MIDs nicely...

Mini-Review: Misticaudio Case for Archos 5 IT (Android)

For of all, thanks to Jeff Hill of Misticaudio for sending over this case for review. They’ve stepped in at just the right time with a leather case for the Archos 5IT that fits well, doesn’t impact on the usability of…

Related posts:

1. What good is a smartphone without cellular data? I fly to San Fransisco for IDF in about 24...
2. ARCHOS to merge Android and Media Stack in voice-enabled MID This could be a great move for Andriod, TI and...
3. Archos 9 dissected Jkk has spotted that the Archos 9 has been...

‘In Other News…’ November 15th

Here’s the weekly rundown of items that we posted to the middle column on UMPCPortal, our ‘Other News’ section. It’s all good UMPC and MID-related stuff that, in most cases, we didn’t write about as a main news item.

Shared… Related posts:

1. ‘In Other News…’ October 18th Here’s the weekly rundown of items that we posted to...
2. ‘In Other News…’ October 3rd Here’s the weekly rundown of items that we posted to...
3. ‘In Other News…’ November 1st Here’s the weekly rundown of items that we posted to...

Archos 9 dissected

Jkk has spotted that the Archos 9 has been dissected over at the FCC. Unfortunately you won’t find unicorns or magic inside, but just your everyday Atom guts and computer components. Swapping out the 1.8” HDD which (jkk identified to be…

Related posts:

1. Archos 9 release announced at IDF, October 22nd, $499 Update: Hands-on video and full specifications. The title says most...
2. Archos 9 available from Tomorrow. With 3G and DVB-T options. I’ve just had a press release from Archos in Germany...
3. Archos 9 priced in the UK, Android powered 5” device in September? Trusted Reviews seems to have gotten some info from...

Sub 12″ PC Screen Size Analysis. November 2009

Back in May, I took a look at the small screen PC market to try and determine the distribution of screen sizes. I did the same in September. Today I’ve been through the figures again and the same trend continues. There are less sub 10” screens on the market and far more 10” and 11” devices. Related posts:

1. Screen Size Analysis. September 2009. Back in May, I took a look at the small...
2. 68% of netbooks over 10” I did some analysis of a German price comparison engine...
3. Netbook price cuts Signals Dramatic Change in Netbook Market. Alarms bells are ringing here. The netbook boat is said...

S10 could really put Viliv on the map

Over the last 6 months or so, Viliv has created a near rebirth of the UMPC, stunning a good number of people with the highly regarded S5 and X70. Not to long after, they brought the Viliv S7, their first…

Related posts:

1. Viliv S10 hands-on video. I’ve had some hands-on with the Viliv S10. It’s slick,...
2. ASUS T91 Pre-Production Hands-On from TechRadar I haven’t been through this hands-on in detail yet but...
3. The Viliv S7’s biggest challenge: the keyboard The upcoming Viliv S7 [Portal page] is currently at...

Video: Amazon Kindle for PC In Action on a Handheld PC.

I doubt many of you will be spending $599 on a UMPC just for the Kindle PC application but if you’re thinking of a mobile tablet PC anyway, here’s my tip for a good PC-based Amazon Kindle reading experience. The Viliv X70 UMPC. (Video after the jump.) Related posts:

1. Kindle for (UM)PC Now available. Hands-on. Sascha from Netbooknews has just tweeted that the Kindle application...
2. What’s the best PC for the Amazon Kindle PC software? Ebooks are a big, complex topic and it seems to...
3. How big can a Mobile Internet Device Be? Kindle-Sized? This is the question that I’ve been battling with over...

Eking S515 UMPC available soon / unboxing soon.

Mobilx have been working hard. Not only have they picked up the UMID and Viliv devices but they’ve just sealed the deal on the E-King S515 tilt/slider UMPC. It’s the mini tilt/slider form factor that many of us wanted to see when the HTC Shift was around and it’s beaten the similar KAX-15 to the market. Related posts:

1. Viliv and UMID coming to Europe. Mobilx were in touch yesterday with an update on availability...
2. XP on Intel Menlow testing Starts here. (Wibrain i1 sample arrived) A big thanks to Mobilx. Within 24 hours of them...
3. UMID MBook M1 in 12 points and 7 minutes. Here's my overview and opinion on the UMID MBook M1...

‘In Other News…’ November 8th

Here’s the weekly rundown of items that we posted to the middle column on UMPCPortal, our ‘Other News’ section. It’s all good UMPC and MID-related stuff that, in most cases, we didn’t write about as a main news item.

Shared… Related posts:

1. ‘In Other News…’ November 1st Here’s the weekly rundown of items that we posted to...
2. Mobile Computing News Links for July 28th The UMPCPortal team is continuously monitoring the Internet for news...
3. Acer Aspire One subsidized 3G rumor confirmed Engadget just posted a piece linking to the PR that...

Interesting A81, 7” Tablet from Witstech. Cortex. Capacitive. Coming with Android? (Updated with video)

Reported by Techfresh nearly a month ago is early information on a 7” ARM-based tablet from Witstech. The A81. I have a feeling that the ‘WinCE’ specification put a lot of people off but it might be worth taking a closer look as it supposedly has a capacitive touchscreen and runs on an unspecified ARM Cortex A8 core. Related posts:

1. ARM preparing Cortex vs Atom comparison (and more) for MWC Maybe its just something that Intel said but it looks...
2. Sparrow-based Nokia MID. Did Someone see the 2009 Nokia Tablet? Before I say why I think Eldar Martazin didn’t see...
3. YouTube – VMware demo showing two operating systems running on the N800 Here’s a video that will get you thinking! Android and...

Laptopmag: Archos 5 Internet Tablet Review. 8/10 (to Laptopmag)

Laptopmag have beaten me to a full review of the Archos 5 Internet Tablet. That will teach me for playing around with it too much! Read on... Related posts:

1. Twidroid on the Archos 5 Android Tablet. Video shows advantages of WVGA screen and fast web experience. Twitter is not just about a simple client application and...
2. ARCHOS to merge Android and Media Stack in voice-enabled MID This could be a great move for Andriod, TI and...
3. Ubergizmo reviews the Archos (Android) Internet Tablet Update: Our own unboxing video is now available. I...

xpPhone Update. Images. Technical Information.

There has been a rush of news around the xpPhone recently culminating in a rush of posts by top blogs and, over the last 24 hours, an article from the IDG news service that hit PCWorld and others top-tier reporting sites. Here's an update on the device including information on the CPU. Related posts:

1. XPPhone combines a phone and a computer We saw an influx of these sort of devices...
2. Tracking down the XPPhone It’s been reported by a few sites recently but today...
3. jkk checks out another obviously named UMPC/Phone running XP, the XpPhone [video] Earlier you may have seen the DigiCube MIDPhone, and...

Viliv S7 Premium Review at Pocketables

Read through this Viliv S7 review at Pocketables and you won't find a single show-stopper. Well not unless you want to watch HD YouTube videos that is! Related posts:

1. Viliv X70 Atom spotted at CES Based on the existing X70, the X70 Atom (which is...
2. X70 EX 3G UMPC Supports Voice (Unofficially) There have been rumors flying about for a while...
3. The Viliv S7’s biggest challenge: the keyboard The upcoming Viliv S7 [Portal page] is currently at...