Toshiba's JournE touch to get VoIP and ebook functionality, dedicated e-reader planned for 2010

We've been trolling the Toshiba booth, and just got word on a couple upcoming JournE touch apps, a brief look at the app store, and word of an all-new ebook reader in the works at the company. Toshiba's planning to add VoIP and ebook apps to the JournE, along with a "fridge" app to allow home users to jot notes for each other on the device. The app store seems simple enough, peddling its wares alongside the video and music downloads the JournE can access -- though specific content distribution deals aren't hammered out just yet. Under the hood there's an ARM4 processor, but while the device seems pretty responsive in its basic interface, it was really brought to its knees by web browsing, and we'd say Toshiba has a looong way to go on its software before it makes Windows CE into something usable for touch at this size and resolution. Check out video of the device interfacing with the dock, along with a quick look at the app store, after the break.

Perhaps more intriguing is confirmation that Toshiba is planning a new ebook device with similar inspiration as the JournE (Toshiba already makes the much different Biblio reader for Japan), but is holding off until a standard book format and distribution model is nailed down by the industry. Details on the device itself are slim, with e-ink only "one of the options" for screen technology. A touchscreen interface of some sort is likely, but even that's not locked down. For now Toshiba would prefer us to concentrate on the JournE, which is no surprise.

[a dark day Posted Sep 4th 2009 10:43AM]

i can't keep up with all the tech these days and i was born around this stuff. When do we get chips that project holograms 4 feet in front of us?

[DoorsnotWindows Posted Sep 4th 2009 10:46AM]

Next Wednesday.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 4th 2009 10:47AM]

How do we call these?

[Jimbojones Posted Sep 4th 2009 11:19AM]

6 months from now .... iPad

[wupolo Posted Sep 4th 2009 10:55AM]

please do not waste your time releasing this. Just move on.

[Jimbojones Posted Sep 4th 2009 11:19AM]

why? if this lasts 10 hours on batteries, plays movies, music and has good internet access with flash, it can be very nice device.

I bet you Apple is going to release something similar. Six months from now you will call it revolutionary.

[tehdime Posted Sep 4th 2009 10:59AM]

failbook!

[Templarian Posted Sep 4th 2009 11:00AM]

They should of just made it an atom and threw windows 7 on it. Can't understand the reasoning behind using windows CE for a tablet, everything has be be rewritten from what it looks like.

[Jimbojones Posted Sep 4th 2009 11:21AM]

with Atom, this would die in 3 hours, with ARM you will be working for 10+ hours

[chefp Posted Nov 30th 2009 3:50PM]

With Atom, it will die in 1 hr. With ARM it will run for 12+ hrs

[chippy Posted Sep 4th 2009 11:03AM]

ARM4.Really. Thats PSION-era tech. Must be at least ARMv6

[ZSX Posted Sep 4th 2009 1:21PM]

It must be a typo. ARM4 is almost prehistoric.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 4th 2009 12:44PM]

I don't know, that looks like too much for a tablet.

[Nicnac Posted Sep 4th 2009 4:40PM]

If apple releases a tablet in 6 months, it WILL be revolutionary. It will have an OS that isn't bloated, that isn't sluggish, that is intuitive and powerful.

iPhone, was there a phone before it (or after for that matter) that is as slick, fast in the OS, intuitive, easy to make apps for, etc?

iPod, was there a personal music device before it that was as small, intuitive, fast, etc?

Apple may not be first to make things but hell, quite often when they do, they put things together DAMN well.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 5th 2009 12:43PM]

I'm thinking maybe this guy on the video should try to download Facebook 10- or 20 more times!!! What a joker. Toshiba should probably consider sending someone to trade shows that has a little better demo chops if they want to get some creditability for their devices. I love when the interviewer even tried to bail him out by saying Facebook was already installed. Didn't stop this joker from trying 10 more times on two different devices, did it. Pretty funny.