Shenzhen -- Engadget

Shenzhen posts

Keepin' It Real Fake, part CCXIX: Gemsta's Vaino knock-off

by Joseph L. Flatley, posted Jul 4th 2009 at 6:07AM

If the Vaino "ultraportable" seemed a little too... well, aspirational, the style mavens at Engadget have dug up a netbook that will certainly correlate with both your awesome sense of style and your self-identification as an OG (that's "original gemsta"). Dug up by some eagle-eyed KIRF-hunters at 2009's Shenzhen International Netbook Industry Fair & Forum, this guy sports an 8.9-inch display, an Intel Atom (Z515 / Z520 / Z530), 1GB RAM, up to 64GB storage, 3G, WiFi, SD card slot and more. We don't have a street date yet for you, but the price should be about 2000 yuan (that's about $294). And the best part? You won't have to worry about these guys stealing your thunder. One more pic after the break.

[Via PMP Today]

Continue reading Keepin' It Real Fake, part CCXIX: Gemsta's Vaino knock-off

Keepin' it real fake, part CCIII: New York Times undercover edition

by Joseph L. Flatley, posted Apr 28th 2009 at 4:54PM

When the New York Times sent one of its ace reporters to Shenzhen to check out the KIRF scene, they came to a startling conclusion: these things are really quite popular. And why not? Your iPhone might be a terrific device, but is it really $400 better than the Hi-Phone, or the iorgane? Well, it's probably $400 better than the iorgane -- we'll give you that one. The article sites a general lack of concern from the Chinese government, new technology such as Mediatek's turnkey circuit board solution, and a significant drop in the price of parts as reasons that knock-off phones are so prominent in that part of the world. There is also a bit of cultural pride at work, too: "shanzhai" technology, as it's known, is seen as a way to thumb your nose at the big players in the industry and throw some work to your local bandit. That said, we do have to cry foul at the way the paper lumps our beloved Meizu M8 in with the usual assortment of knock-offs: the thing sports nary an Apple (or "organe") on its handsome exterior. Check out the price breakdown on a typical $40 KIRF after the break.

[Thanks, Ben]

Continue reading Keepin' it real fake, part CCIII: New York Times undercover edition

Giant keyboard art in Shenzhen metro station offers tech-friendly seating

by Laura June, posted Apr 23rd 2009 at 4:51PM

If you're at the Shenzhen Metro station any time soon, you'll unlikely happen across the beautiful, beautiful sight above. The station -- which is in Shenzhen just north of Hong Kong -- has installed some keyboard art that really speaks to the typist in our souls -- we even type in our dreams occasionally. The keys function as seats to relax in while you wait for your train, though why they chose the keys they chose (Enter, M, <, L, P and ;) is anybody's guess.

[Via Engadget Chinese]

Keepin' it real fake, part CXXXVIII: HiVision knows that even netbooks need fake friends

by Paul Miller, posted Aug 30th 2008 at 2:52PM

HiVision (also known as Shenzhen), a Chinese OEM exhibiting at IFA, is completely unabashed about its collection of netbook look-alikes, which range from 400MHz ARM-based computers that could retail for as little $150, to full featured VIA-powered affairs. Everything was as plastic as could be, of course, but the HP Mini-Note rips were almost passable as sexy. Almost.

Gallery: HiVision knows that even netbooks need fake friends

Shenzhen EM-2811 "Latte ICE" is actually kind of neat

by Paul Miller, posted Jun 21st 2008 at 12:40PM

These days, it's pretty wild and crazy if a PMP manufacturer manages to do anything different than what's already out there, so we've got a soft spot for Shenzhen's EM-2811, being sold as the "Latte ICE." Sure, nothing spectacular, and the 1GB-4GB capacity is seriously amature hour, but we like the look of the device, and the interface is pretty strong for a no-name DAP. There's a miniSD slot to overcome that capacity handicap, a 2.8-inch QVGA screen, FM radio, voice support, AVI / MPEG video playback, and a built-in speaker. Tetris is included, but with the button layout we're hoping they can finagle a couple emulators on there. Battery life of 4 hours video and 8 hours audio is painful, but overall the Latte ICE isn't at all bad for a $70 starting price. Video is after the break.

[Via PMP Today]

Continue reading Shenzhen EM-2811 "Latte ICE" is actually kind of neat

MP901 portable media player looks slapped together, probably is

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 24th 2007 at 1:11PM

Believe us, we've seen plenty of chintzy in our day, but Shenzhen Link-Create Technology's MP901 goes above and beyond the call of jankiness. This PMP -- which looks as if it were (and probably was) pieced together using whatever spare parts could be found around the plant -- sports a 2.4-inch LCD, a 1.3-megapixel camera, 128MB to 4GB of internal storage space, a T-Flash expansion slot, integrated microphone and an FM tuner. Additionally, you'll find a rechargeable Li-ion, support for NES emulation, built-in speaker and support for AVI, MPEG4, MP3, WMA, AAC and WAV file formats. Per usual, pricing remains a mystery, but considering that minimum order quantity of 500, we've no real interest in unearthing the truth.

[Via PMPToday]

Janky V688 PMP does Skype, too?

by Darren Murph, posted Oct 8th 2007 at 11:14PM

Yeah, we've seen a Skype phone and a PMP awkwardly merged into one before, but this unit adds its own layer of sketchiness for good measure. The V688, supposedly offered up by Shenzhen Went Wide Shine Electron Company, claims to boast a 1.8-inch display, MP3 / video playback, USB connectivity, an FM radio, rechargeable Li-ion and an integrated Skype phone. Per usual, we wouldn't expect this piece to posses any signs of expert craftsmanship, but you can toss over an inquiry if you're really curious as to what it will run you.

[Via PMPToday]

Shenzhen's portable LCD TV with NES emulation is lawsuit-errific

by Nilay Patel, posted Oct 2nd 2007 at 7:01AM

We have no idea how Shenzhen is going to be able to market this 8.4-inch LCD TV with built-in NES games / emulation in the States without a little amorous attention from Nintendo's lawyers, but seeing as the PDVD8088 apparently has been certified by the FCC, it looks like the unit may indeed be headed for our fair shores. Other than the NES features -- and included controller -- you're really not looking at much, here: built-in DVD player, MPEG4 compatibility, SD radio, FM transmitter, and USB ports so you can play media off flash drives. No word on price, but something tells us Shenzhen might have to jack it up a little when the Big N comes calling.

[Via PMP Today]

Keepin' it real fake, part LXIX: Meizu gets a taste of its own medicine

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 3rd 2007 at 5:46PM

Poetic justice at its finest. Meizu, which has received loads of criticism for knocking off Apple's iPhone with the forthcoming M8, is now facing turned tables thanks to Shenzhen Gold-East Electronic Company. The MP046 may resemble any vanilla PMP at first glance, but if you take a closer look at the control pad, the link between it and the M6 becomes crystal clear. This knockoff of a knockoff artist's work comes with 256MB to 2GB of internal storage and includes a two-inch LCD, FM transmitter, image viewer, a variety of EQ modes, and support for MP1/2/3, WMA, and ASF file formats. No word on price, but if you're interested in taking on the minimum order quantity of 200 pieces, be sure and phone 'em up for the latest bulk discount.

Prober P360 GPS / PMP handheld does it all

by Darren Murph, posted Feb 20th 2007 at 5:38PM

These fanciful all-in-one devices just don't seem to come Europe or North America's way very often, and unfortunately for most, Prober's P360 doesn't seem to be breaking that mold anytime soon. Packing a respectable mix of multimedia and GPS capabilities, this pocket-friendly device packs a 3.5-inch touchscreen display, 400MHz Samsung S3C2440A processor, 64MB of NAND Flash ROM, 64MB of SDRAM, WinCE 4.2 runnin' the show, a SiRF Star III chipset, and a built-in speaker to boot. Furthermore, you'll find a dual-mode map for wrapping your brain around POI locations, voice guidance, a rechargeable five-hour Li-ion battery, SD card slot, USB 1.1, wired remote / headphones, audio out, and the ability to play back WMV, WMA, and WAV files on the AV front, while handling a bevy of snapshot formats and even boasting a text viewer. Unfortunately, we've no idea how much the P360 will run folks who are lucky enough to acquire it in four to six weeks, but just know that most of the world will probably envy you.

[Via NaviGadget]