Chinese -- Engadget

chinese posts

Keepin' it real fake, part CCXXII: Looks like "WeFound" a total Kindle ripoff

by Ross Miller, posted Jul 11th 2009 at 7:29AM

Kindle doppelganger? The gang at Tech-On stumbled upon this little number at this week's Tokyo's Digital Publishing Fair, and unless our eyes deceive us, this snowflake's the spitting image of Amazon's e-book reader. It comes from Founder International, Inc., the Japanese unit of Chinese Peking University Founder Group Corp., and aesthetics aside, the screen comes from the same manufacturer (E Ink Corporation) and even lets you insert a SIM card and download directly to the device. And yet, despite the evidence, the company claims its gadget was "independently developed" and has nothing to do with the Kindle. Sure, whatever you say, wink wink, nod nod. The so-labeled WeFound is heading to China at the end of 2009 for around $209, with a possible release in Japan sometime after.

[Thanks, Alex]

Keepin' It Real Fake, part CCXX: "Sony" T77 phone isn't a Cybershot... it's so much more

by Ross Miller, posted Jul 7th 2009 at 1:46AM

If you find the ten megapixels of (legit) Sony's DSC-T77 absolutely decadent, why not settle for (illegit) Sony's two megapixel-wielding T77 smartphone? The tradeoff for lower resolution pics is a dual SIM solution with Bluetooth A2DP support, FM radio, MP3/4 player, microSD slot, e-book reader capabilities, WAP connectivity, and a 3.2-inch WQVGA LCD display that's a tad smaller than its doppelganger. It's even got its own plectrum for rocking out with your, erm, KIRF out. Think this is everything you could possibly want and more? Decidedly Chinese vendor solomobi's selling it at $116.

[Thanks, facelessloser]

Meizu CEO: current M8 upgradeable to 3G, estimated cost about $190 to $220

by Ross Miller, posted Jun 21st 2009 at 5:51PM

We know, we know, it's gonna be awfully hard to part with the comfort of your current beloved Meizu M8, but trust us, change can be good. We've already heard reports of an Android-centric UI refresh, and now company CEO J. Wong has chimed in to outline a tentative upgrade plan for the upcoming M8 3G. Current users of the eerily familiar 8GB / 16GB device will need to pay approximately 1,300 RMB to 1,500 RMB (translation: about $190 to $200 US) for next year's model. Oddly enough, despite these estimates, he's not confirming any market selling price. Wong also adds the screen size has been expanded from the initially planned 3.54 inches diagonal to 3.6, with same 720 x 480 resolution. Keep saving your pennies, last we heard launch date was still (lightly) penciled in for March 2010.

Computex offers Chinese gadget kitsch aplenty

by Donald Melanson, posted Jun 6th 2009 at 5:03AM

Computex may finally be winding down, but with most of the big product announcements now out of the way, that only means there's a better chance for some of the hidden treasures of the show to shine, like this collection of Chinese-styled gadgets discovered by our pals at Engadget Chinese. That includes a stylish "Nah" box made of real china that actually contains a 1.5TB hard drive, a bamboo sheet that supposedly acts as a laptop cooling pad, a pair of vase-shaped speakers, various mice decorated with Chinese opera masks and, of course, no shortage of eye-catching USB drives. All of which are better demonstrated in pictures than words, so we recommend hitting up the gallery below.

Gallery: Computex offers Chinese gadget kitsch aplenty

Imobile phoneV588 makes calls, could hold your foundation

by Darren Murph, posted May 22nd 2009 at 3:59AM

Not that we haven't seen compact-themed cellphones before, but we'd argue that the Imobile phoneV588 is about as suggestive as it gets. This dual-band GSM "handset" looks more like the next big thing from Cover Girl than your next mobile, with a circular form factor, pop-up lid, a built-in mirror and a design that would've totally worked in Princess Diaries. If you're curious about hard specs, you'll find a 2.6-inch LCD, an integrated MP3 / MP4 player, speakers and USB connectivity. Oh, and your guess is as good as ours on the whole "dialing / texting" aspect. Freshen up your social life for just $119.99.

[Via PMP Today]

RAmos RM990 iOne2 PMP looks surprisingly desirable

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 20th 2009 at 5:51AM

RAmos definitely isn't the most respected name in PMPs here in the US, but as of late, it's done a commendable job of staying relevant... at least on the design front, anyway. The firm's latest concoction, which goes by RM990 iOne2, is a touchscreen-heavy media player that's clearly not anorexic. Specs wise, we're told that it features a 3-inch WQVGA touch panel, haptic feedback, a built-in accelerometer, 4GB of internal storage and support for a whole gaggle of file formats. Not bad for the low, low asking price of just 399 yuan (around $58), but it's hardly worth a trip to Shanghai.

[Via PMPToday]

Lenovo and Acer rumored to be prepping new all-in-one PCs

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 15th 2009 at 8:42AM

In recent months, we've seen both Lenovo and Acer push out rather stylish all-in-one PCs. Clearly, both firms are hot to trot for the form factor, with DigiTimes reporting that the duo has big plans for future expansion in the area. Specifically, Lenovo is rumored to launch an entry-level 20-inch unit (C300) next month, a C100 and quad-core B500 in August and an ultrathin A300 variant in October. Meanwhile, Acer is said to be preparing an 18.5-inch model produced by Wistron, though there's no indication if it's actually different from that eMachines EZ1600 we heard about earlier this month. Look out, tower -- the end is nigh. (Just kidding, we only wanted to see your reaction.)

Dell to launch smartphones in China by end of year

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 14th 2009 at 10:28AM

After having its prototypes rejected a few times over by carriers here in America, it seems that Michael Dell is taking his smartphone initiative overseas. 'Course, he'll need something mighty special to outshine Lenovo's OPhone over in China, but we digress. Hot on the heels of rumors galore, Reuters is reporting that Dell is indeed aiming to launch multiple smartphones in the Chinese market before the dawn of 2010. A pair of analysts have asserted that the firm is working with Chi Mei Communications -- an unlisted unit of Taiwan's Hon Hai -- on the hardware front, while China-based Red Office is engineering the operating system. Not surprisingly, spokespeople from these outfits are all remaining mum for the moment, but we are told that the US and Europe are on Dell's list of next-up launch markets assuming the China rollout goes well.

[Via MobileBurn]

Sahpr S600 PMP: it's like a Sharp, just far more dull

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 8th 2009 at 8:21PM

While we can't quite crown this abomination with a bona fide KIRF label, there's still plenty of knockoff to keep the crowds chuckling. If you'll recall, Sharp popped out a boring SP600 portable media player in early 2008, and now, we've got some kind of undercover apprentice attempting to ride that wave. For those familiar with the real Sharp, you'll no doubt recognize the iconic (albeit slightly out of sorts) Sahpr logo there in the top left corner. What you won't recognize, however, is any design cues from the authentic Sharp PMP. For those who must know, the S600 sports a 5-inch display, support for a whole slew of formats and support for HD output. We'd wish you luck on actually finding one, but surely you're not depressed enough to embarrass yourself with one of these, right? Right.

[Via Slashgear]

GAME-800 all-in-one handheld tries out a new control scheme

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 2nd 2009 at 7:56AM

We'll hand it to whatever Chinese company conjured up the GAME-800 -- there's at least a smidgen of ingenuity here. Granted, we suspect it's all for the worse, but we digress. The GAME-800 all-in-one handheld does just about everything save for make calls; we're talking an MP5 (seriously) player, text and photo viewer, camera, NES / GBA emulator and even support for video playback. Internally, you'll spot 4GB of storage, which complements the integrated SD expansion slot nicely. There's also a TV output, 3.5-inch QVGA display, twin 3.5 millimeter headphone jacks and USB 2.0 connectivity. We might say it was actually worth he $69.99 asking price if not for our befuddlement relating to those awkwardly sorted directional arrows, but until we see support for an external game pad, we'll pass.

[Via technabob]

Motorola's long lived A1200 MING gets a successor: A1210

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 25th 2009 at 9:01AM

Say it ain't so! Some three years after the original A1200 MING drew attention overseas with its then-flashy design and Linux OS, we're finally hearing that somewhat of a direct successor is on the way. Oh sure, we've certainly seen others in the MING family surface over the past little while, but this one follows right in line even in name. The A1210 sports a 2.8-inch QVGA (400 x 240) touchscreen, a 3.1 megapixel camera, FM radio, tri-band GSM support, Bluetooth, USB, a TI OMAP850 processor and a microSD card slot. The most interesting part, however, is the homegrown Linux build that'll reportedly be loaded on. Sadly, it's too early to tell whether that system will be all new or partially regurgitated, but the Chinese market should be able to tell in the not-too-distant future.

2GB ICOO V616 DAP is definitely worth $14

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 21st 2009 at 12:22PM

Not thrilled with the value proposition presented in Apple's newest iPod Shuffle? Why, have a look at this! The 2GB ICOO V616 DAP ain't much, but it does sport an OLED display and probably plays nice with a whole gaggle of file formats. Really, the bottom line is that this thing is just 99 yuan (around $14), so there's no doubt it's worth the asking price. Doubly so if it comes bundled with those Band Of Brothers dog tags.

[Via PMPToday]

SmartQ introduces HDTV Player, lets it explain itself

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 17th 2009 at 8:41PM

Generally speaking, SmartQ has stuck to what it's best at -- mediocre portable media players -- without deviating an inch. Finally, someone at the company conjured up enough courage to take a risk, and we think the outcome is pretty decent. The simply titled and not-at-all-confusing HDTV Player is the firm's very first set-top-box, which aims to play back a litany of high-definition files on one's HDTV. As predicted, the box offers up an HDMI 1.3 port for getting all that lovely 720p+ content onto your screen, and there's also a pair of USB 2.0 ports for connecting external HDDs and the like. Beyond that, details are astonishingly sparse, but we get the feeling it'll be quite some time (read: forever) before this thing floats far from the shores of Asia.

[Via MP4Nation]

RAmos gets real official with sleek T10 PMP

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 16th 2009 at 11:01PM

We thought the RAmos T10 looked better than decent when we first saw it in January, and now that the company has hosted up a real-deal website for it, we're even more in love. The unarguably stylish PMP sports a 4.3-inch WQVGA display (800 x 480), support for practically any audio / video format you can think of, a TV output, between 8GB and 16GB of internal memory, USB 2.0, and a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack. Word on the street has it that this sucker will be loosed in China next month, but who knows how long it'll take to make its way into North America.

[Thanks, Boris]

Gallery: RAmos gets real official with sleek T10 PMP

Gemei offers up 4.3-inch HD-660 PMP

by Darren Murph, posted Feb 27th 2009 at 2:28PM

It's been quite some time since we've heard a good word from the folks at Gemei, but clearly, there was no resolution made upon the Chinese New Year that they'd stick to originality and stop ripping ideas from other PMP mainstays. Oh sure, the HD-660 isn't exactly like anything else we've seen, but we'd wager that the designers at Archos would disagree. At any rate, those in China can now find this 4.3-inch PMP for sale, packing a 480 x 272 resolution display, 32GB of internal memory, support for a smorgasbord of file formats, and a bundled remote and TV output cable. No word on pricing, but it'll probably sit nicely between "cheap" and "reasonably affordable."