InternetDevice
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Datawind bringing UbiSurfer, PocketSurfer3 to the US
Remember Datawind's PocketSurfer and PocketSurfer2 handheld internet devices? Ever see one out in the wild on this side of the pond? Well, Datawind is hoping that it'll have better luck with its new PocketSurfer3 and UbiSurfer devices, which are both now apparently officially on track for a US release. The PocketSurfer3 (pictured above) is a fairly modest update to the PocketSurfer2, with it adding an improved screen and updated UI and, most perhaps importantly, a lower $249 price tag that also includes a year of free cellular usage (up to 30 hours a month). The UbiSurfer, on the other hand, is a more traditional netbook-style device (check it out after the break), although it harkens back a bit to the pre-Atom days with a 7-inch screen, 1GB of storage, 128MB of RAM and an unspecified, presumably low-power processor. The good news, however, is that it includes the same year of free service as the PocketSurfer3, and packs an even lower $199 price tag. No word on a cellular partner involved in all of this, but Datawind says both should be available this October.
Sony's mylo 2 only available in refurbished form -- is the end near?
Sony's mylo 2 -- wait, you do remember what this thing is, right? -- could be headed for the grave... as if it wasn't already there in the minds of most. After Sony hacked a hundred bucks from the asking price during the run-up to Holiday Season 2008, we heard absolutely nothing further until now. Today, the very same order page shows that no new models are available to purchase, leaving prospective buyers with two clear-cut options: 1) walk away or 2) snag a refurb model in black or white for $149.99. So, is this the end for Sony's own Internet Device? Or is this just the calm before the sure-to-be-ferocious mylo 3 storm?[Thanks, Ali]
MSI teases Winki, the internet device without an operating system -- that runs Linux
Okay, see if you can wrap your head around this one: MSI has announced a new device designed to simplify peoples' internet experiences by cutting out all the extraneous stuff, presenting a clean, decidedly OS X-like interface to commonly used apps. It's the same sort of skin we've seen applied many a Linux-powered device before, but MSI has taken the unusual decision to call this a "new internet interactive device without an operating system." We're not sure if that's supposed to be a subtle dig to the Linux community or just marketing misinformation, but, regardless, the device (which MSI has yet to reveal) will ship with a number of web-related tools like Firefox for browsing, Pidgin and Skype for chatting, and other apps for browsing media and whatnot. No word on whether users will be able to install their own apps, and if so what happens when they run out of room on that not-a-dock, but we are certain of one thing: this is clearly the cutest name for a non-OS device of all time. [Via I4U News]
Sony smartly hacks $100 off of its mylo 2 before the holidays
We don't have any hard sales figures in front of us or anything, but we can't imagine that Sony has moved too many (or just two, actually) of its mylo 2 "Internet Devices" since launching it this past January. To that end, the outfit is hacking a full Benjamin from the purchase price, bringing the handheld down to an entirely more palatable $199.99. Both the black and white versions are being sold right now with the instant rebate tacked on, and the offer is good until January 31st of next year -- which definitely means the mylo 3 is due for a February 1, 2009 release.[Via Pocketables]
Ask Engadget: Best portable internet device?
Face it, folks -- internet browsing shouldn't be confined to your desktop / laptop. Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of options out there when looking to get the intarwebz (and we mean the whole intarwebz) in your pocket. For those out there who've found the perfect one from the smattering of choices, throw Adam (and countless others) a bone here. "I have a BlackBerry Pearl and the web browsing on it sucks like a tornado. What I want is a web browsing device that rocks me like a hurricane. I'd rather not have something large, even as large as a netbook like the Eee PC. There are the Nokia tablets. There's the Archos 605 / 705 WiFi. There are UMPCs like the Q1 Ultra. Then there's the iPhone / iPod touch. I'm looking for something that I can access the internet on from the couch or the john with a full HTML browser. And I need something that won't break the bank." So, whatcha got? After you're done posting your answer from the lavatory, send over a question of your own to ask at engadget dawt com.
Sony's mylo 2 magically transforms from 'Personal Communicator' to 'Internet Device'
According to hot, hot reports from the interblogs, interwebs, and yes -- internets -- Sony has made some shocking changes to its mylo 2. Did we say shocking? We meant not shocking. At all. Apparently in an attempt to re-market (and thusly sell) the odd little handheld, the company has begun branding the gadget an "Internet Device" as opposed to its previous (circa 2006) title of "Personal Communicator." We're all for the new convention (we love the hell out of new names) but it remains to be seen what kind of effect, if any, it will have on the gadget's not-so-hot sales. The next step? Lose the Spider-Man font.[Thanks, Penny]
Nokia's next internet tablet hits the FCC
For all you Nokia fanatics waiting for the next-gen follow up to the beloved N800 internet tablet, your journey may be at its end. According to reports dot-dashed into the Engadget offices via a morse-code squawking carrier pigeon, the latest and greatest as-yet-unnamed (but for now called LJPRX-44) non-phone, non-computer device may be heading into your sweaty hands before long. There's not much to glean from the multifarious FCC filings, unless you're a glutton for punishment or an extremely determined wavelength-modulation-test-fan, save that the device will have both WiFi and Bluetooth, and should be the same general size and shape as the N800. Feast your eyes on the labeling above, and if you're really jonesing for some good-old FCC fun, hit the read link.[Via TabletBlog]
