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Entourage Pocket Edge reveals itself on the Home Shopping Network
We're still trying to understand why Entourage has chosen the Home Shopping Network of all places to reveal its new Pocket Edge, but at least we now know that the previously spied dualscreen tablet / e-reader lives! Although the 1.35-pound device has been shrunken down with smaller displays -- a 6-inch "Wacom Penabled" e-ink panel and 7-inch LCD -- it actually doesn't appear like much else has been changed from the original. Unfortunately, that means our biggest complaints about the device are very much present -- it's got a resistive touchscreen and appears to run an older version of Android. If it's any consolation, the trackball on the right edge has been replaced with an optical touchpad and there are now red and black color options. Spec-wise, it still boasts 4GB of storage, a 2 megapixel camera (hopefully there's software now that takes advantage of it), 802.11 b/g, a USB port, and micro-SD slot. It is, however, more affordable -- though it's originally priced at $499, HSN has a sale running that puts it at $399. Of course, no word on if a 3G version will be arriving at Verizon as we've previously heard, but we're sure this thing will get its official unveil sometime soon. Until then feel free to keep yourself preoccupied with the gallery below and at the source link -- just don't get lost in the cookware section. %Gallery-106304%
Fujitsu dual-touchscreen concept phone hands-on
Back at Mobile World Congress in February, the mobile UI gurus at TAT showed off their interpretation of a dual-screen phone interface using TI's powerhouse OMAP4 testbed. Seemed a little pie-in-the-sky at the time, but frankly, the concept device being shown off by Fujtisu at CEATEC this week -- created with TAT's involvement, it turns out -- seems virtually ready for production. Or the hardware did, anyway; the software was spartan by comparison, obviously designed to call out a few key use cases where having two giant, glorious 960 x 480 displays right next to each other might come in handy. We were shown browser and email list scrolling across both displays -- boring, if not obvious -- but what really piqued our interest was a cool photo sharing feature whereby you fling photos you want to share from a gallery on the bottom display to a list of contacts on the top one -- very TAT, if we do say so ourselves. Both displays can be rotated between portrait and landscape, creating either a nicely-sized clamshell or a gigantic flip, not an uncommon shape among Japanese phones. Indeed, given the form factor, the entirely-Japanese interface, and Fujitsu's history, we're sure this was designed entirely with the Japanese domestic market in mind -- and we wouldn't be at all surprised to see it show up in a retail capacity there within a year or so. Follow the break for video. %Gallery-104244%
Kno announces single-screen tablet textbook, plans to ship alongside dual-screen by end of 2010
Looks like Kno, whose dual-screen tablet textbook turned heads at D8 this year, is taking a cue from King Solomon himself. The company has announced a single-screen tablet textbook -- apparently the "world's first," if you don't consider the plethora of other tablets as educational in any way. Both devices are apparently on track for a late 2010 release, thanks in no small part, we suspect, to new funding. From the press pics, it really looks to be just one-half the original product: a single 14.1-inch capacitive IPS display with presumably 1440 x 900 resolution. Kno's taken some pride in its two-screen design, so why introduce a more standard form factor? Looks like price might be the big motivator; it's something CEO Osman Rashid seems to at least tacitly acknowledge: "Even though the Kno pays for itself in 13 months, the smaller up front investment of the single screen version will allow more students to use our learning platform." That said, we still don't know the price of either product. Last we heard, the double-display model would be priced at "under $1,000," but there's no indication as to how far under that might be. We'll keep investigating; in the meantime, don't throw away your army of highlighters just yet. Press release after the break.
Acer's dualscreen laptop leaks out with Core i5 CPU?
We knew dualscreen laptops were the future after our Toshiba Libretto review, but unfortunately for Toshiba theirs was a future attempted too soon. Acer, however, is apparently testing a rig that might be powerful enough to do the trick -- pictures bequeathed to Tech Review Source purportedly show a 2.67GHz Intel Core i5 processor (likely a Core i5-580M) with dual fifteen-inch multitouch screens, making both the Libretto and MSI's 7-incher look positively dated by comparison. Sadly, the publication's source says this device is "still slow and buggy," so retail availability is probably a long while off, but now you can tell your friends you too saw the future and it looked reasonably good. Peep a couple more shots of the laptop at our source link while you wait for a frameless version to pop out.
Toshiba Libretto W105 review
At this point Toshiba's dualscreen Libretto W105 shouldn't need much of an introduction -- or at least after glancing at the picture above we figure it won't. It looks like a laptop straight out of the future. And it kind of is. It's the sort of clamshell gadget we've seen rendered and rendered for years, but that's never made it to market... until now that is. In celebration of Toshiba's 25 years in the laptop business, the company's gotten bolder than ever, and it hasn't just created a gadget with two seven-inch capacitive touchscreens, but it's actually brought it to market. Sure, it's only available for a very limited run, and at a lofty $1,100, only die-hard gadget geeks are bound to fork over the cash. That said, it's still one of the most intriguing devices we've seen all year, and that's saying something. And it's even more compelling when you consider that packs the parts of a 12- or 13-inch ultraportable, including an Intel Pentium processor, 2GB of RAM and a 64GB SSD and also runs Windows 7. But that's exactly what's wrong with the Libretto -- it looks like the future, but it's held back by modern day laptop parts and software. We've spent quite some time with the W105 -- we typed half of this review on the bottom screen! -- so you'll want to hit the break to find out just what we're talking about. %Gallery-101684%
Toshiba Libretto W100 sells out at Amazon, really was a limited run
We know, we just told you less than 48 hours ago that the dual screen Toshiba Libretto W100 was finally on sale and after $1,100 of your hard earned cash, but it looks like those that didn't move quick enough are out of luck. Both Toshiba and Amazon list the Windows 7-running Libretto W100 as out of stock at the moment. Now, of course, Tosh has always said the W100 was going to be available on a limited basis so there's no telling how many of these were actually sold, but it certainly seems impressive for a very niche gadget. We've reached out to Toshiba to ask if they plan on refreshing the depleted stock and for a bit of information on how many they had boxed up to begin with -- stay tuned, we'll let you know what we hear. Update: If you're still lusting after one of these bad boys there's still some available through Conics.com and some Japanese retailers.
Sony Ericsson concept phone is as clever as it is unreal
Looking for some innovation to go with your porridge this morning? How about this fan-made flip phone concept that pivots vertically and horizontally? You can use it as a standard old clamshell, with the lower of the two displays acting as your number pad, or you can rotate it down to pair the screens into one snazzy widescreen panel. That's all there really is to it, but it seems like such an ingenious idea to us -- maintaining the slimline dimensions that some think are crucial to phones, while offering the generous screen size that we all want. Hit the source link to see more of this "Sony Ericsson" FH concept.
Sharp microchip enables dual-screen smartphones, e-readers and netbooks
Judging by the fact that our lovely planet is home to the Libretto W100, the Kno, Onkyo DX and oodles of prototypes that utilize twin panels rather than a panel and a keyboard, Sharp's newest microchip is likely to draw some serious industry attention. Improving on an idea that began in 2008, the company has recently shown off a new chip (dubbed LR388G9) that can control two mobile LCDs and can simultaneously display a pair of different 1,024 x 480 pixel clips on a pair of screens; moreover, it can output full 1080p to any source connected via HDMI. Since '08, Sharp has increased memory capacity from 16Mbits to 32Mbits while boosting the image processing speed, and the company now intends to hawk this new guy to outfits who manufacture smartphones, e-readers, digital photo frames and even netbooks. If all goes well, the chip will ship within a 261-pin WFBGA package this September, with volume pricing pegged at around ¥2,400 ($27).
Sharp's LR388G9 LCD controller suggests more products with dual screens
While we'll let competitors tell us whether the chip's "an industry first," Sharp's certainly serious about devices with twin screens -- this new LR388G9 controller chip pumps pixels simultaneously to each of two 1,024 x 480 LCDs. Sure, that resolution may sound pathetic compared to your Cinema Display, but this silicon's intended for the likes of e-readers and phones, where a single image that size is desirable and a pair would be most welcome. Never mind that the chip can send 1080p content at 24fps to an external display, too. Of course, what we really want to see is a nice autostereoscopic smartphone fitted with Sharp's 3D HD camera module. Pretty please?
Amazon Kindle dual-screen e-reader patent granted, Barnes & Noble Nook potentially in trouble
Looks like the battle for e-reader dominance between Amazon and Barnes & Noble could soon expand beyond the recent spate of price drops and into the courtroom as well: the USPTO just granted a 2006 Amazon patent on e-readers with secondary LCD displays (like the original Kindle's scroller-navigation panel), and several of the claims are potentially broad enough to cover the Nook and many other devices with both electronic paper and LCD displays. What's more, Amazon agreed not to file for any corresponding foreign patents during the four-year approval process and thus wasn't required to publish the patent application -- meaning this is likely a complete surprise to the entire industry. Yeah, it's juicy. Here's one of the claims that could cause problems for Barnes & Noble -- in plain English, it potentially covers any device with both an electronic paper display and a second smaller LCD display next to it. A handheld electronic device comprising: a housing; an electronic paper display disposed in the housing and having a first surface area; and a liquid crystal display (LCD) disposed in the housing proximate the electronic paper display, the LCD having a second surface area that is smaller than the first surface area of the electronic paper display. That's pretty sweeping -- it doesn't take much to look at the Nook and see that it has both an electronic ink display and a smaller LCD located next to it. Now, we don't know if Amazon has any plans to actually sue anyone over this patent yet, but we're guessing there's a flurry of legal activity happening at all the major e-reader manufacturers right now, and we're definitely curious to see what the fallout looks like -- remember, Barnes & Noble is already involved in a trade secret dispute over the Nook with Spring Design, which claims that B&N saw its Alex reader under NDA and then copied it for the Nook. That case isn't scheduled to wrap up before November, so there's a chance B&N and Spring Design could end up simultaneously fighting each other in one case while taking on Amazon as allies in another, which would be... messy. We'll see what happens -- while we've no doubt Barnes & Noble will put up a serious fight if it comes to that, we're curious to see if the shift away from e-reader development to general-use tablets hastens as the market contracts, margins shrink, and the cost of litigation becomes prohibitive. The ball's very definitely in Amazon's court now -- stay tuned. [Thanks, Anand]
Toshiba Libretto W100 preview
The Toshiba Libretto W100 made a guest appearance on the Engadget Show last week, and since we got to spend a bit more time with the dualscreen laptop we thought it was only right to release some more impressions into the ether. We also got confirmation from Toshiba that the somewhat-of-a-concept-PC will be hitting retail channels in August, including Amazon, and will cost $1,100. It may be one of the only dualscreen tablets on the market, but no matter how you break it down that price seems a little outrageous. But you wouldn't make up your mind before reading some further impressions and watching a close up video of the screens working in tandem, would you? Well then, we'll see you after the break. %Gallery-96145%
Toshiba prepping dual-screen 'GuideBook' tablet for June launch?
Believe it or not, Toshiba has been toying around with dual-screen tablets at least as far back as 2006, and it looks like it might be trying its hand at the idea again now that it's catching on a bit -- DigiTimes is reporting that company has a new dual-screen "GuideBook" device on track for a June launch. Unfortunately, the only other details at the moment are that the device will apparently pack two 7-inch displays, and that it will supposedly be manufactured by Toshiba in-house. We're also assuming / hoping that the company has managed to refine things a bit from the circa-2006 device pictured above.
Onkyo DX1007A5B dualscreen netbook preview
We've known about Onkyo's DX dual-screened netbook for quite awhile, but it's another thing entirely to see it extend its two 10-inch screens in person. On display at the Microsoft booth here at Computex, the Onkyo is still a rebadge of the Konjinsha DZ that we saw at CEATAC last year, but has a 1,366 × 768-resolution display rather than the Konjinsha's 1,024 x 600. In our short hands-on time we found the screens to extend smoothly, but the hinge did feel a bit weak, though that could very likely be the result of being used and abused on the show floor. We were able to drag windows to the second monitor without a problem, so if you were concerned that the learning curve would be too steep, fret not. The most interesting thing about the netbook is that it turns into a handheld device of sorts -- when you pull the screens back in, you can flip it around and hold it up. For some odd reason it doesn't have a touchscreen, so you have to use an optical mouse on the side to navigate within Windows 7. If anything, the DX needs an internal upgrade since it still packs a first generation AMD Neo processor, but we're sure that'll come in time. See it all for yourself in the video after the break. %Gallery-94435%
Kno dual-screen tablet appears at D8, we go hands-on
Kno promised to launch a double-screened Linux-based e-reader designed for students at D8, and the undercover startup didn't disappoint -- believe us when we say it came out in a big way. That's big as in freaking big: the Kno reader features dual 14.1-inch capacitive IPS displays (1440 x 900 each), weighs 5.5 pounds, and offers six to eight hours of battery life, all in a package that's so comically large we thought it was a joke when we first saw the press shots. Kno says it'll offer both pen and touch support, and it'll come with a stylus out of the box. Under the hood, it's running a Tegra 2 chip with 16GB of storage, and the entire experience is essentially a WebKit instance. Yes, it's sort of like the Courier, but larger -- much, much larger. We had a chance to go hands-on with the device as well as speak to some members of the team developing the Kno, and while it's clear that there are major bumps in the UI and user experience, it seems like the company is aware of them. What we saw today was clearly unfinished, with a lot of laggy, stuttery behavior in the interface, a crash or two, and some very inaccurate finger tracking, but Kno says it's hard at work on eradicating those issues. Even with the UI fixes, it's a hard sell at "under $1000," but Kno is putting together partnerships with publishers to make that a little easier to swallow, as they say ultimately it will be less expensive than buying regular old text books. It's an audacious idea, for sure... and we're still completely confused by one of the company's press pics featuring a bunch of dudes running around in their underwear, but we digress. Check out some shots from the demo, PR pics, and our hands-on with the device below. %Gallery-94223% %Gallery-94217% %Gallery-94219%
MSI Android, Windows 7 tablets launching in June, dualscreen delayed until Q4
It looks like ASUS won't be the only Taiwanese manufacturer whipping out new tablets at Computex in early June, and MSI will be joining the party with its Android and Windows 7 touchscreen devices. According to the company, the tablets will come in 8.9- and 10-inch varieties, and will ship sometime in the third quarter. We can't promise you big M's Tegra 2 and Atom-powered slates will be all that different from what we've been seeing from the others out there, but we are told the pricing will be "extremely aggressive." That's intriguing, but unfortunately, that awesome dualscreen tablet we saw at CES is farther behind. According to MSI's Andy Tung, the hardware implementation is the reason for the delay as the Atom-based tablet is not providing adequate endurance. "The two screens are a major drain on the battery, and even with a higher density battery and the Menlow CPU we are only getting three hours," he said. It looks like we will be waiting until the fourth quarter to get some two screen action, though we guess we could always pick up an Android and Win 7 slate and tape 'em together.
Spring Design Alex starts shipping tomorrow
We'd gripe about the wait, but given all the e-book readers we saw at CES that've fallen off the radar or been delayed to oblivion, we're actually pretty proud of Spring Design for shipping the Alex at last. Orders will start going out tomorrow for the $399 dual screen reader. Not sure it's worth the price? Well, we're not positive either. Check out our review for a bit of help deciding.
Entourage Edge review
Is it an Android tablet? An e-reader? Just a sweet gadget with two screens? Truth is the Entourage Edge is a little bit of everything, and that's exactly why we've been so intrigued with the "dualbook" since we fondled it at CES. Finally ready to make its shipping debut, the $499 dual screen device is aimed at students, but really it's for anyone interested in a combination 9.7-inch E Ink reading / note-taking experience and a 10.1-inch Android web tablet. It's sounded very cool to us for quite a while, but there's always a difference between hype and reality. Does the Edge live up to its promise or attempt to do too much? The only place to find out is after the break in our full review. %Gallery-88032%
Dualscreen GScreen Spacebook reappears, will now have two 17-inch screens
Last time we saw the GScreen dualscreen Spacebook laptop it was sporting two 15.4-inch screens and promising to be ready by the end of 2009. Obviously the small Alaska-based company missed that cut off, but we're told there's a reason -- and it's an interesting one at that. Apparently the two 15-inch displays didn't provide enough screen real estate, and the company has now opted to use two 17.3-inch screens. We're not sure that move makes the most sense considering that this thing is supposed to be mobile, but we don't claim to know what people want from dual screen workstations. What does makes sense is that the laptop has been updated with new specs, including a 2.66GHz Intel Core i7-620M processor, 4GB of RAM, a 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GTS 150M GPU and Windows 7 Professional. The entire rig still looks rather thick in the pictures below, but GScreen's CEO Gordon Stewart assures us that it won't weigh more than eight pounds. The revised plan is to sell the long-awaited machine through online retailers, including Amazon and Buy.com, starting in May for $2,895. Of course that's if they don't decide to go with two 20-inch screens in the meantime. Our fingers are crossed this time around. %Gallery-85360%
Astri's dualscreen Android E Ink MID looks and acts like a knockoff
We've never heard of Astri before, but it sure seems to be one ambitious company. We figure it's got to take real ambition to create a pocketable dualscreen device with not just one non-working touchscreen, but two! In theory, the Marvell-powered MID or My Interactive Device (not to be confused with Mobile Internet Devices) runs Android on its 4.8-inch LCD touchscreen, while its neighboring 5-inch E Ink Wacom-enabled touchscreen is meant for reading and taking notes. The concept is similar to the much-more-polished Entourage Edge, or even Spring Design's Alex, though we have no idea if Astri intends the two displays to communicate with one another. We'll be siding with those alternatives until Astri can work out its many issues, though we do like the idea of the more portable e-reading device. Oh, and please don't miss one of the most abusive hands-on videos ever after the break.
MSI dualscreen UMPC concept had us at 'dualscreen'
We were already fairly impressed with MSI's netbook-sized dualscreen e-reader, but this smaller 7-inch screened variation might even be the more alluring of the two. Only the lower of the two screens is touchable, and it while would naturally be a tad small for regular typing, we could almost see a decent thumboarding scenario arising. But really, we're just taken in with the look of this thing. It's incredibly thin, pure premium, and the little clock display on the is just icing on an already sexy cake. There's no word on what's under the hood here -- we'd have to guess some Atom variant, since this will run Windows -- and we're naturally in the dark about the rest of the vitals like price and release date. %Gallery-82301%
