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The not-so-portable portable GameCube
Ben Hartland's so-called handheld GameCube here isn't quite in the same league as the homebrew wonders from that other Ben, our hero Ben Heckendorn, (though really, what is?) but we've still gotta give him a few points for effort. Unfortunately, the biggest drawback is that it just ain't all that portable, basically consisting of a full-size GameCube console stuck on an over-sized but well-engineered controller and screen -- and made even less portable by the fact that you still have to plug it in. If you can live with that, following Ben's lead should cost ya about $370.[Via Joystiq]
Pavion's KCN 9000 portable navigation system
Pavion's KCN 9000 handheld looks more like a PMP than a GPS unit, which is no doubt exactly what Pavion wants you to think, touting the device's audio and video capabilities as much as it's navigation functions. Alongside a SiRF Star III GPS module, the Windows CE-based device packs a 300 MHz Atlas 2 processor, 64MB of RAM, and 32MB of ROM behind a 3.5-inch QVGA screen, with storage coming in the form of an SD card slot (an SD card appears to be included but Pavion doesn't say what size). Interestingly, Pavion also lists the device as having an AV in port, which can presumably be used for recording, although the company don't explicitly say as much. It's also not spilling any deets on a price or release date.[Via Mobile Magazine]
Benheck one-ups himself with portable nPod 2
Just as Nintendo has dropped the unwieldy designs of their past in favor of svelte, smaller designs, so too has hacker-extraordinaire Ben Heckendorn (that's Benheck to you kids). He's gone and updated the dated retro-Nintendo look of his original nPod with something decidely more Apple modern-Nintendo like. Behold: the nPod 2!The Geppetto to this Pinocchio writes, "[The nPod 2] uses a different kind of NES on a chip motherboard and is actually even smaller than my original nPod. It has an easy-to-use sliding battery pack (4 AA's that last a long time) and clean, simple styling. And lo and behold it has a headphone jack! Customization would also be possible, such as all the gray parts could be a different color, for instance."Just how small is it? "Think of 2 NES carts stacked atop each other, and that's pretty much it." Not bad, and bonus points for using Nintendo's metric of x amount of something stacked atop each other. Better still, you won't have to settle for ogling it through the dense and unloving prism of your computer screen. You'll be able to throw $250-300 (he guesstimates) down and buy one for yourself (or a loved one). Whaddya say? For the price of a Wii, are you buying?See also:Top 10 custom-built consolesNES Micro by Ben Heckendornbenheck does it again - the portable N64[Via TechEblog]
Sony Vaio UX180P shipping to US
Although the SonyStyle site still lists it under pre-order, the Vaio UX180P non-UMPC is apparently already en route to ecstatic US customers, as at least two of our readers have received shipping confirmations from Sony via email. The Core Solo-powered machines are scheduled to arrive on the sixth of next month, which jibes with Sony's promise of a July release, but we're still a bit surprised that they're getting them out this early -- as you know, we've been burned by Sony a few times before.[Thanks, Lee and Leland B]
DualCor cPC in the wild
We're not nearly as into DualCor's cPC Windows convergence device now that we found out it doesn't come with any built-in wireless radios, but we've still been looking forward to catching it in the wild just the same, because any pocket-sized machine that sports both XP and WM5 is more than a little bit noteworthy in our book. And luckily for us, our partners-in-crime over at Engadget Chinese have just captured some nice photos of this two-processor machine as part of their extensive Computex 2006 coverage, although our contribution of copying and pasting the pics for you to peep should not be overlooked. More cPC snaps are available after the break, and more VIA-powered products from the CPU manufacturer's booth tour can be found by following the Read link...
Asus A639 Pocket PC
Our peeps over at Engadget Chinese caught a sidelong glance at the thing over at the Windows Mobile booth at Computex, but we're pretty stoked now that we've fully caught wind of the new Asus A639 powerhouse Pocket PC. Suppposedly we can expect this sucker to come decked with all the trimmings, including an Intel XScale 416MHz CPU, 1GB flash memory, 64MBRAM, SiRFstarIII GPS, 802.11b/g, and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR. Not too shabby for a handheld, though cellular voice and data might be a nice afterthought. We'll let you know if and when we see this sucker pop up on the FCC.[Via Pocket PC Thoughts]
Palm Treo 700p approved by FCC
As much as we'd like to blame other parties for the long wait for Palm's Treo 700p (and we will, we will), there's one source for at least some of the wait: the FCC. According to public filings, the smartphone just cleared the government agency, paving the way for its impending rollout. Of course, Palm did file a confidentiality request with the FCC, so we're not entirely clear exactly when this baby got the thumbs up, but the important thing is that it did, which means nothing (short of mobs at Sprint and Verizon's stores) should stand in your way if you're planning on picking one up very soon.
Verizon: Motorola Q not launching next week
Now that Verizon has started boasting of its exclusive deal to sell the Motorola Q (at least until Sprint pumps out their version), what's VZW's next move? Why, to deny that the smartphone is coming out anytime soon, of course. According to Brighthand, a Verizon spokesman stated that the company does not have a "launch event scheduled for next week." Hey, we'll parse that one a bit. Maybe Verizon's shipping it without an "event." Or maybe the spokesman was out of the loop (wouldn't be the first time). Or, more likely, he was just doing his job, issuing a denial in an effort to maintain some sense of suspense, and the Q will indeed show up next week, with some kind of event. But just in case, don't start camping out in front of VZW stores just yet, m'kay?
Verizon getting exclusive on Moto Q
We've been hearing for some time now that the Motorola Q would be coming to Verizon and Sprint first, with versions for other carriers out later in the year. Now, it looks like Verizon may have scored a coup, and shut Sprint out of that initial launch. According to a teaser that's now up on Verizon's site, the long-awaited smartphone will be available "exclusively from Verizon Wireless." We don't know how long that exclusive is going to last; we still expect Sprint to roll out a version pretty quickly. In the meantime, though, if you absolutely must get your Q next week, it looks like you now know where to go.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Sony Vaio UX previewed
Digital World Tokyo got an early hands-on look at the Sony Vaio UX50 micro PC when launched in Tokyo earlier this week. The obvious difference between this and those much maligned first gen UMPCs is the sliding keyboard. However, it's not exactly a tactile wonder as DWT reports. The reviewer found the keyboard "difficult to use" as the keys are almost flush with the case and don't move much when pressed. Still, he managed to enter text without any misspellings. The 4.5-inch screen was "sharp and bright" and its 1,024 x 600 resolution (UMPCs go 800 x 480 on a 7-inch display) made full screen web browsing possible if you don't mind uh, "squinting" a bit with those "handy" buttons along the right-side of the case giving a quick zoom when necessary. Although the reviewer notably only had a few minutes with the device, it's certainly a promising start for this micro device with massive features mirrored in its expected $1800 price tag. We'll reserve judgment, however until some proper full-reviews hit the sheets or we nab a UX for ouselves when they drop Stateside in July.
Verizon Treo 700p: $400 with 2-year contract
If you were hoping to play Sprint and Verizon off of each other and try to get a better deal on the Treo 700p, the jig is up. Verizon's pricing is now out, and the company is charging the same price as Sprint for the new Palm-based smartphone: $400 (with a two-year contract, that is). Calling plans with unlimited data start at $80 a month, and if you want to use your Treo as an EV-DO modem with your laptop (which we suspect you just might), be prepared to add an extra $15 a month. And, no, it still doesn't have WiFi.
Tinnos Blufin PMP/PDA: 30GB HDD, Windows CE 5.0
Prototypes of this little box started floating around a few months ago, and now it looks like it may just be showing up for realz. Dubbed the Blufin, this PMP (or PDA, depending on how you look at it) from Korea's Tinnos, is a Windows CE-based handheld with a 30GB hard drive, 128MB RAM, 2 megapixel camera, a 4.3-inch LCD display, USB and SD slots (with both USB on-the-go and SDIO compatibility for copying files or adding functions like GPS and WiFi) and an AMD Au1200 processor. It'll be available in Japan this July for about $600 and the rest of the world (at least through gray market channels) shortly thereafter.
Nintendo DS Lite US launch - June 11 for $129.99
As expected, Nintendo has announced the US launch date and pricing for the DS Lite. The handheld gaming system will arrive on US shores on June 11 for about $129.99, and will come in an "inaugural color" of white. Since we've already seen the Lite in other colors, we assume those and more will make their way to the US soon enough, and the Wii factory is just teasing us by making us wait. Everything else you already know about the Lite remains unchanged, including the fact that, if you really can't wait a whole month to get it, your favorite gray market dealers can still get it for you sooner for about $200 plus shipping.
More cities using personal parking meters
Parking meters have made huge strides in recent years, with some of them -- such as pay-by-cell systems -- providing increased convenience to change-starved consumers, while others -- like auto-resetting meters -- have made it harder to get away with modest infractions like picking up a previous parker's minutes. Now, what may be the ultimate in parking convenience, the "personal meter" is starting to catch on in more major cities. The small card readers have been around for several years, but have recently become more popular; last month, Buffalo expanded its pilot system from a service for handicapped drivers to a citywide program. Buffalo's system, like many others, relies on the Smart Park reader, from Israel's Ganis Systems. The card reader can hang from a car's rearview mirror, and can be programmed with a city's parking rules. When a driver parks, he inserts the card into the meter, sets it for his location, and the meter starts ticking away. Enforcement officers with handheld receivers spot-check cars, and issue tickets based on data they download via an IR link. The system definitely sounds convenient, and could eliminate all of those tickets for underestimating how long you're going to be parked. However, we can't help but think it could be improved by adding wireless communication with servers that can automatically track violations and issue tickets. This could be more efficient than the spot-check system, even if it would put Lovely Rita out of a job.
Nintendo to announce DS Lite pricing/release deets on Thursday?
So we don't actually have any new information on the U.S. pricing and release date of Nintendo's DS Lite; rather we're simply here to pass on the fact that these important details will supposedly be available on Thursday. Our hot sister blog Joystiq is reporting that a recent 1UP podcast revealed both the May 4th announcement as well as the actual pricing/launch info, but the latter deets were bleeped out in order to conform with pesky embargoes and non-disclosure agreements. You can be sure that we'll be on high alert later this week to bring you all the info as soon as it's available, and remember, the sooner you start standing in line for your new DS, the sooner we can post amusing pics of people suffering for their hobby.[Via Joystiq]
Q to be launched May 22nd?
Alright Q fans, we've got some good news for you. We've received word that Verizon and Motorola are holding a joint news conference in New York this May 22nd -- no, not May 22nd 2007, though we should qualify that -- to announce the Q. We know, wipe the look of shock off your face; we don't really have much more info to give you than that, but really, what more do you need? By this point you're either completely sick of hearing about this thing, or have some insane pent up urge to get one, so for the latter crowd: keep your eyes and ears tuned to May 22nd.
Averatec's AHI UMPC concept device
What do you get when you mix one part OQO, one part Sidekick, and add a touch of UMPC? Apparently you get Averatec's new AHI concept device, that's what. Expected to be launched this fall for as little or as much as €500 or €900 ($600 or $1,090 US) depending on options, Averatec's aiming to launch their device with XP, a touchscreen (which we assume will take advantage of Microsoft's Touch Pack UMPC suite), WiFi, GPS, 3G data, and a six hour battery life in a 7.3 x 3.5 x 1.3-inch 24 ounce package. So yeah, basically this device might single-handedly solve just about every complaint the UMPC community (and we) have: price, battery life, keyboard, and wireless data. We'll believe it when we see it though, so keep your eyes out for Averatec this fall.[Via The Reg, thanks to everyone who sent this in]
E-Ten's G500 GPS PocketPC phone drops by the FCC
No word as to a date or even the possibility of a US release for E-Ten's G500, but at least the FCC thinks everything is looking good with the unit, so we've got that going for us. Announced in Europe this January, the quad-band GSM phone features Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC, GPS, Bluetooth, and a QVGA display. Its lack of WiFi makes us think the unit would be a good fit for those WiFi haters over at Cingular, but your guess is as good as ours.
Samsung Q1 gets $1,200 price tag in Korea
We've seen the official price for the TabletKiosk eo ($900). Now another UMPC has gotten its first official price, and it's an even further cry from the original "about $500" price point once expected for these devices. The Korean version of the Samsung Q1, expected to go on sale next month, will go for close to W2 million, or roughly $2,000 W1,199,000 (about $1,250). Sure, the Korean version comes bundled with a DMB TV receiver, USB keyboard, auto adapter and other accessories, but considering that just about every phone, PMP or electric toothbrush sold in Korea seems to include DMB, and you can get a full-fledged tablet PC for well under $2,000, we really have to wonder who Samsung's targeting with this (other than, of course, the usual coterie of fans who will pick up anything promoted by a team of spokesmodels).Update: As pointed out by several people, the Korean price will actually be W1,199,000 (about $1,250), not W2,000,000 (about $2,000), as reported. Not exactly a huge bargain, but certainly better than the price we originally reported. We've updated the headline and post above. Thanks to everyone who caught this.
Emmy handheld award nominees announced
Let's face it, with more and more content being created for the third screen (i.e. your cellphone, handheld, portable, multimedia device, etc. -- whatever you want to call it), it was obviously time for the Emmys to create yet another award for a new kind of small screen: the award for outstanding original programming for computers, cellphones and other hand-held [sic] device (or that's what we understand it's called, anyway, they didn't officially acknowledge it on their site so far as we could tell). So whose programming's up for an Emmy? You've got Fox Mobile's 24: Conspiracy, MTV's mtvU Stand In, AOL's Live 8 on AOL, Orrin and Jerry Zucker's It's Jerry Time!, CB Films' Sophie Chase, and interactive puzzle program Stranger Adventures. To be announced April 22 with the Daytime Emmies, the Academy will be reviewing and voting on the nominees with what we can only hope is the utmost reverence and sincerity for the category, similar to how we imagine they vote on the Emmy for Sound Mixing - Nonfiction Programming or Outstanding Game Show Host.
