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Same song, second verse: Microsoft sues Barnes & Noble for Android's patent infringement
We should've known this was coming when Microsoft went after Motorola for Moto's supposedly patent-infringing Android devices, and now Ballmer & Co. have their sights set on Barnes & Noble, Foxconn, and Inventec for making and selling the Nook Color. Once again, Microsoft has filed in both the ITC and the Western District of Washington Federal Court claiming that the Android OS infringes its patents, though the patents at issue have dwindled in number from nine to five this time around. Allegedly, the Nook Color is riddled with infringing bits from its tab-using web browser and web-document viewing capability to its text selection and book annotation features. Microsoft has resorted to litigation as a new means to get paid for its patents after year-long licensing negotiations with B&N bore little fruit (unlike those with HTC, who got with the licensing program). So count this as another clear message to manufacturers -- Android's open-source, but it ain't free.
HP's first webOS tablet may start shipping in March, fulfill longstanding promise
Way back in August of last year, when temperatures were above zero and Honeycomb was still a great unknown, HP promised us the first webOS tablet will come "in early 2011." Just yesterday, however, our noteworthy exposure of the vanguard members of the webOS tablet family led us to believe that at least one of them, the Opal, would take until September to arrive. That may still be the case, but DigiTimes is bringing us back around to HP's original pledge, with word that Inventec has received instructions from HP to start producing and shipping a webOS slate (most probably the Topaz) in March. As usual, this comes from the (in)famous insider sources that tend to miss as often as they hit, but it does make sense for HP to follow up its February event with a relatively rapid product rollout.
Inventec ships 60,000 Chrome OS netbooks to Google, says 'let the testing begin!'
Chrome OS, or "Chrome without any OS getting in its way" as we like to call it around these parts, finally got its first bit of dedicated hardware yesterday in the Cr-48 testing device. This not-for-sale, unbranded laptop will be distributed to developers and curious onlookers via the Chrome OS Pilot Program, which we already warned you will have a limited number of machines available. Now we can be a little more precise about that limitation with official word from Inventec placing current shipments to Google at a total of around 60,000. That's not to say that it'll be the final tally of Cr-48s, if anything this just means there's decently rich availability for the starting cohort of recipients, but we know you like numbers so thought we might as well share that one with you. Update: We've just heard from Inventec directly, and while that 60K number may indeed be legit, it didn't come from the company's official mouthpiece. Just thought you might want to know.
This is the Google Chrome OS netbook keyboard
It's just a Chrome OS sorta day, isn't it? To catch you up here, we told you earlier that Google is planning to announce its own Chrome OS netbook this coming Tuesday, and well, now we're peering at a supposed picture of that very machine's keyboard. We don't know all that much about the rest of the netbook -- we've heard from multiple sources that it's powered by an Intel Atom processor -- but the image above was taken from an Inventec (as in, the ODM making the netbook) presentation. We'll call a spade a spade here and say it looks like your average chiclet keyboard, but there are obviously some interesting differences. Over on the left side of the panel you'll see a "search" key subbing for a Caps Lock key, and up above, the function row has forward / back keys as well as Window, full screen, and "configuration" keys. Wait, but couldn't this be any old netbook keyboard? Sure it could, we've got an exclusive photo of Acer's Chrome netbook (that "ZGA" model) which happens to have the same exact keyboard layout. You can check out the picture of that one after the break, and you'll see it looks extremely similar to this shot. We should also mention that the tipster that sent the above photo in claims the Google-branded Chrome OS netbook will be announced next Tuesday, but won't be on sale until December 14. Looks like it's going to be a very interesting Tuesday morning!
Inventec phasing out Kohjinsha brand, opting for Onkyo instead
It may not matter to you Yanks, but for many regions of Asia, this news may just ruin some weekends. Okay, so maybe "ruin" is a stretch, but if you suddenly stop seeing a new flow of Kohjinsha gear at your local computer market, here's why: owner Inventec is killing the brand. As the story goes, Inventec has decided to stop producing mini-laptops and the like using the Kohjinsha sub-brand, instead turning that team into a full-on R&D operation. When it comes to end-user products, the Onkyo brand will be applied; we've seen some pretty radical Onkyo PCs over the past few months, so here's hoping this also means that more and more would-be Kohjinsha products will end up in North America. Fingers crossed, right?
Inventec's Dr. Eye puts Android in a pocket-sized laptop
It may sound like a mid-boss in some forgotten and poorly translated NES game, but Dr. Eye (aka the N18C) is actually a sort of keyboard-endowed MID from Inventec. This chubby clamshell sports a QWERTY keyboard, a 4.8-inch VGA touchscreen, 3G, WiFi, and a front-facing webcam. Power is said to come from a "Marvell 624," which we're guessing is a 624MHz PXA310 and, while it's currently running 1.6, word is that it'll be dipped in 2.1's creamy filling in the near future. When will delivery be? Inventec has been showing this guy off since last year, and while the person doing the demonstration indicates they'll be available "pretty soon" at a price point around $400, we found this guy for sale already at a price of 2688 yuan, or about $395. So, if you're eager to get computing and prefer donuts to eclairs, we wish you happy importing.
ZTE and OKWAP team with Intivation to deliver next generation solar devices
Let's be honest, we'd scorch the Earth to eke just one more hour of power from our superphones. Fortunately, as residents of the western world we've got plenty of juice to power all of our gadgets. Still, we can definitely see the attraction of a solar-powered cellphone meant for the peoples of developing nations living off the grid. Throw in a flashlight and you've just changed somebody's life. That's what we've got in the ZTE S316, a dead simple candybar with color display and torch. Also announced is the S101 charger with its own built-in flashlight that can be used to charge select, non-solar devices and costs just $12 to $13, maybe less on volume. The third solar device comes from China's OKWAP and is built by Inventec. The $40 GS109 (pictured above) feature phone is destined, believe it or not, to be an object of ultimate desire when slung from the neck on a lanyard as proof of ones prosperity. Spec-wise, this dual-SIM solar-powered phone packs a video camera, color display, microSD slot, MP3 player, and even Bluetooth 2.1 -- a lot of features for a solar phone. Linking the three devices is Intivations SunBoost solar conversion technology allowing the devices to charge in conditions less than ideal. The ZTE S316, for example, draws a max of about 113mA when on a call, while the solar cell pumps out about 50mA to 60mA of juice depending upon the natural lighting conditions (it even charges when cloudy). That's about two minutes of natural light exposure required for every minute of talk time to keep the device going. The solar cell on the GS109, meanwhile, produces about 70mA in direct sunlight to keep the device humming. Remember, the idea isn't to charge a phone from 0% to full but to keep a device continually charged at about 70% to 80%. Intivation is so confident in its tech that it claims to provide "a far better charging experience than anything else on the market today." Both the S316 and S101 charger will be available in April while the relatively swank GS109 will hit next month. See them all in the gallery below. %Gallery-85611%
Elektrobit and Wistron MIDs pop up under lock and key at CEATEC: hands-on
Remember that new and improved reference MID that Elektrobit (better known as EB) announced back at IDF? Yeah, that very device was on hand at Intel's booth at CEATEC, though not a soul was allowed to touch it. The unit was neatly planted beneath freshly Windexed glass alongside three others, two of which certainly put an impressive label on Wistron. We did learn that the EB slate would boast a 3.97-inch capacitive touchscreen with an 800 x 480 resolution, though further details on the lot were scant. Have a peek below to see if EB's take on the niche MID might actually cause you to take notice.%Gallery-75235%
Inventec Rainbow marries traditional good looks with a Tegra heart of gold
Unlike Mobinnova's slightly "edgier" take on the "smartbook," Inventec's new Rainbow device is decidedly more netbook-ey in the looks department. Specs are nothing new, of course, with an NVIDIA Tegra 600 chip, 256MB of RAM, 256MB of flash memory, 10-inch 1024 x 576 screen and Windows CE 6.0 (which has been outfitted with Firefox for the occasion, along with other NVIDIA-prepped apps). We're happy to see an edge to edge keyboard here, and despite the low-end specs, it's still nice to know this little number will be capable of nabbing 3G data (HSPA or EV-DO), GPS and DTV. Rainbow can purportedly handle 6 hours of continuous 720p playback, stream video over 3G for 4 hours, and is rated at a rather silly 240 hours of "standby." We're not exactly sure when the Rainbow is supposed to start shipping, but if none of this is striking your fancy, there's always Rainbow 2, which is supposed to hit in the first half of next year. [Via Engadget Spanish]
Snapdragon and Tegra smartbook rumors swirl before likely year end push
DigiTimes is reporting -- in its usual sourceless, rumorific way -- that a slew of Taiwanese manufacturers are set to deliver smartbooks based on the Snapdragon and Tegra chipsets by the fourth quarter of this year. Acer is leading the charge with an Android-sporting device, adding to its push of the Google mobile OS, while Mobinnova has confirmed US and European orders for its 8.9-inch élan, shipments of which might top half a million units in 2009. In the meantime, Inventec is expected to launch a 10-inch Tegra smartbook entitled Rainbow, which is probably set for a prompt rebadge. On the other hand, citing what it sees as weak demand, ASUS is holding back and won't launch anything until November at the earliest. While none of these rumors are massively surprising, and given the source could be downright erroneous, they do hint at a wild, industry-wide synergy of smartbook rollout for the holiday period. And we all love synergy.
HP reportedly beginning production of new 10.1-inch, 11.6-inch netbooks / ultralights
This is about as early and unofficial as it gets, but DigiTimes is reporting that HP has contracted Quanta to begin production of an apparently all new 11.6-inch netbook in August, and another new 10.1-inch before the end of the year, which SlashGear rightly speculates could well be CULV ultralights rather than standard "netbooks." That's further bolstered by the fact that HP has separately contracted Inventec to build a revision to its current 10.1-inch netbook at the end of September. It's not all netbooks and ultralights for HP, however, as Quanta has also landed a deal to produce some new 15.6- and 17.3-inch laptops, while Compal will be handling HP's new 13.3- and 14-inch enterprise notebooks.[Via SlashGear]
Freescale netbook and Android-powered smartbook debut
We knew good and well that Freescale wouldn't let Qualcomm go and have all the fun with these newfangled smartbooks, and already we're seeing a few new devices powered by Freescale-branded semiconductors. In the video posted just after the break, the company's own Steve Sperle sat down to talk about a new Pegatron netbook (which handles 720p video playback with ease) as well as an Inventec "smartbook" which is just marginally larger than your average smartphone. In fact, we're rather impressed with the layout: a larger-than-average 4-inch display, a slideout QWERTY keyboard and Google's Android OS. Unfortunately, Mr. Sperle would only stick close to the "later this year" launch time frame that we'd already heard about, but so long as these smartbooks end up looking like overpowered smartphones, you can certainly consider our interest piqued.
Five new Moorestown-based MIDs announced at Computex
Pardon us while we take this opportunity to snag a nap, but seriously, we just cannot muster any excitement whatsoever about Mobile Internet Devices. Stuck somewhere between capable smartphones and these newfangled smartbooks, MIDs seem to be carving out a niche that precisely no one cares about. Though, we can say we're stoked about the forthcoming introduction of Moorestown -- the Atom needs a successor in the worst way. At any rate, those still hanging on in hopes of a turnaround have introduced new MIDs today at Computex, with EB, Quanta, Inventec, Aava Mobile and Compal (despite its recent skepticism) showcasing their wares. If you honestly think you could see yourself purchasing one of these unwanted devices in the next year or so, we've got plenty of images down there in the read link.[Via MIDMoves]
Video: Inventec's Moblin-based MediaPhone shown at Computex
You may be doing your best to plug your ears and pretend that Moblin's no big deal, but blissful ignorance is only effective for so long. At a Moblin press event over at Computex, the Inventec handset you see pictured above was demonstrated. Reportedly, the MediaPhone was a working unit based around Intel's forthcoming Moorestown platform, and the talking head made it clear that we wouldn't see a "netbook experience" simply shoved in here. We also get the idea that this particular device is just the beginning of a short to medium list of similar products, but there's obviously no word yet on what other handset / MID / UMPC makers are swallowing the Moblin pill. Live demonstration video is just past the break.
NVIDIA unveils 12 Tegra devices, 25 days of music or 10 hours of 1080p video on single charge (updated)
You've read about it, maybe even dreamed about it in your fantasies of a Microsoft Pink smartphone drizzled with Zune media. Now we've got Tegra taking center stage at Computex with a dozen "mobile internet devices" powered by the Tegra processor, the "world's smallest and lowest power computer-on-a-chip" according to NVIDIA. Of notable importance, the latest Tegra press release contradicts the Mobinnova Elan release by claiming 1080p video playback is supported by Tegra, not just 720p. Something we saw for ourselves (and had confirmed by NVIDIA) during our hands-on with the Elan. Now, get this; NVIDIA is using the term MID unlike Intel uses MID even though the terminology is of Intel origin. Instead of referring to handheld devices for consumers, NVIDIA's MIDs are classed as Tegra-based netbooks and tablets. In other words, the 8.9-inch Elan is a MID. Ugh. Semantics aside, the platform is smokin' hot with promise offering the following benefits: 25 days of music or 10-hours of 1080p video playback on a single charge video games play at up to 46 frames per second GPU accelerated Adobe Flash animations (huzzah for Hulu!) always-on processors for instant access to the network 3G, WiFi, and WiMax solutions support Great on paper, but still not available for purchase. Rest assured, we'll be hands-on with more Tegra devices on the quick.Update: Tegra devices are expected to land before 2009 is through, priced around $200 or less with carrier subsidies.
Inventec's mirasol-equipped V112 smartphone goes on display
We couldn't get the thing to turn on -- prototype buffoonery, zapped battery, or a classic case of trade show jitters, we figure -- but Inventec's curious V112 was on display inside Qualcomm's booth at CTIA. Why Qualcomm, you ask? Well, Qualcomm owns Qualcomm MEMS Technologies, which has been pushing its mirasol display tech for several years now; the main draw is that it's super high-contrast which eliminates the need for a backlight in many situations where a traditional LCD would need a little help, and the WinMo-powered V112 uses a small mirasol strip as a secondary display surrounded by nav controls. Even though we weren't getting any Windows Mobile action, we did manage to engage the mirasol display (also known as "the cool part") where we saw an example of what the V112 might be able to do without turning on the battery-destroying LCD up top: show basic status information and the current time. It's a good idea; we're not sure that the V112's implementation is perfect since there's zero tactility to the d-pad, but you've got to start somewhere, and mirasol could use as many commercial implementations as it can get.
Acer reportedly launching laptops based on Intel's CULV platform
We don't doubt that Acer's cooking up a few laptops based on Intel's forthcoming consumer ultra low voltage (CULV) platform, but we do have serious reservations about 'em coming out next month. Last we heard, the platform was still on track for a summer release, and at least in our hemisphere, April ain't summer. For what it's worth, Taiwan Economic News is reporting that Acer is looking to launch 11.6-, 13-, 14- and 15-inch machines with CULV processors within, and if rumors prove true, at least some of 'em will make their debut next month. Don't bet the farm, but you're probably safe to pencil it in.[Via NotebookReview]
Qualcomm adds mirasol display to Inventec V112 now, LG handsets later
Last time we Qualcomm's mirasol display in action, it was still enjoying its black-and-white simplicity. While the ultra-efficient, ambient light-loving technology hasn't gone through that Pleasantville epiphany just yet, a 1.1-inch bichrome mirasol touchscreen has found its way onto Inventec's V112 Smartphone alongside a decidedly more colorful bigger brother. It'll serve to show time, incoming and missed calls, email and SMS alerts, MP3 song information, and other information that doesn't require a lot of space or hue. As for the phone itself, we've got GPS, WiFI, Bluetooth, a three megapixel camera, and no word on pricing or availability. Additioanlly, Inventec has announced an agreement with LG to include use mirasol -- presumably also as secondary screens -- into one more commercial handsets sometime in the future. A great deal for Qualcomm, for sure, but how about a few more details on what exactly those phones will be? Read - Inventec V112Read - LG mirasol agreement
HP rumored to have new Mini-notes on the way, father still unknown
While the Viviene Tam Edition Mini 1000 sure was pretty, it's hardly what you'd call "new." According to undisclosed sources cited by the always questionable DigiTimes, Hewlett-Packard is toying with the idea of bringing a few new infants to market in the Mini-note line. If all goes to plan, a WWAN-enabled Mini-note 2150 (13.3-inch, presumably) will hit the scene in early June. For what it's worth, a new 11.6-inch model is also mentioned, and as expected, the whole crew (however large) is apt to arrive with Intel Atom's within. Guess we'll just have to wait and see, folks.
Pharos rolls out Traveler 137, coming this quarter for $599.95
3.5's the magic number with Pharos' new Windows Mobile-based offering: 3.5-inch display -- wide VGA, no less -- and 3.5G data. The Traveler 137 rolls deep with the best HTC has to offer (owing in no small part to their ODM partnership with Inventec, we figure) with 512MB of Flash, 256MB of RAM, AGPS, 7.2Mbps HSPA on T-Mobile USA (seriously!) and European bands, WiFi, 3-megapixel cam, and the kitchen sink thrown in for good measure. Kinda sounds like a keyboardless X1, doesn't it? Look for it to hit retailers this quarter for a nickel under $600.
