joo joo
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JooJoo is no more, Fusion Garage to keep on trucking
Ah, JooJoo, we hardly knew ye.That 0.2.4 firmware update did a number on your speed woes, but alas, it wasn't enough. Fusion Garage founder Chandrashekar Rathakrishnan told e27 that the tablet didn't meet sales expectations and that, despite his rant against the iPad business model, people apparently do want those "non-web experiences," in his words. But like all good soap operas, this one still goes on: Rathakrishnan confirmed the company is still going, meaning there's at least one new project in the pipeline, and yes, there's also still a lawsuit that'll stay alive and kicking.
JooJoo software update adds local video playback and password storage, still a few months too late
It's baaaack. Okay, it never really went anywhere, but thanks to a very nice tipster we learned that Fusion Garage released a new software update for the JooJoo last night. The new 0.2.4 firmware, as you can see from the shot above, adds a few previously-lacking features such as the ability to store passwords, calibrate the screen, and basic USB support. Obviously, we couldn't help but whip out our JooJoo review unit and try it all out. The download didn't take more than three minutes and, lo' and behold, we were able to log into Twitter, close the browser, and then launch it again without having to log back in! However, more impressive is that its sole USB port is now functioning. We put a 1080p trailer of Scott Pilgrim on a flash drive, plugged it into the side of the tablet, and miraculously the NVIDIA Ion chip was finally put to work -- it handled the clip with ease and with absolutely zero stuttering. Don't believe us? Video after the break, so there. %Gallery-100522% [Thanks, Mark]
The JooJoo is here... seriously (updated with video)
Of all days for this thing to arrive... it had to be today. Yes folks, as you can see in our gallery below, the JooJoo is not only real, but we've got one. We're not going to go into details right now, as we've got our hands kind of full this week, but we suggest you hang tight until our review hits (probably early next week) so you can make the final decision if it's going to be this thing or, you know, some other tablet. Or maybe you just want to keep that $500. Hey, it's your call, pal. For now, check out our unboxing, and at least breathe a sigh of relief that if you did shell out for one of these, it's likely going to hit your doorstep pretty darn soon. Update: Hey folks, we've got a video encoding right now which runs through some of the UI of the device. We hear you in comments, and would like to let you know that there's no conspiracy here -- it's a question of spending time with a device to review it properly. Unless you know what our schedule is like, we'd appreciate everyone chilling out on the episodes in comments. We're happy to shut them off on this post if you can't control yourselves. Update 2: Comments are off, video is after the break. Thanks for being mature. Just kidding. %Gallery-89564%
It's the end of February, where's your JooJoo?
Call us optimistic, but we pictured February 25th rolling around with us laying on a couch and watching some Olympic ice dancing clips on the JooJoo's 12-inch screen. Ah, but here we are about to cross off the last few days of the month and the only thing we've got in our hands are some tissues and hot cocoa. Promising to ship units to those who pre-ordered in December within 8-10 weeks, Fusion Garage CEO Chandra Rathakrishnan told us just a month ago that it was on track to ship before the end of February. However, when we called them up to see what the deal was we were told they'd have a shipping update for us by the first week in March. Additionally, when asked if there were delays with production or shipping the first units to customers we got the never fun "no comment." We're going to go ahead and assume there's been some sort of delay -- perhaps JooJoo primary investor CSL has been too busy updating the BlueBerrry KIRF line with an optical pad to write out the check for the manufacturing costs. Okay, that's unlikely, but we'd love to hear if any of those that pre-ordered have heard differently or anything at all.
Fusion Garage says Joojoo pre-orders went up after iPad announcement, new funding on the way
FusionGarage may have thrown a few PayPal rules to the wind with its early Joojoo pre-orders, but it looks like they may have paid off for the company (assuming they actually go through). In an interview with SGEntrepreneurs, Fusion Garage CEO Chandra Rathakrishnan says that orders for the device actually went up following Apple's iPad announcement, although he unsurprisingly didn't reveal any actual numbers. Chandra did drop a few other interesting details, however, including word that the company with soon announce a partnership with a "major mobile phone player" that has a "significant" market share in Southeast Asia, and who will also supposedly take care of the manufacturing cost of the Joojoo. That's on top of an announcement of a new round of funding, which apparently totals somewhere south of $10 million. Still no word of a firm ship date for the device, of course, which still stands at the same 8-10 weeks that it did more than a month ago. [Thanks, Daniel]
Engadget talks Joojoo, Arrington, 3G, and more with Fusion Garage's Chandra Rathakrishnan
We had a chance to sit down and talk with Chandra Rathakrishnan of Fusion Garage yesterday for a more in-depth discussion than our previous meeting provided, and we learned a few interesting tidbits about both the Joojoo, as well as the company's highly public troubles with Michael Arrington (before the latest move). Amongst the more juicy items discussed, we got further technical info on the Joojoo itself, including the fact that the system has 1GB of RAM, a separate GPU for graphics processing (which Rathakrishnan says is capable of at least iPhone level gaming), and an interesting slot along the side. Just what kind of slot, you ask? Well apparently there are plans for a 3G equipped version of the Joojoo on the horizon. Chandra says we won't see it in Q1 2010, but the second version will appear on the market during the next calendar year. Additionally, the company is supposedly in talks right now with media publishers -- an interesting note considering that the Joojoo looks surprisingly like those Time Inc. and Condé Nast digimag demos we've seen recently. Chandra also claims that the company is working on deals that could lead to subsidized versions of the tablet, even without the inclusion of 3G. Of course, given the current legal status of the device, you can add all this speculative talk to a growing list of question marks. There's plenty more in the video, including some further insight into the confusing situation with Michael Arrington over the creation and ownership of the device, and more clarity on how exactly that rumored Atom CPU is handling 1080p playback without stuttering. It's pretty darned interesting, actually. Check out the full chat after the break!
Joojoo tablet hands-on (video)
Marked more by its story than its design, the Joojoo tablet is somewhat of a mythical (and controversial) beast. So when we got a phone call to see it for ourselves with Fusion Garage CEO Chandra Rathakrishnan, we jumped at the opportunity. Turns out it's quite a capable little device, and chief among its feats so far seems to be smooth 1080p YouTube playback. Seriously, we were quite impressed with just how crisp and lag-free it was, at least for the Avatar trailer we tested. Throw in a Webkit-based browser with Silverlight and Flash support (why hello there, Hulu), and yeah, we're pretty pumped. Read on for more impressions. %Gallery-79825%
