MeeGo
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KDJ-One is a gigantic Game Boy with an audio workstation inside
Cyberstep's KDJ-One, a portable digital audio workstation currently in prototype mode, is a noisy little wrinkle in time. While we're fairly certain it will never see the light of day in your local Guitar Center, we really do want to wish it the best. It combines the aesthetics of a few of our very favorite things: the D-pad, button layout, and chunkiness instantly reminded us of the original DMG Game Boy. The keypad on bottom looks a lot like a tweaked version of a Roland TB-303. And the software inside -- pure MeeGo -- reminds us of a Tungsten-era Palm device crossed with a laptop from 1999. (But in a really good way!) A five-inch resistive touchscreen -- complete with stylus -- sits on top of an Atom E640 CPU, 512MB of RAM, a 4GB SSD drive, and a pair of 2000mAh batteries. Oh, and it's got a rumble pack on the backside: Cyberstep assures us the QW Vibration System adds "a whole new element of force feedback to your music production experience." The sampler / looper / sequencer production software itself seems super-basic and pretty fun, although we could probably squeeze a lot more production flexibility out of a $300 netbook. But just look at that dude and tell us you don't want to squeeze its little white cheeks. Yeah, exactly. Video after the jump. %Gallery-114424%
Keepin' it real fake: Nokia N9 doesn't wait for mature MeeGo to launch in China
As with the N8, so with the N9. Nokia's first MeeGo device is widely expected to be dubbed the N9 and sport a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, but its elongated time to market has given Chinese KIRF artists the chance to beat Finland with their own device. Parsing together leaked pictures and perhaps some insider info we're not privy to, some crafty folks have put together the above 14mm-thin slider, outfitting it with a 3-inch screen, front- and rear-facing cameras, Bluetooth, WiFi, FM radio, microSD card slot, dual SIM capabilities, and an almost entirely metallic construction. The OS is some sort of Symbian lookalike, while the price is an eminently affordable 700 yuan ($106). You'll just need to find the right market stall in Shenzhen to get yours.
Nexus S receives MeeGo and Ubuntu ports, makes our nerd senses tingle (video)
You've got to hand it to the Nexus S. In spite of being a souped-up smartphone, it's still unpretentious enough to accept power from a BlackBerry microUSB cable and easy enough to hack that it's just received not one, but two OS ports. MeeGo, in its very raw and unfinished form, has been dropped onto the phone's internal memory without the need for any flashing, and the method has also been successfully used to install Ubuntu on the current Google flagship. There's very little that's actually functional about the MeeGo install at the moment, but the ball has begun rolling and there's a resulting question that's occupying our minds right now -- will the Nexus S have a perfectly hacked copy of MeeGo before or after Nokia releases its device for the platform? Answers on a postcard. [Thanks, Michelle and Brad]
HTC HD2 gets a shot at MeeGo, still suffering from abandonment issues
Poor HD2, it could never know life as a (legitimate) Windows Phone 7 handset, and instead has to sustain the indignity of hack after hack -- slouching back to the slums of its Windows Mobile 6.5 default as its only respite. Well, here's another shovelful of shame: MeeGo 1.1 has been ported to the phone, and it looks pretty snazzy. It runs about as well as anything runs MeeGo right now (which is to say: very poorly), but we see some promise in this OS as a deliciously open Android alternative, and the basic UI seems very comfy on the HD2's ahead-of-its-time gargantuan screen. Check out a video of MeeGo in action after the break. If you listen very closely you can hear the sound of the HD2 weeping large, colorful tears. [Thanks, Ali]
Indamixx 2 music tablet now on sale: $699 for beta hardware
So, there's good news and bad news. The good news is that $699 is $300 less than the purported $999 price tag we had originally heard would be affixed to the Indamixx 2 slate. The bad news? It's just a rebadged iiView M1 Touch, which can be had for around $500. That said, those who fork out the premium will get a copy of Transmission 5.0 running atop MeeGo, not to mention a 1.66GHz Atom N450 processor, 2GB of RAM, a mini HDMI output and a 250GB hard drive. Those who'd prefer to snag a model that dual boots into Windows 7 can do so if they're willing to part ways with $779, with both models including a mouse, free shipping and a gratis carrying case. Not exactly a bargain, but for those in desperate need of a music-centric tablet, it ain't like you've got a ton of options.
MeeGo-based Intel Atom phone and tablet spotted from Russia with love
First the 2018 World Cup and now this. An Intel press event in Moscow was reportedly the site of some new MeeGo device reveals. Mail.ru's Anton Spiridonov was on hand and managed to spot Intel Atom-based phone the Hi/Lo Vibrant (we haven't heard of the company, either) and a tablet of some sort, both equipped with the Linux-based OS. Not much else is known save for what appears to be a 5 megapixel camera labeled as such on the back. More pics below. [Thanks, Chris] %Gallery-108694%
Nokia's former MeeGo chief confirms new role as Senior VP of webOS at HP
Ari Jaaksi, the former head of MeeGo Devices at Nokia, has confirmed reports from last month identifying HP as his new employer. According to the latest update to his LinkedIn profile, Ari is now enjoying the mild temperatures of the San Francisco Bay Area and does indeed hold the title of Senior Vice President at Hewlett-Packard. That in itself doesn't necessarily mean he's the new head honcho for webOS and Palm devices, but clicking on his "Company Website" link takes you to Palm.com, which should dispel any lingering doubts. So now that we know he'll be helping steer the HPalm ship, can we start sending Ari our mockups for the Pre 3 or what?
Steve Wozniak: Android will be the dominant smartphone platform
Apple co-founder, Steve Wozniak, has never been one to mince words. Today's no different as demonstrated in an interview with the Dutch-language De Telegraaf newspaper in The Netherlands. The first revelation is an admission that Apple had collaborated with a well-known Japanese consumer electronics company in 2004 to develop a phone that was ahead of its time. Woz is quoted as saying that while Apple was content with the quality, it "wanted something that could amaze the world." Obviously, the phone was shelved followed by Apple's announcement of the iPhone in January 2007. Woz then moved on to the topic of Android saying that Android smartphones, not the iPhone, would become dominant, noting that the Google OS is likely to win the race similarly to the way that Windows ultimately dominated the PC world. Woz stressed that the iPhone, "Has very few weak points. There aren't any real complaints and problems. In terms of quality, the iPhone is leading." However, he then conceded that, "Android phones have more features," and offer more choice for more people. Eventually, he thinks that Android quality, consistency, and user satisfaction will match iOS. Steve closed the interview with a jab at Nokia calling it, "the brand from a previous generation" suggesting that the boys from Finland should introduce a new brand for a young consumer. Hmm, so we guess he'll be in line for the launch of the MeeGo-based N9 then? Update: We've contacted Steve (an Engadget commenter) for clarification. He says he was misquoted by De Telegraaf. [Thanks, Nguyen T.]
MeeGo 1.1 spotted running on Moorestown hardware, blowing minds
Love application launchers? Application switching? Open source software running on non-commercial hardware? You're going to love this video. MeeGo 1.1 has been spotted on Aava-built, Intel Moorestown-powered hardware. It appears, in fact, to be that Virta 2 smartphone development kit of theirs (which already managed MeeGo 1 just fine), thought it's a little hard to tell in the dim lighting the MeeGo event coordinators chose to set the mood for Linux love. Not a ton of the OS is shown off in the video above, but there are some nice transitions and smooth scrolling. That Firefox load time has miles to go, however. Mainly we're just excited to see something that isn't ARM running a next-gen smartphone OS (no offense, ARM), and we're looking forward to seeing where MeeGo lands on the Android / webOS / guy-in-garage continuum of Linux-based smartphones.
AMD will contribute 'engineering expertise' to MeeGo development project
Now here's a very positive new sign for MeeGo's future. AMD, Intel's oldest and boldest nemesis, has added its name to the list of companies actively supporting the development of the platform -- which got its start as a joint project between Intel and Nokia -- and has pledged the contribution of its "engineering expertise" to the further advancement of the open source OS. In simpler terms, AMD must be aware of the great potential of MeeGo and is seeking not to be left behind, as illustrated by Ben Bar-Haim, the company's software development VP, who expressed AMD's hope that "this operating system will help drive our embedded plans and create expanded market opportunities for our forthcoming Accelerated Processing Units." Good to know, guys, good to know. Jump past the break for the full press release.
Nokia SVP of Symbian Smartphones talks portrait QWERTY, Symbian 'bashing,' and MeeGo devices
Jo Harlow, Nokia's Senior VP of Symbian Smartphones was in Amsterdam for the kickoff of the Symbian Exchange and Exposition, giving us the chance for a sit down with the seven year Nokia veteran. How could we resist given the recent launch of Symbian^3, Nokia's new iterative approach to Symbian updates, and then Monday's (expected) bombshell that the Symbian Foundation would hand over operation responsibility for the OS to Nokia. While the full transcript is available after the break, we wanted to highlight the following: Symbian user interface improvements are Nokia's top priority. According to Jo, "We are planning a few user interface improvements in early 2011 including split screen text input, portrait QWERTY -- there will be other improvements coming shortly after particularly in the visual appeal of the graphics of the device." While Jo stopped short of saying that changes in the Symbian Foundation will accelerate Symbian updates, she did concede that it eliminates a step making things "simpler" -- and that's a positive thing. Jo also reminded us that Nokia's plans for MeeGo stretch beyond traditional handset formats. And just like Symbian handsets will form a "fat center" in Nokia's device portfolio, she expects Nokia's more diverse MeeGo offerings to be "pretty big and fat as well." Read on for the full interview in addition to Jo's thoughts on Symbian's "infinite possibility to surprise people," Stephen Elop's performance in his first two months on the job, and her frustration at not being able to move faster amidst all of the "Symbian bashing."
Indamixx 2 Atom-powered MeeGo tablet touts rockstar looks, $999 price tag
Indamixx -- get it?! -- may be a relative dark horse in the race to tablet supremacy, but those looking for something a touch outlandish can't possibly ignore the company's latest. The self-titled Indamixx 2 slate has just recently broke cover, with a prototype boasting Intel's single-core 1.66GHz Atom N450 (a dual-core chip is slated to hit the finalized version), 2GB of RAM, a trio of USB 2.0 ports, a VGA output, Ethernet socket and analog audio input / output jacks. There's no exact word on the screen size or resolution, but the kicker is the software -- this guy's loaded with Transmission 5.0, a music-centric OS that's actually built around MeeGo. The creators say that they chose MeeGo due to its fondness of multitouch inputs, and based on the videos we've seen of it running, it definitely looks like a wise choice. Moreover, those looking to use this for more traditional tasks will be thrilled to know that they still can, and considering that it's Linux underneath, the limits are near-endless when it comes to tweaking options. For those in no position to wait for the final build, you can hit the source link in order to snag "beta hardware" for $999; we're hoping that those who wait will be treated to far more sensible pricing, but there's no question that we're intrigued either way. Hop on past the break to see this bad boy get down.
MeeGo v1.1 for handsets is out, let the N900 dual-booting begin (video)
Following hot on the heels of the PR 1.3 update for the N900 comes the official MeeGo v1.1 build for handsets with U-Boot support. For developers, or anyone who simply likes to hack around, that means that the Nokia N900 is now ready to dual-boot into your choice of Maemo or MeeGo environments. If that sounds like fun then boy do we have the image repository for you (Hint: it's in the source link below). We'll let everyone else know when the community has made the process idiot-proof. Until then, why not play an unmodified webOS game or catch a glimpse of the dual-boot process in action in the video after the break.
N900 can run unmodified webOS games, what can your Linux-based phone do?
Ah, standards. Palm and Nokia know what we're talking about, which is why they support similar methods of developing native Linux apps, namely SDL 1.2. Add on the hardware similarities between the Palm Pre and the N900 (OMAP3430, PowerVR SGX, Open GL ES 2.0 support) and you have a beautiful recipe for cross-platform gaming. Some hardcore Maemo users have taken this to heart and released a new "Preenv" package for the N900 that allows the phone to run unmodified webOS games. Of course, you'll need to root your Pre to get at those games, and if you want to make a launch icon for the game on the N900 you'll have to root it as well. Still, this is exciting beyond the potential for playing Need for Speed on much-lauded Nokia hardware: with easy portability between platforms, there's all the more reason for a developer to be attracted to MeeGo and webOS in the future. [Thanks, Andy D.]
Nokia N900 firmware PR 1.3 goes live
The addition of support for the full Ovi Suite and "performance improvements" are the only two items listed in the Nokia N900's latest published firmware update, but there's a third item skulking around that Nokia seems less willing to talk about: "easy" (albeit experimental) MeeGo dual-boot support, as promised in a recent posting on MeeGo's official site. We suppose the capability isn't mentioned because Nokia has said on no uncertain terms that the use of MeeGo on the N900 is an unsupported configuration -- but seeing how the N900 has been a hacker's delight from day one, we fully expect hundreds of thousands of the machines to be happily booting up the new platform within a day or three of this firmware breaking loose. Have fun, folks!
Adobe confirms Flash Player 10.1 is coming to BlackBerry, Windows Phone 7 and more
We've already known that Adobe would be bringing Flash Player 10.1 to Windows Phone 7, but the company has just now made that fully official at its currently-happening MAX conference (alongside its Air 2.5 announcement), and it's also confirmed exactly which other mobile platforms the plug-in will be headed to. That includes WebOS 2.0, which we've already seen first hand, along with BlackBerry OS, Symbian, MeeGo and, last but not least, the LiMo platform -- those will all of course join Android 2.2, which already supports the plug-in. Unfortunately, there's still no timeline for a release on each platform, with Adobe only saying that Flash 10.1 is "expected" to hit each mobile OS. Head on past the break for the relevant snippet from Adobe's press release.
Stephen Elop: Nokia's first MeeGo device 'will be a 2011 event'
No more wondering or speculation, Nokia's CEO just announced on the Q3 earnings call that its first MeeGo device won't be coming this year. In no uncertain terms, Stephen Elop said that Nokia's, "First MeeGo device will be a 2011 event." A device rumored to be the N9, pictured above. In general communications about new Nokia products will be made far closer to product availability. Elop added that his first impression of Nokia's MeeGo work "inspires both confidence and excitement." Let's hope so, in Q1 2011 Nokia's MeeGo smartphone OS will be battling resurgent webOS and Windows Phone 7 devices in addition to the Android, iOS, and BlackBerry incumbents at the high-end of the market.
Nokia ends talk of Symbian^4, adopts HTML5 in Qt framework
Things are turning upside down in Espoo today. Besides, earnings and reported job cuts of some 1,800 employees, Nokia also announced that it'll be streamlining its development strategy to unify environments for Symbian and MeeGo. Nokia's new approach calls for the adoption of Qt, and only Qt, as its application development framework from today onward. Here's what that means for new N8 owners: You can buy a Nokia smartphone confident that any improvements introduced later to the Symbian platform, such as the user interface, can be made available to download on your device as well. No need to wait for Symbian^4 - the improvements we were planning for Symbian^4 will be introduced as and when they become available. In fact, we will no longer be talking about Symbian^3 or Symbian^4 at all – it will be one constantly evolving and constantly improving platform. Sounds like a smart move to us. After all, it's Symbian's UI, and not the OS, that we have the most trouble with -- an issue that Nokia readily concedes. So the faster they can improve it -- even pieces of it in a continuous evolution of the experience -- the better. Nokia also announced support for HTML5 web content and applications for the Symbian and MeeGo platforms in both Qt and the browser. Click through for the press release and to hear Rich Green, Nokia CTO, discuss the new strategy.
Nokia N900 will soon give users the option to dual-boot into MeeGo, experience the future
Whatever else you might say about Nokia, the company knows how to keep a promise. Back in March, we were told there'd be a dual-boot solution for the N900, providing users of the Maemo 5 phone with a taste of the MeeGo life, and, even though it might have taken a while, that firmware is now on the precipice of becoming available. Mind you, there's quite a distance between offering users the option and supporting the dual-boot experience (which Nokia isn't doing), but given the choice between some MeeGo and complete NoGo, we know what we'd prefer. Hit the source to get fully educated while waiting on the dual-booting PR 1.3 update to drop.
Intel says no MeeGo phones until first half of 2011, Nokia just shrugs
While Nokia remains mum about the status of its first MeeGo handset, Doug Fisher, Vice President of Intel's Software and Solutions Group and General Manager of Systems Software Division, is being decidedly more talkative. According to an interview published by Forbes, MeeGo phones and tablets are in the works but we'll have to wait until 2011 to handle them. Specifically, Fisher says that MeeGo based cellphones won't debut until the first half of next year, possibly at a large industry trade show. Hmm, could that be Mobile World Congress by any chance, scheduled for February 2011? It's also worth noting that Fisher's timeline coincides with plans for a MeeGo 1.2 release tentatively scheduled for sometime around the end of April. This is of course disappointing -- especially after seeing Nokia's amazing looking MeeGo-based N9 (pictured) in that supposed leak. Though it's hardly unexpected given all the executive level changes at Nokia. Remember, back in December Nokia had promised to "deliver" a Maemo 6 powered mobile computer in the second half of 2010. That promise was then seemingly reiterated when the joint MeeGo initiative was announced in February (MeeGo being the union of Maemo and Intel's Moblin). It was during that announcement that Intel and Nokia promised to "launch" MeeGo devices from Nokia and other manufactures in 2010. We took that to mean retail delivery, not just a product announcement. In fact, we've already seen the first MeeGo tablet -- the WeTab -- ship in Germany. And Fisher says that other MeeGo devices like netbooks and Internet Connected TVs are still on track to ship this year. Regardless of the semantics, we just want to see Nokia get this right, especially as MeeGo looks to be Nokia's big play to win back the US market. If they don't get this right, well, Nokia might not get a second chance -- not with Android rapidly maturing, Windows Phone 7 set to launch, and HP getting ready to put its muscle behind webOS. Let's give Skillman some time to perfect the user experience, shall we?
