origami
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Heat-sensitive paper could lead to 3D printers
When you've already got self-assembling robots and Li-ion batteries, you might as well tackle 3D printouts next, right? Apparently that's the mantra being used by physicists in Israel who have purportedly invented a monomer solution that, when heated over 33 degrees Celsius, would bend and form into the object depicted, theoretically turning a flat, 2D photo into a three-dimensional rendition. Eran Sharon and colleagues from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem applied N-isopropylacrylamide to the surface of a prototype "disc," and "created a range of structures varying in complexity, from slightly wavy crisp-like objects to those that look like a sombrero." Interestingly, a scientist not directly involved with the study commented that the discovery could actually be used to craft printers that could pop out 3D printouts when heat was added, which would surely keep kids occupied (and your ink cartridges bone dry) for weeks on end. As expected, there weren't many details hinting that this novel idea would be headed for the commercial realm anytime soon, but considering all the other 3D paraphernalia already out, we can't imagine this taking too long to follow suit.[Via Slashdot]
H9 UMPC runs Linux
So, Vistagami isn't really your thing, and that Pepper Pad line never really caught your eye. Beijing Peace East Technology Development, Inc. is taking another shot your UMPC dollar with its new H9 7-incher. BPETD is calling this one the "world's first" Linux UMPC, and while we assume Pepper might take issue with that statement, there's no denying that this one would look quite at home among a lineup of Origami units. Unfortunately, a Linux OS isn't the only difference between the H9 and its Windows-based counterparts. Under the hood there's a mere 520MHz Intel PXA270 processor, 20GB HDD, 64MB ROM and 128MB of SDRAM, though connectivity is decidedly spiffier, with GPS, WiFi, GPRS / CDMA, PCMCIA and SD card support. The 7-inch touchscreen runs at a respectable 800 x 480, and the usual accouterments of headphone jack, microphone and built-in speakers are included. The OS purports to feature all those snazzy functions you might need from such a handheld, but from the looks of things it isn't incredibly polished. Of course, we have no idea if we'll be even seeing this thing outside its native China anyways, or how much it might cost were it to make it to these shores.
Origami TV Remote Control redefines remote simplicity
Every so often, it pays to go completely and utterly against the grain, so while Logitech and friends are pumping out remote controls that could arguably be used in another life to launch space shuttles, the Origami TV Remote Control delivers just the basics for those who don't mix well with instruction manuals. The device, shown at the Work in Progress Show of Design Interactions in London, was designed for youngsters (and let's face it, adults too) who are downright intimidated with the smorgasbord of remotes used in most homes to "get the TV to work." This two-handed controller brings back fond memories of a paper-related game we all played in grade school, and is apparently used to dictate "only the essential functions" of a TV set such as channel selection and volume control. Designed by 1-week Electronics, the cordless remote reportedly relied on a sensor board and "Max/MSP" to get the signals across, and while we do appreciate the beautiful simplicity, the geek in us can't help but wonder what one of these bad boys in each hand could accomplish with a well-integrated DVR setup.[Via Uber-Review]
Researchers developing ultrathin Origami lens for mini digicams
The constant battle between companies trying to shove the most megapixels into the smallest frame at all costs just might have some serious competition on the horizon, as researchers at UC San Diego have built an ultrathin, high resolution digicam by simply "folding up the telephoto lens." The aptly-named Origami lens hopes to "yield lightweight, slim, and powerful miniature cameras for unmanned surveillance aircraft, cellphones, and infrared night vision applications," and was constructed using the same basic principles found on the Cassegrain telescope that was crafted in 1672. On a disk of calcium fluoride, the engineers "cut a series of concentric, reflective surfaces that bend and focus the light as it is bounced to a facing flat reflector," creating an area where incoming light will follow a zigzag path until it reaches the CMOS light sensor. The biggest drawback, however, is the new camera's "limited depth of focus," but the folks behind the creation are already designing variable-focus folded optical systems to hopefully cure that nagging issue. Ideally, the team would like to see their work bring high resolution, respectful imagers to cellphones, doing away with the relatively antiquated sensors on most mainstream mobiles, but even under the best conditions it's probably a few years away.
Microsoft launches Origami Experience
Fire up those download managers, folks. At least, all five of you with a UMPC, Vista, and a few minutes to spare. Microsoft has just released Origami Experience as a free download for you fortunate few, and if you're not yet acquainted with this program launcher / media browser, we recommend you peep our CES coverage of such eye candy here and here. Don't worry, we'll wait. Got it? Good, now just hit up that read link and prepare for some good times, and maybe a teensy bit of Sudoku.[Via jkOnTheRun]
First shots, impressions of Origami Experience
If you hadn't heard, Origami Experience is the sexy new program launcher that Microsoft is prepping for Vista-based UMPCs and Tablets, which along with providing a fresh new way to get at your apps lets you browse and play your media in an all-inclusive environment. We've finally gotten our first look at the software (more shots after the break), thanks to a post full of screenies over at the Origami Team Blog. The Tablet nuts over at jkOnTheRun got to view it live and found Experience to be speedy, intuitive and helpful, with convenient menus, easy customization and all-important finger-friendly operation. Looks like there isn't just one purtiful touch-based portable OS game in town.[Via jkOnTheRun]
Samsung's SPH-P9000 Deluxe MITs landing in December
If you're just not feeling the typical, customary UMPC, Samsung has the ultimate mishmash of laptop and ultraportable machine that you've been dreaming up, and it should be ready to rock in just "two weeks." That snazzy (albeit cockamamie) SPH-9000 was originally announced as the first thing to get after the holiday rush in "Q1 2007," but in a very atypical turn of events, the company is now announcing that the WiBro-packin' foldable should be ready by "early December" for pickup in South Korea. While we can't wait to see how functional this three-pieced machine really is, and whether its battery life breaks away from the short-lived stereotype its brethren have unfortunately created, we suppose we'll have to wait for a hands-on from overseas -- but hey, at least it'll get here an awful lot quicker than previously assumed.[Via SlashGear]
Meet the second generation of UMPCs, shoulda been 1st
When the UMPC platform was launched at Intel's 2005 IDF we were teased with a $500 or less device on the WWAN running on ultra-low powered chips capable of either 8-hours off battery or putting Vista to sleep for up to a week. Well, we all know how the Vista-less first gen launch went, right? Pictured above are Intel's reference designs for the 2nd generation UMPCs on display at IDF in San Francisco. Scheduled to launch sometime between the end of the year and mid-2007, the new breed of mobile PCs require 1/2 the power at 1/4 the size of the first generation and won't be using Intel's Core 2 Duos according to Intel. Instead, TG Daily speculates that the new devices will use an ultra-low voltage Core Solo with 1 MB of L2 cache. Included in the mix is a Yahoo-branded UMPC which was demonstrated running a version of Yahoo! Go for UMPC. While we're not willing to suffer an Origami v2 campaign, we'll happily welcome such a device into the fold if it can deliver this time. Still we wonder, was it the initial choice of hardware and software which caused a general lack of acceptance in the market, or did the market for a device both bigger than your pocket yet smaller than a laptop simply never exist in the first place? We'll see in 2007.[Via Impress]
Pentium-powered Samsung Q1 in the wild
Well, we sure didn't see this one coming: those sneaky devils over at Samsung have very quietly released yet another version of their Q1 UMPC into the wild, and to the delight of the few, the proud, the Origami lovers, this one features a Pentium M ULV CPU among several other spec bumps. You'll recall that the original Q1 sports a Celeron M processor, while the updated Q1b and Q1p offer Via chips to extend the battery life, and now an OrigamiPortal member named "millard" claims to have picked up a speed-stepping, Pentium-powered model at his local Fry's. Besides the improved battery life that should result from the 1.0GHz auto-adjusting processor in this new Q1 (which curiously retains the original "Q1" designation, though its model number has been changed to NP-Q1-V0002), other welcome improvements over the original include a 60GB hard drive and a full 1GB of RAM (compared to the 40GB / 512MB configuration on the debut model). At $1,249 the spec-bumped Q1 will set you back $250 more than the Celeron-powered version, but hey, it's still over $1,000 cheaper than the upcoming Q1-SSD with that hot little 32GB solid state flash drive.[Via Carrypad and JKOTR]
Daewoo Lucoms releases Solo M1 UMPC
We still don't feel like consumers are rushing out to buy those portable but quirky UMPCs (well, an unnamed Engadget editor actually did rush out to buy one -- and returned it shortly thereafter), but it seems like the form factor is here to stay anyway, and now Korean manufacturer Daewoo Lucoms -- a spin-off of Daewoo Electronics -- has released its own version called the Solo M1. Specs on this one are almost identical to the Samsung Q1, as the two devices share the same low voltage 900MHz Intel Celeron processor, 7-inch touchscreen, 512MB of RAM, and of course, Windows XP Tablet Edition operating system. Also like the Q1, the Solo M1 sports both Bluetooth and WiFi wireless radios, and comes with the option of a built-in GPS receiver and/or DMB tuner. You'll have to forgive us for not getting too enthusiastic about these products anymore (the novelty wore off about 100 posts ago), but if you've set the bar a little lower than we have, then you can pick up your own M1 for about $1,050 -- in won, of course.[Via Mobility Site]
VIA announces VX700 chipset for UMPCs
Hinted at last month by Microsoft, chip maker VIA has officially announced its VX700 chipset for Ultra Mobile PCs (otherwise known as UMPCs, in case you've been living in a cave) which promises to allow for smaller-sized devices with a much needed boost in battery life. In fact, VIA says devices could potentially be 40% smaller, although they haven't said exactly what the power savings will be in real-world terms. Based around VIA's C7-M and C7-M ULV processors, the 35-millimeter square chipset packs in VIA's UniChrome Pro graphics core and Vinyl HD Audio controller, along with support for DDR2 memory (up to 4GB), two each of either SATA 150 or SATA II devices, six USB 2.0 ports, four PCI slots, and one EIDE channel for up to two devices. It's only just going into mass production sometime this quarter, though, so it'll still be a while yet before we actually see any real world products -- Vistagami, anyone?[Via The Inquirer]
Samsung Q1 extended battery pack
So you've got a Q1 (so, so many of you) but are finding that two and a half hours of battery life just doesn't cut it? Well Samsung's got a solution for you... sort of. For about $164 you can score yourself an extended battery pack, which should pump up that time to a more respectable/shoulda been standard 5 1/2 hours -- providing you're willing to put up with a little added weight and bulk, that is. [Via UMPC Buzz]
Origami fix for squishy MacBook trackpads
It seems that a good many MacBook owners are having issues with their trackpads. Instead of the usual crisp "click" that we have all come to know and love from our Apple portables, they are instead greeted by a laggardly squish. These are not the first Apple notebooks to have trackpad issues; my rev D PowerBook has a trackpad button that is so stiff and noisy it can be heard across the room, but that's beside the point. As is par for the course with most of these issues that only seem to show up in a few machines, Apple is refusing to do anything about the squishy trackpads. Fortunately for those plagued with the issue, an enterprising paper-folding power user found that sticking some folded up paper between the battery and the trackpad fixes the issue. Via Slashdot.
Sony patents fold-up origami gadgetry
No, not that Origami. Sony is taking the term a bit more literally, and working on a technology to allow a device to be folded up to fit in your pocket, but which when unfolded becomes rigid for use. The whole unit, body and screen, would be made from a flexible material and contain conductive rubber bracing struts with some gel of aluminosilicate particles suspended in silicone oil mixed in for good measure. When zapped with a little bit of electricity, the struts harden almost instantly, allowing you to use the gadget in its proper state. The patent goes on to suggest the possibility of using this technology in conjunction with a video game in response to on-screen action. Unfortunately, our magic 8 ball says the signs aren't looking too hot for seeing something like this in action any time soon.[Via New Scientist]
Engadget Chinese still doing Computex (part II)
Yep, they're still over there kicking it Taiwan style at Computex, one of the largest computer and component trade shows around. Peep their Origami coverage, ATI tour, and Smartphone booth tour below. Don't forget, even if you don't speak traditional or simplified Chinese, there's plenty to enjoy over at the other Engadgets.Read - OrigamiRead - Microsoft SmartphonesRead - ATIRead - Crazy 47-inch touchscreen TV
Microsoft promises "Haiku" PC as penance for UMPC
Maybe it's a bit early to call the UMPC some sort of failure, but with the prices as they are, and the current usability so lacking, we're not really thinking Microsoft and company hit much of a home run here. Now they're promising a followup in a few years, called the Haiku, which has been in the works for a while but finally is starting to look feasible with small and not-so-power-hungry components in the works. Microsoft mentioned Via's mobile processing road map specifically, and LCD tech is clearly advancing to a point where a 7-inch display isn't as much of a burden on a handheld form factor. Turns out the Haiku is going to look a lot like what Microsoft was demoing at WinHEC back in 2005, which was quite sexier than what we've seen so far from this generation of UMPCs. Unfortunately, we're scared that we'll get burned on pricing once again, since according to Otto Berkes, Microsoft's general manager of UMPC ops, "We'd like to see them out in the $500 to $700 range. The closer to $500 the better." Hmm, that sounds rather familiar, doesn't it?
Microsoft already planning "Vistagami" UMPCs
If you had as much fun as we did with Microsoft's Origami teaser campaign, then you'll probably be excited to learn that we may be in store for another one next year, as the software manufacturer is already working towards the next generation of Vista-powered UMPCs. It'll be a little harder to keep us guessing this time around, however, as once we start seeing ads for the "Vistagami" -- which is the project's awkward internal codename -- we'll have a pretty good idea that Microsoft and friends are trying to loose yet another mini-TabletPC on the world. Like so many other products we've covered, the new devices are scheduled to be released at the same unknown time as Vista, and by necessity, will sport either the Home Premium, Ultimate, or business versions of the oft-delayed OS. Oh, and if you were curious as to Microsoft's thoughts on the hefty cost of picking up a current-gen UMPC, the company's Mika Krammer openly admitted that Redmond was disappointed, saying that "we would have liked to have seen a lower price point." Hey, us too!
General Micro Systems' ruggedized P630 Spartan UMPC
With the "Origami lifestyle" being portrayed as so fun and carefree, we were surprised to see that UMPCs will also be tasked with the decidedly less fun-filled duty of helping soldiers locate and terminate their targets. The latest high-tech addition to the military's mobile arsenal is a pocketable 1.4GHz Pentium M-powered tablet from General Micro Systems known as the P630 Spartan, whose half-inch-thick ruggedized case houses 2GB of DDR SDRAM, a 30GB hard drive, 64MB of dedicated VRAM for OpenGL and Direct-X support, and an optional 16GB of bootable flash memory. You also get a CF slot, optional 802.11g or Bluetooth, USB and FireWire ports, and E-Purge hard drive self-destruct utility for your $3,400, although that price is for 100 of the devices, so we're not sure if they'll even be willing to sell just a couple to your militia group.
Is this the Vaio from Sony's teaser campaign?
Don't wanna wait for Sony to complete their teaser campaign to peep that Vaio they're trying to generate some buzz about? Don't worry, jkOnTheRun has got you covered (well, maybe). According to site founder James Kendrick, a "reader who wishes to remain anonymous" sent him a number of pictures of this supposed ultraportable Vaio, which do indeed feature all of the disparate components visible in Sony's brief Flash movies. Besides portraying the device as a UMPC-style tablet with sliding QWERTY keyboard, one of the pictures clearly shows the words "Bluetooth," "WLAN," and "WWAN" on the screen's bezel when viewed full-size. We can also make out that fingerprint scanner from the teaser campaign, as well as a MemoryStick Duo slot and a "capture" button, although if that Motion Eye doesn't swivel, it won't make much of a camera. Of course these pictures, even if genuine, reveal nothing about the actual guts of the machine, so Sony still has several important details such as processor types/speeds, operating system (a return to PalmOS, perhaps?) and storage system/capacities to hold over our heads. More pics are available by following the "Read" link...
Samsung Q1 UMPC sold out at Best Buy
Despite its $1,100 price tag and nearly universal panning by critics, the initial stock of Samsung Q1 UMPCs sold out within 24 hours of appearing on Best Buy's web site this weekend. Of course, we don't know how many units Samsung allocated for the initial sales period, but we suspect it was a pretty small number. After all, there are few better ways to hype a product than to announce that it's sold out, and prospective buyers will have to wait a while before they can buy one. Yeah, we fell for it, too. But we're still not about to click on that "Add to Cart" button.
