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Gotive teases "emotional," yet rugged communicator
Gotive may still be best known for its ridiculously large H42 PDA, but it looks like it's now trying to make up for that unintentionally hilarious device, starting a teaser campaign for a new, considerably smaller handheld set to be introduced at CeBIT later this month. Unlike most teaser campaigns, however, Gotive's spilling quite a few details on the device right out of the gate, revealing that it'll run on Windows CE 5.0 and pack an Intel Xscale PXA270 processor, 128MB RAM, and 256MB of flash memory, along with a built-in bar code reader, WLAN connectivity, and VoIP capablities. Most importantly, as you can see above, the device is not only "rugged with style" but has "emotional value added" -- and really, is there anything more can you ask for in a gadget?
Celrun's Freesat do-it-all handles GPS / DMB / PMP
While the PMP / GPS market continues to converge and pop out more and more jack-of-all-trades devices, Celrun is looking to join the ever-growing fray by dishing out an (admittedly impressive) all-in-one unit of its own. Starting with the sleek black / silver design scheme and ultrathin frame, this Windows CE-powered conglomerate does a fine job of packing the features in a sexy enclosure, and offers up a 520MHz Intel PXA270 processor, navigation, DMB, a text viewer, MP3 player, video playback, and a seven-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen to boot. Moreover, all the buttons are of the side and top-mounted variety, and while it doesn't appear to house any type of internal storage, SD / CF cards are more than welcome here. Although we're sure you saw this coming, only folks camped out in Korea will be receiving this here luxury, but we're not sure just how long they'll have to wait, nor how much coinage it'll end up demanding.
Map-Star intros self-titled GPS device
There's s not a whole elbow room to be found in the GPS biz, but upstart Map-Star is set to try to muscle its way in nonetheless, unveiling its first and (for now at least) only GPS device. From the looks of it, however, they're not going to have an easy time standing out from the pack, with self-titled device appearing to be throughly average in just about every respect. Based on Windows CE 4.2, the Map-Star packs a Samsung 400MHz S3C2440 processor, along with a 4.3-inch touchscreen display, SiRF Star III GPS chipset, the usual audio and video playback support, and a 2GB SD card pre-loaded with maps of the US and Canada (and 1.65 million POIs). The company also doesn't look to be offering any breaks on price, with the device set to demand a relatively hefty $500 when it's released later this month.[Via GPS Gazette, thanks Dimitris]
Sheng Jay's SJ-5289 GPS navigator bumped into the ugly stick
While it was quietly displayed at Computex Taipei earlier this year, it looks like the real coming out party for Sheng Jay's SJ-5289 "NavMonster" will be at CES next year, and there sure is a lot to see. Unfortunately, it's all wrapped up inside what could quite possibly be the ugliest enclosure for a GPS device known to man. But if you can get past the surface, it's hard not to love the 7-inch 800 x 480 widescreen LCD, SiRFstar III GPS, Windows CE 4.2, 32MB of ROM, 64MB of RAM, 400MHz Intel CPU, full compliment of MS apps, CF/SD/MMC slots, SIM card slot and even an option for GSM/GPRS connectivity. We're not sure how much this 1.2-inch thick monstrosity is going for, or if we'll even be seeing it in the States beyond January's brief stint in Vegas, but we're not even sure aesthetics like these could keep us away from this thing otherwise.
HANNURI BIZ brings WiFi to the electronic dictionary
Asia loves 'em some electronic dictionaries. Some even feature mobile TV, MP3 playback and FM tuners. But it's not everyday one comes along sportin' an old iBook clamshell and WiFi. This WinCE 5.0 Pro device from HANNURI BIZ brings a 5-inch touchscreen and oddball QWERTY which looks nicer than it will likely feel to a touch-typist. The in-house named Nurian Z1 comes pre-loaded with IE naturally, which students are meant to use for "streaming audio and video education content" from the Internet. Yeah, and bypass all that YouTube goodness, right. In fact, with the ability to download and install any application, we've got a funny feeling that this will be everything but an electronic dictionary once the kids have their way. Shipping sometime in February to Korea.
Microsoft launches Windows CE 6.0, now with added embeddedness
Anyone following things of this sort closely will know that Vista's not the only OS upgrade Microsoft's had in the pipeline, with both Windows XP Embedded and Windows CE seeing significant upgrades released today. So as to not leave good ol' CE feeling left out of the "embedded" game, Microsoft's also seen fit to rename the venerable mobile OS to something more buzzword-compliant -- henceforth, it will be known only as Windows Embedded CE 6.0 (or WECE, we suppose). The folks at The Inquirer have the rundown on what you can expect from the upgrade, much of which seems to be in line with the preview from earlier this year, including a completely rewritten, shared source kernel, the platform builder integrated into Visual Studio for a single development environment, and ready-made templates and libraries for things like GPS systems, networked devices and set-top boxes. It also comes in quite a bit under Windows XP Embedded in price, with volume licenses starting at $3 for the core version and $15 if you want to go for the professional model.
SwitchBack ruggedized UMPC can rock multiple OSes simultaneously
While we're not buying Black Diamond Advanced Technology's claim that its SwitchBack UMPC (no relation to the Kyocera Switchback) is the world's first such ruggedized device -- either the P630 Spartan or Catcher holds that honor -- it is by far the most versatile. This three-pound jack-of-all-trades comes equipped with a 1.0GHz Celeron M processor that not only runs Windows XP or Linux, but Windows CE and Windows Mobile to boot -- and not just one at time, but simultaneously as well, meaning that you can effortlessly switch between Internet Explorer and Pocket Internet Explorer (even though you wouldn't really want to). Also packed into the magnesium and rubber housing are a 5.6-inch, WSVGA (1,024 x 600) display, 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.0, 40GB removable hard drive, 1GB of 400MHz DDR2 RAM, and even a weird little QWERTY thumb board underneath the screen. Perhaps the best part of the SwitchBack, though, is its Handspring-like upgradability, meaning that separate back modules can be attached to endow it with added functionality such as GPS, fingerprint scanning, additional processing power, digital camera, and even a breathalyzer to make sure your fellow troops aren't too drunk to shoot straight. The initial units -- price unknown, meaning they probably cost a grip -- will ship sometime in Q4 as XP-only machines, with the multi-OS upgrade coming in Q2 2007, hopefully in time to help out our armed forces before they get involved in yet another major conflict.[Via PR Newswire]
Symbol Technologies WT4000 series wearable computer
We wouldn't exactly call this wearable computer svelte, in fact, calling it a strap-on is more apropos wouldn't you say? Still, it's pretty much what we'd expect from a company that specializes in ruggedized handhelds. So no surprise to find Symbol Technologies targetting this third generation, WT4000 series of mobile computers and scanner attachments for use in extreme environments. No, not that extreme, more like warehouses and distribution centers where handsfree operation comes as a boon. Worn on the hip or wrist, the device brings an IP-54 sealing rating and can survive drops to concrete from as high as 4-feet (1.2-meter). The device itself runs WinCE 5.0 Pro on a 520MHz Intel XScale PXA270 processor and packs-in 802.11a/b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 1.2, and 2.8-inch QVGA display with backlight. Fortunately, it weighs a relatively light 11.2-ounces (320.3-grams) with battery to keep fatigue to a minimum. Yeah, it still looks damned bulky but never fear you fork-lift fashionistas, in just a few more months Symbol will have access to those Motorola designers -- we hear pink is the new Schlitz. Expect pricing and a drop date when these go on display at Post Expo in Amsterdam October 10th.
Utas Caviar ITRC 7000 "intelligent digital home controller"
If you're looking for something a bit more versatile that your standard $10 all-in-one-remote, this new handheld unit from Utas may be worth a peek -- if you live in Korea, that is. Based on Windows CE, the Caviar ITRC 7000 will let you control just about any IR-based device in your house, either straight outta the box or by programming it using the existing remote. It'll also let you set up macros to reduce your daily button mashing routine, and packs a calendar, calculator and clock (John Hodgman would be proud). Seeing as it'll set you back a hefty 400,000 South Korea Won ($420), lets hope it has at least a few more bells 'n whistles than that (RF would be a nice start) -- although the paltry 64MB of RAM and apparent lack of expansion options do suggest otherwise.[Via AVING.net]
Samsung busts out the 720TD, 711ND and XL20 LCDs in Japan
Samsung has just announced three fairly innovative SyncMaster LCDs for Japan, the 17-inch 720TD and 711ND, along with the XL20 (pictured) which measures 20.1-inches. All three displays have some pretty interesting features, starting with the 720TD which we saw at CES with its pen-based input action. It's not an actual touchscreen, since you need the stylus to get anything done, but if our previous viewing is any indication, the LCD should be going for a lot less than its touchscreen counterparts. The display also manages a 1,280 x 1,024 resolution, 270 nits of brightness, 700:1 contrast ratio and a 8ms response time. Next up, we have the 711ND, which packs in Windows CE, 128MB of RAM, 128MB of ROM and an Ethernet port for running Internet Explorer, viewing media and connecting a network, all sans PC. As for monitor specs, they aren't incredibly exciting, with 300 nits of brightness, but a mere 600:1 contrast ratio. Lastly, the XL20 packs in possibly the most lovable spec of all: an LED backlight, boosting the contrast ratio to 1,000:1, though the 250 nits of brightness and 8ms aren't quite as exciting as we would hope for from an LED display. The monitor also boasts of a 1,600 x 1,200 resolution, and both DVI-D and DVI-I ports. Unfortunately, there's no word on price or exact availability for any of these displays, and no mention yet of a US launch, but we'll keep a look out. Keep reading for pics of the other two displays.
Delphi announces NAV200 GPS handheld
Delphi's got a new GPS handheld that further blurs the line between navigation systems and PMPs, even if its naming scheme isn't quite keeping up with its feature set. The NAV200 looks to be suitably small unit, based on Windows CE, with a 400MHz processor, SIRFstart III GPS chipset, 3.5-inch touchscreen, and a 1.5 GB SD card preloaded with NAVTEQ maps of the U.S. and Canada. And while the aforementioned PMP functions are certainly there, they're unfortunately a bit on the weak side in terms of format support, with just MP3 and WAV for audio and AVI for video (it'll also handle JPG, GIF, and PNG images). If that suits your needs, you'll be able to snag one of these sometime next month for $349.[Via I4U News]
More S-XGen details emerge
Full-fledged UMPC it ain't, but now that we've got some more info on this flip-and-fold S-XGen handheld from Seamless WiFi, we're liking where this one is headed. Sure, the design is pretty frumpy, and we could do with a better screen-to-device ratio, but the Windows CE 5.0 unit runs a 520MHz Xscale processor, a 20GB HDD, 128MB of SDRAM, and a 4.25-inch screen at 470 x 270 pixels. As for connectivity, there's plenty to love, since the unit can handle 802.11b WiFi, tri-band GSM (900/1800/1900MHz), Bluetooth, Ethernet, USB OTG and even IrDA. There's also an SD card slot inside the 6.5 x 3.8 x 1.1-inch form factor and a purported 8 hours of battery life. The low screen res might make the rest of the frills a bit less exciting to work with, and Seamless WiFi claims that specifications might change without notice, but we're still looking forward to spying this one at CES and seeing just how close it comes to its all-inclusive dreams.[Via SlashGear]
Meizu working on a WinCE-powered MiniPlayer followup?
Chinese DAP manufacturer Meizu has seen quite a lot of interest in its M6 MiniPlayer -- so much so that it recently became available Stateside -- and now word on the street (and by street, we mean overseas internet forums) has the company poised to release an updated version. At this point details are still very sketchy -- all the more so because of the nature of machine translation -- but from what we can tell, the upcoming M8 will sport a 533MHz Samsung ARM processor, 2.6-inch VGA screen (compared to the M6's 2.4-inch QVGA display), and the latest Windows CE OS, but not, unfortunately, memory card support nor a user-replaceable battery. There's also no word yet on what capacities this model will come in, though we've heard rumors that Meizu is trying to break through the 4GB ceiling of the original MiniPlayer. That's all we've got for now, and please bear in mind, the pic you see above is simply one fan's fantasy and probably won't bear much of a resemblance to the final product.[Via Engadget Chinese]
Toshiba shows off "DS" e-book concept
So, Toshiba is taking a page from the Nintendo playbook, and have built themselves an e-book concept with a bit of dual-screen action. The similarities don't stop there, since the "Dual Display PDA" e-book accepts pen-based input, and, well, then the similarities do stop. This monster of a PDA runs some full-blown Windows CE, takes SD cards, and even looks to have a PCMCIA slot. We can't say with all honesty we see ourselves being any more productive with that much screen action if Toshiba's concept ever came to fruition, and that glossiness seems like it'd be dang annoying -- but boy, wouldn't we look cool. Peep the read link for more sexy pics.
HiPAD II: Korea's 10.4-inch answer to the cPC
After practicing incessantly on 4.3-inch and 7-inch form factors, a 10.4-incher is a piece of cake for those Koreans, and they're really just showing off with the new dual-OS HiPAD II. The 1-inch thick tablet weighs in at 2.9 pounds, but manages to run Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, Windows CE 5.0, WiFi, DMB, HSDPA and a navigation app that's possibly GPS based. There's an AMD Geode LX-800 processor under the hood, along with a minimal 256MB of RAM and a 20GB HDD -- pretty weak for regular PC tasks, but plenty of juice for a bit of browsing and the PMP-esque feature set. To round things out there's a webcam mounted at the top of the screen, and you can expand the storage or functionality with the CF and PCMCIA slots. The Win CE mode seems mainly aimed at quick access to media and navigation functions, unlike the cPC's full-fledged Windows Mobile OS, and seems similar to that of most Korean PMP/DMB/GPS units, but XP is always waiting in the wings if you need to do something silly like be productive. No word on price or availability, but we're hoping for the best.[Via Akihabara]
Korea's Curon busts out CE-based QCOX DMB/PMP
Just because everybody and their mom builds DMB/PMP devices in Korea doesn't mean they have to be boring about it, and this new QCOX device from Curon manages a nice bit of sexy even if the feature set is rather tried by now. The Windows CE 5.0-based device sports a 4.3-inch screen, 30GB HDD, DMB tuner and TV out, with only a medium-chunky form factor to show for it. It's all powered by an AMD Alchemy chipset, and has a snazzy Flash-based UI to keep up appearances. The interesting mode-switching wheel to the side of the device looks pretty dang cool, though we wonder about it's actual functionality in action. But it's not like we'll be seeing a lot of this thing in the States, and we're not even sure when it drops in Korea or for how much, so we suppose we have no room to complain.[Via I4U]
Microsoft demos "FonePlus" OLPC killer
Proving that corporate agendas sometimes can't be put aside long enough to create a unified computing platform for the world's poor, Microsoft has unveiled "FonePlus," a concept device making good on its proposal to use smartphones as the basis for sending computers deep into emerging markets. Unfortunately we've been unable to dig up any eye candy, but FonePlus looks to follow Gates' formula pretty closely: you get a CE-based smartphone (likely watered down from the full Windows Mobile package) with TV out and an external keyboard connection. The logic behind FonePlus suggests that phones and televisions are pervasive even in some of the world's poorest regions, making the product an easy sell -- plus, Internet access is part and parcel with the phone, something OLPC doesn't provide out of the box. Whether FonePlus will see production remains to be seen, but Microsoft's studying the idea closely -- and when you get snubbed by OLPC in favor of Linux, well, it's no surprise to see them come out swinging.
"Diamond Crypto Smartphone" for the rich and paranoid
Thought we admire diamond encruster extraordinaire Peter Aloisson and his previous work, it suffered the same problem as other million-dollar cellphones have in the past: not enough cryptography. Happily, Russian firm JSC Ancort has developed a Windows CE-based smartphone ready for Aloisson's bejeweling that employs "powerful encryption technology" to "provide secure protection of information against kidnapping, technological blackmail, financial racketeers and corrupted state officials" -- sounds like marketing speak for a password-protected wallet app, but who are we to judge? Of course, with its $1.3 million price tag and 50 diamonds (10 of which are blue) we think you might start to have more trouble with mugging than with "technological blackmail," but there's only one way to find out for certain -- anyone want to donate the cash for a hands-on?[Via textually.org]
WWPC gets real with ZYPAD WL 1000
The last time we saw this wrist-worn PC it was a mere concept, and a sketchy one at that. With some outlandish claims like 8 hours of battery life, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, SD card expansion and a QVGA 3.5-inch LCD, we just figured we'd let it sit until its creators managed to throw it together for reals. Well, it looks like they managed to do just that, and the new ZYPAD WL 1000 from Parvus has all those capabilities and more. An interesting supplement to the GPS function is a tilt sensor to recognize if the user is moving, providing an extra Big Brother factor for employers. The unit can run Windows CE 5.0 or a Linux OS based on Kernel 2.6 with its 400MHz processor, and there's also a USB port, backlit keys and an audio jack to flesh out the feature set. Parvus just showed this off to some military types in DC, but the product is still listed as "coming soon," so there's no word on when this will be out or how much it will cost.[Via AVING]
Mio C310 GPS receiver / MP3 player reviewed
Personal Tech Pipeline got a chance to tour around with Mio's C310 portable GPS receiver with built-in DAP that we first spotted at CES, and claim that although the unit is a pretty good value, its performance is a bit underwhelming. Rather than building a product from the ground up like the Garmins and Magellans of the world, Mio has assembled a Windows CE-powered unit featuring software from Destinator Technologies and maps from TeleAtlas -- which, while not necessarily a bad thing, means some of the features aren't as polished as they are on vertically-integrated products. For example, PTP found that many important options were buried under several sub-menus, which made simple tasks like changing to night mode or selecting a new destination while driving more difficult than they should be, and probably more dangerous. The C310 seemed to perform its navigation duties fairly well, though, and even ships with ActiveSync for loading up your Outlook contacts' addresses, but little annoyances like a cluttered 3.5-inch screen and awful built-in speakers might be enough to convince most folks to put their $600 towards a more expensive model that operates a little more smoothly.
