You might have read my review of the N97 – I didn’t like it.  Sure, it has a touchscreen and full QWERTY keyboard, but at the end of the day they were both relatively useless – ok that’s unfair, the touchscreen was useless.

But not so with the N900.  I’m at CTIA and got a hands on with the device.  The OS build still wasn’t finished so a few things were a bit jittery and slow, but for the most part I’m really digging the Maemo OS. It’s much slicker and has a Web 2.0 feel to it, unlike Symbian.  The UI is intuitive and for those of you that are looking for a multitasking operating system with an iPhone like skin here it is.  The N900 uses a resistive touchscreen, so don’t expect multigesture controls, but you you can zoom in by drawing circles on the screen and flick through contacts, though it still isn’t quite as reactive as the highly touted iPhone.  Checkout the video walk through (there’s 2 of them, ones a bit out of focus).  It’s a bit long and drawn out, but it should provide you with a good sense of what the N900 has to offer.

Similar Posts:

Kempler & Strauss W Watchphone Hands On At CTIA (video);

Nokia 5530 XpressMusic Phone Announced;

My iPhone 3GS Has Arrived, A Little Unboxing Action (video);

According to a leaked B&H Photo product page, Archos is set to refresh their Archos 5 Internet Tablet with not only a new, svelter form factor but a brand new OS.

The 5-inch touchscreen device’s OS will now be Android.  It will be avaialble in a variety of capacities and include an optional $130 DVR system.  While the prices have now been taken down and replaced with “tba”, Archosfans.com was diligent enough to snag a screen capture.  The 16GB and 32GB flash based models will cost $293.95 and $369.95 respectively, while the hard drive based models, available in a 160GB and 500GB capacity will set you back $319.95 and $419.95 respectively.

Word is that the updated Archos 5 will hit the street on 9/15, but I can neither deny or confirm that date.

ReadSimilar Posts:

Gadget Leak: Archos 2 Shows Up On Amazon;

Gadget Leak: Sprint WiMax Rollout Schedule For 2009;

Gadget Leak: Sonos Touchscreen CR200 Remote Control;

How the Samsung Mondi Wimax enabled MID will be a success is anyone’s guess, but Samsung, via Lets Talk is now selling the device for a cool $450.  To refresh your memory, the Mondi is Samsung’s foray into the Wimax world and offers not only blazing fast connectivity speeds, but a 4.3-inch touchscreen, 4GB of storage, GPS, 3 megapixel camera, HDMI output, Bluetooth, DivX playback, Bluetooth, WiFi and a Windows Mobile 6.1 OS.   Unfortunately, Wimax is currently only available in select markets (Baltimore, Portland, Ore., Atlanta and Las Vegas) throughout the US.  If you prefer a hands on before purchase, the device is also set to go on sale August 1st at Best Buy and Clearwire stores in the aforementioned locals.

[via Sidecutreports]

ReadSimilar Posts:

Gadget Leak: Samsung SWD-M100 Mondi WiMax MID;

Samsung SWD-M100 Mondi WiMax Gets A Bit More Official;

Sprint’s Samsung Instinct HD Launch Date And Specs Unveiled;

When we attended CES earlier this year we crossed paths with a product called the Movit Mini from GiiNii.  At the time its launch window was pegged for summer of this year.  Now the company anticipates an October 1st launch and plans to roll out a home based version, the Movit Maxx, January 1st of 2010.  Check the specs below for a break down of the devices:

Movit Mini:

• 4.3-inch touchscreen with 480 x 272 pixels of resolution
• .3MP front facing camera
• Bluetooth
• WiFI
• Android OS with Skype preloaded
• Lithium-ion battery
• 256MB of flash memory (presumably expandable via microSD)

Movit Maxx

• 7-inch touchscreen
• Camera for teleconferencing
• Bluetooth
• Compatible with a variety of picture and video formats

ReadSimilar Posts:

Gadget Leak: Samsung SWD-M100 Mondi WiMax MID;

Wibrain’s M1 MID Going To Production;

Spring has sprung and with it leaked images and info about Toshiba’s upcoming handsets.  The 5 new handsets are purportedly all based on the 1 GHz Snapdragon processor running Windows Mobile 6.5.

First up is the TG02 and TG03, which build upon the already announced TG01 that includes a 4.1-inch touchscreen, HSDPA, microSD card slot, accelerometer and 9.9mm thick form factor.  The difference between the two yet to be officially announced handsets are an IPX4 water resistant rating with a 3.2MP camera for the TG02, and a 5MP camera with 5.1 Dolby Digital output for the TG03, but sans IPX4 rating.

The MIDs, the K01 and K02 feature a 4.1-inch and 3.5-inch touchscreen respectively, while both include a slide out QWERTY keyboard and a 3.2MP camera.

Last of the leaked handsets is the L01, which boasts the largest of the screens at 7-inches and some funky stand alone keyboard that is very reminiscent of the Touch Book.

You can expect most of these handsets to launch between Q4 2009 and Q1 2010.

Similar Posts:

Orange UK Makes The Toshiba TG01 Official, Launches Tomorrow (video);

You’ve Seen The Netbook–Now Try The Smartbook;

Gadget Leak: Sprint WiMax Rollout Schedule For 2009;

Samsung, whom is making it a habit of leaking out imagery of upcoming products but providing little to no detail, finally firmed up some details about their Wimax dedicated device, the Mondi MID.  Packed inside is a 4.3-inch touchscreen display, Windows Mobile 6.1, 4GB of RAM, slide out QWERTY keyboard, 3MP camera, GPS, Bluetooth 2.0 +EDR and an HDMI out (this one seems odd).    Anyway, there is still no word on a price or street date, but since CTIA is in full swing I’m sure they’ll drop that info in the days to come.

[TFTS]Similar Posts:

Samsung’s Mondi Wimax Device Now Available For Purchase;

Gadget Leak: Samsung SWD-M100 Mondi WiMax MID;

Gadget Leak: Sprint WiMax Rollout Schedule For 2009;

I haven’t paid much attention to WiBrains MID, the M1, but now that development has been announced my interest has officially been piqued.  Packed inside the device is a 4.8-inch touchscreen with a 1,024×600 resolution, some sort of rubberized keyboard, an Atom Z520 processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, 16GB SSD, a round touchpad, WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G connection and either a Linux or Windows XP OS.

No word on a price or US release, but I wouldn’t get your hopes up.

[Aving]Similar Posts:

GiiNii Movit Mini Release Date Announced + Bigger Brother Movit Maxx Appears;

Gadget Leak: Samsung SWD-M100 Mondi WiMax MID;

Wooops.  Samsung slipped up today and showed off what is probably the first Wimax dedicated MID, the SWD-M100 Mondi.  Resembling the Nokia N810, the Mondi appears to have both a touchscreen and slide out keyboard – that should satisfy both ends of the spectrum – and a front facing camera for late night nefarious video chats.  Pontification appoints the Mondi to Clear’s Wimax network first, but no one really knows.

[Phonescoop]Similar Posts:

Samsung SWD-M100 Mondi WiMax Gets A Bit More Official;

Samsung’s Mondi Wimax Device Now Available For Purchase;

GiiNii Movit Mini Release Date Announced + Bigger Brother Movit Maxx Appears;

In the last 4 months Peek ran about 3 or 4 different promotions to help move their email only device supported by the T-Mobile’s network.  And now we know why: today they announced the Peek Pronto.  It’s an updated version of the original Peek and like its name sake suggests its speedier to the gate in a handful (pun intended) of ways.   Here’s how:

• 50% improvement in speed
• works with Microsoft Exchange
• works with up to 5 accounts (original Peek worked with just 2)
• unlimited email and texting
• push email
• ability to search the for emails
• view PDF, DOCs and Pics

Unlike the original Peek, the Pronto is only available in one color (gray) and will cost slightly more at $80 a pop – service is still $20/month, though.  Right now you can get grab one exclusively from Amazon, or wait until April when the email/text device will go on sale on their website or Radio Shack.

[Peek]Similar Posts:

Gadget Review: Peek Pronto Email Device;

Peek Email Devices Get More Price Cuts;

Peek Offers Sidekick Users A Free Pronto Email Device, Brilliant;

Remember the Mintpad?  The tiny 2.46-inch Korean built device is currently under going the necessary modifications for a US release.   Date and price have yet to be set, but Pocketables contacted the company and got their hands on the English manual.   My gut tells me the device will never be a smash success here in the US or UK, but those who aren’t iPod Touch or smartphone handset converts might enjoy its feature set.

• Memo – one of the core functions, vector-based memo engine, advanced technology that mimics the “same feeling of writing on paper,” auto-save, detailed drawings, handwriting recognition
• Schedule – calendar, appointments, to do list
• Name Card – individual contact cards using photos taken with built-in camera
• Camera – still images (JPG) and video recording (AVI)
• Life – community feature, daily contests for mintpad users to enter
• Blog – community feature, create your own and view others’ “mint blogs”
• Book Store – community feature, create and share content published as “books”
• Chatting – real-time memo exchange, chatrooms, WiFi and ad hoc connections
• Music – standard music functions (APE, FLAC, MP3, OGG, WAV, WMA)
• Video – Internet streaming TV, standard video functions (DiVX, MPEG-4, WMV, XviD)
• Pictures – photo album, slideshow, up to 2048 x 2048 resolution
• Recording – voice recording (WMA)
• Internet – ” high-speed full browsing with Flash support” (according to product brochure)

[Pocketables]Similar Posts:

Black Mintpad With DMB Appears In Korea;

Creative Launches Android Powered Zii EGG PMP;

Creative Announces ZEN XFi2, An Affordable 3-inch Touchscreen PMP;

Archos released a press release today detailing what is to be a ‘new ultra-thin Internet Media Tablet’.  Unfortunately, no pics we’re delivered but the device will combine Google’s Android mobile platform with ARCHOS’ multimedia framework and be supported by Texas Instruments OMAP3 processor, which is said to deliver a laptop like performance.   The big takeaways include HD video, Adobe Flash compatibility, 500GB of storage, 7 hour video playback, 5-inch screen, 3G connectivity, phone and a 10mm thin body.

Full release below

ARCHOS combines its multimedia framework and Android telephony stack to deliver a new type of breakthrough Internet Media Tablet

The new IMT will integrate voice capabilities to deliver robust, powerful mobile phone tablets addressing both entertainment and communications needs

DALLAS and IGNY, France, Feb. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Providing new ways for consumers to access feature-rich content and connect with others, ARCHOS, an award-winning technology innovator and leader in the portable media player market, announced plans to extend its product line with a new ultra-thin Internet Media Tablet (IMT) combined with a mobile phone, by merging Google’s Android telephony stack and the ARCHOS’ multimedia framework. This new IMT will also incorporate the OMAP(TM) 3 platform from Texas Instruments, Incorporated (TI) (NYSE: TXN).

Android provides the IMT with all the functionalities of a premium smartphone and access to its fast-developing applications environment with ARCHOS’ rich and proven multimedia framework will deliver the best entertainment and web-browsing experience.

With the integration of voice, ARCHOS is looking to expand beyond portable media players to provide solutions for the converged space, where a foundation in high-quality video content delivery is a benefit. In addition to Android functionality and voice support, the new ARCHOS’ IMT will offer:

PC-like Internet experience enhanced by a high-resolution 5″ screen and full-width page viewing
Adobe Flash(TM) and Flash Video(TM) support, full screen
Access whenever and wherever to TV, movies, photos, music and games
Uncompromised TV recording and High Definition (HD) playback, all formats
Hundreds of hours of video storage, up to 500 GB
Innovative design: compact 10-mm ultra-thin tablet
Long battery life, 7 hours’ video playback
3.5G 7.2 Mb/s HSUPA
Laptop-like performance from the first implementation of OMAP3440 processor based on the ARM(R) Cortex(TM) superscalar microprocessor and DSP
ARCHOS selected TI’s OMAP 3 applications processor, connectivity and analog products not only for offering low-power, high performance solutions, but to leverage the company’s experience in developing compelling, highly-competitive products based on the Android telephony platform. The level of software investment made by TI on the Android platform allows ARCHOS to quickly and cost effectively deliver an Android-based device that supports advanced features such as the newly integrated voice capabilities.

“ARCHOS was proud to announce the introduction of its ARCHOS 5 HSDPA IMT last year with SFR. We are continuing to advance our efforts in the IMT space with the introduction of this new product,” said Henri Crohas, CEO and ARCHOS founder. “Support for an Android-based device represents a historical opportunity for ARCHOS to combine all the best of our IMTs with a phone in a single device delivering high quality video and a full web experience in true mobility.”

“TI remains committed to helping ARCHOS advance its product line and deliver a new class of devices that builds on a history of delivering rich multimedia experiences,” said Remi El-Ouazzane, vice president and general manager for TI’s OMAP platform business unit. “The OMAP 3 platform, with its support for the Android OS, is a powerful tool to support HD video, high quality multimedia and connectivity anytime and anywhere. ARCHOS’ use of TI technologies, including connectivity and analog solutions, helps to push the boundaries with new products and as we see today, new business models, to be a leading innovator with its new IMTs.”

ARCHOS is marrying its rich digital media history with voice functionality to tackle new markets. ARCHOS’ new Android-based IMT with voice functionality will be released in 3Q 2009.

Similar Posts:

Gadget Leak: Android Based Archos 5 Pricing Detailed;

The Verizon Hub (aka touchscreen VOiP phone) went on sale yesterday.  To grab one you’ll need to sign a 2-year contract and drop $200.  This is the first time I’ve seen a contract required for a non cell phone device.  Well, looks like Verizon has found a way to curb land line attrition.

You can buy it here

Features:

• Chaperone – Track your kids cell phones
• Unlimited Nationwide Calling
• Text, Picture and Video Messaging
• V CAST – News and Sports, Entertainment, Food & Dining, Lifestyle
• Visual Voice Mail
• VZ Navigatorsm
• Weather & Traffic updates
• Directory – Business Search/People Search/Reverse Lookup
• Web Management Site – Manage your Verizon Hub remotely
• Movie Listings, Show times and Trailers, Movie Ticket Purchasing
• Calling Features – Caller ID/Call Forwarding/Do Not Disturb/Incoming Call Blocking/Call Waiting
• Virtual Command Center – 7″ Touch Screen
• Wi–Fi Ready
• Widget Shortcuts to Weather, Missed Call & Message Status, Calling Features, Time, Date and Calendar
• National Directory Assistance
• Intercom & Handset Paging
• Screensavers
• Set Backup Number
• International Call Block
• Contact List
• My Photos – Slideshow/Set Background
• Communications – Call Logs/Voicemail/Messages
• Pick Your Own Area Code
• Simultaneous Ring
• Star and # Pound Code Dialing
• Calendar – Day/Month Views/Create and Update Invites/View Family Schedule/Text Message Reminders
• Speakerphone
• Speed Dialing
• Anonymous Call Rejection
• Calculator

Similar Posts:

Verizon Announces Nokia 7705 Twist Launch Date And Specs;

Verizon Hub Meets End Of Life;

Verizon Launches HTC Touch Pro2, Beats The Competition By $150;

What is it: The Touch Revolution Nimble (beta name) is a variety of touchscreen devices running the Android OS.

Features: Android OS, 5-inch to 8-inch touchscreens, photo viewer, media player, super strong dent and wear resistant screens, recipe apps, WiFi and more

Availability: Soon, but the OS and touch needed some work

Price: $300 or maybe free if a telecom sells it, sort of like AT&T’s Home Manager

Similar Posts:

7-inch Tablet TouchScreen Android Device: Camangi WebStation (video);

Release Date Announced For The Motorola Cliq;

Gadget Leak: Android Based Archos 5 Pricing Detailed;

MID devices are on the rise and there to capture the hot market is a partnership between Korea-based Digifriends and Nextwave.  I’ve never heard of either company, but their M3 MID doesn’t look too shabby. At its core is Intel’s 1.2Ghz Silverthorn processor and a 4.8-inch 1024×600 touchscreen.  Storage comes by way of either a 30GB or 60GB 1.3-inch HDD, plus WiFi and Wimax connectivity.   Other notables include a front and rear facing camera (.3MP camera and 2MP respectively), optical mouse, USB input, Windows or Linux OS and an optional QWERTY keyboard and GPS.

[Pocketables]Similar Posts:

None Found

Talk about connectivity.  Yesterday we saw the first ever WiMax/GSM phone, the Max 4G.  This 4.8-inch touchscreen (1024×600) MID, which seems to have no name but comes from a Korean company called UMID, features WiBro, HSDPA, WiMAX, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity (WiBro is for the Korean market).  Under the hood is a 1.3Ghz Intel Atom processor, 512MB of DDR2 RAM, a 32GB SSD, an SD card slot for memory expansion, a 1.3MP camera and USB 2.0.  You can choose from Window XP, Vista or Linux OS.

The device is expected to hit the Korean market sometime in 2009.

[Aving]Similar Posts:

Mintpad Coming To The US, But Release Date Is Anyone’s Guess;

iRiver’s Ex-CEO has finally unveiled his latest product, the Mintpad.  The 2.86″  device is yet another PMP/MID with some touchscreen wizardry built-in.  It’ll play your movies and music, show off your photos and allows you to jot some notes with the included stylus.  Under it’s hood is an ARM9 400mhz processor and 4GB of storage with no mention of a memory card slot for expandability.  The screen is 320×240 and the built-in WiFi is a nice touch for speedy downloads and I suppose web browsing, although it might prove challenging on the tiny screen.

The Mintpad costs about $157, but I wouldn’t expect it to leave Korea, at least not anytime soon.

Videos of the device in action here

[Pocketables]Similar Posts:

None Found

Boxing analogies aside, Tawainese USI’s latest MID is one sexy and svelte beast.  Showcased at the Intel Developer Forum this week, the MID-160 is rocking a 5-inch 800×480 LCD touchscreen, which can produce over 167k colors.  Inside the MID-160’s 1.5cm thick chassis is an unnamed Atom processor, an 8GB SSD, WiFi, Wimax, 3G chipset, 512MB of RAM, Bluetooth and GPS.   The device runs Ubuntu, which is surely a welcome over any Windows OS.  Portage includes a 3.5mm headphone jack, docking port, microSD slot, SIM slot, front facing webcam, and an ambient light sensor.

Unfortunately, there’s no word on price or release date.

[UMPCportal]Similar Posts:

Gadget Leak: Android Based Archos 5 Pricing Detailed;