09/24, 4:30pm
Tegra-based netbook with Google Chrome OS coming
An NVIDIA executive on Thursday confirmed the company is working with Google to introduce a netbook containing Chrome OS and NVIDIA's Tegra mobile device platform. This is in addition to systems based on Windows Mobile, Windows CE and Google Android, all of which have been appearing. Quoted in a Wednesday JkOnTheRun report, NVIDIA GM of Mobile Business Mike Rayfield said his company is working closely with Google in developing such a product.
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08/23, 11:40am
Zune HD Apps Confirmed
A weekend demo campaign at Best Buy stores has inadvertently betrayed Microsoft's plans to offer third-party app support for the Zune HD. A visitor briefly given control of the player by a representative has captured footage (shown after the jump) of a conspicuous "apps" menu item alongside music and made it clear the production player can download and install third-party software. The in-store unit's Wi-Fi was "blocked," however, and made it impossible to enter that section and see whether a true store is available and what titles are complete.
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08/14, 9:00am
Zune HD 3rd Party App Leak
Microsoft is actively trying to poach iPhone developers to give the Zune HD a true third-party app platform, according to assertions by one developer. The producer of an unnamed Twitter client for the iPhone tells John Gruber that he was asked earlier this year to port his app to a Microsoft platform with the promise of "a bucket of money" in compensation. The Windows firm's plans weren't clear at this early stage, but it's reportedly "certain" this was for the Zune HD rather than just Windows Mobile.
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07/27, 9:55am
mintpad 2 may get Android
The second generation of the small multimedia device from mintpass, the
mintpad, may use the Android operating system rather than the current model's Windows CE OS, says a Monday Pocketables report. The original device sports a 2.9-inch touchscreen and plastic body, with other planned improvements to the new device including a larger screen, metal body and the additions of WiBro (Korean WiMAX) and GPS.
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07/24, 10:10am
NVIDIA netbook is Firefly
The previously promised NVIDIA netbook, which spawned a prototype built by Mobinnova, will be called the Firefly, according to a recent SemiAccurate report. The nettop will reportedly be powered by the Tegra chip that is also being used in Microsoft's Zune HD, and unnamed netbook manufactuers claim a September launch date. The Tegra chip itself is already known to be delayed beyond NVIDIA's own 2008 timeframe, however, and has cast doubts on the new timeframe.
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07/16, 9:25am
Microsoft OneApp Trademark
Microsoft has quietly filed for a trademark that may allude to a unified app store for both Zunes and Windows Mobile phones. The filing for the name "OneApp" would cover not just an app download store for cellphones and media players but would also address a developer kit for the same platform. Among the apps suggested possible through the service would include games, media playback, messaging and mobile payments.
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06/29, 3:05pm
Tegra Phones in Fall
A major smartphone manufacturer is due to launch a phone based on NVIDIA's Tegra platform, the company has let slip in interviews. One of the "top five" smartphone producers should have a phone based on the advanced graphics technology before the end of the year. The company has also said in a discussion with CrunchGear that it should reach AT&T and T-Mobile for about $199.
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05/26, 8:40pm
MS Confirms Zune HD
Microsoft tonight confirmed the existence of the Zune HD, its first-ever touchscreen media player. The company readily acknowledges that the player is meant to compete against the iPod touch and will have a 3.3-inch, 480x272 OLED screen with a multi-touch interface. It earns its name through the first inclusion of a portable HD Radio tuner for digital broadcasts as well as HD video playback through a special dock. For the first time on a Zune, the HD will also use its Wi-Fi to browse the web and should come with a special version of Internet Explorer designed for touch.
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05/19, 3:35pm
Atheros Wi-Fi Hotspot Chip
Atheros today unveiled a new cellphone chipset that could let cellphones host Internet connections as easily as with a typical wireless router. The AR6002 can run its Wi-Fi as a hotspot and can share its connection without the manually configured, ad hoc tethering over Bluetooth or USB normally needed to make the link. It can potentially save battery life for the devices connecting to the phone as it lets them idle or go to sleep where tethering requires both to be constantly alert.
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05/15, 4:55pm
Meizu M8 Upgrade Coming
Meizu's planned sequel to the M8, its at times controversial shadow to the iPhone, is now said by company chief J. Wong to be a significant but more evolutionary upgrade. In place of a complete overhaul, the Chinese executive says the phone will support both China-native 3G through the TD-SCDMA standard as well as GPS. A camera upgrade is also due with a 5-megapixel sensor and an LED flash.
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03/24, 1:55pm
mintpass mintpad for US
Relative fledgling company mintpass has revealed that it intends to launch its mintpad mini tablet outside of its native Korea, potentially including the US. The device centers on a nearly 2.9-inch touchscreen and is unique outside of Apple devices in focusing as much on its Internet features as on media playback. Likely using a Wi-Fi connection, it can not only browse the web with full Adobe Flash but also has a heavy community component with blogging and IM among its features. Streaming Internet video is equally an option.
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02/16, 11:25am
NVIDIA 99 Dollar 1080p MID
NVIDIA today made ambitious claims for handheld devices centering on its Tegra all-in-one processors. The graphics company now believes that its Tegra 600 chip can result in a mobile Internet device (MID) that costs just $99 and yet which has features normally off-limits to more expensive MIDs and even smartphones. Combining a 750MHz ARM processor and graphics acceleration lets it support both full web browsing and other high-end mobile apps but also play back 1080p HD video without requiring a separate graphics component.
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02/13, 4:35pm
Cowon launches L3 player
Korea's Cowon has finally released its L3 multimedia player, which first appeared back in August. The L3 sports a 7-inch, 800x480 resolution display and runs on Windows CE 5.0. The only details released on its CPU is that it has dual cores. The device has 128MB of SDRAM and ships with 4GB of flash storage space. It can, however, be expanded via an SD memory card slot.
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01/30, 9:45am
Fujitsu Built for Android
Fujitsu has revealed that it plans to push Google's Android platform deep into home electronics with a new initiative known as Services Built for Android. The program will see the Japanese company offer its consulting, engineering and other expertise to help run the open-source mobile OS on embedded hardware. This could include media devices like portable media players as well as cellphones, GPS devices, set-top boxes and even thin-client PCs, according to Fujitsu.
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12/18, 3:55pm
Maxian M1T portable player
Korea's Maxian has announced the upcoming release of its M1T Pocket Multi TV media player on Thursday, which features a 3.5-inch, 480x320 touchscreen and includes a stylus. About the same length as an iPhone but thicker and wider, the M1T uses Windows CE 5.0 as its operating system. It can play back all popular video files including DivX and XviD and the majority of common audio formats along with not-so-common OGG, AAC files. It differs from Maxian's identical looking M1 Edu device revealed just over a month ago with the inclusion of its DMB TV tuner.
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11/28, 7:55am
Meizu M8 Unboxing
Meizu's M8 touchscreen phone will bear similarities to the iPhone in more than just the hardware design, a first look from a Chinese publication shows. Confirming the shipping-ready status of the device, the report shows both the extremely derivative design of the M8 itself but also the packaging and accessories, which mimic Apple's black box and white accessories. This includes earbuds and a USB sync cable patterned as closely as possible to the iPhone pack-ins.
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09/29, 11:00am
Meizu M8 Due in December
Meizu's frequently delayed M8 touchscreen phone should finally have a release date, Taiwans' Geek IT Stores claims today. The device is now purportedly set to ship at the start of December and will initially be available only to China-area buyers with an Indian release later. It should also carry a single 8GB trim level and is described as selling between $384 and $469, though whether this involves contract changes or the distributor's planned pricing isn't known.
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08/22, 5:25pm
Albatron intros UMPC
While it's not clear if Taiwan-based manufacturer Albatron means to compete directly with ASUS' Eee PC line, the company today is playing on the same theme with its new Tee PC netbook. The Tee PC is based on a 7-inch LCD touchscreen good for 800x480 resolution but, instead of relying on an Intel Atom or Celeron, powers the system with a cellphone-oriented ARM 926 processor running at just 400MHz. The 128MB flash drive is loaded with Windows CE 6 and uses the lower memory footprint to trim down to 128MB of RAM.
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05/26, 9:05am
NVIDIA Tegra Leak
NVIDIA is about to unveil a whole line of mobile processors dedicated to handhelds, says a new leak from the Inquirer. The APX 2500 is now put under the Tegra brand of chips and will be marketed as an application processor for portable media players and smartphones. As suggested early on, the chip will be capable of decoding and encoding 720p video in real-time, including through optional HDMI output, and supports both the newer OpenGL ES 2.0 standard for mobile 3D as well as effects that have normally been too demanding for mobile chips, including anti-aliasing for cleaner graphics.
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