Pocketables

My husband and I are in the middle of packing for the last vacation we'll take before our lives are changed forever, and while he knew immediately that his Samsung NC10 and iPod touch would be coming along, I've been mulling over what I should take for the past few weeks and am still undecided. I'm a chronic gadget overpacker and tend to come home with more than I left with, so regular readers might be surprised that I'm having trouble making up my mind this time.

My daily gadget routine and general interest in mobile devices were significantly affected by how terrible I felt in my first trimester, but now that I'm feeling better and can use multiple gadgets every day just for fun, my "non-essential" gear is starting to look attractive to me again.

Portable consumer electronics from China aren't always held in high esteem and are therefore often overlooked. No one's missing out on much by skipping the devices in most cases, but when two new Chinese MIDs come equipped with the Intel Atom N270 and an array of Z5xx series processors, we'd be remiss not to give them a closer look.

Inkia International recently added two new slate-style Intel MIDs to its website and has just begun promoting them. Both units run Windows XP or Linux on 1GB of RAM and an SSD up to 32GB. The MIDs also support 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS and have 800 x 480 touchscreens.

Here's a little story about how procrastination and a poorly planned delivery can result in a missed gadget opportunity.

About two weeks ago, I got an email from a shipping company notifying me that a package containing a "UMPC sample" from Viliv was headed my way. I wasn't expecting anything and hadn't been asked by Viliv or anyone else to confirm my shipping address (or my interest in reviewing a new device), so I just assumed that the X70 UMPC would arrive a few days later. The 7-inch slate had already been distributed to a few other sites, the Dynamism launch event was around the corner, and Viliv presumably still had my address from when I reviewed the S5 Premium MID, so it seemed reasonable. I also received an email response to my tweet about the UMPC's impending arrival that basically confirmed my suspicions about what would be in the box.

I wasn't exactly looking forward to the delivery, as I didn't want or request the X70, but I figured that I should make the best of the situation and try to work at least a mini review (a full review was out of the question) into my schedule.

This has no effect on the limited supply that's available outside of Korea, unfortunately, but if you're in Korea and have been holding off on buying the WinCE-based mintpass mintpad multimedia network handheld for whatever reason, then your patience is being rewarded. The white mintpad and black mintpad DMB have both received a 30,000 KRW price cut, bringing their respective costs down to 169,000 KRW (~$131) and 209,000 KRW (~$163).

Whether these new prices will be reflected in the currently undetermined official US price or they indicate that progress is being made on the mintpad 2.0, the reduction is great news, especially considering how much the tiny device can actually do.

Full specifications of the mintpass mintpad in the database.

[Kbench (thanks, rud!)]

Whether or not you're already a proud owner/user of an Intel MID, if you can tell the folks at MID Stories how something like the Viliv S5 or UMID mbook M1 would enhance (or currently enhances) your mobility and digital lifestyle in at least 300 words and a couple of photos, you could win a $599 gift certificate toward a brand new MID from Dynamism or one of four accessories.

A video can also accompany your submission and each person may enter the giveaway up to five times (all entries must be unique).

How do/would you use a MID? What does it allow you to do that you can't do on a smartphone or netbook? Start working on your entries and get them in by July 31st for a chance to win.

It's been a bit busier than usual here at Pocketables HQ, so I haven't been able to spend some serious quality time with my recently unboxed mintpass mintpad. I have been using it fairly often since it arrived, though, so I've put in enough time with the tiny device (full specs here) to at least share my first impressions and shed some light on what the mintpad is all about.

When the limited supply of palm-sized mintpass mintpad devices were made globally available last week, I wasted little time in securing one of my own. And within just 48 hours of placing my order, the 3.2-ounce unit and some lovely accessories made their way from Korea to my front door in Hawaii.

The box only arrived a few hours ago, so I haven't had time to do anything but take the round of photos you'll find below.

In a conference call scheduled for tomorrow, Intel is expected to announce a new deal it's penned that will see its mobile processors tucked inside upcoming devices by Nokia.

Exact details are still under wraps, but given Intel's recent showcase of Moorestown-based mediaphones at Computex and the partnership with LG it announced several months earlier, news of the PC chip maker's aggressive interest in the cell phone market is hardly out of left field. A deal with Nokia, on the other hand, is extremely significant, not to mention surprising in the very best way possible.

Could the rumored Nokia N900 be revamped to include a little Intel inside?

UPDATE: The announcement (press release) wasn't what many were hoping for, but I think the two companies entering a "long-term relationship to develop a new class of Intel Architecture-based mobile computing device and chipset architectures" that involves "innovative hardware, software and mobile Internet services" is great news.

[Bloomberg via IntoMobile]

UPDATE: Official Kohjinsha SK3 product page

UMPCPortal received some early info and press shots today of a new 7-inch convertible UMPC that Kohjinsha is expected to release in Japan later this week.

Estimated to sell for between $700 and $800, the Atom-based SK3 looks to be a marginal upgrade to last summer's SC3, offering little more than a modified casing, dual cameras, and 802.11n WiFi support. The unit hasn't been added to the Kohjinsha website yet so there's still a sliver of a chance that the currently reported specs (1.33GHz Intel Atom Z520, 2.3-hour battery life, XP Home) could turn out to be more impressive and upgrade-worthy [UPDATE: Nope!]. If not, at least the SK3 still has the SC3's ExpressCard/34 slot, ethernet and VGA ports, and integrated GPS.

Then again, if the SK3 doesn't bring more to the table (e.g., faster CPU, longer battery life, SSD, 3G), why not save a few hundred dollars and get the SC3 that now retails for 49,800 yen (~$521) instead?

:: Visit the Kohjinsha forum to connect with users, troubleshoot, and share tips ::

Even though the iPhone 3G S isn't the major upgrade many were hoping for and most of its new features should have been included on the original iPhone two years ago, I was still happy when FedEx knocked on my door yesterday with my iPhone 3G successor in hand.

The improvement I was most looking forward to experiencing myself was the new handset's 600MHz ARM Cortex A8 processor, a significant upgrade from the 412MHz underclocked ARM11 CPU used in previous generations. There are many ways to measure a processor's performance, some much more scientific than others, but website load times are what I personally find most useful and easiest to understand. For my mobile internet needs, I prioritize faster over fuller so the lack of Flash support and other Web 2.0 requirements are a non-issue for me.

My friends at Justek sent me an update and a few photos (courtesy of UMPC Fever) of the upcoming 3G UMID mbook M1 MID. The unit is currently being tested in Hong Kong, where the 3G functionality is said to be "good and fast," and is headed to Justek in Australia next.

The full retail shipment, which was previously expected as early as this month, still doesn't have a firm ETA but the good news is that Justek isn't anticipating any inordinate delays and will keep Pocketables updated.

Following the success of their Viliv S5 presale events in April and May, Dynamism is kicking off their "summer of innovation" celebration next month with a similar launch special of the 7-inch Viliv X70 slate.

According to this morning's announcement email, interest in the Atom-based device has been so high that it's "bordering on UMPC hooliganism." And what's the gang at Dynamism going to do about it? Include all kinds of freebies with the first 777 preorders, of course (nothing calms down a crowd like free stuff, right?).

Beginning at 1 p.m. EST on July 6th, those who order the $599 Express model (1.2GHz Atom, 1GB RAM, 16GB SSD, XP Home) will receive a complimentary upgrade to the 1.3GHz Atom Z520 along with a free car kit, leather pouch, and protective film. Folks who prefer one of the three Premium models (1.3GHz Atom, 1GB RAM, 32GB/128GB SSD, XP Home, 3G option) instead - prices start at $729 - and place their orders in time will be treated to a free standard battery as well as the car kit, leather pouch, and protective film.

Dynamism expects their first shipment to arrive on July 28th.

[Viliv X70 @ Dynamism]