Pocketables

What is your ideal mobile internet device?

With Nokia World, IFA, Apple and Archos events, IDF, and the Zune HD's release all happening within days/weeks of each other, there's definitely no shortage of new product announcements this month. And with so many of these products being launched in the mobile computing/internet space, we'll soon have more options to consider in our never-ending search for the perfect device.

All of us here share a common interest (portable tech), but our individual needs are obviously unique to our personal preferences and requirements. That's why while some people can't wait to buy the Nokia N900, others are lamenting its screen size, keyboard, and/or phone functions. And even though the Archos 5 Android tablet's exact specs are still a bit hazy, early feedback is already rather mixed.

New gadgets always elicit a range of reactions, as nothing can please everyone, but with two of the "main" new products not being what I personally expected or necessarily wanted, I'm kind of bracing myself for what we'll see in the coming weeks. I won't say that I'm disappointed by the N900 and Android Archos, but neither is what I was hoping for. And of course, this begs the question posed in the title of this post: What is your ideal mobile internet device?

Now Flash needs to hurry and join the party

This guest article was submitted by Chris King.

Looking at the graphic to the left and reading the title at the top, it would be easy to assume that this article is about a certain comic book character. But don't worry, it has to do with a different type of Flash, the kind that doesn't have a cool looking figurine toy to go along with it. Maybe in the near future, Adobe Flash can achieve performance that can be illustrated by a lightning bolt logo, but it's not there yet.

With the official announcement finally escaping from Nokia's tight grip yesterday, the N900 became an actual product, not just a mystery device depicted in spyshots. But the real mystery is if this will finally be the non-Intel MID that crashes the gates to the Adobe Flash castle. After many years of hope arriving with the promises of each new device, we are left wondering what the delay is, all the while enjoying the full spectrum of Flash goodies on our more powerful Windows-based computers.

After being disappointed too many times to remember, could Nokia actually be ready to break the cycle and deliver the perfect device?

How streaming music and video are changing our habits

This guest article was submitted by Chris King.

About ten years ago, music lovers were suddenly presented with a new and exciting way to listen to music on the go. After many years of portable radios, cassette players, and CD players, the music industry was changed forever with the introduction of the first portable MP3 players. These tiny players, such as the Diamond Rio 300, had no mechanical parts so battery life was incredible compared to their lumbering predecessors. And by using the new compressed file format, they could store hours and hours of music in memory instead of physical media.

Now in 2009, it seems like the iPod and its kind have been around forever. Storage capacities have grown large enough to be measured in gigabytes, rechargeable batteries are now used, and color touchscreens have given us added features like video and web browsers. But even with this new abundance of storage capacity, another shift is taking place because an increasing number of people are using online streaming services. With internet access available pretty much at any time, the role of the MP3 and video-capable portable player is changing, and it should be an interesting next few years.

In this article, I'll go over some of the options out there, with comments on how I take advantage of the different services and why I really don't keep music and video stored locally on my devices anymore.

Why I bought the Viliv X70 EX

This guest article was submitted by Robert A. Anson.

My dream is to be able to pull a computer out of a small case, have it usable very quickly, easily access one of my databases (a Word, Excel, or PDF file), find what I want to know, and be able to easily read the text on the screen.

Here are a few scenarios in which such a device would be useful:

• I'm referred to a new doctor for my high blood pressure (because I can’t find the right mobile computing device). He asks me what drugs I'm taking, how often, and their doses. My drugs and dosages have been changed so many times that I don’t know the answer. I pull out my dream mobile computing device, go to the folder that stores the “My Current Drugs” Excel file, and tell the doctor the information he wants. Had I not had my mobile computing device with me, I might have given some incorrect answers.

Digital nomad, digital homebody, or somewhere in between?

Whether your mobile computing device of choice is a UMPC, MID, smartphone, netbook, or notebook, do you like working at coffee shops? Do you enjoy setting up your mobile office in a public place with free wireless access, perhaps exchanging friendly smiles and engaging in small-talk with other people just like you? If so, then you might be interested in the latest articles about your digital nomad lifestyle over at Computerworld and The Washington Post. You'll probably be able to relate to other nomads who apparently "have begun co-working in public places or at the homes of strangers" because they "want the feel of working with officemates."

And if you can relate to that . . . then I can't really relate to you. Not when it comes to work habits and preferences, anyway.

Why I bought the Samsung Mondi (SWD-M100)

While I was waiting for my Samsung Mondi last week, I read a number of early-thoughts articles and reviews of the device from mainstream media sites to get a glimpse of what to expect when mine arrived. Rather than fuel my excitement for its delivery, however, they left me feeling rather frustrated, not because the device wasn't being lavished with praise but because the writers didn't seem to understand the point of the Mondi or the MID product category in general.

When it wasn't being called a phone (which it isn't), the Mondi was declared to be "dead right out of the gate" and criticized for sporting a "form factor nobody wants" because it's apparently too big to fit into your pocket. The device was also accused of being unable to replace a phone or a laptop, making it "convenient for nothing" and therefore just an "expensive novelty."

Samsung Mondi size comparisons

Size comparisons are one of my favorite kinds of gadget photos to take, so the first thing I did after the Samsung Mondi unboxing shoot was to bring in a handful of other mobile devices and have them pose with the new addition to the family. I made some obvious choices as well as a few random ones to put the compact slider into what I hope is relatable context.

Dell Mini 9 and OS X revisited

This guest article was submitted by Chris King.

Ever since Apple decided to make the switch to Intel processors from their long-used PowerPC architecture, users have been trying to get Mac OS X running on their own non-Apple computers. Whether they were desktops or notebooks, UMPCs or MIDs, the Hackintosh movement was born.

Many user forums quickly sprung up to help pool resources and keep track of which computers had compatible wireless cards, video cards, and other components. There were just so many variables that despite the group effort, it was difficult to get OS X working 100% on just any Intel-based machine. And even when it partially worked, it still required the use of hacked OS discs with community-supplied kext or driver files.

Then last year, the netbook craze took off and along came one device in particular that seemed to have it all and was perfect for OS X. But it wasn't an Apple. It was the Dell Mini 9.

Viliv S5 enhanced by XP Tablet PC Edition 2005

This guest article was submitted by Hector Gomez.

It's only been two days since I installed Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 on my Viliv S5 and already the MID, which natively runs XP Home, has become a lot more useful to me. I'm hoping that it will get even better in the days to come. Installing the Tablet features on the S5 didn’t take too long and I was able to do it without reinstalling the OS, which made it quick and easy.

So far, one of my favorite features is that the TIP (tablet input panel) shows up when you click in a data-input field so that you don’t have to use the virtual keyboard. Not that I don’t like using the default on-screen keyboard or anything, but when I'm holding the S5 while standing, it feels more natural to write on the screen and either manually insert the text or set it to automatically insert after a certain amount of pause.

What I also like doing is using Windows Journal in portrait mode. It's great! It transforms the Viliv S5 into a little notebook that lets me take notes and email them or, as you can see in the video I put together below, convert my handwriting to regular text. The scratch-out gesture, which will remove the ink when I simply scratch out about 60% of the writing (you can see this demonstrated in the video), is also working great.

Why tethering plans don't make any sense

This guest article was submitted by Ben L.

Cellular carriers try to make a dime off of their customers wherever they can. With all the hidden fees and overage charges, it would seem that their goal is to suck every penny from every customer they have.

What might be more ridiculous, though, is that consumers actually stand for it . . . even when the cell companies find ways to make us pay more for the same product.

Our subject for this discussion is cellular tethering plans. Tethering is a very simple concept. You own a cell phone that can browse the web through data channels provided by the carrier. By connecting your cell phone to a computer via Bluetooth or USB, you can share your phone’s internet connection with and browse the web on the computer. Simple, right? Of course.

So why is it that many carriers require "tethering plans" that cost more than the data package a web-capable phone user is already paying for? I’ve searched and searched but have never been able to find an adequate answer to this question.