Pocketables

Intel gives us a look at future Medfield devices

In an attempt to transition into the mobile space, desktop chip giant Intel has recently been working on getting their processors into mobile devices. They started by building a chip specially tailored for Android 2.3 Gingerbread, and with the release of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Google helped them out by making the release compatible with the x86 architecture. 

Today we get to see some of the results of those efforts, as Intel has somewhat unofficially revealed its reference designs for smartphones and tablets. Both are based on their Medfield chipset, which is a "System on a Chip" or SoC similar to ARM's offerings. What you see above is the concept smartphone, as no images of the tablet were released.

According to those who were actually able to demo the devices, the chips were plenty fast and powerful-but didn't appear to be dual-core. However, they also had very good battery life, so it is possible that Intel sacrificed cores in favor of hours. The devices also supported both Gingerbread and Ice Cream Sandwich, a great sign when phones often release with out of date software. 

Even though we have only the promise of great performance and the image above to go on, I already want an Intel powered smartphone. If the Medfield really can deliver power and battery life when running on mobile hardware, our smartphones could soon become even more like micro PCs. We will just have to wait until the projected release in the first half of 2012 to see if this pans out.

[Android Community]

Motorola introduces ET1 tablet aimed at enterprise

While most of the tablets and devices we look at are intended for the consumer, of the numerous business products also released there is sometimes one worth noting. One of these device is Motorola's ET1 tablet which is marketed for business, but is also lightly ruggedized and could be useful for anyone who needs a tablet to work out in the field.

Taking the place of the dying BlackBerry Playbook, the ET1 offers some pretty nice specs, like a 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 4620mAh battery, and 8MP rear and VGA front cameras. Currently the device is WiFi only, but Motorola plans to parter with carriers in the near future.

Displaying the tablet's customized Gingerbread OS will be a 7-inch 1024 x 600 Gorilla Glass display, with a high 350NiT brightness, presumably for outdoor viewing.  Not only that, thanks to the small 7-inch form factor, the device weighs in at a mere 1.4 pounds.

As you can see, the ET1 actually has some decent specs, especially for a ruggedized device. Of course, we have had some bad experiences with rugged devices in the past, but if Motorola does this right it could be a good device. We have already seen the HTC Flyer save the day in the workplace, so for anyone who needs business technology in a rougher environment should take a look at this. 

[SlashGear]

Windows 8 will boot up in under 10 seconds

If you thought that Windows 8 was going to boot up slowly and not very efficiently like in previous versions, then thankfully, you were wrong. The Building Windows 8 blog is reporting on what they're doing to 8 that will make the full operating system boot up in under 10 seconds.

Let me break it down for you: basically, when you shut Windows down, it will write to your hiberfile.sys file; it's essentially a deep hibernation.. It saves your windows and current tasks, but cuts power to everything. 

The really cool thing, though, is the way it reads that system file to boot up. Instead of running through all of your drivers and services and whatnot, it simply reads from the hiberfile.sys file and goes right back to what you were previously doing. If you're familiar with the Mac, it's very similar to what Lion does now. 

In my opinion, this is going to be huge for Windows 8 in general, but especially for tablets. Boot-ups won't take as much battery life and processing power, and things will be just the way they were before you shut your computer off. 

Are you all as excited for Windows 8 as we are?

[Building Windows 8]

Windows 8 to include Xbox LIVE, probably games

Windows 8 is proving to be a very interesting operating system. It could even bring back our beloved MIDs! 

And today, Microsoft announced that its wildly successful Xbox LIVE gaming community will be coming to Windows 8. Now, normally, we wouldn't make such a big fuss over this, but it's because of my MID editorial that I thought it was necessary to go over. The Tegra 2 processor that some Windows 8 devices will be using are serious performers, and I can see a future where tablets running 8 become truly the best gaming devices. 

Now, Microsoft didn't say that this will be like Apple's Mac App Store, through which popular games are sold, but we can only surmise that will likely be the case. I'm not a huge gamer, but I play occasionally, and Windows 8 would be something I'd seriously consider purchasing if my thoughts are true. We'll find out next year.

[WinRumors]

Will MIDs have a rebirth?

There was a time when basically all Jenn covered on Pocketables were devices like the one you see above. But then companies started to move towards smartphones, and eventually, MIDs and UMPCs simply left the mainstream. 

But today, Microsoft gave a small preview of Windows 8, set to launch sometime in 2012. The feature I'm sure the entire Pocketables staff is most excited about is the ability for Windows 8 to run on ARM processors. A new architecture is great and all, but what will this mean for form factors? Let's take a quick look at what's currently happening in the desktop market and how this may, indeed, translate into a rebirth of. . . pocketable computers once again.

Is BlueStacks what Microsoft needs to get back into the tablet game?

WinRumors is reporting that Microsoft will demo its Windows 8 Tablet UI at D9 and that it may introduce Windows 8 ARM-based tablets ahead of a full desktop release. If true, these would certainly be positive developments for Microsoft, which has failed to keep pace with Apple's iOS and Google's Android OS in the tablet space.

But it may be also be a case of too little, too late.

When to consider a smartphone, a tablet

Smaller phones used to be the trend most companies were trying to set and follow. But recently, it's been the bigger, the better. Devices like the Dell Streak and the Motorola Droid X have taken larger, high-definition screens to the next level. 

But eventually, there is a line that is crossed for when a device is considered either a large smartphone or a small tablet. What is that line?

Sony Vaio UX worth next to nothing in RadioShack trade-in program

Even though the resale value of used, unwanted, and old gadgets is always very low, I still can't believe that the just-launched RadioShack trade-in program has appraised my mint condition Sony Vaio UX180P, which I bought for $1800 in 2006, for $89.25. Its age isn't to blame either, as the most recent model (UX490N/C; MSRP $2500), which was pulled from Sony Style just a few months ago, is "worth" only $109.65. The problem, it seems, is the UX series itself.

Sony Vaio UX modded with Core 2 Duo U7600

See that? It's the first ever Sony Vaio UX Micro PC to be powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo U7600 processor! Micro PC Talk forum member and modding madman anh cracked open his UX280P yesterday, removed the old 1.2GHz Core Solo U1400 chip, soldered the U7600 onto the motherboard today, and now has the world's first UX capable of producing the Vista benchmarks you see below.

Sony PSP3 concept: Lovechild of Vaio UX and PSP

If you've ever wondered what would happen if a Sony Vaio UX Micro PC had an illicit, not to mention incestuous, affair with a Sony PSP Slim, then here's your answer.

It's a PSP3 concept "designed" by Samuel Lau, who seems to think that slapping the UX's keyboard (which no one else seems to recognize) onto the PSP will impress Sony so much that they'll offer to pay for half his education.

It would be funny if Lau was actually joking.