Pocketables

This guest article was submitted by Chris King.

When the first iPhone was released back in the summer of 2007, it laid to rest all of the rumors that had been circulating for years. While the original handset was a complete game-changer in the cellphone industry, its true potential wasn't fully realized until last summer with the introduction of the iPhone 3G and the App Store. Even more than the upgraded specs in the new phone, the App Store is what continues to separate Apple from veteran smartphone companies like Palm, Nokia, and the tag team of HTC and Microsoft. These companies basically stood pat until Apple came along and showed them what people today wanted, and only now are they starting to respond with their "iPhone clones" and their own versions of application repositories.

For Apple to stay ahead of the competition, which they should have no trouble doing for the next few years, they need to start treating the iPhone as more than just a phone and more like the computer platform they have always claimed it is. With the 3GS's new ARM Cortex processor running at 600MHz and the PowerVR SGX graphics system, we are quickly approaching netbook power. And that is what I would like to see the iPhone become, another category just below the MacBook that offers much of the same functionality but with a slimmer OS.

Just a quick reminder for those eager to be among the first to get their hands on the Viliv X70 UMPC: the Dynamism preorder event begins at 1 p.m. EST on Monday, July 6th. Be one of the first 777 customers to purchase the Express or Premium models of the 7-inch slate (all configurations include Windows XP Home, 1GB RAM, and GPS) and get a bunch of free goodies:

• Upgrade to 1.3GHz Atom Z520, leather case, car kit, and protective film ($599 X70 Express: 16GB SSD)
• Leather case, car kit, protective film, and spare battery ($729 X70 Premium: 32GB SSD; $879/$1379 X70 Premium 3G: 32GB/128GB SSD, HSPA modem)

Dynamism will be keeping everyone updated via Twitter during the event, so be sure to check there if you experience problems while placing your order or just want to check on the remaining supply. Good luck!

[Preorder Viliv X70]

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]