Pocketables

Reminder: Viliv X70 preorder event

2009-07-05T00:15:00-10:00

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 among 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...

Packing slowed down by carry-on gadget decisions

2009-07-02T00:45:05-10:00

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...

Inkia shows unnamed Atom-based MIDs

2009-07-01T00:06:56-10:00

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...

Mistaken gadget identity caused by unexpected delivery

2009-06-30T11:47:14-10:00

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...

Mintpass mintpad gets a price cut in Korea

2009-06-29T12:22:39-10:00

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...

Share your story, win a MID

2009-06-27T12:31:19-10:00

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...

First impressions of the mintpass mintpad

2009-06-25T12:52:22-10:00

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. Before I lay out a bulleted list of the notes...

Unboxing the mintpass mintpad (and accessories)

2009-06-23T20:55:46-10:00

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. I'll give the...

Intel to supply Nokia with chips for mobile devices

2009-06-22T18:09:47-10:00

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...

Kohjinsha readies SK3 UMPC for release

2009-06-22T14:39:42-10:00

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...

Website load times: iPhone 3G S vs. iPhone 3G

2009-06-20T19:07:09-10:00

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...

3G UMID mbook M1 MID status update

2009-06-19T12:10:48-10:00

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...