ExoPC Windows 7 slate: Now with (unofficial) Android dual boot goodness

Sure, the first retailer in the US to offer the ExoPC 11.6 inch slate is the Microsoft Store. And sure, the computer runs Windows 7 and a custom user interface out of the box. But when has that ever stopped anyone from installing the OS of their choice on hardware?

An Australian user has posted a video showing the tablet dual booting Google Android 2.2 Froyo. The OS is a recent build of Android-x86, and while it supports all the core Android functions and support for things like wallpapers, it doesn't currently support the Android Market, which is probably a good thing in this case, since many of the apps designed to run on ARM-based chips probably wouldn't function properly on a device like the ExoPC which have Intel Atom x86-based chips.

That said, this looks like a pretty nifty project for anyone having a hard time choosing between a Windows slate and an Android Tablet.

You can check out a video after the break. And before you ask why the guy in the video has his shirt off, it's summer in Australia and apparently it's quite warm there (and he didn't expect the shiny screen to act quite so mirror-like).

via Engadget

ExoPC Windows 7 slate: Now with (unofficial) Android dual boot goodness is a post from: Liliputing

NEC Confirms CES Launch For Its Dual-screen Tablet

Another piece of CES 2011 news. NEC just confirmed that they will be formally launching their new addition to the Cloud Communicator tablet line, a dual-screen tablet. It has the following specs: two 7-inch touchscreen displays, WiFi, Bluetooth and 3G capabilities, and a stylus for input. The big selling point though will be the ability to independently run two different apps on each of its screens.

NEC will also be launching another single-screen addition to its Cloud Communicator line, plus its Android app store, "andronavi" will be introduced to the Japanese market.

More info when CES formally begins next month.

Source: Liliputing

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Link to post: NEC Confirms CES Launch For Its Dual-screen Tablet - from: Eee PC - Blog | No comments | © Admarket, 2010.

Microsoft Set to Announce Plans for ARM at CES

Bloomberg has reported that Microsoft may announce, and perhaps demonstrate (WSJ), a version of their Windows OS for ARM chips at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES).  While Microsoft is officially not commenting before the official event, it is expected their efforts will target low-power devices and adds support for a range of both ARM and x86 (both Intel and AMD) based chips.

ARM support would be significant for portable devices, as the company's chip designs provide both a cost and power efficiency advantage over x86 based systems.  This allows for significantly longer battery life and more competitive price points that would finally let Microsoft compete with Apple's iOS and Google's Android in portable devices such as Smart phones, Tablets/Slates, and potentially other devices like netbooks.

Microsoft's long term plans for ARM have been in question since they established a licensing agreement with ARM back in July, but there is no question they are taking development in the ARM device field seriously.  But whether this will be an actual version of  MS Windows, or another variant of their already ARM-compatible Windows CE or Windows Embedded Compact 7 operating systems remains to be seen.

The company has been offering Windows CE-based operating systems such as Pocket PC, Windows Mobile, and Windows Phone 7 for more than a decade, and while these operating systems run quite well on ARM-based chips, they can't run most apps developed for the desktop version of Windows.

A full OS implementation will likely take at least another two years as they develop the required driver database and go through the normal OS development phases. So in some ways, it seems likely that anything Microsoft would be ready to announce next month would be Windows CE-related. On the other hand, ARM chips have come a long way in the last few years, offering multicore processing and high clock speeds. Maybe it is time for a full-fledged Windows OS that can run on ARM-based systems.

Microsoft Set to Announce Plans for ARM at CES is a post from: Liliputing

N-Trig bringing stylus input to multitouch Android tablets

N-Trig is hoping to see Android tablet makers use the company's DuoSense screens to build devices with capacitive multitouch displays and support for precise input with a stylus. The technology will add about $50 to the cost of a tablet, but it will provide device makers with a way to stand out from the crowd.

Right now there aren't a ton of Android applications designed for pen input, but most of the tablets, PDAs and other touch-based devices launched over the last decade have been driven by stylus input rather than fingertip input.

While there are certainly problems with relying too heavily on a stylus (it's another piece of equipment to carry with you, and it's about as easy to misplace or lose as a ink pen), some folks have become awfully fond of pressure-sensitive pen input, since it lets you draw on a device, take notes in your own handwriting, and interact with finer areas of a touchscreen display.

I suspect that if N-Trig is successful in getting hardware makers to use the company's technology, we'll start to see more handwriting and drawing apps for Android, as well as other apps which can benefit from pen input. But that's still a pretty big if. N-Trig tells All Things D that at least one hardware maker will bring a DuoSense equipped Android tablet to market in the first half of 2011, but in the face of competition from dozens of pen-unfriendly tablets, it's not clear what consumer reaction to that device will be.

via GottaBeMobile

N-Trig bringing stylus input to multitouch Android tablets is a post from: Liliputing

Onkyo TW317 Windows slate unboxed - Video

The three new Windows tablets from Onkyo which launched earlier this month are primarily distributed in Japan, but the folks at Dynamism are exporting the tablets for sale int he West and UMPC Portal has snagged one and posted an unboxing video.

The Onkyo TW317 has a 10.1 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel capacitive touchscreen display and a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor. It has 1GB of RAM, a 32GB SSD, a mini-HDMI port, and a 1.3MP camera and weighs about 2.2 pounds.

It actually looks a lot like the ExoPC or WeTab, but those machines are a little larger thanks to their 11.6 inch displays.

You can check out the unboxing video after the break. More photos are available at UMPC Portal.

Onkyo TW317 Windows slate unboxed – Video is a post from: Liliputing

Deals of the Day

Netbooks, Notebooks and Tablets

• Refurb Hannspree Intel Dual Core 1.3GHz 12″ Laptop for $330 + free shipping - Mwave (M Club)
• Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3 w/Atom N455, 6 cell battery for $290 + free shipping - Buy.com
• Archos 5 16GB Android 1.6 tablet for $199.99 - Circuit City (via Amazon)

Nettops

• Foxconn R10-S4 barebones w/Intel Atom 330, GMA 950 graphics for $84.99 – Newegg (coupon: EMCZNNY34)
• Zotac Mag w/Atom 330, NVIDIA ION 2, 2GB RAM, 160GB HDD, no OS for $261 – Amazon

Accessories & Other

• Microsoft – 32GB Zune HD (PLATINUM) for $199.99 + free shipping – Newegg
• Apple iPod touch 8GB (4th generation) for $194.99 - Datavis (via eBay)
• PQI 16GB 150x Class 10 SDHC Secure Digital Card for $23 + free shipping – Meritline (via Dealnews)

You can find more deals on mobile computers, gadgets, and accessories in the Liliputing Deals section.

Deals of the Day is a post from: Liliputing

Viliv Jumping On The Tablet Bandwagon

CES is right around the corner and a lot of manufacturer's are prepping to strut their stuff. One of those companies is Viliv. The company seems to be planning to add to their tablet line with their initial press release for what they're bringing to CES 2011. Namely, they'll  be showing off three tablets. First is the Viliv X7 and X10 Android tablets. The X7 is supposed to be their ultraportable brand with either 3G or WiMAX, while the X10 is their 10-inch tablet. Viliv's also got the X70 Windows tablet, a slimmer and lighter version of their X70EX. No pictures yet, but expect some soon as CES nears opening.

Source: JKKMobile

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Link to post: Viliv Jumping On The Tablet Bandwagon - from: Eee PC - Blog | No comments | © Admarket, 2010.

This week in Mobiputing

Here's a roundup of some of the week's top stories about smartphone apps and news from Mobiputing:

Google Android

• Gingerbread keyboard available for Android 2.1, Android 2.2
• Google Android 2.3 Gingerbread source code released
• Amazon Kindle app adds newspapers, magazines, integrated store
• ComiXology launches comic book store, reader for Android
• Facebook app adds chat, push notifications
• Dreamcast emulator for Android in the works

iOS

• Most EA games available for $0.99 from the App Store
• Word Lens for iOS attempts to provide real-time text translations through your camera
• Skyfire's Flash-capable web browser coming soon to the iPad
• iBooks adds support for illustrated books, collections
• mSpot lets you stream music from your desktop to your iPhone (or Android)
• AirPlayer streams video from iPhone to a Mac

Other

• Paramount to release feature films plus extras for Windows Phone 7
• WordPress launches app for Windows Phone 7
• Nokia to offer new browser, UI for Symbian phones next year
• Nokia adds push notification support for 3rd party Symbian, MeeGo apps
• Amazon MP3 app for BlackBerry now available

You can find more smartphone news and app reviews at Mobiputing.

This week in Mobiputing is a post from: Liliputing

eLocity A7 Android tablet turns out to have limited multitouch

The eLocity A7 Android tablet has been getting a lot of attention recently, as one of the first Android tablets available in the US to sport an NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual core processor, Android 2.2, and a capacitive, multitouch display. That ain't a bad set of features for a $299 device. Unfortunately, it's starting to look like "multitouch" might be putting it strongly.

According to users at the xda-developers forum, it turns out that while the eLocity A7 can handle pinch-to-zoom the display is actually 1+1 touch instead of true multitouch. That means it can't register more than two inputs — and it doesn't really do a very good job with two either. Basically the screen can tell when there are two fingers touching it, and the device's software helps figure out the appropriate action (such as zooming).

If all you're looking for in a multitouch device is pinch to zoom, then this might be good enough, although this type of pinch to zoom implementation isn't as accurate as it would be on a true multitouch screen. But if you want to play games or run other apps (such as Google Maps 5) that rely on multiple inputs, then you're out of luck. Software keyboards also tend to work better on true multitouch displays, since you don't need to completely lift one finger before placing another on a different key.

The eLocity A7 is one of the fuller-featured tablets available for under $299… it's just not quite as full featured as we had expected.

via Android Tablets

eLocity A7 Android tablet turns out to have limited multitouch is a post from: Liliputing

Creative ZiiO 7″ tablet now shipping in the US

The Creative ZiiO 7 inch Android tablet went on sale in Europe a few weeks ago. Today it's available in the US. A 16GB model will set you back $269.99, while an 8GB model is available for pre-order for $249.99 — thus showing yet again that device makers think it's fair to charge 250 Euros for a product that sells for $250 in the US, even though one Euro is roughly the same a $1.32 these days.

The tablet has a 8 inch, 800 x 480 pixel resistive touchscreen display and a ZiiLabs ZMS-08 media processor. It runs Android 2.1 and has 802.11b/g WiFi and Bluetooth 2.1 as well as a front-facing VGA camera, 720p HD video output, a mic and speakers. It can handle a wide range of audio and video formats and weighs about 0.9 pounds.

via Engadget

Creative ZiiO 7″ tablet now shipping in the US is a post from: Liliputing