News

HP iPAQ 214 now in stock

The folks over at Clove Technology just dropped me a line to let me know that the HP iPAQ 214 is now in stock. We think this is the first UK stock in fact!

HP iPAQ 214

HP iPAQ 200 Series Enterprise Handheld is a powerful, large screen PDA with Wi-Fi, that is well-suited to run a broad range of business applications.

Designed with business in mind, there is much to appreciate about the sophisticated design of the iPAQ 214.

The iPAQ 214 has a large 4-inch TFT touch screen display for improved visibility in a variety of environments. Further expansion comes from the SDIO slot and USB connections making this device the ideal solution for communication and mobile office.

Integrated IEEE 802.11 b/g wireless networking allows Internet and email access at the office or other Wi-Fi hot spots in airports, cafes and hotels. Whilst with Bluetooth, you can connect your iPAQ 214 to peripherals like headsets and keyboards.

Matt should have a review device early next week so you can look forward to an unbox and review soon.

EDIT: The HP iPAQ unbox video is now live HERE.

Posted by: Mark

[Post tag(s): smartphone blog, Pocket PC blog, Tracy & Matt, iPAQ, HP]

MWg Atom Life & Zinc II now available

UBiQUiO is a familiar name here on tracyandmatt and UBiQUiO has recently become part of MWg (Mobile and Wireless Group), a new brand of Windows Mobile devices formed by the original O2 Asia team (responsible for the successful O2 Xda Smartphone line in Asia) with investment from eXpansys.

MWg was formed in November 2007 and they’ve been busy getting geared for great device launces in 2008. As of this month, customers can buy the first MWg-branded device, the MWg Atom Life from eXpansys. The Atom life features a fast 624MHz processor & 1GB of on-board memory at the low price of £255.28 (ex vat). They can also get it FREE if they sign up for T-Mobile voice & data. To learn more about it, go to the Atom Life product page.

MWg Atom Life

MWg Atom Life Specification

The second device to come from MWg will be the Zinc II is also available for pre-order from eXpansys

MWg Zinc II

MWg Zinc II Specification

Posted by: Matt

[Post tag(s): smartphone blog, Pocket PC blog, Tracy & Matt, MWg, MWg Atom Life, Zinc II, Orange SPV M700]

HTC respond to HTCClassAction

I’m sure that many of you are aware of the complaint being raised to HTC regarding the alleged lack of video drivers included on the latest HTC devices. For those of you not familiar, the allegation is that HTC have deliberately nobbled the newer devices by not including the video drivers that are necessary to make the devices work to their full potential and lots of people are complaining that their new HTC phone underperforms when compared to two year old devices of a lower spec.

The complaint being managed by htcclassaction.org starts as follows:

What is this all about?

The latest SmartPhone and PocketPC devices from HTC (High Tech Computing) are supposed to be the most powerful devices on the market. And in theory, they are indeed real powerhouses of mobile technology.

There’s a catch though: HTC has neglected to include the necessary drivers needed for the devices to come to their full potential.

What does this mean?

This means our really expensive HTC phones (the TyTN II is about $700) are grossly underperforming. In fact, in many things, these devices operate even slower than HTC’s (and competitors’) two years older models – see the videos under navigation for demonstrations, especially the TomTom video (TyTN II vs Magician) is a terrific example.

The drivers (small pieces of software that govern your device’s hardware) in question are responsible for all drawing operations. This means absolutely everything having anything to do with putting something on your screen is affected. This includes normal programs, video playback, games, taking pictures, etcetera. If it’s on your screen, it’s affected. This makes the devices feel really slow and unresponsive. For more details about this, see the Drivers in detail page.

Yesterday, HTC gave an official response to the complaint:

In response to recent customer complaints about poor video performance on HTC devices based on the latest Qualcomm MSM7xxx chipsets, HTC is providing the following statement.

HTC is committed to delivering a portfolio of devices that offer a wide variety of communication, connectivity and entertainment functionality. HTC does not offer dedicated or optimized multimedia devices and can confirm that its Qualcomm MSM7xxx-based devices do not use ATI’s Imageon video acceleration hardware.

HTC believes the overall value of its devices based on their combination of functionality and connectivity exceeds their ability to play or render high-resolution video. These devices do still provide a rich multimedia experience comparable to that of most smart phones and enable a variety of audio and video file formats.

HTC values its customers and the overall online community of mobile device enthusiasts and fans. HTC plans to include video acceleration hardware in future video-centric devices that will enable high-resolution video support.

Personally, I am happy with my TyTN II, I’ve never really noticed it being slow or unresponsive. However, if there is something that can be done to make it perform much better then I’d be really pleased to see it!

There seem to be a number of unofficial responses from HTC too and reading through the points raised on HTCClassAction, make a good case. So why not head over to HTCClassAction.org and make up your own mind… I’d love to hear your opinion!

Posted by: Matt

[Post tag(s): smartphone blog, Pocket PC blog, Tracy & Matt, HTC, HTCClassAction, ATI Imageon]

Eten Glofiish V900 announced

Hot on the heals of the Glofiish X650 Eten have details of a new Glofiish, the V900, have appeared on the web.

Eten Glofiish V900

I have to say that the V900 is quite possibly the best looking Eten device to date. When released the V900 will be available in both Blue and Black varierties and even better than that it’ll include a TV tuner and DAB radio.

Eten Glofiish V900 Specifications:

Posted by: Matt

[Source]

[Post tag(s): smartphone, Pocket PC, Eten, Glofiish, Eten Glofiish V900, Tracy & Matt]

Apple annouces ultra-thin laptop – MacBook Air

In his keynote speech at the MacWorld Expo in San Francisco, Steve Jobs has unveiled the world’s thinnest laptop, called the MacBook Air. The computer will be just 0.76 inches (1.93cm) at its thickest point.

MacBook Air

The Apple head also launched online film rentals for iTunes users in the US from almost every major film studio, including Disney and Fox.

Mr Jobs admitted that Apple’s first attempt to put online video in the living room had failed.

Of the laptop, Mr Jobs said: “It’s an amazing feat of engineering.”

It does not have a CD or DVD drive in order to save space.

“It was built to be a wireless machine,” he added.

The laptop will compete with a range of portable devices, from companies such as Sony, Dell and Asus, which are building so-called sub-notebooks, designed to be lighter and more mobile.

The machine goes on sale in two weeks and costs from $1,799 in the US and comes with either a hard disc drive or solid state drive.

So the MacBook Air will go head to head with the Asus Eee PC probably!? And it doubles are a Frisbee apparently?

Posted By: Matt

[Post tag(s): Smartphone Blog, MacBook Air, Apple, Tracy & Matt]

E-TEN announces the Glofiish X650

E-TEN first introduced the option for a VGA display in May and since then has added several more models to its product lineup aimed at different customer needs. The latest X650 is designed to appeal to those seeking a compact, full-featured device that is also affordable.

Eten Glofiish X650

A VGA display offers several significant benefits to the user. The greater resolution (four times higher than that of a typical Pocket PC Phone) enables a larger proportion of a document, calendar, map, or web page etc. to be displayed on screen at once, increasing productivity. Additionally, the higher pixel density means that text appears sharper and easier to read while pictures and video appear more detailed. VGA is set to become one of the key specifications for Pocket PC Phones in the coming year.

The Glofiish X650 features E-TEN’s all-in-one connectivity solution comprising of worldwide GSM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS. The device all comes preloaded with E-TENs exclusive software suite including Mobile Shell, Namecard Manager and Backup Utility as well as Microsoft Office Mobile, Windows Live and other utilities.

Specifications of the X650 include a Samsung SC3 processor at 500Mz, 256MB ROM, 2-megapixel auto-focus camera, FM Tuner, and FM Transmitter (subject to region). Dimensions of the handset are an ultra-compact 107 x 58 x 14.7mm with a weight of just 139g.

The Glofiish X650 is offered in two color choices, black and purple, and should be available worldwide in two to three weeks.

Posted by: Matt

[Post tag(s): smartphone, Pocket PC, Eten, Glofiish, Eten Glofiish X650, Tracy & Matt]

Blu-ray Titles Outsell HD DVD

As a Playstation 3 owner and one with a new Full HD plasma TV I thought this was an interesting article.

According to a press release from CES a few days ago, Blu-Ray titles are outselling HD DVD titles but up to 3 to 1! Good new for PS3 owners I suspect.

While I can’t comment as to whether Blu-Ray is better than HD DVD or not as I don’t have an HD player (If someone wants to send me one for review then that’s fine!) but here is the press release from CES:

Blu-ray Disc movie titles outsold HD DVD in the United States by a nearly 2-to-1 margin last year, according to sales figures from Home Media Research, an independent market research firm.

Blu-ray titles outsold HD DVD in the United States every single week of the year, according to HMR. And Blu-ray editions of titles released on both formats consistently outsold their HD DVD counterparts by significant margins. Sales of the Blu-ray edition of “300,” the bestselling high-definition title to date, have outpaced sales of the HD DVD version by 2-to-1.

According to the European based market research firm, GfK media control – OCC, high-definition movie title sales in Europe were nearly 3-to-1 in favor of Blu-ray. And in Japan the margin was an overwhelming 14-to-1.

Sales of high-definition playback devices were even stronger in Blu-ray’s favor – more than 3 -to-1 in the United States, 10-to-1 in Europe and more than 100-to-1 in Japan.

The strong consumer preference for Blu-ray was cited by Warner Bros. as the principle reason for their January 4th decision to publish solely on Blu-ray Disc beginning in May of 2008.

Posted By: Matt

[Post tag(s): smartphone blog, Pocket PC blog, Tracy & Matt, Blu-Ray, Playstation 3, HD-DVD]

Neonode news

Great news for Neonode fans out there, Neonode have joined forces with a US sales chanel company to form Neonode USA. Hopefully this should mean that Neonode devices, such at the recently released N2 should make a mainstream appearance.

We’ve mentioned Neonode devices in the past, such as the excellent N1 released several years ago. I’ve always thought it a shame that so few people recognise the Neonode brand but fingers crossed that the new partnership should address this.

The Neonode N2

Here is the official press release:

Swedish mobile phone manufacturer, Neonode, today announced that it has joined with U.S. sales channel development and supply chain company, Distribution Management Consolidators Worldwide LLC (DMC), to form Neonode USA. The new entity will market existing and new innovative products within North America, Latin America and China, and will commercially market the Neonode technology globally.

DMC leverages more than 40 years of experience managing all aspects of a brand development and sales channel program for international manufacturers looking to break into the Chinese, North and Latin American markets. The company works closely with its partners to ensure that products are a cultural fit, seamlessly manages the entire supply chain, and can provide sufficient financing to ensure a rapid market penetration. The whole experience reduces capital expenses and increases the speed to market for new consumer products.

Neonode N2 is a technologically advanced multimedia mobile phone incorporating the proprietary “zForce” optical touch screen technology and the “neno” user interface. When launched by Neonode USA, these proprietary technologies will be marketed exclusively by Neonode USA around the globe to widen the distribution of Neonode’s intuitive solutions.

“Neonode USA will leverage the groundbreaking technologies developed by Neonode, while utilizing DMC’s marketing and brand building experience, distribution channel relationships and supply chain management expertise. Collectively we expect this partnership will bring Neonode N2, and a number of other Neonode products, to the market efficiently and effectively.” said Mikael Hagman, CEO and President of Neonode Inc.

Neonode USA will market existing Neonode products and its intellectual property, and will develop new products that incorporate the power of “zForce” and “neno”.

“We have seen the critical acclaim the Neonode N2 has received in Europe, and believe there is a great demand for this multimedia mobile handset in North America, China and Latin America. Neonode has introduced technologies that have the power to change the nature of more than just the mobile phone industry, and can be embedded into a wide-range of desirable consumer products. DMC will fully leverage Neonode’s valuable resources in order to maximize the opportunities to market these uniquely intuitive technologies across many product categories and business sectors,” said Andrew Lowinger, President and CEO of DMC.

Neonode and Neonode N2 made its United States debut at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in the Central Hall 9817. Neonode USA’s main office will be located in New York.

Posted by: Matt

[Post tag(s): Tracy & Matt, Smartphone News, Neonode, N2, CES]

SanDisk Announces 12GB microSDHC Card

SanDisk just announced the release of their 12GB microSDHC memory card. Here’s what SanDisk had to say at CES:

SanDisk 12GB microSDHC

SanDisk today announced it has begun to sample 12-gigabyte microSDHC flash memory cards to major phone manufacturers for testing and evaluation. The 12GB card represents a 50 percent boost in card capacity from SanDisk’s industry-leading 8GB microSDHC cards, which are currently available worldwide, and highlights the growing popularity of mobile phones with storage-intensive features that include music players, digital cameras, video recording and playback and GPS capabilities.

“Mobile phones have become a key part of consumers’ lifestyles around the globe,” said Jeff Kost, senior vice president and general manager of the Mobile Consumer Solutions division at SanDisk. “What many people tend to overlook is the important role that removable storage cards play in enabling the key features of these fully featured mobile phones. In fact, many people are not even aware that their phone has a card slot which is why SanDisk recently launched its Wake Up Your Phone(TM) campaign.”

A 12GB microSDHC is ideal for storing large quantities of music, photos and video. For example, it will be able to store a combination of 1,500 songs, 3,600 photos and 24.5 hours of video.

SDHC is the designation for any SD or SD-based card that is larger than 2GB and adheres to the new SD 2.00 specification required for cards and hosts to support 4GB to 32GB capacities. The specification was developed by the SD Association, an industry standards board, which has also created three classes to define minimum sustained data transfer speed. These cards adhere to the SD Speed Class 4 Rating.

Posted by: Matt

[Post tag(s): Tracy & Matt, SanDisk, Cruzer, M2, microSDHC]

Astraware to join the Handmark family

Handmark and Astraware have announced a new business relationship in which Astraware will become part of the Handmark family.

From the press release:

Handmark and Astraware have worked together on entertainment projects for several years. Astraware undertook development work on the Tetris? Handmark major game license, and both companies already offer each other?s titles on their respective web shops.

Through the new relationship, Astraware will expand its existing UK games development studio to develop new high profile licenses as well as continuing work on original titles. In addition to Palm OS(R) and Windows Mobile(R), Astraware will release their first titles for Symbian(R) S60(R) and UIQ(R) in the first quarter of 2008, and will add games for BlackBerry(R) devices later in the year.

“We recognize the genius of the mobile gaming pioneers who created Astraware and welcome them to the Handmark family,” said Paul Reddick, Handmark CEO. “We share a passion for delivering superior mobile experiences.”

“For over 10 years, Astraware has successfully created some of the best mobile gaming brands in the industry, building a company through unparalleled focus on quality and customer satisfaction,” said Howard Tomlinson, co-founder and CEO of Astraware. “I am excited to be joining forces with Handmark and we will be able to focus our experience and talent on creating games across more platforms, and together we will become one of the most powerful forces in the mobile gaming industry.”

Posted by: Matt

[Post tag(s): smartphone blog, Pocket PC blog, Tracy & Matt, Astraware, Astraware Casino, Windows Mobile Blog]