Well it has been a busy weekend, yesterday I was discussing Windows Mobile on the msmobiles podcast and today I had a great time chatting with Michael Manna of the T4 Show about the iPhone 3G buying process in the UK and US along with first impressions of the App Store and Apps available at launch. You can download the podcast directly here or subscribe in iTunes here.
via T4 Show
Was lucky enough to join the team at msmobiles again this Saturday and talk Windows Mobile with Edward form msmobiles and Alli from MyTreo.net. Not a great deal of Windows Mobile news this week because of the iPhone 3G launch but a few interesting topics to discuss. You can get the podcast from msmobiles or download it directly here. Show notes after the break.
If you were to take a look at the images of the Celio Redfly below you’d probably be forgiven for thinking it was just another small laptop PC. However the Redfly is described as a ‘Mobile Companion’.
So what does that mean? In the simplest terms the Redfly connects to a Windows Mobile device and brings the WM experience to a larger display with the added benefit of a full QWERTY keyboard and trackpad. On it’s own the Redfly can do nothing more than display a mouse pointer on the screen but once connected to a Windows Mobile device it takes on the appearance of a Windows Mobile powered laptop.
Setting up the Redfly to work with your WM device is a breeze. Al you have to do is install a small piece of software on you mobile and then connect the two with a USB cable. Have a look at my unboxing and demo video below to see the Redfly in action.
Celio Redfly Specification:
GENERAL
As I mentioned above, the Redfly looks like a small laptop similar in size to the Asus Eee PC. The outside is covered in a dark red metallic finish that reminds me of and old Nokia phone I had years ago. The whole thing weighs just 900 grams.
The Celio Redfly
Opening up the Redfly reveals a full QWERTY keyboard and a large, although strangely shaped, trackpad. The trackpad is really wide but not very tall.
Redfly Open
The keyboard itself has a number of keys that mirror specific functions on the Smartphone. There are keys for email, homescreen, phone functions, internet, comm manager, etc.
Redfly Keyboard
On the rear of the Redfly you’ll find a number of connectors. These include a VGA connector so that you can hook the unit up to an external monitor or projector. Two USB 2.0 sockets that can be used to connect to the Smartphone device itself, to plug in external keyboards and mice or to plug in external flash drives. Finally on the back is the socket for the AC adapter in order to charge the unit.
Redfly Connectors
REVIEW
I’ve only had access to the Redfly for a short period of time so have not had the chance to give it a full, real-world road test but I’ve had a couple of days to try it out.
Initial set up takes only a few minutes and requires the download and installation of a small bit of software on the Windows Mobile device. On the Celio website you’ll find a list of supported devices with optimised drivers for each model. Many popular models are listed but the HTC Touch Diamond isn’t there (yet) however, you can use drivers from other models and they seem to work ok.
You need to connect using a USB cable initially ad within a few seconds you’ll see the display from your WM device on the Redfly. The display isn’t stretched on the Redfly, instead you get extra screen space. Once connected you can then set up Bluetooth so that you don’t need to use the USB cable to connect in future.
I tried the Redfly with my HTC TyTN II and HTC Touch Diamond both using the AT&T Tilt drivers. As you can see from the video, the homescreen isn’t displayed perfectly on the Redfly with either device. I suspect that this is very much down to the TouchFlo interface on both devices. The Diamond is worse in this respect, probably due to the VGA native display, TouchFlo 3D and the lack of native drivers.
Once past the homescreen though both devices work fine. Using email, Word and Excel is great on the Redfly screen as is viewing a PDF document. Internet Explorer also works quite well but Pocket IE doesn’t render webpages faithfully. I did try to use Opera on the Diamond but when connected to the Redfly Opera refused to launch which might again be driver related. For most business tasks such as email, calendar and contacts the Redfly works perfectly.
To me the Redfly seems like a great idea – A small and light laptop style device that connects to my WM device and gives me a laptop size screen and keyboard. All sounds great until you consider the cost of the Redfly. At a little under £310 it seems a little steep when you can buy a full laptop PC for a little more (or less in the case of the Eee PC) and still use your WM device as a 3G modem for connecting to the internet.
I guess there are other benefits to consider with the Redfly though. First of all there are no drives or other parts that can fail causing a loss of data. The Redfly doesn’t need upgrading or replacing, when you get a new Smartphone the Redfly will adopt all of it’s abilities. The Redfly is also secure – it someone steals it they don’t steal your data. Also find me a laptop that will run for a few days without charging as in practice I’ve yet to charge the Redfly beyond the initial charge when I first received it a few days ago.
CONCLUSION
The Celio Redfly is a novel idea and an excellent solution for those mobile professionals who use a compatible Windows Mobile smartphone and would like to travel light while needing a bit more capability than is offered just by that one device. However, the Redfly doesn’t really offer any new functionality to the WM device beyond being able to connect USB drives. I appreciate that you get a nice large display and a full QWERTY keyboard but for me if I had to carry just one device it would be a small laptop rather than the Redfly.
That said, a stripped down laptop isn’t the right solution for everyone, there’s a big group of people who don’t want to go to the hassle of maintaining a full laptop unless they have to, and the Redfly is good option of many of them, especially if they like the idea of 8 hours of battery life.
Posted by: Matt
[Post tag(s): smartphone news, Pocket PC news, Tracy & Matt, celio, redfly, Mobile Companion]
Tracy and Matt take a look at the Redfly. I’ve been interested in this since the Palm Foleo was unfortunately dumped. If you think an Eee PC is too much and you feel little limited when working from you Windows Smartphone then this might just be the gap in the market you are looking for.
Since the disappointment of the Dension Gateway 100 not charging the iPhone 3G I have been seeking answers as to what the problem is and it appears that Apple have removed the ability to charge the iPhone 3G via Firewire. The iPods and original iPhone connector has two sets of power connectors – one for USB and one for Firewire but the new iPhone 3G only has USB charging pins.
Vivendi Game Mobile has released their popular racing game based on the Crash Bandicoot character. This game uses the accelerometer on the iPhone and iPod Touch to great effect. Michael Manna at the T4 Show has put together a great video showing the game in action, check it out after the break.
Ok if your not a fan of iPhone 3G and are sick to death of hearing about it (Edward msmobiles) then this video is for you. The guys at Will it blend have just posted a video of… yes you guessed it an iPhone 3G in a blender, check it out after the break and laugh or cry it is your call.
We did a review of the Dension Gateway 100 using it with the original iPhone and it all worked perfectly. Now that I have the iPhone 3G I have been testing it out this morning and it is not good news. First off the Brodit holder that I have installed is a little tight but it should be fine as it is lined with a felt so it will not scratch the iPhone 3G. The worst part is when you plug the cable into the iPhone 3G and you are met with a warning message.
I have now had the iPhone 3G for 24 hours and thought it would be a good idea to post some impressions so far. The buying experience is now over and hopefully will not be repeated but since then its all been pretty good. Unlike in the US we did not have to activate the iPhone 3G instore, all that was needed was a signature on a new or upgrade contract and a credit check. The credit check took the longest as O2’s credit check service failed before 9am but luckily as I got mine from the The Carphone Warehouse they had a back up plan so all was good. After the break more first thoughts.
Polaroid recently announced that they were to stop production of the instant film used in it’s range of instamatic cameras. When I first heard the news I was surprised that anyone was still using instant film and that they hadn’t stopped years ago. I later learned that there are a lot of business applications where this kind of film is used.
Polaroid are not leaving the instant photo market though as the launch of the Polaroid PoGo brings the concept of instant photos to the 21st century by using the latest Zink (Zero Ink) printing technology to support modern digital cameras.
The Polaroid PoGo
The Polaroid PoGo is a small battery operated mobile printer that allows you to print your digital photos on the go. With Bluetooth and Pict-Bridge support it’s possible to print photos from virtually all modern digital cameras and mobile phones.
Polaroid PoGo Specification:
- Size: 120mm (4.7”) H X 72mm (2.8”) W X 23.5mm (0.9”) D
- Weight: 8 oz (without paper) includes battery
- Battery: 7.2V rechargeable lithium-ion
- User Interface: 2 Tri-Colour LED indicators
- AC Adapter: 9V output Universal Input 100V to 240 VAC
- Connectivity: Bluetooth (Class 2) OPP USB 2.0 USB A connector
- Print Speed: 60 seconds per print, from send to share
Whats in the box?
- Polaroid PoGo instant printer
- AC Adapter
- Rechargeable battery
- 10 sheets of Zink Paper
- User guide & Warranty card
For more on what’s in the box and a demonstration of the PoGo in action take a look at Matt’s PoGo Video.
General – click images for larger view
The Polaroid PoGo comes in a neat and compact package weighing just 230 grams and measuring 120mm x 72mm x 23.5mm. On the ‘top’ of the unit you’ll find a single connector for plugging in the power supply to charge the internal battery.
Polaroid PoGo ‘top’
On the side from the power connector is the power button and a couple of tri-colour status LED’s which tell you the print and battery power status. Next to that is the USB 2.0 connector which allows you to connect a compatible digital camera.
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Polaroid PoGo ‘bottom’
On the end of the unit there’s a single slot where the printed paper is slowly ejected.
Polaroid PoGo paper exit
The paper is loaded in a tray accessed by pressing a release button on one end. Zink paper come in packs of 10 but there seems to be room in the paper tray for about 30 sheets.
Polaroid PoGo paper tray
Highlights
- Truly portable printing
- Good connectivity
- Cool gadget status
- Smudge proof, water proof and ink-free prints
Lowlights
- Prints are expensive
- Print quality not great
- Battery life poor
Review
I first saw the Polaroid PoGo a few months ago at a press event and when I saw it I immediately wanted one. The PoGo seemed like a great idea and as I am always behind a camera it was a logical addition to my gadget bag.
Polaroid released the PoGo in the UK a few weeks ago and it’s gradually being made available in a number of high street shops, such as PC World, and at online outlets such as Amazon and Play.com. The main unit will set you back just under £100 which isn’t all that cheap but you do get everything you need included in the box to get up and running.
Setting up is dead simple. Once you remove everything from the box you just have to install and charge the internal rechargeable battery. If you are a bit impatient you can start printing while the unit is charging.
The next step is to install that special Zink paper. Included in the kit you’ll find ten 2″ x 3″ sheets of paper in a pack. You’ll also find a piece of blue paper in the pack. Don’t throw this away as this is the ‘smartsheet’ that you need to run through the printer first. The smartsheet has a barcode printed on it and automatically runs through the printer the first time you turn it on after installing the paper. I believe that the smart sheet ‘tells’ the printer how many sheets of paper are installed.
You’re now ready to start printing and this can be done in one of two ways. The first is to use a mobile phone or other Bluetooth compatible device. If you are using Bluetooth you have to first set up a partnership between the PoGo and your mobile. The exact method depends on your mobile but normally consists of turning on Bluetooth and the selecting ‘add Bluetooth device’ and entering the Passcode. Once a partnership is created you can then send or beam images from your phone to the PoGo and within a minute or so out comes a full colour photograph.
The second way to print is to connect a PictBridge compatible digital camera. Connecting the printer to a compatible camera with a USB cable is normally enough to put the camera in to PictBridge mode. On my camera for example a button lights up blue when the printer connects and pressing the button prints the image currently displayed in the screen.
Once you press the print button the activity light on the PoGo starts to flash while the image is processing, within about 20 seconds the printer starts to whir and slowly the photo inches it’s way out of the slot at the end. The whole process from start to finish takes around 60 seconds. Printing via Bluetooth is a little slower but this is probably down to the connection speed.
So what are the prints like? I suppose I would describe them as ‘OK’. They aren’t going to compete with specialist photographic services or even the larger inkjet photo printers that you can buy these days but you have to remember this is a printer that fits in your pocket! When you consider that you can produce prints practically anywhere and any time then you begin to see where this little gadget will find its market.
Last week I went to a christening with my Canon camera around my neck and the Polaroid PoGo in my suit pocket. I took a number of nice pictures of the baby being baptised and while we were waiting for the ceremony to end I had already started to print and hand-out souvenir prints to the baby’s family. They were all very impressed an all wanted to have a go!
Have a look at the two images below. The first is the image taken straight from the camera with no PP and the second is of the same photo printed on the PoGo and scanned back in to the PC at 300 dpi. As you can see, the print isn’t perfect (the scan does look a little worse than the physical photo) and also note that the image is cropped.
Sample image from camera
Scanned print from the Polaroid PoGo
The PoGo is great to take to parties and events, everyone will want you to print a photo for them. However, you wont want to get too carried away. The cost of the paper will probably stop you from going too mad as a pack of 10 sheets of Zink paper will set you back £3! So at 30p per print that works out at around 6 (six!!) times more expensive than commercial photo services such as Bonusprint. But again, remember that the PoGo allows you to have your prints NOW.
Even if you are feeling flush and splash out on a wad of photo paper don’t expect to be printing photos all day long as the rechargeable battery will only last for about 15 prints. In practice the battery will probably not last that long if you are leaving the PoGo switched on between prints.
The reason that the PoGo is so power hungry is down to how the Zink paper works. The print head has to get pretty hot to activate the colour on the page and it’s the heat in the print head that eats the battery.
The full-colour digital photos are created without ink cartridges or ribbons using Zink Photo Paper, keeping the printer to about the size of a deck of cards. The paper is a durable material that contains colourless cyan, yellow and magenta dye crystals. Heat activation brings photos to life, colourising Zink dye crystals, so digital photos can be shared instantly.
Conclusion
For truly mobile instant photo prints the PoGo is amazing, you’ll have your friends cooing over your new gadget!
However, for the PoGo to really take off I think the cost of the photo paper has to come down and come down a lot. If Polaroid can get the cost per print down to around 10p per print then I’m sure more people will consider the PoGo.
I’d also like to see a larger version made available. I know the portability will be somewhat compromised but I would much rather have 6×4″ prints.
Posted By: Matt
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