Posts tagged as:

portable

Microsoft Courier more Desirable than Apple iPad?

by Jay Garrett on March 9, 2010

Ok, so the iPad isn’t floating everyone’s boat is it?

I’ve actually been interested in Microsoft’s offering for quite some time now and there’s some more info seeping through about the twin screened tablet known as Courier.

So, we all already know that the Courier will react in a nice way to being stroked and poked by either finger or stylus but the video below also shows that Microsoft’s Courier has shrunk since we first got sneaky peeks at it.

The shrinkage will obviously help it be more portable and, as it looks to be around 5″x7″ and about an inch think, should be luggable +++ :)

It beats the Apple table by seemingly sporting a camera. The Courier, as well as having the pinch-zoom touchscreeness can also recognise handwriting when using the stylus which combined with being able to cope with multiple apps running is going to make Mr Jobs weep. I particularly like the cut and paste using the stylus shown in the vid below.

You are able to keep ‘Journals’ which, given its book-like form factor, are kinda like multi-media scrapbooks. This makes me think that the big M may be pushing the Courier as Filofax for the 21st Century. It’s neat that you can make a journal your homepage so if you’re off to a meeting you can have all your relevant notes, pics, etc right at the front of your do everything organiser.

According to the whispers on Engadget the Courier UX will be purring along using the Tegra 2 OS as found on the Zune HD and not Windows 7 – so a little similar to Apple’s choice of using the iPhone OS and not Mac OSX.

As I mentioned before:  We should be looking at the Micorsoft Courier UX as a small Surface device.  The OS indeed resembles the Surface operating system with the added bonus of mobile niceties such as maps and internetweb.

Reckon it’s a no-brainer to think that the Courier would make a great e-Book reader huh?

Microsoft is aiming to launch this in the second half of this year and it sounds like it will be keenly priced as they’re planning large volume sales.

Colour me interested – what say you?

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Sony PSP Phone and Tablet may Become Reality

by Jay Garrett on March 8, 2010

The mythical PSP Phone as well as an iPad baiting tablet may well slip out from Sony – Well, that’s how the Wall Street Journal sees it.

Sony CEO Howard Stringer is looking towards Apple for inspiration in order to bring success back to Sony’s door.

The Japanese company is already making steps with its Sony Online Service having iTunes firmly in its sights and add that to a bunch of new mobile gadgets to use SOS – it sounds like plots are forming.

The report claims a source says that there will be a PSP-phone and an iPad style tablet that “blurs distinctions among a netbook, an e-reader and a PSP.”

These new devices will join the PSP Go and get access to SOS which will enable them access to games, music, movies and, more-than-likely, e-books.

I’m just hoping that Sony has looked at and taken on-board the feedback received after the lower-than-expected sales that the PSP Go has had thus far ;)

I’m interested to see what Sony come up with and must admit – I’m more than a little excited by the prospect :)

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MiLi iPhone Pico Projector Now on Sale in UK

February 28, 2010 Click to read more →
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Remember the MiLi projector? The pico that’s been specially designed to chuck images from your iPhone or iPod onto a nearby wall?
Well, IWOOT now has them in stock which means if you want to throw a 70 inch image on to a clear, flat vertical surface you’re in luck.
To see your stored pics or videos [...]

TC Electronic Impact Twin Firewire Audio Interface – State of the Art Home Studio

January 24, 2010 Click to read more →
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If you cast your mind back to the start of the month you may remember my review of TC Electronic’s RH450 and RS210 bass rig that I bought.
I love my new rig and now understand what all the fuss was about.
I’m now fortunate enough to own TC Electronic’s new state of the art audio interface [...]

Tracks by Aiaiai – 80’s Headphones for 2010

January 18, 2010 Click to read more →
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Righty – you love the retro vibe, perhaps wearing some cool Space Invader tights, but you’re rocking some modern headphones – you’ve ruined the look!
You could get yourself some mighty fine Koss Porta Pros, which I’ve owned and loved but they might be a little ‘off-the-shelf’ for someone as cool as you.
May I present the [...]

Crosley Revolution Ultra-Portable Record Player [no turntable]

January 10, 2010 Click to read more →
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If you can remember the very cool Linos ultra-portable record deck and thought that it was way too much of a futuristic concept – have a look at The Revolution from Crosley!
I’m feeling this design so much.
The Revolution isn’t meant to be hooked up to your Hi-Fi system but for taking your vinyl with you.
It [...]

Microsoft Zune Really Coming to the UK at Long Last

November 17, 2009 Click to read more →
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Zune coming to UK?
Yeah – that’s what I thought when I was told this.
I reckoned that these very shores were going to get a taste of the MP3 player that was designed to take on Apple’s iPod.
Ok, so almost four years later the Zune only owns 2% of the US MP3 market – a [...]

Vestalife Firefly iPod Dock – Reminds Me of a Cartoon Character but Which One?

November 12, 2009 Click to read more →
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You have to do something different if you want someone to notice yet another iPod dock hitting the market.
Vestalife has revealed theirs and have called it the “Firefly“.
Vestalife says that the cuteness belies a “bold personality and powerful sound”.
They also says it has “organic flowing lines that give it a unique attitude and personality”.
So [...]

Nintendo DSi XL (or LL) Shown Off in Official Video – Come See!

November 12, 2009 Click to read more →
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Remember the super-sized Nintendo DSi with the large screen from a coupla weeks ago?
Well now there’s an official flick for it.
This is the first screening for the Nintendo DSi XL (or LL as it’s known in Japan) from the larger hand-held. The good thing is that it gives you a good idea of both [...]

AQ Amigo Flatpack Portable Stero Speaker Bar Balances on Laptop Screen

November 11, 2009 Click to read more →
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I’ve yet to find a laptop that actually has great speakers that give decent depth and clarity.
At home I have my laptop go through my little Denon mini system that chucks the noise out through some Q Audio monitor speakers – all well and good til I hit the road with said lappy.
I’ve tried various [...]

Suited Case – Luggage Set That Converts into a Sofa. Laugh at Those Travel Delays!

November 4, 2009 Click to read more →
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If you’ve ever been horribly delayed at the airport and then tried to find somewhere comfy to sit, chill or sleep – or, if you’re the nomadic type that finds themselves kicked out of the house on a regular basis – this may be of distinct interest to you.
This 4 piece luggage set by Dutch [...]

EOps i24R3 Portable – Single Unit Wireless Surround Sound Speaker

November 4, 2009 Click to read more →
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Why have I got a picture of a broken table/giant spinning-top/dartboard/archery target?
This is none-of-the-above as you can well imagine.
What that happens to be is the EOps i24R3 Portable.
The real, working, funkiness is a wireless, waterproof, single-speaker surround sound system that has just been announced by Hong Kong designer Michael Young.
The system is a single sealed [...]

iPhone eBooks and eReaders out Gun Games for First Time

November 2, 2009 Click to read more →
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For anyone thinking that reading a book on a small screen is a bad idea and the power of paper should never be overlooked then be prepared to rethink.
Whilst the Kindle, Sony Reader, Cool-er and even Alex are pretty certain of the future; Apple’s iPhone has stepped in with its own proof.
The obvious advantage with [...]

DSi Gets Larger Screen and Becomes DSi LL – How Does it Compare With the Rest of the DS Family?

October 29, 2009 Click to read more →
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It was whispered about earlier this week and in a quick turn around the larger screened DSi is confirmed as being real.

Enter the Nintendo DSi LL.
Launched at a Nintendo press event in Tokyo, the Nintendo DSi LL will instantly be applauded by the eye-strained and Brain Training lovers that, by all accounts, tend to be [...]

Samsung Hybrid Portable AMOLED Desktop

October 28, 2009 Click to read more →
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Sometimes there’s proof that beauty doesn’t have to be practical.
Look at most Super-models
What we have here, thanks to Akihabara News, is a rather gorgeous Samsung Desktop prototype.
The most attractive part of this set-up has to be that stunning AMOLED screen that happens to sport a resolution of 1366 x 768. As it [...]

Electrolux Can of Fire – Pack Away Fireplace

October 20, 2009 Click to read more →
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“Hang on – I just need to dive into the store and get four cans of fire.”
Sounds daft but if designer Camillo Vanacore gets their way this could be a quote from the future.
The capsule fireplace concept involves some sort of future-ceramic that apparently becomes transparent when exposed to heat.
It looks like this fireplace [...]

Nintendo of America Asks: Who is Sony’s PSP Go For?

October 12, 2009 Click to read more →
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The Christmas battle has commenced and Nintendo gaffer, Reggie Fils–Aime, has thrown of his gloves and slapped the Sony PSPgo firmly across the chops.
Reggie is known for telling it like he sees it – while he was having a go at the go he also took a quick swipe at the iPod Touch.
The PSPgo has [...]

Nuclear Batteries Soon to Power Tiny Tech

October 8, 2009 Click to read more →
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Tech keeps advancing and as it does so gadgets get thinner and smaller – almost to the point where the portable power sources, batteries to you and I, are getting too chunky for the tech they need to juice up.
Well – what we could do with is some nuclear batteries like the vision of the [...]

Phillipe Starck Works Design Magic on LaCie Drives

October 7, 2009 Click to read more →
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Remember those Parrott speakers by Phillipe Starck that appeared here around Christmas last year?
Well, he enjoyed that slice of consumer tech so much he’s only gone over to French hardware manufacturer, LaCie, and added that Starck “Je na se qua” to some hard drives.
LaCie have a bit of a history of adding some nice [...]

Sony PSP Go Goes Down in UK – Again!

October 5, 2009 Click to read more →
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Sony’s new “premium” handheld gaming and multi-media device, AKA PSPGo has been dropped in price by another source here in the UK.
Yup, following Tesco’s preorder price point, none other than Amazon have done the deed and dropped the Sony PSP Go! Console to £199.
So – is that it for the “aspirational” pricing as several UK [...]