Gadgety News

Ah, Mr blurry cam strikes again!!

But as this seems to be the only set actually showing the Android OS running on OpenMoko hardware I can’t afford to be picky.

OpenMoko is set to announce the worldwide launch and pricing on the second ever Android-powered handset.

These pictures are of the Neo FreeRunner device running the Android Platform out in the wild - you’re just gonna have to take my word for that.

A little fuzzy, but it’s very likely that Neo FreeRunner will be the second Android Phone!

The phone features a 2.8-inch VGA touchscreen display, 400MHz Samsung 2442 processor, GSM, and GPRS connectivity as before, plus the usual built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and AGPS, among other standard fare.

On the memory front, it supports both microSD, SDHC as an expansion option for up to 16 GB of space.

Check out the blurry shots for yourselves below.

If and when I get better pics I’ll be sure to post them up

BoyGeniusReport

Can’t wait to try out Windows 7?

Well, the Windows 7 Beta 1 that was to appear all public-like next month has been unleashed in a leaked stylee via BitTorrent.

The beta expires July 1, 2009, and from what I gather from various sources on the interweblogosphere, it’s a bit more stable than the versions people have been playing with over the last few months.

Don’t believe me?

ZDNet has had a blast with the beta over here, and remark:

This beta is of excellent quality. This is the kind of code that you could roll out and live with. Even the pre-betas were solid, but finally this beta feels like it’s “done.” This beta exceeds the quality of any other Microsoft OS beta that I’ve handled.

Head over to the links below to get a copy but remember you’re not actually supposed to have it yet!

My Digital Life via BlogsDNA via Technovedad via Download Squad

ZDNet

Sorry - this MacBook Nano has probably never seen an Apple let alone Cupertino!

Whether this is a little custom hack or there’s someone is making a living churning these funked MSI U100 types out from a lock-up “sarf of the river” I have no idea.

But these shiny-but-fake Mini Mac’s do come complete with Mac OS X installed and to be honest I think I’d have one - if only just to confuse everyone else!

Granted - whoever is dishing these out needs to give them a little more tweaking but I’m intereseted - contact me yeah? 

They come in black or white (guess which one I want) and here are the specs:

MSI U100 MacBook Nano
Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz
2G DDRII
10″ WSVGA LED (1024×600)
320GB SATA
1kg
MMC/SD/MS 4
Windows XP Pro + Mac OSX Leopard

Flickr via Gizmodo

Google used its Developer Day event in London to show off a working Android phone and this was captured by YouTube user “scottlet”.

The mystery phone got the old “gaffer over the badge” treatment so no clues given as to the forthcoming handset’s branding - expected from T-Mobile/HTC very soon.
Watch the vid to see select areas of the new mobile operating system in action.

Anyhow, there can’t be long to wait now, if the rumours are to be believed.

Click To See Google Android Presentation

The Samsung X360 is pretty impressive.

Its size and weight (very light and very thin) and is ready to taunt the MacBook Air.

It has a 13.3-inch, 1200 x 800 pixel screen and by all reports is also very good.

It’s also all ported up, more so than Apple’s notebook: direct HDMI out, three USB ports, Express Card slot, 7-in-1 flash card reader, external optical unit included, and fingerprint reader for security.

For Windows users the Samsung X360 looks like a great choice but Apple fanboys will argue that a revision of the MacBook Air is just around the corner and that the Sammy wont play OS X.

For me though on the surface of it all the winner is the Samsung X360.

The only drawback for me is the lack of colour choices - you get the usual ‘Piano Black’ but even for an ardent fan of black such as me - it would be nice to have a choice.

Sammy aint pulling any punches either as it’s being branded it as “lighter than air” and say it’s the “lightest notebook in its 13.3 inch class” since it weighs just 1.27 kg.

Under the hood there’s a 45nm Core 2 Duo mobile processor and it comes with an external DVD drive.

The battery life is claimed to be 10 hours, by Samsung.

It’ll be available in September in some European countries, and Russia, China and Hong Kong, but there’s no info on the US release or pricing.

Microsoft Research is sorting a Windows replacement!

A leaked white paper that is the source of an article on SD Times has started the beautiful rumour-mill on the interblogweb and all the whispers are about “Midori”.

For those who are thinking “Midori? Wassaten?”

It’s a stripped down and modular Operating System that centers around the net.

So I’m guessing that means it’ll be accessable via multiple puters……….but everything is a little on the covert side at the mo.

Could Midori be MinWin (the OS that cropped up in ‘07) under a different name?

It’s been a while since I’ve reported anything about the Xperia X1. Infact it was the Sony advert on YouTube.

But, those lucky little so-and-sos over at Boy Genius Report have managed to get their sticky mits all over Sony Ericsson’s wonder phone!!

The low-down is that it’s flaunting an 800 x 480 screen, optical joystick, HSDPA and these are all very groovy.

The keyboard, on the other-hand (which looks like it should be a joy to type on) leaves a lot to be desired apparently. Oddness.

The Panel interface is still queued up to feature but BG didn’t have any shots.

Here’s some that Engadget posted though: Panel Interface Pics

BoyGeniusReport | 

The lightweight Linux variant Splashtop that’s pre-installed on some Asus motherboards is bounding over like a playful puppy to a range of Asus notebooks, providing instant-on functions like wireless, web browsing, Skype, etc.  Good boy!

Since the software runs from the RAM there’s no need for the full OS to boot up - this also means that it saves that all important battery life.  Roll over. 

I reckon that this and other similar software will start popping up on more systems.  Beg.

Have a goosey at the press jibba-jabba.  Fetch!

Splashtop comes to ASUS Notebooks Complete range of ASUS notebook models provide ‘instant-on’ Internet and media access May 29, 2008 - SAN JOSE, CA - DeviceVM today announced the release of their award winning Splashtop™ software on numerous ASUS notebooks.

Splashtop is a light-weight operating system that allows consumers to use their computers seconds after hitting the power button. Models spanning a wide range of segments are to ship with Splashtop pre-installed by ASUS starting in June this year. “The integration of Splashtop into notebooks represents a big step forward in portable computing, where instant ‘on’ and ‘off’ is essential,” said Mark Lee, co-founder and CEO of DeviceVM. “We are pleased to introduce Splashtop to portable computing together with our partner ASUS.” Branded “Express Gate” by ASUS, Splashtop software enables users to browse the web, watch videos, listen to music, chat with friends, share photos, and more - just seconds after turning on their PC. Express Gate is already available on a wide range of PC motherboards from ASUS.

The notebooks announced today are the first to integrate Express Gate for the broad consumer market, including the M70T, M50V and M51T multimedia series and the stylish F8Va/Vr series. “ASUS is always committed to bring customers the most innovative solutions,” said Henry Yeh, General Manager, ASUS Notebook Business Unit. “With Express Gate, users will experience a new, fast, and secure way to surf, chat and play on ASUS notebooks for a new computing experience”

**ASUS booth will showcase Express Gate at Computex in Taipei International Convention Center TF1L & 101B, June 3 - 7. Please come by for more information.

Splashtop

Windows 7, once pencilled to be called Vienna, has now been ear-marked for release in 2010. 

Billy G & Co told everyone that the successor to Vista wouldn’t hit shelves for three years - it turns out that they meant 3 years after their bug-niggly Vista was released (yup - it was only January 2007).

There’s no specific release date yet - C’mon, they’ve got another coupla years yet!  I wager that it can only be an improvement on the current thing right?

Save Windows XP.

Wha?

This must be a great big kick in Microsoft’s teeth to find that there is actually an online petition to keep XP alive after the release of Vista a year ago!

What is funny is that 57,000 people have already signed up to save XP!

I have to hold my hand up and say that I’ve had no real problems with XP and will be ordering my new lappy with XP and NOT Vista installed as I need something quite stable as I’m going to be using it as a portable Pro Tools studio.

Where do I sign?  Click the link at the top of this article to learn more ;0,

Microsoft plans to end most sales of Windows XP on June 30, despite a deep reluctance by many business and individuals about moving to Vista. InfoWorld believes such an expensive, time-consuming shift with problematic benefits should not be forced on Windows users, so we have decided to rally XP users to demand that XP be kept available.

From The Place of Ferrety Goodness Red Ferret