smartech

We’re not so sure what Creative is trying to do, and what is the final product we’re about to see in the following months, but one thing for sure, the latest Zii EGG handheld, the company has just introduced as an Android-based device, powered with the new “Plaszma” platform that was created for developers and OEMs, is really rocking our geeky brains with tons of high class features and updated specs that include a 3.5-inch 320×480 multi-touch display (Capacitive 10-point multi-gesture touch display), along with up to 32GB of internal flash memory, paired with SDHC slot (supports up to 32GB of external SDHC Card), 256MB Mobile DDR RAM (similar to the iPhone 3GS), dual cameras for video conferencing, as the front camera supports HD quality, 3-axis accelerometer, a built-in speaker, a mic, and of course, WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR connectivity are also included in Creative’s “StemCell Computing” project, to let you connect with outbound entities. Other than that, this amazing machine (which you have to admit, looks exactly like an iPhone), packs X-Fi audio processing and supports OpenGL ES and HD playback with 1080p video output (via HD cable). Creative says the platform itself is “market-ready” for OEM manufacturers and can be bundled with different outfits for retail price of $400, but until we figure out whether it will be released as an mp3 player, mobile phone or other alternatives, checkout the video demo after the break.

Update1: With so much potential, stuffed into a one small device, it’s just a matter of time until we’re going to see more neat features, demonstrating the Zii EGG phenomenal specs to the world, and as for a start, hit the jump to checkout the other video, introducing the Zii, running a racing game demo, using both its accelerometer and OpenGL ES capabilities.

Update2: You know the drill, first comes the introduction, then it’s the traditional dissection, which in this case is up, courtesy of the FCC report (and not a cracking group), that every company has to pass through, to ge its productst into the US market. Hit the break to see the inside part of the Zii.

Update3: And if web surfing is something you find yourself using quite often while on the go, mind you that Creative has officially chosen Opera as the main browser inside the Zii Egg. Good or bad, it’d be up to you to decide, once the Zii gets available.

[Via DAP Review]

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The guys at Terracode were unpleased with the lack of netbook devices that can actually play 1080P videos without stuttering. That is probably why they’ve bravely decided to take their 8.9-inch Acer Aspire One machine and sacrifice it to the modding gods. The Acer netbook, which comes with the usual 1GB of RAM, paired with a 1024 x 600 screen display and an ordinary Intel GMA 950 graphics chipset, could barely play 720p videos, not to mention the 1080p ones, but with Teracode hack, things looked a bit different. Starting with the major things, a Broadcom’s BCM70012 video accelerator was plugged into the box, while an extra 1GB of RAM added as well, together with a speedy 64GB SSD, instead of the old sluggish hard drive, that came out of the box. The results, apparently, speak for themselves, as the new revamped netbook (that costs around $442) was able to play high-def video files without any problem. True, 1080p videos are just a waste on 1024X600 resolution that most netbooks have, but hey, you can always plug them into your big flat 1920X1080 LCD screen. Check out the project’s videos, featuring “Before” and “After” demonstrations, after the break.

[via Slashgear]

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Surprisingly, non of us has actually seen a lot of netbooks action from ViewSonic, but clearly it was just a matter of time until the company will take first steps into this crowded market, and it finally did, with recent announcement, indicating a new VNB101 machine that suppose to include Intel’s Atom N280 processor, along with a 10.2-inch 1024×600 display, 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD, a 3400mAh Lithium-Polymer battery, an optional 3G SIM card hub and either red, black or champagne colors to choose from – All priced around $485 in Taiwan. Not sure when this new device will make any appearance Stateside, but meanwhile, you can take a look at Netbooks News first video hands-on after the break.

Update: Viewsonic has also released an entry level netbook, the VNB100, which is an Atom-based device, paired with similar specs like its VNB101 sibling, with optional ExpressCard slot and built-in 3G modem. Both prices and availability are yet to be determined, but as always, you can check out the latest video after the break (courtesy of NetbookNews).

[Via netbooknews]

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NEC’s super slim Atom Z540 (1.84GHz) VersaPro VS-7  netbook has already made its Japanese debut somewhere in May, but only now gets a closer look, as Akihabara News has taken it for a first ride, coming back full of superlatives about “flawless” HD video the machine can deliver and “freaking light” design the device weights (725g). Other than that, it boasts 64GB of SSD, a 10.6-inch 1208 x 768 screen display, 1GB of RAM to smoothly handle everything that runs,  three USB slots, Ethernet port and of course, a whopping  price of ¥176,000 ($1,850), which pretty well suits price tags from the “Land of the Rising Sun”. Hit the link to see the video, paired with some new images.

[via Akihabaranews]

We all know how much you’ve been anxiously waiting for Nvidia ION to start showing up inside netbook machines, boosting your HD capabilities to maximum level. Now, add yourself some crazy colors on top of it and get a Point Of View Mobii 230 netbook, packed  with a surprising Atom N230 processor (that mostly appears on nettops), together with a 10.2-inch 1024X600 display, an HDMI output, 1GB of RAM and 160GB HDD – All given a European price tag of €349 ($495). And when the company states our 1080p videos will surely run without stuttering and that DirectX 10 plus Shader Model 4.0 support are both included, a few more weeks of anticipation looks like a nerve racking.

[Via Netbook News]

If OLED walkmans might exceed your annual PMP budget and seems too pricey acquiring, Sony Europe has officially announced a new video mp3 player, under E-Series category, which suppose to go live from the end of July for an undetermined price that will probably be lower than previous versions. The players themselves are expected to support wide range of formats, while hardware includes an FM tuner, together with five band EQ, a 2-inch (320 x 240) QVGA display, a built-in microphone, 4/8/16GB capacities to choose from and either Black or Red colors to choose from. Stay suned for more details to show up.

Update: Apparently, this series will have three models included, the NWZ-E443, E444 and E445 players, packing the aforementioned capacities, respectively.

[Sony]

Google has just thrown a bomb to the IT world, announcing a new Chrom OS platform that suppose to give an open-source solution mainly for netbooks but also for full-size desktop systems, and is expected to go live somewhere on the second half of 2010. Additionally, the new OS from Mountain View, CA is claimed to smoothly run any x86 and ARM chips, while the company firmly says it already teamed up with manufacturers like Acer, Adobe, ASUS, Freescale, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Qualcomm, and Texas Instruments to bring you all the best and comprehensive UI you’d get, so stay tuned for a lot more to come. Here’s what Google’s blog had to say, in a nutshell:

“Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks. Later this year we will open-source its code, and netbooks running Google Chrome OS will be available for consumers in the second half of 2010. Because we’re already talking to partners about the project, and we’ll soon be working with the open source community, we wanted to share our vision now so everyone understands what we are trying to achieve.

Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS. We’re designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds. The user interface is minimal to stay out of your way, and most of the user experience takes place on the web. And as we did for the Google Chrome browser, we are going back to the basics and completely redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don’t have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates. It should just work.”

[Google]

It’s been already 3 weeks since we first heard about iPhone’s OS 3.0 jailbreak announcement for 1st generation and 3G devices, but today, this is the day of iPhone 3GS owners, as Dev-Team has done it again, officially releasing the redsn0w version for Apple’s latest mobile machine (and for all its predecessors) and the first redsn0w release that also supports linux. You can find it available in most common torrents and as always, should proceed forward with severe caution.

[Dev-Team]

Think you’ve seen them all? Try again, as Sony FINALLY joins the netbook world, officially announcing the VAIO W series, which suppose to get a Japanese release somewhere this August for a pricey tag of Â¥60,000 or about $629. Other than that, Sony’s new VAIO W machine, or in its industrial name the VPCW119XJ, boasts pretty much the same specs we’re all familiar with, including a 10.1-inch display running at 1366 x 768 pixels, along with Intel’s Atom N280 (1.66 GHz) processor, 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard-drive, GMA 950 Graphics accelerator, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi connection, Bluetooth, Ethernet, built-in camera, 3-cell battery support supporting 3.5h of work (6-cell optional), Windows XP onboard, a trendy VAIO chiclet keyboard (86% the size of regular one) and myriad of colors to choose from, such as Black, Sugar White, Berry Pink and Cocoa Brown, all stuffed inside a 267.8mm x 27.5mm x 179.6mm device. It’s all relatively new, and as of this moment there are no details when it will hit Western shores or how much will it cost here (hopefully cheaper) but until then, feel free to jump the break and watch the video we’ve added in, together with the full press release.

Update1: Sony’s Vaio W netbook series is said to be available in the US somewhere in mid August for $499.

Update2: Now available with a new snowflake texture, ready to be mixed with the holidays’ general atmosphere. Specs and price remain the same, new image is half past the break.

[Sony]

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Not sure if Intel has any reason to be worried, but looks like more and more companies start ditching the Atom-based processor and jump on AMD’s trendy CPU wagon, with Gateway, only recently implementing the Athlon 64 L110 inside its LT3100 11.6-inch netbook and now Medion, housing the Sempron 210U processor inside its latest Akoya Mini E1312 machine. But processors aside, Medion’s new netbook, has a lot more to offer with a nice 16:9 11.6-inch 1366 x 768 display inside, paired with ATI Radeon Xpress 1250 graphics accelerator and an HDMI output to boost your high-def videos. Other than that, you should expect getting 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive 3-in-1 card reader, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi connectivity, 6-cell battery (9-cell optional), and Windows XP aboard – all priced at £339.99 (around $550) – from July 12th, exclusively at Aldi UK. Still no word about a Stateside release, so stay tuned.

[via pocket-lint]

Apparently, Korean corp. iRiver is doing efforts to keep the “E” PMP lineup (which wasn’t the best one ever) live and kicking,  giving it another try, this time with a nice aluminum finish – covering the chassis – instead of this cheap plastic frame you probably noticed with E100 and E150 predecessors. But metal gear wasn’t the only change that iRiver has pushed inside the new E200 PMP. As a matter of fact, the new player also boasts a 2.8-inch OLED display, paired with nice capacitive touch buttons beneath, microSD expansion, an FM tuner and a built-in speaker to share your music around, and while we’re still looking for price and availability details to show up, you might be satisfied knowing there is a wide range of codecs the E200 supports, including RMVB, MPEG-4 SP, WMV9 SP, XVID SP and MP3, WMA, OGG, or FLAC files. Stay tuned for even more to come.

[via Dapreview]

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