The Mobile Gadgeteer

First Intel MID now available for $699

There was a lot of Intel MID (Mobile Internet Device) news and demos at CES back in January, but we are just now starting to see them become available. Jenn from Pocketables posted that the Aigo P8860D/Gigabyte M528 MID is now shipping from Japan for US$699 with free worldwide shipping. The device has been on ebay, but this is the first official reseller carrying the device. I haven't read anywhere that other MID devices are coming soon with most speculation showing 2009 availability. With devices like the iPhone/iPod Touch and Nokia N810 I am not sure there is a real need for a device like these, but then again with Linux or Windows XP your browser experience should not be limited like it is on all of these existing handheld devices.

September 30, 2008 by Matthew Miller in Hardware

Sprint XOHM WiMAX service launches in Baltimore

WiMAX is no longer just a wireless technology we have been hoping to see, but is now available from Sprint as XOHM in Baltimore. This highly anticipated 4G service seemed to be on shaky ground as company partnerships were worked out, but is finally a reality. The pricing options are actually reasonable and I can't wait to try out the service.

September 29, 2008 by Matthew Miller in Hardware

Run, don't walk, and pick up a REDFLY Mobile Companion for $199.95

I wrote up my first thoughts of the Celio Corp REDFLY Mobile Companion back in March, then I bought my own in May and then the price dropped from US$499 to US$399.95 in August. Well, now you can pick this device up for only US$199.95 and IMHO that is a steal for anyone with a Windows Mobile device looking to be productive on the go. I understand this is a "seeding" price that is only good until 31 October and I guess the intent must be to get the device out there and have people talk it up.

September 25, 2008 by Matthew Miller in Hardware

Slingbox PRO-HD now shipping with HD streaming capability

The Slingbox PRO-HD is now shipping, for US$299.99, and you can now enjoy full HD quality video anywhere you may be traveling. Dave Zatz posted some pics and offers some thoughts on the new Slingbox PRO-HD and links to a full review on Sling Community. The Slingbox PRO-HD offers HD streaming, multiple input, and a built-in digital tuner that allows you to watch TV independently of your cable box in case someone else is watching your TV at home and you still want to connect to your home system.

September 24, 2008 by Matthew Miller in Mobility

Will a 6600 mAh battery convince you to buy an HTC Shift?

On my recent trip to New York to cover the T-Mobile G1 Android launch I traveled with just a backpack and used my Fujitsu U810 to write on the road. It was adequate, but the keyboard is quite small and limits how fast I can type. I reviewed the Sprint version HTC Shift back in March and one of the major flaws for me was the poor battery life. Paul at MoDaCo just posted a review of a new 3rd party 6600 mAh battery for the Shift that has me thinking about the device again. This whopping battery (compared to the minimal 2700 mAh battery loaded in the device) is priced at US$239.95.

September 24, 2008 by Matthew Miller in Hardware

iRex announces 3 new ebook readers priced from $649 to $849

I was just reading Mitch's post on ebooks this morning and stumbled across the Engadget post announcing three new iRex Digital Readers. These ebooks readers are very high priced at US$649, US$749, and US$849 so you need to be a serious ebook fan to want to fork out this much for a reader.

September 22, 2008 by Matthew Miller in Hardware

Zune manual sync mode lets you control your content

I upgraded one of my Zunes to the latest 3.0 software and was very pleased to read the latest news that manual sync capability is now a part of the Zune desktop software. In the past I had issues connecting my Zune to my home and work PC and losing content. You can now manually control your content and if you connect your Zune to a PC with limited hard disk space this could actually be quite beneficial. You may now delete large movie files from your PC after getting it onto the Zune and then delete it from the PC drive while it remains on the Zune.

September 18, 2008 by Matthew Miller in Microsoft

Neuros OSD 2 developer kit available, open source set-top for your TV

Neuros Technology has been making open source video capture and media systems for several years and I have used their Recorder 2 and OSD products to capture TV content and convert it into a format for playing back on my mobile phones, iPod, and PSP. I currently have and use the OSD, which is actually on sale right now for US$149.99 from their store, since it has more options than the older Recorder 2. Neuros recently announced that the developer kits for their OSD 2.0 are now available for US$249.99. These are still labeled developer kits because the software is not finalized and they are designed to get out and in the hands of those who will make it work well for the consumer.

September 18, 2008 by Matthew Miller in Open Source

Check out the new ZDNet Smartphones and Cell Phones blog

I've been covering everything related to mobile tech here on the ZDNet Mobile Gadgeteer blog, including mobile phones, Tablet PCs, netbooks, digital media players, portable gaming devices, and more. In an attempt to provide a bit more focus, I am now splitting that blog into two blogs with this new one focused solely on news, review, and commentary of mobile phones, accessories, and software. The new ZDNet Smartphones and Cell Phones blog kicked off this morning and in addition to the smartphone devices (Apple, Palm, Windows Mobile, S60, BlackBerry, and Google Android) I will also start including some higher end feature phone coverage there as well.I'll be covering all other types of mobile gear here on this blog, including Tablet PCs/MIDS, digital audio players, portable GPS units, portable gaming devices, and much more.Please let me know what interests you and what you would like to see covered in future posts, including any software or hardware you would like to see me evaluate and review. Thank you very much for your support on the Mobile Gadgeteer these last two+ years and I look forward to writing on this new blog and keeping you informed.

September 17, 2008 by Matthew Miller in Smartphones

Google Android device will be announced by T-Mobile on 23 September

We have seen rumors of an Android device launching on T-Mobile in September or October and now according to the Wall Street Journal T-Mobile USA will announce it on 23 September. Invites are going out that ask press to attend the NY event at 10:30 am on the 23rd, although I haven't received mine yet ;) The HTC Dream device should then be available in stores before the end of October. As a T-Mobile USA customer who has patiently been waiting for a decent 3G phone and someone who enjoys using Google products I will definitely be buying one of these devices.

September 16, 2008 by Matthew Miller in Mobility

BlackBerry Storm video and Verizon Q&A posted

As we have seen in recent analyst reports, RIM's marketshare is increasing as they continue to support and promote consumer-focused features like video capture, enjoyable web browsing, and style. RIM is now getting closer and closer to launching their first ever touch screen-enabled device, the BlackBerry Storm, and CrackBerry.com has the latest news on this device that appears to be coming soon to Verizon.

September 16, 2008 by Matthew Miller in BlackBerry

Star Wars Force Unleashed now available in the iPhone App store and for N-Gage

My original iPhone is living in a dock at home serving up Pandora music to my stereo receiver, but it looks like I will have to pull it down tonight and buy a new iPhone game. I am a huge Star Wars fan and just read on the iPhone Blog that Star Wars: Force Unleashed is now available in the iPhone App store. The iPhone Blog has an image gallery of the game and a couple initial thoughts on gameplay.

September 16, 2008 by Matthew Miller in iPhone

Zune 3.0 now available, also get free WiFi access at McDonald's

Microsoft announced the Zune 3.0 software last week and today you can download and install the new desktop and Zune device software update. I just finished installing the desktop software and plan to update my black 4GB Zune soon too. The Zune 3.0 software includes Buy from FM, wireless access to the Zune Marketplace, and more.

September 16, 2008 by Matthew Miller in Tech & Work

MobileTechRoundup show #147, New MP3 players, new HTC devices and more

We wished our local podcast co-host James the best of luck as he was just about to get hit by Hurricane Ike as we recorded MobileTechRoundup show #147 and he had all of his gear powered up and ready to go. There were lots of announcements made in the last week, including new Zune hardware and software, new iPods, new iTunes, and a new iPhone update. Sprint also announced the long rumored HTC Touch Diamond and Touch Pro. I talked about how I am dropping one device for another one I enjoy using. We talked about an HTC rumor that turned into reality today with the new HTC announcements. Dell netbooks are arriving, but Lenovo's seem to be delayed. Nokia is also offering a sync solution for S60 owners that you may want to check out.

September 15, 2008 by Matthew Miller in Enterprise Software

HTC announces 3 new TouchFLO Windows Mobile devices

Last week, the rumor mill started churning about the HTC Touch HD and today HTC confirmed that it is indeed coming out with this device, along with a couple more Touch devices to satisfy a range of customers. We will soon see the HTC Touch HD, Touch 3G, and Touch Viva. You will see in the current specs that there is no 3G radio shown for the U.S. so I am not sure which of the devices will be coming and if they will be GSM or CDMA variants.