Rodfather Mobile

Beth Goza just received a Chumby and posted a flickr photo set of the ‘unboxing’ (it comes in a sack) and a YouTube video of the introduction screen.

I’m still not sure what to think of it.  It’s darn cute, that’s for sure.  The widgets seem cool but I still wonder how I’d actually use it.  Replace my alarm clock perhaps?  Or a permanant Sideshow type device that sits on my desk?

I’d love to check out one of these in person.

[Link]

So I notice this post on jkOnTheRun announcing portable Firefox 2.0.0.8 is available.  This is handy for sticking Firefox on a thumbdrive so you don’t have to leave a history of porn links on a host machine (well, one reason).

So I figure this would be a nice app to stick in the Novatel U727 EVDO USB modem since it comes with a MicroSD slot that can take up to a 4GB card.  I ordered through evdoinfo.com who supplied a 1GB card for free.  Previously, I copied the install files from the CD to the card so I can install the drivers on any computer.  Looks like I didn’t need to.

I plugged in the U727 in my laptop so I can copy Firefox to it.  This is the first time sticking it into this machine and surprise, surprise, it comes with drivers and connection software already!  After double-clicking the ‘SMB Lite’ drive, right away it installed all the device drivers and software and is ready to be used.

Kevin Tofel over at jkOnTheRun just received the US model of the Vye Mini-v S37 Convertible UMPC.  He does a quick unboxing of the device while his Samsung Q1P is nearby for size comparisons.  I can’t wait for a followup and hopefully Kevin will address some of the issues I will explain below.

[Link]

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The main difference between the S37 and the Kohjinsha SH6/8 is the S37 comes standard with a 6-cell extended battery and USA keyboard layout.

One thing I’m curious about is the screen.  There have been reports the S37 screen has a matte finish and is not as bright as the Kohjinsha’s as noted here and here.

From UMPC Portal forums:

Firstly, let me tell you something important. The screens on these two devices are DIFFERENT. I didnt notice it at first but now they are side by side I can see it. The S37 is dimmer and has a matt finish (you can hear your nail scraping on it.) The SH6 is brighter and has a smooth finish. Both are 1024×600 and both are soft touch. The screen brightness on the S37 is 30% dimmer (at full) than the SH6 (as measured with a light meter) The frame on the S37 is also slightly buckled. I have emailed Vye about this and am trying to find out if I have some sort of prototype or wether the OEM has done a screen swap.

Dynamism IS carrying the 800MHz. They also just confirmed the screen type on the S37: “The screen is more of a matte screen but does have a slight reflective finish on it.” (They also won’t supply a UK plug. Boo. Considering the prices, you’d think they’d chuck one in )

Another is battery life.  From this review, the 3-cell battery on the Kohjinsha SH6, bought straight from a store in Japan, is getting 3.5 hours with heavy use.  This is odd since that range of battery life is normally only experienced with the 6-cell battery.

Battery

The battery is so small, once again you have to see it to believe it. I’m surprised the amount of power this thing can dish out and it’s only a 3 cell battery. While running 720p video, wireless off and full brightness, I got around 3.5 hours of battery. Another example is when I was in class for 5 hours straight, I had wireless off, 2 notches down from full brightness, was playing iTunes, sometimes typing and playing a little video every once and a while, I got 5 hours of battery. Not bad, but if you want more time, you should go for the more powerful battery.

I’m hoping the battery life issues have been resolved, but I’m doubting it.  Hopefully the reviewer can be contacted and reconfirm that statement. 

Clayne Robison of Intel got his hands dirty and installed Midlinux 2.0 Beta 5 on his Samsung Q1 Ultra UMPC.  What’s interesting is it comes with a browser called Coolfox.  Mozilla based perhaps?  He even was able to get Skype working. 

I got a copy of Midinux 2.0 Beta 5 the other day, so I took the plunge and blasted the OS that came pre-installed on my Q1Ultra. Installation was relatively painless, although I wished that there was a little more flexibility when it came to choosing which packages to install. But then, that’s only because I’ve installed Linux a few times and like that flexibility. If I had never installed Linux before, I probably would be glad that I didn’t have to choose which packages to install.

This is an exciting time for Linux on the small devices.  With the announcement of the Nokia N810, the push for Linux applications received another boost. 

With Maemo, Ubuntu Mobile, MIDINUX, OLPC, Pepper OS, and the Asus Eee PC, there’s a lot of development going forward for small, low cost, low powered internet devices.

With Menlow and Moorestown coming around the corner for MID’s, it’s kind of ironic the UMPC is the test subject for Midlinux.  A bit of a sad swan song ain’t it?

Hopefully, there will be some Menlow/Mooretown devices with a 7″ touchscreen with great battery life and barely enough power to run Windows.  Perhaps Core 2 Duo based UMPC’s?  Or is it the end and everything will be 5″ or less MID’s running Linux/OSX?

[Link]

I just had to pass this on.

Pc Gaming: Play Second Life with YOUR BRAIN

Where’s the built in stand in slate mode? I like having most of the guts sitting vertically for heat dissipation and not worrying about frying my device from split beer on the keyboard.
Thoughts?

CoolMod posted a user review of the Kohjinsha SH6 over at NotebookReview.com.

What’s surprising is the battery life.

Battery

The battery is so small, once again you have to see it to believe it. I’m surprised the amount of power this thing can dish out and it’s only a 3 cell battery. While running 720p video, wireless off and full brightness, I got around 3.5 hours of battery. Another example is when I was in class for 5 hours straight, I had wireless off, 2 notches down from full brightness, was playing iTunes, sometimes typing and playing a little video every once and a while, I got 5 hours of battery. Not bad, but if you want more time, you should go for the more powerful battery.

 

Has the battery life issues been addressed?   3.5 hours of battery life on the 3 cell battery under heavy use is very good.

[NotebookReview] via [Jerry from the UMPC Portal forums]

Browsing the Dynamism.com site, I just noticed they have just partnered with Justin.tv to offer the Justin.tv-Kit. 

It includes a Sony VAIO TXN15PB, Sony VGP-8PL5 Enhanced Battery, Logitech Quickcam, and Targus 15.4″ Top-loading Backpack.  $2499.  You would think they would toss in a hat too?

There’s no mention of the service but it should be Sprint since the TX series comes with an  internal EVDO card. 

If you want to show the world your life 24/7, this is one convenient package to get there.  Jusin.tv just opened up its site to allow anyone to broadcast.  The quality is very nice since they’ve started using the On2 VP6 codec which flash supports.

I’ve tried many of the live streaming sites such as justin.tv, ustream.tv, and operator11.com.  It’s great stuff and has many uses.

[Dynamism.com product page]

I punched in the dimensions of a few devices into SizeEasy.

Comparing the Fujitsu T2010, Sony TZ, Fujitsu P1610, Kohjinsha SH series/Vye mini-v s37, and the Fujitsu U810.

Noticing it’s a big jump in width and height from the P1610 to Sony TZ.  The Sony TZ is still very light at 2.5lbs, an inch thick, and excellent battery life.

The U810 looks significantly smaller in width but it is slightly thick and the screen is 5.6″.

The Samsung Q1, Kohjinsha SH, and P1610 are very similar but the P1610 is 10mm thicker.