The MOTO Development Group is no stranger to Android – they showcased an Android-based e-ink prototype a while back – and now they’re cashing in on that familiarity with a number of new devices targeted at developers. The MOTO Android Media Platform will eventually consist of three models – 3.5-, 5- and 10.4-inches – each with OLED displays as standard, OMAP processors and capacitive multitouch-capable touchscreens.
Details on Sungale’s Cyberus Smart Info tablet are scarce, but to look at the product listing on Amazon you’d ask yourself what the darned thing couldn’t do. Centered around a 7-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen, the Cyberus promises not only ebook access but – courtesy of WiFi – a web browser, YouTube viewer and internet radio streaming.
Last we heard, the CrunchPad budget tablet was set to leap to the market this month with a roughly $399 price tag. Now the rumor circulating California is that unexpected manufacturing expenses have delayed – perhaps even killed – the project; the Silicon Alley Insider claims that project founder Michael Arrington has been surprised by higher-than-expected quotes from suppliers.
Microsoft’s Courier project – a dual-display “book” style electronic journal – has been intriguing us since it first leaked back in September, and the latest spillage of UI details courtesy of Gizmodo’s mysterious tipster is doing nothing to temper our interest. The twin screens are both multitouch-capable and respond to fingers and the special stylus, the latter having two side-buttons (the upper one being an “undo” key), an eraser on the other end, and a rotating barrel that flips between different pen modes.
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eviGroup's new 10.2-inch tablet, the Pad, went on sale in its premium 3G-toting form a week ago, but if the €599 plus €30 shipping ($932) sticker price is too rich for your blood they've a cheaper model available from today. The entry-level eviGroup Pad has the same specifications as the premium model but lacks 3G; it's on sale from today for €549 (again with €30 shipping; $852).
OLPC chairman Nicholas Negroponte has revealed that the twin-display OLPC XO-2 2.0 project has been scrapped, in favor of an updated – but cosmetically identical – revamp of the existing 1.0 XO-1 model and a new, model 3.0 that has “totally different industrial design, more like a sheet of paper”. Speaking to Xconomy, the outspoken exec also sought to redefine the initial, well-publicized aim of “the $100 laptop” in terms of total cost of ownership: $1 per child per week to buy, maintain and connect the machine.
More OLPC model 3.0 details after the cut
It’s all go at Eston’s render labs this week, with two new tablets in the offing. The company has sliced off the hardware keyboard from their MID-02 and produced the touchscreen-only MID-05, a 5-inch handheld running either Android or Windows CE. If your fingers are too chubby for that, Eston also have the N97 MID, with a larger 7-inch touchscreen and integrated 3G.
There’s no doubting that multitouch is a key buzzword of today, and with the arrival of Windows 7 PCs gain at least software support for two-fingered control. Lenovo have responded by updating their well-esteemed ThinkPad X200 Tablet with Windows 7 and a new, multitouch-friendly display, the former as standard and the latter a paid option. Has the technology come of age, or is it a case of hype overtaking substance? Check out the SlashGear review after the cut.
Given how long it’s taking eviGroup to push out their Wallet MID, we’re quite surprised with how quickly they’re working on getting their new 10.7-inch UMPC out of the door. The eviGroup Pad has already had its first hands-on, courtesy of French site NowhereElse, who reckon the 1024 x 600 resistive touchscreen – even with a stylus – is responsive while Windows 7 runs reasonably on the 1.6GHz Atom processor.
Update: The Elite 3G version of the eviGroup Pad is on sale now for €599 plus €30 shipping ($932); they’ll also sell you an OS-free version for €539 ($799).
Video demo after the cut
Dell has unveiled a new rugged convertible tablet PC today called the Latitude XT2 XFR. The rugged tablet machine has a 12.1-inch screen and is designed to meet the demands of work in the field. The notebook is 1.5-inches thick making it the thinnest rugged convertible around.
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