We’ve a definite soft-spot for the UMID M1 here at SlashGear, but with the company themselves dragging their feet on official US and European sales, and import prices riding ever higher, it’s hard to see the clamshell MID ever finding its niche. Australian-based importer Justek have tweaked the pricing on the non-HSDPA version of the M1, but for US customers it’s still in excess of $660.
ASUS aren’t the only netbook manufacturer looking at the Google Android platform for their budget ultraportables. According to the Wall Street Journal, HP and Dell – together two of the biggest names in notebooks – are testing Android on netbooks, as a possible low-cost replacement for Microsoft Windows.
A while ago, Microsoft was under fire because of their Vista Capable logo. Several consumers felt the company mislead the public with the logo and attempted to sue them. And though that didn’t work out, the case is gaining new life now that Judge Marsha Pechman is evaluating the case.
Ah, the perils of not being specific enough. When we said we wanted UMID to sort out the first-gen M1 mbook having non-US-friendly HSDPA, what we hoped was that the Korean company would switch radios to a US-spec 3G chipset. Instead, they’re now planning to leave out HSDPA in the first wave of shipments.
Aigo have confirmed that the much-anticipated Windows XP version of their touchscreen MID will be made generally available, in addition to the existing Linux model. Up until now, anybody wanting XP on the compact slider device had to do so unofficially.
Microsoft have confirmed rumors that they intend to open new, Microsoft-branded stores, which will apparently aim to “make more informed decisions about their PC and software purchases” (assuming those decisions involve Windows). No timescale nor prospective locations for the retail chain have been disclosed; deciding those facts will be the responsibility of new hire David Porter, previously of DreamWorks Animation and, before that, WalMart.
Microsoft is planning to run a free upgrade scheme for Windows 7, under the terms of which anybody who buys a new PC from a participating vendor after July 1st will be eligible for an upgrade to the new OS on its release. Although the details of the scheme – particularly the date with which it comes into effect, and the manufacturers participating – are unconfirmed, Tech ARP managed to acquire a draft of the Microsoft proposal, which outlines their intent.
For connectivity, input options and simply fitting into your pocket, aigo’s MID certainly has plenty of potential. Unfortunately, as reviewers have discovered, it’s hamstrung by its OS: adding new apps is a struggle, meaning most people will be stuck with what software comes out of the box. One owner, though, has heavily customized his 3G-equipped aigo to better perform as a UMPC rather than just an internet browser; full video demo, plus details of the changes, after the cut.
We’ve already discussed on way of getting more performance from the Sony VAIO P this morning: stump up for an imported 1.86GHz Atom Z540 version. Of course, there’s another way to make the most of the official US-spec 1.33GHz VAIO P, and that’s get rid of bloated Vista. Unfortunately switching to Windows XP isn’t as easy as you might think, with the VAIO not wanting to offer the right drivers for WWAN and GPS. Happily we now have a tutorial explaining how.
Retina scanning, face recognition and fingerprint reading are common biometric systems for physical security accesses or computer logon systems, and in recent years the latter has become more widespread in consumer products such as laptops or handheld devices. Fingerprint readers, despite being nearly ubiquitous on notebooks these days, aren’t exactly popular mainly due to the concerns of public hygiene. Fujitsu’s approach, palm vein scanning, on the other hand, is non-invasive and contactless scanning: PalmSecure advanced biometric authentication technology comes in the form of a standard PC mouse and offers highly secure and reliable personal identity verification. SlashGear caught up with Dan Miller, business development manager at Fujitsu, to find out more.
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