Innovative or Inconclusive

I was just sent these photos by Mobile PC specialist, Pocket PC Solutions in the UK. Not only does this get me excited about the concept but I can also see an immediate increase in productivity for my own UMPCs.

What do you think guys? Does it rock or is it a shit idea?

Cheers Glyn, cant wait to get them downunder.

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Year of the Tablet PC

As many of you are witnessing at CES 2010 this is shaping up to be the year of the Tablet, and frankly given all the energy Ive focused on Tablets these last years I can only say....YOOOHOOOOOO! It is so exciting to see devices like the Lenovo IdeaPad U1 (more about that later) and the HP Slate Ballmer heldup at the keynote and more. The reality is that Apple has accelerated the rate of which Tablet PC, and as a form-factor the Slate PC, will be accepted by the masses. After years of people like Neil Roodyn, Otto Berkes and Bert Keely, and many bloggers touting the Tabet PC then this is a happy moment.

Where have I been? Where do I start/end?!? Not as important as what is going on now! Ill be back with some posts this year as this year is shaping up to be special! :-)

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My Q1B makes it to The Aussie Outback

As you know I am in the United States and have managed to bring some of my Gadget Bag but not all. A notable omission is the Samsung Q1B which I loaned out. Which begs the question, who has it? Believe it or not the answer is VIA Technologies (indirectly).

It turns out that Fiona of ViaArena contacted me, after Samsung Australia had sent her to me, looking for a Samsung Q1B. Neither Samsung Australia, or VIA Technologies could help her…but I could!

The reason she wanted the Q1B is quite obvious if you know the internal workings of the device, i.e. it has a VIA Ultra Low Voltage processor. The main reason for needing it was a road trip she and her husband were about to go on in rural Australia…yes, The Outback!

Via Arena, in case you haven’t been there, is the official VIA Technologies, Inc. blog/forum. Fiona and her husband John are the official writers of the blog, and all round good guys. Their task on this occasion was to head to some cattle stations in rural Australia in search of the VIA EPIA EN mainboard in action.

So if you want to know where my Q1B has been while I am in Redmond, and if you’re interested in a really grass roots (pardon the pun) application for VIA Technologies then head over to this post.

Here is a snipping:

• When? Wednesday 6th March 2007 - Sunday 11th March 2007


• Whos going? Us! John and Fiona Gatt from VIA Arena


• Why? To try working on the road with a UMPC with a wireless Internet connection and to check out an interesting use for VIA EPIA motherboards that have been employed in cattle stations in rurual Australia.


• Distance to be travelled? 877.78 kms or 545.42 miles (times 2 for the round trip)


• Estimated travel time? 10 hours of driving each way


• Route to be travelled? Melbourne to Dubbo, stopping at Shepparton and Narrandera.

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Download Nova Launcher For Android Tablet PC

Nova Laucher is one of the most beautiful themes for Android Tablet PC. It is a premier custom launcher. You will customize your home screen easily. 

One especially useful feature is the scrollable dock. Instead of being restricted to the four icons on the dock, you can create up to three different docks to scroll between. On a tablet this allows up to 7 icons per dock - giving you plenty of spaces for core applications that you want to be able to access quickly.

Other tweaks include choices for transition effects and scrolling. Nova Launcher enables “infinite scrolling,” For example, this takes you to the screen on the farthest left after swiping through the one on the farthest right.

You can download the latest update of Nova Launcher from Google Play Store for your Android Tablet PC with the link below:

Nova Launcher For Android Ver 2.3 (download now)

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Tablet PC Surgery Video

A friend of mine phoned recently – rather sheepishly – proclaiming that he’d dropped his slate and cracked the screen. Oops! That’s the phone call you don’t wanna get. So a few emails, some serial numbers, and a touch screen later, here we are with another session of UberTablet Surgery. The slate is the TabletKiosk Sahara i215, and the gloves are genuine latex baby!

Rather than handing it to someone else I thought it might be a good opportunity to let you into the inner workings of a modern slate PC. Not only will you get to know the intestines, but you may learn a thing or two about just how much glass walks around with you on a daily basis.

Because you want it – here it is:


Download Hi-Res Video - right click & "Save as"

My last pictorial of UberTablet Surgery was this episode of BIOS PHLASH

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Another Dr Neils Notes with me AUDIO

Dr. Neils Notes 30

Welcome to Show 30
Staring Hugo Ortega

What is cool about Windows Vista?

• Start menu search
• Programs grouped in Start menu
• Sync Center - Dr. Neils webcast next week
• Better TIP
• Flicks
• Splash dots when pen down
• Vista on UMPC

Happy Coding!Any other topics you would like us to discuss?

This podcast was recorded on a Samsung Ultra Mobile PC with Castblaster

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Tech Ed Australia 2006 and Tablet PC in Motion

A new Tablet User enjoying Vista

This year Tech.Ed Australia 2006 has closed with Tablet PC on its mind. Meandering through the Exhibit Hall, Hands-on Labs and listening to guest Speakers you quickly realized that Tablet PC had in fact made a splash. Could it be attributed to the availability of several new products, like Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC) and others; or perhaps the fact that clients were hounding developers for more Tablet related applications? Whatever the reason the effect was evident across several aspects of the Tech.Ed arena.


Dr. Neil Roodyn holding a Samsung Q1

First there was MVP (Most Valuable Professional) Dr. Neil Roodyn, forever enigmatic and eternally evangelizing the merits of the Tablet PC SDK (Software Development Kit). On this occasion his interpretation of Microsoft’s soon to be released Operating System, Windows Vista, and its Inking capabilities left several attendees jostling for a chair at the Tablet PC Hands-on Labs. His presentations covered off topics such as ‘Sync Center,’ ‘Defining an Ink Canvas’ and a memorable rendition of Vista’s ability to receive inking hints via ‘Factoid Strings.’ These certainly were an enlightening array of sessions.


Nick Randolph with Samsung Q1 and TabletKiosk EO

Then there was MVP [.NET Compact Framework] Nick Randolph. Not only was Nick armed with an Ultra Mobile PC for his demonstration but he seemed to be doing his best to evangelize the platform as an answer to “mobility” vs. the “portability” we currently experience in the marketplace. During his presentation regarding ‘Wiping your Mobile Device Remotely’ he repeatedly reminded the audience to think outside-the-square and remember to also include UMPC as a Mobile Device.


New User enjoying 3D Inking on Vista

The Hands-on Labs are always popular and this year they did not fail to impress. Thanks to Dr.Neil’s persistence, and clever negotiation skills with colleagues in Redmond, Tech.Ed Australia found itself in the hands of no less than eight Toshiba M400 Tablet PCs with the Windows Vista Operating System pre-installed. Attendees were overheard to gasp and cheer as the inking capabilities of Vista, and a new Graphical User Interface (GUI) took users on a pen experience like no other.


Hugo Ortega on Stage Talking Tablet (UMPC)

Then there was the official Microsoft Mobility Stand. Even here, in and amongst all the phones and handheld devices, there lay an Ultra Mobile PC. This now infamous form-factor had passers by lining up to garner there own impressions as they stroked through the UMPC Touch Pack, and fumbled through DialKeys. Attendees definitely weren’t short of an opinion, and they weren’t afraid to vocalize it either. At one stage even Australia’s own Tablet PC Guy Hugo Ortega was invited on stage where he hosted a brief session regarding the UMPC platform and Microsoft’s OneNote 2007 Beta; this was a ‘Mobility Wipeout’ to go down in history thanks to a fired up Roger Lawrence and Rick Anderson too.


New Users making the most of the Pen

In Closing, and as in Starting, it was the words of Microsoft Australia’s Frank Arrigo that inspired and conjured feelings of ore and excitement of things to come. It became apparent from its inception that Tech.Ed Australia was destined to proclaim Tablet PC as an acceptable format for conducting one’s information gathering; even at the Blogger’s Brunch held on Day One, and hosted by Frank Arrigo himself, there were no less than three Ultra Mobile PC’s busily accepting digital ink and making use of the Tablet PC’s hand-writing capabilities.


Frank Arrigo/LS800/Sudoku - need I say more!

As the applauding crowd subsided and onlookers soon became bystanders it was clear that Tech.Ed 2006 had drawn to a close. Tablet PC had certainly made itself heard and even found a home with both new and experienced users. At this stage it was a fact which Frank Arrigo chose not to hide at all that caught my attention, i.e. his recent attainment of a Motion LS800 mini Tablet PC. With nothing left to do Frank had but one thing on his mind: Sudoku-in-Ink! Acting as our fearless leader and head of the evangelistic food-chain in Australia he wasn’t afraid to show it off either.

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ZDNETs Tablet PC Buying Guide

This evening I was looking for some Tablet PC related posts and comments on the net. My main focus was tablet in Australia and my diving led me to a ZD Net article titled "Tablet PC Buying Guide." (one notable absentee from the list was the Sahara Slate PC)

While a lot of the initial commentary is rather vague, and somewhat naive in its description of Tablet PC, i.e. clipboard, and digital signature input, I did however find some very resourceful links. What was also a pleasant surprise to me was mention the UberTablet Blog, and Craig Pringles Blog, in the "Tablet PC forums, blogs and podcasts" section.

Here is a link to the article and below are some of the links they provided (under the heading of "Business Case for Purchasing Tablet PCs"); the webcast on ROI is worth a look at [it requires a very simple online registration], and the Whitepaper on Vista on Tablet is resourcesful too.

Business case for purchasing Tablet PCs

Maximising ROI with Tablet PCs
While tablet PC prices are dropping, the devices still cost more than the average laptop. How do you justify the extra expense?
Webcast

Enterprise Mobility by Forrester Research
How does mobile and wireless technologies affect businesses, their employees, and customers?
Whitepaper (PDF)

Tablet PC technologies in Microsoft Windows Vista
In Windows Vista, Tablet PC shifts into the mainstream. Ink becomes more ubiquitous, integrating directly into the presentation subsystem in Windows Presentation Foundation.
Whitepaper (PDF)

The case for Tablet PCs in healthcare
The Tablet PC, with its versatile form that supports pen navigation, makes it easy for mobile healthcare workers to capture, access, and use information wherever the job takes them.
Whitepaper (PDF)

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Intel Intelligent Digital Signage proof of concept

I came across this Press Release today regarding Intel and the Digital Signage sector. While it is not specifically Tablet related, or even mobility focused, it does involve my other passion which is TOUCH! Check out this image showcasing what is basically a pane of glass with a touchscreen overlay. Ultimately I’ve witnessed the insurgence of robot-like kiosks all over the retail sector but I believe this would be much more minimalist and grandiose.

Intel claims the processor is the Intel i7 and the Operating System will be Windows Embedded. It is based on an Intel Digital Signage proof of concept and it has me very excited. I’d rather see this than clumsy tables and kiosk around the place, and if it became cheap enough how cool would a feature wall of this technology be at home!

One interesting piece of information to come out of the press release was a list of partners. I like that Tablet PC manufacturer DT Research was in the list and involved in this project! Maybe well see more of this technology in the mobile PC space!

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Me the Australian Macworld Podcast and why everyone missed the point

OK Mac fanboys, the dust has settled so I can now begin to talk turkey on the UberTablet blog. I mean, can I really call this the UberTablet blog without facing the new reality of Apple releasing a Tablet which intentionally helps make Tablet mainstream? No!


If you can’t be bothered reading feel free to catch my thoughts on today’s Australian Macworld Podcast (edpisode 19). Today I was interviewed by no less than four media sources about the iPad and its possible effects on the current Tablet landscape. My initial reaction after the launch was one of relief, given Apple could have landed the potential knockout punch to change the current Tablet landscape forever. Then as the dust settled I began to realise just how calculated, conniving and clever Apple is.

I could begin by mentioning what I don’t like about the iPad, but that would make me look silly and perhaps too cliché for someone who has spent most their adult life working with Microsoft Tablets (and now we need to make distinctions about what Tablet fence we sit on). What I would like to discuss however is why Apple released the Tablet they did, and not the one everyone was waiting for!

Reality is that Apple are a double-edged sword which rely on a very tactful cooperation between their hardware engineering team (in this case the guys that made the iPad and the new A4 Processor) and their software engineers (the one’s that hacked up the iPhone OS and threw it on a 9” display). Between the two they provide the richness in experience the PC world can only dream of and if you add the might of Apple marketing people then you have an equation for PC devastation. So why is there all this sense of disappointment in the air?!?

The reality is this…Apple did not make the iPad for the people, Apple made the people for the iPad!!!

If youre not already aware, Apple is doing everything in their absolute power to drive users to their three main revenue generators, i.e. iTunes, AppStore and now iBook club! Look at the AppStore alone, it has estimated between $20 and $45 million dollars in revenue as of May 2009 (as reported by Tech Crunch via Venture Partners numbers). If you dont believe me, watch the main campaign marketing video and youll quickly hear the mention of all three clubs - showing just how important the message is given they highlighted it on the one video everyone was guaranteed to watch after the keynote!

The reality is that the iPod was the beginning of this global paradigm shift Apple created, iPhone the cherry and perhaps iPad the straightjacket. Think about it folks, with the lack of ports, the lack of operating system function, lack of camera and lack of processing power, the richness of this unit will not come from the hardware as much as it will come from the software experience housed within (or accessible therein).

What did iPad stand to gain from the inclusion of a camera? Nothing! Apple don’t currently have their finger in VOIP or Video Conferencing (as a main revenue generator) so it goes without saying that at the design stage when the topic of the camera came up Steve quickly said, “f%^&* it off boys!” (Or something similar…LOL). I mean which manufacturer, PC or other, would in their rightful mind launch a new device and NOT include a camera, unless their intention was not to create a device but to create a portal. Don’t get me started on the ports (USB or SD), the processor or the lack of pen input! All very achievable at the same price.

This device (and quote me on this) is nothing more than a clever portal, or gateway if you like, to Apple’s three main revenue generators, i.e. iTunes Store, AppStore and iBook. At this stage I should clarify that Apple did not make the world’s best Tablet, nor did they intend to make the Tablet everyone was waiting for; what they did is ensure a profitable business venture for many years to come!

Yes I believe this is a portal to their cash-cows, and yes I believe it was clever on their behalf, and perhaps even timely. What I am uncertain about is when the dust really does settle and users begin to experience this Tablet for reasons other than iTunes, AppStore or iBook will the euphoria remain?

History tells me that most everyone will go for the highest spec’d device which ultimately means spending the most dollars. The end result of all this outlay may offer the largest hurt when you try and work outside of Apple’s intended use. Only time will tell just how engrained Apple’s paradigm has become in our culture, and just how resourceful users are at experiencing outside of the box Apple is creating. Ultimately it may be such a great experience that no one will care and the portal to all or desires is only but an iPad away. With all its Apple sexiness, air-ness and drool appeal we may all be blinded anyway! LOL!

For me however, like GottaBeMobile’s Amy and perhaps Warner, I will stick to the plethora of PC based tablets I have (many Core2Duo, many with dual camera, full Operating Systems, USB ports, SD slots and screens with touch, multi-touch and pen support) and enjoy witnessing iPad’s wave of enthusiasm and new found lovers of Tablet related technologies surge its way around the globe!

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GPS RADAR Software InkShow

When it comes to Origami devices it seems that GPS and in-car solutions are almost a natural progression. Even I had fun this week playing with a UMPC and a car-media setup (but more about that on another post).

Today Iwant to share with you the latest of the GottaBeMobile InkShows, and the first from their very own Matt Faulkner. In this ScreenCast he is talks UMPC.GPS via GPS.RADAR [Origami Edition by JGUI Professional].

I hope you enjoy this Software InkShow.

• Watch the InkShow (15:55 minutes, 86mb, .wmv streaming or direct download.)
• Visit the JGUI website
• Freeware trial edition will run until the end of November 2006

Snipping:

GPS.RADAR Origami Edition was created to make use of the portability of a UMPC. With this program you can attach your USB or Bluetooth GPS unit and get a file that will load directly into Google Earth or Google Maps. The interface is very easy to use with buttons that are perfect for touch or pen. While this is still an early Beta program, I didn’t have any problems getting things up and running.

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Raon Digital Vega gets GPS Navi Pack

Photo shading C/O Word 2007 (HOT!!!)See Word 2007 Demo here

An Aussie recently asked me if I had tried the Vega Navigation System, to which I promptly reply “what are you talking about mate!” He pointed me to this site and got me thinking a lot about the potential of such a beast.

I then contacted Raon Digital (who are an awesome bunch) and asked for one…and look what FedEX brought me shortly after; shortly after paying a shocking amount of duties and taxes that is.

SO what’s in the box?

1. Suction mount for the window
2. Bracket to hold the little 4.3” Vega
3. Extension cable for Audio and AC (cool)
4. The Vega “Navi” USB GPS module! Nice

So let me head off and find my way around town…the Vega way!!! Keep you all posted in the next few days. For those of you not sure of what a Vega is make sure you look at the Vega 512 specifications (Australian Site).

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TabletKiosk i440D reviewed

My first GottaBeMobile.com InkShow was very popular, in fact it sits 5th overall for most watched on GBM to date. It was a review I posted about the OQO model 02 device and boy was it fun to do. On this occasion I have hit the upload button on my Hardware InkShow number two, this time showcasing the TabletKiosk Sahara i440D.

If youre interested in Slates, or want to get a closer look at one of the more leading edge Tablets available then hop of over to GBM and checkout this new offering by TabletKiosk.

Watch or download the High Res version(29:26 minutes, 225mb, Windows Media streaming or direct download)

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Tegatech Australia gets Ultra Moble

This evening I received PDF that Tegatech Australia went live with UMPC pricing in Australia. As far as I know this is a first in the Southern Hemisphere, and exciting for anyone living downunder. Tegatech Austraila is the exclusive Distributor of the Tablet Kiosk range of Tablet PC and Ultra Mobile PC; as such it is the EO that has first shown up on their website.

Looks like more people will be Ultra Mobile around the globe than first expected. It will be interesting to see how many early adopters buy an Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC) in Australia.

If you haven’t seen the little survey I’m running online regarding UMPC preference then you may want to take a look– as of 2am (Australia) 29 March 06 it has Samsung ahead of the Tablet Kiosk device by a whole 10%. Founder and ASUS seem to be receiving a very weak showing thus far…

Get your vote in and perhaps send the OEMs an early sign of things to come!

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TOP Best Android Launcher Apps on Google Play Store

In this post, I want to list top best Android Launcher Apps, which are the most downloaded on Google Play Store. Certainly, you can search and download the launcher app which you like easily with the link below their screenshots.

1. Action Launcher

Download

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.actionlauncher.playstore

2. ADW.Launcher

Download

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.adw.launcher&hl=en

3. Apex Launcher

Download

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.anddoes.launcher&hl=en

4. Chameleon Launcher

Download

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.chameleonlauncher&hl=en

5. Go Launcher HD

Download

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.go.launcherpad&hl=en

6. Holo Launcher HD

Download

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mobint.hololauncher.hd&hl=en

7. Nova Launcher

Download

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.teslacoilsw.launcher&hl=en

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Monday at SWMUG and Tablet PC is OK!

Monday the 6th of March 2006 saw Uber Tableteer Hugo Ortega once again join the rambunctious crowd that is Sydney Windows Mobile User Group (SWMUG). Not only is this group a charming, eloquent, geekish conglomerate that demands the latest and greatest from each other, but their also fun to hang out with [I highly recommend you join them once a month for a chat!]

My fist encounter with SWMUG was inspirational, enough for me to come back for a second look - but this time with company. In town was Craig Pringle, Tablet PC MVP from New Zealand, and Dr. Neil Roodyn also a Tablet MVP. While Dr. Neil and I have history together, the tale of the night was how Craig and I met. Craig, upon perusing the internet for Tablet related blogs (now a habitual act) came across my Uber Tablet Blog! We started commenting on each others sites and continued offline our Tablet related banter via Skype; a little ol’ lady sitting next to Craig on his inbound flight even went as far as to express concern over me picking Craig up at the Airport – considering that we’d never had a face-to-face and only met via blogging.

SWMUG is run by Microsft Employee Roger Lawrence, an uberly geekish man that stands over his gathering with much accord. He brought a notebook running Vista (very impressive) to only be challenged to a game of one upmanship by Neil with his Tablet PC running Vista (impressive too). For the evening Roger had managed to negotiate, for the third year running, access to the “XBOX 360 Lounge” (Digital Life Room) within the confines of Microsoft. For those of you not yet exposed to this lounge it is a limited access room only, because once you walk in, theres no real work get’s done!!!

This time I strolled into SWMUG monthly with my Sahara Slate PC under one arm, my sexy Lenovo X41 under the other and a head full of inking. Id been given the chance to talk about Active Words but realised that delegating the responsibility to Craig was a good move, especially when you consider that it was a New Zealander that had Ink Enabled the application in the first place. If you havent tried ActiveWords then I highly recommend it; it really is the multi-purpose programmable button missing on all PCs, Tablet or not.
You can download a fully functional Strokeit. Believe it or not, this app was developed to be used by a mouse on a normal PC; the fact is that when installed on a Tablet PC it is a very powerful tool. (Download Strokeit Here!)

The XBOX 360 lounge Microsoft Australia

The evening was hijacked by the Three Downunder Tableteers (Neil, Craig and Hugo) which caused Dr. Neil to write on his blog: “I was going to give a presentation on ActiveSync development but for various reasons that got side tracked and then canned.” For your pleasure I have recorded a quick pan of the XBOX Room with my digital camera. Be Quick! Have a look before someone from Microsoft forces me to take it down.

During the course of the evening I also managed to sit with Dr. Neil and Craig long enough to record “Talk’n Tablet Downunder – Show #3.”

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4 SAMSUNG ORIGINAL Galaxy Y S5360 WiFi BT GPS Tablet Phone

Samsung Galaxy Y S5360

GENERAL	2G Network	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
	3G Network	HSDPA 900 / 2100
	SIM	Mini-SIM
	Announced	2011, August
	Status	Available. Released 2011, October

BODY	Dimensions	104 x 58 x 11.5 mm (4.09 x 2.28 x 0.45 in)
	Weight	97.5 g (3.42 oz)

DISPLAY	Type	TFT capacitive touchscreen, 256K colors
	Size	240 x 320 pixels, 3.0 inches (~133 ppi pixel density)
	Multitouch	Yes
		- TouchWiz UI - Touch sensitive controls

SOUND	Alert types	Vibration, MP3 ringtones
	Loudspeaker	Yes
	3.5mm jack	Yes

MEMORY	Card slot	microSD, up to 32 GB
	Internal	180 MB, 290 MB RAM

DATA	GPRS	Yes
	EDGE	Yes
	Speed	HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps
	WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Hotspot functionality
	Bluetooth	Yes, v3.0 with A2DP, HS
	USB	Yes, microUSB v2.0

CAMERA	Primary	2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels
	Features	Geo-tagging
	Video	Yes, QVGA@15fps
	Secondary	No

FEATURES	OS	Android OS, v2.3.5 (Gingerbread)
	CPU	830 MHz ARMv6
	Sensors	Accelerometer, proximity, compass
	Messaging	SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM
	Browser	WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
	Radio	Stereo FM radio with RDS
	GPS	Yes, with A-GPS support
	Java	Yes, via Java MIDP emulator
	Colors	Metallic gray, white / changeable back covers in pearly white, dark black, fruity orange, bubblegum pink and silver platter
		- SNS integration - MP4/WMV/H.264 player - MP3/WAV/eAAC+ player - Organizer - Image/video editor - Google Search, Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Calendar, Google Talk, Picasa - Quickoffice document viewer - Voice memo/commands - Predictive text input (Swype)

BATTERY		Li-Ion 1200 mAh battery
	Stand-by	Up to 850 h (2G) / Up to 540 h (3G)
	Talk time	Up to 17 h (2G) / Up to 6 h 20 min (3G)

MISC	SAR US	0.57 W/kg (head)     0.64 W/kg (body)
	SAR EU	0.66 W/kg (head)
	Price group

TESTS	Display	Contrast ratio: 625:1 (nominal)
	Loudspeaker	Voice 66dB / Noise 65dB / Ring 66dB
	Audio quality	Noise -87.0dB / Crosstalk -76.9dB

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