I just left the Wacom booth, talking with Wacom's Steve Sedaker, their OEM Sales Manager. I asked him about Wacom's take on N-Trig entering the space. He pointed to Hp's $1299 multi-mode TX2000 vs Dell's $2399 XT - nuff said. He also said that they are actively working OEMs on on capacitive touch, and to expect some new stuff from OEMs this year.

Seirra and I headed into the Intel booth first thing this mornign to look for, yep, you guessed it, Mobile Internet Devices. What did we discover? Quite a few of them. Sierra has a one on one interview set up for tomorrow which should yield some good info, but in the meantime here is a range of pictures. (BTW, Intel needs to get rid of the blue lighting on everything. It makes pictures almost impossible to take.)

The mouse or scroll button the right of the picture below on the Toshiba MID reads optically.

See more pictures by hitting the Read More link.

We shot some video at the HP boot that will be up later.  We took a WACOM pen to the tx2000 to show the active digitizer off.  We also got a look at the remote control that can be stored in the express card slot.  One item I thought was nice is that the speakers are on the lid so no matter what orientation the screen is positioned, they are always pointing out.  Nice change from the being on the bottom og the device - or under the screen...  Look for a video later today on the tx2000.

Had a great meeting with TabletKiosk. Pictures below, video interview and tour later today.

High level:

• new eo V7110e with
• 1.2 ghz Via
• 100 gram digitizer instead of 120 gram for soft touch
• Extended battery is standard
• No other changes - same basic unit
• $998, shipping in Feb
• Sahara i440d
• 1.5 Core 2 Duo
• std with 2 gb ram and outdoor viewable screen
• New extended slice battery with usb and firewire port, and 3 way adjustable stand - very very nice.$199
• New portable single battery charger and the slot battery charger
• SSD support
• Available to order in Feb
• eo i7300
• Targeted specifically at the enterprise.
• basically build your own UMPC  with module support on left and right side of the eo
• Outdoor screen std
• Modules - they are looking for ideas on additional modules. For example, multicard reader module, etc:
1. eo extender Module ( 2 x USB, 1 x Firewire,1 x 10/100 Ethernet)
2. eo Button Module (4 x user programmable buttons, 2 x USB)
3. eo USB Module (4 x USB, 1x HDMI)
4. eo Extended Life Battery Module
5. eo RFID Module
6. eo Z-Wave Module
7. eo Infrared Module
8. eo Mag Stripe Reader Module
9. eo CCD Scanner Module
10. eo Blank Cap Left
11. eo Blank Cap Right

Mobile Battery Charger

3 array charger

i440d ext battery with stand

usb and firewire Port support on the ext battery

More pics coming later....of the new eo and modules

We are posting up random photos for everybody to follow our experience at CES.  Join in on  a unique look at the events as they happen.  They are going to be quick shots using Shozu from our phones so they might not be the best, but they will give you a taste of us here in Vegas.  As always, the major news will be on the site, but these photos will be quick shots from place to place as we go to them.

Flickr page for GottaBeMobile

Flicker feed for you favorite reader

We came to see the Intel MIDs (and other things) and we got a good start at The Digital Experience with a quick look at five of the devices. In this video, Intel’s Marketing Director for the Mobile platform walks us through Menlow and Silverthorne and the devices, including a second generation prototype. You’ll see the Lenovo MID, the Aigo MID, and much more. Early impressions? Nice looking small mobile devices with nice touch screens. Aimed at those who want quick mobile media access, email, GPS, and some document work while on the go.

Catch this. While we’ve all been hearing that the MID platform will run Red Hat Linux, the Toshiba MID, that’s right-Toshiba is in the MID space-will be running Vista. That ought to shake a few things up. We’ll be seeing more MIDs today at the Intel booth. Here’s a link to the press release info on Intel’s MID release.

Another bit of interesting news. We’re looking at a $499 price point here. Sound familiar? We’ll see in six months or so if that will happen. One thing for sure, it will be interesting to see if the MID platform will drive prices down or up on the UMPC platform. Either way, UMPC is not what we knew it as yesterday.

Click To Play

The Lenovo IdeaPad U110 while not a UMPC or a Tablet PC is certainly an intriguing little small device. It is tiny and shiny and with that red cover will certainly stand out in a crowd. And guess what, for security how would you like to try Facial Recognition on for size? Well, that’s what you will be able to do if you get your hands on this small device.

 Download the High Res Version here.

Click To Play

This ought to shake the mobile connectivity space up a bit. OQO is demoing their Model 02 running embedded WiMAX on Sprint's Xohm network this morning. Matt and I will be headed over there first thing in the morning to check it out.

Here is the official release.

OQO Inc., mobile computing innovator and creator of the world’s smallest fully-functional Windows Vista^® PC, unveiled a technology demonstration of the award-winning model 02 computer with integrated 802.16e Mobile WiMAX high-speed wireless data capability at the Sprint Xohm^TM booth # 31561 at the 2008 International CES in Las Vegas. This demonstration represents the first trial of Xohm compatible WiMAX capabilities embedded in an ultra mobile PC, and showcases the power of anytime/anywhere access to information, applications, corporate networks and the full PC Internet experience.

Mobile WiMAX is a next-generation wireless networking technology that holds the potential to revolutionize mobile data communication through the availability of an advanced nationwide wireless broadband network designed specifically to mobilize the Internet and deliver new mobile multimedia applications. The promise of this new technology will be fully realized by devices that offer rich computing capability combined with truly mobile form factors.

As the leader in the ultra mobile PC category, OQO has pioneered the miniaturization of the PC into a sleek, elegant, and ergonomic device small enough to fit in your pocket yet powerful enough to run full multimedia and networked business applications with Windows XP or Vista. With this demonstration of the first ultra mobile PC with embedded Sprint Xohm compatible Mobile WiMAX, OQO is taking the logical next step in leading the development of this product category.

“Consumers and mobile workers want to experience the real Internet and all their favorite applications with the same high speed and full functionality whether at their desk or on the go,” said Bob Rosin, senior vice president of marketing and alliances, OQO. “Today’s Mobile WiMAX demonstration on the OQO model 02 shows the path to truly seamless computing.”

Typical performance on Xohm’s WiMAX network is 1.5 Megabits per second on the uplink and 2-4 Megabits per second on the downlink. This is 3-5 times faster than any available mobile wireless service. Within the next 12-24 months, Mobile WiMAX deployment will be available in metropolitan areas nationwide and become the true next-generation mobile broadband network.

"OQO’s demonstration of a UMPC with embedded Xohm WiMAX capability is further evidence of the additional development of this powerful ecosystem," said Bin Shen, vice president of product management and partnership development at Sprint’s Xohm business unit. “We expect devices like OQO’s model 02 to benefit greatly from the Xohm WiMAX network.”

OQO today is announcing a technology demonstration of Xohm compatible Mobile WiMAX wireless capability in the model 02 computer, and is not presently making available a product for sale with such functionality. Availability of the OQO model 02 computer with embedded Mobile WiMAX capability in specific geographies may be announced at a future date. With this announcement, OQO does not make any representations about product availability. The OQO model 02 is currently available with 3G wireless networking capability including EV-DO Rev. A in the U.S. and HSDPA internationally.

For more information about the OQO model 02 ultra mobile PC, please visit www.oqo.com. To receive updates regarding OQO announcements, sign up for our mailing list at www.oqo.com/mailing_list/join.html.

This just came in to my email box - Skype is announcing support for Intel's MID platform. We'll scope out there booth for more info

Update: here are some mock pics and more info from Skype, as well as a fact sheet pdf with more details:

At the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas today, Skype announced its plans to collaborate with Intel Corporation to develop a new mobile Skype™ experience for Mobile Internet Devices (MID) based on Intel low-power processors and chipsets. MIDs are a new category of small, truly mobile consumer devices enabling a PC-like Internet experience, coupled with the capability to communicate with others, enjoy entertainment, and access information on the go.

The collaboration builds on the familiarity and ease of use of Skype software and makes that experience mobile. MID users will be able to make Skype voice and video calls and send instant messages on the move, while harnessing the PC-like performance of Intel’s new ultra-mobile platform. MID devices with WiMAX and WiFi capabilities will enable free Skype-to-Skype voice and video calls and cheap SkypeOut™ calls – calls from Skype to landline and mobile phone numbers anywhere in the world at low per-minute rates – to be made on open wireless networks.

“Many of the more than 246 million Skype users around the world are increasingly mobile and want to stay connected on the go,” said Gareth O’Loughlin, Skype's general manager of mobile and hardware devices. “Making the richer Skype experience available on mobile devices partly hinges on the need for more processing power, which in turn tends to shorten battery life. Intel’s focus on lowering power consumption helps us minimize that conundrum, underscoring our evolution beyond the desktop. And it‘s good news to anyone who has found themselves missing Skype on the road.”

As part of this effort, Skype will enable its software to run on the small, thin and light ultramobile MID devices with touch-screen LCDs, which are powered by Mobile Internet Linux. With the performance offered by Intel’s low-power processors and chipsets, some MID devices will even support mobile video calls over Skype.

akihabaranews.com has the details on LG's new UMPC.  Warner and Sierra will be scoping it out as soon as the doors open.

• a 4.8” Touchscreen
• 1GB of RAM
• Intel Menlow 
• 40GB harddrive
• HSDPA, Wifi, Bluetooth, and a Keyboard

via UMPCBuzz.com

TabletPC2.com has a first look at TabletKiosk's new UMPC, the eo i7300, as well as the new g840XT Rugged UMPC.

I am meeting with TabletKiosk first thing Monday, so we'll bring you some more info on these intriguing new offerings, as well as some video.

Processor:                    Intel Menlow Platform:  
45nm Hi-k Silverthorne processor / Poulsbo chipset
Memory                         1 GB DDR2 SDRAM / 2GB option
Hard Drive:                    60 GB, 1.8” IDE Ultra DMA PATA HDD
Operating System:        Microsoft Windows Vista® Business 
Display:                         7” LCD sunlight viewable touch screen (1024x 600)
Wireless:                       802.11 b/g networking / Bluetooth® 2.0
Security:                        Biometric Fingerprint Reader
Weight:                         1.8 lbs with standard 4-cell battery
Dimensions:                  7” x 5.5” x7/8” (without modules)
                                     9” x 5.5” x 7/7” (with modules attached)

I/O:   1 x SD-IO/MMC
1 x Headphone jack, Built-in Stereo Microphone
1 x HD15 VGA (Dual Screen Support)
1 x 10/100 Mbps Full Duplex 32-bit Ethernet (RJ45)
1 x PCI Express Slot

If you are like many mobile computing enthusiasts,  you always have your Windows Mobile cell phone with you at all times. I know I do! So I was very interested to hear that Celio Corporation was releasing a "mobile companion" for Windows Mobile devices. Think of it as an external monitor and keyboard for your cell phone. There is a lot of power in that little phone I carry around - more computing power than my first mobile computer, probably. But that little screen and the thumb board keep me from doing anything real on it.

Enter the Celio Redfly. With the capability to connect to your phone via Bluetooth or USB, the Redfly gives you the ability to extend the usability of the device you already have. Plus, the Redfly, with its 8 hour battery life, can even be used to recharge your phone if you connect via USB.

Technical Specifications:

• Product Name and Model Number REDFLY Mobile Companion C8
• Size 1 x 6 x 9 inches
• Weight 2.0 lbs.
• Battery Life 8 Hours under normal use via USB
• Display Size 8 inch diagonal wide screen
• Display Resolution 800 x 480
• VGA Display Output 800 x 480
• Keyboard 8.3 inch 80-key QWERTY keyboard
• Touchpad 1.0 x 2.9 inches
• Special Fn keys Fn buttons are hot-keys for phone control (i.e. send, end, OK, esc, left menu, right menu, etc)
• Operating System Compatibility
  • Windows Mobile 5.0 (Pocket PC and Smartphone editions)
  • Windows Mobile 6.0 (Professional and Standard editions)
• More operating system compatibility to be announced. See tested smartphone list at www.celiocorp.com/smartphone
• Application Compatibility: Applications and data from the smartphone appear on the REDFLY enabled display
• Ports and Connectors VGA port, 2 high speed USB 2.0 ports, AC power connector
• Smartphone Connection via Bluetooth Bluetooth 2.0 EDR (compatible with Bluetooth 1.0, 2.0)
• Smartphone Connection via USB Use USB cable included with smartphone
• Smartphone Charger via USB Able to charge smartphones via USB (as supported by phone)
• USB Flash Drive Compatibility Standard USB Flash Drives (Drives appear on smartphone file system)
• USB Keyboard Compatibility Standard USB Keyboards
• USB Mouse Compatibility Standard USB Mice
• AC Power Charger AC Power Adapter Input: 90 – 264VAC, 47 – 63 Hz, Output: 9VDC, 2.5A

I hope to visit the Celio booth at the main convention tomorrow and check out the Redfly and possibly get some video of it. I got to play with this briefly at Digital Experience and it seems like a really interesting device. Kind of like a UMPC, but totally different at the same time. According to the rep, this should be releasing in North America very soon and hit the rest of the world later in the year.

Teamwork is what it is all about at GottaBeMobile.com, and so when we get together and get our hands on a new device we go after it like, well, like kids in a candy store. While at the BlogHaus, Rob, Sierra, and Warner just happened to get their hands on HP’s new TX2000 Tablet PC that Chris Aarons was sporting around, and we give it a once, twice, and several times over. How does that new digitizer work for Inking? You’ll need to watch the video to find out.

Download the High Res Version here.

Click To Play

Earlier I gave out some very quick hands on impressions of the HTC Shift, which indeed did make an appearance at CES 2008. Here is the promised video of the HTC rep showing off the HTC Shift. Watch, as before your eyes, the HTC Shift magically shifts from being the UMPC that Steve Ballmer held and praised to no longer being a UMPC.

It is good to hear though that the HTC Shift is supposedly going to ship by the end of the first quarter of 2008.

Download the High Res Video here.

Click To Play

I caught wind of the new Logitech diNovo Mini bluetooth keyboard earlier today, but couldn't say anything. I just had an opportunity to play with it at Digital experience and I absolutely love it!

This keyboard is built for a media center with dedicated media center specific buttons, but is also perfect for slates and ultra-mobile pcs without keyboards. Expect it to be available in February for $149.

OQO has announced a 64 GB SSD option and an outdoor viewable screen for the Model 02. The 64 GB SSD version is $2999 and includes the outdoor viewable screen. The outdoor viewable display option costs $199 extra with other model versions. As of this posting, the options are not on the store but should be there soon.

OQO Inc., creator of the world’s smallest fully-functional Windows Vista^® PC, continues to expand its industry-leading UMPC line with the addition of a 64GB solid state drive (SSD) option plus the introduction of a new display technology offering dramatic improvement in direct sunlight readability with greater than 50 percent reduction in unwanted reflections.

This expansion of OQO’s offerings addresses two important growth segments of the UMPC market. On the one hand, field service professionals require outdoor-useable UMPCs in tough environments. At the same time, savvy prosumers are seeking best-of-class full PC functionality in a truly pocketable form-factor. With the addition of these new options, OQO customers in consumer and professional markets can now choose from the most complete line of UMPCs, ranging from base configurations starting at $1,299 to high-end configurations sporting 64GB SSD, 1.6 GHz processor, Sunlight Optimized display, Microsoft Windows Vista, and embedded mobile broadband capability through EV-DO Rev. A in the U.S. with service from Sprint or Verizon Wireless, or through HSDPA with service from international carriers.

“The OQO model 02 series continues to mature and expand to meet the needs of our customers, and the improvements announced today further push the performance envelope in the UMPC category,” said Bob Rosin, senior vice president of marketing and alliances, OQO. “Solid state drives offer substantial improvements in performance and reliability for mobile computers, while OQO’s new Sunlight Optimized display is a breakthrough in anytime/anywhere usability.”

The OQO model 02 with 64GB SSD utilizes a high performance NAND Flash based solid state drive, offering benefits including significantly faster read speeds resulting in quicker application launch and boot times, as well as improvements in battery life and shock survivability compared to hard drive based models. The OQO model 02 Sunlight Optimized display utilizes proprietary anti-reflective films in order to reduce specular reflections between the internal layers of the display itself, resulting in reduced reflections in direct sunlight and improved contrast when used in outdoor viewing scenarios.

The 64GB SSD and new Sunlight Optimized display can be ordered today at www.oqo.com/store or by calling OQO Sales at 877.676.6688. Retail information is available at www.oqo.com/about/retail_locations.html. Delivery dates of some options may be limited by component availability.

We linked to press info on the Samsung Q1 Ultra Premium Ultra-Mobile PC earlier today. Tonight I got to check it out in an interview with a Samsung rep (video coming soon.) A couple of interesting things to note about the new Samsung Q1. While many sources were saying earlier that the Q1 Premium would ship with just XP, the rep says it will be either XP or Vista. You’ll notice in the video later that it is a little heftier than earlier Q1 models. 

A quick stop by the Intel booth yielded some hands and eyes on with a few of the 15 MIDs that will be available later this year. Intel is aiming for mid-year 2008. And about that Lenovo MID? Yep it exists and it is planned to be the first MID out of the chute, aimed at a launch around the Olympics. (side note on this–at the Lenovo booth the Lenovo rep couldnt’ comment, but at the Intel booth, comments galore, and of course the device itself, pictured below. More info on Intel’s MID rollout will be available in the morning.

There were a few other MIDs available to gander at, and you’ll see and here more in the video interview to be posted soon. For now enjoy the pictures and know that we wll be seeing more in the days to come.

This last one is a prototype and won’t be in the first generation of MIDs released this year.

It exists. At the moment there is at least one on the US Mainland, and it was here tonight at The Digital Experience. And the HTC Shift isn’t a UMPC. More on that later. I’ll be posting up video of my interview with the HTC rep soon and you can find out why HTC doesn’t consider the Shift a UMPC any longer, along with the fact that they are planning to ship in the US within this 1^st Quarter of 2008. Still no price point though. My quick first impressions? Lighter and sturdier than I thought. Nice screen. The trackpad and mouse buttons will take some getting used to. The keyboard is not as cramped as I thought.

Now the speculation stops and the real fun begins. Tonight was the Digital Experience show where tons of exhibitors show their wares before the CES 2008 floor opens tomorrow morning. More gadgets, more gear, more geeks, more food, and more booze than you can shake a stick at. While Rob was live blogging the Bill Gates Keynote, I headed over for an early start at the show and got an eye and ear full. The next several posts will bring some pictures of the HTC Shift, the Samsung Q1 Ultra Premium, the Lenovo Idea Pad, a handful of MIDs, and a few more goodies. Rob and Sierra are still at the Digital Experience so I’m sure they will have more to come as well. Later on tonight or early tomorrow morning we’ll be posting up video of the aforementioned. And of course we’ll be trying to get a bit more in depth as CES 2008 kicks off in the morning.