Maindot Technology News

Nintendo have confirmed that on October 7 they will be releasing new pink and blue editions of the Nintendo DS handheld console in addition to the Silver DS console.

“Since launching Nintendo DS in Europe on 11th March 2005, over 1 million people across Europe have embraced this new way to play games. With three new colour choices now available and the launch of the groundbreaking Nintendogs in time for Christmas, we will continue to expand the handheld market and will be well on track to achieving sales of over 3 million Nintendo DS across Europe by the end of this year” said Jim Merrick, Senior Director, European Marketing.

From the Pink and Blue Nintendo DS Consoles news release:
First New Colours For Nintendo DS: Pink And Blue

Add a splash of colour to your life with Nintendo DS – the revolutionary handheld console boasting touch-screen technology, wireless communication, online gaming, voice recognition and WiFi capability, all in the palm of your hand. The stylish new Pink and Blue editions of Nintendo DS will launch across Europe on 7th October 2005 joining the already best selling Silver edition.

The Nintendo DS Pink and Blue editions launch at the same time as the smash-hit pet simulator, Nintendogs, that has taken Japan by storm since it launched in April 2005. Nintendogs makes full use of the unique capabilities of the Nintendo DS – with the voice recognition feature, you simply call the Nintendog by the name you have chosen and using the touch screen you can stroke, pat and tickle your dog – making this sure to be the No.1 handheld game this Christmas.

In a news update, the “Pocket PC magazine” announce that the magazine will be renamed “Smartphone & Pocket PC” starting this November.

The publication which was originally launched in 1997 by Thaddeus Computing as Handheld PC Magazine, was created to help users get the most out of Microsoft Windows CE-based handheld computers. In 2000 the magazine changed its name to Pocket PC to reflect Microsoft’s new direction for Windows CE-based handhelds.

Now once again in 2005, because of projections for explosive Smartphone growth, a major market shift has taken place. The newest incarnation of the Windows CE-based handheld operating system called Windows Mobile 5 provides PDAs and Smartphones a similar look and functionality. Therefore, starting with the 2006 Buyer’s Guide on newsstands in November, Pocket PC becomes Smartphone & Pocket PC.

Published bi-monthly, Smartphone & Pocket PC and its bonus Buyer’s Guide will continue to focus on all things Windows Mobile.

Publisher and Executive Editor, Hal Goldstein says “the change of name reflects the evolution of the market and of the Windows Mobile operating system. The new name, Smartphone & Pocket PC, more accurately reflects the editorial content and direction of the magazine. The tagline for Pocket PC was ‘For users of Windows Mobile™ Smartphones & PDAs.’ The new tagline for Smartphone & Pocket PC will now simply be ‘For users of Windows Mobile™’.”

There is a nice Motion LS800 Tablet PC Photo Review from Tablet Switcher. Here are some of the first impressions:

My Motion LS800 Tablet PC arrived yesterday (!). First impression: wow, that’s small! But after getting a good look at it, I think “just right” is a better description. This is really the perfect size, and after a day of use, I can’t imagine lugging around anything bigger.

There are some nice pictures and comments of the new LS800:

One of the issues mentioned in reviews is heat: it does get a little toasty. I actually had it shutdown on me. Interestingly, I was being careful not to block the (many) vents. I had it on the table but slightly (1″) elevated at one end.

And another aspect in this Motion LS800 review:
“The only other thing which is a bit irritating is the screen rotation. I like using it in portrait (I’m still debating which portrait position, but that’s another story). Windows insists on displaying the login screen in landscape (although it sometimes mangles/crops a portrait-sized display into a landscape orientation). I can’t figure out how it chooses which landscape to use, though, and when you get logged in, it can’t seem to remember which portrait to go back to; it goes to the right one for a second, and then switches to landscape. ”

More about the Motion LS800 Tablet PC here.

Pakuma laptop bags – information and review

Pakuma announced the launch of their new range of notebook bags, designed for the chic and geek. Inspired by the South American Pemon tribe, the range of Pakuma bags are made using high performance materials and designed to be fashionable, durable and most of all fun.

Integral to Pakuma’s bags are industry leading fabrics: tough woven straps designed to withstand the stresses and strains from carrying laptop computers; the best zips in the world from YKK™ and patented DURAFLEX™ buckles. A lot of time has been spent understanding the materials and the needs of the laptop user to ensure Pakuma products are timeless, eye-catching and last.

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There is a new review of the Evesham Quest Roma MT 37 Turion Notebook from Trusted Review. They write:

“The Evesham Quest Roma MT 37 is a mid-range machine which should appeal to a broad spectrum of users, based on specifications alone. It might not look as cool as the Acer Ferrari 4000 notebook, nor does it feature the same build quality – but it is a lot cheaper. The price difference is most likely due to the MSI M610 chassis which is far more basic than that of the Ferrari 4000 – there’s no sign of carbon fibre here.

The performance results aren’t amazing, but at least you should be able to work comfortably for up to three hours away from a power socket. But where the Quest Roma MT 37 wins a lot of ground over the competition is when it comes to price. At £899 including VAT this is a quite attractively priced machine considering the hardware you’re getting. The Quest Roma MT 37 may not be the greatest notebook I’ve ever seen, but if you’re on a tight budget it should fit the bill nicely.”

The verdict of this Evesham Quest Roma MT 37 Laptop review is:

The Evesham Quest Roma MT 37 features several high-end components but it could do with some more system memory and a better keyboard. The performance results are a mixed bag but it will handle everyday office tasks and occasional gaming without too much of a problem.

Notebook Review features an Acer Aspire 1691 review and writes:

“I’m a lucky lad. Not only am I sat in front of a portable superb-looking laptop, but I’m also looking at a desktop replacement. Because of my new Acer Aspire 1691, I can finally throw away my desktop computer, space wasting pile of junk. The sleek Acer 1691 tops my old desktop in every single respect. It’s amazing how laptops have come down in price, back in the day laptops were a luxury, but now laptops are a necessity for anybody looking for a new computer.”

The configuration of the reviewed Acer Aspire 1691 laptop:

1.6GHz, 533 FSB, 2MB L2 cache — Pentium M 730
15.4 Inch WXGA Crystalbrite TFT LCD
ATI X700 Mobility Radeon with 64MB VRAM
80GB HDD 4200RPM
CD Car-Stereo type loader that writes DVDs and CDs
512MB DD2 — Dual-channel supported
802.11b/g wireless Lan
XP Home Edition
Various USB 2.0 and other ports
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BBC News Reports: Total recall boosts PDA writing

The idea of remembering word patterns and connecting the dots might not sound like an easy way to write an e-mail.

But IBM researchers are betting that tracing letters on a touch screen will become the way to write on a handheld device like a PDA or mobile phone.

They have developed software that works by recognising the patterns of words.
…
In order to tap into this unrealised potential, the IBM team came up with software that works by using geometrical patterns to represent words.

Instead of tapping out letters or writing a word on screen, you trace each letter in a single, fluid stroke. The keyboard on screen shows the shape of the word.

Interesting new method, we will se if this new input method for PDAs is practical too…

There is a new Toshiba Libretto U100 Laptop Review from Pocket Lint. They write about the U100 notebook:

The U100 isn’t really intended to be used as your sole computer. Rather, it should be used as a portable on the move – its size makes it ideal for carrying in your overnight luggage or even your day bag. With a weight of 1kg and measuring 210 x 145 x 35mm, it won’t be a burden.

Rather than running on cathode lamps, the 7.2-inch screen is backlit using LEDs. This is a technology not usually found in notebooks. The benefit of using this technology is in its power efficiency, as it is far less power hungry than alternate technologies.

This notebook from Toshiba gets 8 points out of 10 from this review and this verdict:

“The Toshiba Libretto U100 is an amazing notebook that highlights many of the technologies that make Toshiba one of the leading manufacturers in the world. We found the screen to be a nice addition. While you won’t want to use the U100 as your main machine, for use on the move it’s a powerful and flexible machine with an impressive battery life for its size. ”

Read more Toshiba Libretto U100 reviews

Here are some news about the new plastic-based methanol fuel cartridge that will provide the energy source for laptop computers and other portable electronic devices.

From the original News Release:

Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Corporation Reveals Methanol Fuel Cartridge

VIASPACE Inc. (OTCBB symbol VSPC.OB), a spin-off from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (which is operated by Caltech) that transforms proven space and defense technologies into hardware and software products that solve today’s complex problems, announced today that its subsidiary company Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Corporation (DMFCC) has designed a new plastic-based methanol fuel cartridge. Methanol fuel cartridges provide the energy source for laptop computers and other portable electronic devices that will be powered by direct methanol fuel cells. The announcement was made by Dr. Carl Kukkonen, CEO of VIASPACE and DMFCC.
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An interesting article discuss this problem: Pocket PC Vs Palm – What to Choose ?. The writer is trying to find the advantages and disadvantages of each handheld platform. They write:

If you are after gaming, multimedia, good WiFi+Bluetooth support, a lot of accessories and versatility, go with Pocket PC.
If you are after small and stylish devices with good battery life, simple interface and simple PIM apps, go with PalmOS.
There is room for both, however most modern or tech-oriented new PDA users are more likely to opt for PocketPC instead. In fact, PocketPC’s market share *growth* is bigger than Palm’s the last few years, but Palm is still ahead in overall market share. This is changing rapidly though, especially with the many PocketPC phones that are scheduled to be shipped later this year.