Jenn (Pocketables) has already made a post on this but I’d like to follow it up with a little more technical info. Firstly, can I just say – 3Mbps MPEG-4 performance! Yup, they updated the mplayer package and its really boosted the performance. I noticed it when I played my favorite 2mbps – Xvid/AC3 encoded “Best of Top Gear” DVD Rip. It was smoother than before. I checked the CPU performance and it was just sitting there picking its nose around the 35% mark. So I ripped a PAL VOB (DVD MPEG2 file) and […]

From the articles from a week ago department comes a posting from [url=http://onlyumpc.com/news/mac-os-x-on-asus-r2h]OnlyUMPC.com[/url] showing Mac OSX running on an Asus R2H.

The system is functional but has incorrect screen calibration and device issues.

OnlyUMPC also has a video of the system running, so go check it out [url=http://onlyumpc.com/news/video-mac-os-x-on-asus-r2h]here[/url].

This isn’t bad. Its a ‘UMPC Verse’ by Ultranauts. We won’t spoil it by posting it here so pop over and take a look. Well done lads. Now step away from the brandy butter and get back to work!

Update: I’m tracking the latest info on this HTC Athena datasheet. Look! As Grandpa Joe said in ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’: ‘PRAISE THE LORD. We’ve found the Golden Carrypad. Possibly.’ I have to leave the office now. I’m looking forward to reading what the blogosphere thinks about it. Many thanks to ‘Fragles’ who tipped me off. More Carrypad news about the Athena here and here.

I’m still highly skeptical about the transparentness of Three’s X-Series service. There’s too many marketing words floating around the product for my liking. ‘Unlimited Web Browsing’ instead in Internet Access. ‘Fair Use’ and other such warning signs. Ewan Macleod who runs SMS Text News uses the X-Series product and is really putting it through its paces. He’s posted a number of really interesting and honest articles and this one from yesterday is very positive. Ewan quotes the X-series blog (well done to the X-Series team for having the foresight to communicate […]

Did anyone see this on DigiTimes? The stock price of VIA rose nearly 7% to close at NT$27.15 on December 19 due to rumors that the company will partner with High Tech Computer (HTC) on development of a new UMPC. The price reached a three month peak. HOW MUCH? 7%. To me that seems a huge effect. While I personally think that VIA are best positioned to dominate the x86-based ultra-mobile PC space due to possible partnerships with HTC, Dopod and Microsoft, I had no idea that people buying stock believe that […]

The latest HTC Athena specs shown at The Unwired now match closely to the specifications I’ve seen and I feel quite confident that these are true. Rather than the 3.5″ screen, its got a 5″ screen at VGA resolution and there’s the 624Mhz Xscale there rather than the Samsung 400Mhz CPU. 5″ Screen. Its going to challenge the Nokia Communicator/E90 perhaps? Shame its not an 800×480 screen but it should make an awesome net-connected PMP. Will HTC offer the VIA Ondemand service on it I wonder? Here’s the Unwired news […]

Here’s an interview that GottaBeMobile did with Rochelle Wheelan of Intel’s Ultra Mobility group. Battery life was the main topic (as always!) and I had to laugh a little at Rochelle’s spin on the issue. Do you remember back at IDF, Intel announced that they would have processor components that would dissipate about half the power of 2006 components. A lot of people got excited and assumed that it meant double the battery life. Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzt! Rochelle talks about 4-5 hours battery life in 2007 along with her explanation about increased battery life but its […]