We haven’t even got McCaslin devices on the market yet and The Register is querying whether Menlow is going to bring enough battery life benefits. I was going to leave this for another day but I’ve got 30 minutes before my wife comes home and a pencil and paper here. Lets have a finger-in-the-air go at predicting Intel battery life for 2008 (this doesn’t apply to VIA-based UMPCs.) The assumption is that Intel reach their targets. [click to read full article]

The Gnome Foundation has launched the Mobile & Embedded Initiative (GMAE) and a proposal for an OS architecture that can be used on mobile devices.

Reading through all the details it looks like its bringing Maemo, OpenMoko and Canonical (Ubuntu) together which is a good sign that the existing partners, including Canonical who are members of Intel’s MIDIA alliance, want to work together on a common platform and want to share ideas. Here’s the mission statement from the group.

• Increase community and commercial visibility of GMAE technology and participating organisations.
• Co-ordinate investment in the GTK+ and GNOME platform, documentation and developer tools.
• Increase development focus on the “mobile experience”, particularly the integration of GNOME desktop and GMAE technology.
• Facilitate healthy development collaboration between participating organisations, the GNOME community and related projects; and between GNOME platform, desktop and GMAE developers.
• Pursue standardisation opportunities for the platform, and potentially at the user experience level.
• Ensure that Software Freedom is a reality beyond the desktop, and available in the hands of users around the world.

This diagram from Intel’s IDF presentations, shows nicely where GMAE fits in. Its a core library set, and doesn’t include an interface architecture. This makes sense as it will probably target screen sizes from 2-7 inches, touch and no-touch. The diagram shows the MID Linux framework and the GMAE stack on the bottom right.

Click to enlarge the diagram.

To be honest, the architecture is difficult to understand. I’ve ben working with *nix systems for over 20 years so most of it fits into place for me but I can imagine that most readers have lost interest by this point!

Forget the technical details, what it really means is that nearly all the players in the mobile Linux ‘arena’ are now talking to each other and working together. This is another indication of the importance of mobile devices. Business are starting to position themselves around the technology now.

A nice report is available at LinuxDevices. GMAE info from Gnome here.

Yesterday I took delivery of my first Vista-based UMPC (and to be honest, my first ever Vista device!) and spent way too long playing with it last night. Origami Experience was nice and a real improvement over the original program launcher. But it could be better!

I was lucky enough to be able to give my thoughts directly to Oscar Koenders of the OP team at CeBIT but everyone now has the chance to input their own thoughts directly via an open poll and thread at OrigamiProject.com. This is a good opportunity to influence an important bit of software for UMPCs.

I personally think they should open it up a bit to external developers via some sort of API and for OE 2008, release it along with fully integrated Autoroute/Streets and Trips 2008 with BT A2DP/Headset/phone control integration added so that you can use the device as a car media player and hands-free mobile phone unit. Considering that StreetDeck is going to set you back over $200, a sub $50 option is going to appeal to a lot of people coming in at the ‘easy’ end of the CarPC market.

Via GottaBeMobile

Nice to see some news from VIA this week and its probably not an accident either!

VIA have launched the Pico-ITX reference design based on a standardised motherboard form factor for ultra-small and efficient computing devices. In its C7-M version, its effectively the core of a Q1b on a motherboard with VGA and Ethernet connector on board. Its 10cmx7.2 cm which is going to be comparable to the 2008 Menlow reference board. I guess the standard isn’t actually targeted at UMPC builders. Its more for the embedded market but there’s nothing stopping someone taking this and building their own UMPC or CarPC.  Interesting that both VIA and Intel have the playing card in the marketing images. Ace high or low?

 
VIA’s Pico-ITX reference board and comparison with Amtek T700 UMPC

Images comparing the VIA PicoITX reference board and the Intel Menlow reference board.

The PicoITX was shown at CES 2007 and there’s a nice article with video at Mini-ITX.com

Battery life continuously tops the list of complaints that people have about Ultra mobile PC’s and over the last 48 hours there has been a huge amount of talk from Intel, blogs and potential customers about Intels new UMPC platforms and how battery life is going to improve. I thought it might be worth giving a little time and thought to Intel’s Ultra Mobile platform (UMP) 2007, putting some figures down and trying to work out what UMP 2007 really means in terms of battery life. Its not an easy thing to do when there are no devices available but we’ve seen some figures now and luckily, I have some real-life figures to use from testing and playing with the Q1 Ultra at CeBIT in. Read on for details about UMP 2007 and battery life.

MP3car.com have just announced a new version of StreetDeck, the in car navigation and entertainment software, for UMPCs. I’m going to post this in full because its great news. I haven’t tested it yet but I’ve only heard good things about it. StreetDeck is available through StreetDeck.com

MP3Car, Inc. today unveiled its latest version of StreetDeck with new features for Intel UMPCs and MIDs. StreetDeck software (www.StreetDeck.com) is a graphical user interface (GUI) that combines portable multimedia playback, on the go internet access, and portable navigation into one easy to use consumer friendly application. Ultra Mobile OEMs, service providers, and automotive solution providers benefit from the rich feature set that StreetDeck offers for walk-about, on the go, and in-car usage. With touch screen, voice, and gesture based control StreetDeck combines the following features:

• Walk-About / On The Go
• Touch Screen Button and Gesture based control
• Real Time GPS Navigation & Mapping
• Integrated Media Player and Picture Viewer
• Customizable ‘skins’ for branded application experience
• Customizable pairing with web service
• NEW – web2.0 GPS mash-up – find local Points of Interest from popular Internet portals
• NEW – web2.0 Media mash-up – identify any music stream with GraceNote song detection and optional purchase
• NEW – XM online radio support
• NEW – Wi-Fi HotSpot Sync ‘n Go Support When used with a car-docking system
• Integrate with Car Satellite Radio and GPS antenna
• Bluetooth “Hands-Free” Phone Integration
• Vehicle Diagnostics
• Rear-view Camera Support
• CD Ripping and DVD Playback

“MP3Car is committed Intel’s Ultra Mobile technology to enable Intel OEMs to offer an internet enabled ‘out-of-the box’ Portable Navigation and Media device. Ultra Mobile technologies extend the Intel Architecture into new mobile and automotive environments our customers are asking for.” said Robert Wray, CEO.

“The StreetDeck solution by mp3Car is the kind of innovate software that enables a consumer friendly end user experience we envision.”, said Robert DeLine, Director of Marketing, Intel Ultra Mobility Group. “Intel’s energy efficient processors and chipsets, combined with this software, deliver a rich, multimedia, consumer friendly experience on UMPCs and MIDs.”

The keynote presentations are available to view now along with the slides.

Take a look at Anand’s presentation where they go through the devices about 16 mins into presentation. Theres a nice bit about form factors where Mark Parker goes through all the devices on stage. They are all running on the McCaslin 2007 platform. Click through to view a lot of screenshots and a clip from the presentation.

Gipigrl has posted this image at Flickr. It proves that the Arima / Medion / Gigabyte look-a-like UMPC is going to be the Haier model. That keyboard looks like it has the same physicals as the Medion but just with a different, traditional layout. Remember, this could be a prototype.

Gipigrl has some more images here. The one on the left here shows the founder / Tablet Kiosk i7209 with a RedFlag Linux sticker on it. If that model is working then it means they have the egalax USB touchscreen drivers working. (Q1 has the same screen I believe.)