Intel have rounded up some key partners here at IDF 2010 to talk about the recent AppUp announcements.

Notes taken at the panel session:

Appup is ‘gold’ Out of beta and ready to go. New version is now available. Much faster!

Dixons (Garry Hearns) on App Stores:

Bringing life to technology. AppUp store crucial.

Tapping into unrecognised needs through developers.

Gary talks about safe application stores.

Q. How are you going to help developers.

Eric Wittman (Adobe)

We have Project Melrose Flash and AIR developers can put their apps into AppUp

Joe Morris Konami:

Migrating from console to digital. Fragmentation has been difficult in the mobile space. “We see AppUp as solving the fragmentation problem, creating an ecosystem in which developers can prosper. inch

Gary Hearns Dixons

Open questions:

Question from Sascha When are you releasing AppUp center on EeePC line
Asus: AppUp on Asus netbooks in retail stores in Novemeber.

Question from Darren Waters: How will the app store be branded, marketed in Dixons.

Dixons: Co-branded store. Pre-Christmas awareness. Online marketing on websites. DM customers. Strong in-store presence. After Christmas: Where appropriate will be installed on Advent computers.

Question: Are you doing anything to promote business apps.

Biddle: Consumer space is our focus. We’re not going to turn away productivity apps.

Summary: Clearly these are partners that already committed to AppUp so the message will be very positive but its good to see people finally announcing products, software and marketing. Its a commitment from outside Intel and that’s a very important first step.

The AppUp store can be downloaded here.

In about an hour I’ll be starting the live blog from Intel’s developer forum here in San Francisco. You may have read new from the keynote yesterday but today’s keynotes are the more important ones for those looking at the Atom ecosystem of mobile-focused computing. We’ll see Rene James announcing a number of important progressions in the MeeGo, AppUp and Appup Developer Program (formerly Atom Developer Program) and all indicators point to big news. We expect AppUp to be announced as final (‘Gold’, out of beta) and we expect to see some new software partners on stage. Gaming and tablets will be on stage (WeTab has to make an appearance as the first MeeGo product.) Following Rene we’ll hear from Doug Davis from the embedded and communications group. I hope to hear about Moorestown, Oaktrail and Medfield in this keynote but we might see it more focused towards in-vehicle entertainment and SmartTV. They use different Atom-based platforms.

Live blogging with test and images will start in about an hour from this post. After the keynote i’ll be attending a special session with the AppUp teams so expect some more details later.

(Refresh this page to update Sorry, no auto-updating!)

0850: We’re seated

0905 Intro Recap of Day 1 Rene James comes on stage after intro video highlights user experience.

0907 Rene – “Computing has transformed from something we do to something we feel inch

"Evolution of tablets"
Tablets are not new.
Have been around or 20 years (old tablet shown)
WeTab now on screen
Breakthrough is due to touch, user interfaces.

Rene moves on to Intel Software strategy and the acquisitions: Cilk, Wind river, Havok, Virutech and more

[Note: We’re having some problems uploading from the keynote.]

Rene  highlights investment in developers and tools.

‘Support for Android’ mentioned.

Andrew Bond of Havok on stage talking about immersive computer games. They make game middleware.

0923: Demo of ‘cloth technologies’

Amazing cloth simulation demo. No more short skirts in games?

Havok announces that their technology will be freely available for people developing for AppUp store

0930: AppUp

450,000 users in AppUp
23000 members
Windows and Meego platforms.
Runtime applications are supported.
Rewards are mentioned. E.g. Developer challenge.

Grand Prize winner announced – Goal! Demonstrated on screen. I’ve played with this and i’m sure that there’s better to come.

Goal also demonstrated on MeeGo
Ported ‘within a few days’

Prize is shown – they win a car!

0933: MeeGo

Highlights:

DeviceVM Splashtop Meego Remix announced.

Rene highlights netbooks, netbooks. Gentech mediaphone (OpenPeak) also highlighted.

New tablet —- WeTab also highlights.

Stephan CTO of 4tiitoo (WeTab partner and the guy I was on the plane with coming over!) is on stage.

MeeGo for TV now highlighted. This is something new.

New platform for Smart Television. Is this SmartTV?

Video being shown.

Amino now on stage demonstrating the MeeGo TV system. How does this sit with the Google SmartTV project? Confusing.

Amino system looks good. Smooth. HD. Cloud content integrated. Its shipping now apparently.

AppUp goes live / gold

Announces that AppUp Developer Program is the new name for the program.

Peter Biddle announces that AppUp is Gold.

0945 AppUp Experience and ApUp Elements event (we’re doing a podcast there on Thursday) is highlighted.

New partners announced for AppUp.

Dixons Retail will use the AppUp

Currys will use AppUp

Croma will promote AppUp

BestBuy will promote AppUp.

Sega is in the AppUp store! Megadrive classics coming.

Barnes and Noble coming

Unity coming to AppUp store.

More details on these announcements later after our private session at 11pm.

Rene finishes. Doug Davis on stage now. Here’s the Atom section.

Doug Starts with Atom in the compute continuum and some future thoughts. Telemetry, Digital Signs, home storage networks. Suprises us all (!) by telling us these products are real and are all internet connected.

Again, there’s the ‘port of choice’ capability statement. Windows, MeeGo, Android, VXWorks etc.

70M Atom cpus have been shipped into netbooks.
E-Series is a new series for embedded apps. I guess its Tunnel Creek

Boxee Box announced as an Atom-based product. Others too:

More talk about TV

10:09

New media-focused platform announced CE4200 (Aka Groveland)

Partner and products announced too.

Mobile Devices:
Doug talks about the launch of Z6xx series CPU.
10x in thermal power 50x platform idle power we’ve heard before.

Aava phone shown on stage.

‘We’re on track’ for smartphones.

Tablet PCs now being highlighted.

Exopc, CIUS, WeTab etc.

Oaktrail for tablets Looks like a streak!

Doug talks a lot about Windows 7

2 devices running Oaktrail shown.

Both running windows 7

Dell turns up on stage with new tablet.

10 inch Dual-core Windows 7. “Most powerful 10 inch tablet inch

OK. Everyone got a bit excited there. Full Dell 10 inch tablet image set here.

https://www.umpcportal.com/2010/09/first-pics-dell-10-dual-core-win7-convertible/

Now we’re looking at embedded platforms and applications. Intel announced Tunnel Creek as the new E-series Atom range.

More information on that here.

We’re winding down here. ‘Whats next’ says Doug.

Stellarton sneak peek. FPGA on-die with Atom CPU for major flexibility.

That’s it. Thanks for watching.

Looking forward to some hands-on with the Dell Tablet if possible.

Meet:Mobility Podcast 54 is available.

In this show recorded on Friday 20th August 2010, Chippy, JKK and guest, Joanna Stern (Engadget) attempt to round-up 6 weeks of mobile computing news and talk about the netbooks and tablet possibilities for Q4 2010

Full show notes, listen and subscribe links over at Meet:Mobility.

You can also find the podcast on iTunes (Please, please help us by rating the show on iTunes.) You can also subscribe via RSS.

Meet:Mobility Podcast 54 is available.

In this show recorded on Friday 20th August 2010, Chippy, JKK and guest, Joanna Stern (Engadget) attempt to round-up 6 weeks of mobile computing news and talk about the netbooks and tablet possibilities for Q4 2010

Full show notes, listen and subscribe links over at Meet:Mobility.

You can also find the podcast on iTunes (Please, please help us by rating the show on iTunes.) You can also subscribe via RSS.

I’ve just posted a two-part article over at UMPCPortal that looks at some recent news, looks forward to some expected products, highlights some events in September and provides a general update of where we are today in the mobile handheld world. Much of it focuses on consumer products that you readers of Carrypad are interested in.

In the article I talk about the Huawei S7, RIMs Blackpad, Samsungs tablet, the Smartbook Surfer, Interpad (new in the database,) Eking, the Huawei E583C hotspot, ICD, Notion Ink and a bunch of devices that are on our ‘watchlist.’ We’re also going to IDF and IFA events in September so you’ll see some information about that too.

Check out Part 1 here.

…and Part 2 here.

I’ve just posted a two-part article over at UMPCPortal that looks at some recent news, looks forward to some expected products, highlights some events in September and provides a general update of where we are today in the mobile handheld world. Much of it focuses on consumer products that you readers of Carrypad are interested in.

In the article I talk about the Huawei S7, RIMs Blackpad, Samsungs tablet, the Smartbook Surfer, Interpad (new in the database,) Eking, the Huawei E583C hotspot, ICD, Notion Ink and a bunch of devices that are on our ‘watchlist.’ We’re also going to IDF and IFA events in September so you’ll see some information about that too.

Check out Part 1 here.

…and Part 2 here.

Yesterday, in Part 1, I talked about 3 tablet products. Today, there’s more and the first one is something that shouldn’t be a surprise because Smartbook AG have released a ‘Smartbook.’ The only problem is that I don’t see this as a smartbook. A smartbook to me would be in the laptop/netbook form factor and have an advanced CPU that brings enough power for a quality web, gaming and application experience along with an application store. Smartbook’s Smartbook Surfer runs an ARM11 based Telechips CPU and has a basic Android 2.1 install with, as far as I know, no Gmail, maps or marketplace. That’s not to say it’s a bad product because at 170 euro with GPS (possibly not in the 170 Euro version) HDMI-out, stereo speakers and a case, it’s worth considering for basic coffee-table and holiday duties. If you’ve looked at the Archos 7 Home Tablet.

The final 7 inch tablet to talk about is the Viewsonic which is in a different league to the Smartbook Surfer. It’s a rumor but looks likely to me considering the Viewsonic branding we’ve seem on prototypes around the trade shows this year. Stuff.TV indicates that it will be running Android 2.2 and have 3G, hi-res cam and GPS options making it a competitor to the Samsung and Huawei slates. They say that is will launch in the UK in about 2 month. Again, this is a rumor, but it seems likely.

Before I move on to the other news items I want to talk briefly about smart books. I’ve been very positive about the possibility of ARM and Android bringing an always-on, social, fun and lightweight netbook alternative to the market but as yet we haven’t seen anything that really hits the mark. The hardware is there in my opinion but it was always the Android build that fell short. Both the Compaq Airlife 100 and Toshiba AC100 were build on open-source Android and included none of the important, even critical elements of sync, Gmail, maps, marketplace and other Google software. For a category that would benefit from software re-writes, not having a software delivery channel means no developer is going to bother with the opportunity. I’m 100% sure that Google and ARM know about this and the stars seem to be pointing towards Android 3.0 (codename Gingerbread) as the solution. It will finally branch Android out to non Smartphone devices. Why the delay? I suspect Google is re-writing some of its apps to suit WVGA and higher resolutions just like Apple did with their apps on the iPad. As for timescales, I suspect we won’t see anything until the last weeks of 2010 which is just about when MeeGo/Moorestown based tablets will hit the scene. The differences between the two hard/soft platforms will be clear at that point.

Did you see the new renderings of the Eking slider UMPC? It looks similar to the design we saw in plastic form with Wibrain (sold to Eking) in Sept 2009.

It also looks a lot like the Mui HDPC. I remember using the Amtek U650 in 2007 and liking it a lot. If Eking can bring this to market on Oaktrail with some quality engineering and better aesthetics, it has a chance in the ultra mobile PC market but maybe it would be more successful as a ‘smart’ product on a Cortex A9 core with Android 3.0? Slimmer, always-on, great for Android gaming? Just a thought.

Here’s something about MiFi-a-likes. I’ve been using the MiFi for over a year and it’s been a great product but I’m disappointed that there haven’t been any upgrades since launch. The GPS remains unusable, I get the occasional lock-up, it gets very warm, it’s impossible to remember to indicator meanings and the battery life needs to be more than 4 hours. Novatel will fall behind if they don’t watch out because the new Huawei E583C looks to match the MiFi’s current capability and offer an OLED display panel on top. The idea of an on-board application processor sounds attractive with the MiFi but there’s no software for it yet so why bother? I’d rather save 40 or 50 Euros and take the E583C to be honest.

Other news I’ve ‘starred’ over the last few days of catch-up time…

Clearwires Apple-centric 4G hotspot.

Motorola-Verizon Tablet with FIOS TV.

Nokia’s take on the MeeGo handset UI.

Android 2.1 on the Dell Streak

ExoPC slate update.

‘Watchlist’ and ‘Events on the next page…

I’m just a few posts away from completing my Intel Developer Forum 2009 related work now and it’s time to round-up and summarize the news and to try and work out what it means for 2010 and 2011. Power-gating, Mobiln 2.1 and the App Store are just three very important elements but for the full overview, check out an article I’ve just posted at UMPCPortal which goes over everything I learned. I can not deny that it was disappointing not to see more Moorestown prototypes but the news is more than enough to keep my excitement going until the next big event. See you at CES 2010 in January.

IDF round-up at UMPCPortal.

Image via. Intel

Many thanks to Intel and the Intel Insider program for the sponsorship of my MIDMoves work at IDF.