Archive for the ‘UMPC’ Category
Sunday, April 8th, 2012
(29 votes, average: 3.14 out of 5)
We’ve just uncovered a relatively new BlackBerry PlayBook concept tablet, actually called PlayBook 3.0 and created by Crackberry user ummie4. We’re dealing here with a very original slate, a clamshell one, that also involves a keyboard, as shown in the image below.
PlayBook 3.0 has dual screens and borrows the same keyboard styling as the one of the Bold 9900, according to the designer. You can hold the BlackBerry concept tablet with both hands and thumb type easily on it without pulling too much of a stretch. Dual trackpads are placed above the keyboard and the designer seems to think that trackpads are still useful, even on a device with two touchscreens. It’s all for the sake of gaming controls apparently. The PlayBook 3.0 will also feature a brushed stainless steel bezel, once again reminding me of the BlackBerry Bold 9900.
The focus of the product is REAL multitasking, available through those two screens. When closed, the device looks pretty much like a very fancy makeup kit, which may not be bad, since it adds a bit of fashion to the product. No idea what the diagonal of the product is, but something between 5 and 7 inch would fit it perfectly, don’t you think?
[via Crackberry]
Posted in UMPC | 4 Comments »
Saturday, August 13th, 2011
(12 votes, average: 3.08 out of 5)
Created by Roni Margolin, the HiLo tablet actually brings up an original idea: how about a tablet pouch that also acts as a keyboard? The device is a 10 inch OLED slate that doesn’t bring anything unusual, while the wireless felt keyboard is the thing that interests me more.
This is more of a jacket than a pouch if you want, that comes with hot pressed circuitry in order to implement the QWERTY keys you see here. The thing is that hopefully this wireless keyboard won’t connect to devices while you walk on the street and accidentally type stuff on it. I guess that a simple On/Off button can solve that.
The tablet uses an aluminum and ABS plastic case, while the keyboard is all felt. The combo weighs 1 kg and the HiLo tablet measures 14mm in thickness, which is quite a lot. However, it’s the originality that impresses.
[via Yanko Design]
Posted in UMPC | 1 Comment »
Friday, June 17th, 2011
(16 votes, average: 4.88 out of 5)
Fujitsu Anderson is an innovative laptop concept, created by Ma Yiwei and Tao Ying and it’s also the receiver of the Judge’s Special Award in a Designboom competition. This challenge was organized together with Fujitsu and DA (design association Japan), for the “FUJITSU design award: a life with future computing”
The Anderson is a portable computing device with a square shape and increased portability. Also, this Fujitsu concept has two operating modes: static and in-motion and also it’s got a 2 way hinge, changing the way you use it in landscape and portrait mode. When moving around it’s best that you use this netbook by holding it as an open book, just like in the image above.
This unit measures 17mm in thickness and its interface seems to be optimized, at least when it comes to audio playback. If I were to make an assumption, this laptop would make a great Chromebook…
[via Designboom]
Posted in Fujitsu, UMPC | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 8th, 2011
(16 votes, average: 4.44 out of 5)
After seeing the HTC Tube concept, we had the real thing showcased, but not by HTC. ASUS PadFone is the very first tablet-phone hybrid and now there’s another prototype out there, dubbed TransPhone. This model is made by the China Union Branch, a firm made out of designers, engineers and phone manufacturers.
We’re dealing with a flat display panel, that can host an Android smartphone at the back. The phone part packs a dual core 1.2GHz Qualcomm processor, as for the tablet, it comes with HDMI and USB ports. We suppose there’s also a customized interface in the mix and you have to know that the slate prolongs the battery life of the phone.
No idea when this model will come out, but it’s in prototype/concept phase right now.
[via Tablet News]
Posted in UMPC | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 7th, 2011
(28 votes, average: 2.50 out of 5)
The Computer Systems Phone is a very interesting concept, that attempts to replace laptops by giving you all the features you need on a portable device in a package that reminds me of a PDA. The handset comes with an extra wide display and an embedded keypad, that can be pulled out from underneath the screen.
Computer Systems Phone works on Windows and shows us a curvy design, that many will love. This model was designed by Beau Reid, who also included a high megapixel camera at the back and many connectivity options. We have no idea on the exact specifications of this model, but it surely looks like something that HP, Palm or Research in Motion would make.
I guess that the model is running Windows 7 and it should pack a 5 inch display (just lucky guessing).
[via designbuzz]
Posted in UMPC | 1 Comment »
Friday, May 27th, 2011
(8 votes, average: 4.38 out of 5)
Knot is a multifunctional tablet for indoor use, allowing the user to browse the Internet, watch TV, listen to music and much more. The device is a mere concept right now, packing a 7 inch display, support for wireless hotpot and telephony functions, via a wireless attachment.
You can hook up Knot to a TV or projector, use it to access the Internet or rely on its USB and HDMI ports for connectivity. There’s also a front and back camera on board, plus 2W speaker and a 3.5mm audio jack. Capacitive buttons and a haptic feedback scroller take care of the navigation. Using this sexy sleek gadget to control your home seems like a pretty easy thing to do.
Let’s hope that the battery lasts enough, or we’ll just have to leave everything running and go look for a power source.
[via designbuzz]
Posted in UMPC | No Comments »
Monday, May 23rd, 2011
(13 votes, average: 2.38 out of 5)
The raw idea behind this notebook concept is uniting two touchscreen slates with a hinge and calling them a laptop. The result is the Crowd notebook, designed by Philip Schaake, who is part of the German team Sensid Studio.
Brightly colored UI elements will allow you to interact with the device, reminding us a bit of Star Trek and Tron. The Crowd Notebook is able to separate into two modules, giving birth to two touch tablets in this way. This concept was a runner up in the Fujitsu Design Award 2011 competition.
I don’t know how this playful interface will appeal to serious users, but this would certainly make a great tool for DJs and people who have multimedia needs. Socializing and avatars are also the focus of this notebook, as are chatting, mail and web browsing.
[via Dvice]
Posted in UMPC | No Comments »
Thursday, May 19th, 2011
(15 votes, average: 3.93 out of 5)
Considering tablets are the most fashionable gadgets right now, one can forget that a couple of years ago MIDs were pretty cool, too. With a blast from the near past comes designer Choi Koun and the On Display MID, a dual display palmtop built around a dedicated Google search app.
If you close the device, the upper half shows a transparent display with real life feedback from social networking services. The MID is 20mm thick and it uses OLED technology for its screens. Considering the fact that we’re dealing with a transparent screen here, we can easily say that augmented reality would be nice to use on it, especially with a camera mounted at the back of said display.
[via Yanko Design]
Posted in UMPC | No Comments »
Friday, April 8th, 2011
(17 votes, average: 4.29 out of 5)
If you’re an architect or designer, you’ll love the MPad tablet (in fact spelled m • pad), that’s pictured below and created by Volker Hübner. This concept tablet comes with a 15.6 inch OLED display and 9 fixed buttons, that include the classic ALT, CTRL and more.
You’ll also find two programmable button rockers with e-ink display incorporated in the slate. You can use up to 24 shortcuts for each application and assign any feature you want to them. The scroll wheel enables gesture control and fast 2D navigation, plus there’s a 3D space mouse available.
The MPad is inclined 15 degrees and great when it comes to ergonomics. There’s also a ball-bearing hub and the device measures an overall 430 x 280 x 25mm. Perfect for designers?
[via Yanko Design]
Posted in UMPC | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, March 15th, 2011
(43 votes, average: 4.60 out of 5)
At first glance this seems like a future Sony PlayStation console, an alternative to the Sony NGP. Created by Hirotaka Matsui, the PS Square is a conceptual smart mobile device that’s oriented towards members of the public who are 12 to 14 years old.
PS Square supports induction charging, Bluetooth, possibly 3G and it embeds a microSD card slot. A QWERTY keyboard and a large (probably OLED) screen are incorporated and the device can connect to the PC and TV with ease, via wireless.
The same concept portable device supports social networking, gaming (as shown by the directional pad) and even school work, if you have time for that. Action keys are present as well and an eReader should be on board, too. It’s hard for me to see teenagers doing homework on this device, since I personally would be tempted to socialize and play games on it, but it’s an incredibly cool gadget, to be honest.
[via Hirotaka Matsui]
Posted in Gaming Phones, Portable Consoles, UMPC | No Comments »
