Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds

Many people look upon GamePark’s GP32 handheld console as a revolutionary product in the world of videogames — it was, after all, one of the first platforms to actually encourage homebrew and emulation — and now DCEmu is reporting that the company is poised to launch what it’s calling the GP32′s successor, the “XGP kids.” Shaped more or less like a tiny PSP, this new model is the third in the XGP lineup (following the original XGP and XGP mini), none of which should be confused with the similarly-named GP2X (this latter console is manufactured by GamePark Holdings, a company composed mainly of disgruntled ex-GamePark employees). Although not all its specs will be revealed until September 16th, we do know that it will be powered by a 140MHz ARM processor (probably overclockable), sport a 2.2-inch, 220 x 176 LCD, feature 8MB of RAM and 2MB of flash memory, and support USB 1.1 file transfers, but unlike the GP32, will eschew the old school SmartMedia slot for more modern SD cards. The best part here is the anticipated price (according to Wikipedia, at least); unlike the $300 XGP, $230 GP2X, and $150 XGP mini, the XGP kids is expected to slide in at under a C-note — $75, to be exact.

[Via DCEmu]

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Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds

If you’ve gotten just a little too good at your Nintendo DS games and are looking for more of a challenge — and also looking to void your warranty — now there’s a way to hack your console for making everything run almost twice as fast. A Japanese modder has just posted step-by-step directions (in Japanese, unfortunately) for re-wiring a DS Lite to perform at a claimed 1.7x speed, complete with a toggle switch in case you decide that turbo mode isn’t appropriate for all occasions. It looks like you have to be pretty handy with a soldering iron to tackle this particular project, so if you’ve got the skillz and about four hours to waste on tinkering around with your DS’s sensitive circuitry, then accelerated performance — and funny-sounding audio — will be your reward.

[Via Maxconsole]

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Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds, Portable Audio, Portable Video

Reader Matt Z. spotted yet another PSP knockoff in the wild, this one at a computer show in Pittsburgh. C’mon, guys, if you’re gonna have the nerve to copy a product’s name along with its design, at least take the time to get the logo right.

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Filed under: Handhelds, Portable Video, Wireless

Filed under: Handhelds

Filed under: Handhelds, Portable Audio, Portable Video

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Handhelds

We’ve had our eye on Philips (that’s Royal Philips Electronics to you) spinoff iRex Technologies ever since we heard that the company was developing a Sony Reader-like e-book device with some pretty compelling features, but there’s been no word on the so-called iLiad since it failed to ship last month as we were expecting. Well now iRex has finally updated its website with some new information about the 400MHz, multi-format reader, and the news is not so good if you’re hoping to get your hands on one of these any time soon — consumers will have to wait until at least September to order a model with “extended functionality” being designed for the general public. Businesses, on the other hand, can start placing their orders for the regular, “less-functional” models within the next month, with Europeans getting a shot at the e-ink-based ‘books a month ahead of the rest of the world. We’re hoping that along with the new features promised in the consumer version, iRex also manages to shave a few bucks off of the cost, as that $800+ pricetag we previously reported is pretty steep no matter how much you like to read.

[Thanks, Alex]

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Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds

No surprises here: Nintendo has loosed a version of the venerable Rumble Pak on Japanese DS Lite owners, with a US model forthcoming. Besides being smaller than its big brother in order to fit flushly in the Lite’s cartridge slot, the new Rumble Pak sports all the same vibrating goodness, and for the same price too. (In case you don’t remember, that price is a mere $10). Unfortunately, both versions of the Pak are still only supported by a handful of games, so here’s to hoping you haven’t beaten Metroid Prime Hunters yet.

[Via DS Fanboy]

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Filed under: Handhelds, Tablet PCs

If you had as much fun as we did with Microsoft’s Origami teaser campaign, then you’ll probably be excited to learn that we may be in store for another one next year, as the software manufacturer is already working towards the next generation of Vista-powered UMPCs. It’ll be a little harder to keep us guessing this time around, however, as once we start seeing ads for the “Vistagami” — which is the project’s awkward internal codename — we’ll have a pretty good idea that Microsoft and friends are trying to loose yet another mini-TabletPC on the world. Like so many other products we’ve covered, the new devices are scheduled to be released at the same unknown time as Vista, and by necessity, will sport either the Home Premium, Ultimate, or business versions of the oft-delayed OS. Oh, and if you were curious as to Microsoft’s thoughts on the hefty cost of picking up a current-gen UMPC, the company’s Mika Krammer openly admitted that Redmond was disappointed, saying that “we would have liked to have seen a lower price point.” Hey, us too!

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Filed under: Handhelds, Wireless

When a manufacturer takes styling cues from a number of popular devices — in this case, the RAZR, the Wizard, and the gone-but-not-forgotten Clie — and throws in a number of high end features whose acronyms make us a little weak-kneed, the resulting products are bound to be pretty sexy. Such is the case with a trio of WiBro-capable PDAs being marketed under the Flyvo brand by POSDATA, all of which run Windows CE 5.0 Professional Plus on an ARM processor and let you get your ‘net on with WiFi as well in case you have to travel outside of Korea. Introduced at this year’s Wireless Broadband World Forum, these upcoming devices (which frustratingly lack either names or model numbers) also feature either 512MB or 1GB of flash RAM, with two of them adding T-DMB and VoIP capabilities, and the high-end model throwing in a little GPS action to boot. Lucky Koreans will be able to pick these up — and possibly even drop their cellphone services altogether — sometime early next year.

Read- The one that resembles a Wizard
Read- The one that resembles a PSP
Read- The one that resembles a Clie

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Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds, Networking

Although neither device has a true VoIP option yet, UK tech site T3 is reporting that "a source close to...Vonage" (i.e. a friend of a friend of a friend) has confirmed that the VoIP provider is developing WiFi calling solutions for both the Sony PSP and Nintendo DS. We've known for awhile that both systems were capable of implementing the ol' VoIP, but other than a random blog musing we reported on last year, this is the first indication we've seen of a major player making moves in this direction. Even for a rumor, the details here are pretty thin, such as how Vonage plans to actually implement VoIP in the disparate devices -- the possibilities include a firmware update for the PSP, and either DSpeak-like software or an Opera-like cartridge for the DS -- or even a hint of when we can expect to see any products come to market. As you might expect, Vonage itself declined to comment on the matter when contacted by T3.

Filed under: Handhelds, Tablet PCs

src="http://www.engadget.com/media/2006/04/umpc_mce-(small).jpg" />Telecoms Korea is quoting a Samsung company
official who claims a low-cost, Via-based UMPC will be launched in the second half of 2006. While no model number has
been released, it will be priced at "slightly over $700" undercutting that other Via-based href="http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/28/tabletkiosk-umpc-pricing-revealed/">TabletKiosk eo by about $200 or href="http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/12/samsung-q1-gets-2-000-price-tag-in-korea/">less than href="http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/31/samsung-q1-umpc-available-for-pre-order-for-1-400/">half of Samsung’s own
Q1 (pictured). We’re still a few hundie above that href="http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/02/microsoft-said-to-issue-specs-for-ultramobile-lifestyle-pcs/">$500 sweet
spot, and we still have to wait and see what this new Sammy packs for specs and if that’s Korean or US pricing
they’re referring to. Still, with prices dropping and that href="http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/06/umpcs-to-get-special-media-extender-software/">Media Center Extender on
the horizon, well, we won’t abandon this fledgling platform just yet.

Also, while we’re here, we wanted to
issue an update to yesterday’s href="http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/12/samsung-q1-gets-2-000-price-tag-in-korea/">Samsung Q1 post. As pointed out
by several people, the Korean price will actually be W1,199,000 (about $1,250), not W2,000,000 (about $2,000), as
reported yesterday. Not exactly a huge bargain, but certainly better than the price we originally reported.
/>[Via UMPC Buzz]

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Filed under: Handhelds

For the first census of the 21st Century, the US Census Bureau is finally entering the 20th. In 2010, when the next census is conducted, the agency will use handheld computers, rather than relying on notepads for door-to-door visits. The agency says the plan will keep costs down as well as making the count more accurate. The handhelds will be made by smartphone manufacturer HTC, and will run a version of Windows Mobile. Concerned Census Bureau officials have been assured that the HTC units won't replace their BlackBerrys, and will be used solely for data collection, not as smartphones (despite the fact that, coming from HTC, they'll probably be very capable smartphones with messaging and calling functions turned off for this project). The equipment is expected to be deployed this year or next by Florida-based Harris Corp., which won a $600 million contract to run the field operation.  According to Census Bureau officials, the switch from paper to PDA will save money, though the total cost for the 2010 census is still expected to be as much as $12 million, double that of 2000.