We were pretty impressed the first time we saw Innowell’s in-car UMPC (unfortunately named the UREN), but after getting a bit of hands-on time with it last week, the infatuation is slowly waning. First of all, it’s nowhere near as sexy as OQO’s Model 02, despite it having a larger 7-inch touch screen. Also, the UREN feels downright cheap when holding it, unlike the Model 02 which is the kind of gadget you don’t want to put down once you pick it up. Both UMPCs have built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, but only the 02 has integrated EV-DO. Ultimately, however, it’s the UREN’s 1.5-hour battery life (half that of the Model 02) that turned us off. – Louis Ramirez

OQO Model 02 [Gizmodo]
Innowell UREN V1 [Gizmodo]
from gizmodo

Toshiba’s closed the gap between HD DVD and Blu-ray releases with the triple-layer 51GB HD DVD disc. That’s one more than currently marketed 50GB Blu-ray movies.

One of the main ticks in the comparison sheet between Blu-ray and HD DVD was the higher storage capacity of BD (50GB discs just debuted a few months ago) compared to HD.

Going up to 51GB, the HD camp can finally say they’re equal to BD in storage, even though it takes three layers to do it—which in turn amps up the price to make these discs. However, the 51GB disc doesn’t exactly level the playing field, seeing as Blu-ray has discs of up to 200GB (8 layers) coming. – Jason Chen

HD-DVD goes beyond 50GB with new disc [DVDTown]
from gizmodo

PQI just announced the availability of their 64GB, 2.5-inch drive — doubling the size of current SSDs packed in either 1.8-inch or 2.5-inch IDE enclosures. That’s news, big news in and of itself. But these drives are also the world’s first to sport SATA. That’s right, thick juicy SATA which should make it possible to do a one-for-one swap with your existing laptop’s spinner. So check it DV editors, before the end of the month you too will have access to ultra-fast flash for your video. No word on pricing yet, but 64GB of NAND on a SATA interface will likely buck the trend of falling SSD prices. Temporarily anyway.

More info
from engadget

That 17-inch GX700 behemoth isn’t the only laptop from MSI packing a previously unannounced Intel chipset; the PR200 does that fresh Intel stuff in an 12.1-inch widescreen ultraportable form factor. At 3.96 pounds, we’ve definitely seen smaller in our day, but with a 1280 x 800 screen, Core 2 Duo, 802.11a/b/g, Bluetooth, 1.3 megapixel webcam, a 4-in-1 card reader and, most surprisingly, a built-in super-multi DVD burner, it’s hard to complain much about the weight. Integrated graphics, courtesy of the new 965GM chipset — also brought to you by the letter “X” and the number “3000″ — are of the X3000 variety, but that’s about the best we know for specs here. The 965 “Crestline” chipset featured in here should be busting out with the Intel Centrino Pro platform in Q2 2007, so we should probably expect this little guy around then.

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from engadget

Asus has already given its premium Lamborghini-branded laptops a few upgrades, but the company’s now seen fit to give the line a more significant spec bump, announcing the second-gen VX2 series. While the model name would seem to suggest more than just a few tweaks, Asus is keeping most of the details under wraps for the time being, only going so far to say that it’ll ship with Windows Vista and be based on Intel’s Core 2 Duo-based Centrino Duo Mobile platform. Otherwise, Asus is mostly talking up the laptop’s fit and finish, including its aluminum-magnesium alloy or carbon fiber casing (depending on the model), a metallic keyboard, a leather-bound palm rest, and a “glare-type LCD display,” although we’re not sure they should be bragging about that last feature. Unfortunately, Asus is also staying quiet on pricing and availability, so you’ll have to make do without that added glare for a little while longer.

[Via Reg Hardware]
more info
from engadget

For those who take comfort in wearing a GPS module wherever they go, or for runners and athletes who incorporate GPS technology to fine tune their workout, Globalsat is expanding its GPS lineup by tossing out the GH-615 wristwatch. Although details are a bit scarce, the black timepiece houses a SiRF Star III GPS antenna, supports WAAS / EGNOS, and offers up tracking, positioning, and time alert functions. Furthermore, the watch can be connected via USB to double as a GPS receiver for laptops and other mapping applications, and it’s pre-programmed to record the user’s route by marking and saving tracking points as you go. No word on pricing or availability just yet, but if you’re in a rush get GPS on your wrist, there’s a plethora of worthwhile alternatives just waiting to get strapped on.

[Via GPSGazette, thanks Dimitris]
more info
from engadget