Korea, iPad and me

Coffee and gadgets with UMID: F1 and M1

(more photos on my FaceBook)

Travelling back from Seoul, Korea I couldn�t help but feel good about my experience. The food was better than what I�d experienced in Tokyo (although I blame that on the briefness of my trip to Tokyo), the people and buildings more interesting than Beijing and the gadgets very innovative. I met with UMID and VIliv, and a few others and discussed what�s now and what�s new. As I sampled the foods and played with the gadgets I could see that the South Korean�s are definitely focused on long-term profitability and viability of their country. If you have not travelled through South Korea I could suggest it is a �must see� on your list. To me it�s as unique and interesting as Dubai, and that came as a surprise to me.

Coffee with Viliv: S10, HD5 and new N5 to play with!!!

(more photos on my FaceBook)

Two amazing products I played with were the yet to be released Viliv HD5 and the N5. Both are innovative and both take the Ultra-Mobile PC platform up a notch! I have a video of the HD5 in action and will post that later. Both are tiny and based on Android form-factors which are designed to optimise battery life, and importantly, decrease price. Like I said the trip was great and well worth the effort. I will let you know more about the details as they come up and as I am able to share. Regrettably I sign more NDAs than I care to remember in my life so it's a wonder I can even write a blog. However if you ask I can always find creative ways to answer! :-)

Technomart, (near Gangbyeon Station). Geek Heaven!

Regarding the iPad I have a few arriving on Monday morning (Aussie time) and will post some thoughts. I got sent some to review and I'll certainly give them a trashing. The first thing I'll do is sit down on my favourite couch and have some fun browsing YouTube (oh wait, no flash support), then I'll jump on Skype and have a video call from my backyard, that will be cool! (oh, there's no camera). At least I can go onto Apple's stores and pay more money for apps I don't need! (Oh, there's no regional support for Australia). CAN'T WAIT!!!

Blogging from Seoul

Flying into Incheon International Airport I had a sense of uncertainty, and a little apprehension. There is so little known about North Korea that I must have naively assumed South Korea is somewhat similar. The truth could not be more different however. With legions of building lining the streets, towering and competing in beauty and glamour the city travels as far as the eye can see, and then further again.

I left Sydney at 9am local time and because I had a full day of travel ahead I chose to pack a Viliv X70 as my preferred in-flight entertainment. Since the last six flights I�ve done overseas have all been on the Airbus A380 I was definitely concerned about being back on a Boeing 777, with simplified seating and entertainment. Turns out I wasn�t wrong so the Viliv and a handful of DVDs came very handy!

My preferred in-flight entertainment, C/O Viliv X70!

Upon arriving in Korea I caught the number 4 bus all the way to my hotel and was greeted in the lobby by one of the readers of this blog. This was an awesome way to arrive in a new country and something really worth mentioning. Not only is Stan a mobile gadget lover (with a Samsung Q1U-SSD, a Viliv VANT, Samsung N10 and ASUS T10 in his backpack!!) but he is also a gentleman. Without hesitation he waited an hour for me in the lobby and then drove me across town to a very traditional Korean banquet. The food, the conversation and my first taste of Korea will truly be unforgettable.

Yes, they're all plates of food! SOOOOO GOOOD!!!!

Tomorrow I am meeting with Vili, UMID and a partner from France. I better get some sleep!

Melbourne all day today!

5am and Tablets are getting some rest for their trip! LOL

Today will be a slightly long day but always full of excitement ahead. I�m headed to Melbourne (Victoria, Australia) for a day of Tablet related meetings. I have some meetings with Government, some meetings with resellers and ending the day with a meeting with a company specialising in home automation. As usual I have packed a plethora of Tablets:

• Amtek T10
• Viliv X70
• Viliv S5
• DT Research DT312
• Samsung Q1-EX
• (notable absence, TEGA Tablet. Waiting on a new demo this Monday!) 

Something that was funny this morning was a tweet I got from @jessible: "@MrMobilePC: check it out - you're famous!" Thanks Jess!

Intel Intelligent Digital Signage proof of concept

I came across this Press Release today regarding Intel and the Digital Signage sector. While it is not specifically Tablet related, or even mobility focused, it does involve my other passion which is TOUCH! Check out this image showcasing what is basically a pane of glass with a touchscreen overlay. Ultimately I�ve witnessed the insurgence of robot-like kiosks all over the retail sector but I believe this would be much more minimalist and grandiose.

Intel claims the processor is the Intel i7 and the Operating System will be Windows Embedded. It is based on an Intel Digital Signage proof of concept and it has me very excited. I�d rather see this than clumsy tables and kiosk around the place, and if it became cheap enough how cool would a feature wall of this technology be at home!

One interesting piece of information to come out of the press release was a list of partners. I like that Tablet PC manufacturer DT Research was in the list and involved in this project! Maybe we'll see more of this technology in the mobile PC space!

What a difference a chip makes

Wi-FI & Bluetooth (on top), Wi-FI only (below)

The more I open these Ultra-Mobile PC I realise just how genius manufacturers are that build the devices. To fit everything into the small form factors and still keep them cool, running fast and full of features it often takes some clever design. Recently I cracked open a device to replace the Wi-Fi module with a combination Wi-Fi/Bluetooth module. It worked perfectly and integrated into the motherboard so well I decided to order a whole bunch �just in case!�

Calibration update for Windows 7 Viliv S5 HID Driver

Last week I posted about the release of Viliv's Human Interface Device (HID) Driver for their S5 Mobile Internet Device (MID). Many of you reported mixed results (most came via Engadgets story) but sadly a common theme amongst the feedback was a change in sensitivity of touch, while others reported total loss of calibration and even dead spots. Ultimately I want to thank you for participating in the process and commend all of you for being part of the solution! Part the reason I write this blog is to act as a bridge between manufacturers and end-users and with your contributions mere conversations become so much more!

I spent the week working with Viliv Senior Technicians to resolve the HID Driver issues and reporting back each and everyone of your comments. Something that has become clear is that HID users need to realise that the presence of a HID Driver will in fact alter the touch experience; there are many technical reasons for this but in plain English the difference is based on the new layer of "thinking" being conducted by the driver to help Windows understanding exactly why you are touching and what your intended action is. You must expect a change in sensitivity but by no means should you expect dead spots!

With that in mind...here is the solution from the factory:

Please use the instructions below to enhance the sensitivity and accuracy for S5 

1. Check the attached �S5 reset.jpg� file
2. Reset the Calibration from Tablet PC setting
3. Execute S5cal.bat and calibrate 25point

As always I will make myself available in the coming days to answer your queries and pass on your comments once again.

Cheers! Enjoy!

In Queensland today with swag of Tablets

It's 7am and I�m testing out my new 3G upgrade while sitting in the Qantas Lounge waiting for a flight to Brisbane (Queensland, Australia). I�ve got several meetings planned which include partner meetings with the Health QLD, Herron Todd White and Datacom to name a few. On these days I rarely get time for lunch, or a break, but ultimately that�s what happens when you enjoy what you do, right?

I�ve packed a swag full of ten Tablet PCs and UMPC which include:

Fujitsu T5010, DT Research LogiPad, Arbor Gladius, Gigabyte T1028X, Amtek T10, TabletKiosk MediSlate (MCA), Viliv X70, Viliv S5, Samsung Q1-EX and TEGA Tablet.

It�s always funny to see the look on Security�s face when I start pulling out 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc�devices. The spaghetti of cables and AC adapters is another favourite of theirs too! Without question I almost always get swabbed and scanned under new anti-terrorist laws for �suspicious behaviour�. My response is �why, how many computers do you travel with!?�