HP is mulling the idea of offering their latest netbooks, the Mini 1000 bundled with various mobile data plans in the hope of sparking more interests and eventually sales to their netbooks. According to are report by the Wall Street Journal, HP is sort of overwhelmed by the growing popularity of the netbooks that they are looking into the possibility of selling off their Mini Note netbooks together with various data plans. This fits well with the idea of internet mobility in the true sense of the word.

The plan is hot on the heels of the just announced new models of the HP netbook - the HP Mini 1000, HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Edition and the Mini 700.

If you're not in the loop, some countries in Europe and Asia are fond of doing this kind of marketing strategy to gain market leverage for their netbook. And with the rising cost of prices, it is but natural for consumers to look into great buys and deals before they proceed with the transaction.

So, HP's plans of bundling up their HP Mini Note netbook with mobile carriers' data plans seem to be a logical strategy.

Via WSJ

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

HP Plans to Offer its Netbook via US Mobile Data Plan Bundle

VIA has apparently confirmed that the next generation HP Mini-Note will not use VIA processors. HP is expected to launch a new netbook called the HP Mini 1000 this week (possibly as soon as Wednesday), and from what I can tell, it will have a 10 inch display, a cheap plastic case (unlike the sturdy aluminum case used in earlier models), and it will likely have a 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU, much like almost every other netbook released in the US since this summer.

DigiTimes reports that a VIA official says that the new HP Mini-Note models will not sport VIA chips, but that HP will continue to sell the existing line of HP 2133 Mini-Notes through mid-2009.

That doesn't mean VIA is going to just curl up in a ball and roll away though. The company today announced the launch of a Global Mobility Bazaar program designed to make low cost computers available in the developing world. VIA is working with Microsoft and 15 Chinese PC makers to create an infrastructure for producing mobile computers with 7 to 15 inch screens that will be available for the equivalent of about $400 or less in regions including Eastern Europe, India, South America, and China.

While we may not see a lot of VIA C7-M or VIA Nano-powered computers in the US or western Europe in the near future, this initiative could result in an awful lot of computers in developing nations being powered by VIA chips. And who knows, if the VIA Nano lives up to its promise overseas, perhaps we'll see major western companies like HP take another look at the chip maker's products in the not too distant future.

via UMPC Portal

Post from: Liliputing

Our recent posts about HP Mini-note price drops at Amazon are starting to illustrate what we thought last month: HP is either making room for a new netbook or they're adding another choice to their lineup. Vivek caught sight of the new HP Mini 1000 netbook on HP's shopping page, but there's limited information at this point. Here's what we can see and\or guess:

• Starting price of $399
• Weight begins at 2.25 pounds, which is a little less than the HP Mini-note
• Under 1-inch in thickness
• Like the Acer Aspire One, the left and right mouse betters truly are left and right... of the trackpad.
• The large screen bezel of the 8.9-inch Mini-note is gone; we're guessing a 10-inch display

There's no mention of the remaining specs just yet and the two that are likely of interest the most are the CPU and screen resolution. The Mini-note uses an older VIA C7-M, so the question is: will HP go with VIA for the same-socket Nano CPU or will we see yet another Intel Atom system? Also, the Mini-note differentiates itself from all other netbooks with the generous 1280x768 display resolution. That sounds like a perfect res on a larger 10-inch screen and would continue to set HP's netbook apart from the crowd.

Of course, it is a compromise for those who expect it to replace a desktop PC or a high-end notebook. Performance-intensive applications like Photoshop will be painful; recent video games will be pathetic, should they even run at all.

Day-to-day work, however, ran smoothly. Multiple browser tabs with a handful of idle apps and iTunes chugging away didn't become a trudge. Its combination of a 1.6 GHz Atom CPU and a gig of RAM built up enough steam to handle the basics.

Other features include up to 16GB of flash storage, 3 USB ports, 100Mbit Ethernet, 802.11g and an 8.9" display set to 1024x600 pixels. It's about 10 inches long and 7 wide.

I've yet to use the MSI Wind, which I'm quite certain is the equal of this machine. But it's also a little larger, at least in the U.S., and it, like Asus' mainstays, lack something else the Dell has: style. It's come a long way from the dull design that used to characterize its output. While the Mini 9 is no better (or prettier) than the Mini-Note, HP's extras, like an ExpressCard slot and 802.11n, make it much more expensive. The Dell can be had for under $350, though you shouldn't get any computer with less than 1GB of RAM.

Moreover, the Mini-Note comes with Suse or Vista, both less appetizing than Dell's choice of Ubuntu or XP.

Hacking possibilities also abound with the Inspiron Mini 9. Getting OSX on it is reportedly not difficult, and it has an empty slot for a 3G Wireless adapter. Though it is disabled, it's easy to snap in a generic Novatel WWAN card and get your show on the road. Vodafone plans to offer Mini nines with cards (and 2-year service contracts) pre-installed.

Personally, I'd like it to be even smaller. Next to an EeePC900, which has the same-size screen and a dinkier keyboard, its swooping curves seem rather bulbous.On the other hand, it feels sturdier and somewhat better-made as a result.

One caveat is the keyboard layout: it doesn't have dedicated function keys, and the apostrophe/quote key is in an odd spot.

Later today, this machine gets mailed off, and I'm sad to see it go. Bought as a gift for my nephew and reviewed en passant, it almost stayed right where I wanted it: in my possession.

$429 as reviewed Mini Inspiron 9 [Dell]

From the world's tallest skyscraper to the world's highest popping toaster, it seems like a day rarely goes by without news some sort of record being broken. As far as consumer gadgets are concerned, everyone claims to have the biggest, smallest or the fastest product on the marketbut just because it's in the press release doesn't make it true. No so with the following ten gadgetsthese are sure-fire record breakers. Although, in some cases, you will require record amounts of cash to get your hands on one.

During a speed test in Washington state, the twin-turbo, 1183 hp SSC Ultimate Aero hit an average top speed of 255.83 mph. That's about 3 mph faster than the next closest production carthe Bugatti Veyron. [Link]

The SSC Ultimate Aero speed test wasn't the last time the $1.7 million Bugatti Veryon got smacked around. Listed as the world's fastest production motorcycle, the (claimed) 194 hp 2008 Suzuki Hayabusa is actually quicker than the Bugatti. And it's a steal at only $12,000.

Who could forget the enormous 150-inch plasma Panasonic unveiled at CES? The 2160x4096 resolution screen is truly breathtaking in person, but only the richest of the rich will be able to afford this beast when it hits the market next year. [Link]

Sony's HDR-TG1 is currently the smallest HD camcorder in the world, packing 1920 x 1080 HD video recording into a 1.3 x 4.7 x 2.5-inch titanium frame. Sure, there are other camcorders that claim to be the smallest, but no one can argue with the scientific accuracy of David Pogue's eyeball test. [Sony via Link]

There are several manufacturers that claim their USB drive is the smallest, but the current leader appears to be Super Talent with an 8GB choking hazard that measures 31.3mm x 12.4mm x 3.4mm and weighs less than a nickel. Available for around $30. [Super Talent via Link]

Wicked Lasers' 4100 lumens Torch flashlight will not only turn night into day, it can also be used to start campfires, scramble eggs, light cigarettes and melt faces. Available for $300. [Wicked Lasers via Link]

The SwissMiniGun is the smallest working revolver in the world at a mere 2.16-inches. It fires mini 2.34 mm caliber ammo at 426.5 f/secwhich is probably enough to kill you...or at least give you a nasty welt. [Swissminigun via Link]

Paul Mawhinney spent a lifetime amassing a record collection consisting of over 3 million titlesand now it can be yours for around $1 a record. That is a real bargain when you consider that the collection has been appraised at over $50 million. [Greatest Music Collection via Link]

How much home can you buy for $2 billion? If chemical giant Mukesh Ambani's record breaking home in Mumbai is anything to go by, it will get you 22 stories, 400,000 square feet, and enough gadgets to trick out a football stadium. [Link]

It took five years to plan and four years to build, but in the end watchmaker Patek Phillipe created what is surely the most complicated watch in the world with the Calibre 89. It features an astounding 33 functions, 24 hands and 1,728 unique parts. There are only four in the world and one was recently sold for nearly $6 million. [Calibre 89 and Forbes]

Filed under: Desktops

Hulu, the online joint video venture between NBC and News Corp that officially launched two months ago, is sharing some stats on its viewership.

According to the Nielsen Net Ratings, Hulu led all network sites in total video streams and overall engagement time in April. Hulu users are streaming over 63 million videos and, on average, are watching over two hours of video per month each.

Hulu is not just a destination site; it also syndicates content to a network of other sites, such as AOL, Comcast, MSN, MySpace, and Yahoo. Today they're announcing that they've also signed up TV.com, TVGuide.com, Break.com, Zap2it.com, BuddyTV, Flixster, and MyYearbook. That's an impressive lineup and one that's sure to help make Hulu a household name before long.

The Los Angeles-based company is working to get its content out on the web through more grassroots channels as well. Hulu users can now send videos directly to MySpace, Facebook, StumbleUpon, Reddit, Windows Live, Delicious, Google Bookmarks and Digg without having to embed any code (Hulu uses each of those sites' sharing interfaces to do this instead of implementing a service like Gigya).

Videos can also be added to sites that support oEmbed by simply submitting their URLs. The oEmbed sharing format automatically converts these URLs into embed codes, making the process of copy and pasting even easier.

Finally, Hulu says that it is working with Facebook to display mini-feed notifications to your friends about what you've been watching.

Crunch Network: MobileCrunch Mobile Gadgets and Applications, Delivered Daily.

A few months ago, a Sony executive, asked what he thought of the success of the Asus Eee bargain sub-notebook, leaned back in his chair, sucked on his cigar and smugly denounced the pursuit of cute, tiny, low-cost laptops as "a race to the bottom." Then, turning dangerous, he leapt like a panther across the desk, tackled his inquisitor and plunged the smoldering ember of his cigar through the vitreous of his interviewer's eye.

The message was clear: go to hell, bargain seekers. Sony will not be pandering to the nascent low-cost UMPC market. The very term is an oxymoron, Sony snorts. UMPCs should be sleek, slim and paralyzed with crapware. They should be marketed to individuals with smooth, cylindrical drainage shunts installed in their brainpans to match every digit of their post-six-figure income. They should cost more per ounce than heroin filtered through the limbic system of Tom Cruise.

Luckily, not every laptop maker is following suit. In fact, most aren't. They see money in paperback-sized laptops that are cheap enough to sell to anyone. Hot on the heels of HP's Mini-Note 2133 comes Dell, announcing their intent to release their own low cost, ultraportable notebook to the masses as early as June, lining up nicely with the release of Intel's Atom processor. The price should fall in line with the rest of the Eee-clones.

Time to stay ahead of the pack, Asus. Where's the Fff?

Compal Electronics Official: Dell To Launch Low-Cost Laptops [CNN Money]