Surely this must be the Treo 800W.

Back at CES this year, Bill Gates himself (unknowingly) exposed a bombshell for the Windows Mobile Professional market; a fairly believable rendering of the update to Palm's successful Treo 750 - the Treo 800w, or 'Drucker' as it is named in development.

However today, Sprint has done a 'Vodafone Europe' and exposed its new PDA lineup for the next few months; for February it was a Samsung device; for the end of March, it is the BlackBerry Curve; but those are fairly uninteresting devices.

What is interesting is what should be released at the end of April; Palm's EVDO enabled 800w.

The picture tells it all; sorry it's so small. We certainly can't confirm the accuracy of the shot - to us, upon very close inspection, it looks almost like a graphite Treo 680 with a Treo 500 / Centro soft key array tacked on to it. 

However, Treo fans rejoice; this baby has WiFi, and GPS! It's likely that there will be two variants available, as well; with and without a camera, due to increasing corporate camera restrictions.

So - will we see this at the end of April? We shall see.

[via PhoneArena]

Revitalised Apple notebooks imminent?

The Apple rumour mill is constantly updated with more news of potential leaks of new Mac items, but this particular piece of news could certainly be true.

Both Best Buy and Future Shop in North America have new MacBook and MacBook Pro product codes on their computer systems; these entries hint at an early March release and a refresh for both models of computer.

Traditional Apple product cycles for this time of year hint at an update only for the Pro model, but this information would show a change in the current MacBook model´s lifespan.

[via Engadget]

Proposed iPod touch application would allow direct Starbucks ordering

Apple and Starbucks' love was shared at Apple's iPod event in late 2007 with Steve Jobs' announcement of special iPhone / iPod touch iTunes pages.

However, a mockup of a potential new, legal application that would allow direct coffee ordering from either touch device at all WiFi-enabled Starbucks coffeehouses would make somewhat difficult human interaction redundant.

The ability to type a note to the barista would also be easier than explaining your favourite maple syrup / cream combo.

Will we see this after Apple releases the long awaited iPhone / iPod touch software development kit? Maybe.

[via DVICE]

Nokia prepping updated QWERTY E-Series smartphone?

CNET Australia's Joseph Hanlon has made an interesting discovery at Showcase Nokia 2008 in Sydney - a secret 'side-by-side photo' of the E61i (Nokia's current QWERTY candybar smartphone) and its successor, the E71.

There have been a few rumours floating around about the E71 and the picture that CNET is advertising looks very much like the last mockup we saw a few months ago. However, we've actually got some specs to speak of. We could be seeing:

• HSDPA 3.6Mbps
• WiFi (most likely 802.11b/g)
• Bluetooth
• microSD support
• 3.2 megapixel camera (up from the E61i's 2 megapixel)
• Full QWERTY keyboard
• GPS

The E71 also looks to be far more compact than its older sibling, being only 57mm wide and only 10mm thick - something we'd like to see to believe.

If CNET is right, we should be seeing this sometime in late Q2 2008.

[via CNET Australia]

New Dell Latitude E-Series leaked

Our friends over at Engadget have garnered a very official-looking snap and some early details of a new series of Dell notebook called the E-Series, which will be available in 12", 13.3", 14.1" and 15.4" sizes - quite a family.

Both the 14" and 15" models feature WXGA displays, with the big boy featuring a WGXA+ LED backlit screen. DisplayPort, eSATA, numerous USB ports and possibly PC / ExpressCard slots on the 14/15" models can be expected.

Finally - both the larger models are amazingly light: the 14.1" model weighs in at just 1.93kg, while the 15.4" variety clocks in at 2.27kg. This can only lead to a conclusion that the 12" and 13.3" models must be, well, ultralight.

We'll have more news, as it comes.

[via Engadget]

Updated MacBook Pros almost definitely in the works

This morning, MacRumors are reporting that they have hard evidence that updated Apple MacBook Pros are in the works.

A bit of background info - the current MacBook Pros are given the system identifier code MacBookPro3,1. However, an application called MiniBatteryLogger has revealed an entry for a new model - MacBookPro4,1.

The code MacBookPro4,1 has also been included in the latest development seeds of the imminent Mac OS X 10.5.2. Because of this, we can assume that updated 'Pros are coming soon, as 10.5.2 will be supported.

We may see such updates as a multi-touch trackpad and Intel's new Penryn mobile processor, but Apple, as usual, will keep all the details under wraps until they feel like unveiling the new product.

Head over to MacRumors to get the full details.

AT&T, T-Mobile warm up to the Palm Centro

Sprint Nextel's mobile network in the U.S. has been enjoying brisk sales of it's exclusive Palm Centro for a few months now - the Centro costs just $99 and enjoys most Treo-like features, like a full QWERTY keyboard and a touchscreen.

However, Sprint's period of exclusivity is coming to an end soon, and two of the other GSM carriers in the US, AT&T and T-Mobile, have warmed up to the idea of adding the Centro to their lineups.

If T-Mobile were to gain the Centro, it would be the first Palm device on their network in years.

Verizon Wireless may miss out on the 'cheap' Treo after its trouble in securing the top-of-the-line Treo 755 in the past few months.

Read: Everythingcentro [source]

Engadget [image credit]

MacBook Air in US stores Tuesday, but already in stock

If you live in America, like the MacBook Air and have a spare A$2,499, then go ahead and rock up to your local, reputable Apple Store on Tuesday, as word on Engadget is that they're already in stock - yet not quite for sale.

Apparently, today (Monday) is the day that Apple Geniuses will receive their Air training... and the slivers themselves will be on sale to the public tomorrow. We can't confirm that they will actually be ready and waiting for the tens, or possibly hundreds of customers in each state, but we'll wait and see.

If they are in stock already, perhaps they're hidden as interoffice mail?

Read: Engadget [source]

Next-gen MacBook Pros to like multi-touch

AppleInsider, one of the hundreds of sites dedicated to sifting through the constant rumour-mill associated with the Cupertino-based corporation, has apparently 'learned' that Apple's next-gen MacBook Pros will gain the multi-touch trackpad ability of the recently-announced MacBook Air notebook.

Although this rumour is highly safe, as it wouldn't have been long anyway until Apple installed the latest 'thing' into its premium tier of notebooks, AppleInsider is offering that the 'Pros could be updated in the coming weeks.

Also posed in the article is the fact that Apple meant to release the updated MacBook Pros at, or around, the Macworld 2008 expo, but too much time needed to be allocated to the Air to make this possible.

The source also states that the new MacBook Pros would be the first Apple notebooks to feature Intel's new Penryn-based Intel Core 2 Duo processors, as well as featuring the oversize, multi-touch trackpad as featured on the new baby Mac notebook.

The new processors are slated to be clocked at around 2.5 to 2.6GHz, with 6mb of Level 2 cache.

An improved battery would also be likely, with one test published in the publication AnandTech seeing a 2.6GHz Penryn-based Pro lasting an extra 55 minutes over a similarly-configured 2.6GHz Meron-based system. That's an almost 16.5% increase.

Read: AppleInsider - "Next-gen Apple MacBook Pros to gain multi-touch trackpad"

Image courtesy of Apple.

Could this be the Palm Drucker, aka new Treo 750?

Bill Gates just now delivered his 12th and final keynote at the Consumer Electronics Show - and a device, looking very much like a bulked-up Palm Treo 500 or perhaps a Centro, was flashed behind him with an array of other Windows Mobile devices.

This could certainly be the 'Drucker' we heard all about yesterday - see Smartmobile's post.

Stay tuned for more information when it comes.

[via Engadget]

Images of what may be Windows Mobile 7

Blognewschannel.com have got an exclusive look into what certainly looks to be Windows Mobile 7 - featuring touch and motion gestures.

Hit up the read link and have a look.

Apple's iMac-like MacBook dock patent: a dream come true?

I myself as a MacBook Pro user - and with 2 of my associates at TB Tech also using portable Macs - often dream of a proper, Apple-designed dock solution for my notebook, to charge, and make use of desktop-like peripherals at home or in the office.

Apple laptop docks have been done, by third parties, but surely nothing could beat this patent from Apple - a dock for the MacBook that entails sliding the machine into the side of a device, shaped like a white Core 2 Duo iMac, and using that device like an iMac, as a desktop.

However, we need to remain wary that Apple often gets a little bit excited in its patents (read: Apple's thousand-camera-enabled display that let your display act as large iSight camera...).

Will plans for this device / similar devices for the MacBook Pro be announced at Macworld? Wait and see.

Skype on PSP could be a reality

Sony, like many other high-profile electronics manufacturers has launched a nice CES-based preview to some of the things that they'll have on display at the 'Show.

Videos are available of all products - but it's the PSP video that's the most interesting. Between sections about accessing T-Mobile hotspots and watching recorded TV for literally one frame there is a flash of 'Make Calls with Skype' in the video.

See the read links for some more info, and make sure you stop and start quickly in that little section on Sony's site if you want to see for yourself.

[via UberGizmo, then re-proven by us]

Links: Sony's CES site - click on the PS3 controller, then the PSP, and watch the video
UberGizmo's findings

BlackBerry 9000 series: spy shots appear

Another year, another few hundred important gadgets - and this may be the first to be spied for 2008.

What we're seeing here is a (former) eBay auction where the seller claims to have an unofficial, unconfirmed BlackBerry 9000 series smartphone. We know that this device is coming soon, but whether or not these pictures are legit is unconfirmed.

Engadget discovered that the pictures came from the BlackBerry forums, but they were swiped from an eBay auction, that has now been pulled off the eBay site. Apparently, the 9000 has no touchscreen, and seniors at RIM BlackBerry are in talks about whether touchscreen devices are the future, leaving employees guessing.

The forum poster also claims that 3G is in the works at RIM, as is HTML email. These two important additions could very well coincide with, and be part of, the release of this so-far non-existent 9000 series.

However: do not treat this as official, or true. It's a rumour, and that's all.

[via Engadget; Pocket-Lint]

Links: Pocket-Lint.co.uk's report
The very source of the rumour, at BlackBerry forums