I remember physically sighing when Intel announced a dual-core Atom as the answer to video playback issues on the netbook. It’s not that way to do it at all which is why I’m very please to have confirmation that Cedar Trail, the latest netbook platform, will have hardware decoding support. The GMA3600 graphics core is based on PowerVR technology from Imagination and while I didn’t get full specs,  (it’s said to be SGX 545 at 400Mhz) I did get visual confirmation.

In the video below you see up to 23Mbps of H.264 and 4.5Mbps of DTS-HD audio being decoded with a Cedar Trail CPU level of under 20%. It’s a Blu-Ray disk that’s being used as the source. The player is Cyberlink PowerDVD I think. For reference, the Menlow platform used the GMA500, the Oaktrail platform uses the GMA600. Medfield and Clover Trail graphics units are unknown to me at this point but I do know that Clover Trail is supposed to be more powerful than Medfield.

There are no hardware encoding capabilities in Cedar Trail.

You’ve seen the hands-on video and the blinding speeds of the CPU and disk of the Samsung Slate PC but you still might be hungry for more. I am!  The Samsung Series 7 Slate PC is a seriously impressive bit of engineering and proof that Core i5 can be designed into a chassis of under 900gm. The Slate PC will come with dock and keyboard for an estimated 1100 Euro entry-level price. It’s basically an Ultrabook without a keyboard but for many, this modular approach with attention to pen and finger touch details could be exactly what they’ve been looking for. I’m certainly taking a closer look at this one myself and hope to have a review device as soon as it’s available.

700gm turned into about 1.2kg last week as I tested a smartphone and tablet combination for content creation. I used the Samsung Galaxy Tab for writing the text, staying connected on social networks and I also used it as the ‘business grade’ 3G connection via a T-Mobile true day-flat option.
The Nokia N8 performed camera, video and video editing duties as well as back-up Twitter client and of course, mobile phone.

The extra weight came from two changes to the kit. Firstly, a bag. Yes, I’m sorry bit I’m not the sort of person that wears cargo pants and it was way too warm for a jacket. The 200gm Galaxy Tab on a few evening occasions. The Variotek power pack details are here. (aff.)

When I look back at my content I see that YouTube and Twitter became my main delivery channel with some posts being made around the 30 videos that i took. It’s a similar story for most bloggers – getting videos on to YouTube is critical for revenue generation. Without it many of us product bloggers wouldn’t exist. Recording in a relatively low bitrate at 480p was a major advantage and I would do it again although there’s something  in my head that tells me I really could record in 720p and use an Intel Sandy Bridge based device to do super quick conversion to 480p. The Samsung Series 7 tablet has got me excited to test that possibility. Maybe I’ll look into that soon. Hardware image stabilization is also something I need to look into. I suspect I won’t be using the N8 for much longer despite it being connected. Having said that, the quality of the videos was, I think, acceptable to most YouTube viewers. Product hands-on at press events is normally a chaotic experience anyway so while it didn’t please me to be posting wobbly videos that weren’t always in focus, YouTube viewing stats show that it worked from a business perspective. Your recommendations for an ultralight compact with good low-light performance, 720p video with hard and software stabilization are gratefully received.

I struggled to post many images despite being very happy with the quality and that was due to a silly process at our blogs that I’m going to have to change. We use Gallery2 which doesn’t have much support through Android apps! Writing was kept to a lower level than would have been if I had been using a laptop. I had some help from Ben on press day and was grateful for that.

I want to have a little moan about sharing on the Nokia N8 because its near-useless. Why Nokia don’t have a way to share videos to YouTube is something I don’t understand for such a video-focused camera. The YouTube site link is difficult and annoying to use. Sharing is such a second-thought on Symbian.

As for the Galaxy Tab, everything went well, as long as I remembered to reboot once per day. I’m noticing that the Tab slows down excessively when pushed hard. Google Maps is especially problematic although I was grateful for cached maps when traveling the underground train system.

Screen brightness in the Galaxy Tab 7 could be a lot better in daylight. After getting hands-on with the gorgeous Galaxy Tab 7.7 I see how much better it can be. Bonus points go to the YouTube app for being very robust for uploads. It handled switches from WiFi to 3g without dropping the upload. Minus points go to the built in gallery. I used Fishbowl as a replacement gallery. Battery life under full use is about 6hrs so I was nearly out of juice a few times on long days. You need to keep an eye on settings and apps to get the best it of it but I don’t want to complain because most phones would only last half the time given the same scenarios. All in all it was a great performance from the Galaxy Tab. If only it had a decent camera and a video editing app. That’s something that might be interesting to look at on the Tab 7.7 although I know already that it doesn’t have continuous auto focus.

One area where I had a problem was system admin. Both command-line and web back-end work was next-to impossible. There really is only one way to fix that – a notebook. It doesn’t requires processing power but it does need a keyboard and a quality browser. How do you fix that? I don’t think you can without adding a netbook. That’s 1kg added! Oh, and remote desktop was not an option either. . .

The connectivity at IFA was the worst I’ve ever experienced at a European trade show. The press room WiFi and wired connections were overloaded when needed and the 3G from both Telefonica’s O2 and a €5 per day T-Mobile connection were useless for any image or video uploading. This was a major issue and highlights the growing problem of overcrowding on 3G. How to fix? Jump to WiMax where possible. It’s on my list now.

There’s one other thing to mention – respect. I simply looked like an amateur. It’s a bigger problem than you think because PR people tend to have an eye-out for big cameras, lights and 2-men recording teams. My week was successful though so I guess I managed to ignore or work-around that issue.

Would I do it again? I’m going to IDF next week where there will also be a lot of news. It will be detailed though and could require more than just a quick video. I know how huge the keynote hall is too so a camera with a big lens can be helpful. I also know, however, that there are PCs available for use. I feel good about this week so I’ve decided to go for the 1kg again next week. Being at an Intel conferences with an ARM-based reporting kit could be fun too. In the meantime, I’m going to do more research on using a real camera with a Sandy-Bridge based editing device because it’s only the video quality of the N8 that worries me.

It can be done. There’s no need for huge devices and heavy, battery-eating equipment when reporting. Whether it works for you depends on a number of things. Do you need a keyboard? Is the quality good enough? Do you need a full browser or large screen?

[ Posted via the Galaxy Tab. Ultra-Mobile at IFA 2011. For more IFA coverage, follow me on Twitter. @Chippy ]

In 5.5 years of testing, this is the first time I’ve ever seen a sub-1kg device break 100,000 in the CrystalMark test. The Series 7 Tablet is a serious bit of kit and really showcase just what Windows 7 tablet features can do.

It boots in under 20 seconds, plays 720p without pushing the CPU above 5% and due to the very very fast ssd, starts programs in the blink of an eye

To put these figures into perspective, just remember that the average netbook turns in a score of about 20k. A high end netbook, just 30k. The CPU alone in this Sandy-Bridge-based device is about 5x as powerful as a netbook CPU and these CrystalMark scores don’t even test advanced graphics features and the Intel Quick Sync video hardware.

As for battery life, I’m estimating a 36-40Wh battery in this. Due to the heat and the software and testing that has been done on the device here I can’t get it to idle properly but I an tell you that Samsungs Series 9 ultralight which uses the same platform, can idle down to under 5w. That would allow this Slate to run for 9 hours. I’m estimating basic WiFi usage scenarios to be around 4hrs with video editing pushing it down to under 3. Its a high-dynamic range device, that’s for sure.

One USB 3, BT3+HS, a Trusted Platform module, 6-axis accelerometer micro SD, micro hdmi and headphones output are included. Screen viewing angles are good on the 1366×768 display. The fan is on in this 25+ degree room but its not too noisy. I have to get within 10cm to hear it above the ambient noise (relatively quiet demo area.)

If you’re looking for a serious tablet, don’t buy until you’ve tested the Series 7.

[ Posted via the Galaxy Tab. Ultra-Mobile at IFA 2011. For more IFA coverage, follow me on Twitter. @Chippy ]

A little hands-on with the Viewpad 10 Pro for you here. Key features are the battery life (which we’re unable to confirm) and the Android OS (2.x) through the Bluestacks Android host environment that runs within Windows allowing you to switch environments in around a second. Take note that it’s the open-source version of Android so you won’t get any Google-specific features. Given that limitation and thru Windows 7 OS, this is obviously not for your average consumer but it could be interesting for a number of niche markets where business proceses are straddling or migrating between the two operating systems.

Pricing is keen. $649 for the 2GB Windows Home Premium version for example although quite a bit removed from the low-cost 10″ Android space. This is a Windows 7 tablet first and foremost though so you should probably treat Bluestacks as a bonus.

[ Posted via the Galaxy Tab. Ultra-Mobile at IFA 2011. For more IFA coverage, follow me on Twitter. @Chippy ]

The Windows Tablet PC reputation never really earned anything through the cheap netbook-based versions that hit the market over the last few years. Low power processors, lack of docking stations and capacitive touch layers that prevent anyone from taking advantage of the natural input features. The Samsung Series 7 Slate should fix that!

It’s the first Sandy Bridge (2nd generation Core i5) tablet PC I’ve ever tried and wow, she flies. The digitiser works well and the Slate will be delivered with a dock and keyboard as part of the package. It weighs less than a kilo and Samsung tell me it will return up to 7hrs battery life. Ok, lets take the 30% ‘marketing markup’ off that and call it 5hrs. That’s usable although I know from my work with Ultrabooks that you can easily get carried away and kill the battery in half that time.

I like it a lot, just like I like Ultrabooks a lot. They fit in nicely above consumer tablet and smartphone usage scenarios that are eating into the reasons you might buy a netbook and they truly negate the need for a desktop. This mobile/desktop usage scenario certainly helps to justify the price which, as can be expected, is going to around the same 1000-1100 € or $ level as Ultrabooks.

There’s another Series 7 Slate article over at Ultrabooknews.

[ Posted via the Galaxy Tab. Ultra-Mobile at IFA 2011. For more IFA coverage, follow me on Twitter. @Chippy ]

Update: I’ve refined the kit down to 700gm (1.5lb) but I’m struggling to find a no-bag carrying solution. Cargo pants are out for me (not my style) and it’s going to be too warm for a jacket. I may go with a 200gm Jack Wolfskin Body Bag.

At 1040gms including Wallet and glasses, not a single X86 processor in sight and a cost of around €750 this is one of the most radical, lightweight and low-cost set-ups I’ve ever had to rely on for reporting. There isn’t even a hardware keyboard in there.

I’m using the Nokia N8 for photography, video, audio podcasting (via Audioboo – exclusive to my twitter channel) and phone. It might serve some twitter duties too.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab is the main blogging and sharing tool, chat and photo editing tool.

There’s an emergency AA battery adaptor that will top-up the N8, a mic clamp and tripod that also works as a ‘steadycam’ for the N8 and a headset that works well to improve the clarity of audio in noisy situations.

Total storage is 48GB, both devices have HSPA (operating on two different networks) and there’s enough battery life for about 7 hours solid working. That should be enough for a 12 hour time-span but if not, I’ve got the high-power mains adaptor for the Galaxy Tab which will give me a good 30% charge in 60 minutes.

Business cards, my Wallet, glasses and the essential screen wipe are also included. Total weight of what you see there is 1040gm

More background on the kit can be found here.

I want to take the chance to pre-empt a few questions.

How will you edit videos?
I will be using the video editor on the N8. Its allows edits to be top and tailed and to be sequence. Cross-fades are terrible so title will be basic. Ill try and make up short intro and outro clips too.

Why don’t you take a Bluetooth keyboard?
I’m not a fan of BT keyboards. I’ve experienced batteries running out! A USB keyboard could work for bum-on-seat work with the Galaxy Tab but I don’t feel it will bring me much. I’m happy thumb typing on the Galaxy Tab.

Surely you’re just showing off?
I won’t deny that I’m enjoying this but my job is not just to bring you news about mobile equipment, I need to be authoritative too. How can you be authoritative on ultra mobile computing subject if you don’t test and experience the limits?

Can you do live video broadcasts?
Yes although my tool of choice, doesn’t work on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7. Having said that, I’m unlikely to do any ad-hoc live broadcasts unless something huge happens in one of the press events. I will be using Audioboo for ad-hoc podcasts and you’ll find them on my personal twitter account.

How would you improve the equipment?
The N8 doesn’t have any hardware stabilization so videos are a little shaky. There’s a lag and slight uncertainty with the auto-focus on close-ups too. Because of upload restrictions (3G only) I will only be recording in 480p but that’s a networking restriction that can’t be easily solved yet.
More battery life, more CPU power is a no-brainer.

How will you carry everything?
I’m off to the shops tomorrow to buy a suitable pair of pants/trousers!

I’m traveling up to Berlin for IFA on Wednesday this week. Reporting will be done on Carrypad, UMPCportal, Meegonews and Ultrabooknews. Press events start on Thursday. The aim is to bring you some quality content and, if possible, a scoop or two. Not only Is this kit light, it’s fast too!

[ Posted via the Galaxy Tab. Ultra-Mobile at IFA 2011. For more IFA coverage, follow me on Twitter. @Chippy ]

My current laptop is a netbook. I’ve been using it as my portable computer for well over a year and I’m very happy with it. I’m using XP, it’s got a 2GB RAM upgrade and a fast SSD and a great built-in 3G module. The only issue with it is that any other netbook out there is a downgrade for me because switching to Windows 7 on a standard netbook is noticeably slower.

That all changed today when I took on the Acer D255 as a loaner for the Intel Developer Forum I’m attending this week. [Thanks to Intel – They paid for the trip over here] It’s truly the first netbook I’ve used that gives me a smooth and reliable Windows 7 experience and having already tested battery drain, 720p playback, Crystalmark and video rendering performance, I can say that it really does well, It’s light and Sascha (Netbooknews) tells me it only costs 350 Euros. That’s a stunning price for 6-8hrs of dual-core action.

Here’s a little look-round on the device. See below for some early benchmark results.

I’ve done three benchmarking tests on the device. The first is a battery drain test and I’m pleased to see that Acer appear to be getting the best possible out of the platform. With screen brightness at minimum and Wifi off I was able to get a figure of just 4W. With Wifi on, that went up to 4.6W. Average drain for web browsing is around the 7-8W mark which means that the 49Wh battery is going to give a good 6hrs of action. Rendering a video with all cores and at 100% i was 11W of drain. For a device that weighs 1250 grams thats pretty good. A better quality 6-cell battery could yield even better results.

I terms of CrystalMark, I’m seeing results that will make anyone happy. 35K is not a figure we see often in the mobile computing world. The hard disk is impressive to.

My final benchmark was a video rendering test. It looks like I’m going to save 25-30% in terms of time on rendering and that’s well worth the 50-euro premium that a dual-core Atom netbook is costing.

Meet:Mobility Podcast 55 is now available.

JKK, Sascha and Chippy live from IFA with a round-up of the mobile tech news. Tablet and Netbooks feature heavility in this episode. Galaxy Tab, Viewsonic, Samsung N350 and more…

Full show notes and listen/download/subscribe links over at MeetMobility.

I’m already testing and charging my kit for IFA because on Thursday morning I’ll be on my way up to Berlin to get busy. The 2nd of Sept is a press and launch day and we expect Samsung to launch the Galaxy Tab in the morning. Unfortunately I’ll still be in the train but I’ll be watching out for news with Sascha (netbooknews) who’s traveling up with me. In the evening we’ll get to see the Tab at the Showstoppers event. We’ll also have a chance to speak to HP.

FOLLOW CHIPPY on TWITTER 

On Friday we’ll be hitting the floor and covering as much as we can for you. We’ll give Toshiba a visit to find out about the ‘Smart Pad’ (and the plans for the AC100) and we’ve got a good list of other events and booths to attend too. There’s a tweet-up in the evening.

On the 4th we’re covering the floor again but in the afternoon we’re attending the Intel Software event where we’ll get some Atom, AppUp and MeeGo info and hopefully, hands on with the WeTab.

The 5th will see us on the show floor again so you can expect a big bunch of content both here and over at Carrypad going into the following week.

As for equipment I’m afraid its nothing really new again. I’ve got the good old Gigabyte Touchnote and the Canon S2IS that I use for photos and video. The Xperia X10 will be my phone but I’ll also take the N82 as a Flickr Camera and backup. The suspicious looking MiFi and Power-Pack combo will do its job as the roaming hotspot. I used the same setup at Computex and you can read more about that here.

I’ll also be taking the Toshiba AC100, the Viliv N5, S10, X70, S5, U820 and the UMID BZ to the Intel meet-up on the 4th so I’ll have a few backups should anything go wrong!

And once IFA is all over, we’re off to California for the Intel Developer Forum. More about that soon.

If you’re in the Berlin area for IFA and you want to learn more about Intel’s Atom platform, MeeGo operating system, Atom Developer Program and AppUp app-store, this one is for you.

On the 3rd Sept there will be a tweetup that is sponsored by Intel and will be attended by a number of people presenting on the main event on Saturday the 4th.  On the 4th you can attend a training day which includes key people from the Intel software groups and a lot of information. Sascha (netbooknews) and myself will be there and we’ll be available to chat independently about Intel hardware and software.

There’s a very good chance to win some swag too and I’m not talking about pens and USB sticks. There are three netbooks and a WeTab up for grabs!

Tweetup Details:

Sept 3rd

Starts at 19.00h at St. Oberholz, Rosenthaler Str. 72, (Tel. +49 30 24085586)

U Bahn Station: Rosenthaler Platz, U8;

http://www.qype.com/place/492-Sankt-Oberholz-Berlin

Main Event Details:

Sept 4th (Sat)

Event Webpage:  http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=144065815611069&ref=mf
Address: HomeBase Lounge
Köthener Strasse 44
10963 Berlin
Tel: +49 30 257 938 56
U-Bahn/S-Bahn Station: Potsdamer Platz

Agenda:
10.00 – 12.00h        Intel presenters and bloggers arrive, please
12.30 – 13.00h        Registration and small fingerfood lunch
13.00 – 14.00h       Technical Training Part 1
14.00 – 14.15h        Break
14.15 – 16.15h         Technical Training Part 2

16.30h – 17.00h    Registration (repeat) starts
17.00h – 17.10h    Welcome by Beatrice Frädrich
17.10h – 18.00h    4 presentations – 10min. Each

• Vipul Chopra – Validation
• Jens Weller – apps porting QT
• 4iitoo – application examples with WeTab
• Stefan Englet – AppUP/IADP
• Moderated by Chippy and Sascha

18.00 – 18.30h       Wind-down
20.00            Announcement of raffle winners
18.30 – 22.00h        Buffet dinner/drinks/networking

Meet:Mobility Podcast 54 is available.

In this show recorded on Friday 20th August 2010, Chippy, JKK and guest, Joanna Stern (Engadget) attempt to round-up 6 weeks of mobile computing news and talk about the netbooks and tablet possibilities for Q4 2010

Full show notes, listen and subscribe links over at Meet:Mobility.

You can also find the podcast on iTunes (Please, please help us by rating the show on iTunes.) You can also subscribe via RSS.

One of the events I’ll be attending around the IFA consumer show is the Intel Software event at the Homebase Lounge. It runs throughout the 4th September and focuses on netbooks, tablets, related Intel platforms and software including MeeGo and AppUp. There will be presentations throughout the days and experts and community members around to talk to. I’m not 100% sure but I think Sascha and I might do a MeetMobility podcast there too so if you’re in the area for IFA or just want to come along for day of developer-focused Atom and MeeGo-related information and discussion (along with a few drinks and some food!) check out the event Facebook page. It’s in German but Google’s translation works well.

Oh, one other thing, apparently there’s going to be a surprise device there for hands-on. I have no idea what it is but I bet it will be something that is launched at IFA which probably means a Moorestown or Oaktrail-based tablet running MeeGo. I’ll also be bringing a bunch of Atom devices too so there will be some more chances for hands-on.

Yesterday, in Part 1, I talked about 3 tablet products. Today, there’s more and the first one is something that shouldn’t be a surprise because Smartbook AG have released a ‘Smartbook.’ The only problem is that I don’t see this as a smartbook. A smartbook to me would be in the laptop/netbook form factor and have an advanced CPU that brings enough power for a quality web, gaming and application experience along with an application store. Smartbook’s Smartbook Surfer runs an ARM11 based Telechips CPU and has a basic Android 2.1 install with, as far as I know, no Gmail, maps or marketplace. That’s not to say it’s a bad product because at 170 euro with GPS (possibly not in the 170 Euro version) HDMI-out, stereo speakers and a case, it’s worth considering for basic coffee-table and holiday duties. If you’ve looked at the Archos 7 Home Tablet.

The final 7” tablet to talk about is the Viewsonic which is in a different league to the Smartbook Surfer. It’s a rumor but looks likely to me considering the Viewsonic branding we’ve seem on prototypes around the trade shows this year. Stuff.TV indicates that it will be running Android 2.2 and have 3G, hi-res cam and GPS options making it a competitor to the Samsung and Huawei slates. They say that is will launch in the UK in about 2 month. Again, this is a rumor, but it seems likely.

Before I move on to the other news items I want to talk briefly about smart books. I’ve been very positive about the possibility of ARM and Android bringing an always-on, social, fun and lightweight netbook alternative to the market but as yet we haven’t seen anything that really hits the mark. The hardware is there in my opinion but it was always the Android build that fell short. Both the Compaq Airlife 100 and Toshiba AC100 were build on open-source Android and included none of the important, even critical elements of sync, Gmail, maps, marketplace and other Google software. For a category that would benefit from software re-writes, not having a software delivery channel means no developer is going to bother with the opportunity. I’m 100% sure that Google and ARM know about this and the stars seem to be pointing towards Android 3.0 (codename Gingerbread) as the solution. It will finally branch Android out to non Smartphone devices. Why the delay? I suspect Google is re-writing some of its apps to suit WVGA and higher resolutions just like Apple did with their apps on the iPad. As for timescales, I suspect we won’t see anything until the last weeks of 2010 which is just about when MeeGo/Moorestown based tablets will hit the scene. The differences between the two hard/soft platforms will be clear at that point.

Did you see the new renderings of the Eking slider UMPC? It looks similar to the design we saw in plastic form with Wibrain (sold to Eking) in Sept 2009.

It also looks a lot like the Mui HDPC. I remember using the Amtek U650 in 2007 and liking it a lot. If Eking can bring this to market on Oaktrail with some quality engineering and better aesthetics, it has a chance in the UMPC market but maybe it would be more successful as a ‘smart’ product on a Cortex A9 core with Android 3.0? Slimmer, always-on, great for Android gaming? Just a thought.

Here’s something about MiFi-a-likes. I’ve been using the MiFi for over a year and it’s been a great product but I’m disappointed that there haven’t been any upgrades since launch. The GPS remains unusable, I get the occasional lock-up, it gets very warm, it’s impossible to remember to indicator meanings and the battery life needs to be more than 4 hours. Novatel will fall behind if they don’t watch out because the new Huawei E583C looks to match the MiFi’s current capability and offer an OLED display panel on top. The idea of an on-board application processor sounds attractive with the MiFi but there’s no software for it yet so why bother? I’d rather save 40 or 50 Euros and take the E583C to be honest.

Other news I’ve ‘starred’ over the last few days of catch-up time…

Clearwires Apple-centric 4G hotspot.

Motorola-Verizon Tablet with FIOS TV.

Nokia’s take on the MeeGo handset UI.

Android 2.1 on the Dell Streak

ExoPC slate update.

‘Watchlist’ and ‘Events on the next page…

Over at Meet:Mobility, Sascha, JKK and I have just posted another podcast. An hour of netbook, MID and UMPC discussion with a focus on IFA and IDF. We hope you enjoy it.

Topics covered:

• IFA overview.
• Viliv S7.OVerview
• Android Tablet.
• Mobinnova N910.
• $100 smartbooks.

  http://www.itpro.co.uk/615184/new-arm-chip-promises-100-netbooks

  The real story – Dual cortex A9.

• IDF

Meet:Mobility Podcast 33

Considering it’s one of the biggest consumer electronics shows in the world and one of the last before the Christmas buying season I found IFA to be very underwhelming this year. At least in the mobile computing segment.

A so, so Windows CE Tablet from Toshiba that certainly won’t provide users with productivity or anything near a complete web experience was the ‘highlight’ for most reporters along with the Japan-only Sharp Netwalker and an Google Android MID. Even in the netbook segment, news seem to be centered around 11.6” screen device which moves them even further away from mobile usage. Portable, yes. Mobile, no.

Here are some highlights.

Sharp Netwalker. Video from Netbooknews.com. JKKMobile is trying to get hold of one for testing. The hardware looks great and Ubuntu shuld allow a lot of flexibility. Performance is the question though.

Smit Android Tablet. (Video from Charbax) Personaly i’m not too excited by Chinese Android mods. Trying to get on in the western world with a stable, English language OS is not going to be easy. Support, even less so.

Optima Maemo MID. For China Telecom. Again, another Asian-focused device that will be difficult to get here. Not high on my list. (Video from Charbax.)

Sony X series. It’s a table-top device but weighs less than a lot of UMPCs. Unfortunately it’s way to big to be using while standing up but if you’re desk-hopping, this is one of the lightest laptops you can buy. Video at netbooknews.com

Samsung NC130 NC140 netbooks. 10” devices at 1.25KG which look good, have long battery life and follow-on from the very successful NC10. Video at netbooknews.com

All in all it was a very quiet week for MIDs and UMPCs but there are a few things to look forward too.

That silence will probably be broken this afternoon when Apple announce their new iPod Touch line-up. If they include the fast processor and software upgrades that you find on the iPhone 3GS (one of the fastest browsing devices based on an ARM processor) then a lot of people will consider it for social networking, microblogging and sofa-surfing. I just wish that Apple would boost the size/resolution a little. A 5” version makes so much sense. Especially if you’ve got a Mifi on your pocket! Gdgt.com are live from the event later today.

On the 15th, Archos will be holding an event. We’re expecting to see the Archos 9 to become available along withthe launch of the Archos 5 Android-based devices.

On the 21st, i’ll be at IDF09 in San Francisco for a week-long Intel Atom-fest. Coverage kicks off on MIDMoves very soon (Ben will be following up on UMPCPortal too) so stay tuned over there for that because I’ve already had information that tells me we’re going to see some new devices.

If you’re at IFA for the last day of the event today, please keep your eyes out for a brown Gigabyte T1028G. It was stolen from the Netbooknews team as they waited around in a press area yesterday. More important than the hardware is the valuable video and image content on it. Many hours of work have been lost.

Sascha shares the details in a German-language post at netbooknews.de but the important thing is that if you see a Touchnote (they are easy to spot as they are brown and there aren’t many of them around) at or around IFA in Berlin, give @sascha_p a ping on twitter and let him know the details.