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Telepongs Linux Handheld in June

Danny writes: "infoSync has got a interesting story about a mobile terminal running on Linux, which is supposed to be available in June 2002. From the pictures to tell, it's really cool -- and it supports GSM/GPRS, has a 65K color display and comes with a camera interface and a joystick for playing games." Now mind you such cool devices will take years to get to the U.S., but wow, that's a crazy looking device. Me Like-ee.

20 of 67 comments (clear)

  1. Innovative by Traxton1 · · Score: 2, Funny

    It does look rather cool, and it looks like it would come back to you when you throw it.

  2. telepong site, etc by Alien54 · · Score: 3, Informative
    Our handsets are not meant to compete head-on with classic voice-centered mobile phones," Telepong's CEO Christoph Atzwanger, emphasizes. "They are closer to game and messaging consoles and are focused on enabling and supporting non-voice 2.5 G and 3 G services."

    That's for sure

    And Yes, there is a Telepong.com with a truly large picture (1700x1700) for your closeups of the device

    but otherwise the site is still a bit content lite.

    --
    "It is a greater offense to steal men's labor, than their clothes"
  3. Question about filesystems... by Sonicboom · · Score: 2, Interesting

    What kind of filesystems do these things use?

    I'm curious.

    --
    [Connection closed by foreign host]
    1. Re:Question about filesystems... by rhekman · · Score: 3, Informative

      If it's similar to the handheld Linux's like Familiar, they probably use JFFS2, the journaling flash file system. It does compression and intelligently minimizes writes to flash devices. Another one is CRAMFS, a popular choice for embedded 2.4 systems .

      Regards,
      Reid

      --
      I like teamwork. It's easier to assign blame that way.
  4. Tweens? [OT] by Seanasy · · Score: 2

    OK, where the hell did they come up with non-word, "tweens." I hate it already and this is the first time I've seen it.

    When the revolution comes, the marketing people will be the first against the wall.

    1. Re:Tweens? [OT] by Mu*puppy · · Score: 3, Informative
      Apparently, you're not a Tolkien fan. :)


      from The Fellowship of the Ring, Chapter 1, fifth paragraph, fifth sentence:

      "At that time Frodo was still in his tweens, as the hobbits called the irresponsible twenties
      between childhood and coming of age at thirty-three."


      Mu*puppy: 'tween' and damn proud of it.

      --
      There's no wrong way, to eat a Rhesus...
    2. Re:Tweens? [OT] by cr0sh · · Score: 2

      The word "tweens" has been around for a few years...

      Now, Tolkien notwithstanding (in which he was arguably the first person to use the word, to describe what could be called "twenty-somethings"), in marketing-speak, tweens are those people who are not quite "teens" - ie, 10, 11, and 12 year olds (get it? TWelve/tEEN/TWEEN? Or, in beTWEEN childhood and teenagers).

      This "modern" usage of the word first came about sometime in the early 1990's.

      But yeah, you are right - it is a crap word.

      --
      Reason is the Path to God - Anon
  5. Someone's got to ask it... by InfinityWpi · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Is a Telepong anything like a Telefrag? If not, what's the point?

  6. Userinterface? by AdmiralMustapha · · Score: 3, Interesting

    What all these devices lack IMO are really easy-to-handle userinterfaces; operating on a small screen, using even smaller buttons and keys is not my ideal idea of easy of use.
    Heck, i even prefer my good old diary to my palm 5!

    I guess we will have to wait for some years, until we can command those gadgets with our very voices or thinking.

  7. Strek Trek Tech by rhekman · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Is it just me, or are these newer gen handhelds looking more and more like Star Trek Communicators? This one looks a lot like the Mularian communicators from the Enterprise: Civilization episode last night. I guess it's fitting that it runs Linux.

    Trip and Archer with equipment

    Regards,
    Reid

    --
    I like teamwork. It's easier to assign blame that way.
  8. handhelds. by garcia · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Honestly, I have had a handheld device for almost a year now... I haven't had much use for it other than as a glorified gameboy and an oversided MP3 player.

    Sure it is invaluable as a note taking device in research libraries that don't allow pens and since I don't have a laptop here w/me it is nice (especially that I don't have to lug around 10 lbs)

    Honestly though I don't understand the need for a handheld other than that. It takes me more time to take down quick notes than it would on a piece of paper (in an appt book).

    I love using it for what I use it for but I don't see the need for a $500 piece of paper/gameboy.

    That's just my worthless .02 as a user of one of these devices.

    1. Re:handhelds. by micromoog · · Score: 2
      Sure it is invaluable as a note taking device in research libraries that don't allow pens

      What?!

    2. Re:handhelds. by moonboy · · Score: 2



      I just recently got the new Samsung I300 SmartPhone which runs the Palm OS. It is sweet!

      It has a nice small form factor (for a Palm Device) and not much larger than your average phone. It has a color screen. Can do voice memos, which is a great feature! I can access the Internet, check email, and use it as an access device to my ISP for my PC using the data cable which is sold separately. It's fantastic!

      I also like the functionality of having my contact list sync'd from my PC and being able to call directly from that. It keeps me organized and reminds me of things I have to do. It's everything I want in a personal communications/organizer device. It's so nice to finally have a Palm device and phone in one small package. Oh, and btw, it looks really cool!

      --

      Co-founder and designer at Music Nearby: http://musicnearby.com
  9. Re:wierd.. by O2n · · Score: 2, Interesting

    You're right.

    Basically they try to create a market for the GPRS and 3G wich will be at least hard, because they have to make the users change their habits.

    For almost 100 years the telephone was primarily a means of oral communication; only within the last 10 years there's been a sensible change to this trend, maybe significant, but definitely not a change of focus.

    What happened is that at the height of the dot.com bubble, a lot of (cell)phone and other co.s in Europe paid enormous price tags for 3G licenses.
    After the bubble burst, they found themselves in huge debts, with deadlines to meet and networks to build (as 3G needs it's own infrastructure).

    Enter GPRS, which was supposed to be just a transition phase to 3G, but due to the circumstances was seen as the corporate ass saviour, being cheaper to deploy than the 3G; the net result seems to be that instead of beeing an intermediate step, it's a goal itself, which is less likely to work due to the global economic slowdown, and has good chances of killing 3G also in the process.

    It's hard to predict how this will evolve, but as it seems, their winning business plan for now is "10s of bilions to pay for the G3 licenses, no network and no market".

  10. bow chica bow-wow by austad · · Score: 2

    It looks like a sex toy. I wonder if it has "vibrate" mode.

    --
    Need Free Juniper/NetScreen Support? JuniperForum
  11. Got it beat by glowingspleen · · Score: 2

    June 2002? Bah! Save your money for when my vaporware wristwatch phone/game system/microwave/shoe buffer comes out in August.

    A word of caution though: Don't aim it at pets.

  12. Re:really... by EFGearman · · Score: 2

    Yes, but this depends on whose value of K do you use. For purposes of technical discussions, 1K = 1024. But, and I think it was mentioned somewhere here on /., that PR/advertising typically uses the 1K=1000 valuation.

    I honestly do remember reading something like this recently, and it was either here or The Register. I will attempt to add a link when I find out. Or someone else could do it.

    EFGearman
    --

    --
    Atomic batteries to power! Turbines to speed!
  13. Re:Libraries that don't allow pens by micromoog · · Score: 2
    That's really interesting. I had no idea.

    So you're expected to memorize everything you research (if you don't have something like this, that is)?

  14. Re:Libraries that don't allow pens by garcia · · Score: 2

    no, they expect you to either use pencil (at least at the archives I have visited) or use some other form of note taking methods:

    1. digital camera/standard camera
    2. dictation to cassette (etc)
    3. laptop

  15. Re:Can you say security? by garcia · · Score: 2

    my father taught me to whistle really loud. I could hear him over a 1/2 mile away (it was really nice when he was in the stands at a large event) and if he whistled I had to whistle back and I knew I had about 5 mins to get home.

    Honestly lugging around my fingers was a lot easier than a $500 piece of computer hardware.

    Kids these days...