The problem, of course, is that monthly fees will most likely be part of the deal—monthly fees that many GPS users are probably not willing to pay. Still, the nuvi 1690 appears to be on its way, for better or worse—although pricing and a release date have yet to be announced. [Electronista]

The Build: Physically, the Pocketsurfer 2 is not really an internet surfer for the pocket; the dimensions of 152 x 75 x 15 mm, mean it is quite far off being comfortably pocket worthy. The 640 x 240 VGA screen is abysmal; it reduces high-resolution images to nasty grainy spaces of general distortion. On a plus note, it has a full QWERTY keyboard that is rather fantastic. It takes some getting used to if you are not familiar with RAZR-type keypads, but once you are about and clicking, it works extremely well...it works extremely well as long as you cannot hear it. The backlight kicks up the most ridiculous buzzing racket, the likes of which I have not heard emanate from a portable electronic device since the cassette Walkman was commonplace. You will not notice it when you are in the urban jungle, but at home, I kid you not, it shall give you a very real headache.

Getting Around: The navigation controls are a disaster; there is no scroll wheel, so you must rely on a four-way direction pad to get you around webpages. On a mobile phone with a 2.5" screen, a four-way direction pad just about makes web surfing possible. On a device with a 5.2" widescreen, that simply is not feasible. Generally, the Pocketsurfer 2 has a solid construction; it's weighty in a good-to-hold kind of way. However, the attention to detail is poor; the chromed plastic pieces are rough and the port coverings are shabby rubber plugs that do not fit properly. The styling of the unit is not so bad, and the poor quality is only noticeable once the gadget is thoroughly inspected. So how does it weigh up for browsing the old internet?

Functionality: Datawind's product runs their very own software, tip to toe, and though the compression system, which promises to load webpages in seven seconds flat sometimes delivers, it is far from consistent. Simply put, everything about the Pocketsurfer 2 is buggy as hell. The start up time is lengthy (approx 35s), when it works. On many occasions it refuses to connect. Indeed, during a private display of the device by Datawind's CEO, a failed connection occurred—in the center of London, I very much doubt that absent cellular network coverage was the cause of the mishap. It was not an isolated incident either; during my testing, time after time a connection would be reset, time out or return with a server error. When you are out and about and want to quickly check your email, the service simply does not cut it. Neither does the sub 5-hour battery. When it does work, the compression/caching of information is impressively fast for a GPRS connection.

The browser itself lacks any form of video codec compatibility, and as mentioned before, the screen will barely display high-resolution images. Even if it did, there is no way to zoom out and get the whole picture, so unless you like your picture viewing in clickity-click parts, this does not really solve the great mystery of succinct mobile web browsing. In the gadget's defense, Google maps seem to work well on the few occasions it loads up without fault, thanks to proper pseudo-GPS information. Also worth noting is the optimized mobile Zoho suite, which could be useful if the text entry delay was not so severe. Unfortunately, the time elapse between a key press and that key taking effect is ridiculously long.

The Price: The UK will see the Pocketsurfer 2 available for £179.98 ($363), with 20hours of web surfing/month included in the asking price. You guys Stateside will have a much steeper deal; the product will be made available via T-Mobile for $29.99 per month (unlimited data plan), on a 12 month contract. The hardware will be an additional $299.

The Verdict: I really tried to love the Pocketsurfer 2, I promise you; I opened my cold, black heart to it and it failed me. I do not want this to read as a blank slating of a company's endeavours, but the void this product fills is sadly non-existent. It has no raw power to natively run apps. It relies entirely on a GPRS connection that is temperamental at best. It has no means of effective navigation. In three words: it doesn't work. The notion of entire back end server reliance for hardware is very much the vision of the future, but the Pocketsurfer 2 is a little ahead of its time in terms of the idea at work. Sadly, it is a little behind in terms of technology implemented. A GPRS connection is never going to be a viable means for mass data transmission; no matter how good the caching system may be. The technology used is simply too out dated (for this purpose) to be functional.

If you desperately want to give the piano black encased gizmo a chance, hit the link to purchase, but do so at your own peril. [US: Linsar, UK: Datawind]

The difference between the Dash and all of the other dedicated portable navigators on the market is that it's got Wi-Fi and a GPRS modem built in, so that it can receive (and send) useful live information. If you're a user, Dash will know your commute and check traffic conditions, sending you an SMS when it thinks you need to hit the road so you're not late for work. Besides better traffic data, Dash is about local search: it gets POIs not from some static list but from Yahoo, so there's a greater chance of finding something up-to-date and appropriate to your needs.

The new, final design will feature:
• Larger screen -4.3"TFT LCD screen, 480x272
• Haptic buttons for audio, main menu
• Powered mount
• Internal battery with 2 to 4 hours of life
• Improved audio quality
• Improved TTS
• USB port

The interface has also been dramatically improved, with heavier reliance on the touch screen and brighter colors. Pricing hasn't yet been announced, but Dash will start selling online in the first quarter of 2008, with a big retail push in the second quarter. We can't wait to get our hands on one, because the GPS navigators we use now are great, but have reached a glass ceiling that only two-way communication will break through.

* Intel Core 2 Duo U7600 1.20 GHz CPU * 1024 - 2048 MB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM * 12.1″ WXGA 1280×800px Display * Intel GMA950 * 120 GB 5400 rpm SATA HDD or * 32GB or 64 GB SSD drives * DVD Super multi (+/-R) drive * Intel Wi-Fi a/g/n * Bluetooth 2.0 EDR * Wireless 3.5G GSM, GPRS, EGPRS, WCDMA, WCDMA+HSDPA module

[PC Joint]

Back? Ok. Here's what that was all about: Dash Navigation is looking for 2,000 car-loving gadget heads who can put their next-generation GPS systems to the test this summer. Basically, you get a free cellular equipped GPS before anyone else in exchange for feedback. The cool thing is that since Dash Express GPS's upload your traffic conditions to an ever growing model of traffic, you'll be seeding that data as you drive. And when the trial is done, the hardware is yours to keep. [UPDATE: You gotta give it back, but you'll get a discount on a fresh one when the test is over.]

They'll pick the best of the applicants, so if you really want to get your hands on this hot gear, do your best to let them know how interested you are in both gadgets and driving.

Sign up here, www.dash.net, and tell em I sent you.–Brian Lam

Dash Navigator GPS [Gizmodo]

Calling All Drivers - Dash Hits the Streets with Unique Nationwide Road Test Program

Company Recruiting 2,000 Frustrated Commuters in Preparation for Fall Launch

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., April 9, 2007 - Dash Navigation™, Inc. today announced plans to recruit 2,000 drivers to "road test" the Dash Express™, the first Internet-connected automotive GPS. The company recently completed a successful six-month field trial in the San Francisco Bay Area. Now, Dash is turning traditional auto navigation testing upside down by crisscrossing the country to actively engage thousands of consumers in the process. Commuters eager to be the first to test drive the Dash Express are encouraged to apply by visiting HYPERLINK "http://www.dash.net" www.dash.net.

"We're committed to doing whatever it takes to deliver a great consumer experience," said Dash Chief Executive Officer Paul Lego. "The only way to do this well is to hit the road and reach out to the community for real-world input and feedback. This program also allows us to begin building our national Dash Driver Network immediately."

With its unique set of connected features, the Dash Express goes well beyond existing, standalone GPS devices. Here's why:

The Dash Driver Network - Know the best ways around traffic using information generated from other devices in the Dash community.
Yahoo! Local search - Find virtually anything - people, places, products, and services. Simply select your result and drive right to it.
Send to Car - Send addresses from any computer straight to the dashboard, eliminating the need for paper maps and directions.
Dynamic Destination Information - Get the latest gas prices, movie times and community-based ratings for destinations - right from the driver's seat.
Automatic Updates - Automatically receive updated features and software.

"We're excited to expand our testing beyond California," added Robert Acker, Dash senior vice president of marketing. "We don't believe that navigation is a one-size-fits-all experience. A driver in Los Angeles has very different needs than a driver in Atlanta. This national road test will enable us to really understand how people use and value our product in different regions across the country."

Calling All Drivers- Be the First to Test Drive Dash

Dash is looking for about two thousand technology enthusiasts throughout the country to join the exclusive Dash Driver Network as it prepares for a national commercial launch this fall. In particular, Dash is looking for heavy commuters and mobile gadget enthusiasts. Consumers can apply to join the free Dash National Road Test at HYPERLINK "http://www.dash.net" www.dash.net. Drivers will be selected based on responses to a short survey and will be notified via email if they have been chosen. Anyone who visits the site can also sign up to be alerted when Dash begins sales later this year.

This is all prototype, so the UI isn't close to finished. But you should notice two things when you peep the screenshots: Yahoo! returns non-literal search results. So if you search for Chinese food, it'll bring back restaurants, not just names with "Chinese food" in the title. It'll even bring back restaurant ratings. And traffic routing is the most advanced I've ever seen. You can choose from several routes, each with different ETAs, without having to recalculate. Very cool, and they're not even finished.–Brian Lam

Dash GPS [Gizmodo]

Press Release [Sony Ericsson]

E-TEN says to expect the G500 in all markets this month for an as-yet-unannounced price. The last of high-speed connectivity options will lessen its gleam for some, but for many the good-sized, 2.8-inch display and built-in GPS functions will let it kill two birds with one Tron-like stone.

Download Press Release [450K PDF]

Motorola E1000 Candy Bar Cellphone [MobileWhack]

LG B2250 Cell Phone [MobileWhack]
LG B2250 [SlashPhone]
LG Announces Thin B2250 Camera Phone [MobileBurn]