Will Dell's New Device Come with Connectivity?

There have been rumors for some time that Dell was developing a smartphone or smarphones plural. But the Wall Street Journal reports this morning that a Dell "mobile Internet device" (MID) based on Android will be released later this year:

Nokia + Intel: What Will It Spawn?

As widely reported yesterday, Nokia and Intel announced a long-term partnership:

Turn by Turn iPhone Apps Spell the End of PND Market

Personal navigation and GPS-aided turn by turn directions are moving from hardware to software. Given that the new iPhone enables turn by turn navigation to be integrated into third party developer apps and that TomTom is going to be on the iPhone, the days of separate PND hardware devices are likely numbered.

NPD: Many Consumers Not Happy with Netbooks

A survey of 600 US netbook owners by NPD in April and May found very mixed reactions and satisfaction levels. According to the survey:

Broadband2Go From Virgin Mobile (USA): No Contract? No Problem!

Also, in the category of disruptive pricing arrangements, Virgin Mobile (USA) has introduced a service that provides nationwide access to wireless broadband on a pay-as-you-go basis to subscribers who purchase wireless EV-DO modems (the MC760 from Novatel Wireless), that carry a suggested price of $149 exclusively at Best Buy at the end of June.

Broadband Expansion: MiFi and WiFi in the Car

Verizon and Sprint are both offering the Novatel Wireless personal "MiFi" hotspot device. The device costs about $100 and requires a two-year contract. So many, if not most, people will be deterred by the pricing. For "road warriors" it may not even be as convenient as a laptop dongle (because it has to be charged) and it's certainly not cheaper. But the advent of this device points to increasingly ubiquitous connectivity.

Pre Embraced by Google, 'Dissed' by Apps Developers?

While there are lists circulating that show which Best Buy retail stores will carry the Palm Pre, the Best Buy website shows that it's not yet available and will carry an $800+ price tag without a two-year contract with Sprint. That will effectively kill all non-Sprint related buys. Meanwhile the Google Mobile Blog reflects that Google will have a very prominent place on the Pre:

Acer Announces Q3 Android-Based Netbook

Acer, maker of the popular Aspire netbook, has said it will release an Android-powered netbook in the US in Q3. According to Reuters:

Acer was the first PC vendor to officially announce that it was making Android PCs, weeks after it said it planned to launch smartphones -- mobile phones packed with advanced computer-like capabilities -- on the same platform later this year.

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Kindle DX: Big Screen, Big Price

The new larger Kindle, the "Kindle DX" was introduced today. With its 9.7-inch display it accommodates a full 8 x 11 1/2 inch page and is directed primarily at the student text book market, although it can equally be used for books, periodicals and newspapers just like the smaller Kindle 2. The price is also quite a bit larger than the already pricey Kindle 2, $489.

Attack of the 'E-Readers'

Reportedly a new, larger-screen Kindle is coming very soon, perhaps this week. It will be out in front of several other e-readers slated for release later this year or early next year. According to the NY Times:

Now the recession-ravaged newspaper and magazine industries are hoping for their own knight in shining digital armor, in the form of portable reading devices with big screens.

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