Archive for November 28th, 2009

This tiny device was one of the more popular items in Akihabara’s Yodobashi electronics store.  Offered by Emobile, a Japanese wireless data carrier, this device acts as a tiny WiFi hotspot, just like the MiFi-style devices offered by Verizon and Sprint in the US.

I do have to say though, Emobile has a more compact solution here – the device weighs in at less than 3 ounces, and it fits in the palm of your hand, not to mention a pocket or purse.  And unlike the MiFi, this device was really being marketed heavily, particularly as a complement to the iPod Touch and netbooks.

Wireless Goodness is spending Thanksgiving in Japan, a country well known for its wireless goodness.  As any Japanese gadget fan will attest, Akihabara in Tokyo is the place to go to for gadgets, and we made a quick stop over there today.

We spotted the Toshiba T-01A in the landmark Yodobashi Camera store in Akihabara.  The device rocks the 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon, along with a 4.1” capacitive touchscreen, GPS and 3G Internet.

Sadly, the Snapdragon was put to waste with Windows Mobile.  And unlike HTC’s devices, Toshiba hasn’t done much to hide the uglier parts of Windows Mobile 6.5, so you’re stuck with a clunky interface that struggles even more with the use of Japanese characters.

Still, the design of the T-01A is quite impressive.  The device is incredibly thin, yet still feels like a solid slab of metal and glass.  The hard buttons are conveniently placed, and well integrated into the device’s front.  You also get a satisfying click when you push on soft buttons – kind of similar to typing on the BlackBerry Storm.

In any case, we won’t be seeing the T-01A in the States anytime soon.  And to be honest, this device isn’t worth it as long as it’s running Windows Mobile.  Toshiba has done a good job on the design-side though, hopefully this device will be resurrected with Android or an improved Windows Mobile 7.