Tag Archive for 'Intel'

World Exclusive: I got to play with the Lenovo and Aigo Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) at Intel Shanghai

Published
by
Josh Bancroft
on April 7, 2008
. 6 Comments

There are only about 20 Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) existent in the world. Most of them were in Shanghai last week for the Intel Developer Forum (IDF). 10 of them were in the Mobility Software Enabling Lab at Intel Shanghai, where I got special access today to shoot photos and videos, as well as some hands on time to play, with the Lenovo Ideapad U8 MID and the Aigo MID. They also had some other devices around for comparison - an old prototype UMPC with a pivot screen, a Samsung Q1 Ultra Premium UMPC, and a Fujitsu Lifebook UMPC. And I threw my iPhone in a few of the photos for size/comparison’s sake.

I’ll post a more detailed writeup of my impressions of the devices soon, as well as the video of the time I had with them (summary: the Lenovo Ideapad U8 looks and feels wonderful in my hands - I WANT one!). I spent several minutes on video with each device, examining the hardware and UI/software features. Right now, thought, it’s almost 1 AM, and I need to get up early to do a blogging training with the Intel Shanghai software guys. But I wanted to get these photos up and available as soon as possible.

Please post any comments or questions you have either in this post, or on the photo’s page on Flickr. I want to answer all of your questions, but I’m going to sleep for a few hours, and don’t want to miss any of them. Please be patient, and I promise I’ll answer all questions. :-)

The entire set of 33 photos is available in this photoset on Flickr. Feel free to browse through all of the photos (bonus photos: some shots of the Intel Shanghai sales offices, which occupy floors 22-24 of the ShanghaiMart tower). Click here to view as a slideshow, and you can see full size/resolution versions of every photo on Flickr by clicking “All Sizes” on the photo’s page.

And now, the photos! Here are some that I think turned out best - be sure to check out all 33 photos in the Flickr set!

Aigo and Lenovo Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs)
DSC_3809.JPG
Aigo and Lenovo Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs)
Fujitsu Lifebook, Samsung Q1 Ultra, Lenovo MID, Aigo MID, prototype UMPC
Stack: iPhone, Lenovo, Aigo, Fujitsu, Samsung
Stack: iPhone, Lenovo, Aigo, Fujitsu, Samsung
Keeper of the MIDs, Lenovo Ideapad U8

Bonus Video: My First Hands-On with a MID (Mobile Internet Device)

Published
by
Josh Bancroft
on April 3, 2008
. 2 Comments

A few days before IDF, I met Holly from Intel via an email thread on who was going to Shanghai to blog, etc. She let me know that there was going to be a MID (Mobile Internet Device) photoshoot at some point, and invited me to come, shoot video, and check it out. Well, it turned out that the photoshoot took place at 8 PM the first night after IDF started, and didn’t finish until 8 AM the next morning. These devices are pretty much the only ones in the world right now, and they were needed for the keynote addresses both days of IDF. So the middle of the night was the only time they were available for a photoshoot. I passed.

But! On Day 2 of IDF, Holly came by the Upload Lounge with one of the MIDs - a unit from Gigabyte. She was supposed to do some “man on the street” video, showing people in Shanghai the MID, and asking them to show what they had in their pockets. But her video crew wasn’t available for some reason. SInce I was there with all my gear, and had time before the next session, I happily accompanied her out onto the streets of Shanghai (with Helen, our translator) to do the man on the street video.

But before we hit the streets, I shot this short clip with my Apitek Go-HD, to commemorate my first ever hands-on experience with a real, live MID. Here’s the video - about a minute and a half, not long enough to go into any depth. But it should be enough to give you a glimpse of what they’re like to actually use.


Holly is hard core - she was up all night long for the photoshoot, and still came around to do this. I would have chickened out and hidden in my soft warm bed for a few hours. Hats off to you, Holly! Hope you got some rest! And thank you for letting me touch the MID! :-)


More Video from Shanghai: Josh’s IDF Video Diary

Published
by
Josh Bancroft
on April 3, 2008
. 1 Comment

Here’s another collection of video clips from the two days of IDF Shanghai. Highlights include a look around the IDF venue (Shanghai International Convention Center), the Huangpu riverfront at night (gorgeous!), a peek at Chinese TV in my hotel room, a look at what websites are blocked in China and which aren’t, some “man on the street” video with Intel’s new Mobile Internet Devices, a look at the terrifying chaos that is pedestrian and vehicle traffic in Shanghai, and a cameo appearance by Celene Dion. :-)


Like the walkabout video I posted before, these little clips were all shot in HD on my little Aiptek Go-HD video camera, then pieced together in Quicktime Pro and rendered down to 640×360 on my Elgato Turbo.264. And then converted to low quality Flash by YouTube. :-) The video is about 10 minutes long, and I’ll probably post a higher quality version than what I can get from YouTube when I get home.I’ll probably keep shooting and posting these while I’m in Shanghai. I’m here until next week - going to spend a few days working with some of the Intel Software Network team here at Intel Shanghai. And I kind of like the style/technique of these videos. I’ve had lots of people ask me how I’m doing this. It’s very simple: I turn the screen on the camera so I can see myself, then hold it out at arm’s length, pointed at me, and pivot around in place to show what’s around me, while keeping myself on screen. Kind of fun to shoot, and I like the results.You know the drill - leave me a comment and tell me what you think. Want to see more like this? Hate it? Have something about Shanghai that you want me to shoot? Drop me a line, and let me know. And thanks for watching! :-)


A few iPhone photos from Shanghai

Published
by
Josh Bancroft
on April 3, 2008
. 2 Comments

It’s been a whirlwind two days. IDF just got over, and for the last two days, I’ve been shooting video of keynotes, sessions, demos, and other interesting stuff. Since all my video gear is kinda heavy to lug around, I haven’t bothered taking my Nikon D40 DSLR with my, to take many photos. Now that I’m done with the heavy duty video stuff, I’ll have my camera with me much more while I’m here in Shanghai, and will take and post some more photos.

In the mean time, here are a few that I’ve managed to shoot with my iPhone. Some of these turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself. As always, I love it when you comment on my stuff, so let me know what you think, and enjoy! :-)

Shanghai Promenade
Super Brand Mall, Shanghai
Super Brand Mall, interior
My first meal in Shanghai: McDonald's
Intel Developer Forum 2008 Shanghai

You can, as always, see all of the photos I share on Flickr.


Video: Josh’s Shanghai Walkabout

Published
by
Josh Bancroft
on April 1, 2008
. 7 Comments

I’ve been in Shanghai for about a day and a half now, for the Spring 2008 Intel Developer Forum conference. I’m here to shoot video of stuff that’s interesting and useful for software developers and generally cover the event for Intel Software Network.

Yesterday was “Day 0″ of the event - badge pickup, etc., but no real events scheduled. I took the opportunity to escape my hotel, and do a little walkabout exploration of my surroundings in Shanghai. I’ve been shooting tons of pictures and video, and I could write thousands and thousands of words about how cool Shanghai is. For now, enjoy this little video I put together of my “walkabout” in Shanghai.

Features include: about 100 people offering to sell me a “Rolex”, some of the great Shanghai architecture, exploration of the “Super Brand Mall”, including the Chinese versions of McDonalds and Toys R Us, a supermarket, and more.

Later that evening, my ISN China colleagues (and Shanghai natives) Richard and Welles basically showed me the town. They took me to PC Mall, which is a 5 story mall full of nothing but computers, electronics, cameras, and games. It’s like Fry’s on crack, and I’m DEFINITELY going back there before I come home. :-) There’s a bonus clip of PC Mall at the end of the video.

I also ran into my first “blocked in China” site while trying to upload this video - blip.tv. I love Blip, for lots of reason - video quality being one of the top. So I was bummed to not be able to use it for this video. Instead, it’s on YouTube (strange that Blip is blocked but YouTube isn’t - what’s up with that?), with the accompanying quality loss. But at least you can see it. And the quality isn’t super high anyway - it was all shot handheld in HD on my Aiptek Go-HD, then reencoded to 640×360 on my trusty Elgato Turbo.264. I’ll put up a high quality version when I get home.

Here’s the video - enjoy! :-)


Gearing up for Intel Developer Forum (IDF) in China next week

Published
by
Josh Bancroft
on March 28, 2008
. 3 Comments
Getting Geared Up for China

Some of the stuff I’m getting ready for my trip to IDF Shanghai (no, my drink and my Nerf gun aren’t going - they live on my desk ;-) ). Most, if not all, of this stuff will be on my person in my cargo pants pockets for the duration, ready to capture audio and video on the spur of the moment:

Of course, this isn’t all I’m taking. The “big” stuff not pictured includes my Canon XH A1 HDV video camera (with the accompanying mic, light, tripod, etc.) and my Nikon D40 DSLR camera. (Those are all affiliate links.)

I’ll be shooting video of some of the keynote and demos at IDF - the Intel Developer Forum - in Shanghai next week. I’ll also be spending some time with the Intel Software Network team there.

This is my first time to China, and I’m excited and nervous. Mainly because I always get nervous/anxious before a trip. I worry that something will go wrong, I won’t have the right gear/paperwork/etc. I’m sure it will all be fine, though.

I may not have very good Internet access (I know a lot of services I use are blocked in China, but I will have VPN access back through Intel’s proxies), and I know I’m going to be really busy, so updates might be sporadic. But I’ll definitely be posting stuff to Twitter, etc. So if you want to follow me on my trip use Twitter, and watch my blog (www.tinyscreenfuls.com) and my lifestream (www.joshbancroft.com).

Shanghai here I come! :-)


InstaResearch: What the heck IS a MID anyway?

Published
by
Josh Bancroft
on March 25, 2008
. 2 Comments

Had an interesting conversation today in a meeting with some of Intel’s web marketing folks - the people who run blogs.intel.com/mobility, to be precise. We were talking about who actually had hands on experience with a “MID”, and that quickly moved on to the question of defining what, exactly, a MID is. And perhaps more importantly, what it is not.

So what did I do? I took advantage of the 1200+ people who follow me on Twitter, and did some “InstaResearch”. In other words, I asked my Twitter network:

What the heck do YOU think a MID is? Not just defining the acronym, but what IS it? What is it NOT?

Within minutes, the answers came pouring in. Here’s what people had to say:

@sunraven01 - It is NOT a device that only provides connectivity inside a provider’s walled garden.

@sharong - as close to omniscience as humans will ever get

@psteinb - Something that fits in my pocket and can give me access to ALL aspects of net platform

@Jerry_Makare - MID, Meat-In-Dumpster: An acronym used to tell dumpster divers that meat products are located within garbage receptacles. Yum.

@clint - Midi file!

@sharong - MID to me is more than just browser-its integrated feeds, its connectedness.M is also more than handheld-could be clothing

Update: a late(r) entry from Tablet PC guru Loren Heiny:

@LorenHeiny - “What’s a MID?” To me: The iPhone & iPod Touch are MIDs, though the iPhone is more a phone and the Touch needs more connectivity

@LorenHeiny - Why r the iPhone & iPod Touch MIDs? Because they provide some of the best browser experiences. Something I think is key to a MID

It’s interesting to note that everyone besides @clint, @sunraven01, and @LorenHeiny are people with whom I work at Intel. ;-)

I’m going to withhold my own opinion/definition of “MID” for a little while, but I’ll blog it soon. Instead, I want to gather more opinions, and extend my InstaResearch. So I’m going to ask YOU - What the heck is a “MID” anyway? Is a UMPC a MID? Is a MID a UMPC? Is the iPhone a MID? What about the Nokia internet tablets like the N800 and N810? What about Tablet PCs? Smartphones and PDA phones and BlackBerries?

Post a comment and let me know what you think. I’d offer a prize for the person who gets the “correct” answer, but I’m afraid the whole point of the exercise is to illustrate how broad the definition for MID really is. So no prizes, but bonus points for creativity. ;-)


First day in the new Intel JF1 Offices

Published
by
Josh Bancroft
on March 17, 2008
. 8 Comments

Today is my team’s first day in our new offices in Intel’s newly-remodeled Jones Farm 1 (JF1) offices (see this post for some background and pictures from the “open house” a couple of weeks ago). I was out of town last week at SXSW (and got sick while I was there, which is why I dropped off the face of the earth for a few days - more about that in another post). I have lots to say about the rest of SXSW, but first…

I’ve been at my new desk for a few hours, long enough to get settled in, get things set up the way I want them, and unpack my meager two boxes worth of belongings (the rest of my bulky audio/video gear was stored at home until I have a secure place for it here).

So far, here’s what it think: It’s awesome. Taking some getting used to. The increased light, color, and “cool” factor are much appreciated. I’ve already availed myself of the free soda fountain and donuts. :-) Haven’t moved around to try to work in one of the “open” community spaces, mostly because I really like my new cube. I’m at the end of a row, facing a wall of windows that overlooks a really nice enclosed courtyard. It’s a north-facing window, so there’s shouldn’t be too much direct light/heat. We’ll see as summer rolls around. I requested and got a larger “tower” filing cabinet to store my A/V gear. They’ve got an onsite team of “red hats” to address any issues that pop up (no one expected this to go perfectly). It’s been really smooth, and I feel really lucky to be a part of this pilot program.

Because I’m on the end of a row, and “exposed”, a dozen or so people have come over and leaned in to my cube to say “Hi”. It’s nice to have people drop in and visit, but if that volume keeps up, it’s going to get annoying. I think it will drop off as the novelty of the whole area wears off. If not, I’ll have to put up a sign warning not to poke/feed/disturb the animals in the cages. ;-)

Here are a few more pictures to give you an idea of what it’s like now that we’re actually living here. I’ve added them to my existing “Intel JF1 New Offices” photoset on Flickr, so you can browse there for some additional peeks at life here.

My new cube, mostly set up the way I want it:

My Cube, populated
My new desk, set up

They’ve already gotten rid of the supply of paper cups near the free soda/coffee machines. Apparently people from other areas of the campus were coming over and helping themselves. Or something. So now, we’ve all been “issued” an official mug/cup to be used. *sigh* Yeah, this is still Intel all right. ;-)

Mug Patrol - No Freeloaders!

Here’s the neighborhood the Intel Software Network team lives in (named “Pinot Noir” - all the neighborhoods are named after varieties of Oregon “grapes” ;-) ):

ISN Neigborhood

And here’s Aaron taking advantage of the power height adjustable desks to work standing up. I’ve seen more than a few people trying this - interesting. I won’t be doing it - I’m too lazy, and I LIKE to sit down and work. :-)

Aaron taking advantage of the adjustable height desks

The “living room” area wasn’t as busy and crowded as I thought it would be on opening day.

The Living Room

And finally, here’s the little card-shaped USB flash drive (1GB) that was in everyone’s welcome bag, which has a bundle of “fun” software, including Google Earth, Picasa, some freeware games, and, notably, a copy of FeedDemon (which recently went freeware) and an OPML file of Intel feeds to subscribe to. Could it be that Intel is starting to “get it” regarding feeds? ;-) Oh, and in case you were wondering, like I was, if the whole flash drive is contained within the little flippy part, it’s not. I pulled the flippy part out, and along came some wires that were kind of important. ;-)

DSC_2921.JPG

So that’s it - our new home! I’ll probably do a video tour soon, to give you an idea of how the whole place ties together. And I haven’t gone to the lobby for some Guitar Hero action yet, either, which is on my agenda. Ooh, that reminds me! I need to bring in Super Smash Bros Brawl for the Wii and get some people playing that. Good times! :-)


Photos from Intel’s new JF1 offices

Published
by
Josh Bancroft
on March 3, 2008
. 9 Comments

Last year, Conan O’Brian visited Intel’s offices in Santa Clara, California. He was, uh, not impressed by the endless maze of gray fabric cubicles, accented by gray walls and gray carpet. You can watch his bit on YouTube here (apparently NBC made YouTube pull the clip, so here it is from Clipstr). It’s pretty funny, and yes, it is an accurate depiction of life at Intel.

Apparently, that started some wheels turning. I’m sure there were a lot of other factors, but soon afterwards, there was an announcement made that Intel was going to be undertaking a pilot program to update our workspaces. Feedback was solicited, other companies were studied (I think Google, Adobe, and Microsoft were among the influencers). Three sites were chosen: Santa Clara, Folsom (I think) Chandler, AZ, and our very own Jones Farm 1 building here in Oregon. And people from my group, Software and Solutions Group (SSG) were chosen to move into “the workplace of the future” when it was finished. :-)
Jones Farm 1 (JF1) is one of the oldest buildings among the several Intel campuses in Hillsboro. It was kind of dated, but really not much different from the rest of the JF buildings. Last October, they tore it down to the studs, and rebuilt it, with all new layout, furniture, and features like a living room area, lots of TVs, more and smaller conference rooms, and lower cube walls. Last Friday, there was an Open House for employees and press to check out the new spaces. I went with Brent Logan (we even ended up on TV - see below!), and took lots of pictures.

I’m packing up my old cube this week, and moving in to the new space shortly after I get back from my trip to SXSW in Austin. Here’s what will be awaiting me! :-)
My new cube:

Josh at his new desk

My New Cube/Desk

I’m double-lucky - not only do I get my own assigned/dedicated cube, but it’s on the end of a row facing the big windows overlooking a courtyard. Nice view, but I’m a little nervous about having the sun backlighting my monitor all the time, making it hard to see. The Daystar and I don’t get along all that well.

Intel's

Some shots of my old cube and neighborhood, to give you an idea of what things are like now (if you didn’t watch the Conan video):

My Old Messy Cube

For Comparison - Old Gray Cube Farm (JF3)

There are lots of open community spaces, and nice big LCD flatscreen TVs hanging all over the place:

The

The

Not everyone has their own assigned cube - one of the big changes in the new space is that lots of people are considered “mobile” or “tweeners”, meaning they’re not expected to be in the office all the time, so lots of the cubes are “first come first served”, and there are lockers for these mobile folks to store their stuff (I was lucky enough to get my own dedicated/assigned cube):

Spots for

Lockers for Mobile Workers

The cube walls are lower, to “facilitate collaboration”, but there are a lot of glass-walled conference rooms, for either 4 people or 1 person when privacy and confidentiality are needed:

Our New Neigborhood

Small Glass Walled Conference Rooms

There are a couple of these magic computerized hand-driven whiteboards around, which are kind of cool:

Magic Hand Driven

I counted only three “regular” style large conference rooms, and only two of those that I saw had a projector. This could be a problem for people who are used to having them in every room:

One of a couple

There’s a kitchen with free fountain soda, coffee, pastries, etc. It’s right by my new cube - diabetes here I come! ;-)

The Kitchen

Diabeetus Here I Come!

The lobby has a couple of soft chairs, and big TVs with an Xbox 360 and a Nintendo Wii - Guitar Hero and Wii Tennis for everyone!

A Wii and an Xbox 360 - yay Guitar Hero!

That’s most of the photos. You can view the whole set of 34 pictures in this photoset on Flickr. And expect more reporting on the new office spaces after I move in. I’m going to do some video - you’ve got to see the cool power height-adjusting desks to believe them!

For now, I’ll leave you with this video clip from one of the local TV news stations, KOIN, who were there reporting on the new offices. You can see me and Brent Logan at the 0:20 mark. Thanks to my coworker Aaron for grabbing and posting this clip.


Let me know if you have any questions about the new space! :-)


I’m on Sabbatical from Intel for two months

Published
by
Josh Bancroft
on October 12, 2007
. 2 Comments

Well, the time is upon me. My cube is packed, and the clock is ticking towards 5:00 PM. After that, I’m officially on sabbatical, and won’t be back at Intel until December.

What is sabbatical you ask? Well, at Intel, every seven years you’re employed there, you get 8 weeks paid time off in the form of a sabbatical, to do with as you please. You can’t break it up, but you can combine it with vacation time to extend it (I’m not). It’s a great benefit - one of the perks that Intel offers that not many other companies do. They do it to let you recharge and refocus and reinvigorate yourself, which is exactly what I’m going to do.

What are my plans?

First, I’m organizing an event – Ignite Portland. It’s a fun cool kind of techie event where people get 20 slides for 15 seconds each to present a really cool idea, on any topic. Free to attend, free to present. It’s on Oct. 25 downtown at Wieden+Kennedy. Details are on the site, and if you’re in Portland, I’d love to see you there. There will be free (sponsored) food and drinks, and maybe even schwag! Check it out and RSVP if you can come. We’re already over 150 people attending, so this party is much larger than I imagined when I conceived of the idea. Let’s blow it all the way out.

After that, we’re taking a road trip to Idaho and Utah to see family. We’ll be gone about two weeks, and I’m making plans to stay as connected as possible the whole way (3G modem card + portable wifi router + battery pack. Seriously.)

When we get home, I have a bunch of web/hacking projects I want to work on. Haven’t decided which ones, yet. And I plan to play lots of videogames, and hang around the house, driving Rachel crazy.

People have been asking me if I’m going to take a break from blogging/twitter/etc. I dont’ know why, but I find it amusing. :-) Since I’m a blogger, all the way down to the core, I’ll be posting constant updates on what I’m doing here at www.tinyscreenfuls.com and in my lifestream, www.joshbancroft.com. Follow me on Twitter, subscribe to those sites, and it will be just like you’re there on sabbatical with me! ;-)

I’m officially back at work on December 10. I have some vacation left to use before the end of the year, so I’ll be in and out until January, when I plan to jump back in with both feet, and start rocking some cool ideas at Intel! :-)