RobiNZ CAD Blog

Microsoft's Secret Tablet is a Booklet?

Could Microsoft be about to out cool Apple? Will reality match the vision? Lets hope this doesn’t become Origami 2, remember the UMPC tablet that never really happened*, because it looks too good to fail. The video demo is cool but I wonder, how would it cope with CAD design/review applications? If Microsoft want a tester… Courier: First Details of Microsoft's Secret Tablet - Microsoft courier tablet – Gizmodo Courier is a real device, and we've heard that it's in the "late prototype" stage of development. It's not a tablet, it's a booklet… (Click for more info, video and gallery)... Read more →

Will 2008 be "The year of the tablet"?

Tablet PCs are five years old (!) but will 2008 be the year they finally take off? They currently have only a small market share but there seems to be a resurgence with new major players, like Dell, e... Read more →

Court says The Warehouse can be sold...

Let the games begin… Court says Warehouse can be sold - 29 Nov 2007 - NZ Herald Shares in The Warehouse Group surged as much as 25 per cent today after the High Court granted supermarket giants... Read more →

Taking Note of Autodesk University - Mind Maps to the rescue?

In this conversation about Autodesk University 2006 from the Autodesk Discussion Group Melanie points out that to get the most out of AU you need to: “TAKE DETAILED NOTES!!! These classes are IN... Read more →

Digital Paper takes flight

Recently I blogged about digital design of Aircraft using the title “The end of paper flight?”. The odd thing is that many flights, especially in light aircraft, are totally dependent on paper – thick books of charts and flight instructions. It seems rather primitive to have pilots carrying hundreds of bits of paper, searching for the right chart when they probably have more important tasks to do! It appears that hassle is about to end as electronic ink, digital paper, takes to the air. eFlyBook is a small, electronic notebook for use in the cockpit which uses a passive, paper... Read more →

Origami not UMPC Ok!

Bill Gates uses the term “Origami” rather than UMPC (Ultra-Mobile PC). JK approves and so do I. Still not sure if they are useful, toy, or hype (battery life a downfall?) but calling them Origami rather than YouEmmPeeCee’s is a good move. Maybe strange at first but no more than iPod or Blackberry! jkOnTheRun: Finally, we can call them Origamis Read more →

Origami getting closer to NZ?

Hugo Ortega has some good news, seems like it won’t be long until we see Origami [UMPC] devices in Australia & New Zealand. He also pointed to a interesting review of the Tablet Kiosk V-700 UMPC. Uber Tablet: a Tablet PC Talk Spot!: Origami Device in Australia - April 2006! Linda Epstein: First Look Tablet Kiosk V-700 Ultra-Mobile PC Read more →

Origami -The Ultra-mobile PC revealed

It looks nice, cool even, except Ultra-mobile PC (UMPC) is a clunky name – I prefer “Origami”. Then I see Robert Scoble’s comment on the video page: “The team tells me they are getting two to three hours of battery life with the first devices” Ultra-mobile, but not for long enough… Video: Otto Berkes - Origami's Architect gives first look at Ultra-mobile PCs - Channel 9 Microsoft Website: Ultra-Mobile PC - Go Everywhere. Do Everything. jkOnTheRun: Origami/UMPC- the real dirt Read more →

Microsoft Origami - Elegant personal computing?

Origami is the art of paper folding. Generally you start with a clean sheet of paper and create something small & elegant. So what is Microsoft Origami Project all about? Kevin Tofel seems to have found the answer: jkOnTheRun: Origami video? Kevin 2.0 » Origami video: the real deal? Much like everyone else, I’ve been wondering what Microsoft’s Origami Project is. The speculation runs rampant but it appears that you might not have to wait a few weeks to find out J.K. has more stills at; Read more →

Auckland company unveil the world's smallest GPS Receiver module

Auckland company Rakon have announced a GPS receiver module “as tiny as a baby’s fingernail”. Maybe we’ll soon see GPS being used in devices and ways just not viable with the current technology. As an example of novel use for GPS consider the Celestron SkyScout. It combines location & orientation sensing to provide live text and audio information on your current view of the night sky. It was picked by some influential bloggers as the hit product of the recent CES show: The word-of-mouth killer product of CES - Scoble “It wins my award for the single coolest thing I... Read more →