RIM's rumored BlackBerry tablet is really just a revival of Palm's Foleo concept, tips today suggest. The 8.9-inch device would only be a companion to an existing BlackBerry and would provide a larger screen for books, movies, photos and the web. Either Bluetooth or Wi-Fi would provide the connection to the smartphone, with no 3G for the tablet itself.
Celio is investigating a version of its Redfly mobile companions for the iPhone, a company representative has told Electronista at an event ahead of CTIA. While no definitive support has been planned, the device maker says it has already been experimenting with drivers that would let a connected iPhone use a Redfly's larger screen and keyboard. It's not certain whether this would include every feature or whether it would connect through Bluetooth, USB, or both.
Expanding the REDFLY beyond its initial niche of Windows Mobile devices, Celio today launched two new versions of its notebook-style smartphone add-on. The REDFLY C8N adds a new media port and matching cable that can either serve as an extra USB port or as a composite video input for handhelds that simply need the external screen rather than the keyboard and trackpad; it can now serve as a larger 800x480 screen for an iPhone, Zune or most other portable devices for up to eight hours without plugging in. It ships with VGA output for $299, while its matching cable costs $20.
The Celio Corp announced on Thursday that its REDFLY Mobile Companion will be priced at $399, representing a 20 percent price drop, and was updated to support 12 Windows Mobile smart phones, bringing the total up to 19. Like the original version of the smart phone terminal, the device allows smartphone users to use a keyboard and larger screen for access to notes, email, spreadsheets and other Windows Mobile applications via a USB 2.0 connection.
