Flash memory vendor MSystems was one of the early companies to popularize the now-ubiquitous USB flash drive under the DiskOnKey brand. The USB flash drive finally replaced the floppy as the sneakernet medium of choice, and SanDisk is trying to extend its province to the TV with TakeTV.
Now a few former MSystems executives are helming the team at Modu Mobile which, from its sound effect-laden concept video, may be working to create a digital core that can be docked into a wide array of I/O peripherals the same way iPods dock into speaker docks and other accessories. Modu clearly intends on-the-go applications as its concept video shows usage in a car as well as what looks like a bicycle-mounted portable navigation device
CrunchGear claims that the device will be revealed at 3GSM and includes a cellular radio, If so, though, why doesn’t the keypad below the screen have numbers? Relying on a phone enclosure would add more docking and undocking throughout the day.
I would be surprised if Modu is going full-bore on developing the other products shown in its concept video — some of which appear quite advanced and expensive– which creates the old chicken-and-egg ecosystem problem. One clip shows the Modu core slipping into a notebook, so perhaps it is ExpressCard-compatible, bringing back memories of the old Rex PDA that had a PCMCIA card form factor.
In any case, I’ve annotated some frames from the video so you can see a day in the life of Modu.
OK, alarm clock dock. Been there.
Fixed-mobile convergence application potential
Docking into a car stereo. Why hasn’t anyone done this with the iPod? One company was allegedly working on it.
This looks like the phone enclosure.
Docking into some kind of office phone.
Tie your fortunes to pen computing, always a recipe for success.
Here’s the aforementioned possible ExpressCard application.
The bicycle GPS market isn’t exactly another one ready to explode, but maybe this is a Segway..
A bit hard to tell from this shot, but this is a handheld video game enclosure.