Sony set to unveil UMPC?

Is Sony about to announce its entry into the UMPC arena? If pictures and specification posted on the web yesterday are anything to go by it will, but the presence of an HD TV-oriented HDMI port on the handheld and does almost everything a dream UMPC might be hoped to do.

The Sony machine is apparently dubbed the Vaio UX, according to a Mobility Today report. It has a 7in display, slide-out QWERTY keyboard and a biometric sensor. It has front- and rear-mounted cameras, and a MemoryStick Duo slot.

In addition to the HDMI port - which is oddly missing from the UX's docking cradle, if the photos are to be believed, though the dock unit does feature two USB ports, Ethernet and a serial port (?) - the UX has a VGA connector, four-pin FireWire and what may be digital audio ports - the picture is unclear.

The UX's communications facilities include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3G, the report's source alleges. The machine is based on an Intel Core Solo processor and runs Windows XP Pro rather than the Tablet Edition seen on other UMPCs, like Samsung's Q1.

The announcement is said to be imminent - 16 May - but we'll reserve judgement until Sony itself goes public. ®