Back when we first caught sight of the Cyberus Smart Info Tablet, we pondered out loud whether there was anything Sungale’s odd touchscreen gadget couldn’t do.  Ebook reader, web surfer, PMP, internet radio and PND, the list of abilities is impressive; unfortunately, as Gadgetell discovered in their review of the Cyberus, while the spec sheet might look promising, the end result is something of a disappointment.

They’re frustrated by the UI, bemused by the non-standard layout of the on-screen keyboard and generally underwhelmed by everything the Cyberus attempts to do.  With no ePUB ebook support you’re stuck using PDF, TXT or HTML files for reading, and the fonts are ugly and the navigation glitchy; two pages often “turn” at once, even if you only tap the button a single time.

Meanwhile video playback is squeezed into a small box, rather than taking advantage of the whole 7-inch display, and quality is juddery anyway.  Finally, the lack of multitasking means that despite all the tablet attempts to do, it can only disappoint you with one thing at a time.  Not good, especially when $249 would buy you a decent iPod touch or a proper ebook reader.

The arrival of Google Maps Navigation was enough justification for many to declare that standalone PNDs were dead and buried, but according to Berg Insight there’s still some way to go before the devices peak.  The research firm estimate that dedicated PNDs will peak in 2012, with sales around the 50m units per year mark, after which they’ll decline.  They also suggest that connected PNDs will have a slightly longer grasp on the market.

Such devices – which can generally access live traffic and weather information, together with speed camera locations and other route information – are tipped to make up 88-percent of the overall standalone PND market by 2015, with the technology “taken for granted” in just a few years time.  Berg Insight finger refinement in business models as responsible for the increase.

Week in review time again, here we go! The Lenovo IdeaPad Pineview netbook hit the FCC Monday. The FCC is one of the most prolific leaker of gadgets and gear around and we love them for it. The CrunchPad is now said to be steamrolling toward a launch and may have a sponsorship deal in place. Word was a few weeks back that the tablet was dead.