The scrutiny of Microsoft's secretive "Origami" project is picking up steam. Here's the latest from around the Web, plus additional information to fill in the gaps:

Engadget tonight posted what it describes as "possible" photos of an Origami device, received from an unnamed source. The photos show something that would appear to convert between a mini-PC, with keyboard, and a portable media player. That would support the theory that the code name "Origami" might refer to the ability to essentially fold the device to switch it from one use to another.

To be clear, Engadget cautions that it's not sure if the photos are authentic.

But the images are at least generally consistent with what has been reported about the project. As noted here previously, Microsoft's Robert Scoble wrote on his blog that Origami is "the code-name for a new kind of device." And the photos posted by Engadget seem to be similar to what a source told NetworkWorld's Paul McNamara about the Origami project.

Based on the pictures, Engadget's Ryan Block raises questions over the fact that it would appear to use both a keyboard and stylus. He wonders what operating system it would be running. (Devices based on Microsoft's existing Portable Media Center software don't have touch screens or keyboards.) But as suggested by some of the people in the comments to Block's post, a device like that could very well use a standard version of Windows, with Tablet PC capabilities. That's what the company discussed at last year's Windows Hardware Engineering Conference.

From the transcript, here's how Bill Gates described the concept at the time:

We'd have something that looks like this, ultra-thin, we are working at the chip level, and the display level to make sure that a device like this can be done for something well under $1,000, hopefully even in the $800 range. We call this our Ultra Mobile 2007. There's a lot we need to do in the software to make this something that's very easy to work with, and probably having a touch screen. We want to get down below two pounds, as close to one pound as we can, get an all-day battery life in this thing. We do believe this is achievable, and we're certainly doing our part of the work, and then working with others as well. This will be a camera, this will be a phone, this will be a thing where you have the touch screen and the ink, you'll be able to watch, listen to your music, of course, watch motion video, and so as we get this under $1,000 as a companion device, we think that will be popular.

At the time, other executives at the company said they would like to see the price go even lower, somewhere between $500 and $800. But the device that Gates showed back then was merely a mock-up, something intended to get hardware makers thinking about heading in that direction.

Also on the Engadget post, a commenter named EnricoFermi points out that Transmeta Corp., which makes chips that can be used in mini PCs, has disclosed agreements to work with Microsoft on an unnamed project. Here's the description in Transmeta's latest 10Q filing with the SEC:

On May 12, 2005, we entered into a series of related definitive development services agreements with Microsoft Corporation, under which agreements we will provide development services to Microsoft relating to a proprietary Microsoft project.

Note the date: May 12, 2005. That's just about three weeks after the WinHEC conference where Gates introduced the "Ultra Mobile" concept. Coincidence?

On a related note, in this post on the Microsoft Watch site, Mary Jo Foley examines the possibility that the Origami could be an all-in-one device that Microsoft would position to simultaneously compete with the likes of Apple's iPod, RIM's BlackBerry, T-Mobile's Sidekick and Palm's Treo.

Meanwhile, Josh Houghtelin says that Microsoft has successfully manipulated the situation to build interest and generate online coverage, by being purposefully mysterious about things. ("Hype! Hype! Hype!" he writes.) Clearly that buzz is part of the company's strategy, as reflected by the use of a viral marketing site.

At the very least, next week should be interesting, between Apple's "fun new products" on Tuesday and the Thursday Origami unveiling, or at least the release of more details, as suggested by the message on the project site.