Neonode announces Selected Area Touch
Neonode, the Swedish company that pioneered touch-operated smartphones but now concentrates on providing touch screen solutions, announced SAT (Selected Area Touch). SAT uses part of the touch area for touch activation and dramatically reduces the cost for typical applications. SAT is based on Neonode's zForce optical touch screen technology. -- Posted Wednesday, July 1, 2009 by chb

Palm Pre sales brisk, may top a million for its initial quarter
According to Charter Equity Research analyst Ed Snyder, Palm Pre sales in June 2009 were over 300,000, on top of about 70,000 in May. Palm is making about 15,000 a day, and total shipments to Sprint for the first quarter of the unit may top a million. Anyone betting on Palm has made a lot of money since the beginning of the year when Palm was practically a penny stock. It's now at US$16.50. -- Posted Wednesday, July 1, 2009 by chb

Touch screens likely coming to netbooks
According to DigiTimes, touch panel makers predict that netbooks will be the first in adopting touch panels to take advantage of Windows 7 functions. The cost of a projective capacitive touch panel, however, is about US$30 in netbook sizes, so it looks to us like the industry will either have to come up with compelling reasons to buy a touch screen model, or subsidize the cost until the panels catch on. -- Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2009 by chb

Motion J3400 tablet now available with new Intel SU9600 CPU
Motion Computing has a long history of always quickly making the latest processors available to their customers. They did it again by offering the just released 1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU9600 in their flagship J3400 tablet (see full review of the J3400). The new processor, which has the same low 10 watt thermal design power of the 1.4GHz SU9400 that remains available, should make the already quick J3400 tablet even faster with little or no impact on battery life. [Read press release] -- Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2009 by chb

Updating to the iPhone 3GS
With the editor's 2-year AT&T contract up, he qualified for the US$199 price of the new 16GB iPhone 3GS. Compared to the original iPhone, that means more memory, more speed, GPS, voice control, a higher res camera, video, an electronic compass and more. Here's how the upgrade/activation went, and what difference you can expect to see. [Read Switching to the iPhone 3GS] -- Posted Monday, June 29, 2009 by chb

NVIDIA Tegra -- Days of Future Past?
Roughly a decade after the likes of IBM, HP, NEC, Compaq unveiled netbooks with 800 x 600 pixel displays based on Microsoft's H/PC Pro operating platform, NVIDIA proclaimed that "The Future of Mobile Computing is happening Now!" That future is built on NVIDIA's Tegra computer-on-a-chip and soon to be available in a slew of Windows CE-powered netbooks from Pegatron (Vivid), MobiNova (Mabo and Elan), Wistorn (M5), CCI (CN88), ICD (Ultra), and Inventec (Rainbow). NVIDIA stresses displays of at least 1024 x 1280, up to 1080p video playback, and up to five times the battery life of conventional netbooks. It should be interesting to see if this catches on. All prior large form factor CE efforts failed because they were not really Windows. [See NVIDIA's Tegra devices page] -- Posted Tuesday, June 16, 2009 by chb

Full review: Getac PS535F
The GETAC PS535F rugged handheld complements the company's lineup of rugged notebook and tablet computers. It is a compact, handy device that offers a well-balanced combination of Windows Mobile/Pocket PC convenience and targeted professional features such as integrated high-accuracy GPS, a full 480 x 640 pixel VGA display, e-Compass, altimeter, and 3-megapixel camera. [Read review of the GETAC PS535F rugged handheld] -- Posted Saturday, June 13, 2009 by chb

Palm and Windows Mobile and how the iPhone really changed everything
We've covered mobile computing since 1993, and so with all the hoopla over the much anticipated release of the Palm Pre in early June of 2009, here are some thoughts about the ever-changing fortunes of the mobile platforms in our industry [... more] -- Posted Friday, June 12, 2009 by chb

Palm's Ed Colligan steps down after 16 years of leadership
It seems like only yesterday that Ed Colligan showed us the prototype of a new handheld at the A&R Partners offices and asked us what we thought of it. That handheld, the original Palm Pilot, went on to become the foundation of one of the great success stories in mobile computing. As its leader, Ed guided Palm through good times and bad, and now he's passing on the torch of a rejuvenated Palm to Jon Rubinstein. Thanks for all you did, Ed. -- Posted Wednesday, June 10, 2009 by chb

New iPhone 3GS -- mostly incremental improvements
Apple announced the iPhone 3GS ("S" for "Speed"), which is an incremental improvement over the iPhone 3G. The new model looks and measures the same, but comes with 16 (US$199) or 32GB (US$299) of memory, more speed via an unspecified new processor, a 3 megapixel camera with autofocus and macro mode that can also do VGA video, a digital compass, a new fingerprint-resistant coating, and, of course, the new iPhone OS 3.0 with cut & paste, MMA, and many other goodies. The iPhone 3GS will be available June 19 and the new OS 3.0 on June 17. -- Posted Monday, June 8, 2009 by chb

American Airlines expands PDA/smartphone boarding pass program
American Airlines customers departing from Las Vegas McCarran International (LAS), Jackson Atlanta International (ATL) and Minneapolis-St. Paul International (MSP) can now choose to receive boarding passes electronically on their mobile phones or PDAs - saving the time it takes to print out and present a paper boarding pass at the airport. As of today passengers departing on domestic flights from these three new airports can choose to use mobile boarding passes, including flights that connect through any of the participating airports. -- Posted Thursday, June 4, 2009 by chb

RAM Mount solutions for Netbooks
There are millions of Netbooks out there, and they are being used in all sorts of commercial, industrial and professional applications. When used in vehicles, airplanes or boats, a good mounting solution is required, and that is where RAM Mounts' new lineup of RAM Mounts for Netbooks comes in. Based on the Tough Tray II, there is an almost endless variety of mounting possibilities with suction cups, vertical and horizontal arms, no-drill solutions and even special aircraft seat rails. [See Ram Mount solutions for Netbooks] -- Posted Wednesday, June 3, 2009 by chb

Kingston Technology makes SSD upgrades affordable and easy
Kingston Technology, Inc., announced the release of the SSDNow V Series solid-state drive (SSD) 64GB and 128GB upgrade bundles, designed to be low-cost, value-driven SSD solutions to increase performance on existing desktops and notebooks. "Based on our internal suite of benchmark tests, users can expect to see an overall drive improvement of approximately 50% over existing 7200RPM and 5400RPM hard-disk drives," said Louis Kaneshiro, senior technology manager, Kingston. The notebook bundles include Acronis True Image cloning software and cost US$149 and US$263, respectively. [See Kingston SSDNow V Series]
-- Posted Wednesday, June 3, 2009 by chb

New: Intermec CN50 3.5/3.75G wireless multi-function handheld
Intermec introduced the Windows Mobile 6.1-based CN50 mobile computer that provides 3.5G/3.75G wireless support in a small and handy, yet quite rugged, package that weighs just 12 ounces, but includes 1D/2D barcode scanning, a 3.1-megapixel camera, GPS and digital compass, and an accelerometer for automatic display orientation. "Flexible network" technology allows using either CDMA or UMTS networks, and the device supports Intermec's new eDMI (enhanced mobile document imaging). [See description and specs of the Intermec CN50] -- Posted Wednesday, June 3, 2009 by chb

New: Intermec CN4 Series with 3.5G wireless support
At a time where adherence to security standards, customer satisfaction and total cost of ownership matter more than ever, Intermec introduced the CN4 and CN4e rugged mobile computers that build on the company's CN3 platform. The new Windows Mobile 6.1-powered devices support advanced 3.5G wireless WAN, Intermec's new eDMI (enhanced mobile document imaging) and they are even more rugged than the CN3 line (IP64, 6-foot drop, -4 to 140F). See description and specs of the Intermec CN4 and CN4e] -- Posted Wednesday, June 3, 2009 by chb

GETAC's V100 now faster, more powerful
GETAC announced a substantial technology update to its rugged, versatile V100 Tablet PC convertible. The machine is now powered by a 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400 processor, can be ordered with more RAM (up to 4GB), larger hard disks (up to 320GB), and UL1604 certification for operation in potentially explosive environments. WiFi now supports 802.11 draft-n, and there's a ExpressCard slot. RuggedPCReview expects a 25-50% performance increase at the same or better battery life compared to the predecessor model. [See full review of the GETAC V100 rugged Tablet PC convertible] -- Posted Tuesday, June 2, 2009 by chb

Synaptics releases new, customizable touchpads
Synaptics unveiled its new ClickPad solution. ClickPad is a larger-size touchpad that allows a variety of multi-finger gestures that can eliminate the need for physical buttons. All Synaptics ClickPads and Touchpads incorporate the latest gestures previously announced in the Synaptics Gesture Suite (SGS) 9.1: two-finger scrolling, PinchZoom, and pivot rotate, as well as three-finger flick and press. In addition, the Synaptics DualMode TouchPad is now available to support “under plastic” designs and provides OEMs with differentiation via custom 0D buttons and 1D scrolling support directly on the TouchPad surface, enhancing functionality and enabling new features. [See Synaptics press release] -- Posted Tuesday, June 2, 2009 by chb

Psion Teklogix gives up rights to term "netbook"
As longtime followers of the mobile market know, it was Psion that first used the term Netbook for its formidable, albeit commercially not very successful, compact clamshell computer. Psion had a trademark on the term "Netbook" that looked quite valid to us, but Psion Teklogix has now voluntarily withdrawn its trademark registrations. [See Psion Teklogix release and our report on the Psion netBook in 2000] -- Posted Monday, June 1, 2009 by chb

Another Mobile Clinical Assistant: Advantech MICA-101
With electronic medical records and automation in the healthcare field a high priority, a number of new "Mobile Clinical Assistant" tablet PCs are entering the market. We're taking a detailed look at Advantech's MICA-101, a 3.5-pound Atom-powered tablet with RFID, barcode reader, dual cameras and dual panel input. [Read full review of the Advantech MICA-101] -- Posted Sunday, May 31, 2009 by chb

Neonode launches touch screen solution
Neonode, the Swedish company who unsuccessfully pioneered touch screen phones (see our review of the Neonode N2) announced the launch of a product family of touch screen solutions, ClearTouch. The first product is ClearTouch DPFTM geared toward the digital picture frame market where touch used to be too expensive and reduced picture quality. Neonode feels that ClearTouch DPFTM has solved these problems. [See Neonode press release]
-- Posted Thursday, May 28, 2009 by chb

Review: Winmate I980 rugged Tablet PC
Taiwanese computer manufacturer Winmate prides itself in offering innovative and highly customizable solutions based on your choice of processor and OS platform. We're taking a detailed look at the latest version of Winmate's rugged Tablet PC, the Intel Atom Z530-powered I980 that's available in 8.4, 10.4 and 12.1-inch display versions. [Read review of the Winmate I980 rugged Tablet PC] -- Posted Thursday, May 28, 2009 by chb

Review: Handheld US Algiz 8 rugged Tablet PC
Handheld US is a North American distributor of rugged PDAs and handheld computers. The latest update to their Algiz 8 rugged Tablet PC platform, now powered by an Intel Atom Z510 processor, offers more RAM and storage, longer battery life, and a super-bright 8.4-inch display option. We're testing speed, battery life and outdoor display performance. [Read review of the Handheld US Algiz 8 rugged Tablet PC] -- Posted Thursday, May 28, 2009 by chb

DisplaySearch: Touch screen module revenues to reach $9B by 2015
In its recently released 2009 Touch Panel Market Analysis Report, DisplaySearch forecasts the total touch screen module market will grow to $9 billion by 2015, from $3.6 billion in 2008, with a CAGR of 14%. DisplaySearch surveyed over 170 suppliers of touch screen modules, controller ICs, ITO films and other technologies to produce the report. These firms are profiled in the report, and 2008 shipments and revenues for over 100 touch screen suppliers are included. -- Posted Thursday, May 21, 2009 by chb

Microsoft to have large Embedded Systems presence at 2009 Computex
Digitimes reports that despite the difficult global economy, the Microsoft showcase at Computex 2009 in Taipei will be the company's largest ever, especially in the embedded space. The 18 Windows Embedded partners are AdvanPOS Technology, Advantech, Advanced Micro Devices, AVerMedia Technologies, BSquare, Citaq, Flytech Technology, Fugoo, ICOP Technology, Injoy Motion, Intrinsyc Software International, Johnson Health Tech, Mitac International, Nvidia, Partner Tech, Posiflex Technologies, Protech Systems and SilverPAC. -- Posted Thursday, May 21, 2009 by chb

Palm Pre to be available June 6
Sprint announced pricing and nationwide availability for the Palm Pre phone, offered exclusively from Sprint. Palm Pre will be available nationwide on June 6 in Sprint stores, Best Buy, Radio Shack, select Wal-Mart stores and online at Sprint.com for $199.99 with a two-year service agreement and after a $100 mail-in rebate. It should be interesting to finally see the long-awaited Pre, but we could have done without an annoying mail-in "rebate" and all the talk of "shortages." -- Posted Thursday, May 21, 2009 by chb

Broken iPhone LCD and/or touch screen? Fix it yourself
With over 20 million iPhones sold, there will be broken screens and digitizers, and maybe yours is one of them. Apple can fix it, of course, but that can take a while. An alternate is getting replacement parts from DirectFix.com. They also have instructional videos and everything else you need to get your iPhone back into working condition. The warranty goes bye-bye if you do that, so keep that in mind. -- Posted Wednesday, May 20, 2009 by chb

Ultra-rugged handheld with true Xenon photo flash
Two Technologies, headquartered in Horsham, PA, which designs and manufactures customizable, rugged handheld computers, introduced the ultra-rugged Hydrus Luna. The IP68-rated Windows CE-powered device sports 40 hour battery life and a 5-megapixel camera with a true Xenon photo tube flash. See description and specs of the Two Technologies Hydrus Luna] -- Posted Wednesday, May 13, 2009 by chb

Phoenix offers Bluetooth-based locking system
Phoenix Technologies now offers Phoenix Freeze, an always-on Bluetooth proximity system that automatically locks a notebook computer whenever the user walks away from it. Freeze works by pairing a Bluetooth phone with a laptop so that the laptop locks whenever the user walks away with the phone. Upon return to a predefined proximity, the computer unlocks. In some situations, this may be an interesting alternative locking and unlocking rugged machines with passwords or finger swipes. -- Posted Monday, May 11, 2009 by chb

Where GPS is headed: waterproof Garmin 550 with camera
An interesting example of where GPS units are headed are the newly released Garmin 550 and 550t. They are small rugged units for hiking, geocaching and other outdoorsy uses, and include U.S. topo maps, a barometric altimeter, 3-axis electronic compass, a microSD card slot and—for the first time—a 3.2-megapixel digital camera that geotags each picture with the location of where it was taken. Oh, and the devices carry an IPx7 rating, which means they are waterproof. -- Posted Thursday, May 7, 2009 by chb

A new, larger Kindle
Amazon announced the Kindle DX, a significantly larger version of its increasingly popular eBook reader. The New DX model measures 10.4 x 7.2 inches, roughly the same footprint as a netbook, and has a 9.7-inch 1200 x 824 pixel screen instead of the smallish 6-inch screen of the original. It's still only 0.38 inches thick, weight is about 1.2 pounds, and the battery lasts up to four days. No color yet, but this size Kindle will be much more suitable for textbooks, newspapers and magazines and such. The price is fairly high (US$489), so perhaps we'll be seeing some sort of subsidized business model in the future where people subscribe to get hardware and thus perhaps extend the era of journalism as we know it. [See the larger Kindle] -- Posted Wednesday, May 6, 2009 by chb

Added/updated AMREL rugged computer lineup
Based in Arcadia, California, AMREL (AMerican RELiance) Systems has a long history of offering value-added applications in vertical markets. We've added/updated our database of Amrel's rugged computers as follows: Amrel Rocky DR8 (8.4-inch) and DK8 (12.1-inch) rugged slates, and Amrel Rocky RT8 (13.3-inch), RK8 (15.1-inch), and RF8 (17-inch) rugged notebooks. Note that Amrel's slates and notebooks generally come in an "M" (military) and an "I" (industrial) version. We also added the very interesting Atom-power, instant-on Amrel HBS, which stands for "Handheld Biometric Solution." -- Posted Monday, May 4, 2009 by chb

Windows 7 on Fujitsu T5010 tablet
Channel Insider installed Winodws 7 on a Fujitsu T5010 Tablet PC to see how the new OS would handle the tablet hardware. They found that Windows 7 properly identified and installed all major component, including Wacom drivers, Intel Turbo Memory, wireless, web cam and the biometric fingerprint sensor. They also found a marked improvement in boot, shutdown, and operation speed compared to Vista Business. [See Channel Insider report] -- Posted Thursday, April 30, 2009 by chb

Review: Quickoffice for the iPhone
Quickoffice singlehandedly advanced the case of the iPhone as a serious business tool by a mile. With Quickoffice you can read, create and edit Word and Excel files on the iPhone, read numerous other file formats, move and email them, and even cut and paste within the application. This app is worth its US$20 price many times over. [Read review of Quickoffice for the iPhone] -- Posted Wednesday, April 29, 2009 by chb

Arbor expands the MCA field with large-screen M1256
With the lucrative electronic patient records project gathering steam, we're seeing more and more MCAs (Mobile Clinical Assistants) being released. Arbor Technology's Atom N270-powered M1256, available in Q2 of 2009, differentiates itself with a larger 12.1-inch wide-format 1280 x 800 pixel touchscreen display. [Read description and specs of the Arbor M1256 MCA] -- Posted Friday, April 24, 2009 by chb

Review: Google Mobile App
Our Dr. Tim never ceases to marvel at Google’s prolific development of new applications. The latest one to come to his attention is simply called Google Mobile App. It is a plugin that can be placed on your Today Screen for easy access or invoked from an icon in your Programs menu. Alternatively, you can program it to run from a hardware button. [Read Dr. Tim's review of the Google Mobile App] -- Posted Friday, April 24, 2009 by chb

Apple reaches one billion app downloads
The billionth iPhone app was downloaded from Apple’s App Store shortly after 5 p.m. ET on April 23, 2009. It took only about nine months to reach that number, which means there are almost four million iPhone app downloads per day. -- Posted Thursday, April 23, 2009 by chb

Socket Mobile has shipped 15,000 SoMo 650 handheld computers
In its most recent financials, Socket Mobile says it has shipped over 15,000 SoMo 650 handheld computers into the business mobility market. Socket conceived the Windows Mobile-based SoMo 650 as a compatible platform to work in conjunction with its broad line of peripherals and add-on cards. The SoMo line has recently been expanded with the 650rx, a special antimicrobial version for healthcare markets. -- Posted Thursday, April 23, 2009 by chb

Atom platform expands, but does it have a clear direction?
In the days of the 386, 486 and even early Pentium processors, it used to be fairly easy to follow Intel's chips as they mainly differed in clock speed. These days, staying on top of Intel's various offerings has become an almost full time job. That even goes for Intel's low-end Atom chips that, together with resurrecting some older Intel technologies such as hyperthreading, seemed to simplify the matter of processor selection. Read Atom platform expands, but does it have a clear direction?
-- Posted Monday, April 20, 2009 by chb

IrDA announces superfast Giga-IR
IrDA announced they officially adopted the new Giga-IR standard specification that allows transmission speeds of 1 gigabit per second. IrDA's IrSimple communications protocol had already significantly increased transmission speed compared to conventional IrDA. Now, Giga-IR is approximately 250 times faster than IrSimple's 4Mbps speed. And unlike with most RF technology, no complex pairing is required. Though we're seeing fewer devices with IR ports, IR isn't dead just yet. -- Posted Thursday, April 16, 2009 by chb

Socket announces antimicrobial product line
Socket Mobile announced availability of its first antimicrobial suite of healthcare products for medical mobility, including their Socket SoMo 650Rx handheld computer and line of barcode scanners. The new Socket antimicrobial products are encased in plastics made with antimicrobial materials, which provide an extra layer of protection gainst potentially harmful bacteria and microbes. [See press release] -- Posted Monday, April 6, 2009 by chb

Full review: Juniper Systems Allegro MX
When you work out there in the field, your gear must be absolutely 100% reliable and able to handle whatever comes its way. Even bears. Juniper Systems' Windows Mobile 6.1-based ultra-rugged Allegro MX Field PC is a tough tool for the job. Based on proven platforms, it's large enough to be operated with gloves, has excellent connectivity and expansion potential, both keyboard and keypad, and it's waterproof (we checked). [See full review of the Juniper Systems Allegro MX] -- Posted Sunday, April 5, 2009 by chb

RMT updates website to better highlight product lines
RMT, Inc., has updated and restructured its website to highlight the strengths of its three distinctly different product lines. Under the tag line "innovations for a rugged world," the RMT website now features separate sites for the Duros line of rugged tablets and vehicle mounts, DAP rugged handhelds and Windows CE-based tablets, and the SwitchBack ultra-rugged UMPC. -- Posted Friday, April 3, 2009 by chb

Palm extends webOS Early Access Program for developers
Palm said it is expanding its early access program for the Palm Mojo Software Development Kit (SDK), and discussed the company's plans for integrating Palm-branded cloud services into the new platform. Cloud services are software resources provided over the Internet. Palm also today announced an application from MotionApps that will allow legacy Palm OS applications to run on webOS devices. -- Posted Wednesday, April 1, 2009 by chb

Motion Computing updates and improves C5 MCA and ruggedized F5 Mobile Field Tool
At CTIA Wireless 2009, Motion Computing announced that the F5 rugged tablet PC and the C5 Mobile Clinical Assistant (MCA) are now available for use on the Verizon Wireless mobile broadband network. Additionally, Motion announced upgrades to the devices including enhanced performance and efficiency through an upgrade from Core 2 Solo to Core 2 Duo processor technology, the latest WiFi technology and a new 64GB solid state drive (SSD) option. The upgrade to the C5 Mobile Clinical Assistant puts the C5 ahead of the MCA competition in terms of performance. -- Posted Wednesday, April 1, 2009 by chb

AT&T is trying subsidized netbooks with 2-year broadband contract
Trying to see if the cellphone business model works with computers, AT&T is offering heavily subsidized netbooks and mini laptops with 2-year broadband service contracts in Atlanta and Philadelphia. Customers can get mini laptops for as low as US$49 if they sign up for an "AT&T Internet at Home and On the Go plan," which includes an AT&T DataConnect plan and AT&T Fast Access DSL, starting at $59.95 per month. Without those AT&T services, these mini laptops range in price from $449.99 to $599.99. [See AT&T press release] -- Posted Wednesday, April 1, 2009 by chb

5 Reasons Why Dell Should Buy Palm
The Motley Fool presents "5 Reasons Why Dell Should Buy Palm" and goes, "Some buyout rumors sound so logical that only pride, ignorance, and incompetence could get in their way." [Check it out] -- Posted Wednesday, April 1, 2009 by chb

Ueber-Netbooks: Deja-Vue all over again...
It's deja-vue all over again with increasingly more powerful netbooks. The next gen of ueber-netbooks from Asus, HP, Dell and others have bigger screens, higher resolutions, optical drives and so on. A decade ago Microsoft freaked over ever more powerful Windows CE-based Handheld PCs and quickly pulled the plug by crippling CE. This time, the next gen netbooks sell on low cost and being able to still get Windows XP, but as they get bigger and more expensive, people may tire of the lack of punch with the wimpy Atom processor. That can be fixed, of course, but then netbooks will only be low-end notebooks. -- Posted Wednesday, April 1, 2009 by chb

Parvus offers handsfree computing with the Zypad WR11XX
Wearable computers have been available for a while, but perhaps none as practical and useful as the rugged Parvus Zypad WR11XX. The device runs Linux on a PXA270 processor, has a large 3.5-inch sunlight-viewable touchscreen with full 640 x 480 VGA resolution, and has a flexible expansion system that can add GPS and GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS to onboard Bluetooth and WiFi. There's also fingerprint scanning, an accelerometer, and an optional electronic compass function. [See description and specs of the Parvus Zypad WR11XX -- Posted Monday, March 30, 2009 by chb

Otterbox expands into new building
OtterBox, makers of rugged and protective cases for handheld and mobile technology, is bucking downscaling trends by moving its growing staff of over 70 employees and three warehouses five miles down the road from its current Old Town office in Fort Collins, Colorado. Congrats, Otterbox gang, and keep those rugged, waterproof cases coming! [See our review of the Otterbox 7000 Series rugged notebook case for an example of their stuff] -- Posted Monday, March 30, 2009 by chb

Wacom unveils next-gen Intuous4 tablets
Wacom unveiled the Intuos4 professional pen tablet for photographers, designers and artists. The next generation Intuos emphasizes pen performance, is capable of capturing the slightest nuance of pen pressure against the tablet surface, as well as offering 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity.  There are workflow and productivity tool such as customizable shortcut and modifier keys with accompanying OLED displays, which allow users to see what the keys are currently set to. The Intuos4 comes in four sizes - small (US$229), medium (US$369), large (US$499) and extra large (US$789). -- Posted Wednesday, March 25, 2009 by chb

Twinhead/Gammatech also announce a Mobile Clinical Assistant
GammaTech Computer joined the growing number of companies offering medical slates based on Intel's mobile clinical assistant reference architecture. The GammaTech Durabook RT10 MCA, a Twinhead design, follows Intel's original proof of concept platform with its tablet form factor and integrated multi-purpose handle for easy carrying and use during a clinical environment work shift. See how the RT10 measures up. [Read description and specs of the GammaTech Durabook RT10 MCA] -- Posted Monday, March 23, 2009 by chb

Handheld U.S. Kenaz GPS for Recon rugged PDA
Anyone who bought their Recon handheld not only for its features and performance, but also for its exceptional ruggedness (4-foot drop spec, IP67 sealing), and who needs to retain this ruggedness even after adding a high-sensitivity GPS receiver should take a look at the rugged Kenaz offerd by Handheld U.S. [See detailed description and specs of the Handheld U.S. Kenaz GPS receiver ]Anyone who bought their Recon handheld not only for its features and performance, but also for its exceptional ruggedness (4-foot drop spec, IP67 sealing), and who needs to retain this ruggedness even after adding a high-sensitivity GPS receiver should take a look at the rugged Kenaz offerd by Handheld U.S. [See detailed description and specs of the Handheld U.S. Kenaz GPS receiver ] -- Posted Tuesday, March 17, 2009 by chb

GD-Itronix releases fully rugged GD8000
General Dynamics Itronix released the successor to its fully rugged XR-1. The new GD8000 was designed for maximum reliability under even the most extreme operating conditions and state-of-the-art electronics with increased emphasis on long battery life in the field. The machine sports IP64 sealing and can handle a 42-inch drop while operating. The larger 13.3-inch touch display uses the superb DynaVue outdoor viewable screen technology. Powered by a very efficient 1.86GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SL9400, the GD8000 runs up to eight hours on a charge. [Read description and specs of the General Dynamics Itronix GD8000 -- Posted Monday, March 16, 2009 by chb

Motion Computing introduces new J3400 Tablet PC
Motion Computing released the Motion J3400, a powerful, versatile semi-rugged Tablet PC with a superb and fully outdoor-viewable 12.1-inch wide-format display. Both performance and battery life are significantly improved over the prior generation platform. The J3400 can automatically geo-tag images with its integrated camera and GPS, use worldwide wireless services via GOBI Mobile Broadband, and is rugged enough to survive true point of service usage. [Read full review and specs of the Motion Computing J3400 Tablet PC] -- Posted Monday, March 16, 2009 by chb

Microsoft announces strategy for Windows Marketplace for Mobile
Microsoft announced the developer strategy for the next generation of Windows® Phones, which includes a number of key benefits for developers. [Check out the Windows Marketplace for Mobile developer strategy] -- Posted Thursday, March 12, 2009 by chb

Touch-free gesture control
Remember the touchless gestural interface in Steven Spielberg's film "Minority Report” where Tom Cruise manipulates computer displays with a ballet of hand gestures? Electronic perception technology pioneer Canesta of San Jose, CA, is making it possible with their CanestaVision chips and touch-free gesture control systems. [See how Canesta's technology works] -- Posted Thursday, March 12, 2009 by chb

Microsoft Notebook Cooling Base
While mobile users marvel at the cool-running low-power operation of Intel Atom devices, some notebook users aren't so lucky. Even with noisy fans, their high-powered notebooks are burning laps and knees! Microsoft to the rescue with the new US$29.95 Microsoft Notebook Cooling Base. -- Posted Thursday, March 12, 2009 by chb

Palm and Sprint hold Webinar on the Palm Pre
Palm and Sprint presented a one-hour webinar on the upcoming Palm Pre with its always connected WebOS, 320x480 display, 3mp camera, slide-out keyboard and inductive charging. Palm's Matt Crowley did a demo, but no update on pricing and product release, which is still "first half of 2009." The Palm OS is ended, but Palm will continue developing WinMo devices. The webinar was a bit of a Sprint infomercial and light on Palm info, and our question whether Palm founder Jeff Hawkins was involved in the Pre went unanswered. -- Posted Thursday, March 12, 2009 by chb

Dell reveals rugged Latitude E6400 XFR
Almost exactly a year after Dell introduced the Latitude XFR D630, the company unveiled the Latitude E6400 XFR. This Latitude E-Series-based new machine represents another step in Dell's efforts to make an entry in the increasingly competitive and important rugged notebook market. The E6400 XFR, which starts at US$4,299, sports impressive IP65 sealing. [See description and specs of the Dell Latitude E6400 XFR] -- Posted Thursday, March 12, 2009 by chb

Full review: Panasonic H1 Mobile Clinical Assistant
The Toughbook CF-H1 is Panasonic's entry into the potentially very lucrative medical patient record market. The cleanly designed and executed Atom-powered tablet benefits from Panasonic's expertise in rugged and semi-rugged mobile computing equipment, has excellent battery life, a sunlight-viewable display with dual auto-sensing digitizers, and a wealth of data capture features (RFID, barcode, camera). [Read full review of the Panasonic Toughbook H1 Mobile Clinical Assistant] -- Posted Wednesday, March 11, 2009 by chb

Motorola adds mid-range enterprise digital assistants
Bridging the gap between consumer PDAs and industrial devices, Motorola's new MC55 "Enterprise Digital Assistant" combines PDA, phone, walkie-talkie, data communication, GPS, and scanning all into one handy 12-ounce device. The MC55 comes in an "indoor" version with a keypad, and a GPS and WWAN-equipped "outdoor" version with a QWERTY thumbtype keyboard. Both are based on Windows Mobile, have a 2-megapixel camera, a large 3.5-inch display and can survive 4-foot drops. Choose between 1D laser scanner or 2D imager. [Read description and specs of the Motorola MC55 EDA] -- Posted Monday, March 9, 2009 by chb

TabletKiosk enters Medical Clinical Assistant market
TabletKiosk joined the growing number of companies offering medical slates based on Intel's mobile clinical assistant reference architecture with the Core 2 Solo-powered MediSlate MCA i1040XT. Integrated RFID reader, barcode scanner, camera and a 10.4-inch touch screen facilitate data capture. Described as semi-rugged, the i1040XT has IP54 sealing and a 4-foot drop spec. [Read description and specs of the TabletKiosk MediSlate MCA i1040XT] -- Posted Saturday, March 7, 2009 by chb

How will BlackBerry App World work?
With Apple's iPhone App Store such a megahit, RIM is now revealing details on their BlackBerry App World store. To be able to use App World you'll need a BlackBerry Bold, Storm, Pearl, Curve or 8800 Series running OS version 4.1.0 or higher. And here is how it'll all work: BlackBerry App World FAQ -- Posted Friday, March 6, 2009 by chb

Treo Pro available with Sprint March 15
Palm announced the upcoming availability of the sleek Windows Mobile 6.1-based Palm Treo Pro smartphone for the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network on March 15. Treo Pro will be available through all Sprint retail channels for $199.99 with most two-year subscriber agreements. It also will be available through the Palm Store and Palm's B2B sales organization.
-- Posted Friday, March 6, 2009 by chb

iPhone eBook Readers Still Stone Tablets
While the rest of the world lauds the iPhone, our Dr. Tim is not convinced. A couple of days before Amazon's Kindle iPhone app went public, he took inventory of eBook technology on the iPhone platform and came away unimpressed. Read iPhone eBook Readers Still Stone Tablets. -- Posted Friday, March 6, 2009 by chb

GETAC releases powerful hi-res rugged GPS PDA
Getac announced the latest addition to its comprehensive line of rugged mobile computing solutions. The GETAC PS535F handheld computer is the company's next generation, fully rugged GPS-enabled PDA with a 3-megapixel camera, e-compass, VGA display and altimeter. The PS535F is a significant technology and upgrade to the PS535E model that has been on duty at the RuggedPCReview.com offices for a few months. [See description and specs of the GETAC PS535F rugged GPS PDA] -- Posted Sunday, March 1, 2009 by chb

Review: Atom-powered Winmate IA80 rugged Tablet PC
Intel's ultra low power Atom processors continue to gather momentum, and we're starting to see them in rugged mobile computers. One example is Winmate's line of IA80 rugged tablet computers, available in versions with 8.4, 10.4 and 12.1-inch displays. The IA80 is based on the same Atom N270 processor used in millions of netbooks. It's a tough, no-nonsense tool for demanding jobs. [Read full review of the Atom-powered Winmate IA80 rugged Tablet PC] -- Posted Sunday, March 1, 2009 by chb

Review: RMT Duros 1214 fixed-mount computer
The Duros 1214 is the latest addition to RMT Inc.'s line of rugged and highly configurable vehicle-mount and fixed-mount computers. Equipped with a bright 12.1-inch SVGA resistive touch screen and a low-power processor, the Duros 1214 comes with up to 64GB of CompactFlash. The machine can be equipped with integrated Bluetooth and WiFi, and there are highly effective dual-diversity antennas. Built to run a variety of different operating systems, this rugged fixed-mount PC is primarily geared towards use in warehousing and shipping environments, but certainly has application in a variety of other areas. [Read full review of the RMT Duros 1214] -- Posted Friday, February 27, 2009 by chb

Fidelity announces US$199 netbook
Fidelity Electronics announced the launch of the VPC (Very Personal Computer), a fully preloaded netbook computer at just US$199. The VPC weighs only 1.5lbs and measures just 8.4” x 5.5” x 1”. It has a 7” TFT display with 800 x 480 WVGA resolution, 802.11g WiFi, 2 GB internal storage, 3 hour battery, microphone and a headphone jack, USB, SD and Ethernet. The VPS is preloaded with a browser, spreadsheet, wordprocessor, media player, e-book reader, dictionary, calendar, PDF reader, email, chat, calculator, file manager, etc. -- Posted Friday, February 27, 2009 by chb

Is SMS the future of advertising?
Recently our Dr. Tim published an article in which he maintained that text message or SMS marketing is the future of advertising. He even went so far as to declare that there has never been a more powerful marketing tool ever invented. Now he shares with you a great way to get started in mobile marketing or just keeping in touch with a group through texting with Tatango. [Read more...] -- Posted Thursday, February 26, 2009 by chb

Nokia to build laptops?
According to Reuters, a week after Acer got into the phone business by launching eight phones, mobile phone market leader shot back with an indication it might get into the notebook business. -- Posted Thursday, February 26, 2009 by chb

Fujitsu releases tech backgrounder on touch sensor technologies
Fujitsu Microelectronics America published a tech backgrounder entitled "Touch Sensor Controller Technology and Application Trends" that reviews the capacitive technologies used in touch-sensor controllers, and discusses the choices available for optimizing results in various applications. The paper details the differences between analog and digital touch solutions, discusses different sensing applications, and analyzes general industry trends. Go to Fujitsu Touch Sensor Technology Backgrounder download page] -- Posted Thursday, February 26, 2009 by chb

Life safers: Kingston miniSD and microSD Card adapters
With memory card standards proliferating and the various electronics we use requiring different cards of all sizes, it's sometimes difficult to keep everything compatible. This is where Kingston Technology's various SD, miniSD, microSD and USB readers and adapters come in handy. Learn about some of their latest adapters and cards, and get a primer on all the card standards. [Read about Kingston memory card adapters and readers, and various card standards] -- Posted Wednesday, February 25, 2009 by chb

Projected capacitive touch screen for Mac tablet computer
Touch International, a touch screen manufacturer headquartered in Austin, Texas, joined forces with Axiotron Corporation, an Apple Premier Developer based in El Segundo, California, to integrate touch screen technology into Axiotron’s Mac-based tablet computers, the Modbook® and the Modbook Pro. [See press release] -- Posted Tuesday, February 24, 2009 by chb

Marvell introduces Plug Computing
Marvell announced its Plug Computing initiative to make always on, always connected computing readily available for developers and end-users. A Plug Computer is small enough to plug directly into a wall socket and draws so little power that it can be left on all of the time. UThe SheevaPlug development platform uses a Marvell Kirkwood processor based on an embedded 1.2GHz Sheeva CPU with 512 MB of FLASH and 512 MB of DRAM. Connection to the home network is via Gigabit Ethernet. Peripherals such as direct attached storage can be connected using USB 2.0. Standard Linux 2.6 distributions are supported, enabling rapid application development. The SheevaPlug development kit is available now for $99 through http://www.marvell.com. -- Posted Tuesday, February 24, 2009 by chb

Transcend adds to their Solid State Drive lineup
As solid-state storage is making increasing inroads in rugged and other applications, Transcend is adding to its complete line of SSD products including its new 1.8” portable SSD with either eSATA and USB connection interfaces in capacities of up to 128GB, and also 1.8" and 2.5" SATA-II and IDE interface SSDs with up to 192GB storage capacity. [See Transcend's SSD Center] -- Posted Tuesday, February 24, 2009 by chb

Motorola sells Good Technology
Motorola is selling email/messaging push technology service provider Good Technologies to Visto Corp. in yet another example of large conglomerates buying, selling and shuffling around formerly independent, innovative companies. -- Posted Tuesday, February 24, 2009 by chb

Trimble to support Iditarod with rugged Nomad and Yuma computers
Trimble announced that it is the official provider of outdoor rugged computers for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race—The Toughest Race on Earth. Iditarod race officials will use the Trimble Nomad™ handhelds and the new Yuma™ rugged tablet computers to help with safety, communications and logistics challenges over the 1,150 mile race through the heart of the Alaskan wilderness which is scheduled to begin March 7. -- Posted Tuesday, February 24, 2009 by chb

Sprint continues to lose wireless customers
Sprint continues to lose money and customers. While AT&T gained 2.1 million wireless subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2008 and Verizon 1.4 million, Sprint lost 1.3 million, 1.1 million of them those extra-valuable contract customers. With a lot of complaints of poor customer service (including ours), Sprint has been losing subscribers for several quarters. -- Posted Friday, February 20, 2009 by chb

Fujitsu expands HSUPA wireless support on tablets and convertibles
Fujitsu announced expanded support for high-speed connectivity on some of its LifeBook notebooks and tablet PCs. The LifeBook T5010, T1010, P1630 and T2020 convertible Tablet PCs join the LifeBook U820 convertible mini notebook in providing built-in access to AT&T's BroadbandConnect High-Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA) network. The LifeBook T5010 Tablet PC and the LifeBook E8420 notebook will support EVDO in the second quarter of 2009. -- Posted Friday, February 20, 2009 by chb

Trimble introduces Yuma rugged tablet computer
Trimble introduced the Yuma, an innovative rugged tablet computer based on the 1.6GHz Atom N270 platform. The Yuma has a 1024 x 600 pixel 7-inch touchscreen, 32GB solid-state disk, runs Windows Vista Business, measures 9 x 5.5 x 2 inches, and weighs about 2.6 pounds. It has integrated GPS, of course, and also two internal cameras, both capable of geo-tagging GPS information to images. Overall, the Yuma is essentially a rugged tablet version of the currently popular "netbook" platform. (See detailed description and specs of the Trimble Yuma] -- Posted Friday, February 20, 2009 by chb

Workshop on the Impact of Pen-Based Technology on Education
A Workshop on the Impact of Pen-Based Technology on Education will be held October 12-13, 2009 at The Inn at Virginia Tech. A call for papers and videos has been posted at the wipte website. -- Posted Friday, February 20, 2009 by chb

Neonode now into touch screen solutions
Neonode, the company that had a swipe-controlled touchscreen phone several years before the current touchscreen craze but failed to successfully establish itself with its N1 and N2 phones (see Pen Computing review of the Neonode N2) emerged from its financial restructuring and has launched a subsidiary that focuses entirely on providing and developing optical touch screen solutions for hand-held devices. -- Posted Wednesday, February 18, 2009 by chb

Microsoft announces Windows Mobile 6.5 and app store
At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Microsoft announced Windows Mobile 6.5 that includes "an improved user interface that includes touch and other interaction modalities" by "stitching together the PC, the phone, and the web and bringing them closer together into a more seamless and simpler user experience." There's a new home screen and speedier access to major apps. Browsing is said to be better (including Flash Lite 3.1 support) on what from now on will simply be called "Windows phones." Microsoft also announced the Windows Marketplace for Windows phones. WinMo 6.5 phones will arrive this summer. [Read Microsoft press release for Mobile Congress 2009] Our take: Cosmetic improvements and emphasis on phones will do little to help Microsoft in the mobile space where Apple's elegance has redefined the market. What's needed is a deeper overhaul of all of Windows CE. -- Posted Tuesday, February 17, 2009 by chb

Bitstream launches public beta of the BOLT Mobile Browser
Bitstream announced the public beta of its BOLT mobile browser that's built for speed and optimized for mobile phones and smartphone platforms. BOLT providing a desktop-like view of web pages on even the most basic feature phones. You can download the public beta version of the BOLT mobile browser from boltbrowser.com. -- Posted Tuesday, February 17, 2009 by chb

ARM Cortex-A9 multi processing on Symbian OS
The mobile processor platform wars are heating up! ST-Ericsson announced it will demonstrate the world's first Symmetric Multi Processing (SMP)-enabled mobile platform running on Symbian OS at a private event at Mobile World Congress, Barcelona. The technological breakthrough is based on the ARM Cortex-A9 multicore processor, which represents a significant leap from previous generations of baseband/application processor architectures by providing unprecedented levels of performance and power efficiency. [Read press release on ARM-based multiprocessing] -- Posted Tuesday, February 17, 2009 by chb

SIM card with integrated accelerometer and temperature sensing
Swedish Oberthur Technologies, a provider of Smart Card based solutions, announced SIMSense - a motion-detection SIM card that incorporates accelerometer and temperature sensors. SIMSense potentially allows interesting new functionality such as answering calls, sending predetermined text messages, menu selection via shaking or tapping, or emergency responses. -- Posted Tuesday, February 17, 2009 by chb

Toshiba introduces first Snapdragon-based smartphone
Toshiba announced the TG01, the first smartphone based on Qualcomm's speedy Snapdragon chipset designed for next gen handsets. The TG01 also has a large 4.1-screen with massive 480 x 800 resolution, a sexy interface, 3.2mp camera, HSDPA, GPS, Bluetooth, and WiFi. However, the phone uses a conventional resistive touchscreen and, underneath the new interface, is based on Windows Mobile 6.1. [Read description and specs of the Toshiba TG01] -- Posted Saturday, February 14, 2009 by chb

Samsung and TI introduce projector phones
Samsung Electronics in conjunction with Texas Instruments announced the first mobile phones with embedded projection. The Samsung projector phones (Model W7900 in Korea) use the TI DLP Pico Chipset to remove the limitations of the traditional mobile phone screen by easily providing "big picture" viewing experiences, with images in excess of 50-inches possible depending on ambient light conditions. -- Posted Friday, February 13, 2009 by chb

GETAC line of rugged PCs now available through HP
GETAC announced it has finalized an arrangement with HP to supply – and service – its rugged computer products to the company’s 3rd Party Solution group. Effective immediately, Getac will supply rugged and durable mobile computing systems and services to HP as a Premium Partner to meet the demands of several field-based applications. Under this arrangement, enterprise and industry-specific organizations can acquire Getac-branded rugged notebooks, convertible/slate tablets, handhelds and in-vehicle solutions through HP’s direct sales teams and channel partners. [See GETAC products available through HP] -- Posted Friday, February 13, 2009 by chb

Glacier Ridgeline Q100: rugged PDA
The Glacier Ridgeline Q100 is an ultra-rugged PDA with IP67 sealing designed for data collection under difficult environmental conditions. The PXA270-powered runs either Windows CE 5.0 or Windows Mobile 6.1, offers exceptional onboard connectivity (3 USB, 2 serial, LAN) and numerous wireless options. A 3.7-inch full VGA display is available. [Read description and specs of the Glacier Ridgeline Q100] -- Posted Friday, February 13, 2009 by chb

Glacier Ridgeline T600/T650: flexible power
Glacier Computer's Ridgeline tablets were conceived to complement Glacier's line of vehicle-mount computers with a mobile solution rugged enough to survive in harsh environments but light and portable enough to bring standard Windows applications anywhere. The machine has a 10.4-inch touchscreen, a numeric keypad, GPS and wireless options, and can be configured for XP Embedded with a low-power VIA processor or with standard XP on a Core 2 Duo CPU. [Read description and specs of the Glacier Ridgeline T600/T650 rugged tablet computer] -- Posted Thursday, February 12, 2009 by chb

Dell updates Latitude Tablet PC, enhances multi-touch
Dell released a tech update to its ultra-light Latitude XT Tablet PC convertible. The XT2 switches to Centrino 2 technology with increased performance, better battery life, potentially enhanced security, and also enhancements to the multi-touch capabilities provided by the unit's N-trig DuoSense touch screen/digitizer. The XT2 is an attractive, albeit quite costly, product geared towards enterprise markets. [Read description and specs of the multi-touch enabled Dell Latitude XT2] -- Posted Wednesday, February 11, 2009 by chb

N-trig Introduces enhanced multi-touch functionality
N-trig, providers of DuoSense technology combining pen and capacitive touch in a single device, announced, in collaboration with Dell, the launch of the Latitude XT2 notebook PC convertible with an enhanced suite of multi-touch functionality. In addition to the current multi-touch gestures — zoom, scroll and double tap — the Latitude XT2 includes rotate capabilities allowing users to turn pictures, documents and other media on the screen using two-finger rotate gestures. [See n-Trig release] -- Posted Wednesday, February 11, 2009 by chb

Intel to invest $7 billion in U.S. manufacturing facilities
Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini announced the company would spend $7 billion over the next two years to build advanced manufacturing facilities in the United States. The investment funds deployment of Intel's industry-leading 32 nanometer manufacturing technology that will be used to build faster, smaller chips that consume less energy. Current chips, such as the Atom, use 45nm technology. -- Posted Tuesday, February 10, 2009 by chb

Panasonic upgrades Toughbook CF52, adds touch screen
In another round of updates to its semi-rugged Toughbook CF-52, Panasonic added a 13.3-inch touch screen option with a super-bright 1000 nit sunlight-viewable display with anti-reflective and anti-glare properties. The upgrades also include improved security and remote management, expanded memory, longer battery life, and optional Gobi global mobile Internet. 15.4-inch wide displays with resolutions up to 1920 x 1200 are available. The Toughbook 52 has an estimated street price starting at $1,699 and the touchscreen version starts at $2,549. [See description and specs of the Panasonic Toughbook CF-52] -- Posted Tuesday, February 10, 2009 by chb

Archos announces upcoming Android-based Internet Media Tablet
ARCHOS, a technology innovator and leader in the portable media player market, announced plans to extend its product line with a new ultra-thin Internet Media Tablet (IMT) combined with a mobile phone, by merging Google's Android telephony stack and the ARCHOS' multimedia framework. The TI OMAP 3440-powered devices will have a 5-inch display, Flash and Flash Video support, up to 500GB of storage, 3.5G HSUPA support, all in a package that's just 0.4 inches thick. Unfortunately it won't be available til Q3 of 2009. -- Posted Monday, February 9, 2009 by chb

Microsoft to launch My Phone service
Microsoft is launching a new service for Windows Mobile-based smartphones. Called Microsoft My Phone (very clever how that sounds...), the service syncs information to an online site so it's available should a phone get lost or replaced. You can also view and manage phone information with a browser and share photos. The service will be free. [See info on Microsoft My Phone] -- Posted Monday, February 9, 2009 by chb

Amazon announces slightly improved Kindle 2
It's hard to figure out what to make of Amazon's Kindle digital reader. The original wasn't very elegant, but they were still always on backorder. The new one looks nicer, is thinner (0.36 inches), weighs just 10 ounces, is a bit faster and its battery lasts 25% longer. There are now 16 grayscales instead of just four but the screen is still a 6-inch 600 x 800 pixel affair. Memory is up from 256MB to 2GB, good for up to 1,500 books, but there is no expansion slot. The keyboard is no longer split, and there is now a conventional navigation rocker instead of the rolling ball of the original. The Kindle 2 is scheduled to start shipping on February 24 for US$359. -- Posted Monday, February 9, 2009 by chb

RMT Duros 1214: Rugged 12-inch fixed-mount computer
The Duros 1214 is the latest addition to a line of rugged and highly configurable vehicle-mount and fixed-mount computers made by one of the most respected manufacturers in the business. The platform was designed from the ground up for ease-of-use and the ability to hold up in a variety of demanding warehousing, shipping and other industrial applications. The aluminum-bodied Duros 1214 has a 12-inch touch screen and is unusually compact and light for a machine of this type, with a footprint of just 12.0 x 9.5 inches and weighing under eight pounds. [See RMT Duros 1214] -- Posted Sunday, February 1, 2009 by chb

Slingbox revisited
Sling Media is a company that rocks our Dr. Tim's world. They make the Slingbox, a small, sleek unit that connects directly to your TV or DVR. It makes it possible to watch live or recorded TV on your computer, laptop, or mobile phone from home or anywhere in the world. Let Dr. Tim tell you all about it. [Read Slingboxrevisited] -- Posted Thursday, January 29, 2009 by chb

PhatWare releases PenOffice 3.1
PhatWare Corporation announced PenOffice 3.1, the new version of its pen-based collaboration tool for Windows-based Tablet and Desktop PCs. PenOffice has found wide acceptance worldwide among OEMs and end-users due to its highly accurate handwriting recognition, easy-to-use user interface, and extensive set of pen-based collaboration features. In addition to the MS Office markup feature, the new version of PenOffice supports OpenOffice.org 3.0 or later documents. The software allows users to add handwritten notes and annotations to OpenOffice.org Writer, Calc, Impress, and Draw documents. PenOffice 3.1 is available now at the list price of $59.95. A free 30-day trial version of PenOffice 3.0 can be downloaded from the PhatWare website. -- Posted Thursday, January 29, 2009 by chb

Panasonic upgrades CF-19 and CF-30 rugged notebooks
Panasonic gave its flagship rugged notebook, the CF-30, and its compact rugged Tablet PC convertible, the CF-19, yet another technology update. Both have been switched to ultra-low voltage Centrino 2 vPro processors, have twice the standard memory (starting at 2GB now) and twice the disk capacity (160GB now). Most importantly for everyday use, all CF-19 and CF-30 models now have 1,000 nits LCDs with circular polarizers as well as anti-glare and anti-reflective treatment. The new machines promise spectacular battery life as well (up to ten hours). [See description and specs of the Panasonic Toughbook CF-19 and Toughbook CF-30] -- Posted Thursday, January 29, 2009 by chb

Credit card processing app for the iPhone
A application is bringing credit card processing to the iPhone. ProcessAway is a complete mobile processing solution for accepting credit card payments both in and out of the office. Business owners can use their iPhone to conduct real business. The ProcessAway software uses the Authorize.net gateway, which was one of the first Internet payment gateways and today has one of the largest customer bases. The ProcessAway software will be sold through the iTunes AppStore for $19.99. A fully functional free version, called ProcessLite, is identical to ProcessAway except the charge amount is limited to US$5. ProcessAway] -- Posted Thursday, January 29, 2009 by chb

Apple receives comprehensive touch screen patent
On January 20, 2009, Apple was awarded a large, complex patent that covers much of the iPhone's touch screen and graphical user interface operation. See patent] -- Posted Thursday, January 29, 2009 by chb

101 things to do with a mobile phone in healthcare
Steinkrug Publications Ltd have extended their Wireless Healthcare ehealth news and research service by putting the highly successful publication "101 Things To Do With A Mobile Phone In Healthcare" online and using it as a basis for a collaborative wireless ehealth development platform called theMobileHealthCrowd.com. View 101 Things To Do With A Mobile Phone In Healthcare -- Posted Thursday, January 29, 2009 by chb

Internet now used by over a billion people
According to ComScore, the number of internet users worldwide has now passed a billion. The breakdown for December 2008 is 41.3% Asia-Pacific, 28.0% Europe, 18.4% North America, 7.4% Latin America, and 4.8% Middle East and Africa. In terms of total unique visitors, China outpaces the United States 17.8% to 16.2% in December 2008. -- Posted Thursday, January 29, 2009 by chb

Microsoft trying to catch up in mobile
CNET ran an interesting article on Microsoft's efforts to recover lost ground in mobile platforms. In it, Microsoft's Andy Lees explains how Microsoft fell behind and is now working on an overhaul, Windows Mobile 7, and an interim update with Windows Mobile 6.5. [Read CNET report on Microsoft's mobile catchup efforts] -- Posted Thursday, January 29, 2009 by chb

Atmel announces its advanced touch-library
Atmel Corporation, an industry leader in capacitive touch sensing products, announced its advanced Touch-library that resides on the microcontroller instead of a separate chip resulting in a highly cost effective solution. See an explanation of the Atmel Touch Library. -- Posted Tuesday, January 27, 2009 by chb

Wintel hurting
What once seemed inconceivable is happening: Microsoft is going to cut 5,000 jobs, Intel 6,000, and Sony will likely posts its first loss in almost 15 years. -- Posted Friday, January 23, 2009 by chb

AMD sells its handheld unit to Qualcomm
AMD sold its graphics and multimedia technology assets, intellectual property and resources -- essentially their handheld business unit -- to Qualcomm for US$65 million. This enhances Qualcomm’s multimedia capabilities, including 2D and 3D graphics, audio/video, display, and architecture required for next-gen mobile interfaces and devices. [See AMD press release] -- Posted Friday, January 23, 2009 by chb

GD-Itronix releases high performance vehicle-rugged GD6000
General Dynamics Itronix has released its next generation vehicle-rugged notebook computer, the GD6000. Evolved from the company's GoBook VR2, the GD6000 offers full compatibility with first and second generation VR models, but superior performance thanks to a 2.56GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T9400 processor and the Mobile Intel GM45 chipset. DynaVue technology provides excellent outdoor and direct sunlight viewability. [See full review of the General Dynamics Itronix GD6000] -- Posted Wednesday, January 21, 2009 by chb

Mio Technology and Magellan brands to coexist in the U.S. following MiTAC purchase
Following MiTAC's now-final purchase of Magellan Navigation's Consumer Products Division, Mio Technology has announced a shift in strategy. The company will continue to deliver sleek, easy-to-use portable navigation devices, but also accelerate development of a variety of innovative GPS-based lifestyle products that extend the user experience beyond traditional PNDs. At CES 2009, Mio Technology unveiled several new PNDs that will hit the market in the first half of this year. The devices span the range from entry-level to premium and come preloaded with Mio "Spirit" navigation software. The company also displayed its first concept Mobile Internet Device, which demonstrates Mio's progression toward lifestyle products.
-- Posted Wednesday, January 14, 2009 by chb

LXE releases two rugged Windows XP vehicle-mount computers
LXE announced two rugged vehicle-mount computers. In a nod to internal research that showed an increasing number of LXE customers preferring Windows XP to Windows CE, the VX8 and VX9 bring Windows XP or XP Embedded to compact, rugged, wirelessly enabled systems with either a 10.4-inch (VX8) or 12.1-inch (VX9) touchscreen display. [See description and specs of the LXE VX8 and LXE VX9] -- Posted Wednesday, January 14, 2009 by chb

Full review: the highly configurable Winmate Rugged Tablet PC V280
In the rugged Tablet PC market, the ability to customize a product often makes or breaks a deal, and Winmate certainly has all the bases covered with its Rugged Tablet PC V280. The V280 is an extremely flexible slate computer platform with a tough magnesium-aluminum housing that can be configured with a wide variety of processors, displays and onboard connectivity so that it fits almost any application. [Read full review of the Winmate Rugged Tablet PC V280] -- Posted Tuesday, January 13, 2009 by chb

Sony introduces super-wide little P Series notebook
For mobile computing historians who remember the unloved Handheld PCs with their superwide 640 x 240 displays, it's deja vu all over again: Sonly's latest little notebook, the Sony Vaio P Series, comes with a 1,600 x 768 pixel 8" display, making for a 21:10 aspect ratio. The little thing measures 9.7 x 4.7 x 0.8 inches and weighs just 1.4 pounds. There's a 60GB hard disk or up to 128GB SSD and it starts at US$899, so once again you pay twice as much for the privilege of having the thinnest and lightest. Sadly, Sony missed a chance to provide a full-scale keyboard, for which there would be enough space, by compressing the QWERTY layout down to 87%-scale. -- Posted Tuesday, January 13, 2009 by chb

DT Research launches handheld POS device for quick customer service
DT Research announced a new line of ruggedized handheld computers specialized for Point-of-Service applications. The WebDT 400 Series has a fully integrated magnetic card reader as well as an RFID reader and barcode scanner. There are two versions of the device, one with a large 4.3-inch screen and one with a 3.5-inch full VGA screen and a 21-key numeric keypad. The hot-swappable battery lasts a full shift and the devices run Windows CE 5.0 on a 533MHz Samsung processor. Pricing starts at US$999. [See description and specs of the DT Research WebDT 400 Series ] -- Posted Monday, January 12, 2009 by chb

OQO announces Atom-powered model 2+ with OLED display
OQO, arguably the most innovative and most durable maker of tiny alternative mobile PCs, announced the new model 2+ which is powered by a 1.86GHz Intel Atom Z540 processor, an 800 x 480 pixel OLED 5-inch display, 2GB RAM, and Gobi worldwide 3G EV-DO Rev. A / HSPA capability. There's even an onboard HDMI connector. The OQO model 2+, which measures 5.5 x 3.3 x 1 inches and weighs a pound, will be available in the first half of 2009 with pricing starting at U$999. -- Posted Friday, January 9, 2009 by chb

Next SD Card standard released: up to 2 Terabyte
The SD Card Association announced the next generation SD Memory Card, the SDXC (SD eXtended Capacity), a new standard for storing data in capacities of more than 32 GB and up as well as for their host devices. The new cards will provide capacities in the future ranging up to 2 TB at read/write speeds of 300 megabytes per second. [Read PDF press release on the new SDXC standard] -- Posted Friday, January 9, 2009 by chb

Synaptics at CES: lots of cool touchpad stuff
Our friends at Synaptics exhibited a number of new products at the 2009 CES, including a new suite of multi-finger gestures that, when combined with larger TouchPads, provides powerful and intuitive ways to interact with notebooks. Synaptics also showcased an array of mobile devices with their interesting ClearPad touchscreen-based interface solutions. -- Posted Friday, January 9, 2009 by chb

No more PDAS, Treos only
When I checked Palm's webpage this morning, the PDAs were gone. Only three Treos are now listed. Definitely the end of an era. PalmPilot, Palm III, Palm V, Palm VII, m100, m500, Tungsten, Zire, LifeDrive... it shouldn't have ended this way.

-- Posted Wednesday, January 7, 2009 by chb

Teardown of the iPhone 3G
The Japanese Tech-On! site presented an interesting teardown of the iPhone 3G, including a very detailed description of the main circuit board and its components. -- Posted Wednesday, January 7, 2009 by chb

Motorola unveils a rugged phone
Those who need a rugged cellphone to go along with their rugged mobile computing equipment should look at the new Motorola Tundra VA76r, a rugged 3G clamshell device with a tough exterior that can withstand harsh environments. There's quick web access with AT&T's 3G network and you can also get AT&T Mobility's Push To Talk service. The Mototundra is built to pass Military Spec 810F testing for shock, vibration, rain, humidity, drop, blowing dust, low temperatures, and high operating/storage temperatures. US$199 with two-year contract. [See Motorola Tundra page at AT&T] -- Posted Tuesday, January 6, 2009 by chb

Twitter away your time for fun and profit
When our Dr. Tim first heard of Twitter, he was amazed and amused that it was spreading like wildfire in a frenzy of popularity. It’s all based on a message limited to 140 characters that basically tells people what you are doing at the moment. His first reaction was, who cares? But apparently people do, and folks are not bashful about sharing what they are up to with others. So as long as you are tweeting away telling others about what you are doing, why not tell them about your business and use this system to bring in some bling? Read Dr. Tim's explanation of Twitter for business. -- Posted Tuesday, January 6, 2009 by chb

Windows marketshare falls, Apple gains
Windows marktshare continues to fall, reaching a new low of 88.68% in December 2008. Historically, Windows marketshare was in the mid to high 90s. Apple in the meantime, whose marketshare was at a minuscule 3% just five years ago is now approaching 10%. [See OS marketshare stats] -- Posted Monday, January 5, 2009 by chb

The amazing success of "netbooks"
These days, "netbooks" get a lot of press. You' think a "netbook" were some sort of miraculous new device, a technological breakthrough that lets you do new and wondrous things. In fact, "netbooks" are nothing more than little notebooks. There is absolutely nothing new or exciting about them. And there is nothing that makes them earn the "netbook" name. However... [Read The amazing success of "netbooks"] -- Posted Monday, January 5, 2009 by chb

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