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MobileDemand demonstrates Tablet PC ruggedness on videos
MobileDemand has created short videos that show in dramatic fashion how rugged their xTablet Rugged Tablet PC really is and how much abuse it can take. If you want to see a Tablet PC being dropped, splashed, rained on, and even used as a hammer to pound nails into a board, view their latest video or see screen snaps and description of the torture tests. -- Posted Friday, May 9, 2008 by chb

Review: Otterbox Defender case for the iPhone
If you have an iphone and don't want it scratch, but also don't want to have to open a case every time you use it, try the US$49.95 Otterbox Defender case for the iPhone. It offer's full protection, including the screen, and you never have to take it out of its case or open the case. [See full review and demonstration video of the Otterbox iPhone Defender] -- Posted Thursday, May 8, 2008 by chb

iPhone reinvigorated touch panel market, report says
A new report available from DisplaySearch says the touch panel market is on track to grow to $3.3 billion and 660 million units by 2015, thanks in part due to a market reinvigorated by last year's launch of the iPhone. "The iPhone demonstrated how multi-touch technology is enabling a new generation of user interfaces,” explains Chris Crotty, Director of Small and Medium Displays Research at DisplaySearch. Crotty adds, "High volume mobile phone shipments will drive down the cost of touch technology and thereby enable it to spread more rapidly into other devices such as portable media players, digital cameras and others.” -- Posted Thursday, May 8, 2008 by chb

HTC Touch Diamond
HTC is first to bring a 3/3.5G touch device to market. The Touch Diamond is a very small and light smartphone with an ultra-high resolution screen, an elegant 3-D user interface sitting on top of Windows Mobile 6.1, a 3.2 megapixel camera, GPS, and 4GB of storage for music, pictures and video. Our sister siteHHCMag.com examined HTC's latest and compared its specs side-by-side with the iPhone. [Read description of the HTC Touch Diamond] -- Posted Tuesday, May 6, 2008 by chb

Datalogic Pegaso now with Windows Mobile 6 and E-GPRS
Datalogic announced that its Pegaso compact industrial PDA is now available with Windows Mobile 6 and optional E-GPRS (GSM/GPRS/EDGE). The IP64-rated device has a full VGA 480 x 640 3.7-inch display, a center-mounted Class II laser scanner and an optional magnetic stripe reader. The upgrade enhances the Pegaso in applications where users need to access their enterprise network when outside the four wallls, such as mobile POS, route sales, direct store delivery, and parcel delivery. Datalogic Pegaso]
-- Posted Monday, May 5, 2008 by chb

How to create a lean, mean Windows Mobile machine
Time for Spring cleaning on that Windows Mobile device of yours, Dt. Tim says! See How to create a lean, mean, and clean Windows Mobile machine! -- Posted Thursday, May 1, 2008 by chb

SDG System sells Linux-based TDS Nomad
SDG Systems, LLC is now selling a Linux-based version of the rugged TDS Nomad handheld computer. SDG Systems uses the 2.6.x Linux kernel, the Qtopia PDA Edition 2.2 interface, and system utilities based on the Angstrom Linux distribution (yes, Java support). The Nomad includes Bluetooth, 802.11, GPS, Camera, Barcode scanning and USB host and client ports. It has a full VGA (480 x 640) display and uses an 806 MHz Marvell PXA 320 processor. The USB host port supports mass storage, keyboard, mouse, Ethernet and RS-232 serial adapters. The Linux Nomad comes with 128 MB RAM and 512MB or 1GB of Flash and sells for US$1,649 to $2,299. -- Posted Thursday, May 1, 2008 by chb

Handy utility: PenAttention 1.0
If you're using your Tablet PC to give PowerPoint presentations, or if you use OneNote a lot, you may wish the tiny little dot that represents the cursor were bigger. You're not alone, but it took a neat hack from Steven Kenrick, am Associate Professor of COmputer Science at the University of Alaska Anchorage. His program lets you switch between pencil, pointer, and an easily visible highlight around the small dot cursor. [Read Kenrick's blog on PenAttention 1.0 where you can also download it.] -- Posted Wednesday, April 30, 2008 by chb

22 Killer Apps for SMS enhancement
Hooked on SMS? Can't get enough of texting? Tim Hillebrand presents 22 Killer Apps for SMS enhancement.
-- Posted Tuesday, April 29, 2008 by chb

From the "They Got Nerve" Department
Remember when cellphone calls didn't drop and voice quality was crystal-clear? Remember when Sprint talked about hearing a pin drop? And they didn't rope you in with miraculously ever-extending 2-year contracts? That was circa 15 years ago. Today, leading networks advertise themselves as having "fewer dropped calls" (most recently when Verizon activated a couple of new towers in Indiana). Wow. What progress! -- Posted Monday, April 28, 2008 by chb

Proporta's Dual Car Charger
What do you do when you go on a car trip and you need to charge multiple devices? Easy. You use Proporta's Dual Car Charger Kit. Read Tim's review of the Proporta Dual Car Charger. -- Posted Saturday, April 26, 2008 by chb

Wacom announces new touchscreen technology
More and more users request both an active digitizer and a touchscreen. Wacom listened and announced a new capacitive touchscreen technology, called Reversing Ramped Field Capacitive (RRFC) touch. The patent-pending technology uses low-power circuitry and reversing ramped electro-static fields for pinpoint precision and drift-free performance. RRFC can be integrated into dual-input applications with Wacom's ubiquitous EMR pen-input technology for Tablet PC OEMs or work by itself on other platforms that require only a finger touch interface. Wacom's RRFC touch and EMR pen input technologies can work together off of a single ASIC and MCU pair, reducing overall cost and complexity. RRFC will be publicly unveiled at the International Society for Information Display Exhibition, May 20 to 22, 2008 in Los Angeles. [Read about Wacom's Reversing Ramped Field Capacitive Touch Technology] -- Posted Friday, April 25, 2008 by chb

Full review: HP iPAQ 310 Travel Companion
Our first impression of HP's iPAQ 310 Travel Companion was very good. It has a large 4.3-inch display with very high 800 x 480 pixel resolution, 2GB of Flash, a SD Card slot, a snazzy interface sitting on top of Windows Mobile, and in addition to navigation, it plays games, lets you view pictures and video, listen to music, and you can use it as a handsfree speakerphone with your Bluetooth cellphone. In real world use, however, we ran into some snags and found there can be too much of a good thing (like icons). [Read full review of the HP iPAQ 310 Travel Companion] -- Posted Tuesday, April 22, 2008 by chb

30 reasons in which Windows Mobile is superior to iPhone
Our intrepid contributor Tim Hillebrand appreciates the iPhone's innovations, but for now prefers Windows Mobile. Here are his 30 reasons why Windows Mobile is superior to the iPhone. -- Posted Monday, April 21, 2008 by chb

DT Research adds rugged touchscreen fixed mount panel
DT Research added the rugged WebDT 520 fixed mount tablet to its lineup of web-enabled information appliances for vertical markets. The lightweight tablet has a 12.1-inch display, runs either embedded XP or XP Professional, is sealed to IP65 specs, can use vehicle power or an optional battery pack that also acts as a UPS, and sports excellent wired and wireless connectivity. This rugged fixed mount tablet is designed for use in forklifts, emergency vehicles, warehousing, and even in marine and boating applications. [See description and specs of the DT Research WebDT 520] -- Posted Monday, April 21, 2008 by chb

Review: HanDBase 4.0
We have been aware of HanDBase for some time, but have largely ignored it because our databases are in the millions of records and would swamp the memory of a PDA. However, upon the prompting of a friend, Tim took another look at the new version 4.0 recently and was more than a little impressed with what he found. [Read Tim Hillebrand's review of HanDBase 4.0] -- Posted Monday, April 14, 2008 by chb

3 billion GSM and UMTS/HSPA subscriptions worldwide
According to 3G Americas, there are now 3 billion GSM and UMTS/HSPA subscriptions worldwide, which means GSM has 88% of the world's 3.5 billion mobile wireless subscriptions. That compares to about 850 million PCs worldwide, about 1.1 billion who have some sort of internet access, about 2 billion TVs, and 1.3 billion fixed landline phone numbers. Who'd have thought. -- Posted Thursday, April 10, 2008 by chb

Socket offers Windows Mobile 6 for SoMo 650 handheld
Socket announced that support for Windows Mobile 6 Classic will be available on the Socket Mobile SoMo 650 handheld computer as of May 1, 2008. Available as an option to new customers or as an upgrade to existing customers, Windows Mobile 6 Classic will deliver advanced mobile communications capabilities to SoMo 650 users, improving overall mobile productivity. -- Posted Wednesday, April 9, 2008 by chb

Microsoft unveils Windows Mobile 6.1
At CTIA, Microsoft announced Windows Mobile 6.1. Among the benefits: texting that looks like instant messging; improved browsing with zoom and overview; simpler email and Bluetooth setup, and easier WiFi connection; a new "Getting Started" center; better security; more personal settings; and a new home screen interface. [See Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6.1 page] -- Posted Thursday, April 3, 2008 by chb

VIA releases new chipset for small and embedded devices
Of potential interest for the rugged industry: VIA Technologies announced the new VIA VX800 Series of digital media IGP chipsets offering video, graphics and connectivity performance in a single chip. The VIA VX800 Series comprises two chipsets, the VIA VX800 for ultra thin and light notebooks, mini PCs and embedded devices, and the ultra low voltage VIA VX800U for the fast-expanding ultra mobile market, including the rapidly-emerging mini-note, UMPC and UMD markets. [See VIA's VX800 Chipset page] -- Posted Wednesday, April 2, 2008 by chb

Full review: DRS ARMOR C12
DRS Tactical, the former WalkAbout, certainly knows a lot about rugged computers. But with the recently introduced ARMOR C12 Tablet PC convertible they go against well established competition from Panasonic and GETAC. Can the new DRS machine hold its own? [Read full review of the DRS ARMOR C12] -- Posted Tuesday, April 1, 2008 by chb

Palm Centro: A million sold
Palm has sold its one-millionth Palm Centro smartphone, demonstrating the $99 product's mass appeal. Compared to other Palm smartphones, the small and elegant Centro reaches almost double the number of women, more than double the number of customers under age 35, and nearly three times as many customers with a household income of less than $75,000. -- Posted Monday, March 31, 2008 by chb

The UMPC Evolution: Samsung’s Q1 Ultra
We believe there is a place for the UMPC platform. And we are happy to see it maturing and expanding. Samsung, the first to enter the market with a UMPC a couple of years ago, has made another valiant entry with its second generation Q1 Ultra. The Q1 Ultra has a novel keyboard, higher res, a fingerprint scanner, two cameras, and a faster processor. Read Tim Hillebrand's impressions of the Samsung Q1 Ultra -- Posted Sunday, March 30, 2008 by chb

Mio introduces four new GPS devices
Using expertise from recently acquired Navman, Mio Technology created four new small GPS systems with 3.5-inch (320 x 240 pixels) or 4.3-inch wide-format (480 X 272 pixels) anti-glare touchscreens. The Mio Moov 200, 210, 300, and 310 all use a 20-channel SiRFstarIII receiver for fast signal lock, text-to-speech voice guidance, and more than 3.5 million points of interest. The Moov 210 and 310 come with a one-year paid Traffic Messaging Channel (TMC) subscription that provides real-time updates on accidents, detours and construction along with suggestions for alternate routes. The new devices list between US$179 and US$249. [See release on the new Mio Moov GPS devices] -- Posted Monday, March 24, 2008 by chb

SMS-Chat Revisited
When we first tried SMS-Chat we were enthusiastic about it because it was fun, flashy, and new. We also liked the finger scrollable screens. But, after having used it now for a while, our Tim Hillebrand is developing a wish list for the next version of this Windows Mobile SMS messenger that organizes your SMS correspondence into threaded SMS conversations. [Read SMS-Chat Revisited] -- Posted Monday, March 24, 2008 by chb

Unitech lineup of durable and rugged data collection PDAs and terminals

We've added the Unitech lineup of durable and rugged point-of-sale and data collection handhelds. Unitech, a Taiwanese company, has almost 30 years of experience in data collection handhelds with integrated laser scanners, imagers, and RFID readers. Read description and full specs of the enterprise PDA Unitech PA500, the somewhat more rugged Unitech PA600, the rugged Unitech PA966/967 with a 36-key keyboard, the very rugged Unitech PA982 that can handle extreme temperatures and full immersion, and RFID reader Unitech RH767. All unit's are Windows Mobile or Windows CE-based. -- Posted Saturday, March 22, 2008 by chb

New Life For Your Old Tivo: Drive Upgrades & the Logitech Harmony One
It's not always about mobile. What do you do when your TiVo goes south? David MacNeill describes his experience rebuilding his five-year-old Sony SVR-3000 TiVo with kits from DVRUpgrade.com and Weaknees.com, both experienced and well-established operations. Another item that was due for replacement was the TiVo's tired old remote control. Dave reviewed the Logitech Harmony One and can't say enough good things about it. [Read New Life For Your Old TiVo] -- Posted Friday, March 21, 2008 by chb

Advantech introduces semi-rugged industrial tablet
Taiwanese Advantech, a global vendor of embedded and industrial computing platforms, introduced the MARS-3100S Industrial Tablet PC. The 3100S has a 10.4-inch display and runs XP Pro or XP Embedded on a power-efficient AMD LX 800 processor. With a magnesium-alloy housing and rubber bumpers the 3100S can survive 3-foot drops. IP54 sealing and the usual MIL-STD-810F testing compliance make this new Advantech product suitable for use in manufacturing, warehousing, shop floor maintenance, field service, transportation, law enforcement, fire or other emergency services. [See description and specs of the Advantech MARS-3100S tablet] -- Posted Wednesday, March 19, 2008 by chb

ActiveCaptain Mobile for Palm OS
ActiveCaptain Mobile is a fully integrated boat navigation system for the Palm OS. Users can display real nautical charts, plan and navigate routes, and overlay points of interest from the ActiveCaptain website. It's three applications in one -- a chart archive, a portable chartplotter, and an electronic guidebook. With thousands of NOAA charts free of charge and always available, it makes a Palm Treo a critical part of being on the water. [See ActiveCaptain Mobile for Palm OS release] -- Posted Tuesday, March 18, 2008 by chb

To Flash or not to Flash
After reading a rather compelling explanation on why Apple chooses not to use Flash on the iPhone, we see that Microsoft apparently licensed Adobe Flash Lite for Windows Mobile. So Apple thinks Flash is too big, clumsy and proprietary to run on its powerful iPhone Safari browser, but Flash Lite should be satisfactory on mobile Internet Explorer? -- Posted Tuesday, March 18, 2008 by chb

SPB Plus or Shell: that is the question
Spb Software has two excellent Today screen launcher type programs with a great deal of overlap. Which should you choose to enhance your pocket pal? [Read Tim's thoughts on SPB Software's launcher programs] -- Posted Tuesday, March 18, 2008 by chb

AstroNavigator v2.01
What I would have given for AstroNavigator when I was earning my Boy Scout Astronomy Merit Badge. With Astronavigator on board and hooked up to a satellite feed, you just face in any direction, and a picture of the heavens will appear on your screen. [Read Tim's review of AstroNavigator v2.01] -- Posted Monday, March 17, 2008 by chb

SPB Weather Release 1.7.4
Spb Weather is clearly one of the top weather programs available for Windows Mobile devices. If you are already a user, you will want to take advantage of this free upgrade. Otherwise, you may wish to check it out and add it to your bag of tricks. [Read review of SPB Weather 1.7.4] -- Posted Friday, March 14, 2008 by chb

Added: Gateway C-141
The Gateway C-Series Tablet PC convertible (now called an "adaptable notebook") goes on with the C-141 models, following up on the CX200 Series introduced in October of 2005 and the company's initial M275 Tablet PC convertible. [See description and specs of the Gateway C-141 Tablet PC convertible] -- Posted Monday, March 10, 2008 by chb

Review: SPB Mobile Shell 2.0
There’s a whole host of new features in the latest release of SPB Mobile Shell. It seemed to me that it hasn’t been that long since it first appeared on my Windows Mobile screen, but I guess it was actually a year ago this month. How time flies when you’re having fun with your pocket pals. [Read review of SPB Mobile Shell 2.0] -- Posted Monday, March 10, 2008 by chb

Dual personality rugged military smartphone
Though it looks a bit like it, the Sectéra Edge by General Dynamics is not your average Blackberry clone. Instead, it is a SME-PED — a Secure Mobile Environment Portable Electronic Device. The Windows Mobile-based device was specifically developed for the National Security Agency's SME-PED program and is certified by the NSA. It's fully rugged and can be operated both in classified and unclassified mode. [See description and specs of the General Dynamics Sectéra Edge] -- Posted Thursday, March 6, 2008 by chb

DRS Tactical lunches ARMOR line of rugged computers
DRS Tactical, located in Melbourne, Florida, announced ARMOR, a line of rugged mobile computers with an emphasis on data protection technology, anywhere connectivity and sunlight readable display options for industrial and government customers. The initial products of the ARMOR line include the compact C12 notebook convertible and the X10 Tablet, a 9th generation Hammerhead. -- Posted Thursday, March 6, 2008 by chb

PCMCIA announces ExpressCard 2.0
Times have changed since early Pen Computing contributor Bill Lempesis was executive director of PCMCIA but the PC Card standard is alive and well. PCMCIA also addresses the future with the ExpressCard standard which just received another big boost with the announcement of ExpressCard Standard 2.0 that supports transfer rates up to 5Gbps, twice as fast as the current ExpressCard Standard 1.2. Version 2.0 also supports the upcoming "SuperSpeed" USB 3.0 spec, potentially making ExpressCard 2.0 ten times faster than the current spec. -- Posted Wednesday, March 5, 2008 by chb

Dell introduces rugged Latitude XFR D630
Dell is getting serious about rugged notebooks. The XFR D630 is a heavily ruggedized version of the Latitude 630 platform. As such it fits right into the IT infrastructure of numerous organizations that already have hundreds or thousands of Dell Latitudes. But the XFR D630 can more than hold its own with up-to-date technology, excellent connectivity, numerous wireless options, Dell's superb DirectVue sunlight-viewable display technology and impressive ruggedness specs: IP54 sealing, multiple 3-foot drops, operating temperature between -20 and 140 degrees, solid state disk options, a touch screen option, and a competitive price. [Read description and specs of the Dell Latitude XFR D630] -- Posted Tuesday, March 4, 2008 by chb

MobileDemand announces production availability of rugged xTablet T8700
MobileDemand announced full production availability of the xTablet T8700, the latest installment in their roster of rugged computer solutions built for a variety of vertical markets. The xTablet T8700, equipped with a data entry keypad and available with scanner and mag card reader options, is ideal for mobile workforces with its unique combination of Intel Core Duo performance, extensive data collection capabilities, and military rated ruggedness. The T8700 is also one of the few rugged tablets we've seen supporting Windows Vista (we published the test scores). See the videos for an amazing demonstration of the unit's ruggedness! [Read full press release] [Read our full review of the xTablet T8700] -- Posted Monday, March 3, 2008 by chb

What role will Intel's new Atom processor play?
Intel introduced the low-power Atom processor designed specifically for mobile internet devices. While desktop chips draw as much as 35 watts of thermal design power (TDP) and even ultra-low power Core Duos draw almost 10 watts, the Atoms will draw from 0.6 to 2.5 watts. Intel stresses that the chip is not a shrunken version of a desktop chip, but designed from the ground up. Various Intel sources mentioned its use as in $250-400 notebooks, "Intel's architecture for mobile devices," "devices that fit in pockets," and as "the basis of new sexy: low power and small." And no fan needed. Will Atom replace the ARM-based PXA processors that Intel jettisoned to Marvell? [See our take on Intel's new Atom processor] -- Posted Monday, March 3, 2008 by chb

Detailed review: GD-Itronix Duo-Touch II
The Duo-Touch II by General Dynamics Itronix is a compact, rugged Tablet PC now in its fourth generation. Upgraded electronics provide an overall benchmark performance improvement of 67% over the predecessor model. The Duo-Touch II also uses the GD Itronix DynaVue daylight viewable display technology for very good outdoor readability. Users can toggle between touch screen mode and an active digitizer, enhancing functionality and ease of use. The 4-pound Duo-Touch II is a fully rugged computer, has IP54 sealing, and can accommodate up to three different integrated radios plus GPS. [Read detailed review of the General Dynamics Itronix Duo-Touch II] -- Posted Tuesday, February 26, 2008 by chb

Casio's tiny DT-X7 industrial handheld
Weighing just over five ounces, Casio's DT-X7 industrial handheld data entry and collection terminal fits anywhere. It's an ergonomically designed, Marvell XPA270-powered marvel with an integrated imager and a handy 29-key keypad. The DT-X7 is IP54-sealed and can handle three foot drops, making it perfect for any number of warehousing and inventory applications. It has a 2.4-inch QVGA LCD, runs Windows CE 5.0 and won a prestigious 2008 iF product design award (International Forum Design of Hannover, Germany). [Read description and specs of the Casio DT-X7 data entry terminal] -- Posted Friday, February 22, 2008 by chb

Roper Mobile announces rugged Duros Tablet PC
Roper Mobile Technology -- a subsidiary of Roper Industries that combines DAP Technologies, JLT Mobile Computers, and Black Diamond Advanced Technology -- introduced the Duros Rugged Tablet PC. The Duros is a fourth generation Windows XP-based tablet PC that is sealed to IP-65 specifications and passes the requisite MIL-STD 810F ruggedness tests. Equipped with a sunlight-viewable 8.4-inch SVGA resistive touchscreen and powered by either an AMD Geode LX 800 or a 1GHz Intel Celeron M , the comes with hard drives up to 120GB (or a solid state drive up to 64GB). The battery is hot swappable and the Duros has integrated WiFi, Bluetooth, GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS and optional GPS. It is geared towards harsh field applications such as mining, construction, utilities, public safety or military. [See description and specs of the Roper Mobile Duros rugged Tablet PC]

-- Posted Wednesday, February 20, 2008 by chb

GPS on a keychain and a handy portable power source
Tim looks at the Freedom Keychain GPS 2000, a GPS receiver that's so small, it fits on a keychain. And for those who absolutely, positively never want to be without power, he recommends the iGo everywhere85 portable power supply. -- Posted Monday, February 18, 2008 by chb

Sony Ericsson launches Windows Mobile-based XPERIA platform
Unwilling to let Apple get all the attention with its sleek iPhone, Sony Ericsson launched XPERIA and announced the first XPERIA phone, the X1. A bit smaller, but thicker, then the Apple iPhone, the X1 has a slider QWERTY keyboard, a 3.2 megapixel digital camera, and displays 800 x 480 pixels on its 3-inch screen. This makes for stunningly high resolution and enables the unique XPERIA desktop that's operated via touch. The X1 supports quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE as well as quad-band UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA. [See description and closeups of the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1] -- Posted Monday, February 11, 2008 by chb

Pharos 600 GPS Phone Upgrades to WM6, and how to do it yourself
The superb Pharos 600 GPS Windows Mobile Professional phone is now available with a Windows Mobile 6 operating system. The unit comes with Ostia software for the United States and Canada pre-installed on a 2 GB mini-SD card. It is virtually the same phone as the WM5 version with the only difference being the new operating system. If you already have a Pharos 600 running WM5, we'll show you how you can upgrade to WM6 for free and save yourself 600 bucks. [Read review of the Pharos 600 with WinMo 6, and how to upgrade for free.] -- Posted Monday, February 11, 2008 by chb

What you get with Palm's free WinMo 6 update for the Treo 750
Available since December of 2007, Palm's free Windows Mobile 6 update for the Treo 750 is certainly a good thing, and we want to take this opportunity to congratulate Palm and to express my appreciation for being among the few manufacturers to offer a WM6 upgrade. [Read about Palm's free Windows Mobile 6 upgrade for the Treo 750]
-- Posted Friday, February 8, 2008 by chb

Tim loves the MagicJack Voice over IP service!
CES is such a pandemonium that it is very easy to walk right by a booth unwittingly not knowing that it could have the greatest thing since Viagra. That almost happened to me with the MagicJack booth as I was intent on reaching another exhibitor and had my blinders on. [Read detailed description of the amazing MagicJack VoIP service] -- Posted Thursday, February 7, 2008 by chb

Can Raketu replace a SIM card?
Raketu is a VoIP-based service that has been available for desktops, but is now offered for Windows Mobile devices as well. It is supposed to enable you to use your handset to make calls anywhere in the world free. [Read Tim Hillebrand's review of the Raketu social networking meets communications meets media in one application.] -- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2008 by chb

Apple releases US$499 16GB iPhone
It had to happen. More memory on the iPhone. Apple released a 16GB iPhone for US$499 while the 8GB iPhone remains at US$399. That's good news for those are used to filling up 80GB iPods and found the iPhone's 8GB sorely lacking. Me, I have maybe 200 songs and 3,000 pictures on my 8GB iPhone, and almost 5GB left over. I might change my tune if I get into watching movies on my iPhone. As is, I'd like to have seen a price break on the 8GB iPhone and less AT&T bureaucratic boneheadedness when it comes to upgrading an iPhone plan (need two area codes on a family plane? No can do.). -- Posted Tuesday, February 5, 2008 by chb

Psion Teklogix adds rugged PDA
Psion Teklogix added the ikôn Rugged PDA to its lineup of rugged handhelds, vehicle mounts, and terminals. The compact and lightweight ikôn is powered by a 624MHz Marvell PXA270, has a full-VGA outdoor-viewable 3.7-inch display, runs Windows CE 5.0 or Windows Mobile 6.0, survives 5-foot drops, and has an impressive IP65 ingress protection rating. Both a QWERTY and a numeric keypad are available. [Read description and specs of the Psion Teklogix ikôn Rugged PDA] -- Posted Monday, February 4, 2008 by chb

Microsoft offers $44.6 billion for Yahoo, future cloudy
Here at Pen Computing we remember when there were just two web listings. John December's, the leading one, and Yahoo. We don't know what John does today, but Microsoft just offered to pay US$44.6 BILLION for Yahoo. And that at a time when Gartner predicts Apple's market share will double, and the future belongs to snazzy little web surfers and open source efforts. It's hard to see the trajectories of products like Vista and Windows Mobile fitting into that scenario. -- Posted Friday, February 1, 2008 by chb

Pharos Trips & Pics
Here’s a great combo application that has so many possible uses that it is only limited by your imagination. Have you ever wished that you could identify some of those pictures you took years ago and never got around to labeling? With Pharos Trips & Pics, you can snap away to your heart’s content and the device creates a GPS log and time stamp of your photos so that with supplied software you can pinpoint each shot on Google Maps or Microsoft Streets and Trips. [Read Tim Hillebrand's report on Pharos Trips & Pics] -- Posted Thursday, January 31, 2008 by chb

iPhone Open Application Development Rough Cuts Version
There are programmers and there are geniuses. Jonathan Zdziarski is one of the latter (we know; we use his software) and he has written iPhone Open Application Development. The book will be released by O'Reilly in March, but it's already available via "Rough Cuts." When you buy a book on the Rough Cuts service, you get access to an evolving manuscript. You can read it online, download as a PDF, or print. Once you've purchased a Rough Cuts title, you have a chance to shape the final product - you can send suggestions, bug fixes, and comments directly to the author and editors. [See iPhone Open Application Development: Rough Cuts Version] -- Posted Thursday, January 31, 2008 by chb

Review: Pharos Drive GPS 250 Navigation System
At the Pharos booth at CES the sleek design of this navigation system attracted me like the A-dog in a litter. It stood out and beckoned to me. I couldn’t wait to receive a review unit, which just arrived, and now I have a couple hundred miles under my road-testing belt. [Read Tim Hillebraand's review of the Pharos Drive GPS 250 Navigation System] -- Posted Wednesday, January 30, 2008 by chb

Pulse smartpen integrates Vision Objects MyScript reco
Vision Objects, provider of handwriting recognition software announced the integration of MyScript technology into both the Pulse smartpen and the Livescribe Desktop application. By using MyScript, students and professionals who regularly use pen and paper to take notes will enjoy the possibility of searching for words in handwritten text, and increasing their productivity when converting handwritten text into digital information and sharing it with friends and colleagues -- Posted Wednesday, January 30, 2008 by chb

HTC Shift: does this "hybrid" solution show the future?
HTC's finally released ultra-mobile PC offers a fascinating look at hybrid technology that combines full Windows Vista with a Windows Mobile variant that offers instant-on and access to push email and PIM data. Vista is powerful but has short battery life; the "SnapVUE" Windows Mobile mode offers only essentials but can run as long as ten days. There are two processors and separate memory, a 1280 x 800 pixel 7-inch touchscreen, and an innovative slide-and-tilt QWERTY keyboard lets you use the Shift like a little notebook. [Read full description and specs of the HTC Shift "hybrid" ultra-mobile PC] -- Posted Wednesday, January 30, 2008 by chb

Patent awarded for One-Handed Finger-Vowel Digital Texting Method
Prevalent Devices announced the issuance of an affiliate patent that covers a novel method of communicating with one hand simply by bending the thumb and fingers. Unlike other finger spelling methods, the Phraze-It Finger-Vowel Digital Texting Method does not make you learn a lot of ambiguous and difficult to form hand signals. Uses include electronic gloves, virtual reality gestural interfaces and educational and assistive technologies. The patent is the fourth in a portfolio of text input patents and is available for license. Prevalent Devices also offers Phraze-It Keyboard 2.0. [Read paper on The Phraze-It Finger-Vowel Digital Texting Method] -- Posted Tuesday, January 29, 2008 by chb

More from CES
Pen Computing contributing writer Tim Hillebrand is back from the CES megashow in Las Vegas earlier in January, and he's still digesting all the cool stuff he saw there. [See what impressed Tim at CES] -- Posted Tuesday, January 29, 2008 by chb

Resco releases Resco Suite for Palm OS
Resco announced a new product combining together all its best-selling applications - Resco Suite for Palm OS. Resco Suite consists of five essential applications - Explorer, Viewer, Backup, IDGuard and Neeews - and added bonus - Resco Sudoku. A 14-day trial can be found at http://www.resco.net/palm/suite/. The
cost is $59.95 USD. -- Posted Monday, January 28, 2008 by chb

Skyfire browser beta for Windows Mobile
Skyfire unveiled a new mobile browser that makes browsing on a smartphone just like browsing on a PC. Smartphone users can experience the "real Web" to access and interact with any Web site built with any Web technology, including dynamic Flash, advanced Ajax, Java and more - at the same speeds they are accustomed to on their PC. Check the skyfire.com website for the private beta that supports Windows Mobile phones, both touchscreen and non-touchscreen, in the U.S. The company will introduce a version for Symbian smartphones in the coming months and other platforms and geographies are on the product roadmap. -- Posted Monday, January 28, 2008 by chb

What's wrong with the iPhone
As far as I we're concerned very little, and that will likely be addressed soon enough, but David MacNeill, Editor-in-Chief of PersonalMediaReview.com and a diehard Apple fan, has some gripes, and a big one in particular. And no, it's not whining over EDGE. Read his column What's wrong with the iPhone? -- Posted Friday, January 25, 2008 by chb

Fujitsu updates tiny touchscreen Lifebook
Fujitsu released a technologically updated version of its tiny touchscreen notebook, the LifeBook P1620. The 9.15 x 6.6 x 1.36 inch notebook convertible weighs just 2.2 pounds, has a 8.9-inch wide screen with 1280 x 768 pixel resolution, and is now motivated by a 1.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo U7600 chip. Ancillary circuitry has been updated as well, and the P1620, which comes with Vista Business, is now available with an optional Solid State Drive. [Read description and full specs of the Fujitsu LifeBook P1620] -- Posted Wednesday, January 23, 2008 by chb

GETAC introduces Intel A110-based lightweight rugged Tablet PC
At DistribuTECH 2008 in Tampa, Florida, GETAC introduced a compact, lightweight rugged Tablet PC slate based on Intel's ultra low-power A110 processor. The E100 measures 11.1 x 7.2 x 1.26 inches and weighs just over three pounds. The 8.4-inch touchscreen display is available with a 800 nit daylight-viewable option. Using a magnesium housing, rubber bumpers, shock-mounted hardware and extensive sealing, the E100 is ruggedness-tested to MIL-STD-810F standards. Geared towards field and customer service applications, the system is available with "mission boxes" for customized market applications that use RFID, barcode and magnetic strip readers or digital cameras. [Read description and specs of the GETAC E100 ruggedTablet PC slate] -- Posted Tuesday, January 22, 2008 by chb

Added two new rugged Windows CE devices
We added detailed descriptions and specs for two interesting new Windows CE devices. The Metrologic SP5700 OptimusPDA is a compact rugged handheld running Windows CE 5.0 on a 520MHz PXA270. It has an integrated scanner or imager. The Data Ltd DLI 8300 is a tablet that can run any number of operating systems, including Windows CE 6.0. It is powered by a 500MHz AMD LX800 Geode and can have screen resolutions up to 1024 x 768. Both devices are IP54 rated and can take a beating. -- Posted Thursday, January 17, 2008 by chb

Apple announces iPhone software rev 1.1.3
Apple announced a free software update (rev. 1.1.3) for its revolutionary iPhone that allows users to automatically find their location using the redesigned Maps application; text message multiple people in one message; create Web Clips for their favorite websites; customize their home screen; and watch movies rented from the new iTunes Movie Rentals right on their iPhone. [Read iPhone Rev. 1.1.3 press release] -- Posted Tuesday, January 15, 2008 by chb

Some favorites from CES
"As one of over 140,000 attendees at CES," Pen Computing contributor Tim Hillebrand says, "I sometimes felt as if I were a lemming going along with the flow from one exhibit to another mostly in awe at the whole extravaganza. If there was any cohesive theme it had to be centered on the concept of digital integration. It was evident in the inter-connectivity of devices in lifestyle and environments for the workplace, home, and automobile." [Read Time Hillebrand's report from the 2008 CES] -- Posted Monday, January 14, 2008 by chb

MobileDemand introduces sunlight viewable rugged Tablet PC
MobileDemand introduced the xTablet T8700, a compact, rugged Tablet PC slate based on a reliable platform that has seen duty in various vertical markets for years. There are significant technology enhancements in the new model that make the versatile tablet more practical than ever. The latest version of the xTablet is faster, especially with the optional Solid State Drive, and even handles Windows Vista efficiently with its Intel Core Duo processor and generous 2GB base RAM. The machine has an integrated numeric keypad, and is available with a mag stripe reader and scanner/imager. And the sunlight viewable dual-digitizer display is a big productivity enhancement for those who use the machine outdoors. [See our detailed review of the MobileDemand xTablet T8700] -- Posted Monday, January 14, 2008 by chb

Electrovaya releases Scribbler SC 4000 Tablet PC
Electrovaya announced the launch of the Scribbler SC4000 series. The sleek new Tablet PC slate combines an Electrovaya 70Wh Lithium Ion SuperPolymer battery, a 1.5GHz Intel Core 2 Duo U7500 ULV CPU, fingerprint security, a 1.3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, 802.11a/b/g WiFi, gigabit Ethernet, a 60 GB SATA 5400 rpm hard drive (upgradeable up to 160 GB) and 1GB RAM (upgradeable to 4 GB). It includes a TPM security module and there is a sunlight-readable screen option for the wide viewing angle 12.1-inch display. The Scribbler SC4000 weighs 3.3 pounds and is less than an inch thick. The Scribbler SC4000 comes with Windows Vista or Windows XP Tablet 2005. [See Electrovaya SC4000 spec sheet] -- Posted Thursday, January 10, 2008 by chb

Neonode N2 attracts attention at CES
Two months after Pen Computing published a detailed review of the Neonode N2, at CES the rest of the world also caught up with the little multimedia touch screen phone that almost no one had ever heard of. It's different from anything else on the market, although since the advent of the Apple iPhone no longer quite as different as it once was. The N2 is cute and tiny, runs the novel Neno interface on top of Windows Mobile 6.0 (so it can use ActiveSync), has a 2-megapixel camera with video and offers completely one-handed operation via its zForce touch screen. It is an unlocked quad-band GSM/GPRS phone with Bluetooth and a miniSD card, but no 3G, GPS, or built-in email client. We're taking a very detailed look at this speedy little marvel that pioneered the use of touch screens on phones, and whose operation remains unique. Is the N2 just a cute conversation piece, or much more? [Read full review of the Neonode N2] -- Posted Thursday, January 10, 2008 by chb

Everex CloudBook -- $399 Ultra-mobile PC using gOS Linux
Everex announced the Everex CloudBook, a rather unconventional notebook running the gOS, a Linux distribution based on the popular Ubuntu Linux. The CloudBook has a footprint of 9.1 x 6.75 inches and is 1.16 inches thick. It weighs just two pounds. It uses a 1.2GHz VIA C7-M processor, has 512MB of RAM and a 4200RPM 30GB PATA hard disk. Everex will sell the CloudBook through Walmart which is already selling inexpensive Linux-based Everex desktops. [Read description and our opinion on the Everex CloudBook Ultra-Mobile PC] -- Posted Thursday, January 10, 2008 by chb

NeoMagic releases smartphone manufacturing kit
NeoMagic, whose MiMagic 6+ applications processor powers the Neonode N2, announced the availability of their Windows Mobile-based Smart Phone Manufacturing Kit. The kit is designed for OEMs that wish to significantly reduce development and design time, enabling them to put feature-and-application-rich smart phones in customers' hands in approximately six months rather than the typical 18 month process. The kit comes with a complete software package, and includes a form-factor reference design, schematics with walk-through documents, the board layout with a layout guidelines document, a full BOM, the Windows Mobile BSP, a software design guide, a user's guide, complete download utilities, optimized GSM/GPRS image code, all drivers and codecs. -- Posted Tuesday, January 8, 2008 by chb

Myvu introduces new personal media viewers
Myvu debuted a new generation of myvu personal media viewers with myvu shades and myvu crystal. Both new viewers turn portable media players into hands-free, private cinemas. The myvu shades costs US$199.95 and the myvu crystal which has full VGA resolution runs US$299.95. They run up to four and ten hours, respectively, and work with portable media players, including all iPod with video models, Sansa-View, Microsoft Zune, many mobile phones, portable DVD players and various game consoles. -- Posted Monday, January 7, 2008 by chb

Synaptics adds "Pinch" and "Momentum" to TouchPad gestures
Synaptics announced availability of “Pinch� and “Momentum�, gestures on its notebook TouchPad that are designed to enhance the notebook user experience. Pinch translates multi-finger input (two fingers moving apart or together on a TouchPad) and performs zoom-in and zoom-out capability in a variety of popular applications, including Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, Internet Explorer, Google Earth and others. Momentum gives trackball-like functionality to a TouchPad. By flicking a finger across the TouchPad, the cursor coasts across the screen with an inertia-like behavior that mimics a trackball. “Momentum� opens up possibilities for expanded use of games on notebook PCs since many games require the use of external mice or trackballs for optimal game play. [View Synaptics release on Pinch and Momentum] -- Posted Monday, January 7, 2008 by chb

Trimble now support CDMA-based BlackBerry GPS smartphones
Trimble announced the availability of three of its GPS phone software applications for CDMA-based BlackBerry smartphones with built-in GPS, which include the BlackBerry 8830 World Edition and BlackBerry Pearl 8130 smartphones from RIM. The AllSport GPS, Geocache Navigator and Trimble Outdoors applications from the Trimble Outdoors family of GPS-on-cellular products and services provide BlackBerry smartphone users with the on-the-go lifestyle solutions. [View the Trimble Outdoors website -- Posted Monday, January 7, 2008 by chb

The iPhone on the road
If you're like me, you shlep with you an assortment of electronic stuff whenever you leave the house, and a good deal more when you go on a trip. I mean, one does need a decent laptop, a digital camera or two, an iPod, one or more phones, and then all the power bricks and cables that go with it. So things can get a bit crowded and tangled in your bag, and then you need to keep track of what goes with what, which weapon to choose for what, and making sure the whole gaggle remains charged and ready to go. Well, on a trip over the recent t holidays I found that often I really don't need more than just the iPhone. [Read iPhone on the Road] -- Posted Sunday, January 6, 2008 by chb

How to Customize SPB Mobile Shell
You have no doubt heard the aphorism “be careful what you wish for because you just may get it.� Well, my first encounter with SPB Mobile Shell (SMS) was as a pre-installed bonus on a Pharos 600 GPS unit. [Read Tim Hillebrand's How to Customize SPB Mobile Shell] -- Posted Saturday, January 5, 2008 by chb

Article: Managing mobile devices in the field
Considerable investments are being made in a growing number of corporations today on products that enable the enterprise helpdesk and IS departments to manage and maintain company resources. Read David Yeaple's article on existing investments for managing smartphones and mobile devices in the field. -- Posted Friday, January 4, 2008 by chb

Statistics and figures and pie charts, oh my!
The usual gaggle of bloggers and tech sites are all atwitter over web browsing figures released by Net Application, a Aliso Viejo, Calif.-based research company. The browser and OS stats showed the usual: Windows having a near monopoly, with the Mac gaining and Linux numbers suspiciously low. But this set of statistics also included smartphones and even game consoles. So the iPhone grabbed 0.09% and Windows CE 0.06%. Now without knowing the capture methods and definitions, those figures are 100% meaningless. Yet, the bloggers and techie mags jumped all over it, proclaimed the iPhone had 50% more market share than WIndows CE, created browser pie charts and made sweeping statements. We wonder if any of hose folks have ever taken a serious statistics class in college. All we'd venture to say is that the iPhone browser is better than Pocket Internet Explorer. -- Posted Wednesday, December 26, 2007 by chb

Stocking Stuffers 2007
Need some last minute advice on stocking stuffers for the gadget lover in your life? Check Tim Hillebrand's Stocking Stuffer 2007 suggestion list! -- Posted Wednesday, December 19, 2007 by chb

Review: three excellent Proporta iPhone cases
One of the few problems with Apple's iPhone is that it looks so darn nice that you really don't want to hide it in a case. It's sleek, it's sexy, it feels good, and you just want to show it off every chance you get. But protection is good, and so we reviewed three of Proporta's iPhone cases, two leather and one polycarbonate plastic and aluminum. As expected, we found them to be very well made and reasonably priced. The "Alu-Crystal" case shown to the right is especially impressive and costs just US$28.95. [Read reviews of Proporta iPhone cases] -- Posted Tuesday, December 18, 2007 by chb

Dell finally has a Tablet PC!
Well, it took a while, but Dell finally has a Tablet PC. The Latitude XT follows Dell's trademark formula of offering competent yet fairly generic products with some extra goodies baked in. The XT excels by offering what promises, if it uses the ATG 630's technology, to be one of the best outdoor-viewable displays. And the N-trig dual mode pen and touch digitizer adds flexibility. We would have preferred an internal optical drive to the snap-on Media Base, but overall the Latitude XT is a nice addition to Dell's Latitude line as well as a serious competitor in the notebook convertible market. [Read detailed description and specs of the Dell Latitude XT Tablet PC convertible]
-- Posted Tuesday, December 18, 2007 by chb

PersonalMediaReview.com launched
Former Pen Computing executive editor David MacNeill was named editor-in-chief of PersonalMediaReview.com, a new addition to our tech site cluster. Says MacNeill, "Personal Media Review is all about tools for creating and enjoying media.If your relationship to sound and image goes beyond mere consumption, welcome aboard! Our goal is less gear, better gear. Creativity and enjoyment are improved by great tools, so that's all you'll find here." [See PersonalMediaReview.com] -- Posted Wednesday, December 12, 2007 by chb

Alinean and Wipro Windows Mobile Messaging TCO Tool
Alinean announced the availability of the Windows Mobile Messaging TCO Tool, an online calculator developed to analyze the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of competing mobile solutions. Developed in partnership with Wipro, the analysis tool is based on research of mobile deployments by 160 customers, and a comparative lab-based study to determine the TCO of the leading mobile platforms for e-mail messaging and collaboration. The tool was introduced at the Windows Mobile Partner Summit 2007. [Check out the Windows Mobile Messaging TCO Tool] -- Posted Wednesday, December 12, 2007 by chb

Cool iPhone simulator by TryPhone
If you want to try the iPhone, but don't have a friend who has one or want to go to an Apple or AT&T store, go to tryphone.com. Thy have full and total simulations of several popular phones, including the iPhone. [Click to go to Tryphone and use the iPhone simulator. -- Posted Wednesday, December 12, 2007 by chb

Windows Mobile 6 update and unlocked Treo 750 available for U.S. customers
Palm announced that an update to Windows Mobile 6 is available as a free download for AT&T Palm Treo 750 smartphone users in the US. The free upgrade brings increased functionality, enhanced user interface and strengthened security and performance to the Treo 750, as well as facilitates HSDPA capability for faster data-download speeds on 3G/UMTS/HSDPA networks. Palm also announced that an unlocked version of the Treo 750 is available with Windows Mobile 6 out of the box, allowing an even broader customer base to immediately enjoy the improved features of the Windows Mobile 6 operating system. -- Posted Tuesday, December 4, 2007 by chb

TechRepublic names 10 biggest tech blunders of 07
TechRepublic, a nice site and part of CNET, issued its 10 biggest tech belly flops of 2007. They are, from 10 to 1, the HD-DVD vs Blue-ray battle (stupid waste of time); Red Flag Linux in China (they bootleg Windows anyway); eBay ruining Skype; the WJS telling users how to sabotage IT; hackers cracking Pentagon email server; the 802.11n snafu; no 3G in the iPhone; Sun makes Java open source (too late); Vista (didn't deliver); and #1, TJX admits 45 million customer records were compromised. Here are ours: The telcos messing with our personal devices; Vista is sloooooooow; Jobs blows the iPhone price reduction (and no 3G!); InkJets remain ripoffs (jamming and cost of ink); glossy glare screens that make better mirrors than screens; atrocious cellphone quality and service; the commercialization of Google; the increasing uselessness of email due to spam; every tiny app needs lengthy authorization; the obscene price of Intel chips; Windows Mobile (slow and klutzy); the incredible shrinking Palm. There. -- Posted Monday, December 3, 2007 by chb

Will Amazon's Kindle do better than prior eBook readers?
eBook readers, both hardware and software, have been around for many years. None ever succeeded to any meaningful extent. They cost too much, screens were not good enough, too heavy, got hot, lousy battery life, and so on. Will Amazon's Kindle be different? The screen is the same as that of the Sony Reader, and despite only 4-grays, I like that screen a lot. The Sony Reader is smaller and much more elegant, but the Kindle's built-in, free Sprint EV-DO wireless connection is nice. No computer needed. In all fairness, we haven't tried Kindle yet, so maybe the funky keyboard works better than it looks, and the ACCESS NetFront browser actually works. One would think that if anyone could do an eBook right it'd be Amazon. -- Posted Sunday, December 2, 2007 by chb

HP boost PC shipment lead
According to iSupply, HP shipped 13.1 million PCs in the third quarter of 2007, for a global market share of 19.2%. Dell just barely edged their own results from a year before and shipped 9.9 million, with its market share dropping to 14.6%. Lenovo held the #3 spot with 8.1% share, followed by Acer with 7.9%. In total, 68 million notebooks were shipped in Q3/2007, and 39 million desktops. -- Posted Friday, November 30, 2007 by chb

Full review: Juniper Systems Archer Field PC
If you're in need of an ultra-rugged Windows Mobile-based PDA, Juniper Systems of Logan, Utah, offers the Archer Field PC for applications in numerous vertical markets from agriculture to forestry to meter reading/data collection to wildlife resources and more. The Archer provides standard Windows CE functionality and excellent connectivity in a device so tough that it can be used in the most extreme working conditions. We put the Archer to the test and yes, that includes underwater and drops. [Read full review of the Juniper Systems Archer Field PC]



-- Posted Wednesday, November 21, 2007 by chb

Garmin stays with NAVTEQ, drops Tele Atlas takeover attempt
Garmin announced it has signed a six-year extension to its contract with NAVTEQ under which NAVTEQ provides digital map data for location based solutions and vehicle navigation. Garmin also announced that in light of this developments it does not intend to pursue its offer for Tele Atlas. Our take: Ok, let's recap: This past July TomTom wants to buy Tele Atlas for $2.4 billion. In October Nokia offers $8.1 billion to buy NAVTEQ. Upon that Garmin offers $3.3 billion for Tele Atlas, but TomTom ups that with $4.3 billion. Garmin makes nice with TomTom but TomTom apparently still wants to buy Tele Atlas. So both mapping companies may soon be owned by device makers. Not good. Maybe the US government which shoulders the entire cost for the GPS satellite system that makes mapping possible in the first place should get into the act. -- Posted Monday, November 19, 2007 by chb

Microsoft releases Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R2
At the Embedded Technology 2007 conference in Japan, Microsoft announced the release of Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R2, designed to quickly build smart, connected, real-time commercial and consumer electronics devices. New features include the Web Services on Devices API, VoIP telephony and thin-client technology enhancements, and Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R2 seamlessly connects to computers running Vista and Windows Server 2008 as well as other devices. Microsoft also announced the launch of a community-focused initiative, code-named "SPARK," a joint offering between Microsoft and select hardware vendors designed to bring the benefits of embedded development on Windows Embedded CE 6.0 and Visual Studio 2005 to hobbyist developers and the academic community. [See what's new in Embedded CE 6.0 R2] -- Posted Wednesday, November 14, 2007 by chb

Garnet OS apps to run on Nokia Internet Tablets
ACCESS announced that it will make available a beta version of a Garnet VM software for Nokia N770, N800 and N810 Internet Tablets. Garnet VM will make it possible for users of the Nokia N770, N800 and N810 to enjoy thousands of off-the-shelf Garnet OS (formerly Palm OS)-based applications immediately available to enhance their productivity, connectivity and play. Garnet VM is expected to be available by the end of the year free of charge as a download from the ACCESS website. [See info on Garnet apps on Nokia] -- Posted Tuesday, November 13, 2007 by chb

Synaptics provides touch interface driver for Google Android SDK
Synaptics, a developer of capacitive-based human interface solutions for mobile computing, communications and entertainment devices, announced it is providing the software driver to enable touch interfaces for the Android SDK. Android was announced on Nov. 5 by members of the Open Handset Alliance, as an open and comprehensive platform for mobile devices. As the only touch interface company in the Alliance, Synaptics is providing mobile handset designers with a powerful yet easy-to-use tool to develop advanced, multi-touch gestures for the Android platform. The Synaptics driver is available through the Android Software Developer Kit and can be used with a variety of Synaptics products, including ClearPad and MobileTouch. -- Posted Tuesday, November 13, 2007 by chb

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