The 1999 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) will be held 07-10Jan99 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Industry analysts predict a great deal of focus on smart phones, handhelds, DVD, and Internet appliances during this year's show. You can learn more via www.cesweb.org.

Steve Gold at Newsbytes reported on 24Dec98 that Symbol Technologies has partnered with Jump Technologies to build a pen-based scanner system (called "CyberPen") that will be able to read Web addresses from printed mediums like newspapers. The URLs published in these papers will be "barcoded" so that scanning is easier and more accurate. The CyberPen will be in a "standard pen" form factor (reportedly being designed by Cross), come with a rechargeable battery and docking station, and will store about 100 codes before data upload to a host PC.

TealPoint Software has announced a new innovative PalmPilot solution called "TealInfo--a data display and presentation program." TealInfo lets a user create "folios" that are "optimized for the display of lists, tables, cross-referencing, categories, and pop-up windows."

Gadgeteer has posted a "thumbs up review" of Pocket BiteMate (a solid-state digital recorder and player). The 400 model retails for under US$200, and the 800 model has a price under US$300.

Wired is reporting that "PALMPILOT LEARNS CHINESE" in an article that notes the release of Synergy's handwriting recognition software called "DragonPen." This release upstages Microsoft's Jan99 release of a Chinese savvy version of Windows CE. Synergy is also releasing before Microsoft a version of DragonPen for Windows CE that will be used on several palm-size English savvy Windows CE devices already available in China and Taiwan. [OTHER SOURCE: South China Morning Post, 22Dec98]

BB UnLtd. has announced the release of "Newtopoly Construction Kit" which currently only supports Windows Newton ToolKit (NTK). This kit makes it possible for a developer to create their "own game sets for Newtopoly which includes all the graphics, and sounds, names, pieces, and cards."

-Steve Holden (sholden@pencomputing.com)