Stephen Manes has a "Technology: Digital Tools" article on page 138 of Forbes published for 08Mar99 that examines the new Sony VAIO PictureBook PCG-C1Z subnotebook that comes with a bundled digital photo camera. This "very compact" unit sells for US$2300 and comes with a Pentium MMX processor, 64MB of RAM, and a 4.3GB hard drive. Stephen also briefly examines the new 3Com Palm V and the Palm IIIx devices on page 140.

3Com's Palm Computing is now shipping Palm MacPac software v2.0 (US$15) for Macintosh users. MacPac includes the "Palm Desktop software v2.1--with a new PIM interface based on Claris Organizer, and a redesigned HotSync utility package for data synchronization."

Jana Sanchez at IDG News Service covers the Symbol Technologies based grocery store handheld system being deployed in select Safeway locations in Europe in an article entitled "European Grocers Offer Shopping via PDA" hosted on PC World.

Intel has validated that Motorola's latest software modem technology will work with Intel's new AC-Link enabled chipsets using MDC v1.O and AMR Card v1.01 hardware components.

Go Classics--a new electronic book distribution site--has been launched and has reportedly posted twelve (12) handheld savvy electronic books that can be purchased for only US$20.

Avi Drissman has commemorated the one year anniversary of the "Apple killed the Newton OS" announcement made last year on 26Feb98 by rewriting the lyrics to Don McLean's "American Pie." Avi's new lyrics are at www.drissman.com.

-Steve Holden (sholden@pencomputing.com)