Microsoft is making significant agreements of support related to their new Tablet PC platform. Some new partners include: Intel, Compaq, Fujitsu PC, and Transmeta.

AvantGo has announced v4.0 of their mobile software and backend solutions (M-Business Server with links to HTML, Lotus Notes, and Microsoft Exchange). The new version also adds support for wireless protocols like: GSM, CDPD, CDMA, Mobitex, and 802.11(b) wireless LANs. In the future they will support Bluetooth and 3G. Current platforms supported include: Windows CE/Pocket PC, Palm OS, and in the near-future RIM BlackBerry Wireless Handhelds.

Palm has announced good financial news on their revenue and profit for their fiscal Q3'2001. However, they are still going to reduce costs by eliminating jobs and postponing construction of a new corporate HQs building.

Symantec has announced their new virus protection software for Palm OS devices.

SanDisk has announced that they will be shipping Secure Digital (SD) flash memory cards supporting either 16-MB or 32-MB to retail outlets in May 2001. San Disk has also announced the availability of new 256-MBs, 384-MBs, and 512-MBs Compact Flash (CF) memory cards.

DataGet offers a Palm OS savvy stainless steel temperature probe that can be immersed in liquids to monitor variables, calculate stats, and tag measurements for future desktop analysis via data uploads.

OmniSky reportedly recently demoed at the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA) conference the new Kyocera QCP 6035 Smartphone running over a CDMA network infrastructure.

The Stanford PalmPilot User Group (SPUG) will be meeting on 03Apr01 at 7 p.m. at Printer's Inc Bookstore Cafe, 310 California Ave, Palo Alto, California. The meeting will feature a demo of BlueNomad's WordSmith by the author Alexander Hinds.

-Steve Holden (sholden@pencomputing.com)