August 2007

Synaptics Inc, a leader in capacitive sensing interface solutions for mobile computing, communications and entertainment devices, announced that its OneTouch configurable solution will ship in the new LG MUZIQ (LX570) mobile phone. The slim and stylish LG MUZIQ clamshell phone features a music player using Synaptics' OneTouch capacitive technology to bring the five touch buttons to life on the front of the phone. These external touch controls are illuminated with red LEDs for a sleek and hip industrial design and make it easy for the user to control the music features on the phone. [Read about the Synaptics One Touch technology]

Acer to buy Gateway
Acer announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Gateway. Under the terms of the agreement, Acer will purchase all outstanding shares of Gateway for US$1.90 per share in cash, which represents a total equity investment, and purchase price, of about US$710 million. Interesting how the remaining US computer companies either consolidate or sell out. Maybe it just doesn't make sense to essentially be just marketing companies that have everything built in Taiwan or China anyway. It should also be interesting how two companies that have been in the Tablet PC market for a while will handle their Tablet efforts. -- Posted Monday, August 27, 2007 by chb

Extech portable printers used in Patterson Dental's mobile field service solution
Case study: How Patterson Dental utilized Extech Data Systems’ printers and GD-Itronix rugged computers to cross over from a completely paper-based field service operation to an electronic one. -- Posted Monday, August 20, 2007 by chb

Ultra-rugged Trimble/TDS Nomad packs a punch
Tripod Data Systems, a Trimble company, was among the very first to bring to market a new machine built around the 806MHz version of the new XScale PXA320 processor. Having bought the XScale processor business from Intel in 2006, new owner Marvel offers a speedy, powerful, yet also very energy-efficient solution to forward-thinking clients. The Windows Mobile 6-based Trimble/TDS Nomad is an ultra-rugged high-performance handheld with a full gigabyte of Flash, a full 480 x 640 VGA display, and exemplary configurability with customizable endcaps. It operates in an enormously wide temperature range and can even survive underwater. [see description and specs of the Trimble/TDS Nomad] -- Posted Thursday, August 16, 2007 by chb

Mobile Linux coming on strong
The LiMo Foundation was formed by founder members Motorola, NEC, NTT DoCoMo, Panasonic Mobile Communications, Samsung Electronics, and Vodafone in January 2007. Its goal is to create a globally competitive, Linux-based software platform for mobile devices. They signed up a dozen new members since the launch and expect to see the first handsets supporting the LiMo platform to reach market in the first half of 2008. Motorola announced a significant step in its commitment to mobile Linux by introducing MOTOMAGX, its next generation mobile Linux platform. Motorola has sold more than 9 million Linux-based handsets worldwide, and in the next few years, up to 60% of Motorola's handset portfolio is expected to be based on Linux. [Read about Motorola's MOTOMAGX Linux strategy] -- Posted Wednesday, August 8, 2007 by chb

Kingston Mobility Kit
Leave it to Kingston Technology to help consumers sort out and manage the proliferation of different memory cards. Their new all-in-one Mobility Kit includes one of those tiny 1GB microSD cards and then THREE adapters so users can seamlessly convert to a SD card, miniSD or USB and use the microSD card across devices to easily move photos, music, videos or data to cameras, mobile phones, PDAs or computers. All for a grand total of US$27 list.
-- Posted Tuesday, August 7, 2007 by chb