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
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
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
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
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
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
Hitachi bundles Evernote with its StarBoard products EverNote Corporation today announced a software licensing and bundling agreement with Hitachi, which will see all new Hitachi StarBoar interactive presentation and communications systems shipping with the entire suite of EverNote software and technology. Each StarBoard system will include ritePen advanced handwriting recognition engine, EverNote notetaking productivity software and a number of other EverNote technologies -- Posted Saturday, November 10, 2007
Symbian charging hard Once there were the Psion clamshell handhelds and they were good, but not good enough to prevail against palm and Microsoft. So things morphed into Symbian, the flexible, adaptable OS platform that now powers an ever-increasing number of smartphones. The Symbian consortium is held by Ericsson (15.6%), Nokia (47.9%), Panasonic (10.5%), Samsung (4.5%), Siemens (8.4%) and Sony Ericsson (13.1%). In Q3 of 2007, 20.4 million smartphones were shipped (for a total of about 165 million since Symbian was formed in 1998), an increase of 56% over the same quarter last year. There are 134 Symbian smartphones available (click for a total list of all Symbian phones), over 8,000 third party Symbian apps are available, and 65 more are under development. -- Posted Saturday, November 10, 2007
Review: Neonode N2 -- new version of the phone that pioneered touch screens The Neonode N2 is a little multimedia touch screen phone that almost no one has 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 Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Trimble/TDS Nomad now with digital camera and scanner Trimble announced the availability of two Nomad rugged handheld computers: the 800LC and the 800LE. The Nomad 800LE comes with a fully integrated 2 megapixel digital camera and an integrated laser bar code scanner. The Nomad 800LC comes with the built-in digital camera only. Both models include integrated Bluetooth, 802.11, and GPS as well as 1 GB of internal data storage. [See our full review of the Trimble Nomad] -- Posted Monday, November 5, 2007
E-Ten releases two new WinMo 6 smartphones &uotE-Ten Information Systems of Taiwan introduced the Glofiish X600 and X800. The X800 is Quad-band GSM phone powered by a 500MHz version of the Samsung SC3 2442 processor that also supports HSDPA/UMTS, GPRS/EGPRS. The X800 has a SiRF Star III GPS received, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth v2.0 + EDR, a full VGA 2.8-inch display. The WinMo 6-based X800 has 256MB of Flash ROM, 64MB of RAM, a 2-megapixel camera, a microSD slot and a rechargeable Li-Polymer battery good for 5-7 hours. It measures 4.5 x 2.4 x 0.62 inches and weighs 5.2 ounces. The X600 is smaller yet at 4.2 x 2.3 x 0.57 inches and weighing 4.8 ounces. It, too, is a Quad band GSM phone with GPS, WiFi and 3.5G data network capabilities. -- Posted Monday, November 5, 2007
DrPepper's freebie game for iPhone users iPhone games and applications are actually specially formatted applets for the Apple Safari browser on the iPhone. Hundreds are already out there. This morning Dr Pepper introduced what they call the first branded game for the iPhone, Dr Pepper matchcaps. It's a highly addictive freebie that works like the legendary Bejeweled. It also runs on other browsers. [Play Dr Pepper matchcaps] -- Posted Monday, November 5, 2007
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]
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 
The Neonode N2 is a little multimedia touch screen phone that almost no one has 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 
E-Ten Information Systems of Taiwan introduced the Glofiish X600 and X800. The X800 is Quad-band GSM phone powered by a 500MHz version of the Samsung SC3 2442 processor that also supports HSDPA/UMTS, GPRS/EGPRS. The X800 has a SiRF Star III GPS received, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth v2.0 + EDR, a full VGA 2.8-inch display. The WinMo 6-based X800 has 256MB of Flash ROM, 64MB of RAM, a 2-megapixel camera, a microSD slot and a rechargeable Li-Polymer battery good for 5-7 hours. It measures 4.5 x 2.4 x 0.62 inches and weighs 5.2 ounces. The X600 is smaller yet at 4.2 x 2.3 x 0.57 inches and weighing 4.8 ounces. It, too, is a Quad band GSM phone with GPS, WiFi and 3.5G data network capabilities. -- Posted Monday, November 5, 2007