April 2007

A new kind of gesture recognition used in DoCoMo phones
GestureTek Mobile announced that its EyeMobile gesture recognition technology for mobile phones has been embedded in two new accelerometer-equipped DoCoMo FOMA 904i series handsets released in Japan. This first OEM handset agreement for GestureTek's technology may pave the way for a shift in user/mobile interaction by allowing navigation menus, maps, photos, games and other applications simply by tilting the cellphone in various directions. The DoCoMo phones will launch with several dozen EyeMobile-enabled applications, including games. Other near-term applications include a map browser with rapid, button-free map navigation. Motion-controlled menu scrolling, picture browsing, and digital camera image zoom-and-pan as well as gesture-based Web page navigation may also be added soon and could vastly simplify using the mobile Internet. -- Posted Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Where are they now? Rejuvenated CIC inks deal with Lenovo
Longtime followers of the pen computing scene know CIC, Communication Intelligence Corporation, as a pioneer in handwriting recognition. As we all know, that was a rocky road. But where most others gave up, CIC rolled with the punches and reinvented itself as a (now profitable) provider of electronic signature solutions for business process automation in the financial industry and a leader in biometric signature verification. CIC just announced a sales and marketing agreement with Lenovo to provide its electronic signature solution for ThinkPad Tablet PCs and for the companies to jointly promote their product offerings. Much optimism stems from IDC suggesting that convertible Tablet PC unit shipments will reach more than one million this year and more than four million by 2010. CIC's SignatureOne Suite includes its SignatureOne Server, Sign-it, and iSign software. SignatureOne Server provides user authentication, profile administration and transaction receipts. Sign-it and iSign provide shrink-wrapped application plug-in as well as developer tools for the integration of signatures into complex enterprise architectures and custom applications. -- Posted Wednesday, April 25, 2007

iPhone survey: almost half of US population aware of it
A February 2007 online survey on the upcoming Apple iPhone by Harris Interactive that included 1,116 US adults showed that 47% of respondents were aware of the iPhone and 17% expressed interest in purchasing it. Of those interested, 9% said they'd buy at product launch and another 8% before their current service contract expired. 17% say they'd wait for their current contract to expire and 25% would purchase when their existing carrier offers the iPhone. 40% will wait for the price to come down. The hottest iPhone feature was its large storage capacity (37%), followed by quad band worldwide capabilities (36%) and its cool user interface (31%). -- Posted Monday, April 23, 2007

Trimble introduces handy WinMo5 Juno ST GPS handheld
Trimble introduced the latest addition to its GIS product line—the Juno ST handheld, a portable, low-cost data collection solution supported by Trimble's range of field and office software. It comes standard with a built-in high-sensitivity GPS receiver, runs WinMo Microsoft 5.0 software, has 128MB of non-volatile Flash, a SD slot, an 8-hour battery, WiFi/Bluetooth, weighs just 4.8 ounces and measures 4.3 in x 2.4 in x 0.7 inches. The Juno ST handheld GPS receiver is available for order now through Trimble's Mapping and GIS dealer network. It is expected to begin shipping in early May 2007. -- Posted Monday, April 23, 2007

Panasonic reveals rugged Toughbook CF-08 Wireless Display
Panasonic introduced the Windows CE 5.0-based Toughbook CF-08 Wireless Display. The new slate, which measures 10.5 x 8.25 inches, is 1.4 inches thick and weighs 2.65 pounds, is primarily meant to be used for terminal sessions while communicating with a Toughbook or Windows Server via Citrix or Microsoft RDP. The PXA270-powered slate has a 10.4-inch daylight-readable TFT with 1024x768 resolution. It is also meant to last, with IP54 ingress protection and a 4-foot drop spec. [Read our preview of the Panasonic Toughbook CF-08] -- Posted Thursday, April 12, 2007

Advantech releases industrial handheld terminal
The portable computer division of Advantech, a diversified Taiwanese computer maker with 33 branches worldwide and 2,700 employees also active in vehicle-mounts and medical computing platforms, has released the WinCE/XScale-powered MARS-1030 compact handheld mobile terminal for use in retail, warehousing, logistic and ordering service applications. The MARS-1030 carries an IP54 rating, can handle 5 foot drops to concrete, and operate between 14 and 122 degrees. Memory is up to 128MB of Flash and up to 256MB of SDRAM. There's a 3.5-inch transflective touchscreen display, both CF and SD card slots, 16- or 44-key keypad options, and a full-shift battery power. Options include integrated wireless LAN, Bluetooth, 1D/2D barcode scanners, GSM/GPRS and a large variety of accessories including pistol grip, holster, chargers, docks and cables. [see Advantech MARS-1030 product page] -- Posted Wednesday, April 11, 2007

No more Dell Axim Pocket PCs
A quote from Dell spokeswoman Anne Camden is making it around the web: "The Axim X51 family is no longer being offered, and we have no plans for a follow-on product at this time." So that would mean that the Dell Pocket PCs are dead, though Dell continues to offer Axim accessories and assorted Palms, GPS devices and the like, but the Axims themselves seem gone. They had a relatively lackluster 5-year run where low price seemed the primary motive. Still, the final X51v was a nice machine with a terrific VGA display, but for now the industry is dropping conventional PDAs. Sad but true, and a missed opportunity for sure. -- Posted Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Palm's future
News.com reports on Palm's analyst day in New York. Palm pointed at the growing smartphone market, projected to be $36 billion in 2009, and is counting on that segment of the market with its Treos. Nothing was mentioned of the rumors that Palm is seeking a buyer. Our take: Yes, the smartphone market is growing. But compared to the billion-plus cellphones, they're still just a drop in the bucket. And that drop is largely dominated by heavies like Nokia and Motorola, and generally by Symbian and Microsoft-based products. Worse, Palm has lost its once famous mojo and even ease-of-use whereas Microsoft keeps moving forward. Come on Ed! We know you can do it!!! -- Posted Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Review: GETAC M230
The GETAC M230 is not your typical rugged notebook computer. This cool-running, silent magnesium-alloy machine is thinner than most (just 1.8 inches), yet has a media bay that can accommodate an optical drive or a second battery. It has a very high resolution 15-inch display (1400 x 1050 pixels), plenty of connectivity (including legacy ports), and state-of-the-art 3G wireless options (including a SIM slot). The GETAC M230 also features exemplary ergonomics and excellent industrial design. [read our full review of the GETAC M230] -- Posted Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Added/updated Fujitsu listings
We've added and updated listings for various Fujitsu Tablet PC products: Fujitsu LifeBook P1610, Fujitsu LifeBook B6210, Fujitsu LifeBook T4215, and the Fujitsu Stylistic ST5100 Series. -- Posted Wednesday, April 4, 2007