“The Palm OS is about to get into the fast lane.A little more than four months after Palm released the Windows Mobile-based Treo 700w on Verizon Wireless’ EV-DO (Evolution Data Optimized) network, it is set to announce a Palm OS version that can connect to EV-DO networks, CNET News.com has learned. The company on Monday will unveil the new model, which is expected to be called the 700p, according to sources familiar with its plans.A Palm representative declined to comment for this story.Palm enthusiast sites have been buzzing about the 700p ever since Palm broke with tradition and chose Windows Mobile for the 700w smart phone, which was released in January. At the time, Palm CEO Ed Colligan made it clear that the company planned to continue releasing versions of the Treo based on Palm OS. The 700p will be the first Palm OS-based update to the Treo lineup since the release of the Treo 650 in October 2004.EV-DO networks are available from both Verizon and Sprint in the U.S. They allow mobile phone users to download data at speeds between 400Kbps (kilobits per second) and 700Kbps, significantly faster than older wireless networks.It’s not clear whether Verizon or Sprint will be the initial carrier of the 700p, but Verizon was the launch partner for the 700w. It’s also not clear when the devices will become available, although various postings on Palm enthusiast sites point toward a late-May introduction.The 700p is not expected to look all that different from the 700w, except for the operating system. Some mobile-application developers have bemoaned the lack of a Palm OS-based Treo on a fast wireless network such as EV-DO and have embraced the Windows operating system for some new multimedia applications.”
Nokia E61 BIG review at allaboutsymbian
“So why go through all these hoops in terms of the user interface when a much better use of the screen could make it easier for the end user? The answer, of course, is S60 and economies of scale and code. Previously, S60 devices have been on portrait sized screens, with roughly the same width/height ratio, so everything worked as originally intended. But with the E61 switching to a landscape screen, Nokia have had no choice but to keep the same UI elements so that applications written for S60 3rd edition will still be able to run. A little bit more testing and tweaking needs to be done – I’d love to see a consistent font size throughout the interface as soon as possible.The other major point in the E61 is the inclusion of a qwerty based keyboard for easier text entry – which is a great choice given the target market of the device. But again the fact that the E61 is a first generation qwerty S60 device (alongside the E70) shows. There are too many little quirks and problems that mean you can’t fully trust the keyboard. The main feeling is a lack of consistency – in number pad mode for making calls, you get the + sign by tapping the blue ‘embedded’ key with the plus sign. Move to the calculator application, and while you can still type in numbers directly, you can’t type the plus key, you have to resort to moving the cursor around and selecting it on screen.” Read this review here:
SanDisk Introduces 4Gigabyte Memory Stick Pro Duo card
“SanDisk today introduces a 4-gigabyte (GB) SanDisk Memory Stick PRO Duo Game card that can store up to 64 hours of MP3 music tracks, 20 or more hours of movies/videos/film trailers, 12 hours of game saves, or 4,000 digital still images.The 4GB card, which is expected to ship this month, carries a suggested retail price (SRP) of $219.99. Other capacities in the Memory Stick PRO Duo Gaming Card line include 256 megabytes (MB)* at $34.99, 512MB at $44.99, 1GB at $59.99 and 2GB at $109.99 (SRPs).”The PSP has clearly become more than just a gaming device,” said Wes Brewer, SanDisk’s vice president of consumer products marketing. “Since there is no internal memory for the PSP, a Memory Stick PRO Duo flash card is the only way to store large amounts of entertainment and other files. Now that the PSP has been in the marketplace for over a year, many new services have sprung up to offer downloadable content such as movies, so the users are rapidly demanding higher capacity cards.”The PSP uses a proprietary storage medium called Universal Media Disc (UMD) for movies and games, but UMD discs are neither recordable nor writable. SanDisk co-developed the Memory Stick PRO format with Sony. Last year, SanDisk introduced the new gaming line of Memory Stick PRO Duo cards in semi-transparent neon colors. The new 4GB card is red.” via slashphone.com
Pioneer Skype Certified telephone, the TF FS55M S
“Pioneer has been offering wired VoIP compatible phones for 2 or 3 years now, and with the rise of Skype nowadays, Pioneer had to react and that’s what they do now with this TF-FS55M-S. This phone can be used as a regular landline phone, but once it gets connected to a PC, it’s 100% compatible with Skype’s functions.” via akihabaranews.com
Video: A look at the Garmin iQue3000
“Putting an end to drought of Palm-based GPS handheldsThe Garmin iQue3000 is as useful for keeping a calendar and an address book as it is for finding your way in the world. CNET’s Bonnie Cha takes a first look at the new PDA/GPS handheld.”Check out this small video of the upcoming Garmin iQue 3000 at cnetnews.com