Month: August 2006

“The Zaurus is in a class by itself, being a cross between a PDA and a handheld computer. Rather than running a somewhat limited PDA operating system, it runs Linux which means the CPU and RAM are the only real limit for running Linux applications. Linux apps must be recompiled to run on the Zaurus but that’s not a daunting task, and we’ve seen many useful ports and open source software for the Z emerge over the years. In fact, there are several ROMs available for the Z as well (modified versions of the OS and even different Linux distros). This is an instant-on machine (no waiting for a computer to boot) with a VGA touch screen and an excellent miniature keyboard. Like a PDA it has full PIM applications, and adds very capable MS Office editors, the NetFront web browser, email client and more. The Zaurus’ web browser is much more like a desktop web browser in presentation and layout, though it doesn’t support the full range of desktop plugins. That said, it beats PDA browsers by a mile and you can install Opera to further broaden your browsing options. Given the screen resolution, killer keyboard, desktop-like web browser and strong Office suite, the Zaurus really crosses over into handheld computer territory and is more powerful than a basic PDA.” Read this nice review here:

“The Quest is a graphically stunning, engaging and sinister world full of magic, music and provocative challenges.Choose from five customizable races and an array of skills, attributes, weapons, armor and enchantments, then explore a huge non-linear realm of four different cities and a wilderness of mountains, caves, lakes and forests.Play an absorbing card game, solve brain-teasing quests and clash with dangerous opponents in this turn- and skill-based role playing game.You will have many choices, including some that may place you against the law, along your way to the dramatic end of your own choosing. You will need all your gaming know-how to survive and discover your destiny! The game requires… * Pocket PC 2003 or newer (OS 4.x or 5.x) * 18 MB storage ram (either built-in memory or card) * 12 MB program memory The game supports the following screen resolutions: * standard ppc 240×320 and 320×240 (both left and right landscape) * vga 480×640 and 640×480 (also both left and right landscape) * square 240×240 and 480×480 * hpc 800×480, 800×600, 640×240, 640×480” Check this great game here:

“Here’s an alternative to watching Lost on your iPod. The RoverTV from Doghouse Electronics is a widescreen, horizontal approach to watching mobile TV or movies. The screen comes in two sizes, 3.5″ and 4”. You can also record live TV or watch it live, in digital hi-res color; programmable, DVR-like recording is available as well.That recorder also works with DVRs, VCRs, and even CDs and DVDs. You can, of course, transfer files from a PC to the RoverTV. And it’s not just MP4 video. The device doubles as an audio player as well, accommodating MP3s and WAV files. You can even look at static images(JPEG, GIF, or BMP).By now, you’re probably wondering about memory. The RoverTV has some Flash memory (unspecified) and can handle SD cards, so you decide how much you want to tote around at one time. It does come with a 2GB card, so that’s a start, at least.Pricing is US$299 or US$349, depending on screen size, and you can one (or both) here.” via mobilemag.com

“For a change, someone has introduced a product where EVERYTHING is included in the box and that “someone” is Palm! Yes, Palm somehow has managed to outdo their previous bundle this time around. Upon opening the oversized box clad in Palm’s new corporate color scheme, one cannot help but notice several printed pieces of documentation and a foldout starter guide. What a welcome touch in today’s PDF documentation-centric world! Another nice touch was the consolidation of the nine (!) CDs of TomTom 5’s map set onto a single DVD. The DVD also contains additional installable voices in any of twenty languages. However, the most significant addition to this bundle is a 1gb MultiMedia card (MMC) that is pre-loaded with maps of the entire United States and Canada. Even better, both Windows Mobile and Palm OS executables of the TomTom Navigator app reside on this MMC, befitting Palm’s new OS-agnostic outlook on life. This bundled MMC is a writable card so the user can add a few extra megabytes of extra files (be warned that this card auto-starts upon insertion) or update the maps down the road. To aid the user in transferring new maps to the SD/MMC cards, Palm thoughtfully bundles a mini card reader in the box. It’s small, USB 2.0, and supports SD, MMC, RSMMC, and Mini-SD.” Read this nice review here:

“ThinPrint has launched the Content Beamer for BlackBerry 2.5, a mobile document output system (MDOS). The updated application enables BlackBerry users to print, fax and view documents that they receive via email.Along with the existing features of the Content Beamer for BlackBerry, such as printing via Bluetooth printers or network printers, the update allows users to send files to fax machines and to display and save compressed files on a laptop screen. As with the original software, features are not restricted to any particular file-type. Via the “Print-to-Screen” function, users can easily display Powerpoint files and CAD-files, a format frequently used in the construction industry. “Print-to-Screen” works via Bluetooth and will show a compressed read-only file on a PC or laptop display. Users can also send files direct to a fax machine, which is practical when there is no printer available.Businesses who require their staff to print documents while on the move will benefit from the new software. Content Beamer for BlackBerry 2.5 helps staff to be more productive and flexible, removing the costs usually involved with wireless access or the use of business centres for printing. ThinPrint’s own adaptive compression mechanism, with rates of up to 98%, ensures that very little data volume is sent across the mobile connection, keeping connection charges to a minimum.”The new version of Content Beamer gives BlackBerry users several options for working with mailed documents intelligently to achieve productive mobile working,” said Carsten Mickeleit, Managing Director at ThinPrint GmbH.Drivers working for logistics companies can now print documents immediately via the Bluetooth printers they carry on board. Also, construction plans or other large format CAD files can be conveniently viewed when sent via “Print-to-Screen” at any site.” via slashphone.com

“A greater number of advanced mobile devices and smart phones are now available on the market. This new breed of Hi-Tech Handheld device typically has a built-in High-resolution digital camera and a large number of multimedia applications; both of these features alone have catapulted the need for higher performance and bigger capacity Flash Memory Cards. To ensure you get the most from your Hi-Tech devices, Transcend Information Inc., a world leader in flash memory devices, has released its latest Hi-Speed 80X Ultra-Performance microSD Memory Cards, available in 256MB and 512MB capacities, and only half the size of a mobile phone SIM card they are the smallest memory cards in the world. Extremely fast data transfer speeds of up to 12MB/sec give the New 80X microSD Cards a 70% increase in transfers speed when compared with normal microSD Cards. Transcend’s high performance 80X microSD Cards are the perfect choice of Memory Card for use in the next generation of mobile phones and portable devices, which include a memory card slot as standard. In addition, Transcend’s 80X microSD Card can also be used in regular SD memory card slots by combining the card with its provided adapter, thus ensuring that the 80X microSD Card can be used in all compliant SD card devices. Now you have the convenience of being able to save pictures, MP3 music, or MPEG 4 video clips onto one tiny, high performance 80X microSD™ Memory Card, which can be used in your MP3 Player, Digital Camera, Mobile Phone, Smart Phone, PDA, or other mobile devices. Having focused on the research and development of flash memory cards for many years, Transcend insists on only using original SLC (Single-Level-Cell) NAND Flash chips in its microSD™ Cards. By testing many digital cameras and mobile phones, which have a microSD™, or SD™ card slot, we ensure that Transcend’s 80X microSD™ Cards are fully compatible and guarantee the best performance results from your Hi-Tech portable devices. Product Features Approx 20% of the size of a standard SD™ Card, but with all of the features and performance Perfect for the next generation of mobile phones and portable devices microSD™ adapter allows the card to be used in standard SD™ card slots Adoption of original SLC NAND flash chips Compliant with the Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI) portable device requirements Lifetime warranty

” We are happy to announce the launch of Skype for Pocket PC 2.1- Beta. Skype for PPC provides our customers the freedom to enjoy Skype ‘on the go’ in the home, the office or the outdoors – wherever there is a WiFi, EDGE or 3G network that a Pocket PC can connect to. So find your favorite WiFi hot spot and Skype away. If you get an EDGE or 3G enabled Pocket PC with broadband data plan, you can really start going places with your buddies always nearby.Here are a list of key improvements and new features: Multi-chat support, including animated emoticons One click access to Skype from the home screen Profile editing capability, including the ability to take a picture with device camera and update Skype profile Enriched contact lists – view contacts’ mood messages and avatars Contact search – users can now search for and add new contacts from their device Skype Launcher – Skype is now started through a small “launcher” application that checks the available memory and verifies that Skype is installed correctly; the Skype launcher also results in improved start-up times Improved call management – Skype now detects incoming mobile calls, and offers the user the choice to hang up or ignore the call. On device help guide” Download Skype for Pocket PC 2.1 BETA here: via pocketpcthoughts.com

“For Palm Treo smartphone users and GPS enthusiasts, Palm announced the Palm GPS Navigator Smartphone Edition, featuring new TomTom NAVIGATOR 6 software. Drivers using the new GPS Navigator with their Treo smartphones can rely on voice-guided, turn-by-turn directions to easily find their destinations as well as millions of points of interest, including gas stations, restaurants, parks, airports and more.Palm’s new Bluetooth enabled SiRFstarIII GPS receiver, which features a sleek design and easier-to-see LED lights, seamlessly pairs with Palm Treo 650, Treo 700w and Treo 700p smartphones. The product is simple to set up, thanks to a 1GB memory card preloaded with maps. Travelers simply pop the memory card into their Treo smartphone and pair the GPS receiver to access highway and street-level maps covering the United States and Canada. No desktop syncing or downloading of maps is required. Using the smartphone’s high-resolution screen, TomTom’s NAVIGATOR 6 software automatically shows the receiver’s (and hence, the car’s) current location.”The convergence of portable navigation devices is growing in the United States,” said Jocelyn Vigreux, president of TomTom. “Palm’s bundle offering with TomTom’s new NAVIGATOR 6 software reflects our joint efforts to continue providing customers with essential smartphone solutions. The Treo smartphone series provides an ideal platform for portable navigation.”The Bluetooth technology-enabled receiver identifies the car’s position using satellites. By communicating with the GPS receiver via Bluetooth, the Treo smartphone obtains real-time location information and displays 3-D maps on the Treo smartphone’s high-resolution screen. After a destination has been programmed, TomTom NAVIGATOR gives voice-guided, turn-by-turn instructions in one of more than 30 available voices. It will also automatically recalculate a route after a wrong turn, avoid roadblocks or circumvent traffic congestion.” via slashphone.com

“Bengalboy site, which used to joy us with “spy” photos and spec of not yet announced cellphone models, has published HTC 2006 roadmap with photos and specs. In addition to the recently announced HTC TyTN and HTC MTeoR there are several not yet officially announced models. The roadmap provides info about all of them with details.In particular, there are specs and photos of HTC Artemis and HTC Trinity with integrated GPS-modules, HTC Excalibur slim smartphone with the QWERTY-keyboard, HTC Oxygen simple smartphone and the renamed HTC Melody smartphone (earlier HTC Muse) with 4 GB flash ROM onboard.”

“Trolltech announced Qtopia Greenphone, the first open Linux mobile device for application developers. Greenphone enables commercial and open source developers, in-house software developers and handset manufacturers to create, modify and test Linux- based mobile phone applications on a working GSM/GPRS device, making the applications easier to build and faster to bring to market.Greenphone will be offered as part of a complete software development kit (SDK) and includes Trolltech’s Qtopia Phone Edition, an application platform and user interface for Linux-based mobile phone. Although not intended as a commercial mobile phone, Greenphone has many of the communication functions and features found in today’s sophisticated smartphones. Developers can exploit these features and functions in developing their own unique applications.Greenphone is a functioning mobile camera phone with the capability to re-flash the applications of the device.”With Greenphone, the sky is the limit when it comes to creating and testing new applications on a powerful mobile device platform,” said Haavard Nord, co-CEO, Trolltech. “Developers can create applications to suit the evolving needs of carriers and end users with a dramatically reduced development cycle,” added Eirik Chambe-Eng, co-CEO, Trolltech.Specifications SoftwareQtopia Phone Edition 4.1.4 Linux kernel 2.4.19 Hardware Touch-screen and keypad UI QVGA LCD color screen Intel XScale 312 mHz PXA270 64MB RAM & 128MB Flash Mini-SD card slot Broadcom BCM2121 GSM/GPRS baseband processor Bluetooth equipped Mini-USB port” via slashphone.com