Dec. 26, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Palm, Inc. has
announced the availability of the MyPalm(TM) portal service
which allows personal information management through a
web clipping service.
MyPalm(TM) http://www.palm.net/
[2000/12/26]
Dec. 26, 2000, Katie Dean writes for Wired News that the
Consolidated High School District 230 in Orland Park, Ill.
has "rolled out 2,200 Palm IIIxe handhelds" throughout
3 high schools in a large scale experiment in education.
Consolidated High School
District 230, Orland Park, Ill. http://www.d230.org/
[2000/12/26]
Dec. 22, 2000, Associated Press reports that the US Government
websites will be standardized for accessibility for disabled
people. Guidelines were set by the U.S. Access Board and will
take effect on June 21, 2001. Accessibility standards should
also make websites more usable via handheld computers.
U. S. Access Board
http://www.access-board.gov/
National Organization on Disability
http://www.nod.org/
[2000/12/27]
My best wishes to all for the holiday season and the coming year!
Due to technical problems, I did not have access to all
news sources that I normally check. Due to the season, it
is likely that I didn't miss anything, but I will try to check
my sources again later this week.
[2000/12/24]
Dec. 24, 2000, Amy Zuckerman writes in her article "Those
Black Holes in Your Mobile Phone Service" (The New York
Times, Dec. 24, 2000) that cell phone users can find
that coverage is not as seamless as expected and that
unexpected roaming and long distance charges can be
a problem.
[2000/12/24]
Dec. 24, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Niragongo Technologies Inc.
claims that its new Java based Lava Platform(TM) improves wireless
internet access by allowing navigation with fewer clicks.
Niragongo Technologies
Inc. http://www.niragongo.com/
[2000/12/24]
Dec. 22, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Lineo, Inc. has
announced that it has successfully ported the uClinux(TM)
2.4 kernel to the Motorola DragonBall(TM) processor family.
New features include USB support, IrDA and "quality of service"
(QoS) support. Other versions of uClinux support Motorola
Coldfire, ARM7TDMI, i960 and over processors.
Lineo, Inc. http://www.lineo.com/
[2000/12/24]
Dec. 22, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that Absolute Software
claims that its Computrace(R) software aided in the recover of
a laptop computer that was stolen a Toronto airport on Dec. 5,
2000. The software sends automated calls to Absolute Software.
[2000/12/24]
Dec. 21, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Franklin Electronic
Publishers, Inc. has announced a special developer edition
of the eBookMan(R) reader and multimedia content player
with 16MB RAM and a special case. The platform features
a proprietary 32-bit 24MHz RISC processor with MMU, USB and
support for real time speech decompression, and a 240 * 200
pixel LCD display.
Franklin Electronic
Publishers, Inc. Dev Zone http://www.franklin.com/devzone/
[2000/12/24]
Dec. 20, 2000, Reuters reports that the highest bids after the 19th round of US FCC auction for C and F blocks PCS wireless licences include Verizon Wireless, Salmon PCS, Alaska Native, DCC PCS Inc., Cook Inlet, VoiceStream, Black Crow Wireless, Leap Wireless, SprintCom. Inc. and Lafayette Comm.
[For more info, see the US FCC Website.]
[2000/12/24]
Dec. 20, 2000, Gina Kolata writes for the New York Times
that the results of two studies have failed to show a
link between cell phone use and brain cancer.
One study supported by the National Cancer Institute
will be published in The New England Journal of Medicine
while the other, funded by the cell phone industry and
the US Federal government will be published in The
Journal of the American Medical Association.
[2000/12/20]
Dec. 20, 2000, PR Newswire reports that QRS Diagnostic
has announced that its Diagnostic SpiroCard(R) and
SpirOxCard(R) PC Card medical devices have passed the
American Thoracic Society (ATS) accuracy tests for
spirometry (performed and certified at the LDS Hospital
Pulmonary Function Laboratory).
QRS Diagnostic, LLC
http://www.QRSdiagnostic.com/
[2000/12/20]
Dec. 20, 2000, Business Wire reports that Dell has reduced
prices on most of its laptop computer line, some prices
dropping as much as 20%.
[2000/12/20]
Dec. 19, 2000, Semiconductor Business News reports that
Advanced Forecasting Inc. has warned that the chip market
will continue to be soft in Q1 2001.
[2000/12/20]
Dec. 19, 2000, Paul Festa writes for CNET News.com that on Tuesday, the World Wide Web Consortium has approved Extensible Hypertext Markup Language Basic (XHTML Basic) which is a subset of XHTML (which in turn is based on XML). XHTML Basic is intended for small devices such as cell phones. Features not included in XHTML Basic include style sheets, scripts and events, presentation features including fonts and other text elements and frames. Forms and tables are supported but with limitations.
[See also Compact HTML (CHTML), Wireless Markup Language
(WML) and W3C's "HTML 4.0 Guidelines for Mobile Access."
Note that for *years* now I have written often in my reviews
that it was "too soon" to put Web browsers in ROM because
requirements were still changing. At this point, it is obvious
that I was right. The definitions for markup languages are
*still* changing.]
[2000/12/20]
Dec. 19, 2000 PR Newswire reports that Pocketmultimedia(TM) has
announced that its "PockIt(TM)" and "UnPockIt(TM)" video compression
software for Compaq iPaq(R) and and other PDAs is available
through PocketGear.com and Handandgo.com. The software uses a
proprietary "wavelet video encoder".
Pocketmultimedia
http://www.pocketmultimedia.com/
[2000/12/20]
Due to technical problems beyond my control, I don't
have access to some news articles. Within the next few
days I will check back through my source and see if
anything significant is missed.
[2000/12/17]
Dec. 15, 2000, PR Newswire reports that aJile Systems, Inc.
has announced the availability of its aJ-100 low power Java
processor. The processor is now starting to ship with
volume production targeted for Mar. 2001. An aJ-100EVB
evaluation board is planned for January 2001. Quantity
price is $17 each in quantities of 10K.
aJile Systems, Inc.
http://www.ajile.com/
[2000/12/17]
Dec. 15, 2000, PR Newswire reports that according to "SAR SHIELD",
it's product "SAR Shield" reduces radiation emitted by cellular
phones by up to 89%.
[2000/12/17]
Dec. 14, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Microcell Connexions Inc. and Research In Motion Limited (RIM) have announced a wholesale agreement whereby RIM will purchase airtime and services from Microcell for resale.
[The press release is a bit vague. It only mentions GPRS.
It does not seem to be saying that RIM will use the GSM voice
capability. Furthermore, it does not say anything about what
sort of devices RIM has in mind for terminal usage.]
[2000/12/17]
Dec. 14, 2000 Canada NewsWire reports that OneEighty Software
Ltd. has announced that it has developed a "clean-room"
implementation of Java Virtual Machine code named GENEVA that
will bring Java capabilities to 8-bit embedded platforms.
OneEighty Software Ltd.
http://www.180sw.com/
[2000/12/17]
Dec. 14, 2000, PR Newswire reports that NadaPC has announced
the release of its "SurfBoard" Internet appliance which will be
offered to consumers for "free" (requiring a 36 month contract
for Internet services for $21.95 US/month). Weighing 2.2 lbs.,
the tablet device is wired in its base state but can be upgraded
to wireless for in-home/near-home use.
NadaPC http://www.nadapc.com/
[2000/12/17]
Dec. 13, 2000, Portelligent Inc. has announced that
its analyses for products in the mobile information
technology fields (phones, pagers, notebook computers,
PDAs, consumer electronics, digital cameras and imaging
devices, set-top boxes and wireless LANs) are freely
available for a limited time for industry insiders.
Portelligent Inc.
http://www.portelligent.com/
[2000/12/13] [URL corrected] [2000/12/17]
Dec. 13, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Palm, Inc. and
AppForge, Inc. have announced that Palm has obtained a
license to distribute AppForge Booster(TM) runtime software
which is a Visual Basic 6.0 compatible platform. Palm
will distribute the software early in 2001, free of
charge. The software can be downloaded immediately from
the AppForge website.
AppForge, Inc.
http://www.appforge.com/
[2000/12/13]
Dec. 13, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Kingston(R) Technology
Company, Inc. has announced that it is offering 64MB CompactFlash
memory cards pre-loaded with trial versions of Windows CE software
for the Pocket PC from Developer One(R). The CF/64PD1 has
a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price of $150 US.
[2000/12/13]
Dec. 13, 2000, PR Newswire reports that the University of Akron
has approved an agreement whereby all first year law students will
use IBM laptops computer with wireless technology. The University
will receive 350 laptop computers for the program (leased at about
1/2 the retail price).
[2000/12/13]
Dec. 12, 2000, Michael Kanellos writes for CNET News.com that
"Samsung said Tuesday it will release a Code Division Multiple
Access (CDMA) cell phone that contains a Palm organizer. The
device is scheduled to arrive in the second quarter of
2001 in North America. Other products will follow."
[2000/12/13]
Dec. 12, 2000, PR Newswire reports that NTRU has announced
its Security Toolkit for Palm(TM) handheld computers. This
system implements "Rijndael", an Advanced Encryption Standard.
NTRU Security Tools For
Palm http://www.ntru.com/Palm/
[2000/12/13]
Dec. 12, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Sun Microsystems, Inc.
has announced that it will ship a developers release of
Java(TM) 2 Platform, Micro Edition (J2ME) (TM) and the Mobile
Information Device (MID) profile for the Palm OS platform.
Java Mobile
Information Device Profile http://www.java.sun.com/products/midp/
[2000/12/13]
Dec. 12, 2000, Ian Fried writes for CNET News.com that
at the PalmSource developers conference, Carl Yankowski
"detailed" the new version 4.0 PalmOS which includes 16-bit
colour, Bluetooth wireless connectivity, universal serial bus
(USB) and support for wireless telephony. Bill Maggs
demonstrated a port of PalmOS to an ARM platform (Cirrus Logic
development circuit board) which is capable of running current
PalmOS programs. Yankowski also talk about PalmOS 5.0 which
will support higher screen resolutions. Dates and prices
were not announced.
[2000/12/13]
Dec. 12, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Microsoft Corp. has announced
the immediate availability of the Microsoft(R) Windows Media(TM)
Player 7 for Pocket PC. The software can be downloaded from the
Microsoft Website.
Microsoft Windows Media Software
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/
[2000/12/13]
Dec. 12, 2000, PR Newswire reports that DATATRAK International, Inc.
has announced that it is introducing the ability to implement
its DATATRAK EDC(TM) software for wireless and handheld technology
deployment. Initial feasibility and performance assessments were
done using the Hewlett-Packard Jornada(TM) and Lucent ORiNOCO(TM)
wireless modem.
DATATRAK International, Inc.
http://www.datatraknet.com/
[2000/12/13]
This is my third "non-mobile IT" article within a very short period of time. I don't like writing on the the "business" side of the industry. I prefer to keep this a fairly pure technology resource. But the recent downturn in the industry, though in part a deliberate choice of the US Fed leads to questions of which companies show promise and which companies might fall by the side. In my last article, I noted that as a consumer, I concern myself with "recent past" reputation of a company (Canon) and its products and services. This time, I raise the question of whether management understands its market.
In this past year, two major names in the auto industry have fallen. Earlier this year was Plymouth, and yesterday, Oldsmobile. At various times over the years, my family has owned 3 Plymouth products and 3 Oldsmobile products. I have fond memories of both brands, and I will add that within this past year, I particularly liked the Oldsmobile Alero. But, though the announcement of the discontinuation of the whole Oldsmobile division surprised me, the failure of Oldsmobile to gain significant sales was not surprising at all. The short summary is that while the idea of going after the "youth market" was correct, doing so with a product line that didn't have an SUV, and the smallest car offered is the Alero, was rediculous. Furthermore, GM effectively killed Oldsmobile's youth market years ago when it decided that Oldsmobile would not compete in NASCAR's Winston Cup, and essentially limited it to IRL which is at best an embarrassing "B league" operation that no-one should want to be associated with.
By comparison, the field of mobile technology is even less a "commodity" field than the automobile field. There are still situation where one technology will work and another simply won't. Ie. only the RIM will receive live pages. Neither WindowsCE nor Palm will. On the other hand, there is no such thing as a colour RIM Blackberry. But even when there are enough functional overlaps, there are fairly large differences in functionality. Both the automobile industry and the computer industry, of which the mobile technology field is a part, require management that is perceptive and visionary. Perceptive means that they see the market and the industry accurately, and visionary means that they have an idea where to go in the future.
Far more than the automobile industry, the computer customer has to believe that it is buying a technology with a strong future. This gives the role of management as visionaries an even greater importance. When technology companies panic, they tend to replace visionary management with "efficient" conservative management. This can turn out to be a mistake. Without vision, they company may be able to fix obvious short term internal problems, but their product line will eventually run its course leaving the company with no future. It is during periods such as this, characterized by constrained growth or even shrinking market, where such mistakes are made.
A consumer is also at risk in this situation. A product from a
company that dies will probably go "unsupported" with all the
problems that such an event implies. So management is a concern
even to the consumer and one is at risk either buying "too far
out on the edge" or buying conservatively. Remember Plymouth
and Oldsmobile.
[2000/12/13]
Around the end of Oct. 1999, I wrote "So? Don't Buy A
Computer. . . ." wherein I stated that the high DRAM
prices of that time frame, and indication of possible
shortages of parts lead to the conclusion that it was
not a good time to be buying computer products. I think
that although I haven't been checking the current prices,
the profit warnings of the various computer companies and
chip companies, and the "first time ever" rebate on Sun
servers, seems to indicate that this is probably a very
good time to be buying computer equipment. Time to
look around.
[2000/12/13]
Dec. 10, 2000, Associated Press reports that Intel is expected to announce the development of a transistor that is 0.03 microns wide (about 3 atoms thick).
[2000/12/10]
Dec. 8, 2000, Ian Fried writes for CNET News.com that "NTRU
plans to announce that it is moving its cryptography tools
to the Palm operating system" and "Jawz plans to announce
its DataGator software, which automatically encrypts all
data on Palm handhelds."
[2000/12/10]
Dec. 8, 2000, Reuters reports that according to the Cellular
Telecommunications & Internet Association, 38% of Americans
have mobile phones, whereas in countries such as Finland
and Austria, market penetration is as high as 70% (the
highest in the world.
[2000/12/10]
Dec. 7, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Big Hammer Group Inc. claims
that its "EzBriefcase(TM)" product assists information exchange
for RIM, Palm and other platforms by allowing conversion of
attachments from Word, WordPerfect and Rich Text to RIM, Palm
or WAP.
[When I tried accessing the Website, it wasn't found.
I'm posting the given Web address under the assumption that this
was a temporary problem.]
Big Hammer Group Inc.
EzBriefcase(TM) http://www.ezbriefcase.com/
[2000/12/10]
An earlier version of this article was posted to PDAbuzz on Dec. 10, 2000)
I've pretty much finished the first set of batteries used under VTOS 1.3.02. Before saying more, I should point out that the Helio I'm working with has an odd hardware problem. I returned my first Helio because it had a defective case. The circuitry was working fine. This second one had a strange problem. There's a bad connection somewhere in the screen circuitry. Usually it's OK, but sometimes the screen will fade rapidly or wink off. If I squeeze the case the right way the screen comes back. It's probably just a dirty contact somewhere. I'm not going to bother sending it back. Someday I'll open it up and find out where the problem is. I don't have time right now.
I also think the battery metering needs to be re-scaled. In fact, it might be good to have 2 settings. One setting would be for Alkaline batteries and another for NiMH batteries.
One set of batteries is not really enough to get an accurate idea of battery usage, but in this case it's enough to get a general idea of how power is being used. The batteries were Rayovac Alkaline, which are sort of "2nd tier" Alkaline. They are good quality overall if bought fresh, but probably not quite as good as the top line Energizer or Duracells. The first set lasted about 5 days of generally fairly heavy usage, but I used the batteries further than I'd expect most people would find acceptable. So my preliminary estimate is that most people would get around 4 days of very heavy usage from these batteries, and perhaps 5 days from top line Duracell Ultra or Energizers. I would further guess that more typical usage would probably result in a couple of weeks of usage.
While certainly not as good as the current Palm IIIxe's (which are about the same as my Palm IIIx, which give me over a month on a set of batteries), it's better than the Hewlett-Packard Jornada 540 (which won't give me a whole day's worth of use on a charge), which is reputed to be better than the other WindowsCE PocketPC devices. In particular, I expect the iPaq to get better battery life than a Jornada 540, but I have heard some comments that this is not so. In fact, it's about the same as some of the earlier WindowsCE devices -- which is no surprise since some of those devices used the same chipset, and other chipsets of that era were giving similar performance.
Clearly it is a good idea to use rechargeable batteries in a Helio. After years of experience with rechargeable batteries, I don't see any real advantage to "built-in" rechargeable batteries over buying good rechargeables and a charger separately. In fact, the Helio has an advantage over the PocketPC devices because you can have 2 sets of batteries and recharge one set while using another. This is a serious problem with the Jornada, and while the Casio E105 - 125 series devices have removeable battery packs, as far as I know, they don't have external chargers. Moreover, buying Casio's custom battery packs is probably more expensive than "loose" rechargeable AAA cells.
Though I would prefer better battery life, I don't find the current battery life to be unliveable, providing you get some rechargeables for it. Think of the ability to use Alkalines as an emergency capability.
Lastly, as I've said before, I think that the Helio should be revised to have the
ability to use external power sources. Ideally, this would support internal
recharging, but that's not as important as simply being able to use external
power.
[2000/12/10]
Dec. 6, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Itronix Corporation
has announced the availability of its latest Windows CE
based devices:
fex21 based on a 129MHz Toshiba 3922 MIPS RISC processor
Husky FS4 based on the Intel StrongARM (TM) 192 MHz processor,
IP67 specification case, WindowsCE
T520 wireless mobile workstation based on a 92MHz Toshiba MIPS
R3912 RISC processor
Itronix Corporation
http://www.itronix.com/
[2000/12/06]
Dec. 6, 2000, Reuters reports that the US Defense Department
has awarded a two-year $72 million US service contract which
will help keep Iridium Satellite LLC operational.
[2000/12/06]
Dec. 6, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Fujitsu Microelectronics
Europe has introduced its MB82D01171A Application Specific
RAM (ASM) based on Fujitsu's Fast Cycle RAM (FCRAM(TM))
architecture. the 16Mbit RAM features power requirements as
low as 70 microamps. Samples will be available in February
2001 at $30 US per unit.
Fujitsu Microelectronics
Europe http://www.fujitsu-fme.com/
[2000/12/06]
Dec. 5, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Onhandata, Inc. will
supply databases with a $29.95 US per year update service.
The data will be available for Palm Pilots and other platforms
within the month.
Onhandata, Inc.
http://www.onhandata.com/
[2000/12/06]
Dec. 4, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that Socket Communications
and Intrinsyc have announced have collaborated on a reference
platform for OEMs combining Socket's Bluetooth Personal Network
Card and Intrinsyc's StrongARM 1110 based CerfBoard reference
platform. Also, Socket's Bluetooth OEM module will be
incorporated directly into Intrinsyc's wireless reference
platform.
[2000/12/06]
Canon has not had a presence in the "mobile info tech" field for a long time now, however, the failure of my Canon photocopier, which follows my Canon BJC-600 printer, and the repair of my Canon video camera has given me reason to think about this event as it relates to the more general field of high technology.
On Sunday morning (Dec. 3, 2000), I went to make a copy of my weekly schedule, and my PC-25 copier failed. The bed moved to the start position and the paper move through the channel to its start position, and after making squeeking noise denoting something like a belt slipping, it all stopped. The paper jam light came on and "E2" flashed in the counter display. After clearing the paper jam and making a few more attempts, it was clear that it wasn't going to work. After about 15 years of use, it looked like the copier was dead.
The next day, I contacted Canon and found that they refused the repair because parts were no longer available. It is possible that a simple "clean up" might be enough to get it working again, and I have a spare toner cartridge which will go to waste which might make it worth the effort, but in the long run, I considered it was worth it to buy a new copier.
The computer industry is facing significant changes in perception which impact on business models. There are a lot of lessons that can be learned from this event, but the most significant is that number "15 years". Keep in mind that had the copier not failed, I had no real reason to buy a new copier. Granted, today's copiers have some advantages over my PC-25, but surprisingly, my PC-25 had some advantages over contemporary products. Overall, aside from the failure, and the fact that in some future date, the toner cartridges probably won't be available, I had no substantial incentive to buy a new copier at all. Not in the next 5 years, 10 years, or even another 15 years.
This year, for the first time, a similar lack of incentive to upgrade seems to be appearing in a significant drop in sales in the computer industry. Personally, I didn't expect this to show up until after 2000. There is still a lot of "pre-DVD/USB" equipment around that I think will be replaced by "DVD/USB" era machines. Specifically, while PCI computers around 166MHz up to 233MHz can support DVD MPEG2 with add-on cards, and some have USB support, I think the point of "minimum system" for the "DVD/USB" era is probably around "Socket Super 7" and AMD K6-2 300MHz level (wherein DVD's should be comfortably decoded by the CPU with some processing power to spare). I don't know how much of the sales drop can be accounted for by movement to thin clients and and mobile technology.
Another issue is reputation. As you might guess from the amount of Canon equipment I've owned, I've always considered Canon to be a good brand. They have had high quality equipment and excellent service at prices that have not been unjustified. Unfortunately, I have noticed that their service department seems to be overtaxed this year. In many cases, when I call, I just get bumped to an answering machine. Moreover, in this latest instance, the people I've dealt with were not as courteous as I've come to expect. They seem to be overworked. This is not a good sign. If I could have bought a different competitive brand photocopier I might have. But right now, there isn't a real competitor at all. Xerox has vacated the field for low end analog technology photocopiers and the Mita and other brands (such as Minolta) are not widely carried, which means long term support is suspect. Buying any technology, even pocket computers requires awareness of the brand's current reputation. It is particularly important to consider the last 5 years.
Another thing that occurred to me is that my new Canon PC-920
copier costs about the same as a Casio E-125 "PocketPC".
I'll leave that issue for some future date.
[2000/12/04]
On Nov. 30, 2000, the VTech Helio (8MB) was advertised by
Business Depot in the Toronto Star, Gift Guide Section K,
p. K4 at a price of $299.00 Cdn (less $50.00 instant rebate
for a final price of $249.00 Cdn). This is the first time
I've seen the Helio advertised as a product of a regular
Canadian retail store. I has been available from a Canadian
online retailer for a while now.
[2000/12/03] revised [2000/12/04]
Dec. 3, 2000, Business Wire reports that Motorola has
announced that its has licensed ARM microprocessor
cores for its DigitalDNA embedded products.
[2000/12/03]
Dec. 1, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Day-Timers, Inc. and
Palm, Inc. have announced an agreement whereby Day-Timers will
sell Palm m100 bundled with Day-Timer(R) software and paper
products. The bundle will cost $179 US.
Day-Timers, Inc.
http://www.daytimer.com/
[2000/12/03]
Dec. 1, 2000, Business Wire reports that Teletype Co. has
announced that Compaq has approved its GPS card for use with
the iPaq PocketPC.
[2000/12/03]
Dec. 1, 2000, PR Newswire reports that McAfee AVERT has announced that it is assigning the @32/ProLin@MM work known as Prolin-Shockwave as a high risk virus. This destructive mass-mailing worm sends copies of itself to all addresses in the infected user's address book. Users are advised to delete any email containing the following:
"Subject: A great Shockwave flash movie Body of email: Check out this new flash movie that I downloaded just now ... It's Great Bye Atttachment: CREATIVE.EXE"
[2000/12/03]
Dec. 1, 2000, Patrick Ross writes for CNET News.com that the
US Department of Defense has reiterated its position that it
needs to maintain large tracts of radio spectrum over major
markets such as New York, Houston and San Francisco.
[2000/12/03]
Nov. 30, 2000, Canada Newswire reports that Rogers Wireless
Communications Inc. has announced that it will "augment its
existing network by overlaying a GSM (Global System for Mobile)
network with integrated GPRS (General Packet Radio Service)
packet data capability throughout its nationwide digital coverage
area. The Company will launch [wireless packet data service
and GSM digital voice service] . . . by July 1, 2001, and
expand this coverage to more than 83% of Canada's population
by year-end 2001."
[2000/12/03]
Nov. 30, 2000, PR NewsWire reports that eMachines(TM), Inc.
has announced that it will bring out laptop computers under
the "eSlate" product name. The "S" family will be sub-3 pound,
single spindle, the "N" family will be sub-5 pound with
dual spindle and the "W" family will be "all-in-one".
eMachines, Inc.
http://www.e4me.com/
[2000/12/03]
VTechInfo has posted software upgrade kits for the VTech Helio to its Website. The kit includes the software for the Helio device and also, upgrades to Helio Desktop 2.0 and Companion Link, necessary for supporting features which were added when VTOS was upgraded from 1.1.08 to 1.3.01. The files are in their "Support/Downloads" area.
[I downloaded the upgrade kit on Nov. 30, 2000. The file
size for the single file version is about 29MB and downloading
with a V.90 56kbps modem took about 1 hour, 45 minutes. I
installed the Desktop and Companion Link programs in Windows
95 and upgraded a Helio from 1.3.01 to 1.3.02.]
VTechInfo Helio
http://www.myhelio.com/
[2000/12/03]
Nov. 29, 2000, Business Wire HealthWire reports that
ePhysician has announced that its "ePhysician A to Z
Drug Facts with Facts and Comparisons(R)" combines
wireless, handheld and Internet technologies. It is a
handheld version of "Facts and Comparison's desk
reference" and runs on PalmOS 3.0 or higher.
ePhysician
http://www.ephysician.com/
[2000/11/29]
Nov. 29, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Computer
Associates has announced that its InoculateIT for the Palm
OS platform is now available from its Website.
http://www.ca.com/products/inoculateit/palm.htm
[2000/11/29]
Nov. 29, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Sprint PCS has
announced that the Sprint PCS Wireless Web Modem is
now available for users of its CDMA system. The Modem
is actually a Sierra Wireless AirCard(R) 510 which is
a Type II PCMCIA card which can be used with Microsoft
Windows laptop computers. The retail price is $399.99
for the Modem in Sprint PCS retail stores It will
be available online in mid December, 2000.
Sprint PCS
http://www.sprintpcs.com/
[2000/11/29]
Nov. 29, 2000, Zi Corporation and Pixo have announced that
they have agreed to eZiText(TM) as an extension of the
Pixo OS Platform for phones.
[2000/11/29]
Nov. 29, 2000, Reuters reports that according to Yomiuri
Shimbun, NEC Corp. has found a possible problem with the
Transmeta Crusoe chip and is likely to recall some
laptop computers which use the chip. Sony is apparently
looking into it as well.
[2000/11/29]
Nov. 28, 2000, Business Wire reports that Lucent has contributed
it's initial interface specification to the "Presence and
Availability Management (PAM) Forum" which is a non-profit
organization formed to develop and promote a standard interface
in this field.
Presence and Availability
Management (PAM) Forum http://www.PAMforum.org/
[2000/11/29]
Nov. 27, 2000, Ian Fried writes for CNET News.com that Kyocera
has officially unveiled its CDMA/PalmOS based "Smartphone". The
product is the successor to the Qualcomm pdQ which Kyocera
bought from Qualcomm in February. Although smaller than the
original pdQ it is still 7 oz. and nearly an inch thick. The
unit has 8MB memory and PalmOS 3.5. The cost of $800 US
will probably be reduced by services providers to under
$500 US.
[2000/11/29]
Nov. 27, 2000, Reuters reports that Sharp Corp. is planning to
bring a line of PDA devices back to the US in the first half
of 2001. The Zaurus product name is still used in Japan and
Sharp claims to have retained 40 to 50% of the Japanese PDA
market. According to Yoichi Sakai of Sharp's communications
systems group, Sharp will attempt to distinguish itself from
Palm by emphasizing multimedia features such as the ability to
play music and movie trailers downloaded from Websites.
[Sharp Canada is more independent from Sharp in the US than
is generally realized. It is possible that this move might not
be carried through to Canada. Also, I believe that the product
referred to in the article was probably the "eZaurus" rather
than the Zaurus. -- JO]
[2000/11/29]
Nov. 24, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Universal Display
Corporation's Dr. Michael S. Weaver has presented a paper
detailing new developments in high efficiency Organic
Light Emitting Devices (OLED) displays including application
on flexible substrates. The according to UDC, the process
"lends itself to high-volume, roll-to-roll process manufacturing,
promising relatively inexpensive fabrication."
Universal
Display Corporation http://www.universaldisplay.com/
[2000/11/26]
Nov. 23, 2000, Martyn Williams writes for Infoworld.com that
Sharp has unveiled its Zaurus MI-E1 handheld computer in a
Palm-like case but with a keyboard which is hidden, 240 * 320
* 16-bit reflective LCD colour screen, slots for Secure Digital
cards and Compact Flash cards, MPEG3 and MPEG4 software. It
will be available in Japan Dec. 15, 2000 at about $455 US.
Sharp (Japan) eZaurus
http://www.ezaurus.com/
[2000/11/26]
Nov. 23, 2000, Associate Press reports that personal robots
at Robodex 2000 tend towards entertainment rather than function.
The following Websites are given:
Robodex 2000 http://www.robodex.org/
Sony Aibo http://www.aibo.com/
Honda http://world.honda.com/robot/
ATR Media Integration & Communications
Research Laboratories http://www.atr.co.jp/
NEC Corp. Robot
http://www.incx.nec.co.jp/robot/
Takara Co.
http://www.takaratoys.co.jp/
[2000/11/26]
Nov. 22, 2000, Business Wire reports that Microcell Solutions
Inc. has announced that Fido Service has begun in Windsor,
Ontario.
[While a lot of Canadian people live near the US border,
Windsor is particularly interesting for radio issues because
it is so close to Detroit which is a particularly large US
city. Here, any international frequency/jurisdiction conflicts
are likely to occur at their worst. This is probably why
Fido took so long to get to Windsor.]
[2000/11/26]
Nov. 22, PR Newswire reports that Aliant Telecom has announced
that its Cellular WireFree(TM) Web service is now available
to digital cellular phone users in Atlantic Canada 15 cents
per minute for Internet or email use.
Aliant Telecom
http://www.aliant.ca/
[2000/11/26]
Nov. 21, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Compaq Computer
Corporation announced price drops on some portable computers
and some new products for Christmas:
Presario 1400 Eddie Bauer Special Edition: metallic olive
green.
Presario 1200 Series: rebates are being offered. The
12XL300 combines are rebate with price reduction.
Presario 1700 Series: rebates are being offered.
Presario 1800 Series: prices have been reduced.
Compaq Presario
1400 Eddie Bauer Special Edition http://www.compaq.com/presarioeb/
[2000/11/26]
Oct. 30, 2000, Antone Gonsalves & Barbara Darrow, in their article
"IBM, Sun Duke It Out In Wireless Realm," wrote for TechWeb News
"The so-called wireless Web is at a critical junction. Many users
of WAP phones -- which offer browsing capability -- have been
disillusioned with their lack of functionality."
[2000/11/26]
Due to technical problems beyond my control, my update
for today may be missing some news items. I'll try to post
anything significant I missed later in the week.
[2000/11/22]
Nov. 22, 2000, PR Newswire reports that OAG.com is offering
a free 90 day trial of its "OAG Mobile" with "up-to-date
travel information". Supported devices include Palm III,
IIIc, IIIe, IIIx, IIIxe, V, Vx and VII, Handspring Visor
and Visor Deluxe, IBM Workpad, Motorola Timeport 8167 and
Timeport P7389, Denso Touchpoint, Nokia 7110 and PocketPC
versions of HP Jornada, Compaq iPaq and Casio Cassiopeia.
OAG.com http://www.oag.com
[2000/11/22]
Nov. 21, 2000, Reuters reports that Nokia has introduced its 9210 Communicator. This handheld phone/computer device is conceptually similar to the 9110i, having a keyboard, but has a colour display and is based on the Symbian EPOC system. Other features includes Java support, WAP, and Internet services. Weight is 244 g. No price was quoted and availability of this GSM device is expected to be in the first half of 2001.
[Looking at the Website, the size of the devices is
158 * 56 * 27 mm and the CPU is a "32-bit ARM9-based
RISC." The screen supports 4K colours (resolution is not
specified). Data speed is claimed to be "up to 43.2 kbps
(HSCSD)" and it has a MulitiMediaCard slot.]
Nokia 9210 Communicator http://www.nokia.com/phones/9210/index.html
[2000/11/22]
Nov. 21, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that ATI Technologies Inc.
has announced that Compaq Computer Corporation has selected
the RAGE MOBILITY(TM) 128(TM) chipset for its latest Presario
1800 Series laptop computers.
[2000/11/22]
Nov. 20, 2000, Canadian Corporate News reports that Taiwan Semiconductor
Manufacturing Company (TSMC) claims that its 3.17-Megapixel "Camera-
On-A-Chip" is the first 0.25-Micron CMOS image sensor. According
to TSMC, the device is immediately available. [No price was
given in the announcement.]
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company
http://www.tsmc.com/
[2000/11/22]
Nov. 20, 2000, Tescina, Inc. introduced its DataGet(R)
BCD cartridge for the Handspring Visor, which they claim
is "the first gauge multiplexer for any Palm OS device."
List price for a DataGet BCD cartridge is $499 US
with a complete system (including a HandSpring Visor)
costing $699. Volume shipments are expected in 2000 Q4.
Tescina, Inc. (Dataget(R))
http://www.dataget.com
[2000/11/22]
Nov. 15, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that TELUS Mobility
has announced that TELUS Mobility dealers will now be able
to sell Clearnet PCS and Pay & Talk.
[2000/11/18]
Actual announcement dates are a bit unclear. The following information is currently posted to the Agenda Computing Website:
Apparently, a registered developer can order an Agenda VR3 Developer Edition for $179 US. "Quantities are limited. . . ." This version includes 16MB Flash and 8MB RAM, 2 AAA batteries, a headset and a desktop cradle w/serial cable. There is no charge to sign up for the development program.
According to the Website, the Agenda VR3 will be available in
January, 2001.
[2000/11/18]
Nov. 15, 2000, Business Wire reports that Electric Pocket has
announced that its new "BugMe! Messenger" service allows
users to exchange handwritten, text and graphic notes between
PalmOS devices and Internet email.
Electric Pocket
http://www.electricpocket.com/
[2000/11/15]
Nov. 15, 2000, Business Wire reports that Dauphin Technology
Inc. has introduced its Orasis(R) tablet computer with new
modular expansion devices.
Dauphin Technology, Inc.
(tablet computers) http://www.dauphintech.com/
[2000/11/15]
Nov. 15, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Acer has announced that
some models of its new TravelMate 350 series "ultraportable
mobile PC" would ship with Microsoft(R) Window(R) 2000.
[2000/11/15]
Nov. 15, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Curious Networks has
introduced its patent-pending "multi-channel access XML" MAXML
language which allows developers to write code once and have
deployed on WML, HDML, Voice XML, WAP and Palm's PQA. "Unlike
traditional development processes based on presentation, MAXML
is founded on a human-information model that explains the
relationships between data and how users interact with that
data."
Curious Networks MAXML http://www.workshop.curiousnetworks.com/
[2000/11/15]
Nov. 14, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Shinei International
has announced the release of the Tsunamidi MIDI player for
Palm(TM) handheld computers. The add-on attaches to Palm V
and Palm Vx handhelds. Shinei claims this is a "state-of-the-
art, portable recording studio. The device can use 2 AA
batteries or DC and has an estimated street price of $129 US.
Tsunamidi MIDI Player
for Palm http://www.tsunamidi.com/
Shinei International
http://www.shinei.com.sg/
[2000/11/15]
Nov. 14, 2000, PR Newswire reports that InfoSpace, Inc. has
announced that Compaq Computer Corporation has agreed to use
InfoSpace content and services for iPAQ(TM) PocketPC and iPAQ
BlackBerry(TM) as part of iPAQnet(TM).
[2000/11/15]
Nov. 14, 2000, Business Wire reports that Xerox Corporation and
Compaq Computer Corporation are demonstrating Bluetooth(TM) based
wireless printing from a Compaq Armada laptop computer to
a Xerox DocuPrint 1210 personal laser printer using a PC Card
in the laptop to a "dongle" receiver in the printer's parallel
port.
[2000/11/15]
Nov. 13, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Palm, Inc. has announced
that it is shipping its Palm(TM) Mobile Internet Kit. The software
kit costs $39.95 US. Mobile phone cables, which may be necessary,
will be available separately. The kit includes the PalmOS(R) 3.5
OS upgrade for Palm III, IIIx and Palm V. The OS upgrade will be
available separately later this week via download for $14.95 US or
$19.95 US on CD-ROM.
[2000/11/15]
Nov. 13, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Bachmann Software & Services
has announced that it has unveiled Bluetooth(TM) wireless printing
capabilities to its PrintBoy(R) software and will be demonstrating
it with the Handspring Visor at COMDEX/Fall 2000.
Bachmann Software &
Services http://www.bachmannsoftware.com/
[2000/11/15]
Nov. 13, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Microsoft Corp. has announced the availability of its "Entertainment PocketPak for Windows(R) Powered Pocket PCs" which includes 10 games (Blackjack, Chess, Cinco, FreeCell, Hearts, Mindsweeper, Reversi, Sink the Ships, Space Defense, and Taipei). The software is available today at $29.95 US.
In a separate article, also on Nov. 13, 2000, PR Newswire reports
that Microsoft has also released "Microsoft(R) Windows Media(TM)
Player for Pocket PC Technology Preview Edition" which adds
streamed wireless Windows Media-formatted audio and video capability
to WindowsCE Pocket PC based devices.
[2000/11/15]
Nov. 13, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Mobility Electronics, Inc.
has introduced its EasiDock(R) USB 300F and 300FE which combine
a universal docking station, a Flash Memory reader/writer and a
USB hub. Prices for the EasiDock USB 300F start at $179 US and
for the 300FE start at $229. Delivery is expected in December
2000.
Mobility Electronics
http://www.mobilityelectronics.com/
[2000/11/15]
Nov. 15, 2000, Associated Press reports that in an interview
Michael Dell on Tuesday said "A lot of people might say, 'You
don't do anything interesting' - but we just don't do anything
stupid, we do things that work." This was apparently said
around Dell's lack of support for new technologies such as
those promoted by Microsoft's Bill Gates, like Web "tablets".
Also, Dell does not have a Windows CE device, which has in
recent years also been promoted by Bill Gates. Did he mean
that Bill Gates was stupid?
[2000/11/15]
Nov. 12, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Mindmaker, Inc.
has nnounced the beta release of its FlexSpeech speech
recognition system. Flexspeech works under Windows NT(R),
Linux or Solaris(R).
[2000/11/12]
Nov. 10, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Magellan Corporation
has announced its new GPS Companion(TM) for the Handspring(TM)
Visor(TM). The system includes a Visor Springboard(TM)
card and "MAP Companion(TM)" software by MarcoSoft and
"NAV Companion(TM)" software by Magellan. The "GPS
Companion" kit is priced at $180 US. [No availability
date was in the announcement. -- JO]
[2000/11/12]
Nov. 10, 2000, Business Wire reports that Nextcell, Inc. has
announced its PocketSpyder "Internet protocol (CDPD)" CompactFlash
card. [Price and availability were not in the annoucement.
Checking the NextCell Website, the device fits Type I or Type II
slots in PocketPC or Palm devices. Much of the device is outside
the slot, so it cannot be used in devices which have doors that
must be closed. Data rate is 19.2 kbps. and it has its own 700mAH
Li-Ion battery rated for around 8 hrs. use.]
Nextcell, Inc.
http://www.nextcell.com/
[2000/11/12]
Nov. 10, 2000, PR Newswire reports that McAfee AVERT has assigned a Medium On Watch risk assessment to the W32/Navidad@m (Navidad). It uses "MAPI (Messaging Application Programming Interface) Outlook to spread once activated." [This wording is a bit ambiguous but it seems to limit the range to Outlook users. -- JO] An attachment called "NAVIDAD.EXE" which places an "eye" icon in the system tray. According to AVERT, users should immediately delete any email containing the attachment.
[In a separate article on Nov. 11, 2000, Associated
Press reports that it affects only Microsoft Windows operating
system computers, and that the only harm is that it locks
up computers and spreads to other computers. It can be
stopped manually.]
[2000/11/12]
Nov. 10, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Newlands Oil & Gas
Inc. (PC-EPhone.com Inc.) claims that its PC-EPhone will be
the "world's first wireless PDA with full Internet, PC,
cellular phone and organizer." The company claims their
product will support "a full VGA size web browser, cellular
phone with stylus handset (CDMA, AMPS, PCS, GSM), Multimedia:
Mpeg for WebTV, games and video and MP3 for music, interactive
personal organizer, car navigation system with GPS module,
Bluetooth chip for wireless, roaming communication, 4" color
touch screen (256 color TFT LCD; 640x480 dots), Microsoft
Pocket Internet Explorer, Word, Excel, Outlook, Lithium-Ion
rechargeable battery with AC adapter" in a 5" * 4" * 1"
size. The product is expected to be made by Samsung in Q1
of 2001. The PC-EPhone was developed by Cyberbank Corp. and
Newlands will be the exclusive distributor. [No price was
announced -- JO]
[2000/11/12]
Nov. 9, 2000, PR Newswire reports that SAGEM and Microsoft
announced the SAGEM WA3050 wireless PocketPC with GSM/GPRS
technology.
[Price and availability were not given in the
announcement. -- JO]
[2000/11/12]
Nov. 9, 2000, Business Wire reports that BSQUARE Corporation
has announced that it has a USB upgrade for Windows(R) NT(R)
4.0 which supports WindowsCE PocketPC devices, mice, printers
and keyboards and "Socket Compact Flash card." The software
is available now at $79.95 US.
BSQUARE Corporation
http://www.bsquare.com/
[2000/11/12]
[The following information is from Next Generation Magazine Dec. 1995, p. 39 - 85:
CD-i: Launch 1991
CPU: 68070 @ 15.5 MHz [Note: this is NOT a RISC processor -- JO]
GPU: 24-bit CLUT, MPEG 1 cartridge option, 32,768 simultaneous
colours
Memory: 1.5MB RAM
Sound: ADCPM eight channel sound
3DO: Launch in North America 1993
CPU: ARM 60 32-bit RISC @ 12.5 MHz
GPU: twin graphic processors, 16-bit on-screen from 24-bit palette
RAM: 2MB main DRAM, 1MB video VRAM, 32K(bytes?) SRAM
w/battery backup
Sound: Stereo 16-bit PCM, sampling at 44.1 KHz, 16-bit custom DSP
Misc: 1MB ROM
Atari Jaguar: Launch in North America 1993
CPU: MC68000 @ 13.3 MHz [Note: this is NOT a RISC processor -- JO]
GPU: Custom RISC chip [Note: I remember Atari claiming that the
graphics RISC chip was not just a GPU, but could be used as the
CPU, controlling the whole game. Next Gen. seems to refute this,
though not directly.]
RAM: 2MB main RAM, 256K(bytes?) CD-ROM buffer RAM
Sound: 16-bit DSP with DAC
Misc: CD-ROM drive, VR headset
Sega 32X: Launch in North America Dec. 1994
CPU: 2 Hitachi RISC (1 at 23MHz and the other at 40MHz)
GPU: 32,768 colours (video is overlay over Genesis)
RAM: 512 K (bytes?)
Sound: stereo and digital audio are mixed w/Genesis
Sony Playstation: Launch in [Japan Dec. 3, 1994 -- from Dec. 99
NextGen], North America Sept. 9, 1995
CPU: 32-bit R3000A RISC @ 33 MHz (30 MIPS)
Bus bandwidth 132 MB/sec.
RAM: 2MB main RAM, 1MB video RAM, 512KB Sound RAM, 256KB CD-ROM
buffer RAM
Sound: 16-bit sound chip, ADCPM w/24 channels, 44.1 KHz sampling
Drives: CD-ROM
Misc: 4Mbits OS ROM, 128K (bytes?) removable cards for game
saves
Sega Saturn: Launch in North America May 11, 1995
CPU: Twin Hitachi SH-2 RISC @ 28 MHz (25 MIPS each)
GPU: VDP1 (sprites, polygons & geometry), VDP2 (backgrounds),
(resolutions were 352 * 244 and 640 * 224 using
32,000 colours from 24-bit palette)
RAM: 2MB main RAM, 12Mbits VRAM, 512KB Buffer RAM, 32K(bytes?)
SRAM w/battery backup
Sound: 16-bit Yamaha 68EC000 @ 113MHz, 32 voices, FM synthesis,
two CPU interfaces, 44.1 KHz sound, 16 channel digital mixer,
128 step DSP
Misc: 512 K(bytes?) boot ROM
[2000/11/12]
[The following information is from Next Generation Magazine Dec. 1999, p. 90 - 99:
Nintendo 64: Launch in Japan June 23, 1996, North America
Sept. 29, 1996
CPU: MIPS R4300 @ 93.75 MHz
GPU: 64-bit RISC [MIPS/SGI -- JO] @ 62.5 MHz
RAM: 4 MB Rambus DRAM (on 128-bit data bus) (562.5MB/sec.),
8-bit Rambus @ 500MHz maxiumum
Sega Dreamcast: Launch in Japan, Nov. 20, 1998, North America
Sept. 9, 1999
CPU: Hitachi SH4 @ 200 MHz
GPU: NEC/VideoLogic CLXi
RAM: 16MB main operating RAM, 8MB video RAM, 2MB audio RAM
Sound: Yamaha AICA sound chip
OS: "Dual Windows/proprietary OS"
Storage: Proprietary GD-ROM, 1GB capacity
Online: 56K modular modem
Sony Playstation2: Launch in Japan, Mar. 4, 2000, [North America
Oct. 26, 2000 -- JO]
CPU: 128-bit "Emotion Engine" [MIPS -- JO] @ 294.912 MHz
GPU: "Graphics Synthesizer" @ 147.456 MHz
RAM: 4MB VRAM, 32MB direct
Sound: sound chip, 48 hardware channels, 2MB audio RAM
Drives: DVD-ROM (4x w/movie capability), CD-ROM (24x)
Interface: 2 controller ports, 2 memory card slots, 2 USB ports,
I.link (IEEE 1394), PCMCIA slot (Type III)
[2000/11/12]
The Playstation 2 is now being sold in North America. I've been trying to decide if there's much to be learned from the game machine market. There's no doubt that they are related. While the mainstream computer market is dominated by "WinTel", neither Intel nor Microsoft is dominant in either the pocket computer industry or the videogame industry. But beyond that, I can't see much in common at this time. The following is a rough summary of developments in the videogame industry starting at the 16-bit machines, which are still closely tied to current handheld computers through the Palm devices. I didn't go back and research it, so I might be wrong about some of the details, but I think I have most of the hardware developments essentially in the right order.
When the "16-bit" videogames hit, I bought the Sega Genesis (over its main competitors, the SuperNES and CD-I) and when Sega brought out the GameGear handheld videogame, I thought that Sega had a strong future. But Sega stumbled in the movement to 32-bit technology. Looking back on it, it seems like Sega had a Hitachi jinx. The Hitachi based 32X expansion never got enough games to support the platform. I bought the expansion and felt it was actually quite good for the money. Part of the failure of Sega around this time might have been due to bad publicity regarding games violence. But looking back at that time, 3DO and Atari Jaguar and eventually NeoGeo were crowding the space and it's understandable that a merely "good" platform could fail. But my real disappointment was when the Hitachi based Sega Saturn came out and it didn't have any compatibility (forward or backward) with the 32X. If this had been done, there would have been a technology bridge for the consumer, showing respect for the buyer's investment. Interestingly, the Genesis platform either continued or was brought back at a lower price, and I saw them selling shortly before the Dreamcast came out.
In the 32-bit to 64-bit bridge era, the Sony Playstation proved that a new company could still overcome the entrenchment of Sega and Nintendo, and became the dominant platform. The Nintendo 64 has been a success, but so far, has not lived up to its potential. Bandai's MacOS based Pippin died without any real sales effort. The biggest disappointment for me was that Nintendo never brought out a CD expansion in North America. Meanwhile, Sega, still using Hitachi processors on its current Dreamcast, turned to Microsoft, and yet again made a system with no forward or backward compatibility with either the 32X or the Saturn. But though the Dreamcast has apparently achieved a reasonable level of success, it does not appear to be enough to lift Sega back into contention with Nintendo and Sony.
So today we are looking ahead to the newly introduced Playstation 2, and the coming of Microsoft's XBox and Nintendo's Gamecube. From a customer's point of view, I think that part of Sega's failure can be attributed to how rapidly they abandoned older platforms. Ironically, Sega's most successful Genesis platform respected the older Sega MasterSystem with an adapter for the older cartridges, and the Sega GameGear, which was quite successful, could also play Sega MasterSystem games with an adapter. Sega should have known better. Now Sega seems to be in the position of being abandoned by Microsoft. Not only is Microsoft's XBox completely incompatible with Sega's Dreamcast, but Microsoft seems to be abandoning the Hitachi processor in WindowsCE handheld computers.
Meanwhile, the Playstation 2 has compatibility with older Playstation games, and DVD movies. All signs point to it being a hit. Moreover, the "PS1" reincarnation of the original Playstation seems designed to be cheaper to produce, meaning that it should survive competitive price drops by Nintendo, and has the potential of become a portable system with an LCD screen expected in the coming year.
Nintendo's Gamecube though, is a strange move, typical of Nintendo. Like Sega, Nintendo appears to be on a road abandoning their old userbase. Though Sega has been worse in their 32-bit history, the MIPS based N64 abandoned the 65816 processor based SuperNES and will be abandoned by the PowerPC based Gamecube. The only consistency will be Nintendo's smooth upgrade path from the Game Boy through the Game Boy Color to the new Game Boy Advance, which will play older Game Boy and Game Boy Color games. Moreover, the Gamecube won't even play DVD movies, making it even harder to justify on an end user's crowded shelf.
As for Microsoft, they failed with MSX and MSX2. But now they own a lot of game rights, and have a real toe hold in the videogame world from sales of its Dreamcast development kit. But the short description of the XBox (being Intel based), and the coming of Embedded NT, one wonders about the future of Windows CE? And how does all this relate to ".NET"? I don't think Microsoft has a single unified direction in all this. From Microsoft's point of view, it looks like they're in the stage of running in every "likely" direction at once, and waiting to see which way the market turns. From the company's point of view, this is a smart move, ensuring that they will be in a strong position no matter what happens. But from a customer's point of view, it means that one has to beware. The fact that a Microsoft label is on anything is not going to ensure it's success or future support.
So what does this relate to mobile information devices?
The closest relation is in handheld game devices, which I
haven't covered above. Otherwise, the two industries are
sort of like unrelated people in the same water bed. We
don't really have that much to do with each other, but we
pull at the same blankets and are affected by big moves.
There's no doubt that the Sega Genesis use of Motorola 68K
processors kept the processor profitable even after the Macs
went to PowerPC, which helped fund the development of the
Dragonball processor which Palm used. Also, the MIPS world
has made a lot of money from Nintendo 64 and Sony
Playstation, which has been used to continue to advance
development of MIPS RISC devices, which are used in many
handheld computers. Even 3DO sales probably helped ARM for
a while, before they became popular in the StrongARM
versions. But the relationship isn't one with strong
cause/effect connections. It's worth a glance every now
and then, but not something to spend hours on, unless you
just happen to like them.
[2000/11/03]
I'm not a heavy videogame player. Mainly, that's a simple result of not having time for games. But even if I had more time, I just don't find them that much fun. Part of this is because we've reached the point where improvements in game play really aren't coming very fast. One of the last games I played a lot was "Virtua Racer" on Sega 32X, and I really enjoyed it. Recently, I tried NASCAR 1999 on the Nintendo 64, and though the graphics are better, I found the controls poorly scaled, making the cars too touchy for my driving. Despite the fact that so many racing simulation games were written before NASCAR 1999, and despite Electronic Arts reputation, and NASCAR's, and the technical superiority of the technology, in my opinion, it's not as particularly good a game.
Similarly, there are a lot of games that seem to be rooted in Doom, which itself can be traced back to games on 8-bit computer. In general, I don't like these games because of the graphic killing scenes -- I don't find them fun. Puzzle games, also rooted in 8-bit computer and videogames, were ok, but I've found I'm tired of the genre, and fancy 3D graphics don't help. Ironically, the most innovative idea I've heard lately is the "dancing" games genre ("Bust A Groove"), which I would have expected to be rooted in Nintendo 64. It surprised me to find that the N64 is the only major platform in North America without such a game.
Perhaps there *is* a parallel between this truth about
videogames and the handheld computer industry. For all
their technology, WindowsCE devices and Psion have fallen
in sales, far behind technically inferior Palm devices --
for now. That really doesn't give much to learn. There
is only a vague notion that some people just seem to have
a better idea of what makes a good product.
[2000/11/12]
Nov. 8, 2000, Business Wire reports that YOUcentric, Inc.
and Pumatech, Inc. have announced that YOUcentric will
incorporate Pumatech's Browse-it(TM) software in its
"YOUrelate(TM) Web-based eBusiness Relationship Management
solution."
YOUcentric, Inc.
http://www.youcentric.com/
[2000/11/08]
Nov. 8, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Texas Instruments
Incorporated and Microsoft have announced a "2.5G" GSM/GPRS
chipset developed to work with Microsoft's "Stinger" smart
phone platform and compatible with TI's Open Multimedia
Applications Platform(TM) (OMAP(TM)). Samples are immediately
available with volume production projected for the 2nd half
of 2001. [Price and product name were not provided.]
[2000/11/08]
Nov. 7, 2000, PR Newswire reports that McAfee Retail Software has
announced "VirusScan Wireless" software which protects PalmOS,
Microsoft PocketPC and WindowsCe and Symbian EPOC. The software
is immediately available at $29.00 US.
McAfee Retail Software
http://www.mcafee-at-home.com/
[2000/11/08]
Nov. 7, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Lucent Technologies
has announced that Clearnet Communications Inc. is testing
Lucent's Mobile Internet Gateway system which supports
location specific wireless Internet services.
[2000/11/08]
Nov. 6, 2000, PR Newswire reports that TouchStar Technologies,
a unit of William's has announced its TouchPC Voyager(TM)
handheld computer. The new device is a ruggedized product
based on WindowsCE 3.0 and a 206MHz Intel SA1110 StrongARM
processor. The device will be available for development
in January 2001 with production quantities projected for
Q1 2001. [Prices were not announced.]
TouchStar Technologies
http://www.touchpc.com/
[2000/11/08]
Nov. 2, 2000, Reuters reports that IBM Corp. has cancelled
plans to use the Transmeta Corp. "Crusoe" chip in a ThinkPad
to come out later this year. IBM might use the Crusoe in
another device in the future.
[2000/11/05]
Nov. 2, 2000, Business Wire reports that Motorola has announced
the availability of its Vocie Developer Gateway. which is
an element of the Mobile Internet eXchange (MIX(TM)) platform
family of products. It includes a VoiceXML 1.0 compliant
Motorola Voice Browser, Automatic Speech Recognition and
Text-To-Speech in one box.
[2000/11/05]
Nov. 2, 2000, Reuters reports that Motorola Inc. has said
that five of its employees died in a place crash of a
Singapore Airlines Ltd. jet in Taiwan on Tuesday.
[2000/11/05]
Nov. 2, 2000, Business Wire reports that Sony Electronics
has announced bundles the combine digital voice recorders
(model "ICD-MS1VTP Memory Stick(R) Digital Voice Recorder"
and model "ICD-R100VTP Digital Voice Recorder" with
Lernout and Hauspie's Dragon NaturallySpeaking(R) version
5 software to translate voice dictation to text.
[2000/11/05]
Nov. 2, 2000, PR Newswire reports that IS/Complete has
announced its IrPrint engine which allows direct printing
from a PalmOS devices from the Palm's main applications
through infrared or through a cable. A number of HP, Canon,
Seiko, Pentax and Citizen printers are supported.
IS/Complete, Inc.
http://www.iscomplete.com/
[2000/11/05]
Nov. 1, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that Dell Computer
Corporation has announced its Inspiron(TM) 8000 portable
computer which it claims has "desktop-like performance
and outstanding multimedia capabilities. Prices start
at $2,799 Cdn.
[2000/11/05]
Nov. 1, 2000, Reuters reports that according to a survey
of 424 online users released by Arthur Andersen, 43% of
respondents were neutral about mobile commerce, 13% were
somewhat negative and 1% were very negative. According
to Arthur Andersen, consumers were wary of making online
purchases wirelessly due to security and reliability
concerns.
[2000/11/05]
Nov. 1, 2000, Business Wire reports that DoWap.ws LLC has
announced that it has opened a website at "DoWap.ws" for
developing and hosting 3rd party WAP sites based on
its publishing tool "Wireless Willy". Price plans are
$49.99 US for the year (in advance) or $19.99 (US) down
and $4.99 per month. Edits and pages are not limited.
[2000/11/01]
Nov. 1, 2000, Business Wire reports that Interactive Objects,
Inc., has introduced its Dadio(TM) 2.0 digital audio operating
system intended for use in digital audio players from
entry level to high end. Dadio 2.0 offers support for
16 to 320 kilobit playback of Microsoft Windows Media
Player 7, FM transmission and Ogg Vorbis audio compression,
which is a completely open, patent-free, audio encoding
and streaming technology.
Interactive Objects, Inc.
http://www.iobjects.com/
[2000/11/01]
Nov. 1, 2000, Business Wire reports that iVoice.com has announced
that it will release its voice applications products for the
Microsoft Speech API 5.0 (SAPI 5.0) for the Windows operating
system.
iVoice.com speech software
http://www.ivoice.com/
[2000/11/01]
Nov. 1, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that Zi Corporation
has won its appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals which overrules
the summary judgement originally granted to Tegic Communications,
Inc., thus allowing Zi Corporations original action against
Tegic to continue.
[2000/11/01]
Oct. 30, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Simple Technology, Inc.
has announced the availability of a 512MB Type II Compact Flash card
Write speeds are up to 3.0MB per second and costs $1,599 US.
Simple Technology, Inc.
http://www.simpletech.com/
[2000/11/01]
Oct. 30, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that ATI Technologies
Inc. claims that its Mobility M4(TM) is the industry's first
shipping AGP 4X graphics chipset for mobile computers.
[2000/11/01]
Oct. 28, 2000, Reuters reports that hackers have broken into
Microsoft's computers and had access to some source code
for future Microsoft product under development. Microsoft
has called upon the FBI to investigate.
[2000/10/29]
Oct. 27, 2000, Business Wire reports that IS/Complete, Inc. has
announced that its "Restrictor Enterprise v1.0" software
secures a Palm devices and requires a password, even after a
reset. It works with PalmOS 3.1 or later.
[Price and availability are not stated.]
IS/Complete, Inc.
http://www.iscomplete.com/
[2000/10/29]
Oct. 27, 2000, Reuters reports that Compaq Computer Corp. is recalling about 55,000 batteries for Armada E500 and Armada V300 computers. There is a possibility that some of these batteries might catch fire. The Compaq batteries are built by Sony and the problem does not seem to be related to batteries recalled by Dell, earlier, which are made by Sanyo.
The recalled batteries have the following date codes and
serial numbers:
--TCGK 00001- 10500
--TCGK 20001- 21800
--TCGK 40001- 83100
--TCHK 40001- 44700
[2000/10/29]
Oct. 27, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Clearnet has announced its 2000 third quarter financial results. The following is extracted from the unaudited report:
3 Months 9 Months
Ended Sept. 30 Ended Sept. 30
2000 1999 2000 1999
Total Digital
(Mike & PCS)
- net subscriber
additions 58,665 56,205 171,809 156,235
- total subscribers
end of period 731,140 464,708 731,140 464,708
- Average Revenue
Per Unit
(per month) $56.44 $55.73 $55.80 $55.10
- Churn, per month
(after 30 day
guarantee) 2.47% 1.81% 2.44% 1.64%
- Churn, per month
(including 30 day
guarantee) 2.59% 1.99% 2.57% 1.80%
- Marketing cost of
acquisition (COA) $576 $549 $567 $576
- Minutes of use,
per subscriber 327 305 327 289
Analogue:
- Net subscriber
additions (2,531) (4,375) (6,716) (11,908)
- total subscribers
end of period 18,534 28,624 18,534 28,624
- ARPU $20.34 $21.85 $20.95 $21.40
Mike Population Coverage:
Sept. 30, 2000 21,200,000
Sept. 30, 1999 17,200,000
PCS Population Coverage:
Sept. 30, 2000 17,300,000
Sept. 30, 1999 14,700,000
[2000/10/29]
Oct. 26, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that IBM has announced
that it's Home Page Reader 3.0 is a low cost talking Web browser
with Javascript support will allow visually impaired people to
participate in e-business. The software is intended for Windows
98, Millennium and Windows 2000. The suggested retail price
is $149 US and the US English version will be available on Dec.
15, 2000.
IBM (for impaired)
http://www.ibm.com/able/
[2000/10/29]
Oct. 26, 2000, Business Wire reports that Dell(TM) has announced its
Inspiron(TM) 8000 portable computer which can be outfitted with
dual optical drives. Prices start at $1,899 US.
[2000/10/29]
Oct. 25, 2000, Business Wire reports that Palm, Inc. and
SRI International have announced the "Palm Education
Pioneers" (PEP) program which will award grants of Palm(TM)
handheld computers to over 100 US teachers of kindergarten
to grade 12 students and their students. Palm's Mike
Lorion noted that this should help to "provide equitable
access to technology-based learning tools" because Palm
handheld computers are "affordable, mobile and versatile."
SRI International
Palm Educational Pioneers Grants http://www.palmgrants.sri.com/
[2000/10/25]
Oct. 25, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Communication Intelligence
Corporation (CIC) has announced that the Ericsson R380 which it
claims is the first EPOC based Smartphone, and is now shipping,
uses CIC's Jot recognition software. CIC also announced that
other CIC software ported to EPOC includes WordComplete(TM),
QuickNotes(TM), and Sign-On(TM).
Communication Intelligence
Corporation (CIC) http://www.cic.com/
[2000/10/25]
Oct. 24, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that Thomson Consumer
Electronics Canada has announced its 2000 - 2001 product lineup
which includes:
RCA-Brand eBooks
RCA REB1100, 5.5" (diagonal) monochrome LCD touch-screen, 8MB
memory, 40 hour rechargeable battery, a bit over 1 lb., $629.99
Cdn.
RCA REB1200, 8.5" (diagonal) colour LCD touch-screen, 8MB
memory, a bit over 2 lbs., $1,199.99 Cdn.
RCA RD2206 LYRA MP3 player, 64MB CompactFlash, & CompactFlash
reader, plays WMA and G2 files, $369.99 Cdn,
RCA RD2211 "LYRA2" $429.99 Cdn.
RCA K@ZOO! Miniature MP3 Player RD1000, $229.99 Cdn.
RCA RP5007 digital voice recorder, 4MB Smart Media Card for
over 1.5 hr. recording time, $69.99 Cdn.
[2000/10/25]
Oct. 23, 2000, PR Newswire reports that LSI Logic Corporation
and Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. have announced that they
have agreed to develop optimal interfaces between LSI's baseband
processors and AMD's flash memory devices for CDMA applications
and collaborate on developing multi-chip package (MCP) devices
which will combine such products as "system- in- a- package"
products.
[2000/10/25]
Oct. 20, 2000, Antone Gonsalves writes for TechWeb News that
Inprise Corp. is supporting handheld computers with its
"Handheld Express" extension to Borland JBuilder4 Java IDE.
The new software is intended for developing Java applications
for PalmOS.
[2000/10/22]
Oct. 20, 2000, Business Wire reports that Infineon Technologies
has announced Very Fast Infrared (VFIR) technology capable
of 16 Mbps. The system is compliant with the Infrared Data
Association's 1.3 standard. The transceiver has a standby
current of 3.0 mA and a shutdown current of under 50nA.
Development kits will be available in Q1 2001.
Infineon Technologies
AG, Infrared http://www.infineon.com/irdt/
[2000/10/22]
Oct. 18, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Mi-Co has announced
a limited release of its "Mi-NotePad" which digitally
captures and stores handwriting and sketches, and
"Mi-Messages" service which transmits this data wirelessly.
Mi Corporation
http://www.mi-corporation.com/
[2000/10/18]
Oct. 17, 2000, Business Wire reports that Microcell Telecommunications Inc. has announced that according to its unaudited records, it has increased its customer base by 65,134 in Q3 2000.
Q3 Q3
2000 1999
Gross Activiations 118,379
(36% higher than 1999)
Customer growth 65,134 54,815
Total retail PCS
customer base
Sept. 30 787,873 459,392
[2000/10/18]
Oct. 17, 2000, Associated Press reports that according to
Transmeta Corp., NEC Corp. will use Transmeta's Crusoe chip
in an upcoming "LaVie MX" laptop computer. [No prices or
availability dates were given.]
NEC Corp.
http://www.nec-global.com/
Transmeta Corp.
http://www.transmeta.com/
[2000/10/18]
Oct. 16, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Kingston(R) Technology
Co. Inc. has announced a 2GB PC Card HD storage peripheral the
"Datapak(TM) 2GB." Based on a 1.8" HD, this Type II PC Card
has a "native storage capacity (uncompressed)" of 2GB. The
Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price is $599 US. [Availability
is not clear in the announcement.]
[2000/10/18]
Oct. 16, 2000, Palm Canada announced that it has reduced the list
price of the Palm IIIc to $499 (CDN) - effective immediately, and
also begun 2 limited promotions: The first promotion for purchasers
of Palm IIIc from Oct. 16, 2000 to Jan. 8, 2001, submitting a
mail-in form with the UPC from the box gets a "Palm ColourPak"
which includes "3 colour styli, a CD with colour software
applications, and a Palm IIc luggage tag." The second promotion,
for purchasers of Palm IIIc and a Kodak PalmPix from Oct. 16,
2000 to Jan. 8, 2001, a $40 rebate cheque from Kodak. For more
information call (800) 814-9824.
[2000/10/18]
Having run my Palm IIIx with TRG Xtra Xtra Pro board for a few months, on 2000/10/17 at about 20:00, it fell out of my pocket as I was sitting in my chair. This has happened a few times before, and I've simply dusted it off and it worked without problems. This time, it didn't. There was no apparent response from any of the buttons. The reset also didn't seem to do anything, and, after making the usual checks, I thought it was dead. The next morning, I removed the TRG board preparing to send it in for repair, and decided to try it one last time. I re-installed the batteries and the IIIx worked. I didn't think it was likely that the TRG board itself had died, so I decided to reinstall the board again. It started to work but crashed again. After re-installing it a couple more times, it began working properly. I put everything back together, and as I write this at the end of the day, it looks like that's the end of the current problem.
This experience raises some interesting issues. The most salient
is that I'm now so reliant on the Palm IIIx that I think I had
better buy a second unit before this one dies again.
[2000/10/18]
Oct. 13, 2000, Reuters reports that Dell Computer Corp. has recalled
about 27,000 batteries sold with certain laptop computers because
the batteries can short circuit and catch fire, even when not in
use. The batteries, made by Sanyo, were used in Latitude CPiA,
CPiR, CPtC, CPtS, CPtV, CPxH and CPxJ, and Inspiron 3700 and
3800.
[2000/10/15]
Oct. 13, 2000, Business Wire reports that Research Frontiers will
be beginning a tour to demonstrate applications for its "Suspended
Particle Device" light controlling technology. Canadian dates
includes Oct. 24, 2000 in Toronto and Oct. 25, 2000 in Montreal.
Research Frontier
http://www.refr-spd.com/
[2000/10/15]
Oct. 11, 2000, Business Wire reports that ARM has announced
that it has added Single Instruction Multiple Data (SIMD)
extensions to the ARM(R) architecture. The new instructions
are optimized for video and audio coders and ARM claims
performance increases by a factor of four.
[2000/10/11]
Oct. 11, 2000, PR Newswire reports that HandyPalm(TM) Inc.
has software for diet, fitness, travel, entertainment, sports
and recreation, household and family affairs, digital photography,
and personal and business news for PalmOS and Windows CE.
HandyPalm(TM) Inc.
http://www.handypalm.com/
[2000/10/11]
Oct. 10, 2000, PR Newswire reports that the Bluetooth(TM)
Special Interest Group has announced "The Bluetooth Developers
Conference: The Creation of a World Without Wires" will
take place Dec. 5 - 7, 2000 at the San Jose Convetion Center.
[2000/10/11]
Oct. 10, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that Dell Computer
Corporation has announced that its Dell Latitude LS line of
laptop computers can now be ordered with the Intel Mobile
Pentium III 500MHz processor. With this processor option,
prices start at $3,299 Cdn.
[2000/10/11]
Oct. 9, 2000, Associated Press reports that according to Dataquest, worldwide semiconductor sales will see "double digit growth in the next three years." Revenues for 2000 are expected to jump to $231.6 billon US (37% over 1999), with slower growth in 2001 - 2002 and "moving into a slight downturn in 2003."
A report from European research firm GfK Group predicts that
recent claims of a downturn in computer sales in Europe by
Intel and Dell are more likely due to a change in market to
use of AMD processors, which Dell does not use.
[2000/10/11]
Oct. 6, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Clearnet Communications
Inc. has introduced the Sanyo SCP-4500 wireless phone featuring
hands-free operation with speakerphone, voice-activated dialing
and personal memo recorder functions, as well as "wireless Web"
based on a built-in microbrowser and 5 line display. The
suggested retail price is $179.99 (less a $30 rebate for new
client activations until Dec. 31, 2000).
[2000/10/08]
Oct. 6, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that Dell Computer Corporation
has announced the Inspiron 4000 portable computer with a choice
of five removable QuickSnap(TM) colour accent designs. Prices start
at $2,699 Cdn.
[Availability is not clearly stated.]
Dell Inspiron
href="http://www.dell.ca/Inspiron/
[2000/10/08]
Oct. 5, 2000, PR Newswire reports that the 2001 International
CES Jan. 6 - 9, 2001, in Las Vegas, will "showcase innovative
wireless systems and products. . . ."
Consumer Electronics Show
(CES) http://www.CESweb.org/
[2000/10/08]
Oct. 4, 2000, Business Wire reports that Sony Electronics has
announced its SPP-S9226 and SPP-A9276 2-in-1 cordless/corded
phones. The new products combine a cordless phone with a corded
phone attached to the base station. Calls can be answered or
placed from either handset. The phones both include LCD
displays which Sony claims are the largest in the industry
and "High Powered Digital Spread Spectrum" circuitry that
puts out up to 100 times more power than othe 900 MHz
systems. The SPP-S9226 is expected to sell for under $150 US
and the SPP-A9276 which includes a digital answering machine
function is expected to sell for less than $200 US. Both
are expected to be available in October.
[2000/10/04]
Oct. 4, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Mobility Electronics, Inc.
has announced that it is now shipping its new EasiDock(R) 5000
to customers. This latest version of its expansion unit
which attaches to "PC Card" slot supporting mobile computers
uses a Patented "Split Bridge(TM)" technology which the company
claims is 100 times faster than USB. The EasiDock 5000 starts
at $599 US.
Mobility Electronics,
Inc. http://www.mobilityelectronics.com/
[2000/10/04]
Oct. 4, 2000, PR Newswire reports that TouchStar Technologies
has announced that it has agreed with Casio, Inc. to distribute
Casio's industrial Pocket PC products. TouchStar also has
its own line of handheld computers.
TouchStar Technologies
http://www.touchpc.com/
[2000/10/04]
Oct. 4, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Simple Technology has announced
that it is entering the "embedded mass data storage market" with
its "Solid-State Flash Disk Module(TM)" product which are built
to 40 pin connector (2.5" IDE HD), 44 pin connector (3.5" IDE HD)
and 144 pin SoDIMM specifications.
[2000/10/04]
Oct. 3, 2000, PR Newswire reports that VTech has announced its
new Phusion(TM) personal digital assistant incorporates a digital
camera capable of taking 25 exposures and transferring the photos
to a personal computer. The device is targetted at children 9
years and older. The Phusion is immediately available at $119.99
US. A customized version of the Phusion will be available from
"American Girl" at $139.99 US.
VTech http://www.vtechkids.com/
American Girl
http://www.americangirl.com/
[2000/10/04]
Oct. 3, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Gateway has announced that
it will sell Handspring's Visor handheld computers in special value
packages.
[2000/10/04]
Oct. 2, 2000, PR Newswire reports that LG.Philips LCD Co., Ltd.
has revealed that it has already begun mass production of 15"
UXGA TFT LCD display screen. The new product has 1600 * 1200
pixels.
LG.Philips LCD Co., Ltd.
http://www.lgphilips-lcd.com/
[2000/10/04]
Oct. 2, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Magellan Corporation
has announced its GPS Companion(TM) for the Palm V, Vx and
IBM Workpad series handheld computers. The boxed set which
includes software is priced at $169 US.
[The article does not say when the product will be available.
This appears to be the same hardware as the Rand-McNally GPS
kit for the Palm V devices.]
[2000/10/04]
Sept. 27, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Portable Internet, Inc.
has announced the availability of its "integrated city guide
for PalmO/S handheld computers." Included in the supported devices
are the M100 (with only 2MB memory) and Palm IIIC with its colour
display. Supported has also increased by 9 new cities, including
2 in Canada.
[Checking the company's Website, the 2 Canadian cities are
Vancouver and Toronto. Oddly, according to the Website, the coverage
of Toronto only extends as far as the "Don Valley Parkway," which
misses all of the Scarborough suburb, which is now part of the
City of Toronto.]
Portable Internet, Inc.
http://www.portableinternet.com/
[2000/10/01]
Sept. 27, 2000, Business Wire reports that Sharp Microelectronics
of America has announced its LH79531 low power system-on-a-chip
based on a 60MHz ARM7TDMI core. The device includes an LCD controller
which supports up to 1024 * 768 * 64,000 colours, controlling
STN, CSTN or TFT displays. Performance is enhanced by the
use of a dual buss design which separates the display/SDRAM buss
(32 or 16 bit wide) from the static memory buss (16 or 8 bit
wide). Samples will be available Jan. 2001 with production
scheduled for Q2 2001. The price is projected to be $14 each
in quantities of 10,000 units.
[2000/09/27]
Sept. 27, 2000, Business Wire reports that Comverge Technologies,
Inc. has announced that its Comverge Distributed Connection (CDC)
allows electric metering for buildings via wireless connection
via a Palm V, as well as internet connection.
[2000/09/27]
Sept. 27, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Toshiba Corporation
has announced its LTM07C388 device which is a commercial 7.7"
"low-temperature polysilicon thin-film transistor" LCD display
for mid-size electronic books. Samples will be available in
October with mass production expected "at the beginning of 2001."
Resolution will be 150 pixels per inch (960 * 640 resolution)
with up to 262,144 colours. Power consumption is "1.9W at 70cd/m2",
contrast ratio is 250:1. The current sample price is 100,000 yen.
[2000/09/27]
Sept. 26, 2000, PR Newswire reports that FP Technologies, LLC
has announced a working prototype of a new type of LCD display
which uses flourescent material to change light energy from
undesired colours to desired colours, instead of filtering it.
This preserves the energy for a brighter display with less
power use.
[2000/09/27]
Sept. 26, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that QNX Software Systems
has announced that the QNX realtime OS platform is now available
for free downloading for non-commercial use at:
Free QNX System Download
http://get.qnx.com/
[2000/09/27]
Sept. 26, 2000, Business Wire reports that SAP has announced a
strategic alliance with Compaq Computer Corp. to extend business
applications to mobile workers. SAP will deploy wireless-enabled
iPaq(TM) PocketPC's using SAP Mobile Workplace internally to its
senior management, sales staff and consultants.
[2000/09/27]
Sept. 26, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that Dell has announced
a number of new laptop computers which include features such
as "built-in wireless capability." The C600 is immediately
available and the C800 series will follow within 60 days.
[2000/09/2000]
Sept. 26, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Nazomi Communications, Inc.
has announced that its JSTAR coprocessor will bring up to 10X Java
acceleration to ARM 7 and ARM 9 SOC designs.
Nazomi Communications, Inc.
JSTAR Java Accelerator Coprocessor
[2000/09/27]
Sept. 25, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Gateway has announce that
it has updated its Solo laptop computers with 9300 and 5300
models featuring new Intel Pentium III processors.
[2000/09/27]
Sept. 25, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Microsoft has announced
that it has released Microsoft(R) Windows(R) CE 3.0 Add-On Pack"
which is essentially an expansion of the SDK. The main components
are an XML Parser, Internet Connection Sharing (ICS), Point-to-Point
Tunneling Protocol (PPTP), Crypto API 2.0 and Remote Desktop Protocol
(RDP) 5.0.
[2000/09/27]
Sept. 25, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Rise Technology Company
has demonstrated its iDragon System-On-Chip SCX501 at the Embedded
Systems Conference, running a "tiny Linux kernel" with a Win32-like
graphical user interface. The x86 based design is intended for
set-top-box applications.
Rise Technology Company
http://www.rise.com/
[2000/09/27]
For anyone who has purchased an HP Jornada 4xx Series or Jornada
54x series "Palm-Size PC" or "PocketPC" devices, and wishes a
refund, the previously announced refund offer ends on Sept. 30, 2000
(in a few days). So consider it carefully right now, or don't
complain later. The offer is a complete refund of the purchase
price, requiring proof of purchase price (your bill of sale).
Contrary to some rumours, this does NOT cover the Jornada 6xx
series devices (the type with the folding lid and keyboards), nor
does it cover the 8xx series.
[2000/09/27]
Sept. 22, 2000, Business Wire reports that Trend Micro Inc. has announced the immediate availability of protection from the "Palm OS Phage virus" which is a "proof of concept virus" which overwrites applications in the Palm device. According to Trend Micro, this is a low risk virus that has not been distributed.
[There seems to be conflict in reports of danger of this
virus. According to the Trend Micro announcement programs
can be damaged and restoring from backups will be necessary.
In a separate article from Associated Press, Sept. 23, 2000,
"The PDA can be repaired simply by shutting it off and turning
it on again, and the virus is easily wiped out by deleting
any file called Phage.prc." This is a significant discrepancy.]
[2000/09/24]
Sept. 22, 2000, Business Wire reports that Palm, Inc. and
RealVision have announced that RealVision will provide a
dual-band GSM phone "sled" attachment for the Palm V and Vx
in Europe and Asia. Available in early 2001, it will
sell for less than $299 US when purchased with 1-year
wireless service plans.
[2000/09/24]
Sept. 22, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Ultralife Batteries, Inc.
has announced that its standard sizes for rechargeable Ultralife
Polymer(TM) cells will include UBC443483 which is 4.4mm thick and
weighs 21.6 grams and a rated capacity of 725mAh., and model
UBC543483 which is 5.4mm thick, 26 grams andis rated at 930 mAh.
Both cells are 83mm * 34mm, and are available to qualified
OEMs.
Ultralife Batteries, Inc. Polymer Cells
http://www.ultralifebatteries.com/polymer.html
[2000/09/24]
Sept. 21, 2000, PR Newswire report that Clearnet Communications Inc. has announced flat-rate Wireless Internet services for Clearnet PCS and Mike users. Starting Sept. 25, 2000, users with "dot com ready phones" will be able to sign up for "Surf" ($10/month) and "Surf-a-Lot" ($15/month) services. Both are "unlimited use." The difference is the array of sites that are accessible. The "Surf" service offers "online banking and investing, news and weather reports, shopping services, telephone directories and games." The "Surf-a-Lot" adds Bloomberg, canada.com and CANOE.
[According to this announcement, users of Clearnet's prepaid
service "Pay & Talk" which began last month, have had prepaid
wireless Internet service.]
[2000/09/24]
Sept. 21, 2000, Business Wire reports that Tohoku Pioneer
Corporation and Motorola, Inc. have announced that Motorola's
Timeport P8767 is the first mobile phone to use a colour
Organic Electroluminescence (OEL) display developed by
Tohoku Pioneer. The Timeport P8767 is shipping now in the
US through national carriers. According to the announcement,
OEL screens use less power than backlighted LCD screens (with
the backlight on), and are not affected by cold temperatures.
[2000/09/24]
Sept. 21, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Live365 has announced
a streaming MP3 Player for Windows CE devices.
Live365 http://www.live365.com/
[2000/09/24]
Sept. 19, 2000, Richard Shim writes for ZDnet News that Handspring's Visor Prism will have a 30MHz Dragonball processor and 8MB RAM, it will come with a lithium ion rechargeable battery and its display will support 65,536 colours. It will be a bit thicker than current Visors and will come with PalmOS 3.5 The device will be marketed as a game device and will be sold with at least 1 game priced at $449 US.
The Visor Platinum will be similar, but will come with a monochrome screen and use replaceable AAA batteries, and will be priced at $299 US.
Both products will be available on Oct. 19, 2000 and will
support the VisorPhone cartridge which will not be available
till November 2000.
[2000/09/22]
Sept. 20, 2000, Handspring Inc. has announced that this Fall
it will release the Visor Prism which features a colour
screen and the VisorPhone Springboard which will cost
$499 US at full price (though most sales will be around $299
US which bought with US rate plans). The VisorPhone will
convert the Prism into a GSM phone.
[2000/09/20]
Sept. 20, 2000, Business Wire reports that according to
Media Metrix, in July 2000 there were 7.4 million US households
who owned non-PC digital devices capable of receiving data
from the Internet and other digital networks such as short
messaging systems (SMS), representing a 12 percent growth
over April 2000 (48% annualized). Of these, 1.4 million or
about 20% of those households don't own PC's, and the growth
rate of non-PC-owner households was double that of the
PC-owner households.
[2000/09/20]
Sept. 20, 2000, Business Wire reports that Intel Corporation has
introduced "Intel(R) Personal Internet Client Architecture"
(Intel(R) PCA) for building new wireless clients for next-generation
Internet-ready cell phones and handheld devices based on Intel's
StrongARM based "Intel(R) XScale(TM)" microarchitecture.
[2000/09/20]
Sept. 20, 2000, Business Wire reports that Motorola has received
certification for its PCMCIA card and USB accessories, both of
which are expected to be available in the 4th quarter of this
year.
[2000/09/20]
Sept. 19, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Magellan Corporation
has announced the release of its 750M(TM) portable navigation
system which weighs less than 7 lbs. and costs $2,799 US.
[It seems to be immediately available.]
Magellan Corporation
http://www.magellangps.com/
[2000/09/20]
Sept. 20, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Philips Semiconductor
has announced its 36-bit TrueFrame charge coupled device (CCD)
image sensor technology for digital still cameras. The
first product, FXA1012 will be used in HP's PhotoSmart 912
digital camera. The FXA1012 costs $50 US in quantities of
10,000/month.
[Checking the HP Website, the C912 features 2.24 Mpixel
resolution based on this 2/3" CCD device, and a 3x Pentax
optical zoom lens.]
HP PhotoSmart 912 Camera
http://www.hp.com/photosmart/products/cameras/c912.html
Philips
Semiconductors http://www.philips.semiconductors.com/
[2000/09/20]
Sept. 19, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that Sun Microsystems, Inc.
has announced that the Mobile Information Device (MID) profile
is available immediately for downloading from its Website. The
profile is based on Java(TM) 2 Platform Micro Edition (J2ME(TM)).
Java Mobile Information
Device Profile http://java.sun.com/products/midp/
[2000/09/20]
Sept. 19, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Gateway has announced
its new Solo 3350 ultra-light portable computer which features a
magnesium alloy lid. Prices start at $2,199 US.
[2000/09/20]
Sept. 19, 2000, Canadian Corporate News reports that Applied Science
Fiction, Inc. has announced its new "Digital Dry Film Process (DFP)
technology by which undeveloped 35mm or APS black-and-white or colour
photo film is directly digitized using small amounts of a proprietary
developing agent in a water-free process.
Applied Science Fiction, Inc.
http://www.asf.com/
[2000/09/20]
Sept. 18, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Baltimore Technologies
has announced that it has launched a set of security development tools
for PalmOS.
Baltimore Technologies
http://www.baltimore.com/
[2000/09/20]
Sept. 14, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that Mobile Computing
Corporation has launched its "m-Xpander" port expander usable
with most Windows CE computers. It allows up to 6 peripherals
to be used simultaneously by a single Windows CE computer.
Available in October, the price was not announced.
Mobile Computing
Corporation http://www.mobilecom.com/
[2000/09/17]
I can't discuss where this issue arose lately, but it is not a new one. I've considered it many times before. In fact, I've said what I have to say before. However, I don't think I've ever covered this in writing before, so this is new. The question is "what is a good user interface design for a pocket computer?"
Since the early days of personal computing, the goal has been to design systems more and more for people "who have never used a computer before." That was supposed to be the great advance of the Macintosh. But is has *always* been a goal. It was also the reason for the BASIC programming language. I would say that it's still important to have interfaces that are easy to learn and efficient to use, and that using non-computer metaphors is still a good goal. But realistically, who is going to buy pocket computers?
"Millions of people who have never used a computer before" is not the market. First, almost nobody in North America gets past Grade 12 without having used a computer. In fact, I have doubts if there are many who get past grade 6 without having used a computer. As for "older people", we're long past the point where the vast majority of people who want to learn to use computers haven't gotten around to it. The ones who haven't probably won't -- ever. Now, look at what's left. Of the people who are high school and older who haven't used computers, why haven't they? Most likely, they haven't because they don't want to. Those are not people who are going to want to buy a pocket computer.
So, while using "non-computer" metaphors can be useful, if the best thing you
have is an idea that's rooted in "computer culture," then use it. If you want to
use the words like "System" or "Programs" or "Data" then use them.
[2000/09/17]
Sept. 13, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Apple has introduced
its new iBook(TM) line which features FireWire(R) ports and
iMove(TM) 2 software. The iBook Special Edition now includes
a DVD-ROM. Other features include:
- 366 or 466 MHz PowerPC G3 processors
- a 400 Mbps FireWire port for high speed peripherals
- CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive
- AV port
ATI RAGE Mobility 128 graphics with 8MB SDRAM
The new versions are currently available and prices start at
$1,499 US.
[2000/09/13]
Sept. 13, 2000, PR Newswire reports that WorkArea.com claims
that its Universal Address Book provides a central storage
of address information that is password protected and accessible
from virtually anywhere through standard Web browsers or
"wireless web-enabled" mobile phones.
WorkArea.com
http://www.workarea.com/
[2000/09/13]
Sept. 12, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Compaq Computer
Corporation and Motorola, Inc. have jointly announced that
Compaq's "Home Location Register" (HLR) will be included
in Motorola's "Enhanced Data for Global Evolution" (EDGE)
wireless technologies. HLR's primary task is "to ensure that
wireless services follow a subscriber when he or she roams
outside the home cell."
[2000/09/13]
Sept. 12, 2000, Business Wire reports that Foveon, Inc. has
introduced its 16.8 million-pixel CMOS image sensor device
based on technology developed by National Semiconductor.
Built using 0.18-micron technology it contains nearly 70
million transistors in an area roughly 2.2 cm square (slightly
less than 1 square inch).
Foveon, Inc.
http://www.foveon.net/
[2000/09/13]
Sept. 12, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Computer Associates
International, Inc. has announced the availability of Unicenter
TNG Software Delivery Option (SDO) 3.0 which automates the
delivery of software and other digital across the extended
enterprise, including PalmOS, WindowsCE, Windows 2000 and
Linux systems.
Computer Associates International,
Inc. http://www.ca.com/
[2000/09/13]
Sept. 11, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that IBM has announced
it new ThinkPad X Series of "ultraportable" laptop computers.
Weights as as low as 3.1 pounds. Available from Sept. 12, 2000,
prices range from $3,399 Cdn to $4,599 Cdn.
[2000/09/13]
Sept. 11, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Matias Corporation
has announced that its "Half Keyboard" products will be
available in November for Palm and Handspring computers
at $99 US.
Matias Corporation
Half Keyboard http://www.halfkeyboard.com/
[2000/09/13]
Sept. 11, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that a number of
technology companies including AvantGo, Inc., The California
Medical Association, Certicom, ePocrates, MEDePASS, Palm, Inc.,
PCS Health Systems and Tunitas Group have announced the
"Mobile Healthcare Alliance" (MoHCA) "to develop requirements
and influence the adoption of standard practices in mobile
data management to ensure professional practices and patient
trust."
Mobile Healthcare Alliance
http://www.mohca.org/
[2000/09/13]
Sept. 11, 2000, PR Newswire reports that on Sept. 8, 2000,
Geoworks Corporation filed a law complaint against Phone.com,
Inc., Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. of Japan and Sanyo North America
Corporation in the United States International Trade Commission
(ITC), to block importation to the US of WAP cellular phones
using Phone.com's microbrowser, based on Geoworks' U.S. Patent
No. 5,327,529 protecting Geoworks' "Flex UI(TM)" technology.
[2000/09/13]
Sept. 11, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that 01 Communique
Laboratory Inc. claims that its "technology will enable users
to access private messages and contact database information stored
on their own server, from anywhere in the world. . ." using
wireless technology.
01 Communique Laboratory Inc.
http://www.01com.com/
[2000/09/13]
Sept. 8, 2000, Associated Press reports that Sony Corp.'s
latest models of VAIO laptop computers coming in mid to
late October will use the Transmeta Crusoe CPU.
[2000/09/10]
Sept. 7, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Hewlett-Packard
Company has unveiled it new HP Jornada 720 Handheld PC.
[See my comments below]
[2000/09/10]
Sept. 7, 2000, Business Wire reports that IBM claims to
have the "first Intel-based notebook computers with integrated
wireless local area network (LAN) capabilities," and also
announces Bluetooth PC Card options for its notebook computers.
The ThinkPad i Series 1300 models (21U and 71U) will be
available in "early fourth quarter" and the Bluetooth
PC Card will be available in October at $189 US.
[2000/09/10]
Sept. 7, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Motorola has
announced that its new Telario(TM) system combines
digital cordless phone technology (based on TDMA on
1.9 GHz) and two way radio functionality with group
and private session capabilities for corporate use.
[No prices or availability dates were provided in
the announcement.]
Motorola
Telario http://www.motorola.com/telario/
[2000/09/10]
Sept. 7, 2000 PR Newswire reports that Tescina, Inc. has
introduced "DataGet port(TM)" which interfaces a Palm
Computing devices with micrometer measuring tools.
Tescina, Inc. micrometer
interface http://www.dataget.com/
[2000/09/10]
Sept. 6, 2000, Associated Press reports in its article
"Microsoft To Try Handheld Again" that on Wednesday,
Microsoft announced it's "Handheld PC 2000" software
which is the latest update for what was called
Windows CE. According to the article "a new feature
will be the ability to access the user's desktop
computer via the Internet. . ."
[Microsoft's formal announcement formal announcement
was distributed by PR Newswire on Sept. 7, 2000. Apparently,
NEC Computers and MainStreet Networks' Client Devices Group
and Hewlett-Packard were the only other participants in
the announcement. MainStreet will bring out its "Clio
C-10xx" products based on MIPS 4121 CPUs at 168MHz in
4th quarter 2000, and NEC will have announcements "in
the near future."]
[2000/09/10]
Sept. 7, 2000, HP rarely surprises me, but this time they've done it. This move as to be seen in context. Since the beginning of the WindowsCE systems, Hitachi's SH-3 processor has been one of the two leading technologies. The other was MIPS. In general, the SH-3 seemed to be able to pull out slightly better performance than the MIPS processors, but there were many manufacturers of MIPS providing a greater array of designs, and occasionally, a MIPS processor would rise to the occasion. Philips pushed the Velos to outstanding performance both by optimizing code and by shear MHz. Casio topped the "Palmsized" world for a while with its E-100/E-105's 131 MHz speed.
But in the distance, DEC's StrongARM (now Intel) loomed. Back when the MIPS and SH-3's were struggling with 80MHz speed ranges at reasonable power cost, the StrongARM had achieved 160MHz. in the Apple Newtons. The WindowsCE world knew that if this performance gap remained, there would have to some movement to StrongARM.
When HP brought out the Jornada 820 with its 190MHz StrongARM, it was a bit of a surprise because Hitachi had brought out the SH-4, which was actually getting competitive in performance with the StrongARM. But the SH-4's 64-bit architecture is probably not well used by WindowsCE, which then limits the performance to its 128MHz clock speed (as seen in the Compaq Aero 8000). So one could understand the move. On the other hand, when it became clear that HP was phasing out the Jornada 820, and the new Jornada 540 PocketPC devices came out based on 133MHz SH-3, One expected that HP had settled back into the Hitachi camp. So with the new Jornada 720 replacing the 600 series SH-3 powered devices, I had to double check what I was reading.
Moreover, the 720 has little in common with the the 820:
Differences:
206MHz StrongARM
32MB SDRAM (51MHz)
64K colours
hardware 2D graphics accelerator
stereo sound output jack
Other specs:
CompactFlash Type I, PC-Card Type II, SmartCard slot
RJ-II modem port (V.90 56Kbps), RS-232C (USB cable optional,
apparently only through docking station -- this isn't clear)
Microsoft Windows(R) for Handheld PC 2000 Version 3.0"
Current price (HP F1818A) $999 US.
With this product, and the impact of the iPaq with its
209Mhz StrongARM, one wonders what HP's next move will
be?
HP Jornada
http://www.hp.com/jornada/
[2000/09/10]
I don't know much about this, but it sounds interesting and
relevant. The conference is scheduled for Sept. 27 - 29, 2000
at Chicago, Ill.
i3 Mobile
PCIA GlobalXChange 2000 Conference
http://www.i3mobile.com/pcia2000/
[2000/09/10]
Sept. 6, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that 3Com Corporation
has announced that TELUS Mobility's "i-Web(TM)" CDMA
data service is based on 3Com's "Total Control(R) 1000"
system.
[2000/09/06]
Sept. 6, 2000, Canadian Corporate News reports that Paradigm
Advanced Technologies, Inc. has aquired the rights of
Eastern Investments, LLC to US Patent #B1 5,043,736 which is a
"wireless location patent that covers the apparatus and
method of transmitting position information from satellite
navigation signals (such as GPS) over cellular systems to
a base unit and displaying the location of a person or object
so equipped."
Paradigm Advanced Technologies,
Inc. http://www.powerloc.com/
[2000/09/06]
Sept. 6, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Good Technology has
debuted its "SoundsGood" Springboard MP3 audioplayer for the
Handspring Visor. The SoundsGood module can be used as
a standalone MP3 player with the use of its "EnergyClip(TM)"
accessory (sold separately) which holds a single AA battery.
- 64MB built-in memory gives over an hour of sound
- "Good Desktop" software loads songs through the Visor USB
cradle
- downloadable upgrades
The "SoundsGood" is expected to ship in Oct. 2000 for $269 US.
The "EnergyClip" will be available in Nov. 2000 for $39.99 US.
Good Technology http://www.good.com/
Note: Another MP3 player for the Visor is made by Innogear.
Innogear http://www.innogear.com/
[2000/09/06]
Sept. 6, 2000, PR Newswire reports that FileMaker, Inc. has
announced that its new FileMaker Mobile for PalmOS is an
"easy-to-use companion to FileMaker Pro 5". Expected to ship
this winter, it allows data transfer and synchronization with
MacOS and Windows based computers running FileMaker Pro 5.
Price will be under $100 US.
FileMaker, Inc.
http://www.filemaker.com/
[2000/09/06]
Sept. 6, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Universal Display Corporation
has announced that Michael Hack, Ph. D. will present a paper entitled
"Performance of High Efficiency AMOLED Displays" on Sept. 7, 2000 at
the Society for Information Displays. The paper asserts that Active
Matrix Organic LEDs meet criteria for successful commercialization.
Universal Display Corporation
http://www.universaldisplay.com/
[2000/09/06]
Sept. 6, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Y Media Corporation has
announced that its new 3.17 Megapixel C3D(TM) CMOS image sensor
YM-3170A achieves this resolution in a 1/2" size by using 0.25-micron
imagers, allowing more than 3 times the number of pixels than
current CMOS sensors.
Y Media Corporation
http://www.y-media.com/
[2000/09/06]
Psion Series 5mx
Copyright Psion PLC 1999
EPOC Release 5, Version 1.05(250) English (UK) ASCII
After many months of using a SanDisk 20MB Compact Flash card in my Psion Series 5mx, I found that I would be needed more storage fairly soon. So today I bought a new SanDisk 48MB Compact Flash card. I transfered my data over to the new card without exceptional problem, and then decided to check the state of the 20MB card with Windows 95 "scandisk". Running scandisk, I immediately started getting errors due to corrupt folders. There were so many that I gave up trying to fix them manually and re-ran scandisk with automatic fixing. One empty folder in particular was converted to a "file". I typed that file and saw that the contents were pieces of old data files. Since this whole card was going to be reformatted anyway I deleted the file and looked further. I checked a few of the remaining HTML and TXT files, and they looked intact, though at least one HTML file seemed to be longer, with extra empty space added on to the end.
After all these months of using the Compact Flash card, I can't
say for sure which programs caused the corruption. On the
other hand, considering how wide-spread the problem was, I
expect it's a system level problem, and possibly a driver
level problem, rather than one or two specific applications.
[2000/09/06]
Sept. 2, 2000, John Markoff writes in his article "Flaws
in Digital Wireless Technology Said to Allow Eavesdropping"
for the New York Times, that two researchers working for
Lucent Technologies claim to have found flaws in the
Bluetooth system that would allow eavesdropping on
transmissions. One problem allowed the possibility of
capturing the encryption key used by Bluetooth devices
at the time that two devices exchange a key. The
second flaw makes it possible to "obtain the identity
of a Bluetooth device, making it traceable and
potentially compromising the security of a user."
The article also says that "[a]n independent security
expert said that the Bluetooth security model was still
untested and that other flaws were likely to be discovered."
[2000/09/03]
Aug. 31, 2000, Associated Press reports in its article
"Wireless Network Capability Expanded" that the US FCC
has increased the bandwidths of channels used for unlicensed
spread spectrum data networking transmitters in the 2.4
GHz band. [Looking at the actual FCC site, the FCC
is allowing this so that data rates will increase from
a theoretical maximum of 2MB/sec. to 10 MB/sec. The
specification is complicated and decreases maximum power
for wider bandwith transmission. See ET Docket No. 99-231,
"Amendment of Part 15 of the Commission's Rules Regarding
Spread Spectrum Devices" adopted Aug. 22, 2000, released
Aug. 31, 2000]
US FCC http://www.fcc.gov/
HomeRF Working Group
http://www.homerf.org/
[2000/09/03]
The title may confuse Palm device fans because there have been graphics programs on Palm devices since pretty near the beginning of third party programming. Also, you'd expect that a device with a "graphics interface" was designed with priority on graphics support. But as any long time Palm programmer can tell you, it just wasn't so. The Palm API, up to PalmOS 3.3, was incomplete. The only way to write a lot of the graphics oriented programs was to ignore the "official" Palm programming practices and use "unsupported" techniques. Moreover, there have never been any official bitmapped image or vector graphics "file formats" beyond the icons used in the menus.
With the coming of PalmOS 3.5, Palm completed more of the graphics API, and now, with the M-100, there is finally an officially adopted graphics image format, at least for the new "Notepad" items. Moreover, Sony's new device apparently supports linking photo images from Phone book items. I'm not sure how official that image format and the linking capability will be, but it will be something to watch for.
The importance of these developments to Palm users should not be lost. The official claim of Palm is that Palm programs have been forward compatible pretty much since the beginning. That is to say, the earliest Palm programs still run on todays Palm computers. In reality, that's not true at all. Every upgrade of the software that I've heard of has "broken" some programs. Most of the important programs have been upgraded over time to correct for these problems. Ok, so Palm can say that what they mean is that all "properly written" Palm programs have been forward compatible. Actually, I'm not sure if that's true or not, since I was unable to delve into Palm until the Palm Professional came out. And even then I didn't really look into PalmOS until the Palm IIIx.
But it isn't really important because too many of the most wanted programs all along have had to use "black art" unsupported techniques due to the lack of officially supported capabilities. And mostly, these programming techniques were related to graphics. The corollary for this situation is that in the future, since more of the capabilities that people want are covered by the operating system and the API, programs should keep on working despite upgrades to the OS.
There are other implications too, but in general, the
conclusion is that it is "a very good thing."
[2000/09/03]
Aug. 30, 2000, PR Newswire reports that F-Secure Corporation
has announced that it has protection against the "Palm_Liberty.A"
Trojan virus which is believed to be the first virus that attacks
PalmOS devices. The program file is named "liberty_1_1_crack.prc"
with a size of 2,663 bytes when unpacked on a PC, and loads into
a Palm device as the "Liberty" application with the name
"Crack 1.1". When it is activated, it attempts to delete all
applications and reboot the device.
F-Secure Corporation
http://www.F-Secure.com/
NOTE: On Aug. 29, 2000, in a separate release from Canadian
Corporate News, Trend Micro Inc. announced that they also had
anti-virus software capable of detecting and protecting against
this virus.
Trend Micro Inc.
Antivirus Info Site http://www.antivirus.com/vinfo/
[2000/08/30]
Aug. 30, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Consolidated Graphics,
Inc. and Ansyr Technology Corporation have announced a
strategic alliance involving PDF readers for the Palm and WinCE
platforms by Ansyr. [On the Ansyr Website, Answer says that
the PalmOS version will be available Sept. 4.]
Ansyr Technology Corporation
WinCE and PalmOS PDF readers http://www.ansyr.com/
[2000/08/30]
Aug. 30, 2000, Business Wire reports that Sony has introduced
it's "Communication, Link Information and Entertainment" (CLIE(TM))
PalmOS 3.5 based handheld devices to the US market. It will
be available for under $400 US in September. Sony's version
will support a "Jog Dial(TM)" navigator for single hand usage
and incorporation of pictures with the address book. Also, Sony
is deveoping devices which use the Memory Stick slot, including
a camera, a GPS receiver, a Bluetooth(TM) connector and a
voice recorder.
Sony CLIE
http://www.sony.com/clie/
Sony PDA Developers Site
http://www.sonypdadev.com/
[2000/08/30]
Aug. 29, 2000, Business Wire reports that AMD has announced
that its new Am29DS323 32 Mbit Flash memory device brings
Simultaneous Read/Write architecture to Super Low Voltage
technology. The 1.8-volt device can read access as fast
as 110 nanoseconds and reduces power consumption by up to
60% compared to 3V. equivalent devices. The part is
immediately available at $22.40 US each in quantities of
10,000.
[2000/08/30]
Aug. 30, 2000, Business Wire reports that Compaq Computer
Corp., Intel Corporation, Microsoft Corp., Phoenix
Technologies and Toshiba Corp. have announced the publication
of the "Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI)
version 2.0 specification. ACPI 2.0 includes support for
64-bit processor addressing, multi-processing and "device
performance states." According to Business Wire, 29
companies support the specification.
ACPI 2.0 Spec.
http://www.teleport.com/~acpi/
[2000/08/30]
Aug. 29, 2000, Business Wire reports that IBM has announced
its ViaVoice Release 8.0 products which feature such advances
as USB connectivity noise-cancelling microphone, faster
setup time, improved correction capabilities and expanded
command and control features for voice navigating the desktop.
[2000/08/30]
Aug. 25, 2000, Palmax of Taiwan has introduced its PD-131
PocketPC powered by a 131MHz NEC MIPS VR4121A with 16 or 32MB
of RAM, 16 or 24MB of ROM (depending on language), 64K TFT
display and Type II CompactFlash slot. Palmax has also announced
that it will introduce a new WinCE PocketPC device called the
P6M in Oct. 2000. The device will feature a 206MHz "Intel CPU",
MMC Card, USB port and 16 level grey scale screen.
Palmax P6M
http://www.palmax.net/p6msp.htm
[2000/08/30]
Aug. 25, 2000, Business Wire reports that MedCare Technologies,
Inc. and WirelessMD(TM) have announced that WirelessMD
will acquire "certain assets" of RxSheets.com from MedCare
Technologies, Inc. Full details were not announced.
RxSheets.com
http://www.rxsheets.com/
WirelessMD, Inc.
http://www.wirelessmd.com/
[2000/08/27]
Aug. 24, 2000, PR Newswire reports that CUE Corporation
has announced the introduction of "VoiceTMC(R)". This
new service will broadcast real time traffic information
by voice over the FM subcarrier of 60 radio stations.
Traffic information is currently available in over 50
markets across the US and Canada. [There is a reference
to a charge of $60 per year for "CUE TrafficNet" service,
but it's not clear how these services are related in
terms of price]. Receivers will include "The CUE Radio
for the Handspring Visor."
Cue Corporation
http://www.cue.net/
[2000/08/27]
Aug. 24, 2000, Associated Press reports that according
to Network Associates, PGP Security software versions
5.5 and upward have a security weakness in design. This
will be corrected soon.
[2000/08/27]
Aug. 23, 2000, Associated Press reports that the European
division of Levi Strauss & Co. will be working with Philips
NV to test a line of jackets equiped with mobile phones,
MP3 players, remote controls and microphones.
[2000/08/23]
Aug. 22, 2000, Business Wire reports that Intel Corp.
will be renaming its StrongARM chip architecture to
"XScale". Built using 0.18-micron process technology,
power ranges are as low as "one ten-thousandth of a watt
to 1.6 watts" with clock speeds approaching 1 GHz.
[2000/08/23]
Aug. 22, 2000, Business Wire reports that Dell has announced its
Inspiron 5000e laptop computer with a 15" "Ultra XGA" (UXGA)
display.
[2000/08/23]
Aug. 22, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Voice Signal and Sunplus
Technology has announced that it has state-of-the-art voice
recognition based on 8-bit micro power for toy applications
for as little as $2.00 US, including processor, software license
and microphone circuitry.
Voice Signal Technologies
http://www.voicesignal.com/
[2000/08/23]
Aug. 21, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Gateway has announced its new Solo 5300 lightweight and Solo 1150 home office laptop computers.
[2000/08/23]
Aug. 21, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Thomson multimedia has
announced that it will introduce the RCA-brand eBook line of
dedicated electronic reading devices on Sept. 24, 2000 at
"New York is Book Country" in New York City. The products
are the REB1100 and REB1200.
REB1100: 5.5" monochrome screen, 8MB memory, 17 oz.
REB1200: 8.5" colour LCD screen, 8MB memory, Compact Flash
memory cards, 33 oz.
Thomson Multimedia
http://www.thomson-multimedia.com/
[2000/08/23]
Aug. 17, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Texas Instruments has
announced that purchasers of the TI-83 Plus graphing calculator
between Aug. 15, to Oct. 15, 2000 for $99 US will also be
allowed to download 4 applications for free. The applications
include an "Organizer" which includes schedules and email
addresses.
TI-83 App Offer
http://www.ti.com/calc/appoffer/
[2000/08/20]
Aug. 14, 2000, Business Wire reports that National Semiconductor
has announced its new SC14404 (handset) and SC14425 (basestation)
ICs which implement 900MHz and 2.4GHz ISM band digital cordless
phones. Features include "hands-free", "caller-ID" and "multi-
handset" support. The SC14404 is immediately available at $13.60
US each in quantities of 1,000 and the SC14425 is immediately
available at $7.60 US each in quantities of 1,000.
Nat Semi SC14404 handset chip
http://www.national.com/pf/SC/SC14404.html
Nat Semi SC14425 basestation chip
http://www.national.com/pf/SC/SC14425.html
[2000/08/20]
Aug. 16, 2000, Associated Press reports that a new variant of the
"Love Letter" virus currently being called "VBS/Loveletter.bd"
is designed to steal passwords and online banking information
of users of the "United Bank of Switzerland." It uses Microsoft's
Outlook e-mail program to replicate itself.
[2000/08/16]
Aug. 16, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Compaq Computer Corp. has
announced that it will sell the RIM Blackberry devices under the
"iPaq BlackBerry" name.
[2000/08/16]
Aug. 16, 2000, Telxon Corporation has announced that its new
166MHz Pentium(R) based PTC-890IM mobile computer is immediately
available. [No price was give in the announcement.]
Telxon http://www.telxon.com/
[2000/08/16]
Aug. 15, 2000, Business Wire reports that VTech Information has
announced that it has selected Transvirtual Technologies, Inc.
"as provider and Linux and PocketLinux expertise for the Helio
PDA product line." The two companies have agreed to work together
to product a Linux based PDA device based on the Helio hardware
platform and PocketLInux software platform, with a target date
of Q1, 2001 for completion.
PocketLinux
http://www.pocketlinux.com/
Transvirtual
Technologies, Inc. http://www.transvirtual.com/
VTech PocketLinux Press Release
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/000815/ca_transvi_2.html
[2000/08/16]
Aug. 15, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Transmation, Inc. has
introduced Palm III based PDA Calibrators(TM). The six calibrators
measure mA/pressure, mA, voltage, thermocouple, RTD and frequency.
They will be available in mid-September at prices from $649 to
$949 (not including Palm device). Each acts as a docking station
fitting a Palm III series device with at least 2MB of RAM. Other
Palm devices will be supported in the future.
[2000/08/16]
Aug. 15, 2000, Business Wire reports that Intel Corporation
has announced its new "Pocket PC Camera" which is intended
for use attached to a desk computer as a peripheral, or taken
away from the computer as a free standing camera. Containing
a CCD sensor and 50 degree view angle lens, USB connection and
8MB memory, it can capture 128 640 * 480 images or 2 minutes
of video. The camera is available immediately throughout the
US, at $149 US.
Intel digital cameras
http://www.intel.com/PCcamera/
[2000/08/16]
Aug. 15, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that EdgeMatrix has
announced that it "WAPman Color" WAP microbrowser is the
only WAP microbrowser supporting colour, location and
multilingual applications for Palm devices. The browser
will be freely downloadable at:
EdgeMatrix
http://www.edgematrix.com/
[2000/08/16]
Aug. 15, 2000, Agenda Computing, Inc. has announced that it
is exhibiting and demonstrating its new Linux based Agenda VR3
pocket computer. With 8MB RAM and 2MB Flash, a 240 * 160 *
4-bit monochrome (16 level) screen, the Agenda VR3 is expected
to ship in October 2000 at $149 US.
Agenda Computing, Inc.
http://www.agendacomputing.com/
[2000/08/16]
Aug. 11, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Microsoft Corp.
has announced major changes in support policies for some
major software packages, including Windows OSes and
applications such as Office 95 and Internet Explorer
downloadable browsers. Instead of time limited warranties,
free support is now generally give for up to 2 "support
incidents." See Microsoft's Website for details for
specific software.
Microsoft Support
http://www.microsoft.com/support/
[2000/08/13]
Aug. 11, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Century Software Embedded
Technologies has announced the port of its ViewML Internet
Browser and core multimedia technologies to Applied Data
Systems Graphics StronARM SA-1110 based single board computer
Client platform. ViewML is a small memory model HTML 3.2
based browser.
Applied Data Systems
http://www.applieddata.net/
Century Software Inc.
http://www.censoft.com/
[2000/08/13]
Aug. 10, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Fonix Corporation has
announced its release of Fonix Accelerated Application Solutions
Technology (FAAST) 1.0 Software Development Kit (SDK) and speech
framework for the Microsoft(R) Windows(R) CE operating system,
bringing voice input and output technology to WindowsCE and
and PocketPC platforms. FAAST is already available for Windows
95, 98, 2000, NT and Linux. FAAST for Windows CE will begin
shipping in September 2000. [No prices were in the announcement.]
Fonix Corporation
http://www.fonix.com/
[2000/08/13]
Aug. 10, 2000, Canada Newswire reports that Xplore Technologies(R)
Corp. has introduced its Ramline(TM) Pentium(R) III PIII506 and
PIII510 pen interface tablet wireless computers for rugged
industrial computing. Shipments will being in the Fall 2000.
Xplore Technologies(R) Corp.
http://www.xploretech.com/
[2000/08/13]
Aug. 9, 2000, PR Newswire reports that F-Secure Corporation has
announced F-Secure AntiVirus for EPOC based devices.
F-Secure Corporation
EPOC AntiVirus http://www.F-Secure.com/wireless/
[2000/08/13]
Aug. 9, 2000, Business Wire reports that MapInfo Corporation
has announced that its MapInfo(R) MapXtend(TM) Java(TM) Edition
developers tool for the Java platform for developing "spatially-
enabled" applications for PDAs will be available this month,
priced based on the number of client devices. Based on the
Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition (J2ME(TM)), the first release
will be on PalmOS.
MapInfo Corporation
http://www.mapinfo.com/
[2000/08/09]
Aug. 9, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Magellan Corporation
has announced its new MAP 330(TM) handheld GPS which features
16MB of built-in memory, which Magellan claims is unique
in its class. 8MB contains built-in data and 8MB is available
for downloading map data. It will be available in late August
at $249.99 US.
Magellan Corporation
http://www.magellangps.com/
[2000/08/09]
Aug. 8, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Autodesk, Inc. has announced
immediate availability of Autodesk OnSite View for Windows CE 2.11
and PocketPC based devices. Using this software, a user can view
and mark-up design drawings. It is available at $139 US at:
Autodesk, Inc.
http://www.autodesk.com/estore/
[2000/08/09]
Aug. 8, 2000, PR Newswire reports that the Association of
American Publishers and Microsoft Corp. have announced
that they will work together to fight e-book piracy.
Microsoft Anti-E-Book Piracy http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/epub/
Association of American
Publishers http://www.publishers.org/
[2000/08/09]
Aug. 7, 2000, Business Wire reports that Palm, Inc. has
announced nationwise (US) availability of its new Palm VIIx
wireless handheld computer, which features a fully
expanded 8MB of RAM (up from 2MB in the Palm VII).
The estimated street price is $449 US. Services plans
require a one-time activation fee of $9.99 US and
monthly fees ranging from $9.99 US to $44.99 US.
[2000/08/09]
Aug. 7, 2000, Business Wire reports that Palm Inc. has
announced it's latest products, including new limited
editions of the Palm Vx in "millenium blue" and "champagne"
metallic finishes (only available in the US market), and
its new M100 low cost model which with 2MB of RAM and new
application software, will sell for $149 US.
[It is not clear to me whether Canada will be considered
part of the US market for the new Vx models.]
[2000/08/09]
Aug. 7, 2000, Associated Press in its article "Netscape Bug Affects Almost 1,000," reports that security experts have been warning that users of Netscape Communicator 4.74 and earlier are vulerable to a Java based attack which makes the hard drive accessible. Current code samples have been benign, but dangerous software is expected to come. Microsoft Internet Explorer and the Netscape 6.0 browsers are not vulnerable to this attack. Netscape users are safe if Java is turned off.
[The following quote says something I've telling people for a very long time, but nobody seems to be getting it:
"Rouland noted that Microsoft users who have switched to Netscape, a company whose history includes the earliest Web browsers, after the recent stream of Microsoft-related security holes in Internet Explorer and the Outlook and Outlook Express e-mail programs are finding that no computer programs are without problems.The computer industry has been a dog race chasing the rabbit of new features at the expense of safety. In general, it is too soon to trust computers linked to the Internet with your money.]
Also on Monday, another security expert pointed out a security hole in Microsoft's Word and Excel products that can let a hacker take over the victim's computer. Microsoft officials say that they are working on the issue."
The following website shows the Motorola ACCOMPLI A6188 which
seems to be a combined PDA/cell phone, but not related to
Palm.
Motorola China, Accompli A6188
http://www.motorola.com.cn/product/accompli/index.html
[2000/08/09]
Aug. 6, 2000, Canadian Corporate News reports that bSmart.to
Technologies Inc. claims that its MasterBrowser is the first
browser with integrated two-way voice and data functionality.
bSmart.to Technologies Inc.
http://www.bsmart.to/
[2000/08/06]
Aug. 4, 2000, Business Wire reports that several versions of
IBM ThinkPad portable computers are now available with
Windows 2000 Professional.
[2000/08/06]
Aug. 2, 2000, Aaron Lucchetti writes for The Wall Street Journal,
in his article "Fund Companies to Boost Their Wireless Services"
that according to kasina LLC, nearly 2/3's of mutual-fund
companies [probably limited to the US] will begin or add to
existing wireless Internet services within the next year. Also,
kasina predicts that nearly 1/2 of online mutual-fund investors
[again, probably limited to the US] would be using mobile Web
devices within 12 months.
kasina LLC (Internet financial-
services consultant co.) http://www.kasina.com/
[2000/08/06]
Just today I saw the Casio EM-500 in the BatteryPlus store window.
I didn't have time to make further inquiries, but I thought I'd take
a moment to mention some other things I've seen lately. The HP
Jornadas have been in local newspaper ads. Also, Future Shop has
had a full page newspaper ad for the Handspring Visors. That
answered another question that has been on my mind lately -- whether
the Visor would be upgraded to PalmOS 3.5. So far, the current
devices are still PalmOS 3.1. Lastly, the RIM 957 has been in
newspaper ads.
[2000/08/06]
Aug. 1, 2000, Palm, Inc., Claudia Schiffer and PTN Media have
announced the new Palm(TM) Vx Claudia Schiffer Edition handheld
computer, featuring a brushed metalic-aqua case and software
selected by Claudia Schiffer, available online, for Fall 2000.
Palm Vx Claudia Schiffer
Edition http://www.claudiaschiffer.com/
[2000/08/02]
Aug. 1, 2000, Business Wire reports that Motorola Inc. has
announced the launch of its Talkabout(TM) T6300 series portable
radios. Available "nationwide" (US), beginning in September
base model (T6300) features include National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio reception covering 8 channels
and audible alerts, built in clock, alarm and stopwatch functions,
14 channels and 38 codes, "Eavesdrop Eliminator(TM)" scrambling,
QuieT6000(TM) noise filter and VibraCall(R) Alert. Features on other
models:
Talkabout T6310 (T6300 features and) built-in FM broadcast radio
reception with 8 presets and stereo earphones.
Talkabout T6320 (T6300 features and) "outdoor gear package"
including built-in altimeter, barometer and digital compass.
(The T6320 will not be available till November).
Prices range from $129 US to $179 US.
Motorola Talkabout T6300
http://www.motorola/T6300/
[2000/08/02]
Aug. 1, 2000, Sony Corp. and NTT DoCoMo are partnering to provide
Sony games via wireless-Internet phones. The games to be available
have not yet been chosen.
[2000/08/02]
July 31, 2000, Canada Newswire reports that Handspring, Inc.
has announced that its Visor(TM) handheld computer will begin
retail sales through Canadian outlets (Future Shop, Staples,
Business Depot, Staples Business Depot and Bureau on Gros.
Prices will be $279 Cdn. for the Visor and $379 Cdn. for the
Visor Deluxe.
[2000/08/02]
July 27, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that GoAmerica, Inc.
has announced that it's proprietary Go.Web(TM) software is now
available as a pre-loaded application on Research in Motion's
(RIM) BlackBerry Wireless Handhelds(TM). The Go.Web service is
available to users of the Rogers AT&T Mobitex Network in Canada
and features Canadian oriented content with "Nation wide"
delivery.
[2000/07/30]
July 27, 2000, PR Newswire reports that PocketScript, Inc. has
announced that its PocketScript(TM) "Speech-Driven Interface" (SDI)
is now compatible with the Compaq iPaq Pocket PC.
[2000/07/30]
July 27, 2000, PR Newswire reports that AirCell, Inc. and
Motorola, Inc. have claimed successful completion of an in-flight
test of "Bluetooth" wireless technology. The companies claim
that pilots and passengers will be able to use their wireless
phones, laptop computers and other portable communications
devices on the ground or in the air without interfering with other
networks.
AirCell, Inc. http://www.aircell.com/
[2000/07/30]
July 26, 2000, Canadian Corporate News reports that Syscan
International Inc. has announced that it has developed an
advanced wireless access server that decreases download times
from the Internet by monitoring the status of the wireless
channel and taking into account the specific characteristics
of the end-user device.
Syscan International Inc.
http://www.syscan.com/
[2000/07/30]
Due to technical problems my report may be missing some
summaries of articles. I will check my sources again tomorrow
and add anything missing. However, I'm fairly certain there
wasn't much that might have been relevant. So I might not find
anything to add.
[2000/07/26]
I checked my usual sources and the following was the only item
I thought was worth adding:
[2000/07/28]
July 24, 2000, Business Wire reports that National Semiconductor
has announced its new FPD87310 universal interface XGA Reduced
Swing Differential Signaling (RSDS) Flat Panel Timing Controller.
The device reduces output voltage levels by completely replacing
TTL signals on the bus. Expected benefits to applications are
lower EMI and reduced power consumption. It is available now in
an 80-pin Thin Quad Plastic Flat Pack (TQFP) at $4.20 each in
quantities of 1,000.
National Semiconductor FPD87310
http://www.national.com/pf/FP/FPD87310.html
[2000/07/28]
July 26, 2000, Business Wire reports that BCE has reported its
Q2 2K results and Bell Mobility subscribers were up by 156,000
new subscribers. Totals subscribers, including Aliant were
about 2.34 million.
[2000/07/26]
July 26, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that Clearnet Communications
Inc. has introduced the Samsung SCH-8580 digital Clearnet PCS phone
handset which offers voice-activated dialing, dual-mode operation
and a built-in microbrowser for Clearnet's upcoming wirless Internet
Services. Features include a compact form factor (8.9 * 5.1 * 2.8 cm,
128 g.), vibration ringer, up to 229 memory entries, English/French
language options, voice memo, and a large screen. The price is
$249.99 Cdn. (with an introductory rebate of $50. until Sept. 30,
2000), they are now available at selected retail locations across
Canada.
Samsung Telecommunications
America, Inc. http://www.samsungtelecom.com/
[2000/07/26]
July 24, 2000, Business Wire reports that Motorola has announced
that it has made available new updated Hurricane Tracker software
for its Page Writer(R) 2000X and Timeport(TM) P930 and P935
personal interactive communicators (PICs). The new software
alerts users to approaching hurricanes, tropical storms and
tropical depressions, and displays hurricane positions on graphic
screens.
Motorola Storm
Tracker Software http://www.motorola.com/weather/
[2000/07/26]
July 24, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that Certicom and Research
In Motion have announced an alliance which will enable RIM to
use Certicom's elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) technology in
all its products, including the new RIM 957 Wireless Handheld(TM).
[2000/07/26]
July 21, 2000, Business Wire reports that IBM ViaVoice
for Macintosh, Enhanced Edition uses a noise cancelling
USB microphone.
IBM ViaVoice Software http://www.ibm.com/software/voice/
[2000/07/23]
July 21, 2000, Associated Press reports in its article
"Palm Readying New Models Release," says that Palm Inc.
is planning to introduce a new product called the M100
in August which will retail for $149 US. It will feature
4MB RAM and a new case with decorative colours in removable
plates.
[2000/07/23]
July 20, 2000, Associated Press reports in an article
titled (Microsoft 'Patch' Helps Web Privacy," that
Microsoft has increased its controls on receiving
"cookies" in its web browser. The newest browser
[Internet Explorer version 5.5 -- JO] will
now alert a user to an attempt to install a "persistent"
cookie, allowing the user to accept or reject it. This
knews is welcomed by the privacy group "Junkbusters".
The "Electronic Privacy Information Center" is still
pursuing legal reform in this area.
Junkbusters
http://www.junkbusters.com/
Electronic Privacy
Information Center http://www.epic.org/
[2000/07/23]
July 20, 2000, Associated Press reports in its article
"Handheld Computers Becoming Popular" that two major
anti-virus software companies have developed anti-virus
software to cover the Palm OS devices.
McAfee Palm Anti-Virus
http://www.mcafee.com/
Symantec Palm Anti-Virus
http://www.symantec.com
[2000/07/23]
July 20, 2000, Associated Press reports in its article
"Congress hears expert opinions: Should in-flight ban on
cell phones be lifted?" that experts still support the
current rules banning electronics equipment on airlines.
A distinction is made between intentional emitters such
as cell phones and devices similarly designed to emit
radio frequencies, which are banned at all times during
a flight; and unintentional emitters such as laptop
computers and CD players, which are allowed to be used
when a flight ascends above 10,000 feet (3,000 meters).
[2000/07/23]
July 19, 2000, Canadian Corporate News reports that Prospectus
Group Inc. has announced that it has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding with Mitercom to add Voice input and output
capabilities to the "nTelligence(TM)" Web or wireless
platform. Mitercom is an "alliance partner" of Nuance
Communications.
Nuance Communications
href="http://www.nuance.com/
Prospectus Group Inc.
http://www.prospectus.com/
[2000/07/23]
July 19, 2000, PR Newswire reports that MpegTV has announced the
release of the Pocket PC version of PocketTV MPEG Movie Player.
Player software is available for the iPaq, Cassiopeia and Jornada
products. The software is free and can be downloaded from
Handango.com or from PocketTV.com.
PocketTV.com http://www.pockettv.com/
[2000/07/19]
July 19, 2000, Simon Romero writes for the New York Times, in
his article called "Cellular Phones to Carry Radiation Level
Label," that under a proposal by the "Cellular Telephone
Industry Association," US cell phone manufacturers will begin
on Aug. 1 to seek the trade group's certification regarding
radiation levels emitted by their devices.
[2000/07/19]
July 19, 2000, Michelle V. Rafter writes for Reuters in her
article "Livewire: Cell Phones Ushering in Wireless Net
Era," that cell phone penetration is expected to continue
to increase due to increased capabilities such as internet
data connections at speeds up to 2 Mbit/sec.
The Industry Standard
(Internet business magazine) http://www.thestandard.com/
[2000/07/19]
July 18, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Compaq has announced its
new Presario 1200T-566 laptop computer at the same price of
$999 US.
[2000/07/19]
July 18, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Xybernaut Corporation
has announced new daylight readable colour LCD flat panel displays.
Xybernaut Corporation
http://www.xybernaut.com/
[2000/07/19]
July 17, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Accelerated Technology,
Inc. has announced that they provide a complete Nucleus embedded
"software solution" for the MIPS32 4K(TM) family of 32-bit
processor cores. Support includes the Nucleus PLUS real-time
kernel, Nucleus NET (TCP/IP protocol stack) and more.
Accelerated Technology, Inc.
http://www.atinucleus.com/
[2000/07/19]
July 17, 2000, Business Wire reports that Palm, Inc. has released
the second of two software patches designed to correct a faulty
memory chip inside some Palm IIIc, IIIxe and Vx handheld devices.
The new version 1.0.3 patch fulfills its commitment in its June 28th
announcement to follow its original patch which was limited to
the IIIc and Vx, and provide a similar patch for the IIIxe.
According to Palm, more than 97% of Palm handhelds are free of the
faulty 8MB DRAM chips and the faulty components are no longer
being used.
[2000/07/19]
This is just to confirm that I have heard about the "8MB memory problem" affecting some recent Palm Computing products. If you have a Palm computer with 8MB of factory installed RAM, you should check the Palm Website. There is test software and a patch available. I have not reported this because I wanted more information about it, but I didn't have time to make phone calls about it this week.
Also, I have hard a rumour that is currently unsubstantiated that
HP will be dropping their 800 Series handheld Windows CE based
product. I hope to ascertain whether this is accurate sometime
this week.
[2000/07/16]
These are Websites with info regarding the Sony Palm device.
They are Japanese websites:
Sony Palm Device (Japanese) http://www.sony.co.jp/sd/PEG/
See Also:
Mobile News (Japan) Sony PEG Article
http://www.mobilenews.ne.jp/news/2000/07/1301sony.html
[2000/07/16]
July 13, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that Microcell Telecommunications has announced unaudited Fido subscription results for Q2 2000:
3 Months Ended 3 Months Ended
June 30, 2000 June 30, 1999
- net subscriber
additions in quarter 68,430 (?)
(+14% over Q2 1999)
- gross activations in quarter 113,808 (?)
(+34% over Q2 1999)
- total subscribers end of period 722,739 404,577
- Churn, per month
(after 30 day guarantee) 2.1% (?)
[2000/07/16]
July 13, 2000, Reuters reports in CNET News.com that Toshiba and 22 other Japanese consumer electronics companies, including Sony, NEC Fujitsu, Hitachi, Mitsubishi Electric and TurboLinux Japan, have agreed to cooperate in developing Linux-based operating systems for "digital electronic products."
July 12, 2000, Associated Press reports that Cybiko Inc.'s "Cybiko
is a small black and white handheld device with pocket organizer
functions and is able to communicate wirelessly up to 300'. No
availability date is mentioned in the article, but the cost is
$129 US.
[2000/07/16]
July 12, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that 724 Solutions Inc.
and Certicom have announced that they are working together to provide
a wireless Public Key Infrastructure system for the financial
services industry.
[2000/07/16]
July 10, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Lineo, Inc. and
National Semiconductor Corp. have announced that the will
co-develop Linux-based software development kits for the Geode
Reference Platform.
Lineo, Inc. http://www.lineo.com/
[2000/07/16]
July 12, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Forelle Systems, Inc.
and Bell Mobility have announced that Bell Mobility's "Digital
DATA to Go(TM)" service users will be able to run the
Venturi Personal Client software with a resulting increase
of data throughput up to 300%
http://www.bellmobility.ca/fasterdata/
[2000/07/12]
July 12, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that Clearnet Communications Inc. has announced its preliminary unaudited subscriber results:
3 Months Ended 3 Months Ended
June 30, 2000 June 30, 1999
Digital
- net subscriber additions 59,933 61,573
- total subscribers end of period 672,475 408,503
- Churn, per month
(after 30 day guarantee) 2.53% 1.46%
Mike
- net subscriber additions 35,900 22,255
- total subscribers end of period 274,175 152,830
- Churn, per month
(after 30 day guarantee) 2.41% 1.49%
PCS
- net subscriber additions 24,033 39,318
- total subscribers end of period 398,300 255,673
- Churn, per month
(after 30 day guarantee) 2.62% 1.44%
Analogue SMR
- net subscriber additions (2,248) (3,420)
Total net subscriber additions 57,685 58,153
Total subscribers - end of period 693,540 441,502
[2000/07/12]
July 12, 2000, Psion Plc of Britain has announced an agreement
to buy Teklogix International of Canada which, according to Psion's
David Levin is for its "local wireless integration skills."
[2000/07/12]
July 11, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Sprint PCS (US) has
announced that its users can now use Motorola V. Series(TM)
Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) handsets. According to
Sprint PCS, the V8162 (available in July at $399.99 US) is the
smallest and lightest (2.9 ounces) Internet-ready CDMA handset
in the US. The V2267 (available in August at $99.99 US) offers
styling and optional interchangeable PhoneWrap(TM) covers in a
choice of colours.
[2000/07/12]
July 11, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Nam Tai Electronics, Inc.
has announced that it is continuing to expand production of Lithium
Ion battery packs for cellular phones. Initial plans for a single
production line were superceded by two production lines in June and
current plans are to expand to five more production lines within the
next two months and projections have been made which expect 12 to 20
production lines before the end of 2001.
[2000/07/12]
July 11, 2000, PR Newswire reports that eKiosk.com and Clarinet
Systems, Inc. of San Jose, California have announced a partnership
agreement to provide infrared connectivity to travelers carrying
handheld and laptop devices. Palm, Psion and Windows CE are
specifically mentioned as supported.
eKiosk.com Corporation
http://www.ekioskdotcom.com/
Clarinet Systems
http://www.clarinetsys.com/
[2000/07/12]
July 11, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Handheldmed, Inc. have announced the launch of a redesigned "handheldmed.com" website. The company supports Palm OS, Microsoft Windows Powered, EPOC/Psion and wireless devices.
[This announcement doesn't really seem worth reporting. Good
websites are constantly being updates. But I don't think I
mentioned the company before and it appears to be a major publisher.]
Handheldmed, Inc.
http://www.handheldmed.com/
[2000/07/12]
July 10, 2000, PR Newswire reports that "[T]he Salutation Consortium, which provides open information exchange standard called service discovery for multi-platform handheld computers, will offer its reference model Salutation Lite code through an open source arrangement." . . . "The architecture is independent of operating system, hardware platform or communications protocol. It is being tested on Window [sic] WindowsCE, and Java platforms. It has been tested on TCP/IP and IrDA protocols with mappings available for SLP and Bluetooth. . . ."
[I'm not sure what this actually does, but I don't have time to
learn it right now. I'm only guessing that it is significant.]
Salutation Consortium
http://www.salutation.org/
[2000/07/12]
July 10, 2000, PR Newswire reports that SigmaTel, Inc. has announced
its latest stereo Codecs STAC9783 and STAC9784. SigmaTel claims
103dB Signal to Noise Ratio, which it claims is the lowest in the
industry.
SigmaTel, Inc. [Codec ICs]
http://www.sigmatel.com/
[2000/07/12]
July 5, 2000, "Press Association 2000" reports that "nearly four
million people bought mobile phones in the last three months."
The article only mentions major European services and does not
seem to take in account "churn".
[2000/07/09]
On about June 25, 2000, "vhl-tools" (a SourceForge project)
made the first loadable Linux image available for the VTech
Helio. The warnings imply that it is buggy and currently of
marginal utility even if debugged. In other words, the current
release is only for people interested in helping complete
the system port. I would advise even application developers
to ignore this current release. According to a message posted
on July 5, 2000, the project leaders are looking for "Linux
PDA explorers" which they define as "developers interested in
exploring UI development, system software, application porting,
and most everything else."
vhl-tools
(SourceForge) Linux for VTech Helio
http://vhl-tools.sourceforge.net/
[2000/07/09]
July 5, 2000, Business Wire reports that 3Com Corporation has
announced that its AirConnect(R) 11Mbps Wireless LAN now has
"seemless Layer 3 tunneling, authentication and encryption. . . .
By implementing the 3Com SuperStack(R) Router 400 between
the wired network infrastructure and wireless LAN workgroups,
and enabling MPPE [Microsoft Point to Point Encryption] on
wireless workstations. . . . Wireless LAN users simply
log-on to the wireless network just as they would during
dial-up remote access. Authentication against the company's
RADIUS [Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service] database
in a matter of seconds [sic], the user's data is encrypted
between the PC and the SuperStack II Router."
[2000/07/05]
July 5, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that ATI Technologies Inc.
has announced that Compaq has chosen ATI's RAGE Mobility-M1(TM)
graphics chips for Compaq's new Presario 1700 series laptop
computers.
[2000/07/05]
July 5, 2000, PR Newswire reports that ORBCOMM Global, L.P. has
announced that Magellan Corporation has obtained ORBCOMM and
US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Type Approval for its
S@tellite Modem(TM) OEM board. Magellan plans to make the
OEM board commercially available this month.
[2000/07/05]
July 5, 2000, PR Newswire reports that SSEYO has announced the
SSEYO Phone which brings advanced interactive audio interfacing to
a wireless telephone handset.
SSEYO (multimedia wireless phone
handset) http://www.sseyo.com/
Tao Group (mobile network
software) http://www.tao-group.com/
[2000/07/05]
June 29, 2000, Business Wire reports that Qualcomm Incorporated
has announced "Eudora Internet Suite(TM) (EIS(TM)) 1.1 for
the Palm OS." This includes free standing EMail and Web
browsing software (which does not require proxy servers because
EMail and Websites are directly accessed through the usual
Internet protocols), as well as synchronization. Some features
require a payment of $29.95 US to access.
Qualcomm
Eudora Internet Suite(TM) http://www.eudora.com/internetsuite/
[2000/07/05]
June 30, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Micrel Semiconductor has announced that its MIC5231 low-dropout (LDO) power regulator features "the world's lowest ground current (650nA)," is capable of driving a 10mA load and can support designs without a separate capacitor.
[There were a number of new product announcements made by Micrel
which relate to the mobile industry. If you are interested in
circuit level design, this is a good time to check out the website.]
Micrel Semiconductor
http://www.micrel.com/
[2000/07/02]
June 29, 2000, Walter S. Mossberg writes for The Wall Street Journal
that the Compaq Presario 1400 is a "Windows" laptop computer
with colour and styling cues competitive against the Apple iBook
and has features such as an extra scroll controller (as well
as a touch pad). Prices will start range from $1,499 - $2,249 US,
with availability beginning in mid-July for internet orders and
retail store availability (in base configuration) in late July.
Compaq Presario 1400, 566MHz Intel Celeron, 13" passive screen,
CD-ROM, 6GB HD, 2 USB ports, $1,499 US.
[2000/07/02]
June 28, 2000, PR Newswire reports that ON Semiconductor has
announced that its NCP100 Sub 1V Precision Adjustable Shunt Regulator
is the industry's first such device to provide output voltages
as low as 0.9V.
ON Semiconductor NCP100
http://onsemi.com/pub/ncp100/
[2000/07/02]
June 28, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Electronic Fuel Corporation
has announced that it has begun the first automated production
of cells for its ZincAir(TM) line of disposable batteries at
its Bet Shemesh, Israel facility. Until now, production was
manual.
Electric Fuel Corporation
http://www.electric-fuel.com/
[2000/07/02]
I spoke with Casio Canada's Dan Goldring about the new corporate
WindowsCE devices announced by Casio (US and Japan -- IT-70, IT-700,
EG-80 and EG-800) and the current decision of Casio Canada is
that the products won't be officially carried at this time. Special
orders might be placed for small quantities, but the product won't
have an official SKU. If there is sufficient market, then Casio
Canada could pick them up at some later date.
[2000/07/01]
June 28, 2000, Associated Press reports in its article
"Handhelds Flourish at Computer Show" that at PC Expo, Palm Inc.
has said that it will use Secure Digital Cards as its expansion
system in future products, noting that 4 different expansion
card systems will be available on various Palm OS based
products by TRG Pro, Sony, Handspring and Palm Inc.
[2000/06/28]
June 28, 2000, Reuters reports that Nokia and RealNetworks
have announced that they will develop and distribute
RealNetworks Inc.'s RealPlayer for Nokia's EPOC based
communicators and smart phones. The RealPlayer is expected
to be ready next year.
[2000/06/28]
June 27, 2000, Business Wire reports that Palm Inc. has
announced its "Palm Mobile Internet Kit" software which
connects Palm devices to the internet through cell phones
and accesses "Web clipping" providers, WAP sites and EMail
through ActualSoft MultiMail. Infrared connectivity
is supported, but cables may need to be purchased separately
if necessary. Price is $50 US.
[2000/06/28]
June 27, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Casio, Inc. has
released four new Pocket PC devices aimed at the Corporate
market. These are the IT-70, IT-700, EG-80 and EG-800.
They feature "splash-proof and shock-resistant cases"
and optional "Multi Dimensional Space Rotation" (MDSR)
encryption.
[2000/06/28]
June 27, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Franklin Electronic
Publishers, Inc. has announced its new "eBookman" series
products. Priced at $129.95 US (8 Mbytes RAM), $179.95 US
and $229.95 US (16 Mbytes RAM and backlight), all feature a
240 * 200 pixel LCD display and will use Microsoft Reader
software. According to the article "Franklin is collaborating
with Microsoft Corporation and other industry leading
technology partners, including Audible, Inc. and Pumatech,
Inc., to ensure that eBookman is the best-connected ebook
device to the widest selection of content available."
Franklin
http://www.franklin.com/
[2000/06/28]
June 27, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Mobility Electronics, Inc.
has announced its latest EasiDock(R) 5000 universal laptop docking
station which features 6 plug-and-play ports, 3 PCI expansion
slots, 5 drive bays and costs $599.95 US.
Mobility Electronics,
Inc. http://www.mobilityelectronics.com/
Easidock http://www.easidock.com/
[2000/06/28]
June 27, 2000, Canadian Corporate News reports that Stanford
Resources, Inc. has released its 10th edition of its report
called "Liquid Crystal Displays." According to Sweta Dash,
the director of the research, "The worldwide value of LCD
market will grow from $20 billion in 2000 to $41 billion
in 2006, with more than 3 billion unit shipments." [Funds
in US currency.] However, the report projects that there will
be an oversupply for the first half of 2000 in TFT-LCD's
with decreasing prices continuing through the second half
of 2000 and possibly continuing into the first quarter of
2001, but tightening supply "later in 2001."
Stanford
Resource, Inc. http://www.stanfordresources.com/
[2000/06/28]
June 27, 2000, Palm has announced that it will provide
"enhanced support for multiple expansion standards"
such as Secure Digital (SD) Card, Sony's MemoryStick(TM)
storage technology, Compact Flash and Handspring's
Springboard.
Palm Enhanced Expansion Support http://www.palm.com/pr/062700.html
[2000/06/27]
June 27, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Cell-Loc Inc. and
Geoworks Corporation have announced that they will will
provide a new location-based mobile service late this
Fall based on Cell-Loc's location sensing technology.
[2000/06/28]
June 26, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Sony Electronics has
introduced four new VAIO(R) laptop computers using 750MHz
processors.
PCG-XG29, PCG-XG29K, PCG-F590 and PCG-F590K.
Sony Electronics computers
http://www.sony.com/pc/
[2000/06/28]
June 26, 2000, Business Wire reports that AMD has announced
availability of 550MHz and 533MHz version of its Mobile
AMD-K6(R)-2+ CPUs which feature "AMD PowerNow!(TM) technology.
AMD claims the new power saving feature can extend battery
life up to 30%. The processors are available now. Prices
in quantities of 1,000 units are $99 US each for the 550MHz
version and $85 US each for the 533MHz version.
[2000/06/28]
June 26, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Rand McNally has announced
a new version of its StreetFinder(R) GPS kit for the Palm IIIc(TM)
and Palm VII(TM) handheld devices including a new GPS wireless
receiver. The kit will be available Sept. 2000 for $199.00 US.
Rand McNally
http://www.randmcnally.com/
[2000/06/28]
June 26, 2000, Reuters reports that IBM has said that it will offer
Transmeta Corp.'s Crusoe chip in ThinkPad computers by the end
of next year in order to increase power saving.
[2000/06/28]
[For those of you who have read this, perhaps even twice
before, I apologize, but the situation has changed significantly.
I did not anticipate the strong marketing push and wide
availability of product which has occurred in the last month,
which changes my bottom line advice.]
[2000/06/27]
May 22, 2000, McLean's Magazine p. 40 writes that Family
Radio Service (FRS) has arrived in Canada, lead by
Motorola's TalkAbout series products. Radio Shack calls
FRS "revolutionary". That's probably an overstatement
but this is what it's about:
[2000/05/30]
FRS uses 14 frequencies in the 462 and 467 MHz bands in an
analog narrow band FM format. On each frequency, a number
of different "Code Tone Controlled Squelch System" (CTCSS)
codes are recognized. For Motorola and Cobra, there are
38 CTCSS codes, but this may not be true for other products.
These are commonly called "sub-channels". Transmission power
is limited to 500 mW. with a generally estimated range of up
to 3.2 km under ideal conditions. According to Radio Shack
sales people, there is sufficient power to cover a fairly
large shopping mall (Yorkdale S.C. was an informal test
site).
[2000/06/03]
The CTCSS "subchannels" are a point of confusion. As far as actual communications are concerned, there are still only the 14 "real" channels. Here's an example:
Bob, Bill and Bonnie are at a Plaza using Channel 10 and Code 10. Ken and Karen arrive but don't know about Bob, Bill and Bonnie, and decided to use Channel 10 and Code 20. During the day, Bob calls Bill and Bonnie. Since the CTCSS codes are different, Ken and Karen aren't disturbed. But if Ken tries to call Karen while Bob, Bill or Bonnie is actually transmitting, then the results are unpredictable. Karen might not hear the call, or Ken's transmission might override Bob, Bill or Bonnie, either completely, or only to one recipient. If such a conflict occurs, hopefully, one of the two groups will understand what is happening and politely arrange to move to another frequency -- perhaps channel 12. But this problem should be limited to real physical territorial overlaps. Due to the short physical range of FRS, if Ken and Karen were at another shopping mall, even as near as 1/2 mile away, the distance could be enough to allow both groups to talk, even at the same time, with little or no interference. This is a characteristic of FM transmission. Hopefully, the range limit and large number of real channels, will prevent channel conficts between groups using different subchannels from becoming a huge problem.
But then again, the range itself poses another problem. Keeping
in mind that the estimate is for "ideal conditions", one should
realize, that there is a good chance that it would fail to cover,
for example, Disneyland, or other large "theme parks" from one
end to the other. Even if the linear distance is well within the
3.2 km range, the obstructions and radio frequency noise, and
dying batteries, could reduce effective range to "hundreds of
feet" at best. While the range should be considerably better
than the 49Mhz amateur band (used for similar handheld radios
some radio control and baby monitors), only testing will tell
what works in a given situation.
[2000/05/30]
One practical use for FRS might be to cover the distance from home
to a local play ground. The compact size of FRS would allow a child,
old enough for some responsibility, to carry the unit during play
(subject to the possibility of loss or breakage), and be reminded
to come home for dinner. The main advantage of FRS is that the
units are very small, particularly including the compact antennae,
but do cover a distance that can be useful. The main drawback to
this use is the cost, since current products aren't that cheap.
Also, CTCSS tones and other specific features such as send
confirmation and scrambling, may not interoperate betweens different
brands or even different models within a brand.
[2000/06/03]
Current products range upward from about $69.99 Cdn. each for a
Motorola Talkabout FR50 with full 14 channels but no CTCSS tones at
"Bell World", to $199.99 for a Panasonic KXTR325 for $199.99
(at "The Telephone Booth" and Radio Shack) or a Motorola TA289 with
NiMH rechargeable battery for $289.99 at Radio Shack. These can
be compared to $59.99 Cdn. for a Radio Shack "TRC-512" 5 channel
49MHz band transeiver or a $49.99 for a Radio Shack "TRC-93" 3
channel 300mW "CB" transceiver. These latter two Radio Shack
products are typically sold at substantially reduced prices at
various times of the year. Initially, I did not expect that the
FRS products would be further discounted in the near future. But
now I'm not so sure this won't happen later this year. There are
a large number of stores selling FRS radios -- enough that there
could be an oversupply, leading to heavy discounting later in the
summer. It is possible that FRS might become a short term social
phenomenon, like CB radios were back around the '70s - '80s.
[2000/06/27]
June 22, 2000, Reuters reports that Microsoft Corp. unveiled its
new corporate strategy called ".NET" wherein Microsoft software
applications will become internet based services based on extensible
markup language (XML). The most important aspect is that
Microsoft expects to "increasingly offer software as subscription
services."
[The unanswered question here is whether that means that
what you "bought" will only work as long as you keep paying
a subscription price. IE. Are you only "renting" a spreadsheet,
so that you have to keep paying for it to keep it working, or
are they simply saying that you can subscribe to upgrades?
Saying that they are "services" implies the former -- paying
what is effectively a rental fee, forever.]
[2000/06/28]
June 23, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Texas Instruments
Incorporated has agreed to acquire Alantro Communications,
a privately held company which works in the IEEE 802.11 Wireless
LAN field.
[2000/06/25]
June 21, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that Psion Incorporated
has announced that its Psion 56k Travel Modem is available for
Windows CE, Palm and Handspring handheld devices. The infrared
based modem is available immediately and has a list price of
$129 US.
Psion Travel Modem
http://www.psionusa.com/PersonalMobility/Communications/index.html
[2000/06/21]
June 21, 2000, Business Wire reports that Wi-LAN Inc. has announced
that it has agreed to purchase TIL-TEK Antennas Inc., which it "a
leading manufacturer of antenna equipment, for its design-specific
antenna patents, research programs, facilities, and impressive
customer base."
[2000/06/21]
June 21, 2000, Business Wire reports that S3(R)'s Rio Division
(TM) has announced that it will licence Dolby Laboratories
Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) technology for its digital audio
players, including the Rio 600. AAC has been standardized by
the International Organization for Standards (ISO) is part of
the MPEG specification. It provides improved audio quality
compared to MPEG Layer-3 while requiring about 30% less
storage and/or bandwidth.
[2000/06/21]
June 20, 2000, Business Wire reports that AMD has announced
its 32 Megabit Am29BDS323 and 64 Megabit Am29BDS643 Flash
memory devices. Technical features include "Simultaneous
Read/Write", "high performance Burst mode", and "Super Low
Voltage technology." According to AMD, the devices operate
from 40MHz to 54MHz. Burst access times are 13.5ns for the
Am29BDS643 and 20ns for the Am29BDS323. Read, program and
erase functions use 1.8V. Power consumption is 0.2uA in
"sleep mode". AMD guarantees 20 years of data retention
and over 1 million write cycles per sector.
[2000/06/21]
June 20, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that IBM has announced
a 1 GB Microdrive which can fit in a Type II CompactFlash card
and are usable in handheld computer devices. Limited OEM
shipments will begin in July with retail shipments expected to
begin in September.
IBM 1GB Microdrive http://www.ibm.com/storage/microdrive/
[2000/06/21]
June 20, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Sipex has introduced its
SP6680 multi-capacitor switching regulated power supply in a 10-pin
MSOP package. Input can be 2.7V - 6.6V and output is +5V at 60mA.
Idle current is 5uA and the temperature range is -40 degrees C to
+85 degrees C. The part is currently in stock, costing $1.07 in
quantities of 10,000.
Sipex Corporation
http://www.sipex.com/newproducts/
[2000/06/21]
June 19, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Compaq Computer Corporation
has announced new versions of its Armada M700, M300 and E500 series
portable computers. Features include:
Armada M700 750MHz Intel Mobile Pentium III processor
Armada E500 Intel Mobile Celeron and Mobile Pentium processors
Armada M300 600MHz mobile Pentium III processor
All feature 4 Internet buttons.
[2000/06/21]
June 19, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Gateway has announced that
its Solo 9300 portable computer is now available with a 750MHz
Intel Pentium III CPU. Prices start at $3,699 US.
[2000/06/21]
June 14, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that Compaq Canada Inc. has announced that it has donated Compaq Aero handheld computers and software to the Charles H. Best Diabetes Centre for Children & Youth. The devices will be used in an ongoing trial for data collection and retrieval for 20 patients.
[I had to think about whether I'd report this or not. On the
one hand, I always like to see charitable donations, particularly
in medical fields. However, recently, a question has arisen about
the donation of computer software, it's valuation and tax benefits
which I'll have to address someday. This donation seems to have a
substantial hardware component, which, at the least, it makes it
less of an issue. However, I'm going to have to come to a decision
about reporting of charitable donations in the near future. All
I can say right now is that such reporting may be "inconsistent"
for a while.]
[2000/06/14]
[I have found out the the handhelds donated were Aero 2100
series devices.]
[2000/06/21]
June 19, 2000, Toshiba Canada has announced new portable computers:
The Satellite(tm) 2750DVD: Intel Celeron(tm) 550MHz processor,
32MB of memory and a 12.1-inch enhanced STN colour LCD display
Satellite(tm) 2230CDS: $2,269 Cdn.
Satellite(tm) 2250CDT: Celeron(tm) 600MHz processor $2,719 Cdn
Satellite 2750DVD: Pentium(r) III 600 MHz processor, $3,399 Cdn
Satellite Pro(tm) 4340: Intel Mobile Pentium III 650MHz processor,
64MB SDRAM, a powerful S3 Savage/IX(tm) 3D graphics accelerator,
16-bit Yamaha sound system, V.90 modem, 14.1-inch Active Matrix
colour display, 6x DVD-ROM drive, list price $4,999 Cdn.
Tecra(tm) 8100: Mobile Pentium III 750MHz processor, 20 billion byte hard
drive, with the option of an additional hard drive, 14.1" Active Matrix
colour display, 6x DVD-ROM drive, list price starts at $7,049 Cdn.
[2000/06/21]
I have two announcements regarding Linux on handheld computers.
First, Compaq has announced that it is supporting Linux on
its iPaq handheld computer, and there is a version available
right now.
Linux On Handhelds
http://www.handhelds.org/
The second announcement is that I have received confirmation from Larry Stone of VTechInfo and there is an official effort to get Linux ported to the Helio. The following is the actual discussion:
"I have read that you were looking for programmers to port Linux to the Helio. Is that an official VTech effort or just a 'hobby project'?" [Jim Omura]
"It's an officialy Helio effort slash hobby project. Actually we are very serious about the project, but we realize that there are potential 'gotchas' that could prevent it from every being a viable consumer product. We are definately serious about Linux on the Helio." [Larry Stone]
[2000/06/19]
June 17, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Computer Associates
International, Inc. has announced that a new virus it
is calling "VBS/Stages WORM" is a new Visual BASIC script
based email Worm which uses the Windows Scrap file to copy
its code and contaminates other machines using Microsoft
Windows. It changes the title of the email in order to
confuse the user and also copies itself directly to any local
or remote (networked) drives. The current version does
not do damage to the infected machine, but overloads EMail
systems. Subject names for the infected email is changed
randomly, and includes:
"Fw: Life Stages", "Fw: Funny", "Fw: Jokes", "Fw: Life
Stages text", "Fw: Funny text", "Fw: Jokes text", "Life
Stages", "Jokes", "Life Stages text", "Funny text",
"Jokes text"
[2000/06/18]
June 16, 2000, PR Newswire reports that RSA Security Inc. has
announced that ThinAirApps, LLC has licensed RSA BSAFE(R) SSL-J
software for incorporation into its ThinAir Server platform,
which can support Palm III and V with TCP/IP connectivity or
OmniSky service, Palm VII, and Research in Motion used with
GoAmerica service.
[2000/06/18]
June 15, 2000, PR Newswire reports that ei Corporation has announced
the availability of its new Thumbdrive USB storage system in
sizes from 16MB to 128MB. Product will be available in July
at prices starting at $69.95 US.
ei Corporation http://www.eiware.com/
[2000/06/18]
June 15, 2000, Reuters reports that Motorola, Inc., Symbol
Technologies Inc. and Connect Things Inc. have announced that
they will invest $500 million US into a new company which will
combine scanning technology and Web shopping over mobile phones
and other devices.
[2000/06/18]
June 15, 2000, PR Newswire reports that WAP Forum and i3 Mobile have
announced that a WAP site for the WAP Forum (June 18 - 23) will be
operated by i3 Mobile.
WAP Forum
WAP Site Info http://www.i3mobile.com/wapforum.html
[2000/06/18]
June 14, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Handspring, Inc. has opened
its Japanese headquarters and will begin selling a Japanese language
version of its Visor(TM) product throughout Japan this month.
Handspring K.K.
http://www.handspring.co.jp/
[2000/06/18]
On Clearnet's June 2000 bills is the following notice:
"Text Messaging from the Web will be enabled for all phones on a pay-per-use basis on July 1st. A 10 cent per message charge applies. See www.clearnet.com"
What's wrong with this? Well, I tried the text messaging service when started a Clearnet service and found that it serious potential for inadvertent or deliberate problems for clients. A message sent to a Clearnet user can be any length. If a message is "oversize", it is broken into a series of short messages. Looking at my last 10 EMail messages, they are (rounded up to the nearest "KB") 7, 2, 8, 1, 8, 7, 1, 1, 7, 4, or about 4 - 5KB. Since each 1KB is probably going to be forwarded in about 4 "short messages", that means I could expect such messages to result in 16 short messages costing about $1.60. I haven't calculated it accurately yet, but I believe I get about 4 messages per day, for 30 days per month, or about 120 messages per month, which would cost me about 16 * 120 * $0.10 = $192 per month. I my EMail address got out in public by accident, I could lose quite a bit of money.
And that's not all. The broken up parts of an EMail message don't necessarily arrive in order, and are not marked in any way to identify the order in which they should be read. The results can be gibberish. So Clearnet has given me the opportunity to pay a fortune to read gibberish, which may be sent to me by anyone, including "spammers".
This is not a service I wanted at the current pricing. That includes the lack of monthly minimum charge. The $0.10 / message itself is far too high priced. Fido sends such messages for "free". I might consider a price of $0.01 / message appropriate, but not the current price.
The result of this is that I'm considering terminating my
Clearnet service. I'm not sure whether I'll do it yet. I'll
have to check the competition again to make a final decision.
[2000/06/16]
June 14, 2000, WIDCOMM Inc. has announced the availability of
its BlueCard which is a PCMCIA Bluetooth adapter. It comes with
Windows 95, 98, NT and 2000 support software, and will be shown
at the Bluetooth Congress, June 13 - 16, in Monte Carlo.
[Price was not announced.]
WIDCOMM Inc.
http://www.widcomm.com/
[2000/06/14]
June 14, 2000, Business Wire reports that PSC Inc. has announced
that it has begun worldwide shipping of its "Momentum(TM) Bar
Code Scanner" Springboard(TM) module for the Handspring(TM)
Visor(TM). The module comes with built in Flash memory (256KB
up to 4MB) and its own internal rechargeable battery.
[Price was not announced.]
PSC Inc. http://www.pscnet.com/
[2000/06/14]
June 14, 2000, Associated Press reports that Microsoft Corp.
and Samsung will work together on Samsung's new smart phones
and that Samsung will use "derivatives" of Windows CE and Internet
Explorer Web browser. According to Microsoft the first phones
from this alliance are expected "in the second half of the year."
[2000/06/14]
June 13, 2000, Business Wire reports that Schlumberger has
announced its new Java based Simera Airflex Subscriber Identity
Module (SIM) smart card which will work with CDMA accounts, giving
CDMA users international roaming capabilities similar to those of
GSM users.
Schlumberger Smart Cards
http://www.slb.com/smartcards/
[2000/06/14]
June 11, 2000, Associated Press reports that International Business Machine Corp. was expected to announced the availability of Linux based laptop computers. The version of Linux chosen was Caldera Systems Inc.'s OpenLinux 2.4.
[I asked my contact at IBM Canada about this today and have
confirmed that IBM Canada will be selling Linux laptops in English.
The two models in Canada will be a version of A20M and a version of
T20. These will be available in late July. I didn't ask about
pricing at this time.]
[2000/06/14]
June 9, 2000, Business Wire reports that IBM has announced that it
has selected Lucent Technologies' ORiNOCO(TM) 802.11b based wireless
networking technology for its ThinkPad(R) portable computers.
An enterprise access point costs $999 US and each laptop will need
a Wireless LAN PC Card costing $179 US.
[2000/06/11]
June 9, 2000, Business Wire reports that Hewlett-Packard Company
has announced the availability of its HP Mobile ProtectTools 2000
Smart Card security kit which will bring smart card security
to HP OmniBook users running Windows 2000.
[2000/06/11]
June 9, 2000, Associated Press Reports that France faces a series
problem for Bluetooth users. The 2.4 GHz frequency band is currently
being controlled by the French military and is already filled with
channels for telephones, radar, home security systems, rail car
tracking. The cost for the French army to change is estimated by
France's national frequency agency to be "hundreds of millions of
dollars".
[2000/6/11]
June 8, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that Sony Corp.'s new portable Playstation will be available in Canada in Sept. 2000 and will offer a cellular telephon networking capability. The Japanese version will debut in Japan on July 7, 2000 priced at about 15,000 Yen, and will feature a 4" TFT LCD screen.
[NOTE: This is NOT the handheld device that has been described
previously but a portable version of the classic Playstation, including
a 2X CD-ROM drive.]
[2000/06/11]
June 7, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Culinary Software Service,
Inc. will show its "ChefTec PDA" system at HITEC 2000, June 20 - 22.
The system is based on 2 modules (Physical Inventory Taking" and
"Ordering", which upload data to desktop ChefTec Software. The
software runs on Palm IIIe, Palm IIIxe and Palm IIIc.
Culinary Software Services,
Inc. http://www.culinarysoftware.com/
[2000/06/11]
June 5, 2000, Business Wire reports that National Semiconductor
Corporation and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. have announced that
they have developed a new series of thinner, lighter, better
performing LCD flat panel displays. The companies claim
"substantial power savings" and "significantly reduced EMI-
radiation (Electro-Magnetic Interference)".
Samsung Electronics
http://www.samsungsemi.com/
National Semiconductor
http://www.national.com/appinfo/fpd/
[2000/06/11]
TRG Products Inc. has two expansion cards for the Palm IIIx. The "Xtra Xtra" card expands RAM to the full 8MB, bringing it up to the hardware spec of the new Palm IIIex. The Xtra Xtra Pro card also expands RAM to the full 8MB, but also expands Flash memory to the full 4MB (from the standard 2MB). It also includes software to move program files (not data files) to Flash memory.
Looking back at the past year, y use of my Palm IIIx has settled into pattern that fitted well within the standard 4MB RAM. In fact, I was using about 2.5MB., of which about 1.3MB was used by AvantGo. But looking ahead, I anticipate some significantly heavier memory needs. I decided to buy the full "Xtra Xtra Pro" board. That way, I'll be able to move some 3rd party software into Flash and have the largest possible standard memory.
I ordered the Xtra Xtra Pro board on May 25, 2000. The US price with UPS "Expedited" delivery was $169.90 which was converted to $260.39 Cdn. UPS charged an extra $15.82 for brokering services (probably for payment of Provincial sales tax) bringing it to a total of $276.21. A typical price for a Palm IIIxe right now is $379.99 Cdn. (Radio Shack, Toronto), plus 15% local taxes ($57), or around $436.99 Cdn. Delivery time, including customs, was about 2 weeks.
Since the software is for PalmOS 3.1 (with a free upgrade to the PalmOS 3.3 software online), but not PalmOS 3.5, I decided not to use it yet. I'll wait for 3.5.x to be released for the Palm IIIx and whatever Flash software comes out to suppport it. But so far, with my PalmOS 3.3 software, the main RAM has worked without problems. Reloading the "last state" of my backups was no different from previous restoring operations.
Battery drain has been reported to increase with the Xtra Xtra Pro board. I won't have figures on that for a while. Apparently, some companies are still doing RAM chip upgrades for Palm IIIx which, at the least, should not significantly increase power usage (and has been advertised as increasing battery life compared to original RAM). The increased weight of the board is also negligible.
The result is that I now have a Palm IIIx with an essentially fresh
screen (because I protected it with a WriteRight and the flip cover),
but a slightly worn plastic case and pen, but with the full 8 + 4
MB of memory, exceeding the Palm IIIxe, but with PalmOS 3.3 software.
As I write this, "Info" shows that I have 5,549KB free RAM space of
8,064KB total RAM space. If or when PalmOS 3.5.x is released for the
Palm IIIx (and I expect it will be fairly soon), this will probably
be the "final state" configuration I'll use, and I expect to use
it for at least the next six months.
[2000/06/11]
June 7, 2000, Associated Press reports that the law suit
brought by Xerox Corp. against 3Com Corp. in the US,
claiming patent infringment based on Xerox "Unistroke"
software has been dismissed by a federal judge.
According to Christa Carone of Xerox, the company is
reviewing the decision to decide whether to appeal.
[2000/06/07]
June 7, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Applied Data Systems
(ADS) has introduced a Windows CE "portrait-mode" driver for
the Graphics Client Plus" single board computer. This
system is based on a 206MHz StrongARM. ADS also supports
Linux, OS-9 and VxWorks.
Applied Data Systems
http://www.aaplieddata.net/
[2000/06/07]
June 7, 2000, Business Wire reports that Lucent Technologies'
Bell Labs has made its 3rd release of its Plan 9(TM) operating
system available under an "open-source" agreement. The central
themes of the OS are:
"-- making communications the central function of the computing
system
-- naming and accessing all system resources as if they were files
-- allowing multiple views of teh distributed system to be
defined as "name spaces," private hierarchies of named resources
that are visible and accessible to a particular user, device,
or process"
Bell Labs
Plan 9 OS Distribution http://plan9.bell-labs.com/plan9dist/
[2000/06/07]
June 7, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Philips Semiconductors has
introduced its SAA8116 single-chip Digital Signal Processor (DSP)
for photographics and multimedia applications. On chip functions
include video signal processing, video compression, audio encoding
and Universal Serial Bus (USB) 1.1.
[2000/06/07]
June 6, 2000, Business Wire reports that Motorola, Inc. has
and PacketVideo Corp. have announced an agreement to bring
PacketVideo's MPEG-4 multimedia support to the iDEN wireless
network.
Packet Video
http://www.packetvideo.com/
[2000/06/07]
June 6, 2000, Associated Press reports that according to
"F-Secure", a new virus called "Timofonica" targets handheld
devices. The virus is spread on regular computers as an e-mail
attachment which is resent to every e-mail address in the
recipient's address book. The virus is unique because it also
sends a text message to a randomly selected cell phone on the
Telefonica network each time it is spread. It does not actually
infect the phone itself, but is a nuisance for the cell phone
users who receive the messages.
[2000/06/07]
June 6, 2000, Business Wire reports that Palm, Inc. has announced
that it has agreed to acquire Actual Software Corporation
for its MultiMail(R) line of E-mail products.
Actual Software Corporation
http://www.actualsoft.com/
[2000/06/07]
June 5, 2000, Reuters reports that International Business Machine
Corp. (IBM) has announced its redesigned ThinkPad iSeries laptop
computer series. The new versions feature two USB ports and
prices as low as $1,199 US.
[2000/06/07]
June 2, 2000 PR Newswire reports that TELUS Mobility and the Bank
of Montreal have announced wireless banking services through data
compatible digital phones in British Columbia and Alberta, using
Bank of Montreal's Veev services. Included services include
bank account balances and details, stock trades through BMO
InvestorLine Direct Investing, transfers between accounts, bill
payments, tracking BoM Mastercard transactions and payments,
tracking investment portfolios, requesting stock, mutual fund
and index quotes, create and receive stock alerts, news stories
from CP and Reuters, and more. Veev uses TELUS Mobilities i-Web(TM)
Microbrowser service.
[2000/06/04]
June 1, 2000, Associated Press reports that Hewlett-Packard Co.
will offer a full refund for some of its latest Jornada
Pocket PC computers, such as the Jornada 545 because HP's
advertising claimed a display capability of about 65,000 colours
but its real capability was only around 4,000 colours.
After investigating, HP found that the same limitation applied
to its older Jornada 420 and 430 series handheld computers.
[2000/06/04]
May 31, 2000, Business Wire reports that Fujitsu Microelectronics, Inc.
has announced that it is introducing its new 0.11 micron gate length
(0.11umLgate) ASIC process (0.07 micron Leff) which will be available
in q3 2001. It features "shallow trench isolation", "chemical-mechanical
polishing", CoSi2 in transistor and source/drain, all-layer copper-
interconnect, using 5 - 8 levels of metal and low-k (k<=2.6) dialectric
techniques. [I don't understand all of the issues in these claims
but I think I've picked the most significant points. If not, I
apologize.]
[2000/06/04]
May 31, 2000, Business Wire reports that Palm, Inc. has announced
that it has agreed to purchase AnyDay.com, an Internet-based
calendar company.
AnyDay.com http://www.AnyDay.com/
[2000/05/31]
May 31, 2000, ATI Technologies Inc. announced that Hewlett-Packard
has selected its RAGE Mobility-M1(TM) and RAGE Mobility-M(TM) graphics
chipsets for HP's OmniBook 6000 portable computers.
[2000/05/31]
May 30, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Nuance has announced its
new version Nuance 7.0 "enterprise and carrier-class" speech
recognition and natural language understanding server software
claiming "breakthrough wireless and hands-free recognition accuracy"
and support for 15 languages, and tight integration with its Nuance
Verifier 2.0 voice authentication software also announced on May 30,
2000.
[2000/05/31]
May 30, 2000, Business Wire reports that Palm, Inc. has announced
that its Windows NT server based HotSync(R) Server and a Microsoft
Exchange Conduit have completed beta testing and are now shipping.
[2000/05/30]
May 30, 2000, PR Newswire reports that PointBase, Inc. has
announced that it is working with Microware Systems Corporation
to target the Mobile Wireless Data market with its Java
based applications on OS-9(R) RTOS for cellular phones and
smart handheld devices.
http://www.pointbase.com/
[2000/05/30]
May 30, 2000, Reuters reports that according to Donaldson,
Lufkin and Jenrette, DRAM prices are expected to rise over the
coming two quarters from current prices of around $6.00 US
(Micron 64Mb) up to around $8.50 US by November.
[2000/05/30]
May 30, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that Clearnet Communications
Inc. has announced that it will use Lcent Technologies' Flexent(TM)
CDMA Modular Cell base stations in order to upgrade to CDMA2000
3rd generation PCS services.
[2000/05/30]
May 30, 2000, Business Wire reports that 3Com Corporation
and Palm, Inc. have announced that 3Com has licensed PalmOS
technologies for its coming Internet appliance line.
[2000/05/30]
May 30, 2000, PR Newswire reports that TELUS Mobility and
Nortel Networks plan to work together to test CDMA2000
services.
[2000/05/30]
I just bought Calligrapher for the Psion Series 5, which is
the version used on the Series 5mx. Unfortunately, I have
installed PsiWin on my Windows 98 "test bed" computer, and that
computer has gone flakey and won't boot Windows 98. In fact,
it won't boot MS-DOS off a floppy either. It appears that the
motherboard is gone bad. But the main loss is that I seem to be
stuck with Calligrapher, which I can't load on my Psion. So why
don't I just load PsiWin on my main Win 95 laptop? Well, I don't
like the fact that PsiWin grabs the serial port when the computer
is booted. There does not appear to be a way to shut this off.
Since the laptop only has 1 serial port, which I use mainly for
modem connection to the Internet, and daily for Palm synching
(much more often than I'd ever use PsiWin) this is impractical.
I think that eventually I might re-assign my current Linux box
to Win 98 after I build my next Linux box. But this is going to
take a while. With luck I might just find a way around this
dilemma. We'll see.
[2000/05/30]
Having read the installation instructions in the manual, I looked
at the distribution floppy today and found the single large .SIS
file. The .SIS file is a package that is loaded by the usual
EPOC control panel "Add/Remove" installer utility. So I copied
that file to my CompactFlash and it installed without problems.
I also found an updated on Atelier's website which includes some
bug fixes. I don't know what bugs were fixed, but I installed
the updater, bringing it up to version 1.1. Since all my
programs are loaded to the C: (internal) RAM disk, I checked my
usage and found that, along with other programs, I'd used up
about 8 of my 16MB of memory overall. Since my data files are
all on the CompactFlash, this is going to be acceptable. Since
future versions of EPOC will have to become more complex and
larger, particularly if vector fonts become supported, there's
no doubt that future versions of the Series 5 should have more
RAM (and more ROM), but I find the current Series 5mx well scaled
to its capabilities.
Atelier (Psion software)
http://www.atelier.tm/
[2000/05/31]
To all who are attending Wireless 2000 in Toronto this tomorrow
(it has been going since the 29th) welcome! Unfortunately, due
to family illness I won't be attending this year. I hope you
all have an enjoyable and valuable experience!
[2000/05/30]
May 27, 2000, Associated Press reports that the US FBI is investigating the latest Microsoft Outlook virus which is being called "Killer Resume". This virus appears to be a woman's work resume named either "Explorer.Doc" or "Resume.doc". The subject line is "Resume - Janet Simons". The FBI recommends that if you receive the message, you should deactivate the "executive summary" feature in Outlook and then delete the e-mail without opening it. "The executive summary feature will select, and essentially open, an e-mail file even as the user scrolls a list of incoming messages."
[A separate release distributed by Business Wire, May 27,
2000, from F-Secure Corporation calls this virus the "Melissa.BG"
virus and claims that F-Secure's anti-virus software protects
against it. Likewise, another separate release distributed
by Business Wire, dated May 26, 2000, from Symantec identifies
the virus as "W97M.Melissa.BG" or "W97.Resume.A" and says that
the attachment is called "RESUME1.DOC. According to Symantec
the virus copies itself to "C:\Data\Normal.dot" and
"C:\WINDOWS\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp\Explorer.doc". Symantec's
Norton AV can be upgraded to cover this virus. The virus is
destructive and upon closing the document, it will attempt
to delete certain data and system level program files.]
US FBI National Infrastructure
Protection Center http://www.nipc.gov/
[2000/05/28]
May 26, 2000, Business Wire reports that 4thpass has announced
that its "KBrowser" WAP-compliant microbrowser is now available
for the Palm VII. 4thpass claims that the KBrowser is the fastest
WAP browser on the Palm platform.
[2000/05/28]
May 26, 2000, Associated Press reports that Microsoft Corp.
has postponed the unveiling of a new software strategy,
ostensibly because its current antitrust ruling "would
distract from the company's strategy announcement." According
to AP, the announcement will "make Microsoft's popular
software accessible through the Internet to cell phones,
set-top boxes and handheld computers."
[2000/05/28]
May 25, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that the Rechargeable Battery
Recycling Corporation of Canada (RBRC), a non-profit organization
is expanding its Ni-Cad recycling programs in Canada. Companies
participating include Astral Photo Images, Authorized Motorola
Dealers, Battery Plus, Black's Photography, Canadian Tire, Future
Shop, Home Hardware, London Drugs, Makita Factory Service Centers,
Personal Edge/Centre du Rasoir, RadioShack and Zellers. RBRC also
plans to expand recycling to include Ni-MH, Li-Ion and small
sealed lead batteries.
Rechargeable Battery Recycling
Corporation of Canada http://www.rbrc.orb/
[2000/05/28]
May 24, 2000, Eric Auchard wrotes for Reuters that substantial parts shortages are affecting the whole digital electronics field but many comments point to mobile products. Products mentioned as having shortages include: Palm, Nintendo, Motorola Inc. (StarTAC cellphones), Dell Computer Corp. (notebook computers). Cell phones are singled out as "an enormous monster sucking up capacity," (per Michael Zimm of CIBC World Markets).
Delays mentioned: Nintendo Gameboy Advanced (5-6 months) due to
shortages of LCD displays and other circuitry by Sharp Corp.,
Palm (due to competition for parts such as LCD screens and
memory against cellphone makers). HP, Compaq, Casio and Sharp
may also be short of displays and memory components. Shortages
are now projected stretching into 2001.
[2000/05/25]
May 23, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Compaq Computer Corporation has
announced reductions on some version of its Notebook 1000 series laptop
computers.
[2000/05/25]
May 16, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Xybernaut Corporation has announced
new versions of its Mobile Assistant(R) IV wearable computer.
MA IV -- Model TC has faster CPU, new I/O adapter
MA IV -- Model TCS has a faster CPU, new I/O adapter, and 1" slimmer
design
The New models will be available Sept. 2000.
http://www.xybernaut.com/
[2000/05/25]
May 22, 2000, Business Wire reports that Motorola has announced that
its new Talkabout(TM) T900 personal interactive communicator (PIC).
Based on Motorola's ReFLEX(TM) protocol the T900 features a full
QWERTY keyboard making it able to send and receive text messages and
Internet e-mail and World Wide Web information. It also features
contact information for 250 entries, Optimax(R) EL backlighting,
128KBytes message storage memory and measures 3.19" * 2.15" * 0.90".
It is expected to be available to consumers in June 2000 at a
suggested price of $200 US. [In a separate article on May 22, 2000,
Associate Press notes that the screen can display 4 lines of text
containing 80 characters.]
[2000/05/22]
May 18, 2000, Reuters reports that Compaq Computer Corp. has announced
that its new low cost Presario 1200 XL-450 laptop computer is
available immediately for at prices starting as low as $999 US.
The Presario 1200 series is currently powered by a 450MHz "AMD K62"
[sic].
[2000/05/22]
May 18, 2000, May 18, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that Clearnet
Communications has announced various partners with whom Clearnet
is working with to develop infrastructure and content for wireless
Internet Web access for Clearnet PCS and The Mike Network, to be
launched this summer. The following have been named:
Phone.com, Inc.
http://www.phone.com/
Classwave Wireless Inc.
http://www.classwave.com/
i3 Mobile http://wwwi3mobile.com/
Infowave Software
http://www.infowave com/
Canada.com http://www.canada.com/
Canoe http://www.canoe.com/
Digital Bridges
http://www.digitalbridges.com
HMV.com http://www.hmv.com/
National Post Online
http://www.nationalpost.com/
[2000/05/22]
May 18, 2000, Canadian Corporate News reports that Diversinet
has announced that it has joined the Open Group's Mobile Management
Forum as a co-founder. Other members include IBM, Compaq, HP, Motorola
and Sun Microsystems.
[2000/05/22]
May 16, 2000, Business Wire reports that Farallon Communications,
Inc. has announced its SkyLINE(TM) 11Mb Wireless PC Card for portable
computers (including Macintosh PowerBook and Windows laptops).
Based on IEEE 802.11b Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum, it will
interoperate with 802.11 DSSS systems. The SkyLINE 11Mb Wireless
PC Card is now available at $199.00.
Farallon Communications,
Inc. http://www.farallon.com/products/
[2000/05/22]
May 16, 2000, Reuters reports that Intel Corp. and Mitsubishi
Electric Corp. will announce a deal to jointly develop a chipset
for third generation cell phones. Work on the chipset has
already begun.
Mitsubishi Electric
Corp. [cell phone chipset]
http://www.mitsubishielectric.com/
[2000/05/17]
May 16, 2000 PR Newswire reports that Sensory Science Corporation
has announced that it has commenced shipping its new RaveMP 2200
portable digital media player. It includes USB connectivity,
FM radio, built-in voice recorder and SmartMedia expansion, priced
at $279 US with 32MB RAM.
http://www.sensoryscience.com/
[2000/05/17]
May 12, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that MGI Software has
announced that Gateway Computer Corporation has licensed MGI's
VideoWave software and will ship it in Gateway's Solo 9300 CX
portable computer starting immediately.
[2000/05/17]
May 15, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Gateway, Inc. has announced
its new Solo 3300 ultra-light portable which weighs about 3.65 lbs.
Featuring a 12.1" screen, 500MHz Intel Pentium III, 64MB RAM and a
6GB HD (12MB optional) the Solo 3300 is available immediately at
prices starting at $2,199 US.
[2000/05/15]
May 15, 2000, Reuters reports that Microsoft Corp. has acknowledged
that a flaw in "the two most recent versions of Microsoft's Web browser"
can allow hackers to "steal cookies." According to Microsoft's
Steve Culp, "It's definitely a vulnerability" and the company has
vowed to repair it.
[2000/05/15]
May 15, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Smith Micro Software, Inc. has
announced that its new QuickLink Fax 2000 software will allow
computer users to send and receive FAXes through cellular phones.
[2000/05/15]
May 15, 2000, Canadian Corporate News reports that Taiwan Semiconductor
Manufacturing Company has announced it has developed 0.35-Micron
CMOS image sensor technology enabling "system on a chip". TSMC
claims to be producing over 5,000 6" wafers per month.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing
Company http://www.tsmc.com/
[2000/05/15]
May 14, 2000, Gilles Castonguay writes for Reuters that Lernout &
Hauspie Speech Products NV plans to introduce its new consumer
Internet voice interface system before Christmas this year. Called
the "Nak" (from "nakulo", Hawaiian for "echo"), it runs on the
Intel StrongARM processor on systems including Linux and Microsoft
Corp.'s Windows, but is targetted for the Digital PCS market.
[2000/05/15]
May 11, 2000, Microcell Solutions Inc. (FIDO) has announced three
new pricing options and two new service packages:
Unlimited Evenings And Weekends
- covers every night, 20:00 - 8:00 and all through the weekend.
Canada/U.S. Long Distance
- $15/month, covers up to 200 min of long-distance calls within
Canada and the US (as low as $0.075/min.) calculated by the second,
with $0.10/min for use beyond the 200 min. (also calculated by the
second).
International Long Distance
$5/month allows long distance calls via Fido for up to 50% less
than "the new rates negotiated by the Company."
$70 for 700 minutes
(A new plan designed for business people.)
$200 for 2,000 minutes
(Another new plan designed for business people.) Time used
in excess of the plan will be charged $0.10/min.
[2000/05/15]
May, 11, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that ATI Technologies Inc.
has announced that its RAGE Mobility(TM) graphics chipset has
been used in Compaq's new Presario 1800 Series laptop
computers.
[2000/05/15]
May 11, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that Microforum Inc. has
announced that it has acquired certain assets from "flashCast
Communications Corp." including CEPort(TM) which is a proprietary
XML-based mobile content technology which allows web content to
be made available to "multiple devices including palm PC's, web
TV boxes and wireless equipment such as web-enabled phones and
hand-held devices."
http://www.flashcast.com/
[2000/05/15]
May 9, 2000, Canada Newswire reports that Infowave Software, Inc.
has announced that MobilePlanet is now a reseller of Infowave
products. "Infowave's software provides fast wireless access to
the Internet, corporate Intranets, web-based applications and
email for mobile workers. . . . Infowave's customers can choose
from a spectrum of mobile devices including phones, pagers, handheld
computers and laptops."
[2000/05/15]
Due to circumstances beyond my control I did not have time to
complete my usual news updates this weekend. I hope to complete
the work soon. Meanwhile, I did a minor update of the "links"
page, which confirmed or eliminated links prior to 1998, and made
some other minor corrections, making it a bit more useful overall.
links01.html
[2000/05/14]
I finally bought the Windows 2.11 Pro upgrade for the Compaq C-Series 2010c on May 9, 2000, and after a minor problem got the unit working. The main difficulty I encountered was calibrating the touch screen. I failed many times, and removed the batteries and memory a number of times. I also applied "Soft Paq 10559". Apparently though, the problem was probably that I wasn't holding the pen to the screen long enough for the calibration routine to complete the first mark. I'm not sure how long it took. I simply decided to hold it on the mark "till the battery runs down." It didn't take that long, but it definitely took longer than I'd normally expect such a calibration to take. After the first "mark" the rest was quicker -- about as fast as I expected.
I wrote previously:
"But having completed the upgrade, I decided to download the 128-bit encryption extension so I could use it on financial websites. Going to Microsoft's Website, I found that not only has the site changed to almost completely eliminate "Windows CE", but all the old download programs seem to be gone. This is very disturbing because these devices are probably still working and being sold on the "Used" market -- which is important for the first owners because it is the only way to recoupe some value for these devices if they decide to move on. Moreover, all the old Windows CE software that Microsoft had was little more than a drop in the bucket compared to the size of their Website, so the cost saving is almost immeasurably small. I have left a message on the Compaq support website asking them for advice regarding the 128-bit encryption software. I hope to get an answer soon. But if Microsoft is truly "shutting down" support for all but the small handful of "currently products" (by definition, only a couple of products for the time being since roughly half of them are not yet available -- hence not yet "products" at all), one has to wonder about their commitment to any of their current or near future products. Hopefully this is a temporary situation caused by a reorganization of their Website. It will be worth watching."
As it turns out, the site was simply reorganized, though I so far I have been able to download some of the older Windows CE Pro programs, but not the 128-bit encryption extension. I sent EMail to Microsoft and they tested their site and replied that they could not replicate the problem (which was that when I hit the "Download Now!" button, the export licence information was displayed, but the file itself was not sent). I expect there is something odd in my settings, so I'll check my setup and try to download it again later.
The new websites for "The Operating System That Was Formerly Known
As Windows CE" are:
Microsoft Windows for Pocket PC
http://www.pocketpc.com/
Microsoft Windows
Mobile Devices [Including older Windows CE downloads]
http://www.microsoft.com/mobile/
Windows CE and Windows NT Embedded
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/embedded/
[2000/05/10] [revised] [2000/05/14]
May 10, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Toshiba America Electronics Components (TAEC) has announced that it has introduced its first 1.8" HDD. The MK2001MPL drive has a 2GB capacity and comes in an ATA compliant Type II PC Card package.
Toshiba also announced its MK2016GAP 20GB, MK1016GAP 10GB and
MK6015MAP 6GB HDs. All are 2.5" 9.5mm high drives. The 10 and 20
GB drives feature 17.6Gbits per Sq. In. which Toshiba claims is
the highest on the market.
http://www.sdd.toshiba.com/
[2000/05/10]
May 10, 2000, Business Wire reports that Motorola Labs and Motorola's
DigitalDNA Laboratories have announced the development of a 3-volt
nonvolatile Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (MRAM) with address
access times of less than 15 nanoseconds, and virtually "unlimited
endurance" (latency). It is expected that this memory could supplant
Flash memory, DRAM and "all but the fastest SRAM."
[2000/05/10]
May 10, 2000, Reuters reports that Microcell Telecommunications Inc.
has announced that it will invest $50 - $500 million (Cdn.) in a new
subsidiary called Microcell i5 Inc., and that will develop and provide
wireless internet services. Microcell also announced that Fido users
will begin to have customizable Internet portal services in the Fall.
[2000/05/10]
May 8, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Telxon Corporation has announced
its PTC-2000 palm-sized computer which features a Type II PC Card slot
and numerical keypad with Windows CE software.
http://www.telxon.com/
[2000/05/10]
May 7, 2000, Associated Press reports that the FBI is still investigating
the source of the "ILOVEYOU" Virus, looking at EMail records in the
Philippenes. [This is a virus I'm not going to cover in detail
since it has been covered widely in the traditional media.]
[2000/05/07]
May 6, 2000, according to Rsponsive Database Services, Antony Bruno
reported for RCR Radio Communicationson May 1, 2000, that Neomar Inc.'s
WAP microbrowser will be offered by Motient included with its eLink
(RIM 850) and downloadable for RIM 850 devices in current use,
and RIM has agreed it include the microbrowser in devices operating
on the BellSouth network. WAP on Blackberry is in closed testing.
Palm Inc. is also in closed beta testing and expects to use the
Neomar microbrowser on Palm III, V and VII devices in July. Neomar
also provides gateway services.
[2000/05/07]
May 4, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that Microcell Connexions Inc. and Research In Motion Limited have announced their intention to proceed with joint trials of high-speed mobile data services based on General Packet Ratio Services (GPRS). Live technical trials will be conducted this year.
May 3, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Aladdin Systems, Inc. has
announced that it is shipping "GoBar(TM)" 2.2 for Palm OS(TM).
The program, which was from DiGivello impliments a Windows-like
interface on Palm handheld computers. It is available for $14.00
US.
Aladdin Systems, Inc.
http://www.aladdinsys.com/
[2000/05/07]
May 2, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that the Portable Computer and
Communications Association (PCCA) has announced that WRQ Inc. has been
elected to its board of directors and Emil Sturniolo will be the
representative on the board. According to the announcement, the PCCA
is "a nonprofit organization formed to provide a forum for all
companies and individuals interested in interoperable mobile computing
and communications. . . ."
Portable Computer and Communcations
Associations http://www.pcca.org/
http://www.wrq.com/
[2000/05/07]
May 2, 2000, Business Wire reports that Sony Electronics has announced
its latest F series laptop computer called the Vaio(R) PCG-F520.
Featuring a 500MHz Pentium(R) III and Digital Video editing, it
will sell for $1,800 commencing in June.
http://www.sony.com/pc/
[2000/05/03]
May 2, 2000, Reuters reports that according to Paul Yankowski, CEO of Palm Inc., all of Palm's handheld computers will be able to access the Web by the end of the year and that all Palm devices that "are not currently online" will have clip-on wirless attachments.
Yankowski also stated that Palm was still "in talks with Sony Corp. [re. cell phones] . . . for possible collaboration on new products: 'We are in a dialogue with Sony to see if there is any overlap in those areas."
[The writer of this piece seems to have a problem distinguishing
between "Internet access" and "wireless Internet access". It seems
probable that what is meant is that the devices will all have
"wireless Web access."]
[2000/05/03]
May. 2, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that ATI Technologies Inc.
has announced that IBM features ATI's RAGE Mobility 128(TM),
RAGE Mobility-M1(TM) and RAGE Mobility-M(TM) graphics chips
in the new ThinkPad A Series laptop computers.
[2000/03/05]
May 2, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Magellan Corporation
has announced that it is "celebrating" the first day of full
accuracy GPS service thanks to the ending of "Selective
Availability" announced by US President Clinton. Accuracy
of GPS is now about 10X that of a day ago. Devices with
accuracy within 100 meters are now accurate to within 10
meters. The company notes that its clip on product for the
Palm V(TM) will enjoy such an increase in accuracy and
usefulness.
[2000/03/05]
May 2, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Magellan Corporation has
announced that it has launched its OEM line of GPS receiver
products for the Palm V(TM). Rand McNally has bundled a
Magellan GPS clip-on in its StreetFinder(R) GPS for Palm V(TM)
package. The device uses Magellan's latest 12-parallel-channel
technology and is powered by 2 AAA batteries giving up to
10 hours of continuous use.
Rand McNally GPS Kit for
Palm V http://www.randmcnally.com/
[2000/05/03]
May 1, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that IBM has announced its
ThinkPad A Series and ThinkPad T Series products. The "A" series
denotes a desktop "alternative" and replaces the ThinkPad 390
models, and the "T" series denotes "Thin and light" products
and replaces the ThinkPad 600 series.
ThinkPad A20p, 700MHz Mobile Intel(R) Pentium(R) III CPU,
128MB RAM, ATI Rage Mobility 128 video chip, 16MB VRAM, 18GB HD,
6X-2X DVD-ROM, 15" SXGA Plus (1400 * 1050) display, starting
at $5,959 Cdn.
ThinkPad T20, 650 or 700 Intel Mobile Pentium III CPU, 128MB
RAM, 8MB VRAM, 13.3" or 14.1" XGA display, 6GB or 12GB HD, CD-ROM
or DVD-ROM standard, starting at $4,759 Cdn.
[There is no availability date in the announcement.]
[2000/05/03]
May 2, 2000, PR Newswire reports that iPlanet(TM) E-Commmerce Solutions
and AirFlash, Inc. have jointly announced that they will be working
together to develop "internet solutions for content, commerce and
communications services."
[2000/05/03]
May 1, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Compaq Computer Corporation has
announced the availability of the Compaq Armada M700 and Armada E500
portable computers with 700MHz Intel Mobile Pentium III CPUs.
http://www.compaq.com/products/portables/
[2000/05/03]
My review of the VTech Helio is published in the Canada Computes! in April. The following are my comments and updates:
"VTech's Helio handheld combines software that is about as compact and efficient as the Palm OS with hardware that has the form factor of a Windows CE palm-size device."
What I originally wrote was that:
"The VTech Helio combines software about as compact and efficient as the Palm computers such as the Palm IIIx and Palm Vx, but with hardware more comparable to WindowsCE 'Palm-Size PC' devices."
Shortening my comment that the hardware was "more comparable to WindowsCE devices" down to "form factor" was not a good choice. "Form factor" usually refers to the size and shape of a device. The size and shape of the Helio is essentially the same as the Palm devices. It's the underlying circuitry that is more similar to the WindowsCE devices. In fact, as mentioned later it the article, it's essentially the same circuitry as the Philips Nino devices.
At the time I submitted the article VTech released an update from the VT-OS Version 1.1.0.3 to VT-OS Version 1.1.06. The crashing that I experienced trying to load the address data converted from my Palm IIIx was corrected and all the data was successfully loaded into the Helio.
Also, since that article was written, a handful of 3rd party games have been released. My own personal preference is a nice implimentation of "FreeCell". But that is more due to my taste than the quality of the games.
Looking back at the developments since the article was written,
including the releases of the Palm IIIc and the various "Windows for
Pocket PC" devices, I still feel that the Helio represents quite good
value at its price.
http://www.canadacomputes.com/CC2/components/see_stories/1,1263,3241,00.html
VTech Helio Review
[2000/05/03]
In case you were wondering, yes, I really am going to announce
my awards for outstanding mobile technology for 1999. I
pre-announced the probable awards on Nov. 30, 1999 and in
December, but reserved the actual awards until I had a chance
to review the year properly. That delay was extended because
I decided to wait for the publication of a magazine article
related to these awards. Now it's time.
awards99.html
[2000/05/03]
Apr. 30, 2000, Business Wire reports that Corning Incorporated
has announced that it will expand its capability to produce
precision flat glass for use as LCD display substrates in Japan.
Corning previously announced plans to double worldwide capacity
of these products by the end of 2000.
[2000/04/30]
Apr. 26, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Kyushu Matsushita Electric
Co. Ltd. (Panasonic) has agreed to use Fonix speech technologies
in Panasonic consumer and commercial electronics products.
[2000/04/30]
I think the most interesting announcements I've seen in the last week were the announcements by Palm, that they would be moving into ARM, and Sony which has licenced Symbian's EPOC. In recent months, there were a number of announcements that held fragments of the picture that is now forming.
We had Ericsson announcing that it was licensing PalmOS. Then we heard that other Symbian members were signing up with PalmOS and Motorola was licencing ARM. Sony licensed PalmOS. But the close coupling of Palm and EPOC was hampered by the fact that PalmOS runs on Motorola 68K devices. Eventually, it was announced that PalmOS, at least it's upper layer, would probably be ported to ARM for use on top of EPOC's kernel. But much of the advantage of PalmOS was its large number of developers and applications, which would probably not follow PalmOS onto the ARM platform unless large sales were demonstrable.
While cell phones are popular, it was doubtful how many people might buy a particularly expensive smart phone. I don't know how many Qualcomm PDQ's have sold, but I haven't noticed many in people's hands. The Palm announcement in particular fills in a big piece of the picture, with a strong "Palm on ARM" market for developers. And the Sony EPOC announcement strengthens the market for EPOC (on ARM) developers, and brings them a handheld computer based on the same CPU, and possibly the same underlying kernel as their pocket appliance devices.
It's beginning to look like the array of devices and
applications based on the EPOC kernel and ARM CPU will
similar to the "Windows CE" systems. There is good and
bad in this. But it will prove interesting for months
to come.
[2000/04/26]
Apr. 26, 2000, Richard Meares and Ed Cropley write for Reuters
that Psion Plc has announced that Sony Corp will license Symbian's
EPOC operating system for new mobile devices. According to the
article, Sony will be the first licensee of the software that is
not a partner in Symbian. [Actually, I believe this is wrong
since OSI has an EPOC based device, and I believe that there was
another Japanese licensee -- perhaps Mitsubishi or Matsushita,
which is not a Symbian partner.] According to Hiroshi Yoshioka
of Sony the software will be used in palmtop computers rather than
in mobile phones.
[2000/04/26]
Apr. 26, 2000, Business Wire reports that Socket Communications Inc.
and Sprint PCS have announced and agreement whereby Sprint PCS will
develop a kit to use Socket's CompactFlash Type I form factor "Digital
Phone Card" with many laptop and handheld computers (including Apple
PowerBook, Windows based mobile computers and the new "Windows-powered
Pocket PC" devices) with their Sprint PCS mobile phone.
Socket Communications, Inc.
http://www.socketcom.com/
[2000/04/26]
Apr. 26, 2000, Sony Corp. will buy a 15% part of Fujitsu
Hitachi Plasma Display. [While plasma displays are not
popular in traditional mobile applications, I expect they
may be useful in automotive applications, which are
"mobile".]
[2000/04/26]
Apr. 25, 2000, PR Newswire reports that LXE Inc. has announced
the availability of its LXtrEme(TM) MX1 series rugged handheld
computers.
LXE Inc. [industrial handheld
computers] http://www.lxe.com/
[2000/04/26]
Apr. 25, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Motorola has announced
its new MCF5407 microprocessor which uses the Version 4 ColdFire(R)
68K core. Based on 0.22 micron technology, it provides 257
Dhrystone 2.1 MIPS running at 162MHz. and yields performance
increases up to 10 times for applications based on MC68EC040 and
MC68EC060. It includes DMA and DRAM controllers, serial and parallel
interfaces and an I2C controller and it is pin compatible with the
MCF5307. The suggested list price is $19.95 in quantities of
10K, in a 208-pin plastic QFP. Sampling is expected to begin
in May with production in Q3 of 2000.
[2000/04/26]
Apr. 24, 2000, Stephanie Miles writes for CNET News.com
that according to Palm CEO Carl Yankowski, Palm will
bring out products based on ARM RISC processors.
Furthermore, all Palm products will eventually have
"wireless" connectivity, either by Bluetooth linking
to cell phones or via cradles or other add-ons.
[2000/04/26]
Apr. 24, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Gateway has announced
Solo 9300 and Solo 2550 portable computers using Intel's
700MHz Intel Pentium III CPUs at $3,499 US and $2,399 US
respectively. [These are probably "Mobile" Pentium III
versions.]
http://www.gateway.com/
[2000/04/26]
Apr. 24, 2000, Canada NewsWire reports that QNX Software Systems
has made a number of announcements which substantially revise
its business plan, bringing it closer to an "open" system.
The platform will be freely downloadable and usable for
non-commercial applications and source code for many applications,
driver and libraries will be released. A high degree of Linux
compatibility is said to be incorporated, and the company has
"launched a self-supporting QNX developer's network. . . ." The
general public will be allowed to download the platform in
midsummer.
http://www.get.qnx.com/
[2000/04/26]
Apr. 17, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Sun Microsystems has
announced that it is shipping its Forte(TM) for Java(TM),
Community Edition 1.0 integrated development environment (IDE)
for the Java(TM) 2 Platform.
http://www.sun.com/forte/ffj/ce/
[2000/04/26]
Apr. 18, Canada NewsWire reports that Telus Mobility has announced
that it has launched "Information Services" to wireless digital PCS
customers in British Columbia and Alberta. Users can select
information such as weather reports, stock notifications, sports
scores or news headlines. It was also announced that true
two-way internet access (via a microbrowser) would be coming
"shortly".
http://www.telusmobility.com/
[2000/04/22]
Apr. 18, 2000, Business Wire reports that AMD has announced its new Mobile AMD-K6(R)-III+ CPU and Mobile AMD-K6-2+ CPU. Both are based on AMD's 0.18 micron technology and on-chip L2 cache.
Mobile AMD-K6-III+ is available in 500, 475 and 450MHz and has a full speed 256KB on-die L2 cache, and support for an external L3 cache of up to 1MB. The front-side bus is 100MHz, and instructions include an enhanced version of 3DNow! with DSP instructions and "PowerNow!" energy management technology.
Mobile AMD-K6-2+ is available in similar versions but with 128KB on-chip L2 cache only (no L3 support).
Both operate at a core voltage of 2.0V and dissipate as little as 3W in battery-saver mode. The processors are available in Socket 7/Super7(TM) platform-compatible 321-pin Ceramic Pin Grid ARray packages. "PowerNow!" requires specific BIOS support. All versions of the CPUs are currently available with prices (in 1,000 unit quantities) starting at $85 US for 450MHz Mobile AMD-K6-2+ up to $184 US for a 500MHz Mobile AMD-K6-III+.
Hewlett-Packard Company is using a 475MHz Mobile AMD-K6-2+
CPU in it s Pavilion 3215N laptop computer.
[2000/04/22]
Apr. 18, 2000, Michael Ellis writes for Reuters that Delphi
Automotive Systems Corp. and Palm Inc. have announced that
Delphi has developed a cradle for Palm V devices to mount
it in a cup-holder in a vehicle, powered through the vehicle's
12V system and making it accessible through a "Communiport
Mobile Productivity Center" (MPC) voice recognition system
to enter data into, or access data from the Palm device.
Also announced was a non-exclusive agreement to develop
further products bringing computing devices to automotive
vehicles.
[2000/04/22]
[Some minor additions 2000/04/21]
I attended the Canadian roll out for the new handheld devices
using Microsoft's Windows for Pocket PC's. I'm not going to
summarize the details in my usual fashion at this time. Instead,
I'm going to give some impressions and thoughts. The important
websites are:
http://www.casio.com/
http://www.compaq.ca
http://www.hp.com/jornada/
http://www.symbol.com/
"We've really learnt what matters . . . previous products resulted in "limited success" . . . "a lot of time in usability labs" . . . users want "strong PIM . . . simple to use, . . . full function . . . able to grow as customers' requirements grow."
Katz made a point of saying that the new software featured "useful colour" and not just colour used to make things look pretty.
For networking, Katz emphasized that the software supported both online and offline. Aside from AvantGo, offline is supported by cache and by synching "Favorites" through your desktop computer.
"Transcriber" appears to be like Calligrapher.
The spreadsheet and word processor are now included. The spreadsheet looked particularly re-thought for pen use with an icon for data entry.
All the new units have stereo sound (except the Compaq Aero 1550 which is an upgraded "old" unit).
Fonts tend to be heavier where practical.
E-115: 131 MHz VR4121 w/32MB RAM, type I/II CF slot, Li-Ion battery.
According to Casio representatives, the E-115 has a new button on the side that was not on the E-100/E-105, so even if you upgrade the software on the older units, the new one will be better. There hasn't been any decision about an upgrade for Canada.
E-115, available end of April at the usual retail outlets at
a recommended price of $899.00.
[2000/04/19]
Casio also announced three other devices to be coming later.
The EM-500 is a youth market product using the new multimedia
card memory system (MMC/SD) which includes a copy protection
scheme. The EG-800 (colour) and EG-80 (monochrome) will be
"heavy-duty corporate environment [devices] and feature water
and shock resistant cases" and Lithium Polymer rechargeable
batteries.
[2000/04/21]
"Think Different" . . . new name is "iPaq Pocket PC".
206 MHz StrongARM RISC cpu, available in both colour and monochrome displays, USB support. The monochrome will be available in June. I missed the date for the colour unit.
This is the most modular of the units shown today (Symbol did not show up), though many of the accessories will not be available for some time. The main unit does not include a regular slot. Instead, adaptors are attached which can be used to hold CompactFlash cards, PC-Cards, wireless modems, etc.
Aero 1550 monochrome is now available with the new software. Upgrades for the previous Aero products are also available ($99 Cdn for 1500 series and $139 Cdn for 2100 series -- including 24MB memory).
New technology "Lithium Polymer" battery.
[2000/04/19]
The colour version uses 12-bit colour depth which yields 4K colours.
Jornada 540, 545 and 548: All use a 133MHz Hitachi SH-3
Much smaller, this one rivals the Palm IIIc, but seemed quite
heavy. It has a real metal case. The HP seems to have the
best array of included software. I saw this unit playing
music while switching the backlight on and off. The other
units might be able to do this as well, but I didn't have
time to check. It still only has a Type I FlashCard socket.
[2000/04/21]
Symbol did not participate, though on their website, details
of the PPT2700 were posted. The unit uses a 320 * 240 monochrome
screen (grey level details were not given) and is powered
by an NEC VR-4181 (speed is not given) with 12MB ROM and
16MB RAM.
[2000/04/21]
If I had to categorize them quickly, I'd say that the Casio is still a "consumer device," the HP is more oriented to "executives" and the Compaq is a "full company" machine.
All the screens were still 320 * 240, contrary to a rumour that was started in the Newsgroups.
Contrary to expectations, all the units did not move to the
Casio control layout. The Compaq added a big 4-way controller
in the middle (with a speaker in the middle, which is quite
innovative), but kept the 4 usual front buttons. The HP
Jornada did not impliment a 4-way controller at all, though
it gained the 4 regular buttons which it didn't really have
before. This can be a problem for companies trying to support
all the units with generalize programs with consistent interfacing
and documentation.
[2000/04/21]
Thanks to Compaq, I also had a chance to see the RIM 957 and
ask some questions about it. Apparently the screen is 160 * 160
* 1-bit (black and white). I asked about the processor speed
and was told that it was probably 20-MHz. RIM's rep is checking
into that and will write me when the information is confirmed.
Also, for development, so far, there is only C/C++ and Java.
[2000/04/19]
Apr. 14, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Acer America Corp.
has introduced its new TravelMate 600 series 2 spindle
"all-in-one" laptop computer. The TravelMate 600 includes
a CD-RW drive but no floppy drive. Availability was not
announced but prices were announced as starting at $2,499
US.
Acer America Corp.
http://www.acer.com/
[2000/04/17]
Apr. 13, 2000, Business Wire reports that Hewlett-Packard has announced its new HP 39G graphing calculator for high school students with over 600 functions accessed through menus for ease of use. Available in May, it will cost $89 US.
Apr. 13, 2000, in a separate report of Business World, Hewlett-
Packard also announced the HP30S scientific calculator which
features a 2 line display with editable command line. The
HP30S is available immediately at $14US.
[2000/04/17]
Apr. 13, 2000, Canada News Wire reports that Microcell has announced its unaudited subscriber results for 2k Q1:
3 Months Ended 3 Months Ended
March 31, 2000 March 31, 1999
Gross activations 111,132
Net additions 69,822
- Churn per month
(after 30 day guarantee) 2.1% 1.8%
Total subscribers 654,309 344,343
[2000/04/17]
Apr. 12, 2000, Nicole Volpe writes for Reuters that IBM has
introduced new record setting laptop computer hard drives.
The TravelStar 32GH holds 32 GB. Also announced were the
Travelstar 20GN (20 GB) and Travelstar 30GT (30 GB) models.
[2000/04/17]
Apr. 5, 2000, Clearnet announces unaudited quarterly subscriber results:
3 Months Ended 3 Months Ended
March 31, 2000 March 31, 1999
Digital
- net subscriber additions 53,211 38,457
- total subscribers
end of period 612,542 346,930
- Churn per month
(after 30 day guarantee) 2.29% 1.62%
Mike
- net subscriber additions 28,154 16,480
- total subscribers
end of period 374,267 216,355
- Churn per month 1.93% 1.56%
PCS
- net subscriber additions 25,057 21,977
- total subscribers
end of period 374,267 216,355
- Churn per month
(after 30 day guarantee) 2.52% 1.66%
Analog SMR
- net subscriber additions (1,937) (4,133)
- total analog subscribers 23,313 36,419
Total net subscriber additions 51,274 34,344
[2000/04/17]
Sorry, no news updates today. I only had time for minor
cleaning up. Too much "busy-ness" around here.
[2000/04/15]
Apr. 11, 2000, Research In Motion (RIM) has announced its new "RIM 957 Wireless Handheld(TM)". The device includes the common PIM applications and the functionality of the BlackBerry wireless pager/e-mail system. Based on a 32-bit Intel 386(TM) processor, 5 MB Intel flash memory, 512KB SRAM, keyboard and wireless modem, the 957 measures 4.6" * 3.1" * 0.70" and weighs "less than 5.3 ounces" [the announcement does not say if this includes the battery]. A WAP microbrowser is planned for deployment in the summer.
RIM also announced a new higher memory version of its "RIM 950 Wireless HandHeld" pager-size device with 4MB and new BlackBerry 2.0 software that fully supports both the RIM 950 and RIM 957.
Pricing and Availability: RIM 957 (5MB) US $499 (CDN $699) RIM 950 (4MB) US $399 (CDN $549) RIM 950 (2MB) US $349 (CDN $499) BlackBerry flat-rate airtime (monthly) - US$ 39.99 (CDN$ 49.99)
The company expects to ship the RIM 957 and RIM 950 (4MB) in May.
The RIM 950 (2MB) is still available.
[2000/04/11]
These are some equivalent stats for Palm VII:
Size: 5.25" * 3.25" * 0.75"
Weight: 6.7 oz. w/batteries
RAM: 2MB
Price: $449 US.
Usage Plans (monthly): 50KB $9.99 US, 150KB $24.99 US, 300KB
$39.99 US and unlimited for $44.99 US.
One time setup fee: $9.99.
Currently only usable in the US.
[2000/04/11]
Apr. 11, 2000, PR Newswire reports that ParkerVision, Inc.
has received a US Patent for previously unannounced of
the company's "Direct2Data(TM)" technology, to provide
"RF filtering and direct down conversion in a single
unified operation." The effect is to reduce or eliminate
external filters used in current radio receiver designs,
simplifying "wireless system on a chip" implimentation
and should be usable on systems such as CDMA, GSM, wireless
LAN and Bluetooth. The Patent is U.S. Patent 6,049,706.
[2000/04/11]
Apr. 11, 2000, PR Newswire reports that NEC Mobile Energy
Corporation and NEC Electronics Inc. have announced the
development of a new type of laminate-manganese lithium-ion
rechargeable battery cell which use a laminated film battery
casing instead of aluminum or steel. According to NEC, the
cells are based on proprietary "manganese-spinel-cathode
material that offers a superior degree of safety against
overcharging compared to cobalt-based cells" and are suited
for use in cell phones and similar products. The new
cells (models IML270530-2, IML270330-2 and IML350362-2)
are expected to be available in North America in Q2 of this
year.
http://www.nec.com/
[2000/04/11]
Apr. 11, 2000, Canada News Wire reports that ATI Technologies
Inc. has announced that Micron Electronics, Inc. has selected
ATI's RAGE Mobility-M1(TM) graphics chipset for Micron's new
TransPort LT laptop computer.
[2000/04/11]
Apr. 3, 2000, Opera Software A/S has announced that Psion PLC has
signed a licensing agreement to bring the Opera HTML browser to
Psion's line of handheld computers. The Opera browser starting
with version 3.6 features HTML 3.2 compliance with Cascading Style
Sheets v. 1, JavaScript, 128-bit Secure Socket Layer (v. 2.0 and 3.0)
and Transport Layer Security 1.0, making it viable for common
e-business. Java is available through EPOC native Java and multiple
windows are optionally supported.
Opera Software A/S
http://www.opera.com/
[2000/04/10]
Apr. 7, 2000, PR Newswire reports that First DataBank
Inc. has announced that it is working on a drug content
reference program "for the Palm Pilot" [sic]. The
first version will be available later this year, and
will be followed by a version for Windows handheld
devices.
[2000/04/08]
Apr. 7, 2000, PR Newswire reports that ProxyMed, Inc. has
announced that it will unveil a prototype of a handheld
version of proxyMed.com. [It is unclear from the article
whether this will be a wireless connection of locally stored
data.] According to the company, the product will be available
in the next few months.
http://corporate.proxymed.com/
[2000/04/08]
Apr. 6, 2000, Business Wire reports that mobileID, Inc., a
wireless mobile portal has announced a free Wireless
Application Protocol (WAP) browser for the Palm Computing
platform.
http://www.MobileID.com/
[2000/04/08]
Apr. 6, 2000, Business Wire reports that Corporate Software
and Technologies (CS&T) has announced that it has released
CorporateTime Server 5.0 with support for Red Hat Linux.
The software manages corporate calendaring and scheduling
data across clients such as PDAs and mobile phones, and across
a number of operating systems.
http://www.cst.ca/
[2000/04/08]
Apr. 4, 2000, PR Newswire reports that LSI Logic Corporation has
announced the availability of its CBP3.0 single-chip Code Division
Multiple Access (CDMA) IS-95 baseband processor. LSI claims
lower power consumption, higher integration and improved
functionality over previous systems. The circuitry includes
an ARM7TDMI microprocessor, two OAKDSPCore(R) digital signal
processors, mixed-signal circuitry and standard cell logic, in
a 280-pin CSP package. The circuit process is LSI Logic's G11(TM)
0.18-micron (Leff) 1.8 volt CMOS and supports a 115.2-kbps high
speed date rate.
[2000/04/08]
Mar. 31, 2000, Reuters reports that IBM has unveiled its
"System Networking, Analysis and Performance Pilot" software
which allows internet based management of IBM RS/6000 B50
servers via Palm OS devices.
[2000/04/08]
Apr. 4, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Motorola Semiconductor
Products has integrated an 0.35 micron silicon germanium carbon
(SiGe:C) process module in its BiCMOS process platform.
[2000/04/04]
Apr. 3, 2000, Business Wire reports that Motorola has announced
its i2000(TM) digital world phone which is the first phone
to be usable on iDEN(R) and GSM networks.
[2000/04/04]
Due to various problems, which boil down to "bad luck" I
am missing most of the news for the last week. Actually, I
don't think I'm missing much, and I'll try to retrieve what
I can if possible.
[2000/04/04]
I'm just placing this short comment that, in keeping with
my stated policies, I'm not covering this situation because it's
well reported in the traditional business press. I recommend
checking the CNNfn website.
[2000/04/04]
Mar. 30, 2000, Canada News Wire reports that Nortel Networks
has announced successful use of 3G wireless calls including,
according to Nortel, the industry's first wireless packet data
session using cdma2000 IXRTT. Calls made included in-building,
pedestrian and vehicular calls in the Nepean suburb of Ottawa
using Samsung terminals.
[2000/04/04]
Mar. 28, 2000, Gilles Castonguay writes for Reuters that
on Mar. 21, 2000, Lernout & Hausie Speech Products NV said
that it would buy Dragon Systems Inc., which is also a
developer of speech systems with strength in the handheld
markets.
[2000/03/31]
Mar. 27, 2000, Reuters reports that according to a report by
Dataquest, the worldwide semiconductor industry grew by 22% in 1999
with revenues reaching $168.6 billion US compared to $138.7 billion
US in 1998. Memory revenue grew 41% in 1999.
[2000/03/31]
Mar. 27, 2000, Business Wire reports that Motorola has introduced
its new 24-hour, voice-driven, cyber-generated personal assistant
interface called "Mya" through a 60 sec. television spot during the
Oscars. Intended for use as an information interface for cell phone
type products, Mya "won't be accessible for several months."
[2000/03/31]
Canada News Wire reports that Zi Corporation has announced that
it has licensed its eZiText(TM) text input technology in Traditional
Chinese, Simplified Chinese and English to DBTEL, to be used in
GSM digital phones destined for the Taiwanese and Chinese markets.
[2000/03/31]
Mar. 23, 2000, Business Wire reports that IBM has announced that
it will work with TDK to develop Bluetooth(TM) technology for
ThinkPad computers.
[2000/03/28]
Mar. 23, 2000, Business Wire reports that Motorola has announced
that the Center for the Study of Wireless Electromagnetic Devices
at the University of Oklahoma has conducted ANSI standard tests
(C63.18-1997 Recommended Practice for an On-Site, Ad Hoc Test
Method for Estimating Radiated Electromagnetic Immunity of Medical
Devices to Specific Radio-Frequency Transmitters" and found that
the PageWriter 2000x did not disrupt the operation of the equipment
in the test. Eight pieces of equipment were tested, including
a ventilator system, defibrillator analyzer, physio control, infant
ventilator, pulse oximeter, vital signs and two patient monitors.
[2000/03/28]
Mar. 21, 2000, Business Wire reports that National Semiconductor
Corporation has announced that it has entered into the digital
still and video camera industry with its introduction of its
LM98501 single chip analog front end. The new chip features
protected intellectual property in white balancing and "multiple
pixel-rate offset elimination" [I'm not sure what this latter
is]. Nat Semi claims low power consumption (160mW at 2.7V
at maximum sample rate). Other products, including an LM98502
with reduced power consumption and other features, will follow
within the year. The LM98501 is immediately available in 48-pin
quad flat pack at $4.50 US each in quantities of 1,000.
[2000/03/25]
Mar. 21, 2000, Business Wire reports that Motorola Inc. and Nokia
have announced that they will work together to begin the
standardization process of 1XTREME technology for use on
CDMA systems. The companies claim that the technology allows
a cost-effective migration path to provide integrated voice
and data speeds up to 5.2 Mbps on a singld 1.25 MHz CDMA
carrier.
[2000/03/25]
Mar. 21, 2000, Business Wire reports that 3Com and Symbol have
announced that they will work together to integrate 3Com's NBX(R) 100
Communications System and Symbol's 802.11 based NetVision family of
wireless mobile communications devices bringing full multimedia
capabilities to wireless LAN based business phone systems. Products
are expected to be available in the 2nd half of 2000.
[2000/03/25]
Mar. 20, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Compaq Computer Corporation
has announced its Compaq Notebook 100 low cost laptop computer.
Compaq Notebook 100: 475 MHz AMD K6(R)-2 with 3DNow!(TM)Technology,
12.1" SVGA HPA or TFT display, 2X AGP graphics with 4MB or 8MB SDRAM,
24X Max CD-ROM, 5.0GB HD, v.90 56K modem, prices starting at $1,099
US.
[2000/03/25]
Mar. 17, 2000, Amanda Stirpe writes for Computer Reseller
News that some Toshiba Satellite 400 MHz laptop computers
were shipped with defective Intel Mobile Module 1 processor
cards. According to one customer, "his Toshiba Satellite
4100XDVD laptops become extremely hot and shut off without
warning, resulting in about two out of every three laptops
being ruined." The part is being replaced through normal
service channels.
[2000/03/21]
Mar. 17, 2000, Canada News Wire reports that NBTel Mobility
has announced that its Digital PCS service which currently
covers Moncton will be available in Saint John and Fredricton
by early fall. NBTel is a wholly owned subsidiary of Aliant.
NBTel http://www.nbtel.nb.ca/
Aliant http://www.aliant.ca/
[2000/03/21]
Mar. 17, 2000, Business Wire reports that a team of scientists
at IBM Research's laboratories in New York and California
have discovered chemical reactions that cause magentic
particles to automatically arrange themselves ("self-assemble")
into well-ordered arrays with each particle separated from
other particles by the same distance. The work is described
in the Mar. 17, 2000 issue of Science Magazine. According
to the article, storage densities resulting from this process
may someday reach 100X current levels.
[2000/03/21]
Mar. 16, 2000, Business Wire reports that IBM has announced
new models of ThinkPad i Series. The following examples are
quoted from the press release. Prices are in US dollars:
"- ThinkPad i Series model 1422 is $1,499 . . .; 500MHz
Mobile Intel Celeron processor, 13" HPA screen, 32MB RAM,
6GB HDD, 24X-10X . . . CD-ROM"
" - ThinkPad i Series model 1442is $1,799; 500MHz Mobile
Intel Celeron processor, 12.1" TFT screen, 64MB RAM, 6GB HDD,
6X-1X DVD-ROM"
"- ThinkPad i Series model 1482 is $2,199; 500MHz Mobile
Intel Celeron processor, 14.1" TFT screen, 64MB RAM, 12GB HDD,
6X-1X DVD-ROM"
Other models introduced were ThinkPad i Series model 1492,
ThinkPad i Series model 1542, ThinkPad i Series model 1562,
and ThinkPad i Series model 1592 (the last of which is
priced at $2,699 US).
[2000/03/21]
Mar. 15, 2000, Business Wire reports that the IBM Research
Laboratory in Zurich has developed a new molecular level
storage technology which they have called "Millipede".
According to Millipede Project Manager Peter Vettiger and
team member Mark Lutwyche, the technology may be used for
a wearable computer. Millipede is still experimental but
even in its present stage is 100 times denser than any
currently available hard drive.
IT Radio Network
Interview Re. Millipede http://www.itradionetwork.com/
[2000/03/21]
Mar. 14, 2000, Canada News Wire reports that Bell Mobility
and JTEL Co. Ltd. have announced that JTEL's CellVic PDA
will be coming to Bell Mobility. The PDA can access the
Internet through a data connection to a supported handset.
According to Bell Mobility and JTEL, preliminary testing
has been successfully completed.
http://www.jtel.com/
[2000/03/18]
Mar. 14, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Computer Associates
International, Inc. has announced a warning of a new
virus found "in the field" which they are calling the
"Win32/Melting.Worm". The program places a copy of
itself in a Windows directory as "MeltingScreen.exe",
then renames .EXE files to .BIN, and then saves a
copy of itself under the original name of the renamed
file. The result is a completely unusable system.
Computer Associates has announced that it has an
update for its "InoculateITT" virus protection program
to guard against the virus.
http://www.antivirus.cai.com/
[2000/03/18]
Mar. 13, 2000, Canada News Wire reports that Microcell
Solutions, Inc. (Fido) is now offering the Motorola
Tri-Band L7089 handset which operates on the 900, 1800
and 1900 MHz frequencies which makes it usable on all
GSM systems around the world, and the Ericsson T18z
handset that supports advanced features such as voice
- activated dialing and answering. The Motorola
handset costs $600 Cdn. and includes smart card, battery,
charger, two adapters (Europe and UK), belt clip and
headset. The Ericsson T18z costs $125 and includes
smart card, rapid charger and a belt clip. A limited
time promotion (ending Apr. 9, 2000) includes "a free
mobile accessory kit with the activation of every
$40 or $100 monthly airtime package."
[2000/03/18]
Mar. 13, 2000, Business Wire reports that Hewlett-Packard Company has announced that its HP PhotoSmart C500 digital camera first announced last August is now available. The 2 Megapixel "JetSend"-enabled camera can print directly on a "JetSend"-enabled printer without the need to transfer the picture to a computer first.
The camera also features a 3X optical and 2X digital zoom
and 2" LCD display. It is compatible with Windws and USB
Macintosh systems, and comes with a 16MB Compact Flash,
video cables, TWAIN compatibility, 3 AA NiMH rechargeable
batteries (and charger), and support software, for $699 US
worldwide except in Japan.
[2000/03/18]
Mar. 10, 2000, Reuters reports that Dell Computer Corp. has
announced that it may need to replace defective memory chips
in up to 400,000 laptop computers. Latitude and Inspiron
laptops manufactured from Feb. to Nov. of 1999 are unable
to resume work after being put into a low-power or sleep mode,
requiring the computer to be restarted. The Micron chips
have a problem due to interaction with a version of a BIOS
that was used from the middle part of 1999.
[2000/03/14]
Mar. 9, 2000, Canada News Wire reports that TELUS Mobility has announced new simplified cellular rate plans in Alberta and British Columbia. The new plans feature per second billing on all digital plans, more minutes included on all plans, and flat rate long distance across Canada and the US. The following is a sample:
"AnyTime $20", monthly fee $20 (+$4 access fee), includes
150 mins. anytime, incremental min. rate $.25, Canadian long
distance $.25/min, U.S. long distance $.35
[2000/03/14]
Mar. 7, 2000, Business Wire reports that the VoiceXML Forum
has announced that it has completed the VoiceXML 1.0
specification and is reviewing it "before submitting it to
the appropriate body for formal standardization." The
current version can be downloaded from their Website.
[The reason for the quotation is because I would say that
it's not entirely clear who would be considered the "appropriate
body" for formal standardization. It really should be either
ISO or ITU, but I doubt that this is what was meant. Also,
clearly the "standard" isn't done. It's a draft that is
expected to be final, but it's still still just a draft.]
http://www.voicexml.org/
[2000/03/11]
Mar. 7, 2000, Reuters reports that International Business
Machines Corp.'s Tivoli unit and Palm Inc. have introduced
Tivoli Device Manager for the Palm Computing platform which
allows organizations to manage information on Palm devices.
The system costs about $31 US per Palm device.
[2000/03/11]
Mar. 7, 2000, Peter Clarke writes for EE Times that the
European Space Agency has made available its Leon-1 Version
2.0 SPARC-like RISC CPU core for downloading on the Internet.
The core is being distributed under GNU Library General
Public License terms.
[2000/03/11]
Mar. 7, 2000, Canadian Corporate News reports that Attachmate
Corporation has announced that Sun Microsystems has certified
its "e-Vantage Viewers for the Java(TM) 2 Platform" as a "100%
Pure Java(TM) Certified" product.
http://www.attachmate.com/
[2000/03/11]
Mar. 6, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Compaq has announced
new versions of its Armada M300, E500 and V300 laptop computer
lines:
Armada M300, 500MHz Mobile Pentium(R) III w/256KB integrated L2
cache, 11.3" XGA (1024 * 768 pixels * 16M colours) CTFT screen
starting at $2,649 US (450MHz Celeron version start at $2,199 US)
Armada M700, 650MHz Pentium III w/SpeedStep(TM) Technology
starting at $3,699 US.
Armada E500 can now be bought with processors up to a 650MHz
Pentium III with prices starting at $2,899
Armada V300 will be available with processors up to a 500MHz
Intel Mobile Celeron with prices starting at $1,799 US.
All three products use industry standard Mini PCI slots for Modem
and NIC.
http://www.compaq.com/products/portables/
[2000/03/11]
Mar. 6 2000, Business Wire reports that 3Com has announced its
Megahertz(R) 3CXFEM656C 10/100 LAN + V.90 Global Modem CardBus
PC Card with XJACK(R). The modem function features 3Com's
Exclusive Line Probing (ELP) technology which 3Com claims does
a a superior job of optimizing connection speeds. 3Com claims
that it is optimized for Windows 95B/98 and NT 4.0, and is
ready for Windows 2000. It is available immediately worldwide
at $269 US.
http://www.3com.com/mobile/
[2000/03/11]
Mar. 3, 2000, Reuters reports that Craig McCaw's investment
group Eagle River has said that it will not buy Iridium, which
is still protected by Bankruptcy proceeding.
[2000/03/07]
Mar. 3, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Computer Associates
International, Inc. has announced that a new worm which they
are calling "Win32.PrettyPark.Worm" is currently being circulated
as an EMail attachment called "PrettyPark.exe" on email
messages entitled "C:\CoolProgs\Pretty Park.exe" using
and icon picture from the TV show "South Park". The work
infects Windows 95, 98, NT and 2000 based computers and
attempts to infect other computers every 30 minutes. CA
claims its antivirus software InoculateIT with current updates
will protect against this virus.
http://www.antivirus.ca.com/
[2000/03/07]
Mar. 1, 2000, Canada News Wire reports that TELUS is now
offering a combined wireless/wireline voice mailbox service
in Alberta. A wireless phone voice mailbox can be combined
with either a home or business phone line so that messages
to either service will be accessible at a single number.
The service is $5.00 per month in addition to the voice
mail service.
[2000/03/07]
Just as "mobile" is taking off, Pointcast Inc. is dropping its
original information system in favour of its newer "EntryPoint".
The difference between Pointcast and EntryPoint is that most
information is not downloaded to the computer in bulk. Instead
individual articles are downloaded on request requiring fairly
constant connection to the Internet to receive the articles
to read. For mobile use, this is not convenient since current
mobile systems are either intermitent due to technical limits
or by end user choice. In effect, their "step forward" into a
technology which they feel is better, is effectively a "step
backward" because as people move "forward" into mobile,
Pointcast is less usable on the new preferred mobile platform.
[2000/03/04]
Feb. 29, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Microsoft Corporation
has announced that "Microsoft(T) Windows Media(TM) Player for
Palm-Size PCs" is immediately available for Compaq, Casio and
Hewlett-Packard devices.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/
[2000/03/04]
Feb. 29, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Compaq Computer Corporation
has announced that Microsoft(R) Windows Media Player for Palm-Size
PCs is now available as a free download for Compaq Aero 1500
and 2100 series devices.
http://www.compaq.com/promos/handhelds.html
[2000/03/04]
Feb. 29, 2000, Reuters reports that IBM has unveiled its
"WebSphere Transcoding Publisher" software which customizes
the content of normal Web pages to fit the devices on which
they are receive. The software will be available on Mar. 31,
2000 in 10 languages, and runs on Windows 2000, Windows NT,
Linux, Solaris and AIX systems.
[2000/03/04]
Feb. 29, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Compaq has announced
its "Mobile Internet Platform" which it claims includes
"advanced middleware, including Wireless Application Protocol
(WAP) technology."
[2000/03/04]
Feb. 29, 2000, Amanda Stirpe writes for Computer Reseller
News that Ericsson has announced that it will produce its
A1228c WAP enabled CDMA phone and has begun to develop
WAP based applications. It is developing a travel information
application with Michelin North America's Travel Publications
division.
[2000/03/04]
Feb. 29, 2000, Canadian Corporate News reports that Mitel
Semiconductor and Philsar Semiconductor and Matsushita
Electronics Components Co., Ltd. (Panasonic) have announce
that they have co-developed a module for Bluetooth systems.
They claim improvements of 43% in transmission and 57%
in reception over alternative systems.
Philsar Semiconductor
http://www.philsar.com/
[2000/03/04]
Feb. 29, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Palm, Inc., Sun
Microsystems, Inc. and iPlanet(TM) E-Commerce Solutions
have announced that they will end - to - end systems
to provide "global wireless access to enterprise applications
and services" using PalmOS(R) handheld computers. iPlanet
will add support for Palm's Web clipping architecture
and PalmOS handhelds to its iPlanet Wireless Server software.
[2000/03/04]
Feb. 29, Business Wire reports that Motorola, Inc and
Psion PLC have announced that they have agreed to cross -
license key technologies for Symbian EPOC - based mobile
Internet devices. Psion has granted a license for its Halla
processor to Motorola and Motorola has licensed its GSM
cellular communication module which supports triple band GSM
capabilities.
[2000/03/04]
Feb. 29, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Motorola and Cadence
Design Systems Inc. have introduced a Flex Messaging Module
reference design. The reference design is immediately available
with a system evaluation kit expected to be available from
Motorola in April 2000 at $2,985 US.
[2000/03/04]
Feb. 29, 2000, Business Wire reports that Motorola, Inc. has
announced the availability of "the Flex(R) Generation II
decoding solution" which is a new implimentation of FLEX
the G1.9 protocol. "The Generation II FLEX decoding solution
is implimented by a FLEX ASIC working together with FLEXstack(TM)
V4.2 software."
[2000/03/04]
Feb. 29, 2000, Peter Clarke writes for EE Times that Qualcomm
and Symbian will work together to make Qualcomm's iMSM
CDMA chipset family interoperable with Symbian software
and platforms. Clarke also mentions that Symbian has announced
three wireless information device platforms:
Pearl -- smart phone
Quartz -- pen-based communicator
Crystal -- keyboard-operated
[2000/03/04]
Feb. 28, 2000, Business Wire reports that Dell has announced its new TrueMobile(TM) wireless local area network product line.
Dell also announced new additions to its portable computer
lines.
Latitute CPxJ650GT has a 650MHz Intel(R) Mobile Pentium(R)
III processor with SpeedStep(TM) technology.
Latitude CPt S500GT with a 500MHz Intel Mobile Celeron(R)
processor.
Latitute CPt S450ST with a 450MHz Intel Mobile Celeron(R)
processor.
[2000/03/04]
Feb. 28, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Compaq has made two announcement regarding wireless connectivity with pocket devices. First, Compaq has partnered with Research In Motion (RIM) and beginning in the second quarter 2000, will distribute RIM's Blackberry Mobile Email system including RIM's Blackberry pocket wireless device which is able to receive email from Microsoft Exchange based corporate messaging networks.
Second, Compaq has announced its "Aero Wireless Connectivity
Suite" which allows the Aero 1500 series and 2100 series handheld
computers to connect to the Internet through data-enabled cellular
telephones. The kit includes a cable as well as WAP browser, Web
browser and FAX software.
[2000/03/04]
Feb. 28, 2000, PR Newswire reports that QUALCOMM Inc. and
Microsoft Corp. have announced that they have extended their
relationship and intend to work together to develop advanced
wireless, multimedia-capable devices. In particular, they
will develop hardware reference designs for mobile devices
including smartphones based on the Microsoft(R) Mobile
Explorer(TM) wireless communication platform and wireless
PocketPCs using QUALCOMM CDMA Technologies' (QCT's) iMSM4100(TM)
Internet Mobile Station Modem (iMSM(TM)) chipset and software.
[2000/03/04]
Feb. 28, 2000, Business Wire reports that 3Com Corporation and
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. have announced that they will
jointly deliver cdma2000 high-speed wireless networks to
service providers worldwide with first deliveries later this
year. The first products will be capable of speeds up to
144 kbps and future releases will increase data rates past
384 kbps. Samsung will be the system integrator and will
provide the radio access network equipment including base
transceiver systems and base station controllers, and 3Com
will provide packet data serving nodes, packet data
gateway nodes and authentication/billing servers.
[2000/03/04]
Feb. 28, 2000, Reuters reports that International Business
Machine Corp. (IBM) was expected to unveil its new chip making
technology developed with Nikon of Japan called "Prevail" for
Projection Reduction Exposure With Variable Axis Immersion
Lenses, which etches circuits with electron beams rather than
light waves, which extends chipmaking beyond the physical limits
to chips with circuitry too small for light waves to produce.
The technology is expected to be available for use in chip
making equipment in 2003.
[2000/03/04]
Feb. 26, 2000, PR Newswire reports that PCMCIA has
announced that the 4th generation specification for the
PC Card standard is nearing completion. Called "CardBay",
it brings USB and IEEE 1394 serial buses to the
PC Card format, building on the existing "CardBus"
standard.
http://www.pcmcia.org/
[2000/02/29]
Feb. 24, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Motorola has
announced new WAP enabled handsets. Additions were made
to the Talkabout(TM), Timeport(TM) and V. series(TM) lines
including a "GSM tri-band GPRS (General Packet Radio
Service) WAP enabled phone." [Details of individual
models were not provided in the announcement.]
[2000/02/29]
Feb. 24, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Microsoft Corp. and
Sony-Digital Telecommunication Europe have announced that
the Sony CMD-Z5 GSM mobile phone will use Microsoft's Mobile
Explorer(TM) browser which supports WAP 1.1 and HTML. According
to Sony the handset also uses the T9(TM) input system by
Tegic Communications Inc. to speed text input.
[2000/02/29]
Feb. 24, 2000, Business Wire reports that National Semiconductor
Corporation has announced the LMX3411 single chip GSM transceiver
devices for use in GSM 1800, 1900 and E-GSM versions, and two
new mobile phone handsets using this chip. The LMX3411 chip
is available in sample volumes with production quantities expected
to begin shipment in May 2000 at $19.60 US each in quantities of
1,000.
[2000/02/29]
Feb. 24, 2000, Microsoft has previewed the Microsoft(R) Internet
Explorer for the Pocket PC. According to Microsoft, Pocket PC's
which were first shown at CES in January are expected to ship
in the first have of this year.
[2000/02/29]
Feb. 24, 2000, Susan Taylor writes for Reuters that Research In
Motion has agreed with Nortel to develop next-generation
wireless Internet services and computing devices. Nortel
will spend $25 million (Cdn.) towards this effort.
[2000/02/29]
Feb. 24, 2000, Palm, Inc. has been demonstrating a snap on
BlueTooth module at CeBIT 2000.
[2000/02/29]
FEb. 24, 2000, Business Wire reports that National Semiconductor
Corporation and Ericsson have announced that they will show
Ericsson's Screen Phone HS210 wireless voice and data Internet
appliance at CeBIT 2000. The device is based on the Nat Semi
Geode GXLV based WebPad design and uses a Linux operating system.
[2000/02/29]
Feb. 24, 2000 Reuters reports that Sony Corp. has claimed
to have added 19 companies as licensees for its Memory Stick
storage device format. The companies reflect a strong automotive
market including General Motors, and its divisions (Adam Opel AG,
Holden, Saab and Vauxhall), Hitachi Ltd., Mitsubishi Electric
Corp., Compaq Computer Corp., Samsung Electronics Co., Texas
Instruments Inc., Volkswagen AG and Audi AG.
[2000/02/29]
Feb. 23, 2000, Associated Press reports that Symbian has unveiled its new handheld computer reference design called Quartz. Motorola is expected to be the first to use the new design standard in a device, in the spring of 2001.
Feb. 23, 2000, in a separate article from Canada News Wire,
the Motorola launch is estimated as second quarter, 2001.
[As always, I am interested in finding out whether Motorola's
device will be based on ARM or M-CORE. There is no clarification.]
Symbian Software Development
Kits http://www.symbiandevnet.com/
Symbian http://www.symbian.com/
[2000/02/29]
Feb. 23, 2000, PR Newswire reports that AER Energy Resources,
Inc. has announced roughly double capacity (860 watt hours
per litre) for its latest prototype zinc-air cell. According
to AER a prototype cell smaller than AA size can contain
the same energy of an alkaline C cell.
http://www.aern.com/
[2000/02/29]
Feb. 22, 2000, PR Newswire reports that CYNET, Inc. has announced
that it is marketing Teliran Electronics, Ltd.'s "Complete
Wireless Cell/Modem" renamed "CYNET Complete Wireless Cell/Modem"
as the only currently available V.34 cellular modem. The
PCMCIA Type III card modem is capable of 21,600 baud [sic]
wireless over an AMPS cellular network and 33,600 baud [sic]
landline.
http://www.cynetinc.com/
[2000/02/29]
Feb. 22, 2000, Canada News Wire and Business Wire report that 3Com
subsidiary Palm, Inc. has announced it's new Palm IIIc(TM) handheld
computer.
Palm IIIc: 256 colour TFT screen, 8MB RAM, PalmOS version 3.5 in
FlashRAM, 6.8 oz., rechargeable battery,
OS features include Agenda view, quicker access to menu views,
and context sensitive command strokes, password security improvements,
address record duplication
The Palm IIIc is available immediately at $449 US ($679 Cdn).
Palm, Inc. http://www.palm.com/
[2000/02/26]
Feb. 22, 2000, Canada News Wire and Business Wire report that 3Com's
subsidiary Palm, Inc. has announced its new Palm IIIxe handheld
computer. The Palm IIIx features include 3MB RAM, Palm OS 3.5 in Flash
memory and a new darker case colour. Priced at $249 US ($379 Cdn),
it is available immediately.
[2000/02/26]
Feb. 22, 2000, Business Wire reports that IBM, Lotus, Motorola,
Nokia, Palm, Inc., Psion and Starfish Software have announced
the founding of the SyncML Initiative, to develop and promote
an open industry specification for universal data synchronization
for remote data and personal information across multiple networks,
platforms and devices. SyncML will be an XML-based data
synchronization protocol. SyncML will influenced by XML, MIME,
vCard and iCalendar standards.
SyncML Initiative
http://www.syncml.org/
[2000/02/26]
Feb. 22, 2000, Associated Press reports that Mobile communication
will be central for "Center for Office and Information Technology"
("CeBit") 2000. Technologies to watch are WAP, Bluetooth and
Internet security.
[2000/02/26]
Feb. 22, 2000, Business Wire reports that Extended Systems has
announced that 3Com has licensed its Bluetooth technology
for use in Palm, Inc. products.
[2000/02/26]
Feb. 22, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Texas Instruments has
introduced new digital signal processor (DSP) cores which TI claims
are the fastest and lowest powered in the world. TI claims its new
TMS320C64x(TM) core ("C64x") is 10x faster than today's fastest DSP,
operating at 1.1 GHz (1,100 MHz) and can handle nearly 9 billion
instructions per second. The TSM320C55x(TM) ("C55x") requires only
15% of the power of the most efficient DSP currently available,
but give 5x the performance.
http://www.ti.com/newdspcores/
[2000/02/26]
First, the biggest news is from Radio Shack regarding the latest equipment from 3Com Palm itself. I have an advertising brochure available in their stores regarding sales that end March 25, 2000. The latest prices for Palm are not special prices, but are going to be the regular in store prices (prices in Cdn. funds):
There are pictures of the new products but not much information.
Also, I have seen the Qualcomm "pdQ" advertised at Baka Wireless in
the Toronto Star (Feb. 16, 2000, p. A3). This handset, which features
Palm III functionality with a CDMA phone, has been around for some
time now, but this is the first I've seen it actually advertised in
the Toronto area. It is available for Bell Mobility service at $849
Cdn. with a 2.5 hr. talk time / 40 hr. standby battery. [I expect
that if I check the Bell Mobility Website, I would find it there also.]
[2000/02/22]
Also in the Baka Wireless ad in the Toronto Star (Feb. 16. 2000, p.
A3) is the NeoPoint handset on the Bell Mobility CDMA network which
has Internet functionality, at $499 Cdn. [I don't know what software
system this is based on. I'll try to find out later.]
[2000/02/22]
Feb. 16, 2000, Business Wire reports that National Semiconductor Corporation has announced its LM3647 Universal Battery Charger chip which provides management for charging Ni-Cad, Ni-MH and Li-Ion technology batteries in a single chip. The chip is available immediately at $2.84 US each in 1,000 unit quantities, in a 20-pin "small-outline" package.
[The only major battery type not covered is rechargeable
alkaline.]
http://www.national.com/pf/LM/LM3647.html
[2000/02/22]
I finally got a press release regarding the release of Windows 2000
(official launch Feb. 17, 2000). Toshiba Canada was on the ball,
though even their release arrived late. However, since every laptop
mfr. that has a "WinTel" laptop is going to have Windows 2000
available, I've decided that I'm not going to try to list them
all. In general, Windows 2000 is available on the more expensive
"enterprise" oriented products.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/
[2000/02/19] revised [2000/02/22]
I don't usually maintain a calendar of up coming events but
CeBIT is going to be a major event for the mobile information
technology field. It starts on Feb. 24 and ends on Mar. 1.
The announcements have already started. Expect a lot more.
[2000/02/19]
Feb. 15, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Apple has unveiled two
new laptop computers. The new iBook Special Edition features
64MB RAM, a 6GB HD and a a 366MHz PowerPC G3 CPU, in a "Graphite"
coloured case. The latest PowerBook now comes with up to
a 500MHz PowerPC G3 CPU, 2 FireWire(R) ports and support for
Apple's AirPort wireless networking.
[2000/02/19]
Feb. 15, 2000, Business Wire reports that IBM and Symbian have
announced a joint development agreement for the creation of wireless
enterprise applications for users of Symbian based Smartphones
and Communicators. The new effort will be aimed at applications
that allow online/offline work rather than the current online-only
browser oriented applications. IBM messaging and database middleware
extensions will be embedded on on top of the Symbian platform.
[2000/02/19]
Feb. 15, 2000, Business Wire reports that the Lexicus Division of
Motorola, Inc. has announced the availability of its input
technology suite which includes "iTAP(TM)" (Intelligent Keypad
Text Entry system), natural handwriting and speech recognition,
on the Symbian EPOC platform.
[2000/02/19]
Feb. 15, 2000, Reuters reports that Zi Corp. has announced that
it will be working on Symbian's EPOC system. [The announcement
is a bit vague, but Zi is experienced in Chinese, Japanese and
Korean language interfacing, including telephone keypad entry
systems.]
[2000/02/19]
Feb. 14, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Gateway has announced
that Solo 2150, 2550 and 9300 laptops can now be ordered with
Intel Celeron 450MHz CPUs. Also announced is the option of a
450MHz Intel Pentium III in the Solo 2150. Gateway also announced
that Windows 2000 can now be ordered for some of its desk, laptop
and server computers.
[2000/02/19]
Feb. 14, 2000, Business Wire reports that Hewlett-Packard Company
has announced that its HP OmniBook 4150 laptop computer can now
be ordered with a 450MHz Intel Celeron CPU or a 500MHz Intel Pentium III
CPU, and the HP OmniBook XE2 can be ordered with 450 or 500MHz Intel
Pentium III or 450MHz Intel Celeron CPUs.
[2000/02/19]
Yesterday I upgraded my Mac Performa 6360 to MacOS 9. This upgrade may be the last OS upgrade I make on the Mac. Apple's last official word was that MacOS for pre-G3 Macs would end either with this version or perhaps with one last upgrade to a "MacOS 9.5" version. But "MacOS X" would not be made available for the pre-G3 Macs. That includes all the PowerMacs that were made pre-Jobs.
I have no current plans to upgrade to a later Mac. If I see a substantial advantage in MacOS X, then I might change my mind, but so far there is no evidence of any functional advantage (apart from the possibility of bug fixes and corrections of existing design deficiencies). Instead, apart from some Windows upgrades, I am planning to move my "main computing" systems substantially into Linux variations.
When I moved my main computing from Windows to MacOS a few years ago the Mac was important for me in terms of maintaining a perspective over the industry by being grounded in more than just the most common systems but also their largest rivals. It is clear that Linux has supplanted MacOS in the role of "2nd most important OS family." Moreover, unlike MacOS, there is actually a chance worth considering that Linux might someday even supplant Windows as the next dominant mainstream OS. I would not say it's a huge chance, but it's not as minute a chance as is the case for MacOS. It is enough of a chance that it makes it even more imperative for me to make these changes now -- keeping me ahead of the wave.
Anyway, it's been fun bouncing around the Mac community, and
I won't be leaving it behind completely. I'll keep using the Performa
for a long time to come. But there's not much doubt now that it's
time to move on.
[2000/02/19]
Feb. 8, 2000, Reuters reports that according to a report
by Dataquest Inc., Nokia lead the mobile phone field in 1999
with 26.9 percent of the market. [The article does not
say whether this is dollar volume or unit sales, nor does
it clearly identify the next largest vendor.]
[2000/02/15]
" . . . 5. To make profession of (some art or science); to declare oneself expert or proficient in; to make (a thing) one's profession or business . . ."Shorter OED 3rd.
" . . . 1. Correspondent or answering to something . . . 2. Answerable, accountable (to another for something); liable to be called to account . . . b. Morally accountable for one's actions; capable of rational conduct . . . 3. U.S. Answerable to a charge . . . 4. Capable of fulfilling an obligation or trust; reliable, trustworth; of good credit and repute . . . 5. Involving responsibility or obligation . . ."Shorter OED 3rd.
Professionalism is misunderstood in most of the business world. Unless there is legal limitation, anybody engaged in business can call themselves "professional" simply because they are paid to do what they do. But the word implies more. In cases of legal restrictions it also requires more. For the most part, the requirements for professional accreditation include standards of ability. This is where the word "responsible" becomes involved. One of the meanings of the word "responsible" has to do with an ability -- "Capable of fulfilling an obligation or trust." Another way to say this is "ability to respond." If you "declare your self proficient", then you are saying you are "able to respond" or simply that you are capable of taking on a responsibility.
It seems to me that while most of us have occupations, few of
us are professionals.
[2000/02/14]
Feb. 9, 2000, Palm Computing announced price reductions on all it current Palm computing devices, effective immediately. The following are the new suggested retail prices in Canadian dollars:
[2000/02/12]
Feb. 8, 2000, Business Wire reports that Hewlett-Packard Company
has announced prices and configuration for Windows 2000 products
including OmniBook laptop computers.
[2000/02/12]
Feb. 8, 2000, Canadian Corporate News reports that Rogers AT&T
claims to have made the first North American call using EDGE
3rd generation wireless technology.
[2000/02/12]
Feb. 7, 2000, Business Wire reports that IBM Research has announced development of experimental circuitry based on its "Interlocked Pipelined CMOS" design that runs at 3.3 - 4.5 GHz. which can run on about half the power of standard high-performance circuitry The main feature of the circuitry is the use of a distributed "clock" function.
Feb. 7, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Gateway has announced
its new Solo(R) 1100 laptop computer with an Intel Celeron
433MHz CPU with prices starting at $1,199 US.
[2000/02/12]
Feb. 7, 2000, Reuters reports that a group of investors lead by
Craig McCaw is expected to bring at least $20 million US of
emergency financing to Iridium World Communications Ltd.
[2000/02/12]
Feb. 7, 2000, Business Wire reports that Adobe Systems and
Palm Computing, Inc. have announced that Adobe's Portable
Document Format (PDF) will be brought to the Palm platform.
[2000/02/12]
Feb. 7, 2000, Business Wire reports that 3Com Corporation has
announced that it is developing a "next-generation interworking
function (IWF) for Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) service
providers that will enable significant increases in call
capacities." The 3Com(R) Total Control(R) 1000 Platform IWF
high density gateway is scheduled to be available in late
May 2000. According to Ovum (an independent research and
consulting company), by the year 2003, one of every four
wireless subscribers worldwide, will also be a wireless data
subscriber ("Third Generation Mobile: Market Strategies," Ovum,
Oct. 1999). 3Com claims that Total Control 1000 will yield
10X the call capacity (it's not clear what that is being compared
to).
[2000/02/12]
Feb. 7, 2000, Therese Poletti writes for Reuters that according
to International Data Corp. (IDC), that shipments of internet
appliances will exceed personal computers by 2002. Sales in
1999 were 11 million units at a value of $2.4 billion US, including
Sega Dreamcast, WebTV, Palm VII, Web terminals, e-mail terminals
and screenphones. IDC projects sales in 2004 to reach 89 million
units at a value of $17.8 billion US.
[2000/02/12]
Feb. 7, 2000, Therese Poletti writes for Reuters that Be Inc.
is aiming its latest OS effort called BeIA at the Internet
appliance market. The company claims that BeIA will have a
small footprint, instant on capability and multimedia support,
claiming support by RealNetworks Inc (RealSystem G2) and
Macromedia Flash, and the Opera Software A/S Web browser.
Be has been working with Intel to optimize the OS for Pentium
III and Celeron. Hitachi plans to use BeIA in telecom
devices. Compaq has also committed to use BeIA in any appliances
it develops. Meanwhile, BeOS 5 will be given away free.
[2000/02/12]
Feb. 7, 2000, PR Newswire reports that LightSurf Inc. has announced
that Motorola has licensed its LightSurf ePhoto wireless digital
photography architecture.
[2000/02/12]
Due to a problem with my Compaq computer, I have lost a number
of articles which I had not read. I cannot be sure if I missed
anything relevent. Hopefully I will be informed about anything
of interest that happened.
[2000/02/08]
Feb. 5, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Phone.com, Inc has
announced that version 4.1 of its UP.Browser microbrowser for
Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) 1.1 is ready to begin
testing for WAP certification.
http://www.phone.com/
[2000/02/08]
Feb. 3, 2000, Business Wire reports that Hewlett-Packard Company
has announced price cuts on OmniBook laptop computers:
HP OmniBook 900 with 400MHz Pentium II has been reduced by
about 23% to $1,999 US.
HP OmniBook 4150 with 400MHz Pentium II has been reduced by
about $15.3% with prices starting at $2,199 US.
[2000/02/08]
Feb. 2, 2000, Dell Computer Corporation has announced its latest
Inspiron(TM) 5000 laptop computer which offers screens from 14.1
inch XGA up to a "15-inch SXGA+" screen, 1.48" thickness and 6.75
pounds, 466MHz Intel Mobile Celeron processor and prices starting
at $1,899 US. [Availability was not clearly stated in the article.]
[2000/02/08]
Feb. 2, 2000, Business Wire reports that IBM has announced that
its scientists have discovered a new method of transporting information
on the atomic scaled which uses the wave nature of electrons. IBM
calls this phenomenon "quantum mirage" effect because it is based
on "project[ing] information about one atom to another spot where there
is no atom."
http://www.almaden.ibm.com/almaden/media/image_mirage.html
http://www.research.ibm.com/
[2000/02/08]
Feb. 2, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Viventus AS of Norway has announced that its "Filemaker Pro Tool-Kit" now allows WAP interfacing for cellular phone data access.
[This was a bit difficult to understand because they used the
word "solutions" in the mistaken belief that it actually means
something. Maybe this is a good reason to avoid buying a product?
After all, if they can't write clear advertising copy, what will
their documentation be like?]
http://www.viventus.com/
[2000/02/08]
Samsung has apparently developed a handheld computer based on an
ARM RISC CPU and a version of the Linux Operating System. Details
on their website are sketchy, but it is a multimedia device
about the size of a Compaq 1500 series, but with a colour screen
and apparently a broadcast radio receiver. The Website invites
potential dealers to make inquiries.
http://www.sem.samsung.co.kr/eng/product/digital/pda/index.htm
[2000/02/05]
Feb. 1, 2000 PR Newswire reports that Compaq Computer Corporation has announced nine Deskpro EP Series PC's which do not come with the legacy ISA bus slots. The only general purpose card slots are PCI. The new models will be available in February with prices starting at $989 US including at 15" V500 monitor.
[Although this is not a mobile computer, it is a long anticipated
and historical move. I'm not sure right now how much this might
affect Windows/Intel laptop computers]
[2000/02/05]
Feb. 1, 2000, Paula Rooney writes for Computer Reseller News that
Transmeta will distribute "Mobile Linux" which will be a ROM-based
Linux OS developed for small devices.
[2000/02/05]
Feb. 1, 2000, Robert Ristelhueber writes for EE Times that Flextronics
International has agreed to acquire Palo Alto Products International,
an industrial design team known for its designs of the original Palm
Pilot in 1996 and the Palm III and Palm VII devices.
[2000/02/05]
Feb. 1, 2000, M2 Communications reports that Vodafone AirTouch Plc
and Casio Computer Co. have announced a world-wide agreement to
jointly develop mobile handheld multimedia computers.
[2000/02/05]
Jan. 31, 2000, Psion PLC and Motorola, Inc. have announced that they
have signed an agreement to co-develop a range of "mobile Internet
access devices" based on the next generation of Symbian technology
for use on cellular networks in European, North American, Asian and
other markets worldwide. Products developed under this non-exclusive
agreement will be marketed separately by Motorola and Psion and will
carry the logos of both companies. [There was no mention of
whether they would be based on the ARM processor or another processor.
At the time that Motorola bought a part of Symbian, it was announced
that EPOC would be ported to the M-CORE.]
[2000/02/05]
Jan. 28, 2000, Anthony Cataldo writes for EE Times that NTT Mobile
Communications (Docomo) and Matsushita Communications Industrial
have announced plans to form a joint venture called Air Media
which will establish a wireless music distribution network which
will let users download music onto Secure Digital Card (SD Card)
portable phones and audio recorders. The music will be distributed
first over Docomo's 64Kbps Personal Handyphone Service and later
over Wideband CDMA, which is expected to be launched in Japan
by the Spring of 2001.
[2000/02/01]
Jan. 27, 2000, Qualcomm Inc. has said that it will buy SnapTrack Inc.
which has developed a system for locating cellular phone users by
using satellite technology. The technology is will allow Qualcomm
to conform to US regulations which come into affect in 2001 to
assist 911 systems.
[2000/02/01]
Jan. 25, 2000, Business Wire reports that 3Com Corporation has announced it's AirConnect(TM) 11Mbps Wireless LAN. The system is IEEE 802.11b based and has been submitted to the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA) for compatibility certification ("Wi-FiTM").
The AirConnect topology is based on access points which support
up to 63 simultaneous wireless PCs. An access point costs $1,195
US and each PC Card costs $219 US. A starter kit with an access
point and 3 PC Cards costs $1,795 US. The access point and PC
cards are immediately available. Later this spring 3Com plans to
offer an AirConnect PCI Card for desk computers.
[2000/01/29]
Jan. 25, 2000, Canadian Corporate News reports that Sierra Wireless
has announced a contract of at least 24 months during which
Sierra Wireless will supply Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)
PC Cards to Sprint PCS. The standard Type II card will allow
direct dialing over the CDMA system from the computing device.
http://www.sierrawireless.com/
http://www.sprintpcs.com/
[2000/01/29]
Jan. 24, 2000, Business Wire reports that AMD has announced
laptop computers using Mobile AMD-K6(R)-2-P CPUs. NEC is
using a 400MHz version for its VersaPro R series in the
Japanese commercial market and the LaVie U series in the
Japanese consumer market.
[2000/01/29]
Jan. 21, 2000, PR Newswire reports that McAfee's Anti-Virus
Emergency Response Team has discovered two virii targeted
at Microsoft's Visio. These are:
V5M/Radiant.A which infects Visio 5 files. If the file is
closed in a certain way, other files open in the same session
are infected.
V5M/Unstable.A infects Visio 2000 documents. Files infected
display a message on the 31st of each month.
These virii can be stopped by turning off macros. Updates
for McAfee anti-virus software will be available at:
http://www.mcafeeb2b.com/
Also, in a separate release, Computer Associates announced free
anti-virus software to protect from the Radiant Angel virus:
http://www.antivirus.cai.com/
[2000/01/29]
Jan. 19, 2000, Business Wire reports that AMD has increased the
speed of its AMD-K6(TM)-2E embedded processor with 400MHz standard
power (AMD-K6-2E/400AFR) and 350MHz low-power (AMD-K6-2E/350AMZ)
versions. The low-power version uses a reduced core voltage of
1.9V with a maximum power consumption of 11 Watts, and an extended
temperature range of 85 deg. C., and I/O voltage of 3.3V. The
400MHz standard power version currently priced at $61 US in
quantities of 1,000, and the 35MHz low-power version is priced
at $69 US in quantities of 1,000, both in 321-pin ceramic pin
grid array packages using C4 flip-chip interconnection technology.
http://www.amd.com/products/lpd/k62e/k62e.html
[2000/01/25]
Jan. 19, 2000, Associate Press reports that Transmeta Corp.
has announced its Crusoe chip is software based and will
manage power consumption based by using on-the-fly evaluation
of programs and adjusting CPU speed according to need.
Prices range from $65 US for a 333MHz version to $329 US for
a 700MHz version with "low end" processors currently available.
[2000/01/25]
Jan. 19, 2000, Business Wire reports that Motorola Labs and Los
Alamos National Laboratory have developed a new miniature fuel
cell based on methanol and oxygen from the air. Energy density
is estimated as "10 times that of conventional rechargeable
batteries."
http://www.education.lanl.gov/resources/fuelcells/
[2000/01/25]
Jan. 18, 2000, Reuters reports that Intel Corp. has introduced
its mobile Pentium(R) III cpu with "SpeedStep" technology (code
named Geyserville) which allows the computer to run at one
frequency when unplugged but at a faster speed when the power
cord is plugged in. The first versions of this processor
have maximum speeds of 600 and 650 MHz.
[2000/01/22]
Jan. 18, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Compaq Computer Corporation
has announced Armada, Prosignia and Presario laptop computers using
Intel Mobile Pentium(R) III CPUs. Presario 1800 with Mobile
Pentium III are available immediately with Armada M700 and E500, and
Prosignia 190 and 170 models following within this quarter.
[2000/01/22]
Jan. 18, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Gateway has announced
that its new Solo 2550 and Solo 9300 laptop computers using
Intel's Mobile Pentium(R) III CPUs are now available.
[2000/01/22]
Jan. 18, 2000, Business Wire reports that Hewlett-Packard Company
has announced that its line of OmniBook laptop computers (XE2, 4150
and 900 series) now use Intel Mobile Pentium(R) CPUs.
[2000/01/22]
Jan. 18, 1999, PR Newswire reports that Texas Instruments has
announced a new bipolar CMOS (BiCMOS) process incorporating
silicon-germanium (SiGe) technology to enhance its radio
frequency products giving better noise performance, linearity
and battery efficiency at cellular and PCS frequencies.
http://www.ti.com/sc/docs/apps/wireless/index.htm
[2000/01/22]
Jan. 17, 2000, Reuters reports that Compaq has reduced prices
on some laptop computers. An example is the Armada 7800 with
366MHz Mobile Pentium II, reduced from $3,499 US to $2,799 US.
[2000/01/22]
Jan. 17, 2000, Business Wire reports that Motorola, Inc. has
introduced its new Motorola Messaging Server 2.1 software for
developing wireless messaging applications for PageWriter(R) 2000X,
Timeport(TM) 930 and Timeport(TM) 935 interactive communicators.
The new version provides support for MAPI and POP3.
http://www.motorola.com/pw-solutions/
[2000/01/22]
Jan. 17, 2000, PR Newswire reports that according to The Strategis
Group's report "U.S. Wireless Handsets: Marketshare and Trends"
Nokia was the top manufacturer of cellular phone handsets for 1999
(not including iDEN) with 34.5% of all analog and PCS sales. The
largest portion of Nokia sales were TDMA. Motorola was the 2nd
largest with 23.1% of the market, but the largest portion of Motorola
sales were analog. Qualcomm was the 3rd largest with 12.0% of total
sales and the largest number of CDMA phones. Total cellular and
PCS sales in the US for 1999 was 43.3 million units. The Strategis
Group predicts 50.5 million units sold in the US for 2000.
Contributing to this is a finding that current users are replacing
handsets with newer ones in less than 3 years.
[2000/01/22]
Jan. 14, 2000, Microcell Telecommunications Inc. has announced its Q4 results for 1999. Microcell claims 125,095 new customers in the quarter representing a 23% increase in new net activations compared to the same quarter in 1998.
Q4 Ending Total For
Dec. 31, 1999 1999
Gross Activations 161,943 413,077
% over Dec. 31 '98 37% 57%
Total Subscribers 584,487
% Increase over 1998
(Dec. 31, 1998=282,174) 107%
Ave. Mnthly Churn Rate 2.3% 2.1%
[2000/01/18]
Jan. 13, 2000, Business Wire reports that IBM and Motorola are
working together to bring "end to end" wireless telematics systems
to the automotive industry. The range of services will probably
include such things as emergency calling for roadside help,
Internet access, dynamic navigation with real-time traffic routing,
security and anti-theft protection, and entertainment systems.
[2000/01/18]
Jan. 12, 2000, Associate Press reports that analysts at VLSI
Reserch Inc., Dataquest and IC Insights project chip shortages
for roughly the next two years, resulting in higher priced
consumer products and changes in product specifications such
as less standard memory.
[2000/01/18]
Jan. 11, 2000, Canada News Wire reports that Clearnet Communications Inc. has announced its subscription results for 1999 Q4:
"3 Months Ended 3 Months Ended
December 31, 1999 December 31, 1998
----------------- -----------------
Digital
- net subscriber additions 94,623 65,770
- total subscribers end of period 559,331 308,473
- Churn, per month
(after 30 day guarantee) 2.10% 1.66%
Mike
- net subscriber additions 33,786 26,352
- total subscribers end of period 210,121 114,095
- Churn, per month 1.84% 1.44%
PCS
- net subscriber additions 60,837 39,418
- total subscribers end of period 349,210 194,378
- Churn, per month
(after 30 day guarantee) 2.26% 1.79%
Analogue
- SMR net subscriber additions (3,374) (7,468)
Total net subscriber additions 91,249 58,302"
[2000/01/15]
Jan. 11, 1999, J. Robert Lineback writes for Semiconductor Business
News that Advanced Forecasting has taken a contrary position against
most other analysts and claims an 80% probability of a slump in
semiconductor sales in 2000 2Q, allowing that it might be specific
to certain market segments. Bill McClean of IC Insights forecasts
a 22% growth in semiconductor revenue, and VSLI Research predicts
a 25% increase in chip revenue in 2000.
[2000/01/15]
Jan. 10, 2000, Reuters reports that The Patent and Trademark Office
has ruled that the Xerox Patent for its "unistrokes" handwriting
system is valid, thus allowing Xerox's case against 3Com to
continue.
[2000/01/15]
Jan. 10, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Texas Instruments Incorporated
and Ericsson has announced that Ericsson will use TI's DSP-based Open
Multimedia Application Platform (OMAP) in its next generation wireless
Internet handsets, and other devices.
http://www.ti.com/sc/
http://www.ericsson.com/
[2000/01/15]
Jan. 7, 2000, Canada News Wire reports that Microcell Connexions Inc.
has announced that it has reached a two way roaming agreement with
China Mobile Communications Corp.
[2000/01/11]
Jan. 6, 2000, Business Wire reports in separate articles that AMD
and Hewlett-Packard Company (HP) have announced that HP's new
Pavilion laptop computers are available with both Intel and AMD
processors. Along with 500MHz Intel Pentium III in the HP Pavilion
N3290, HP also offers a 433MHz Mobile AMD K6-2-P processor in the
HP Pavilion N3210 cmoputer, and a 475MHz Mobile AMD K6-2-P processor
in the HP Pavilion N3270 and N3250 computers. All are expected to
be available later this month with prices starting at $1,199 US for
the N3210.
[2000/01/11]
Jan. 6, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Motorola Inc. has introduced
new three new dual-band, dual-mode digital wireless phones which
operate on CDMA 800MHz, CDMA 1900MHz and AMPS networks.
The new models are Timeport P8367, TalkAbout T8367 and ST7868W.
[2000/01/11]
Jan. 6, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Motorola has announced two
compact, Web-ready V Series CDMA phones: The V8160 covers CDMA 800MHz
and AMPS networks and the V8162 covers CDMA 1900MHz. Both weigh
about 3.0 oz. and can provide up to 150 minutes of digital talk
time or up to 125 hours of standby time.
[2000/01/11]
Jan. 6, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Motorola, Inc. has announced
its new Satellite Series 9505 Iridium(R) phone which is 23% smaller and
17% lighter than previous models, and can take a "cellular cassette"
for operation on local cellular networks.
http://motorolasatellite.com/
[2000/01/11]
Jan. 6, 2000, Business Wire reports that Motorola, Inc. has announced
new additions to its pager lines. The Talkabout T350 word message
pager has a one line scrolling display, the Talkabout T900 two way
pager can have internet connectivity. The Timeport P935 two way
pager can share enterprise E-Mail addresses, and has IrDA-compliant
infrared for communcation with compatible devices such as the Palm
Computing handheld computers.
http://www.motorola.com/pagers/
[2000/01/11]
Jan. 6, 2000, PR Newswire reports that Motorola, Inc. has announced its
new TalkAbout T6000 series two-way radios. Operating on the US FCC
Family Radio Service band, these radios have features such as digital
compass, thermometer, altimeter/barometer and FM stereo radio. Suggested
retail prices range from $129 - $179 US.
[2000/01/11]
Jan. 6, 2000, Canada News Wire reports that Rogers Cantel Mobile Communications Inc. has announced its preliminary subscriber results for the 4th quarter of 1999 (ending on Dec. 31, 1999).
Q4 Results:
Gross Subscriber
Additions 273,000 (72,100 or 35.8% above Q4 1998)
Average monthly
churn Q4 2.37% (compared to 2.06% in Q4 1998)
Net Cellular
Subscriber Additions 144,400 (up 41,100 or 39.8% in Q4 1998)
Prepaid subscriber
Additions 74,200 (51.4% of additions,
compared to 56.7% in Q4 1998)
Full Year:
Net Cellular
Subcription Additions 415,500 (up 230,000 or 124.0% from
185,500 net additions in 1998)
Total Cellular
Subscribers
at End of Year 2,153,100
Digital PCS 880,000 (41%)
Prepaid Cellular 291,700 (13.5%)
Paging:
Net Subscriber
Additions Q4 32,000 (up 24,300 or 4X Q4 1998)
Average Monthly
Churn Rate Q4 2.40% (compared to 3.06% in Q4 1998)
Including Purchase of
Shaw Paging
Total Subscribers
Dec. 31, 1999 450,000
Total Wireless
Customers
Dec. 31, 1999 2.6 million (up 30.4% over
Dec. 31, 1998)
Jan. 6, 2000, Microsoft is previewing the next version of Windows CE
which will no longer bear that name. The future versions of current
Windows CE product lines will be "Pocket PC".
[2000/01/11]
Jan. 6, 2000, Business Wire reports that National Semiconductor
Corporation has announced that Qubit Technology has selected the
National(R) Geode(TM) WebPAD(TM) reference platform as the basis
for its Wireless Web Tablet. Qubit expects the product to be
available in the second quarter of 2000.
[2000/01/11]
Jan. 5, 2000, Business Wire reports that America Online, Inc.
and Compaq Computer Corporation have announced that AOL will
develop software to allow AOL members to use Compaq Aero devices
to send and receive AOL e-mail. The software will be downloadable
from AOL at no charge.
[2000/01/11]
Jan. 5, 2000, Business Wire reports that Motorola, Inc.'s Network
Solutions Sector (NSS) has demonstrated its general packet radio
service (GPRS) system with WAP on the GSM communications networks
in Singapore.
http://horizongprs.motorola.com/
[2000/01/11]
Dec. 29, 1999, PR Newswire reports that Motorola Inc. and Glenayre
Technologies Inc. have announced that the companies have entered
into a series of agreements to collaborate on further development
of ReFLEX(TM) two-way messaging technology. In particular, Motorola's
Generic Over The Air Programming (GOTAP) interface has been licensed
to Gleyayre.
http://www.glenayre.com/
[2000/01/04]
The count of Y2K problems I ran into has actually been fairly small. So far, the only persisting problem I know about is that my Samsung NoteMaster 486S/25N requires my setting the date when I turn it on. I also expect that one or two of my "old DOS boxes" might need the same treatment, but I haven't even turned them on yet this year. The biggest surprise was that my Sharp PC-3000 handheld computer, which is a 1991 vintage device, is still pretty much keeping time. It lost a day somewhere, but it has done that before even without any special date. Likewise my Linux "486DX4/100" box glitched at some point so that the date and time were wrong, but I reset the date and turned it off and back on to see if the problem would persist, but the date came back correctly. I don't know whether that BIOS is compensated or whether Linux is, but as far as I can tell, it's going to be OK. Again, I don't know whether the date glitched across Dec. 31, or whether it happened at some other time. I think that it has also had date problems even without the 2000 date. I could check it, but it's not that important to me.
Some news people are asking the inevitable question of whether "it
was worth it" to spend all the money. It's a stupid question. Of
course it was worth it. There were problems discovered and fixed.
Over the course of the past two years in particular, we heard about
some of them. Yes, there were failures and blackouts, but they
happened in carefully controlled situations at times which were not
critical, and with the ability to correct them immediately. And, as
represented by my own computers, not all the corrections are done yet.
But the critical stuff is mostly done, and I expect there will be
problems that will be left for years to come, and hopefully, most of
them will be so negligible that we will barely notice them. What is
important now is to learn from this situation. I've already said what
I feel is worth learning about this computer industry. Ask yourself
what you've learned.
[2000/01/04]
Think of it as an attitude problem. The computer industry has grown up with poor business practices based on excuses. "We have competition moving to fast so we don't have time to completely debug." "We can't release of source code because we'd lose our competitive advantage." But as of 2000, we have reached a point where change is possible.
Most of the common programs like word processors and spreadsheets
and even HTML Web browsers, which are relatively new, have been
developed as much as they need to be in terms of basic functionality.
We have reached a point where most software development on the major
systems is really just minor refinements. There are a few
conclusions to which this points, but a couple of them are that
first, there is little excuse for *not* cleaning up the remaining
bugs, and addressing the remaining issues of bad design or poor
packaging (such as documentation), and second, that even in
very mature programs there can still be need for maintenance
which points to the advantages of "open source" business models.
[2000/01/02]
The turning of the Millenium has not gone smoothly for either of my main computers. In the evening of New Year's Day, I tried to update PointCast on my Windows 95 based Compaq 1130 laptop computer and during the update it crashed. It's hard to say whether I had a Y2k problem or not because PointCast has, on rare occasion crashed before on this computer. This time it crashed late during an update, and ironically, while updating PointCast's own "Connections" channel.
The version that crashed was 2.5.2232 using WSOC32.DLL 66,560 97/06/25 11:14. This is an old version of PointCast, and the current version is 2.6 (specifically 2.6.251/W954-00). I made the following report to PointCast and downloaded and installed 2.6:
The browser crashed during updating of the PointCast channel (your own channel]. The following are Win 95 reports: PCN32 caused an invalid page fault in module PCNHTP32.DLL at 0137:1001bf12. Registers: EAX=0082c10a CS=0137 EIP=1001bf12 EFLGS=00010246 EBX=00000001 SS=013f ESP=0066ecf4 EBP=00000001 ECX=756f2074 DS=013f ESI=0082c100 FS=13af EDX=00000000 ES=013f EDI=0000003e GS=0000 Bytes at CS:EIP: 88 01 8b be 80 00 00 00 47 3c 0a 89 be 80 00 00 Stack dump: 0000003e 0082c100 00000001 00000001 1001c2e7 0082c100 0000000a 00811600 0082c100 1001c3ed 0082c100 0000003e 0082c100 1001c44a 0082c100 10025937 WSOCK32.DLL 66,560 97/06/24 11:14
The installation itself did not go smoothly. I completely removed the old version of PointCast (which was actually installed as 2.0 and updated automatically). When the new version was installed, it installed itself as the current screensaver and activated the screensaver function, which I normally keep disabled. Whenever I install new software I "Defrag" the drives to ensure best loading speed. When I tried to "Defrag" the HD after this latest change, the screensaver started up resulting in a very frustrating, and potentially dangerous conflict situation with Defrag restarting itself a number of times due to changes in the HD content caused by the PointCast screensaver's activities. I later deactivated the screensaver and checked the HD with Scandisk. Although I found no damage, this is not an acceptable situation.
PointCast has survived over the years because it had no real
competition. It's annoying use of animated advertising, and
this, frankly arrogant modifying of a user's system without
warning are the sort of practices that users dislike -- and
they have had years to correct it. Today, there are significant
competitors. These days, I get most of my "news" using
a Palm IIIx and AvantGo. I still use PointCast to cover some
specific topics, but it's not really necessary. I could remove
it completely really, but it's still convenient for me to organize
my reading across a number of systems. But I think it's about time
that PointCast thought more about doing things they way end users
want them too, rather than assuming they what was good enough in
the past will be continue to be acceptable.
[2000/01/02] revised [2000/01/04]
I've already written about the problems I've had with the Macs,
resulting in my upgrade. One issue that has been on my system
for years now without my realizing it was regarding "MasterJuggler
Pro." On the one hand, the program has functioned reliably since
I started using it, around 1996. I decided to re-install it from
scratch in case the installer had an better version for PowerPC
use. In fact, it didn't. But during the re-installation, it
has become apparent that MJPro version 2.0 doesn't have a parameter
file. As far as I can tell, it might actually be a "self-modifying"
file. That is to say, the data regarding which files are open
might actually be stored on the disk as a part of the executable's
file. This is not a good practice from a security viewpoint because
it is too difficult to tell if the program has been infected by
a virus. I have written to Alsoft about this issue and await
their reply. Meanwhile, I have downloaded the latest update which
brings me to MasterJuggler Pro 2.0.3, which is MacOS 9.0 compatible.
[2000/01/02]
I'm trying to get reliable estimates for spending on Y2K compatibility related expenses. Canada News Wire reports that IDC Canada has estimated the following sending levels (US$):
Canada $15 - $20 billion Worldwide to date $280 billion US to date $133 billion
Dec. 31, 1999, Louise Elliot wrote for the Toronto Star that
"more than $300 billion has been spent worldwide to smooth the
transition to 2000," but she did not cite the source, or even
say whether she meant Canadian or US dollars. Since the source
is Canadian, it is presumed to be Canadian dollars. In that case
it's a much lower estimate than the IDC Canada figure -- which
means that the two numbers don't conflict.
[2000/01/01] revised [2000/01/02]
Dec. 28, 1999, Reuters reports that Lehman Brothers said on
Tuesday that it estimated 1999 worldwide semiconductor capital
spending, which includes equipment and "brick and mortar"
projects, to have grown over 1998 sales to about 24% ($29.4
billion US), and that spending in 2000 will probably grow
another 25%, primarily in the US and Japan.
[2000/01/01]
Dec. 22, 1999, Business Wire reports that Motorola has announced
that it is allowing public access to its Application Communication
Protocol Version 3 (ACP V3) specifications. According to Motorola,
this previously proprietary protocol ". . . provides location-specific
security, information, productivity, and in-vehicle entertainment
services to drivers and their passengers."
http://www.acp-telematics.org/
http://www.telematics.motorola.com/
[2000/01/01]
Dec. 22, 1999, AP Online through COMTEX reports that Qualcomm
Inc. has announced that it is selling its mobile phone
manufacturing unit to Kyocera Corp.
[2000/01/01]