Not A Whole Hell Of A Lot Happening…
Is it my imagination, or is this industry getting kinda boring right now? I mean, even at CEBit there wasn’t a whole heck of a lot of new information or products. Everything seems to be just a re-release of the old crap with a new processor - whoopeeeee. I’d like to see something really different - how about a complete rewrite of the Pocket PC OS? What about a real 3G videophone? I did see a note on the new Samsung GSM WristPhone, which is kind of cool, but then again who wants a clunky wristwatch with a tiny color screen? Maybe I’m just getting jaded or tired of waiting for Microsoft to send me my SmartPhone (hint, hint…) but there’s not a lot to get excited about in the PDA business right now!
Press Release: Notify Technology Announces Support for the T-Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition HTC 9500
SAN JOSE, Calif., March 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Notify Technology Corporation today announced that its NotifyLink Family of mobile email solutions will now support the T-Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition HTC 9500 using the GSM/GPRS network in addition to its currently supported Handspring, Kyocera, Motorola, Nokia, Palm, Pocket PC, and RIM Blackberry wireless handheld devices.
With NotifyLink, organizations can provide their mobile professionals with secure push synchronization of their email, calendar, contacts, and tasks without the need for a cradle. Organizations can utilize the NotifyLink multiple device, multiple network solution, and maintain control of Global Settings, using end-to-end encryption with AES and Triple DES. Mobile professionals will not just be able to browse through, they will be able to manage, store, refer, and respond to their Microsoft Exchange, Novell GroupWise email, calendar, contacts, tasks, and/or Novell NetMail email without having to Sync-up, Boot-up, Dial-up or Log-on.
“As a Microsoft Mobility partner and a partner of T-Mobile we are proud to support the T-Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition HTC 9500 using the GSM/GPRS network,” said Paul DePond, President and Founder of Notify Technology. “Using the Pocket PC with ‘always-on’ capability of T-Mobile’s network in conjunction with our NotifyLink Enterprise Solutions, customers will be able to experience real time ‘push notification’ of their email and PIM while mobile.”
Supported Devices
NotifyLink provides users with a rapid and transparent connection to their email when they are mobile, using the Research In Motion (RIM) BlackBerry 5810(TM), the BlackBerry 6710(TM), BlackBerry 6750(TM), The RIM Wireless Handheld(TM) 850/857 and/or 950/957, the Kyocera Corporation QCP 6035, and/or the 7135 SmartPhone, the Handspring Inc. Treo 180, 180g, 270, 300 Series, the Nokia 9290 Communicator, the Palm Solutions Group i705, the Palm(TM) Tungsten(TM) W, Siemens SX56 Pocket PC, O2 XDA Pocket PC, T-Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition HTC 9500, as well as the Motorola Talkabout T900 and/or the Motorola Timeport P935 2-way devices utilizing the CDMA/1XRTT, DataTAC, GSM/GPRS, Mobitex, and ReFLEX networks.
NotifyLink Family of Products
The NotifyLink Family of mobile email solutions was developed to meet the specific needs of users across a variety of markets. NotifyLink provides users a rapid and transparent connection to their email when they are mobile. Some of the most notable features are as follows:
NotifyLink Enterprise Edition is ideal for organizations that need secure real-time “Over-the-Air” synchronization and push notification of their email, calendar, contacts, and tasks via a variety of supported wireless 2-way devices. NotifyLink is easy to install within a Microsoft Exchange, Novell GroupWise, and/or Novell NetMail email system, and is comprised of three components: the server software, web interface for admin and client configuration, and a smart device client interface. NotifyLink server software gives corporations the security in knowing that their information will be securely stored, safely behind their corporate firewall. In addition, NotifyLink’s custom “Smart Device Client” software, was specifically designed to work with the new T-Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition. The client software enables an individual user’s information to be loaded onto the device, over the air, with no cradle synchronization required.
The NotifyLink Desktop Edition is a wireless software solution designed for small office or home office, mobile professionals with an “Always-On” connection to the Internet, looking for a 24×7 connection to their colleagues and business associates. This software can provide a secure, real-time wireless connection to existing desktop-based information: email, calendar, contacts, tasks, and files. Users can conveniently access and manage this information from supported wireless 2-way devices, while maintaining all of their existing email accounts.
The NotifyLink Internet Edition is a hosted service solution, designed for Professionals that utilize outsourced email and/or “Dial-Up” Professionals and Consumers who want virtual real-time notification, access, and management of their email from supported wireless 2-way devices. If you have AOL, HotMail(R), EarthLink, MSN(R), Yahoo!(R), among thousands of other ISPs and Internet Mail providers, as well as POP3 or IMAP4 email, then NotifyLink is for you. NotifyLink will also work for both PC and Mac(R) users alike.
All this, without having to Boot-Up, Dial-Up, or Log-On, to check or respond to new email.
For a complete list of product features, please visit www.notifycorp.com
Press Release: Macromedia Flash Player 6 Now Available for Pocket PC 2002
Casio, HP, Toshiba, and Other Microsoft Devices Now Able to View Macromedia Flash MX Content
Flashforward 2003, SAN FRANCISCO, March 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Macromedia, Inc. (Nasdaq: MACR) today announced the immediate availability of Macromedia(R) Flash(TM) Player 6 for Pocket PC 2002, enabling developers and publishers to quickly and easily deploy rich content and applications to Microsoft Windows Powered Pocket PC 2002 devices. Macromedia Flash Player is the leading rich client on the Internet, and Pocket PC 2002 users can find more information and download the player today at http://www.macromedia.com/go/fp6_ppc/ .
For the first time, developers can publish standalone Macromedia Flash device content and applications that can play full-screen outside of the browser, such as games, applications, and kiosks. Developers interested in delivering executable Macromedia Flash projectors can license this version of the player for $499. There is no cost to end users.
“Macromedia believes experience matters, and that great experiences build great businesses,” said Troy Evans, product manager, Macromedia. “This release is a key component of our mobile and devices strategy to deliver rich content experiences to platforms beyond the desktop.”
“With Pocket PC, Microsoft provides developers with a robust and flexible platform to build the richest mobile applications found on a PDA,” said Chris Hill, lead product manager, mobile devices division, Microsoft Corp. “From content and applications to standalone Macromedia Flash experiences, we are pleased to see that with Macromedia Flash Player 6, Macromedia is continuing to invest in the Pocket PC platform. Ultimately, this will give users a chance to experience compelling Macromedia Flash content on their Pocket PC.”
With the availability of Macromedia Flash Player 6 for Pocket PC 2002, developers can incorporate video and application components within Macromedia Flash MX to deliver rich Internet applications, as well as bring e-learning, rich media, and gaming content to devices.
Also available today is the Macromedia Flash Player 6 developer kit for Pocket PC 2002. The kit includes a content development kit, an interface design policy kit, and a set of optimized user interface components for the Pocket PC. The components for the Pocket PC platform ensure that developers can easily author applications with consistent elements such as radio buttons and check boxes.
Users can download the free developer kit today at http://www.macromedia.com/go/devkit_fp6_ppc/ .
PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
Macromedia Flash Player 6 for Pocket PC 2002 is available as an ActiveX control, or developers can license the standalone Macromedia Flash Player for creating projectors for $499, available exclusively through the Macromedia Online Store ( http://www.macromedia.com/go/buy_fp6_ppc/ ).
Got A Sony Ericsson P800 SmartPhone? BugMe! Is Now Available For It… (Press Release)
Users can now create multi-media reminder notes on their cell phones
WYE VALLEY, UK (March 25, 2003) - - Electric Pocket Limited announces it has released a new version of its popular BugMe! application for the Sony Ericsson P800 smartphone. BugMe!, one of the most popular applications for Palm OS and Pocket PC handheld computers, will now enable users of Sony Ericsson P800 smartphones to quickly enter notes using digital ink and voice. Users can set a reminder alarm on each note, which will pop-up on the screens of their handsets at the appropriate time.
BugMe! has long been heralded for being one of the most essential and easy-to-use mobile computing applications on the market. In the new version of BugMe! for the Sony Ericsson P800, ZipNote stationery templates provide an easy-to-use starting point for creating notes. ZipNotes cover a range of practical uses, including alarms, appointments, check lists and reminders. Users choose a template which fits their needs and can personalize them with handwritten or voice notes, or by adding address book contacts. Each note can have an alarm added it to it, which pops-up the note on the handset screen and emits an audible alert at the appropriate time. This approach makes it very easy to create a reminder to place a phone call, for example. The user selects a ‘Call’ template, adds the contact information and then selects the reminder time. When the reminder alarm sounds, the user simply presses one button to initiate the call.
Electric Pocket offers a number of applications for the smartphone and wireless communications segment. Recent developments include enhancements to Pixer (MMS picture messaging), Mailer (wireless email), and Ringo (a ringtone manager for the Handspring Treo Communicator series), plus the launch of its new TapDial quick-dial program for Palm OS smartphones. The version of BugMe! for the P800 smartphone was developed by Degel Software Ltd., who are also engaged by ICQ to port its messaging client. ZipNotes stationery templates for BugMe! were developed by Handtap Communications.
“The P800 is another outstanding multimedia smartphone based on the Symbian platform and provides us with exciting opportunities to bring our unique blend of innovative, practical and fun-to-use applications to a new type of user,” said Iain Barclay, Electric Pocket’s co-founder and chief product officer.
BugMe! retails for $19.95 and a free trial is available from www.electricpocket.com.
Sweeet! Pocketop Will Have Their Keyboard For My T-Mobile Pocket PC Phone!
I was thrilled to see today that the Pocketop wireless keyboard will be available for the T-Mobile Pocket PC Phone in a few weeks. One thing that would be so cool is being able to write long e-mails, SMS messages, etc… and do it through a keyboard. Full screen rotation will be available, so you will be able to use things like Pocket Word (or even better, TextMaker!) or Pocket Excel with a keyboard in landscape mode. Pocketop also announced that they now support the HP iPaq 1910, so that very popular Pocket PC now has a wireless keyboard.
Announcement: Clickgamer to release “Knight Lite” in April
The following e-mail arrived this morning from Chris at Clickgamer.com:
Could you please post news of our upcoming title called “KNIGHT LITE” ? It runs on the PPC and will be available for $9.95 … get ready for this polished and addictive reflex game - to be launched mid April 2003 !!
http://www.clickgamer.com/knightlite
Guide Vesuri the heroic Knight through five stages to rescue the Princess. Only your skill and reactions can save her from evil Tik-Kari, the Viking King !
We’ll be giving away free copies of the game to 3 people who will be picked at random from our mailing list - so please - anyone who is interested - sign up here!
http://www.clickgamer.com/notifyme.htm?pvid=15
Review: ViewSonic V35 Pocket PC
At last, my review of the ViewSonic V35 Pocket PC is available for your reading pleasure! You can either click here to read the review, or click on the Reviews link at the top of the page to see the list of all of our recent reviews.
So, what did I think of the ViewSonic V35? I’d say that it easily has one of the best displays of any Pocket PC on the market, that it’s the best “first effort” from any Pocket PC manufacturer, and that it’s a bargain. In my estimation, it outperforms any Palm OS device on the market in terms of speed and functionality, and it beats most of the other Pocket PC devices on the market as well.
Want to buy one once you’ve read the review? Click here (affiliate link). It’s available today for only $248.99 after mail-in rebate.
Press Release: Mobility Electronics Launches Quickoffice Premier For Palm Powered Handhelds At CTIA
Palm OS Devices Now Open, View and Edit Native Word, Excel and PowerPoint Files
NEW ORLEANS, March 18, 2003 — Today at the CTIA Wireless 2003 Exposition, Mobility Electronics, Inc. (Nasdaq/NMS: MOBE), a leading provider of innovative portable computing solutions for the mobile computer user, announced the launch of its iGo Quickoffice(tm) Premier Version 7.0. The new release is the first and only available Palm OS(r) Office suite to include support for native PC-created Microsoft(r) Word, Excel, and PowerPoint(r) file formats.
Quickoffice Premier includes a host of new performance and usability enhancements, including a newly designed toolbar and “formula picker” in Quicksheet, and the addition of its ZoomView(tm) technology to Quicksheet, giving users the ability to magnify the spreadsheet by up to eleven levels. Further, Quickpoint has been optimized for the latest Palm OS 5 devices, including support for the ARM processor, providing faster screen refreshes when running a slideshow on the handset.
For mobile professionals who have long awaited the arrival of a Palm OS Office suite that would enable them to work with native PC files on their handheld, the wait is over. Quickoffice Premier supports native Microsoft Office formats for files saved on expansion storage cards, or those received via infrared beaming, through Bluetooth file transfers, or as e-mail attachments. A key feature that has been added since the initial public beta release is that users will not only be able to open and edit native Word and Excel files in Quickword and Quicksheet, but will also be able to save edited files in PC-compatible formats back to their expansion cards without affecting the original files. Quickoffice Premier users will also be able to simply email the newly created files to colleagues as Office-compatible files. Further, if a native Office file is opened and viewed, all formatting in the document is entirely preserved. When files are opened and edited, the resulting file is saved as a new Office-compatible file, preserving all formatting supported by the Quickoffice applications in the new document, and enabling it to be opened easily by PC or Pocket PC users without any modifications.
The benefits of native file support include the ability to:
* Seamlessly exchange files between Palm OS and Pocket PC handhelds and Macintosh or Windows PCs, whether wirelessly or transferred via removable expansion storage media;
* Open Word, Excel and PowerPoint attachments received via e-mail on Palm Powered smartphones;
* Create or edit e-mail attachments in Quickword and Quicksheet and send or forward with confidence that any recipient will be able to open them regardless of their computing platform.
“Quickoffice Premier represents a major improvement in mobile e-mail for Palm Powered(tm) devices,” said Michael Mace, chief competitive officer for PalmSource, Inc. “By enabling users to open Microsoft Office files without converting them first on a PC, Quickoffice Premier extends the Palm OS advantage in working with Microsoft Office files.”
The capability to open and use native format Word, Excel and PowerPoint attachments gives immediate benefit to users of all currently available Palm OS smartphones. Quickoffice Premier is compatible with the Handspring Treo 270 and 300, Kyocera 6035 and 7135, Samsung SPH-I300, SPH-I330 and soon-to-be-released SPH-I500, as well as the recently released Palm Tungsten W. In combination with leading e-mail solutions like Snapperfish Ltd’s SnapperMail, standard Office file attachments can be opened and forwarded to anyone.
“Quickoffice Premier 7.0 is the newest addition to a product line that has provided our customers with several breakthrough Office solutions for the Palm OS,” said Charlie Mollo, CEO and president of Mobility Electronics. “With a strong legacy built on providing industry firsts, including the first Palm OS spreadsheet, editable ‘Office’ suite for mobile professionals, and document printing capabilities, our software products continue to ensure that our customers are equipped with the latest in handheld computing tools.”
Quickoffice Premier supports any device using Palm OS 3.5 and above including Palm OS 5 handhelds from Palm and Sony. In addition, its total memory requirements are less than the leading competitor’s applications that lack native support. Quickoffice Premier achieves outstanding performance; quickly opening native Office 97 and later format files with high fidelity - even on smartphones or handhelds using older 33MHz Motorola Dragonball(tm processors. Furthermore, the Premier edition of Quickword enables users to view, edit, save, and create files fully compatible with Word 97, 2000, or XP on the device itself.
Quickoffice Premier supports opening native Word, Excel and PowerPoint files from all removable media types including Sony’s proprietary Memory Stick, and industry standard MultiMediaCard and Secure Digital formats used in Palm, Kyocera, AlphaSmart and other devices. High-capacity removable media allows users to keep all of their important files with them, and removable media card readers enable users to quickly back up hundreds of files for handheld access. The native file access provided by Quickoffice Premier antiquates past methods requiring handheld device users to rely upon translation of each individual file on the PC before installing to a handheld device.
Quickoffice Premier is available for purchase at Quickoffice.com and PalmGear.com. The title retails for US$49.95.
ViewSonic V37 Pocket PC Announced
Well, our review of the ViewSonic V35 will be released this weekend, but before we even had a chance to publish the review ViewSonic pulled a fast one and announced the new V37 Pocket PC. The new device will have an Intel 400 MHz XScale CPU (the V35 has a 300 MHz processor), but there will be no difference in the amount of RAM installed. Memory will still be at 64 MB, of which 36.45 MB is actually usable.
The V37 will have the same bright, colorful and sharp 3.5″ transflective display, an SD/MMC slot that supports SDIO, and will supposedly use the same case that the ViewSonic V35 has. One piece of really good news - ViewSonic says that they will release an SDIO WiFi card soon after product launch! The V37 will also be the first Pocket PC with the .NET Compact Framework pre-installed. This is a mobile version of Microsoft’s .NET Framework, allowing devices to use web services and exchange information over the internet.
No cost or release date information was provided, but I would assume that the price will probably be the same as the V35 ($299 SRP). They can now drop the price on the V35 by $100 or so and make it an even better bargain than it already is!
Press Release: Palm, Inc. Financial Report for Third Quarter FY 2003
MILPITAS, Calif., March 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Palm, Inc. (Nasdaq: PALM), which consists of two operating units — Palm Solutions Group and PalmSource — today reported revenues of $209.0 million for the third quarter of fiscal year 2003, ended Feb. 28, 2003, down 28.6 percent from the $292.7 million reported during the comparable quarter a year ago.
Non-GAAP net loss in the third quarter — which excludes the effects of amortization of intangible assets, separation costs, impairment charges and restructuring charges — totaled $26.5 million, or $(0.91) per share. This compares to a non-GAAP net loss in the third quarter of fiscal 2002 of $14.0 million, or $(0.49) per share, which excluded the effects of the reduction in special excess inventory costs and amortization of intangible assets. Non-GAAP net income in the second quarter of fiscal year 2003 was $5.7 million, or $0.19 per share, which excluded the effects of amortization of intangible assets, separation costs, and restructuring charges. All earnings-per-share figures have been adjusted for the 1-for-20 reverse stock split effective Oct. 15, 2002.
For the third quarter of fiscal year 2003, net loss, as measured by generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), was $172.3 million, or $(5.93) per share. This net loss included restructuring charges of $40.2 million and impairment charges of $102.5 million, both described in a March 3, 2003 press release. The restructuring charges related to rationalizing real estate locations and reassessing the ability to sublease vacant facilities; severance payments related to layoffs; and other items related to right-sizing Palm Solutions Group and PalmSource. The impairment charges included a non-cash charge of $100 million to reduce the carrying value of the 39 acres of land owned by the company in San Jose, Calif. to the current fair market value and a $2.5 million impairment of intangible assets. For the third quarter of fiscal year 2002, net income was $2.9 million, or $0.10 per share and for the second quarter of fiscal year 2003 net income was $3.5 million, or $0.12 per share.
“The progressive recovery of the handheld industry is continuing, although still held back by weak economic fundamentals. We are pleased to post the first profitable quarter of our PalmSource subsidiary. Palm is determined to return to sustained profitability, without sacrificing its participation in the growth drivers of the next chapter in the handheld industry,” said Eric Benhamou, Palm’s chairman and chief executive officer.
He noted the following year-over-year improvements:
— Non-GAAP gross margins of 31.3 percent vs. 29.2 percent;
— Non-GAAP operating expenses of $86.5 million vs. $105.2 million;
— Inventory of $23.3 million vs. $50.6 million;
— Inventory turns of 19 vs. 13; and
— Cash-to-cash cycle of three days vs. four days.
Solutions Group Update
During the quarter, the group responsible for the world-leading Palm(TM) branded handhelds, accessories and add-on hardware and software accomplished the following:
— Began commercial sales of the Palm Tungsten(TM) W handheld to customers in Singapore, Hong Kong and the United States;
— Increased market share in Europe to 50 percent in the fourth quarter of calendar 2002 from 43 percent in the year prior, according to market research firm Canalys;
— Based on the first two quarters of shipping data, the Palm Zire(TM) handheld is the fastest-growing handheld in Palm’s history with shipments totaling more than 850,000 units, and it continues to attract new customers; and
— Shipped approximately 1 million Palm branded handhelds, bringing cumulative shipments to more than 21 million.
PalmSource Update
During the quarter, PalmSource, the Palm, Inc. subsidiary with responsibility for developing and licensing the Palm OS(R) platform, the world’s most popular operating system software for handheld computers and smartphones, achieved the following:
— Signed three new licensees, Legend Group Limited and Group Sense Limited, who will develop Palm Powered(TM) products for the large Asian and Chinese market; and HuneTec, which licensed the operating system for use in the Korean market for wireless communication devices;
— Announced the opening of the PalmSource subsidiary in Hong Kong and the opening of the PalmSource representative office in Beijing;
— Announced Portable Innovation Technology (PiTech) as the first Palm OS System Development Partner. Through this relationship, PiTech will provide a one-stop solution to Palm OS licensees who want to reach the market quickly with their own branded Palm Powered devices;
— Grew its number of registered developers to 260,000. Those developers created about 17,200 commercially available applications plus thousands of proprietary applications, many used in enterprises; and
— Reported the cumulative number of Palm Powered devices shipped by quarter’s end to be more than 27 million.
According to IDC’s study in the United States, Palm Powered handhelds accounted for 71 percent of all personal digital assistants shipped in the second half of 2002. Palm Powered smart phones led the U.S. converged handheld space with a market share of 79 percent in 2002, IDC said.
Toshiba Announces e750 Pocket PC
Toshiba Computer Systems announced their new $599 e750 Pocket PC today. This new model has a few features not built into the e740 and includes 96 MB of memory (64MB of RAM/32MB of NAND memory), a 400 MHz Intel XScale PXA255 CPU, and VoIP (voice over IP) via an integrated headphone/microphone jack on a new hands-free headset.
The e750 has both Compact Flash Type II and SecureDigital expansion slots, as well as built-in 802.11b wireless connectivity. The device is essentially a new version of the e740 and it’s anticipated that many of the add-ons for the e740 will also work with the e750.
There’s no word on when the e750 will actually ship, although Toshiba’s website does show the new device with 1-3 day delivery.
Press Release: FIS releases Pocket Genesis (ver 7.2)
Ported from our desktop version, Pocket Genesis is a stock charting and technical analysis system supporting all type of instruments, including stocks & shares, commodities, index, options, futures, bonds & funds.
Incorporating the most widely used charting tools, Pocket Genesis can also be used to analyse any other kind of data. Data files can be saved to the CE device from desktop PCs, downloaded from the internet/intranet or from any source and used by Pocket Genesis.
Pocket Genesis (ver 7.2) provides Internet connectivity so data can be retrieved from the Internet or Intranet and charted directly in Pocket Genesis without the need for any browser or intermediate data repository. Users have the option to either enter any Internet or Intranet URL from where to retrieve the data from, or use the URL builder to fetch FREE data from Yahoo Finance.
The system provides fully customisable charts & save/restore features, drawing trend & channel lines, with options to filter data & Zoom in/out graphical capabilities
Free trial versions for Pocket PC, Pocket PC 2002, Handheld PC, H/PC 2000 and desktop PC are available from: http://www.fis-group.com
Press Release: Sprint & Microsoft Combine Power of PCS Vision(SM) Capable Phones with Next-Generation Windows Powered Pocket PC Software
Sprint introduces two Vision(SM)-Capable PCS Phones with Windows Powered Pocket PC software featuring high-speed Web browsing, wireless email, built-in cameras and Windows Media Player
NEW ORLEANS, La. (CTIA Wireless 2003) - Mar. 17, 2003 - Sprint (NYSE:FON, PCS) and Microsoft Corp. today announced plans to offer two new innovative PCS Phones based on the Microsoft(r) Windows(r) Powered Pocket PC platform designed for individuals and mobile professionals who want a single multipurpose wireless device to make clear calls, access information, and shoot and share digital pictures. The new VisionSM-Capable PCS Phones will combine the power of the nation’s largest high-speed voice and data network with the flexibility of Pocket PC software and the convenience of seamless integration and rich features in two uniquely designed devices from Samsung and Hitachi.
Sprint will offer two PCS Phones based on the CDMA version of the Microsoft Pocket PC software in the second quarter of 2003 including the PCS Phone by Samsung SPH-i700 and PCS Phone by Hitachi(r) G1000. Both Windows Powered Vision Capable PCS Devices will combine the functionality of a PCS Phone, Pocket PC and integrated digital camera, allowing customers to leave their laptops behind and still be productive on the go via wireless access to voice and data communication. Customers will be able to read and respond to personal and company email, open attachments, access business applications, browse the Web in full color, shoot and share pictures, and make phone calls anywhere on the enhanced Sprint Nationwide PCS Network - all with the convenience of a single mobile device.
“Sprint is taking leadership in wireless innovation to new heights by working with Microsoft to add the latest evolution in converged PDAs to the PCS Clear Wireless WorkplaceSM. By leveraging Microsoft’s Pocket PC software and the electronics expertise of Samsung and Hitachi, Sprint can provide customers with a PCS Phone that transcends the traditional versatility and functionality of a PDA,” said John Garcia, senior vice president of marketing, sales and distribution for the PCS Division of Sprint. “The power and flexibility of the Pocket PC combined with the clarity, desktop-like speed and breadth of the enhanced Sprint Nationwide PCS Network will provide customers with a powerful platform for personal and enterprise mobile communications.”
The Pocket PC platform includes a broad range of native business, personal productivity and entertainment applications and can be easily expanded and personalized through a growing number of industry-standard hardware and software options. Microsoft will enhance the wireless experiences of Sprint business customers and consumers alike with rich, full color graphics and a dynamic selection of advanced multimedia services available on the two new PCS Phones with Microsoft Windows Powered Pocket PC software.
“This combination of advanced wireless data services, innovative hardware and powerful software opens up endless possibilities for today’s mobile workforce,” said Juha Christensen, corporate vice president of the Mobile Devices Division at Microsoft. “There are millions of developers prepared to extend their expertise and applications to this new genre of Windows Powered smart devices. We look forward to expanding this exciting new category of wireless business communications tools along with Sprint.”
Microsoft Windows Powered PCS Phone by Samsung(r) SPH-i700
The PCS Phone by Samsung SPH-i700 is designed to enable business users to take advantage of the advanced features of a wireless phone while also having access to popular and familiar mobile versions of Microsoft applications. The Samsung i700’s speakerphone capability will allow users to conduct hands-free conference calls while simultaneously accessing files and information from the Pocket PC applications quickly and easily. The built-in digital camera will allow VGA quality 640 x 480 images, continuous capture, lighting adjustment, voice memo and text attachments with pictures that can be sent via email or infrared.
Microsoft Windows Powered PCS Phone by Hitachi(r) G1000
The PCS Phone by Hitachi G1000 is the company’s first Windows Powered device and the first Pocket PC phone to feature an integrated camera, keyboard and phone feature all in one mobile device. The Hitachi G1000 combines the comprehensive functionality of a Pocket PC experience with the high-speed enhanced Sprint Nationwide PCS Network to deliver the ability to input text for messaging using a built-in QWERTY keyboard, place and receive phone calls, and browse the Web at speeds averaging 50 to 70 Kbps, with peak speeds of 144 Kbps. The new device incorporates an integrated rotating digital VGA quality camera with the ability to shoot and share pictures via the enhanced Sprint Nationwide PCS Network.
Both the Samsung SPH-i700 and Hitachi G1000 will support standard Windows-based applications including Microsoft Pocket Excel, the Outlook(r) messaging and collaboration client, Pocket Word, Pocket Internet, Explorer, Windows Media(R) Player, Microsoft ActiveSync(r) technology, Inbox and MSN(r) Messenger. Additionally, Sprint customers can access thousands of Pocket PC software titles via the PCS Software Store. Powered by Handango, the leading publisher of handheld software, this online storefront can be accessed from the desktop at http://sprint.handango.com or right on the mobile device forover-the-air downloads.
Added Garcia: “Our alignment with Microsoft and stronger integration of the Pocket PC platform provides a flexible environment well suited for more complex enterprise applications, making it easier for companies that want to standardize their wireless solutions.”
Both PCS Phones with Microsoft Windows Powered Pocket PC software will allow customers to download PCS Business ConnectionSM Personal Edition during installation. This software-based solution offered by Sprint provides wireless access to company e-mail via data-ready PCS Phones or laptops and handhelds connected to the Internet. This productivity solution provides secure, real-time wireless access to e-mail and PIM information for Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Dominos servers for $5.00 per month.
Enterprise customers who want to deploy an affordable wireless email solution on a company-wide scale without installing equipment can take advantage of PCS Business ConnectionSM Enterprise Edition. A Pocket PC client for PCS Business Connection will also be available to push email directly to the device at optional scheduled intervals, allowing remote offline access to company email regardless of whether the customer is within coverage of the enhanced Sprint Nationwide PCS Network.
Equipped with embedded digital cameras, both devices will also allow customers to send digital images to family, friends and colleagues anywhere on the enhanced Sprint Nationwide PCS Network using the PCS Vision service called Pictures. PCS Vision customers can upload and store their images on the Sprint Pictures web site.
Sprint currently offers the Microsoft Windows Powered PCS Phone Toshiba 2032. The addition of Microsoft’s Pocket PC technology to two more versatile and powerful Vision-enabled PCS Devices will further enable today’s mobile workforce to access and manage a wide range of information tools.
Press Release: Pen&Internet announces riteMail 2.0 for Windows and Pocket PC
Industry’s premier handwritten email application now provides editing, recognition and storage capabilities for unified note taking between mobile devices and desktops
CTIA - NEW ORLEANS, LA, March 17, 2003 - Pen&Internet, LLC today announced the immediate commercial availability of riteMail 2.0 for Windows and Pocket PC platforms, debuting the first application that enables users to take handwritten notes on their mobile devices for editing, recognition and storage back at their desktops. Pen&Internet will demonstrate this new product in the Microsoft Partner Pavilion, Hall E, Booth 4967.
With riteMail 2.0, handwritten notes taken on a handheld device or desktop can be emailed over wireless and wireline connections, as well as fully edited, recognized, stored and printed from a PC. riteMail seamlessly integrates with all popular corporate and personal email systems and is already used by people in over 100 countries, writing in more than 50 languages.
Key new product features:
- Note capture: Enables unified note taking and processing between pen-enabled mobile devices and computers on multiple platforms.
- Note transfer: Allows transfer of notes between mobile devices and from mobile device to desktop via a wireless or wireline connection.
- Deferred notes processing: Permits editing of handwritten notes on a PC, including the ability to move, copy, delete, resize, and change color, width and style of any portion of your notes.
- Smart printing: Enables printing of electronic ink documents on desktops with automatic and manual page-break adjustment features.
- Shape recognition: Instantly perfects common shapes and full freehand charts. Intelligently adjusts, aligns, resizes, corrects gridlines, connects arrows and adjacent shapes, and fine-tunes concentric shapes.
- Handwriting recognition: In riteMail for Windows, handwritten text can be recognized and copied to the clipboard for pasting into any key office applications.
- Enhanced delivery: Combines image and electronic ink delivery for full compatibility with mail systems.
“Every mobile professional takes notes, and many are searching for new technologies to help make these notes instantly transferable and accessible for full editing, recognition and printing back at the office”, said J. Gerry Purdy, Ph.D., principal analyst with MobileTrax. “The advancement in electronic ink provided by Pen&Internet’s riteMail 2.0 fills a market need for a practical note taking and processing avenue for mobile device users and it is the first cross-platform application to accomplish this.”
“With the growing popularity of pen-enabled devices as practical note takers, we have seen an increased market demand from industry users and business partners for unified note taking and storage capabilities of handwritten notes”, said Dr. Leonid Kitainik, general manager of Pen&Internet. “riteMail 2.0 is a helpful productivity tool for all handheld users who have always wanted to take effective, transferable, editable, recognizable notes on their PDAs, but couldn’t until now.”
Availability, pricing, support
riteMail 2.0 application and service is available for Windows desktops and Tablet PC, Pocket PC, Windows CE 3.0 handhelds, Palm Powered handhelds, convergent phones. riteMail can be purchased online from Pen&Internet’s software store at www.ritemail.net, powered by Handango, or through Handango and its online channels.
The base list price for riteMail 2.0 is $21.95 for Pocket PC and $24.95 for Windows. Multi-platform packages can be purchased directly from the riteMail site. An introductory price of $19.95 for this new version will be available through March 31.
The Tablet Diaries Episode 5 Now Available For Your Reading Pleasure
Episode 5 of my continuing series on life with Sorrento, my HP/Compaq TC1000 Tablet PC, is now available for reading here on PDAntic.com.
Since the last episode, I’ve fallen into a nice routine of using this wonderful device. During the last month or so, I’ve been able to try a lot of the software that has been written specifically for Tablet PCs, become more comfortable with using the stylus instead of the keyboard, and I’ve even had a chance to fully appreciate the phenomenal integration of hardware and software that makes Tablet PCs so usable and unique.
You can read the latest installment of The Tablet Diaries by clicking here, or enter through the “Reviews” page by clicking/tapping the button at the top of the page.
-
Joy of Tech!
-
MacLevelTen
