11:04 AM by Bob Russell in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

Sharp continues to frustrate us with new Linux non-English handtop computers that are only available by third party importers. Take a look at this overview from the comprehensive review at the Gadgeteer ...

Pros:
- Clamshell case with very usable thumb keyboard
- VGA screen
- Internal 4GB microdrive
- Mini-laptop functionality
- Very flexible if you take the time to customize it
Cons:
- Many programs and peripherals require manual installation and configuration by editing text files and using the terminal
- Many third-party programs seem unfinished
- Slightly bulky and heavy
- Performing a factory reset erases the microdrive
- No built-in Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
- Only available through importers and must be converted to English if you don't understand Japanese

According to Akihabara News , it's "the same as the SL-C3000 with only a different colour and 128Mb of flash memory." But boasts 8 hrs battery life in the specs.

10:34 AM by Bob Russell in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

Jan at Nova Media has sent us news of a product release already for the T|X device just announced. If you are planning to use a T|X with a mobile phone to connect to the internet, be sure to check it out here.

10:26 AM by Bob Russell in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

Jim McCarthy contacted me earlier this morning to let me know about his article over at GadgetMe! on the new Palm devices. It's definitely worth a visit as he did a great job. Check it out here.

01:39 AM by Chaos in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

First, a big round of (figurative) applause for PalmAddicts for getting this information out before anyone else (ok, 1src has it too - not entirely sure which was posted first ).

Next, on to the actual devices!

Zire 22
Find the specs over at Palm's website.

From what I can gather, the Zire 22 is very, very similar in capabilities to the Zire 31, except it's $30 US cheaper. Very nice, in my opinion, for an entry-level PDA. Palm seems to be quite good at designing such devices, but they have a much more hit-and-miss record with the category the other new device is in...

Tungsten TX
Find the specs over at Palm's website.

Looks like the early information was bang-on. 312 Mhz, 128MB of memory, Bluetooth (only 1.1), and wifi (802.11b), and the standard 480x320 screen. Visually and in size almost identical to the T5, but with half the memory, a slower processor, wifi, and a cheaper pricetag. The TX comes in at $299 US. Not bad at all, for the specs. Now, is it reliable? Only time will tell if this turns out to be another seemingly rushed job, riddled with flaws at the time it's launched... Or not. (An interesting thing to note is that the TX appears to use the same grey colour scheme as the LifeDrive did, and not the blue scheme of the older Tungstens.)

So, now we know exactly what Palm's new models are (officially, anyway - the rumours appear to have been dead-on, for once)... Any opinions or discussion over these, now that they're confirmed?

[Just to link to PalmAddicts again... Zire 22 announcement, Tungsten TX announcement, Zire 22 datasheet, Tungsten TX datasheet, picture of the TX, picture of the Z22. Long list - Sammy at PalmAddicts has been busy!]

06:27 PM by Brian in Archive | Portable Audio/Video

Who says mobile video isn't ready for prime time? According to a BusinessWeek Online article titled The Coming Mobile-Video Deluge, the number of mobile video users in the U.S. will grow to 20 Million by the end of 2007, up from less than 1 Million users today. The explosion will come on cell phones and smartphones like the Treo 650 using services like MobiTV, which provides mobile TV services to Sprint Nextel and Cingular Wireless.

If you didn't get a chance to see Jeff Hawkins' presentation at the Palm Analyst Day a couple of weeks ago, here are two quotes about mobile content and video:

"I have four full length, high quality movies on my Treo. If you haven't seen it you'll be blown away, I'll be glad to show it to you later. It's an amazing experience, I would have never thought it, but it's incredible. People are going to watch movies on these things."

"Downloading media and streaming media are two applications which really cry out for a small device, one that you've got with you. You don't really want to stream it to your desktop, you want to stream it to the thing right in front of your face."

While watching a video on a small screen isn't exactly an optimal cinematic experience, the ability to view video content instantly, anytime, and anywhere will be the driving force behind mobile video in your pocket. It's all about mobility.

Related: MobiTV to offer live TV on Treo phones

[via MoCoNews]

04:15 PM by Bob Russell in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

Shaun over at PDA24/7 has some info on the Evernote product for PalmOS PDA from the development team. "We are working hard to give you mobile versions of EverNote with decent desktop sync and are solving many technical problems. Please be patient...."

If you are a fan of Evernote or want to see it on your PDA, consider participating in this poll. (Don't forget that multiple choices are allowed.)

As always, PDA24/7 is an interesting site to visit, and Shaun doesn't just post the news. He participates in it, and makes quite an effort to support the cause of mobile computing.

While you're there, be sure to also check out this worthy cause.

03:40 PM by Bob Russell in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

"Palm, Inc. (Nasdaq:PALM) today announced the appointment of Robert C. Hagerty to its board of directors. Hagerty is chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer of Polycom, a worldwide leader in collaborative voice, video, data and web applications and also conference phones."

See more at Palm Addicts

11:18 AM by Bob Russell in Miscellaneous | Lounge

There's a new podcasting service from Yahoo.

"The service -- at http://podcasts.yahoo.com/ -- will allow users to rate and review various shows. It also includes searching functions that allow users browse from a directory with tens of thousands of podcasts from across the Web."

See the story here