07:28 PM by Alexander Turcic in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

Via Teleread I found out today that someone already started a dedicated blog on the forthcoming Nokia 770, the mini-tablet device that made the news recently by being the first Nokia device that is fully powered by open-source Linux.

Good luck with the blog to whoever you are you, though next time you may want to be more careful with the choice of domain name. Nokia may not be amused.

07:17 PM by Alexander Turcic in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

Handango has opened its doors and is now allowing its customers to join the Handango Club, reports WindowsMobile247 today. By joining the club, you will receive 10% off all software on Handango, extra rewards points, VIP customer support and an exclusive newsletter. Subscription to the club is $5.00 monthly or $49.99 yearly. In other words, to amortize the costs of a one-year membership, within one year you'd have to purchase software worth at least $499.99.

03:06 PM by Bob Russell in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

The 2005 PalmSource Mobile Summit and DevCon was a spectacular success, and a lot of fun for all. There was an amazing level of camaraderie and friendliness among the attendees, and everyone was energized by the PalmSource management team as they laid out their strategy and roadmap. The Palm community is alive and well!

There were also numerous announcements, and with the possible exception of David Nagel's resignation for personal reasons, the good news seemed to just keep pouring in, highlighted by the announcement of the PalmOne extension of it's contract to license PalmOS into future years.

I have a renewed respect for PalmSource and my concern for the future has been replaced by a great hope for the future.

Still remaining in our own coverage is an exclusive MobileRead interview with Michael Mace (Chief Competitive Officer at PalmSource) and John Cook (Director of Product Marketing). You don't want to miss this one. I think when you see it, you'll catch the vision also! So be sure to keep your eye out for that one, coming soon.

In the meantime, be sure to take a look at the official PalmSource DevCon blog, where you can find many additional great interviews done in San Jose for the Computer Outlook Radio Talk Show. I've been listening to them on my Treo during my commute, and they're a lot of fun.

06:43 PM by Colin Dunstan in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

Mike does a wonderful job of wrapping up his personal experiences of this year's PalmSource developer conference. On his third day, he met with the developers of the outliner tool Bonsai, listened to various keynotes related to design and upcoming Palm UI changes ("Rome"), and held a PalmOne LifeDrive for the first time in his own hands. Plus there is a lot more that happened to him on this day, so make sure to read the full entry!

05:54 PM by Alexander Turcic in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

Dell Axim X50v users are now invited to beta test a special version of Virtual Pool Mobile optimized for the Intel 2700G graphic accelerator of the Axim X50v. The screenshots look drop dead gorgeous!

Thanks to PocketGamer for the tip!

05:34 PM by Alexander Turcic in E-Book General | Deals and Resources (No...

In a press release Motricity announced today that the company's eReader.com division has partnered with "on demand" book manufacturer and distributor Lightning Source. The latter will become the exclusive DRM licensee for eReader e-books in the US, and the two will offer a combined platform for 3rd parties to build custom, cross-format (=multi-format?) e-book storefronts. From the release:

"eReader is the most popular eBook format in the industry today," said J. Kirby Best, president and chief executive officer at Lightning Source. "Motricity and Lightning Source also share a common goal of driving the adoption of eBooks around the globe. We can accomplish that by continuing to deliver new eBook titles, formats and tools to the market. Our current customers, such as Powells.com, will now be able to provide an even larger selection of eBooks to their customers."

04:42 PM by Alexander Turcic in More E-Book Readers | Legacy E-Book Devices

Members of the Society for Information Display (SID) 2005 awarded the Sony Librie e-book reader Gold in the category Display Product of the Year -- disregarding the fact that the device is crippled with ridiculous DRM. Dear Sony, a nice display is simply not enough to win our hearts. From the official announcement:

Sony has reinvigorated the eBook category by integrating a bi-stable, electrophoretic, "electronic paper" display from the team of E Ink and Philips into its LIBRIé eBook. The DYAC bestowed Sony Corp. with the 2004 Display Product of the Year Gold Award for incorporating novel display technology in the design of an eBook that is more appealing to consumers, and which brings the eBook closer to fulfilling its potential.

03:47 AM by Alexander Turcic in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

WebIS is offering major discounts on some its Pocket PC software, including Pocket Informant and WebIS Mail.

From June 1st to June 6th, PI Correct Time is available for $5.95 (down from $14.95), WebIS Mail for $15.95 (down from $24.95), and Pocket Informant 2005 for $18.95 (down from $29.95).

Thanks to Brian for the tip!