11:19 AM by Colin Dunstan in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

It is still a mystery to many web designers how to properly make their webpages mobile-friendly. HTML Dog addresses this issue and tries to shed some light on mobiles and how they handle HTML and CSS.

05:49 AM by Colin Dunstan in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

If you still happen to use AvantGo, you can now re-register and get an extra MB (2 -> 3 MB) free.

04:41 PM by Alexander Turcic in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

The Register has interesting news for all Bluetooth fans. Described in a new version of the Bluetooth specification, a technology called Bluetooth Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) will increase data transmission by compressing more data into each packet. This way, you'll be able to transfer information with 2.1Mbps instead with 712Kbps (today's standard).

The EDR specification is expected to be finalised this coming Autumn. Products based on the specification are set to ship some time in 2005.

The official Bluetooth press release is here.

04:11 PM by Alexander Turcic in Miscellaneous | Announcements

It was brought up to our attention that some of our frontpage feeds were out-to-date (PalmOneCity + ClieSource became 1src.com). We will make the necessary updates ASAP. Two questions in this regard:

1. Do you actually look at the external news feeds on our frontpage? Did you know that you can customize to the feed settings?

2. Are there any other news feeds that you would like to be integrated on our frontpage? (I remember zire71man asking me a while back to add PDAArcade). Since an upgrade is imminent, we can perhaps also add your feeds.

08:38 AM by ignatz in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

NASA has announced that they have a nearly working prototype of a "PSA", personal satellite assistant designed to move semi-autonomously in the weightlessness of the space station. Despite looking like a large version of the jedi training sphere seen in the first Star Wars movie, it reportedly has no laser blasts. Instead it can be used to assess environmental conditions, help astronauts with experiments, and even video conference with Earth. See this Wired News article and go straight to the source at NASA.

08:27 AM by ignatz in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

French telecom company Orange has released what they are billing as the world's smallest smart phone (The Register, Google News). It has 64 megs of RAM, runs Windows Mobile 2003, and has a slot for an SD card. The SPV C500 measures 10.8 x 4.6 x 1.6 cm (4.25 x 1.8 x .6 in) and only weighs 100 g (3.5 ounces). It will be available in Europe in the summer.

04:37 AM by Colin Dunstan in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

Let's talk about the future. Sony has introduced three Linux-based in-car navigation and entertainment devices in Japan today. The NV-XYZ 33, 55, and 77 feature 3D map navigation technology, media players, hard drives, GPS, and PC connectivity.

The units measure 8 x 4 x 1.9 inches (204 x 104 x 49 mm), and weigh 25.4 ounces (720 grams). They are based on a MIPS-based processor of some kind, and boot a distribution based mainly on MontaVista Hard-Hat Linux (HHL) from a cramfs filesystem on Flash memory. They include a 6.5-inch thin-film transistor (TFT) touchscreen LCD display running at WVGA (800 x 480) resolution.

More info can be found here. The Linux Source-Code is already available.

Prices range: $1400 - 1900

I guess the next big thing we are waiting for is a HUD display with the buildings perfectly matching what you see outside...

10:43 AM by Alexander Turcic in Miscellaneous | Lounge

Thanks to our editor ignatz, I am now a proud owner of a gmail account (my secondname [at] gmail.com)

Haven't had much of a chance yet to test it, but first impression is great!