Bubba's Blurbs On PDAs .... and Other Gadgets

2004-10-04T15:19:00.000+08:00

palmOne Announces the Tungsten T5

My last post was a month ago and that's how long the T5 "rumours" have been around .... Now, the cat is out of the bag.

Although it doesn't look at all like the picture I previously posted, This new T5 is very much welcomed ... The official release date is Nov 3, 2004. I month from today.

Here's a rundown of the specs I got from BargainPDA.com:

Released: 11/3/2004
Operating System: Palm OS v5.4
Dimensions: 4.76" x 3.08" x 0.61"
Weight: 5.1 ounces
Processor: 416MHz Intel® Xscale™ processor
Wireless: Bluetooth
Memory: 256MB (215MB available to the user. 160MB internal flash drive, 55MB of program memory for applicati
Expansion Slot: Secure Digital (I/O), Multi-Connector
Battery Type: Lithium Ion
Audio Out: Steareo Headphone Jack, Speaker
Display: Transflective TFT color display supports more than 65,000
Resolution: 320 x 480 pixels
Keyboard: Onscreen
Handwriting Recognition: Graffiti 2
Digital Camera: None

Good specs here to my standards. The only thing missing from my wishlist is the integrated WiFi. But at a release price of US$399 (what T3 was selling at), I am not complaining ....

2004-08-29T11:33:00.000+08:00

Tungsten T5 ... We Have A Picture

BargainPDA has news and a low quality picture of the upcoming PalmOne's Tungsten T5 ...looks like the real deal.

Some specification si the T5 as well:

520 MHz PXA270 XScale processor,
128 MB RAM,
320 x 480 screen,
Bluetooth,
WiFi,
high capacity battery,
one SDIO slot,
Palm OS Cobalt,

And a new form-factor. The T5 does away with the slider and goes back to the "classic" 4 buttons arrangement and the 5 way directional pad. It resembles the O2 XDAII I think.

No news on the release date and pricing yet, but I'll bo on a very close watch. Just reading the specs makes me drool already :P

More info on the T5 news at 1src

1src forum also brought up and old image posted at PIC long time ago on a rumoured Tungsten|CV.

It looks like Palmone took this desgn for the Tungsten|T5

2004-08-04T16:07:00.000+08:00

Siemens/Blackberry Phone

It's the Siemen SK65....

The Register announced the launched another design masterpiece from Siemens (at least in my opinion). On the inside, RIM Blackberry comm Suite is integrated with the mobile phone.

"The SK65 offers the full Blackberry application environment," RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie told us. "It's not just the communications stack."

The back of the phone swivels to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard for SMS and other data entry. If you ask me this looks more stylish than the original blackberry design. :)

Malaysia will not be seeing this in its markets ... just like the previos Blackberrys.

Just a thought here ... Could the Blackberry compete with the Symbian, Palm and Mirosoft based smartphones outside the US? Hmmmm........

2004-07-25T17:13:00.000+08:00

Another PDA/GPS Model ... iQUE 3200

Perhaps the iQUE3600 is priced a little too high ... Garmin decided to launch a "cheapre" model. One main difference which is immediately noticeable is a smaller display area. The iQUE3200 only sports 320x320 pixel screen with a dedidated graffiti area. No more Virtual Grafitti

More specifications:

Operating system: Palm OS 5.2
Processor: 200-MHz Motorola DragonBall MXL
Unit size (WxHxD)/weight: 2.8" x 5.0" x 0.8" / 5.2 oz.
Display information: 320x320-pixel, transflective TFT with 16-bit, color-rich display; bright white LED backlight; dedicated Graffiti writing area; and usable screen area of 3.0" (diagonal)
Internal Memory: 32 MB SDRAM
Expandable Memory: Secure Digital slot with SDIO capability
Battery: Rechargeable lithium-ion battery

This gadget is expected to hit the shelves (in the US at least) in August.

2004-07-23T08:43:00.000+08:00

1GB SD Card for my Tungsten T3

I ordered a larger capacity SD card for my T3. 1GB.

Currently I have 2 cards, a 256MB SD for data storage and backups and another 128MB card for MP3. I'll check out the read/write speed of the 1Gig card with my T3 and post my findings here. If it does not score too well, I'll use the card for my digital camera instead.

I should be getting the card soon.

2004-07-18T00:29:00.000+08:00

Internet ... GPRS ... Bluetooth

Today marks 2 weeks of me using wireless internet connection.

I bought a bluetooth USB adapter about a month ago to set up a BT network at home for my TungstenT3 and my PC. Then I found out I could pair my SonyEricsson HBH35, BT headset to my PC and use it to listen to MP3 (it's monoaural, but it works). I then set up my Sony Ericsson T68i mobile phone to act as a modem and get connected to the internet via the GPRS network. I found out the GPRS internet connection is almost twice as fast as my dial-up. So, I sign-up with DiGi telecoms, the unlimited data transfer plan for RM99.00.

Heheheh .... all you can eat "data transfer" for a flat rate of RM99.00 No more 56K land line dial-up for me.

My next step is to get a new mobile that is GPRS/EDGE(Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution) and use this 2.7G technology for wireless connectivety. Digi claims a 'best effort' EDGE connectivity of 380kbps. I know it's not broadband but now, if I have my mobile phone with me, and of course my notebook, I can just sit anywhere and that is my "HOTSPOT" :)

Here's a screenshot of a bandwidth speedtest using GPRS connection
... 68kbps connection, not bad eh ...

2004-07-05T23:21:00.000+08:00

Sony Ericsson MCA-25 Camera

I just bought a new toy...

I know ... it's "old" technology, but I still use an antique Sony Ericsson T68i. And this add-on more or less upgraded my T68i to a T610 level. In fact the MCA-25 gives better quality images at higher resolution than the built-in T610 camera.

I now can take pictures, transfer them to my Tungsten T|3. If necessary I can even send the picture as an email attachment. There're more additional steps involved here, compared to the times when I was using a Zire 71, but this works for me. And fun too ...

A sample of a picture taken from this tiny camera can be viewed here.

2004-07-01T08:53:00.001+08:00

MDA III confirmed ... XDA III ???

No longer a rumour ... T-Mobile has confirmed of a new MDA model. Targeted for release this September in Europe. When will this MDA III reach Malaysian shores is everyone's guess. Like the MDA-XDA and MDAII-XDAII, we could see this as XDAIII locally.

Here's the specifications and pictures.

Processor: Intel XScale 400 MHz
Operating System: Windows mobile 2003
Memory: 128MB RAM / 64MB ROM
Expansion: SD slot
Communication: Bluetooth / WiFi / Infrared
Telephony: GSM / GPRS
Camera: VGA
Battery: 1490 mAh (WoW)
Dimension: 130 x 70 x 19 mm
Weight: 210g

The sliding keyboard is wayyyy cooool!!!
Compare the MDAIII with the XDAII (source:Xscale.de)

2004-06-28T14:31:00.000+08:00

The Treo 610 could be true after all

BargainPDA posted a news about palmOne demanding websites to remove images and information abour the Treo610. What does this say ... I think the Treo610 will be available soon.

Here's a snippet from bargainPDA:-

Well boys and girls, I think we just got the next best thing to an official confirmation of the new Treo. PalmOne has begun demanding websites take down information about the new Treo 610/"Ace" model, starting with the article on enthusiast site TreoCentral.

Note to PalmOne: This is NOT how you keep something secret. The only worse thing you could do is issue a signed affidavit saying that the T610 exists. The cat is out of the bag, it isn't going back in, and trying to do it will only get you scratched.

Some other info about the Treo610:

* Palm OS version 5.x (most likely 5.4, Garnet)
* 32MB RAM
* 312 MHz ARM Processor
* Integrated Bluetooth
* 5-way navigation button
* 320 x 320 display
* 16-bit 65k color TFT
* Secure Digital slot (I/O)
* Browser enhancements
* Improved built-in camera (1.3MP with video recording ability)
* New funtion buttons
* Similar form factor

2004-06-22T21:34:00.000+08:00

WiFi SD for Palm Zire71

Well ... after much delay, SanDisk announces an SDIO 802.11b Wireless card for the PalmOD PDA to hit the stores end of this month or early July.

There's a big BUT here ...

The new wi-fi card will only work with the Zire71. SanDisk puts the blame on PalmOS not being truly SDIO compliant, hence the problem creating drivers for PalmOne devices unless a patch for the OS is released.

That's it for the good news for now. I personally gave up waiting for the wi-fi SD card. Instead I am looking forward to a new PalmOne PDA that has Wi-Fi and bluetooth built-in. Hewlett Packard did it on their IPAQ 4150, Sony has the "European" Clie TH55, and I thing PalmOne will hop into the bandwagon soon enough. Well, that's me talkin'...

2004-06-14T23:22:00.000+08:00

Nokia 6630

Nokia coming up with a new 3G phone. Supposedly smaller than the 6600, I am not sure how "small" the display is going to be. I personally am comfortable with the 6600 overall size and the display size.

And this one supposed to be "pear shaped" .... look at it closely. To me it resembles a toilet seat. Definitely not my taste :(

What I think would be a selling point is the 1.2 MegaPix built-in camera.

2004-06-09T09:17:00.000+08:00

Treo600 minus the Camera

Source:
Sprint Officially Offers Camera-less Treo 600 Posted By: Ryan on Tuesday, June 08, 2004 10:13:37 AM

Sprint, a main player in US cellphone operator, announced the availability of a non-camera version of the Sprint PCS Vision Treo 600 by palmOne.

A good move here I think, introducing models sans camera. I know a few friends who bought a top of the line mobile phone with built in camera, but was not allowed to take them to their workplace. Their employer was concerned about information (pictures) leaking out to competitors. Also, there's a lot of stories where people with camera phones are not allowed into public pools, and changing room, unless they leave their devices at the secutiry desk. Well, look at it this way ... the images of American "having fun" Iraqi prisoners could very well be captured from a camera phone. (They actually were, if I recall listening the news correctly)

"Hey... I'm not going to leave my RM2700 PDA/phone to anyone, my whole life is in there." I am assuming that's the response you'll get when ou ask someone to leave their treo600 (or any other PDA/Phone/Camera combination) at the security counter.

Agian, I say, a good move to introduce this one ... one more alternative to the consumers, end users.

2004-06-08T12:07:00.000+08:00

Pocket LOOX 400 series

Fujitsu Siemens introduced it's latest Loox device ... specs wise, not much improvement to most newer PPC. It seems that the technology on handhelds has slowed down.

Here's a rundown of the specificatios:-

113 x 70.6 x 14.1 mm
126 grams. The 410 runs on a
300 MHz Intel PXA 255 processor (Loox410)
400 MHz Intel PXA 255 processor (Loox420)
Blurtooth (both Loox410 & Looks 420)
WiFi (Looks420 only)
64 MB of RAM and are supported by an
1100 mAh Lithium-Ion removable battery.
Dispaly, QVGA 240 x 320 color TFT
built-in microphone and headphone jack.
SDIO slot
InfraRed

RAM only 64MB .... Hmmmmm. Like I said before not much difference inside.

2004-05-26T10:42:00.000+08:00

Removing Blogger Comments. Going Back to Haloscan

I did not notice it was a hassle for non-blogger member to post a comment uing the blogger commenting system. All the while I was using and checking the comments using the same machine and everythibg looked fine. Then, Chet told me she cannot post a comment, even anonymously.

I then decided to try posting a comment from a different PC, and true enough, the blogger commenting system asks for a blogger username and password. There's a button at the bottom of the screen trying to "fish" for new blogger members.

Simply put, blogger commenting is not friendly to non blogger members, forces one to register with blogger before a comment can be posted. Well ... this is not really to my liking. So I am changing back to Haloscan Comments. A simple pop-up comments page is good enough to check on what people have to say about my posts.

WELCOME BACK HALOSCAN

2004-05-26T08:55:00.000+08:00

Treo 660 Rumour ... a fake

PDAlive posted news on a Treo 660 rumour. With the new model comes with Bluetooth and more memory ... minus the antenna.

The person who started the rumour confessed that it's a photoshopped image. Check it out at Palminfocenter forum.

Anyways, the picture looks good ... something to dream on ...

2004-05-26T00:33:00.000+08:00

SanDisk Releases WiFi Memory SD Combo Card

Palminfocenter reported about SanDisk releasing an SD Wifi card with built in 256MB Flash memory. This is good. Users with PDA having one SDIO slot can still use the WiFi card and still have lots of MBs for storage space.

Specifications as reported by Palminfocenter:
"The SD Combination card ships with consumer and enterprise-grade security solutions, including WEP, 802.1x, PSK and WPA on the Windows CE platform. It uses Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) Wireless LAN technology to provide bandwidths of up to 11Mbps and ranges of up to 800 feet depending on environment. The low-power device is designed to minimize battery drain, a key consideration for handheld computer users."

SanDisk announced that the SD WiFi/Memory combo would be on retail shelves within 30 days. And expected to retail for USD129. That comes to RM490 at 3.80 exchange rate. The pricing is not bad at all. With a regular 256MD SD selling roughly at RM300, the WiFi part cost about RM200 ... not bad indeed ...

Well, with the PalmOS driver for its SD WiFi Card delayed several times on so many months. I wonder if SanDisk can deliver within its target period. Palminfocenter also highlighted that the actual release date for the PalmOS drivers is still a blur.

The wait continues!

2004-05-23T23:24:00.000+08:00

ThinkOutside Bluetooth Keyboard Coming Soon

As early as June...

But the bad news is for Palm users. The initial shipnent of the BT Keyboard would only carry drivers for Windows Mobile (Pocket PC) and Symbian devices. Just like the SDIO WiFi card, PalmOne devices were the second fiddle ... tough luck!

2004-05-10T21:23:00.000+08:00

Dilbert vs. Techno Bill

These 2 Dilbert comic strips basically describe the gadget freak I am.

..... well, possibly the majority of PalmX members as well .....

2004-05-10T18:48:00.000+08:00

Blogger New Commenting System

Blogger has incorporated commenting system for their "blogger powered" blogs. I decided to go ahead with the blogger built-in commenting and remove the "Haloscan" commenting I previously had.

The drawback to this action is that comments to the previous postings would be gone as well. Well, you win some ... you lose some ....

2004-05-09T18:32:00.000+08:00

GSPDA Xplore G88

Mobile phone manufactures are keeping themselves busy churning out models of mobile phones with built-in Personal Digital Assistant functions. Companies like Symbian, Microsoft and PalmSource(PalmOS) are licensing its operating system to mobile phone manufactures to power these smartphones.

A Hong Kong based company, Group Sense PDA (GSPDA), entered the smartphone market recently with a PalmOS powered smartphones to claim "a slice of the cake". The latest model introduced by GSPDA is the Xplore G88. A dual band 900/1800 GSM smartphone. And I happend to get hold of this model for a few days recently.

It's Got The Looks...

Design wise, in my opinion, the Xplore is perfect. The overall size of this smartphone is like an ordinary mobile phone. Comparing it to my Sony Ericsson T68i, the Xplose G18 is not much bigger. The elegant matte silver finish, matched with smooth polished frames and buttons, make the G88 stands out making this smartphone sleek and sexy. The 160x240 touch screen colour LCD covers about 80 percent of the phone's facade, doing away with the numeric keypads. The touch screen LCD displays a virtual keypad only when necessary.

Well, some people will prefer to have a "hard key" to press, so GSPDA designed the G88 display panel to slide up and reveal the classic 12-key numeric pad ... a-la the Nokia 7650.

Coming back to the display size, it does look small for a PDA but you hane to remember that this device primary funtion is a phone and the PDA part is added in for enhanced capability. I'd like to compare this to a device like the O2 XDAII, which is primarily a PDA with the phone part as enhancement, the display is great for entering/reading data, but I think it's a little cumbursome to put it to ones ear when receiving a phonecall. (The Handspring Treo600 takes a "middle road" reducing the size of the display, which is big enough to be a PDA and small enough to make the device feels like a phone ... but, I digress)

The Engine

GSPDA chose to power the Xplore G88 using PalmOS version 4.1.2 and 33MHz DragonBall processor as its engine. The processing power seems unimpressive but emough to handle the voice and data transfer over the GSM network fairly well. Basic computing power for PIM functions is agreeable with the specifications.

The Xplore G88 comes with a 16MB RAM to store the SMS, emails as well as PalmOS applications and data. A 24MB Flash Memory embedded in the device for users to use as backup memory. There's no additional memory slots built-in in case you need more storage space. Users need to buy a separate attachment to the phone to be able to use SD/MMC cards for more storage. Rather dissappointing, doesn't it? I guess the decision was such to keep the Xplore G88 size small.

Also a dissappointment is the lack of Bluetooth connectivity. The only way to move or copy data to and from other devices is limited to only IRDA (Infra Red) connectivity. Bluetooth connectivity on the phone would be next in the G88 funtion wish list. Being a high end mobile phone, having Bluetooth connectivity is a great plus for power users, especially to those who handles a lot of data transfer between the phone and a personal computer.

The Test Drive ....

One thing I forgot to mention about the G88 design is the antenna. While the latest phone models does not have an entenna protruding, the G88 decides to have one. The antenna, although not really desirable design wise, is there for a purpose. The G88 picks up the cellphone wireless signal very well, giving better voice reception. Even, data transfer via GPRS for that matters

Dialing could be done in two ways. One way, is to slide the display up to reveal a numeric keypad for dialing. Doing so will automatically switches on the phone from its standby state. The other way, is to use the virtual keypad on the phone display. Just tap on the numbers to proceed with a phone call, as you'd normally do. Text input is accomplished using Palm Grafitti2 character recognition.

Other mobile phone functionalty such as handling incoming and outgoing messages, albeit SMS or email comes built into the G88 system. There is however, some stability issues when sending SMS. Within the short two days of using the G88, the phone locks up twice and in both occasions, it was during SMS outgoing transmission.

The G88 has GSM-GPRS connectivity built in, logging to the internet is hassle free. Just set the GPRS connection parameters, you are set to go online.

Being a PalmPowered device, the intreface is very intuitive, and simple to learn with a low learning curve, even for a first timers. The built-in PIM (Personal Information Manager) applications, like Datebook and To Do handles calendering and task management well. To add more functionality to the phone, one could just search the internet for thousands of PalmOS applications. I have installed a few like Blazer(web browser)and HandyShopper (shopping utility), and both application runs perfectly well on the G88. The G88 160 x 240 resolution with virtual input area is not a standard display for PalmOS devices so there are a few applications that has some compatibility issue with the G88.

The G88 160 x 240 resolution with virtual input area is not a standard display for PalmOS devices so there are a few applications that has some compatibility issue with the G88.

The Xplore G88 comes with a built-in camera able to snap photos at CIF resolution (352 x 288 pixels),and with Palm HotSync technology all data and photos are synchronised to a personal computer with ease. All software and application for the G88 to link to your PC is included in the box.

Being given a short two days to test out this phone, I did not have a chance to do a G88 to PC synchronisation. I guess, being a PalmPowered smartphone, the setup and use should be easy.

Last Words

The Xplore G88 is a mobile phone with PDA functions. overall, the Xplore G88 performs well. Having a good balance of "form" and "function, the G88 works well as a mobile phone and the PDA functionalities enhances the usability of this device. GSPDA, however needs to iron out some stability issues, like the glitches while using the SMS and email applications, requiring a phone reset.

Pros:

Attractively priced at RM2,088.00
Small in size and sleek design
Very good GSM signal reception

Cons:

instability issue
no bluetooth connectivity option
no memory slot to add additional storage flash card

2004-04-29T11:43:00.000+08:00

Zire 72 and Zire 31 is Official, but no Tungsten E2

As expected, yesterday 28th April, the two new zire mdels were announced. No more speculation on the specifications ... Here they are:-

ZIRE 72 SPECIFICATIONS
Size & Weight:	4.6 in. x 2.95 in. x 0.67 in. (116 x 75 x 17 mm); 4.8 oz (136 g)
Processor:	312MHz Intel PXA270; Palm OS 5.2.8
Memory:	32MB RAM; (24MB user accessible)
Expansion:	SD/MMC slot
Screen:	320x320 pixel; 65k-color; transflective back-lit
Audio:	stereo headset jack; rear speaker
Power:	Rechargable LiIon Poly (950 mAh)
Connectivity:	mini-USB cable, SDIO, IrDA, Bluetooth (v1.1)

ZIRE 31 SPECIFICATIONS
Size & Weight:	4.4 x 2.9 x .6 inches and weighs 4.1 ounces
Processor:	Palm OS 5.2.8 on a 200Mhz Intel ARM -based processor
Memory:	16MB RAM; (14MB user accessible)
Expansion:	SD/MMC slot
Screen:	160x160 pixel color STN display
Audio:	stereo headset jack (stereo headphones sold separately), Built-in Speaker
Power:	Rechargable LiIon Poly (900 mAh)
Connectivity:	mini-USB cable, SDIO, IrDA,

2004-04-26T13:28:00.000+08:00

3 New Palms ... Not 2 ... Or Could It Be 4 ...

Got word from the KVPUG forum that there are going to be 3 new devivces from palmOne ... not 2.

The Tungsten|E2 should be announced alongside the Zire31 and the Zire72. The only thing is, there is no images of the T|E2 yet. The release of both the new Zires are comfirmed with advertisements posted as in my previous post. The T|E2 is still very elusie ....

Over at palminfocenter, there's news on the Treo610.
Snippet ...
The article is about a rumor that palmOne has decided on a different supplier for the wireless mode in the CDMA Treo 600. palmOne currently uses Sierra Wireless. The article states, "Sierra's modem business with PalmOne may not be sustainable at its current rate, as we are hearing that PalmOne has plans to move away from Sierra Wireless for models following the Treo 600 and 610."

Again. Wait and see!!

2004-04-16T09:20:00.000+08:00

More Details of the Zire 31 and Zire 72 at Brighthand.com

More details onn the upcoming models from palm one at Brighthand.com.

I'll just post a snippet fron their article ...

Although the Zire 72 is clearly intended to be the replacement for the Zire 71, apparently palmOne has made a number of significant modifications, including replacing the original model's joystick with a D-pad. One of the hardware buttons is now dedicated to the MP3 player, instead of the traditional Note Pad. The general look of the device has been changed, as well.

The Zire 72 will include 32 MB of RAM, which is twice as much as the Zire 71, but not as much as had been earlier reported. It will have a 320-by-320-pixel screen.

Like its predecessor, this new model will have a built-in digital camera. On the Zire 72, though, this will be a 1.2 megapixel camera, allowing it to take much better pictures.

This will be the first Zire model to include Bluetooth short-range wireless networking.

This store is selling the Zire 72 for 269 Euros (about $321)

The catalog also has an entry for the Zire 31. It is not clear at this point if this will be a replacement for the Zire 21, or if both models will be sold at the same time.

This PDA is supposed to include a 160-by-160-pixel screen that is color, not monochrome like the Zire 21's.

It will have 16 MB of RAM, twice as much as the Zire 21, and will include an SD/MMC slot, which the earlier model does not. It will almost certainly run Palm OS 5.2.

The Zire 31 will use the same general design as the Zire 21, including having only two hardware buttons and an Up/Down switch.

This store, the name of which is not known, will offer the Zire 31 for 129 Euros (about $154).

There has been no word of any upcoming palmOne model running the latest version of the Palm operating system, Palm OS Cobalt.

2004-04-16T09:09:00.000+08:00

28th April 2004 .... palmOne expected to announce new PDAs

PDAGeek reported that PalmOne is expected to announce new PDAs this comin 28th April. I will watch this date closely, as I've been keeping up with the Zire line updates.

Earlier this year, I've read rumours of three PDAs from palmOne, Zire31, Zire72 and the Tungsten E2. April 28 ... the wait would be over and question related to the rumours answerd.

If the rumours about the Zire31 is true and the spec gives were accurate, than this would be a HUGE update for the Zire. SD slots, 200MHz processors, OS5.2, Color Display .... And expected to sell at USD 150. Great deal indeed. A good model to place as an entry level PDA.

I don't know about the Zire72 status though. From the rumours that I came across, there were no mention about the built-in camera. I wonder, if the ZIre72 would have a 1.3MP camera ... or have a built in camera at all?

2004-04-15T09:11:00.000+08:00

More Images of the Rumoured Zire31 and Zire72

It's been a while since the rumour of the two Zires came to and has somewhat cooled down. It's mid April now, and there's no official news on the release of the two PDAs. Historically, Palm (now palmOne) releases new models in April and October ...

However, new images of the Zires recently popped up at PalmAddicts to keep the rumour going, and to give some hope to some people who are eagerly waiting for this update ....

The image quality has much to be desired but good enough to get a feeling of what the new devices would look like.


"Rumoured" palmOne Zire 31 - 160x160 colour TFT display - SD expandion slot - 200 Mhz Intel CPU - 16 MB of RAM - USB connector - 5-way navigation pad - built in rechargable battery	"Rumoured" palmOne Zire 72 - built in bluetooth - 32MB RAM, - Bluetooth, - 320x320 screen, - dedicated button for music

2004-04-10T00:42:00.000+08:00

Apple PDA Running PalmOS?? ... I think not.

I caught this photo while browsing PalmAddicts earlier today ...it looks like an Apple PDA with the familiar PalmOS silkscreen. Could this be the PDA from Apple that has been rumoured about?? I doubt so. I agree with Sammy of PalmAddicts that Apple would do better than offering that kind of design.

The display looks like a monochrome display from a Clie ... and look at the hard buttons. It's from Palms III series.

Frankly, I think Apple would come with better design (look at how the stylus sits). Apple would probably go with a white housing ... A-La iPod.

But good photoshopping job, I would say.

2004-03-31T15:05:00.000+08:00

New Look

Something wierd happened yesterday. I was updating the template for this site and there was a temporary black out. I do not have a UPS, so, I did not have the chance to save any of my work. The the power came back up a few minutes later, I found out that my blog side was totall "screwed"... pardon the expression. The template in Blogger was totally gone! EMPTY!!

I hastily created a new template this morning, using similar layout minus all the background colours and use less tables. It was a rush job, but looking at the site one more time, I kinda like the simplicity ...

So, this is the new look. I'm keeping this :)

2004-03-22T23:52:00.000+08:00

Targus PDA/Handheld Organizer: Organizing Electronic Organizers

Just mention the name Targus, and most people will associate the name with quality bags and cases for mobile computing devices. This brand name was the first thing that came into my mind when I bought a carrying case for my wife's notebook. Recently, I was with some friends shopping for PDAs at Sg. Wang IT Center, when I chanced upon a small bag. Small, but big enough for me to tote my electronic stuffs ... and guess what, it's a Targus.

An organizer for electronic organizers.

This gagdet bag is half the size of a regular back pack, with ample space for a subnotebook. Compartments aplenty in this Gadget Organizer. There are special slots for mobile phones and pens, portable CD player, pockets for PDAs. PC cards, keys .... you name it.

The center largest compartment has two separate internal slots and one zippered pocket. One slot holds a PDA (my HandEra330) and the other slot fits a Palm Wireless Keyboard perfectly. I use the zippered pocket to keep my busines cards and wireless PC cards. After fitting all those, the main compartment still has space to put my Psion netBook. Sub-notebooks with dimensions similar to the netBook should fit as well. Now, you don't need a full sized bag for your sub-notebook.

The secondary compartment is smaller and is closed with a "wrap around" zipper. It has two slot which is large enough for mobile phone, portable voice recorder, even a pack of cigarettes. There is also a zippered compartment for you to store whatever you can think of (provided it fits). I tried to put in my portable CD player in this compartment and it fits in very nicely.

The petite size of this bag does not compromise its comfort factor at all. It has a thick and broad strap which makes it really comfortable on the soulder. Weight of a 900g Psion netBook plus the rest of my gadgets distributes well acrosss the two inch broad strap. There is very little strain on the shoulder. The strap is adjustable to suite your own liking or comfort level. A rather large and rugged looking buckle to adjust the length of the strap adds additional cool factor to the design.

To protect the contents of the bag, Targus had a thick rubber lining around the sides and the base of the back. Targus calls this it's "Unique Compu-Tread" and it adds style to the design as well as shock absorption properties.

Speaking about design and style, this targus bag does not make you look like a total geek (at least in my opinion). I am no fashion designer, but I would use this a "handbag" without being at all embarrassed. In fact, I highly recommend this bag if you want to port all your gadgets everywhere you go, in style.

As for me ... I rarely leave home without it.

2004-03-20T19:20:00.000+08:00

Palm Mini USB Cradle

I know ... this is not new ... but I just got one for myself.

I was shopping for a repalcement USB charger cable for my office when I came accross this cradle at Digital Stuff, Low Yat Plaza. The cool factor made me get this cradle intead of just a sync cable. It works just like any other cradle, charging ang Hotsyncing mt T3 to my PC.

The Mini Cradle has unique and Star Trek like design, with built-in purple illumination. The illumination acts as an on/off indicator, a good way for me to check if I have the power to the cradle is on, or otherwise. At night, it's good as a night light too.

It has a dome like silver base with a reasonable heft to keep the cradle firmly stay on the desk. A rubberised lining at the bottom of the base provide additional grip to the desk surface. It works with all Palm models with a Universal Connector.

Instead of going to the office, I fit this "trekkie" cradle on my home PC and took the bland/plain looking out-of-the-box cradle to my office.

2004-03-15T11:38:00.000+08:00

256MB Xonix USB Watch

You can port along your important files ... and check the time as well!

This is nice and novel. We have seen pen that plugs into a computer, a swiss army knife tha stores data .... Now its in wrist watch. An a cool looking wrist watch I'd say.

Imagine this; you are at a client office, and you want to give your company profile to your client. You pull out the USB chord from your watch and transfer the file to youer clients computer .... geeky and cool at the same time :)

Uhhhh... another one. You are at a local hotspot, power up your notebook, log onto the internet as usual then you pull the UBS chord from your watch and plug it into your notebook. to download some files . At the corner of your eyes you can see people around you are watching what you were doing in awe. For the moment there you were James Bond :)

Here are more details on the Xonix Watch:
PRODUCT FEATURES

Data Storage Capacity: 128MB / 256MB
Data tranfer cable securely integrated in to the watch strap - The cable runs along the band and ends in a USB plug. The cable and the band is hidden under the sliding loop.
Sleek and lightweight - Not a bulky wristwatch
No driver software to install (Windows 98 requires included driver software)
Works on Windows 98/ME/2000/XP, Linux2.4 or higher, Mac OS 8.6 or higher
Shock proof and Anti-static
Water resistant to 30 meters
Read speed of 1000KB/sec.
Write speed of 920KB/sec.
LED indicator light indicating the status of the device (9 o'clock position)
Citizen 2035 (Japan) movement with 3-year battery life.
Password security for file privacy

2004-03-01T17:06:00.000+08:00

Another Wireless Keyboard for PDA's

I like this one ...

It comes with a classic 5 row keys with first row dedicated numeric key. The Palm Wireless Keyboard only comes with 4 rows of keys and you need to use a "function" key for numbers and few other punctuation marks.

KA ... Bring it along for the next BTM. I want a first hand feel of the keyboard.

And from KA's review, lighter too.

2004-02-29T22:36:00.000+08:00

Decuma On Spot on a Tungsten T3.

Software Name: Decuma On Spot

Description: Text Input System

Type: Commercial

Developer: Decuma

Price: US$ 29.99

Notes: 30 day free trial period

I now have DECUMA ON SPOT installed on my Tungsten|T3 ...

I was first introduced to DECUMA text input when I first laid hand on the Sony Clie NX80V, and I was impressed with this input system. Decuma is an alternative text input system for PDAs, on both PalmOS and Microsoft Pocket PC platform. Initially, for PalmOS devices, Decuma is only available on the Sony Clies, starting with the Clie PEG-NX80V, if I recall correctly.

Now, that this software is available for other PalmOne devices, I decided to take Decuma On Spot for a "test drive" on my Tungsten|T3. For some practice session. I'm going to write this small review using Decuma On Spot character recognition software. Here we go ....

..... read more at PalmX .....

2004-02-25T21:00:00.000+08:00

Nokia Communicator 9500 .... Instead of 9310

Well, it is different from what I expected. I thought the communicator would look like the image I received recently. The first thing that comes to mind when I saw this ... it still look like a brick (with smooth edges). The keyboard looks cool though, and I see a navigation button. This could mean no touch screen :(

Looks like Nokia did away with the antenna, which makes the 9500 very PDAish and look less as a mobile phone. Hopefully, without the antenna, phone signal or reception is not compromised.

Infosync has a full write-up on this upcoming communicator.

Here are some specs I got from i-Symbian.com:

-Tri-band GSM capability (two variants: 900/1800/1900 MHz and 850/1800/1900 MHz)
-GPRS/EGPRS (EDGE)
-Wireless LAN IEEE 802.11b (WiFi)
-Symbian Operating System 7.0S Platform with J2ME Personal Profile environment
-In-built VGA camera & Multimedia messaging
-Bluetooth audio and data support
-USB connectivity (Nokia Connectivity Cable DKU-2)
-80 MB of free user memory
-Two color (up to 65k colors) displays with
-640x200 pixels, Series 80 User Interface
-128x128 pixels, Series 40 User Interface
-E-mail support: POP3, IMAP,
-Email: IMAP4, POP3, SMTP, SyncML
-Security: SSL/TLS, Ipsec VPN
-Browsing: HTML/XHTML, HTML 4.01, JavaScript 1.3
-Office tool support: documents, spreadsheet, presentations

More hi-res images at i-symbian.com

2004-02-21T22:49:00.000+08:00

PalmX BTM ... February 2004.

I had fun today meeting with fellow PDA users .... The PalmX Palm User Group,

It has been 4 years since the inception of PalmX, and the group has evolved from a Palm Brand only PDA user group to a PalmOS PDA user group, and now the group members carry Palm, Treo, Psion, PocketPC, Symbian PDAs as well as other gadgets from the "hip" iPod, fancy mobile phones, bluetooth headsets, the Garmin GPS to Leatherman and Victorinox "multi-tool" :)

Here are some photos of the meet taken using a Palm Zire71 that belongs to one of the members, antuheri a.k.a. crazy_palmer (thanks Harry):-

Previous photo .....|..... Next photo

2004-02-16T15:22:00.000+08:00

Palmone X Mac OS X??

I was reading about the upcoming Palm COBALT at Brighthand, and towards the end of the article is something I did not expect to happen ....

"Mr. Slotnick (see picture at right) made it clear that PalmSource isn't developing a Mac version of the Palm Desktop. As the way the PIM apps work has changed significantly, this means Mac users won't be able to HotSync without third-party software. "

A sad news indeed ... All this while Palm PDAs was the alternative PDA to the Mac users, since PocketPC will not talk to their machines. We'll see a lot of dissapointed Mac users out there.

Hopefully, this does not mean that there won't be any HotSync capability for the new CobaltOS models coming out of the box. Mark/Space has hinted that anyone interested could license their "Missing Sync" software to make the Cobalt PDA "talk" to the Macs!

I hope Palmone could license and include the "Missing sync" in the Cobalt PDAs ... to be Mac ready out of the box. Or at least sell future Palmone PDAs for Windows and Mac separately.

Palmone could lose market share in the future if the do not include any kind of support for Mac users, albeit from new buyers or existing ones going for an upgrade.

.... Especially, if the rumour about the upcoming Apple PDA is true ....

Update:

I just came across an update on palminfocenter about this .... and I quote:

PalmSource Cheif Competitve Officer, Michael Mace, has issued a statement direcct from PalmSource regarding the issue in the article comments, "PalmSource is fortunate to have a great Palm OS developer community who provide solutions for Macintosh compatibility today. Palm OS provides an open and flexible architecture and allows its licensees to decide whether to ship a Mac compatibility solution with their Palm Powered device. (One such solution is provided by Mark/Space.) We are continuing our efforts with Apple to provide compatibility between Palm OS and Macintosh."

Things are looking good ... at least for now :)

2004-02-13T15:54:00.000+08:00

The HP iPAQ 6000

An italian site has a preview of the latest wireless enabled iPAQ 6000. The site is in Italian but you can always use Google or Babelfish for the translation:

Looks like a winner here, a small form factor with everything possible built in. Expected to hit the stores this summer. (usually northern hemisphere summer, i.e. middle of the year)

Specifications:
- Microsoft Mobile Windows 2003 Phone Edition
- Processor: Omap1510
- 64MB of Ram and 64MB of Rom
- 3.5inch Transflective LCD Display
- Slot SD/MMC with functions SDIO
- GSM/GPRS Quadband 850/900/1800/1900
- Bluetooth ver. 1.1
- Wi-Fi 802.11b
- removeable 1800mAh Lithium Ion Battery
- IRDA and USB
- Grip lateral antislide
- Flip removeable Cover
- Dimensions 11,7 x 7,4 x 1,8 cm
- Weight 185 grams

2004-02-06T17:06:00.000+08:00

More Rumours .... PalmOne Zire72

A KVPUG member, posted news of a Zire72 "baking" in PalmOne's oven.

Some of the specs he quoted was:-

PalmOS 5.2.1
1.3MPix camera
56MB usable memory
Bluetooth

Looks like we have 3 rumoured PDAs from palmOne, The Tungsten|E2, The Zire31 and now the Zire72. Sony wins again the time now that The Clie TH55, TJ27 and the TJ37 is now official.

2004-02-06T15:00:00.000+08:00

Could this be the Next Nokia Communicator??...

I received this mock-up image of the Nokia 9310 Communicator earlier, today. What do you think? Could it be the real thing?

I dare not comment this, but based on the mock image, the basic design of the Nokia Communicator is still there, with more curves replacing the sharp edges .... to give a more futuristic look.

Looking ai the pix again ... the keyboard looks kinda wierd, perhaps Star Trek style :)

2004-02-06T00:06:00.000+08:00

It' Official ... Clie TH55 and Clie TJ37

Now that's the TH55 and TJ37 are officially announced, Palminfocenter posted some cool pis of the new PDAs. Also updated the specifications:-

Clie TJ37

320x320 pixel,
65K TFT color screen
built in 300k pixel VGA camera
200 MHz Motorola i.MXL dragonball ARM processor.
32MB of RAM (of which 23MB user accessible).
IR port,
stereo headphone out jack
Memory Stick slot.
dimensions: 3 x 4.5 x 17/32 inches (w/h/d) or (75 x 113 x 13.2mm)
weight: 5 ounces or 145g.
lithium ion polymer battery.
suggested retail of 30,000 Yen, or roughly $275 USD.

Clie TH55

Palm OS 5.2.1
high res+ 320x480 pixel,
TFT 65k color screen.
built in Wi-Fi (802.11b)
built-in VGA digital camera
IR port
stereo headphone output jack
Memory Stick PRO slot.
32MB of RAM, of which the full 32MB is user available.
Sony manufactured ARM926 based processor
Digital Signal Processor (DSP)
CXD2230GA graphics accelerator.
Processor speed: Max at 123 MHz
rechargeable lithium ion polymer battery.
Software:Sony's own Clie Organizer
dimensions: approx. 3 × 4 7/ 8 × 17/ 32 inches (73.3 × 121.5 × 13.4 mm) (w/h/d).
weight: 5.8 oz (165 g) without the cover, 20g more with cover attached.
Price: 40,000 YEN or roughly $370 USD.

Well ... Sony has put down their cards, its now PalmOne's turn to move. Where are the Zire31 and the Tungsten|E2 ????

2004-02-02T23:08:00.000+08:00

PocketSurfer

Stumbled upon this gadget while I was surfing PDABistro

Here are some highlights of this PocketSurfer mobile internet device:-

Big screen. With 640-pixel-wide display you'll see the Web like it was supposed to be seen - no scrunching, reformatting or text-only sites.
Speed. The PocketSurferTM lets you retrieve more pages faster, similar to what you experience at home or in the office, and much faster than other mobile devices.
Full keyboard. With built-in mouse pointer. No triple-tapping on a numeric keypad to type in messages or fill in forms.
Slim case. Easily slips into your pocket with room to spare.
Convenience. It connects to the Web via your Bluetooth-capable wireless phones, or with an adapter for non-Bluetooth handsets. Simply connect and Ride the Web.

Expected to come third quarter 2004, this device is expected to sell for USD199 with additional fee for internet access. From the pix, I kind of like the form factor, the keyboard is a little too tiny though.

The website does not state if this device come with PDA fuctions and there was no mention of the operationg system its using either.

Well this is only February, and the "third quarter" will not come for another seven months ... its a long time to get more info and for the CellStar to reveal more about this gadget.

2004-01-25T01:54:00.000+08:00

First Thoughts - Sony Clie TJ27 Short Review

Brighthand has posted a short review of the Clie TJ27

Sony TJ27 Hardware Specifications

Manufacturer	Sony Corporation	Wireless	Infrared only (IrDA 1.2)
OS	Palm OS version 5.2.1	Connections	mini-USB
CPU	i.MXL Application Processor	Display	320 x 320 pixels, 65, 536 colors
RAM	32 MB (23MB available to user)	Size	3 x 4.5 x 0.5" (76 x 114 x 13.5mm)
ROM	8 MB	Weight	5 oz. (145 g)
Expansion	Memory Stick PRO	Battery	Lithium-Ion (800 mA)

REad the detail write-up on the Clie TJ27 here

2004-01-22T16:33:00.000+08:00

Rumour: HP iPaq H6300

With all the new PalmOS devices coming, HP also have something up their sleeve. The iPaq H6300 ...

It is rumoured that this "Treo" like iPaq is going to sport a VGA screen ... yes ... 640 x 480 pixel resolution. This new iPaq is expected to come in 2 versions, one with built-in camera and the other without. There was nothing said about the camera resolution.

Expected Specifications:

Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC
TI OMAP processor (speed is not known)
64 MB of RAM
64 MB of ROM
3.5 inch 640 x 480 pixels transflective screen
16-bit color
SDIO compliant SD slot.
Bluetooth
Wi-Fi
Quad-Band (850/900/1800/1900) GSM/GPRS

Full story at Brighthand

2004-01-22T16:00:00.000+08:00

Rumour: Treo 610 coming ??? ....

It has been only a few months since the Treo 600 arrived here in Malaysian shores, and rumours about a new one has resurfaced. PalmOne is said to "upgrade" the display of the Treo600 since that's the feature most users are not satisfied with.

Expected specs:-
- same hardware design
- 320 x 320 reflective CSTN display
- bluetooth

Read about the Treo 610 rumours here:

Thanks MBA for the tip

2004-01-15T17:53:00.000+08:00

Could This Be The Rumoured PalmOne Tungsten E2?

Naahhh ..... it's not real.

A Cliesource member, Palm Cow, got creative and created this image. It looks good though. Given the rumoured specs, the T|E2 could be a best seller. Right, the T|E2 is rumoured to only have 32MB of RAM and no Universal connector but having a 320x480 pixels resolution and built-in bluetooth are a good enough reasons to get this PDA ... if at all the T|E2 comes into being (remember, it is still a rumour, unlike the new TJ27/37 Clies which had gone through the FCC desks").

My opinion. The T|E2 could be on its way but am not sure if it will look exactly like the pix above ...

2004-01-14T08:39:00.000+08:00

Picture of the Rumoured Zire31

The rumoured Specs:

160x160 colour TFT display
SD expandion slot (not known if it is SDIO or not)
200 Mhz Intel CPU
16 MB of RAM
USB connector
5-way navigation pad
built in rechargable battery

Looks like the M505/515 screen is going into this new model. At last, PalmOne decided to upgrade its cheapest model to a colour display. IMHO, palmone need to do so, otherwise the new low end, cheap, colour screen, models from Sony will eat away the Zire model market share.

Now, to wait for some images of the Tungsten|E2 to surface. I'll post it up here as soon as I come across one ...

2004-01-13T08:35:00.000+08:00

Sony Has Another Clie coming ....

Source:
Palminfocenter
FCC Reveals Details of 3 Upcoming Clies
Posted By: Ryan on Monday, January 12, 2004 3:17:46 PM

PEG-TH55

The TH55 runs Palm OS 5.2 and has a high res+ 320x480 pixel, 65k color screen and an integrated flip cover to protect the display. The model has both built in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi (802.11b) as well as an IR pot and a Memory Stick PRO slot. It has 32MB or RAM, with 32MB user available. Internally the TH55 runs the Sony "Handheld engine", the sony custom chip-set that first debuted on the UX50. It is not clear what CPU clock speed is "under the hood".

The dimensions are approximately 3 × 4 7/ 8 × 17/ 32 inches (73.3 × 121.5 × 13.4 mm) (w/h/d). With the cover attached it is approx. 3 × 4 / 8 × / 8 inches (73.3 × 121.5 × 15.7 mm). It weighs 5.8 oz (165 g) without the cover, 20g more with it attached.

This unit's front-side is dominated by the large display and has row of small of application buttons along the bottom. On the backside of the device, is the built in camera, which has a retractable lens cover. Above the camera is a different, top rear center mounted jog dial with left and right directional arrows and a back button.

Looks like this one will be a "tablet" type hi-res plus display, a TG50 with out the thumbboard with a camera added. Reading the description and the picture, the TJ55 flip cover looks like the one on the TG50 ... not really my taste

2004-01-11T08:32:00.000+08:00

Two Sony Clies, a Rumoured Zire31 and Gossip of a Tungsten|E2

Well ... it looks like Sony will beat PalmOne again with new PDAs. I think in response to the Zire71 price reduction, Sony beefed up their mid range TJ series to include a VGA camera and built-in wi-fi ... Brighthand reported that the FCC already approved the new Clie TJ-27 and TJ-37, so we'd see these two new babies very soon.

Sony already has the wi-fi enabled Clie UX50 in the market and now is setting the wi-fi standard in a lower range PDA ... a very positive addition.

Like usual, Sony will come up with 2 models one is a "full" version (the TJ-37) and the other a budget stripped down version (TJ-27). There were no details on the pricing of these two new Clies yet, but I think that it ould be where the current TJ series pricing would be ....

Here are some details of the TJ-27 and TJ-37;

TJ27 and the TJ37 will run Palm OS 5.2.
use a Motorola i.MXL processor (speed is not yet known).
32 MB of RAM, 23 MB available to the user, the rest will be used for Heap Memory.
VGA 640x480 pixel camera for still pictures only, no video.
320x320 colour screen
The TJ-37 will have built-in wi-fi and and can play MP3 music

News in the palmOne camp is not that quiet either, there were rumours of a new Zire31 and a Tungsten|E2.

Also, from ,Brighthand, details of the rumoured palmOne PDAs are:-

PalmOne Zire31

160x160 colour display
SD expandion slot (not known if it is SDIO or not)
200 Mhz Intel CPU
16 MB of RAM
USB connector

PalmOne Tungsten|E2

320x480 colour display
SD expandion slot
Bluetooth

Both rumoured palmOne PDAs are expected to come running OS5.

I would think so as well. I expect the OS 6 models will come later in the year and will normally be introduced in the "flagship" model first before being used in other models.

Well, these are just rumours and I am just speculating based on the rumours ... not a very good thing to do :P

2004-01-06T21:07:00.000+08:00

Martin Fields Overlay Plus Screen Protector

After 3 months of using my Tungsten|T3, the Brando Workshop screen protector had to be replaced. The area where the VIA (Virtual Input Area) is scratched up so badly that "writing" on that are is so uncomfortable and the Tungsten|T3 had problems recognizing my graffiti letters.

After reading positive reviews, especially the one by The Gadgeteer, I decided to give the Martin Fields Overlay Plus a try .... And I like it!! The screen protector is so clear that at a glance you would not know the screen has a protector on.

Now, only time will tell how long the Martin Fields last on my Tungsten|T3 ...

2004-01-05T22:34:00.000+08:00

Vagablog

A fellow palmx member, MBA, introduced me to Vagablog ... A tool to enable me to update my blog when I'm away from my PC. This post is done using Vagablog and sent via GPRS using my SonyEricsson T68 mobile.

2003-12-31T11:48:00.000+08:00

2 Phone Numbers .. 2 Mobile Phones .. 1 Bluetooth Headset .. 1 Tungsten|T3

I have 2 mobile numbers which I use ... one for work, the other for personal use. After 2 months of juggling phones, I decided to get another bluetooth phone to pair with my HBH-30 headset. Now I have both mobile phones on my belt and I can receive calls from either of the phone.

Solution ... I bought a used Sony Ericsson T68 with a T68i upgraded firmware.

In Malaysia we are not so lucky to be able to use 2 mobile lines or number on a single SIM. I do not know why but there's just no way of doing it here. So, got myself a used T68 for RM300 last night. Paired both my Ericsson R520m and the T68 with mt HBH-30 and I'm set to go.

I now have 2 SMS software installed in my TungstenT3. The stock SMS program connects to my T68 for work purpose ans FunSMS is linked to my R520m for sending personal messages to relatives and close friends. I really like this set up.

2003-12-31T11:31:00.000+08:00

Happy New Year 2004

May more gadgets come my way .... :)

2003-12-22T23:11:00.000+08:00

Review: AlphaSmart Dana Wireless

About a year ago, Alphasmart released a PalmOS notebook alternative ... The Alphasmart Dana. I was lucky enough to have a hands-on review the "Originial" Dana. Just after its one year anniversary, Alphasmart introduced an upgrade to the Dana, The Dana Wireless.

And again through Chet (a Malaysian representative in Alphasmart online community) , I was given the opportunity to "test drive" Alphasmart's new device.

From the outside, the Dana Wireless is no different from the original Dana. The upgrades, if I could say that, lies inside the plastic casing of the device. Here is a short list of new specifications and improvement on the Dana Wireless

RAM has been increased from 8 MB to 16 MB
Flash ROM is now 8 MB, previously 4 MB
SDIO support on both SD card slots.
Built in wireless networking (802.11b) i.e. WiFi

You can get the DanaWireless datasheet here.

Wireless connectivity

As the name suggests, the new Alphasmart Dana place strong emphasis on the term Wireless connectivity. By positioning the Dana Wireless (from now on I'll just use DW for short) as a notebook alternative, it is important that the DW is capable of handling "tasks" that a notebook could do. Now, with most new notebook computers, comes with wi-fi connectivity built into them, I think it is just the next logical move for Alphasmart to introduce the DW. I personally don't think this is a "copycat" matter, but wi-fi has become an industry standard for wireless connectivity that ignoring this technology would be a foolish thing to do.

Read more ....

2003-11-30T08:15:00.000+08:00

Alphasmart Dana Wireless

I have with me the Dana Wireless (DW) review unit yesterday and very eager to test drive the DW at a nearby hotspot ... Thanks Chet.

The first thing that I tested last night was the now upgraded SDIO slot. I plugged in a Bluetooth SD card, installed the necessary drivers and paired it with my Ericsson R520m. (Thanks clw for letting me use your Bluetooth SD card)

Getting the DW to initiate the pairing process failed. After a number of failed attempt, I made the R520 initiate the pairing frocess. Success on the first try. I wrote a short "test" SMS message and send it to my other mobile and within seconds my Siemens S45 beeped when the SMS arrived. Then I sent Chet an SMS but did not expect a reply ... It was 1.20 in the morning!!!

Next, I'm going to install Documents to Go 6 on the DW and go on another test drive on the DW ...

2003-11-30T07:57:00.000+08:00

T3 and Palm Wireless Keyboard Rotation Issue ... Solved!

Dr. Muiz pointed to a forum thread at palmonecity that solved the "lefty" rotation issue I mentioned in my review.

The "trick" is very simple ... just press "ALT" + "DEL" on the keyboard and the screen rotates to the correct alignment.

to quote the posting in the thread:-
"No need to physically alter your wireless keyboard. Simply press Alt+ DEL to rotate the display 90 degrees to the left (eliminates the need to change the handedness setting in prefs). Pressing again continues to rotate the display. Simple solution that should help overcome wireless keyboard objections."

2003-11-28T11:25:00.000+08:00

Palm Wireless Keyboard

I have a Palm Portable Keyboard (PPK) to use with my previous Palm III compatible handhelds (my PalmIIIe, then my TRGpro and then the HandEra330). Then, when I upgraded to a new Palm OS5 machine I cannot use my "old" keyboard anymore. The moment I bought myself the Tungsten T3, I ordered the Palm Wireless Keyboard(PWK) to accompany my T3. For RM200, I think it is reasonably priced and one of the cheapest portable keyboard around for a Palm PDA.

From the people who brought us the Palm Portable Keyboard, Think Outside Inc. did it again by coming up with this keyboard. A cheaper version of the Palm Utra Thin Keyboard (PUTK) ... and in some ways better! This new wireless keyboard is compatible with all PalmOS PDAs since it uses Infra Red (IR) and not dependent on the connectors. I think PalmOne needs to have a universal keyboard attachment to be compatible with their new Zire21 and Tungsten|E that doesn't have a Universal Connector but instead a USB socket.

Rather than depending on the PDA connectors, the Palm Wireless Keyboard comes with an adjustable IR wand which communicate with the PDA IR window. The wand is extra long and look like an antenna. It was desighed as such so that the Keyboard can take in the T3 in extended mode. Plus, making it possible for other PDAs to use the keyboard. Currently, as far as I know, the driver is only for PalmOS devices. I think it is a matter of time before a driver for the PocketPC is written.

The IR is powered by 2 AAA batteries. Since the keyboard IR interface with the PDA IR, some power is used from the handheld itself. So far I don't see a significant drop in my handheld power level during long use of the keyboard. To conserve power, there is an option in the keyboard driver to "switch off" the IR interface after a few minutes of inactivity. The driver will automatically switch back up at the next power-on.

Size ... was the first thing that came to my mind the first time I unfold the wireless keyboard ... So small and compact, yet large enough to "touch type". Initially, I find it a little odd to do touch typing (typing this review of course) since the dedicated numeric keys which were normally places as the first row of the keyboard were missing. A few minutes with the keyboard, and everything is well. However, if you are going to key in a lot of numbers like in a spreadsheet, this missing numeric keys will slow you down definitely. We could still key in the numbers, but it requires you to use the Function "FN" key to select the "green" numeric keys.

Just as a size comparison, below is the Palm Ultra Thin Keyboard dimension and weight:
• Closed: 5.5"x3.9"x0.5" (139mmx99mmx13mm)
• Opened: 10.3"x4"x0.5" (251 mm x 148mm x 13mm)
• Weight: 160g

Compare that to the Palm Wireless Keyboard dimension and weight:
• Closed: 5.5"x3.75"x0.65" (138mmx95mmx17mm)
• Opened: 9.9"x5.8"x0.58" (261 mm x 102mm x 15.2mm)
• Weight: 200g

The difference in size between the Palm Ultra-Thin Keyboard and the Palm Wireless Keyboard is negligible. While, the bright-shiny casing of the Palm Ultra-thin Keyboard is really cool, the basic gray design of the Palm Wireless Keyboard makes it look "tough" and "rugged".

I bought the Palm Wireless Keyboard because it supports the Tungsten|T3 landscape mode. The extra screen "real estate" is great for typing long articles. Now that Memos on the T3 can be longer than the previouly tiny 4Kb, you have a mini Text editor in the palm of your hand ... pun intended :).

The one gripe I have about the keyboard is that the landscape mode on the Palm Wireless Keyboard is only possible in a "lefty" mode. Meaning, for a right handed person like myself, I have to change the screen orientation to Left handed in the preference panel. Otherwise, the screen would flip to the wrong side where the Keyboard IR wand could not be in line of sight with the PDA IR ... bummer. I don't want to leave my T3 in a "lefty" mode since the scroll bar would be on the left side of the screen. Well, what else could I say ... The designer of this keyboard at Think Outside must be a left handed person.

To summerise...

What I like
• The Price is Right!
• Light and Small
• Rugged look easy to take care
• Universal ... works on my T3, Zire71 and HandEra330
(cannot test on my TRGpro, I ran out of AAA's)

What I don't like:
• Have to change to a "lefty" to use landscape mode on my T3 (I am no southpaw)

2003-11-18T10:44:00.000+08:00

Sendo X coming ...

Sendo dropped its Microsoft Smartphone project and went into hibernation ... product wise at least. Now with a new partnership with Symbian the SendoX should be available next year. Cool looking phone IMHO great design. The center round navigation pad reminds me of the Palm Tungsten|T and the Treo600.

However, I'm not too sure if this smartphone would be landing in Malaysia ... just like most cool smartphones :(

2003-11-11T05:35:00.000+08:00

New PDA Concept Device from Fujitsu

Source: Brian Beeler, BargainPDA (Monday, November 10, 2003)

Fujitsu shows off its new concept PDA recently. Very good looking. Fujitsu has been churning handsome notebooks lately ant its Pocket Loox is also a head turner. This new concept PDA is facked with features under its pretty face.

4" SVGA screen (800 x 600 pixels),
built-in WiFi,
Bluetooth
integrated camera

Surfing the net with this baby would be great with an SVGA screen. Read more....

2003-11-10T08:17:00.000+08:00

PDAir Flip Case For Tungsten|T3

I bought this casing to protect my T3 yesterday. Good piece of accessory for the T3. If you are thinking if getting accessories for your PDA, I recommend you get the Screen Protector first. Second, find a good casing, Not only does it dress you PDA but also protects it in case you drop it. And for the ladies who put theit PDAs in their handbags with their compact, lipsticks and car keys, a casing minimizes the risk of scratching the PDAs body.

This PDAir leather casing is being advertised in Brando workshop for USD32.00 but I got a better deal here. I paid RM100,00 for the leather case and that's only about RM27.00. Got it at Low Yat Plaza while I was shopping for a wireless optical mouse.

Back to the casing, my T3 attaches securely to the casing via a special clip which makes the T3 slider free to be pulled down. With the slider pulled down I can place the T3 on the cradle to charge and do a hotsync. No need for me to remove the T3 from the casing to do so.

The leather is soft and the stitching quality is excellent. A leather case I'd recommend to all T3 users.

2003-11-08T01:32:00.000+08:00

My Review In Handango

My recent review of a game Calypso made it to Handango ... a premier resource site for PDA software. And it was posted/published as an expert review .... And the link to the page is here.

2003-11-05T18:19:00.000+08:00

2 New Reviews at Palmx.org

I posted 2 reviews of PalmOS software at Palmx.org.

Calypso is a great "time killer" and challenging game.
FunBook is a good tool to manage and backup your cell phone, phonebook (sounds a little odd, doesn't it?). Click the links and check them out.

2003-11-04T21:51:00.000+08:00

Hello ... T|T3

I bought myself the Tungsten|T3.

My Palm Zire71 universal connector went haywire during the weekend, causing hard resets and refusing to hotsync. I tried to reinstall the palm desktop application assuming there was something wrong woth the application but the problem persists.

I tried to hotsync using 2 other hotsync cables to rule out a faulty cradle, but the same thing happens. It refuses to hotsync and resets after removing the Zire71 from the hotsync cables. Hotsync via infrared connection was completed successfully. Hence my conclusion that the Universal Connector is the problem.

I sent my Zire71 back to the retailer who is going to help me out getting a replacement unit from palmone, and while I was there, I played with the Tungsten|T3. I tinkered with bluetooth, paired the T3 with my ole Ericsson R520m mobile phone ... and after a few hours I decided to pay for the PDA. I know I'm going to get another Zire71 but I decided to get one anyways.

The initial plan was to buy a Tungsten|E for the wife and an IR keyboard for myself. Now, I'm getting the T3 for me, forget about the IR keyboard for the moment and will pass the replacement Zire71 to my wife.

I am now still in "adjustment mode" migrating from a 320 x 320 res screen to a HiRes+ 320 x 480 resolution screen. And Oh!! .... the slider on the Tungsten need some getting used to as well.

2003-10-21T22:58:00.000+08:00

Sony Ericsson SmartPhone P900 Officially Announced!

Source: www.i4u.com

The wait is over! Sony Ericsson officially announces the P900 Smart Phone. And yes the discussion about the name is also over, it is not going to be the P810 it is the P900. We reported about the first p900/p810 back in August. Only bad grainy photos where available then.

Sony Ericsson launched a nice P900 Promo Page and a P900 Product Page with lots of infos and P900 photos.

.... more

2003-10-14T07:16:00.000+08:00

Review: Palm™ Power To Go

I attended the "Malaysia" launch of the Tungsten|T3, Tungsten|E and the Zire21 on October 7th to have a closer look of the new Palm handhelds. 0ther than the three new models, the event also showcased a few add-on accessories for the new handhelds and one that caught my attention was the Palm™ Power To Go emergency charger. I liked it so much that l immediately ordered one at the end ofthe event and got it a few days later. Here's what I think of the Power to Go ......

The Palm™ Power To Go (PTG) is a snap on battery pack that charges your handheld when you are away from a power source or when you just need the additional power for extended usage. Very good for the "road warriors". I am far from being a road warrior but I got the PTG for the sake of convenience. The convenience of "topping up" power whenever I need it. During my Palm III days, recharging means popping to a nearby 7-11 for a couple of fresh AAA batteries. Now with PDAs comes with rechargeable lithium-ion, not changeable by end users. Carring PTG is just like carrying a pack of fresh batteries for these new handhelds.

The PTG is slim and very light. I did not weigh or measure it though, and there were no mention of its weight/dimensions in the user manual. All it says is that the PTG is able to give one or two full charges depending on the handheld. I assume the PTG can give one full charge to larger capacity battery, like the 1500mAH battery on Tungsten|C.

On my Zire71, the PTG charged the battery twice now, from roughly 50% to full 100%, and there's still power left in the PTG. This is just a rough test, not very scientific, but good enough to give me an idea of the PTG charging capability .... and I am satisfied.

The PTG has what Palm called a passthrough universal connector. You place the PTG on the cradle to charge it. If a PDA is attached to it, the PDA will be charged first. When the PDA is fully charged the cradle will charge the PTG. The passthrough universal connector allows you to do a hotsync when the PDA & PTG is charging on the cradle. You can also charge the Power to Go using a travel charger or a USB charge cable.

All you need is three hours to fully charge the PTG.

At the bottom right of the PTG, there's one green LED which is a charging indicator and the another 3-color LED charge level indicator to enable the user check the charge level of this emergency charger. Green indicates at least 80% charge is available, amber indicates 30%-80% charge and red says it's time to charge the PTG.

Overall, this is a good add-on to have if you are on the road a lot. USD99, is the price to pay for convenience, it is rather steep but to me it is well worth it. It is cheaper here in Malaysia. I bought mine for RM270, which comes to about USD71 only .... 25% cheaper than what PalmStore is offering.

Tapping off,
Nazley

2003-10-08T23:42:00.000+08:00

New Add-Ons for Palm PDAs

I went to the official launch of the Zire21, Tungsten|E and the Tungsten|T3 at Planet Hollywood Kuala Lumpur yesterday. Other than the 3 PDAs introduced, 2 new accessories caught my attention:-

Power To Go

This "emergency charger clips on the back of any Palm PDAs with the universal connector. Listed on palmone site:-
- Palm™ Zire™ 71 Handheld
- Palm™ Tungsten™ T Handheld
- Palm™ Tungsten™ T2 Handheld
- Palm™ Tungsten™ T3 Handheld
- Palm™ Tungsten™ W Handheld
- Palm™ Tungsten™ C Handheld
- Palm™ m130 Handheld
- Palm™ m500 Handheld
- Palm™ m505 Handheld
- Palm™ m515 Handheld
- Palm™ i705 Handheld

Power To Go extends working time by one full recharge for most Palm™ handhelds, and up to two recharges with some models. Results will vary according to the battery capacity of your handheld.

Simply recharge Power To Go from your cradle or travel charger, just as you recharge your handheld, or leave them connected and charge both at one time.

Features

Snaps onto back of handheld, recharges handheld while you work
Compatible with all rechargeable Palm™ handhelds with the Universal Connector
Recharges handheld 1-2 times, depending on model
Charge status button and LED to see when Power To Go needs recharging
Power LED indicates when Power To Go is being recharged
Pass-through Universal Connector so handheld and Power To Go can recharge together in a Palm cradle or travel charger
Keeps wireless enabled handhelds running all day or all week
Long shifts and intensive wireless use really demand an ultra-thin and lightweight snap on battery pack like Power To Go.

Recharge without interruption.Simply snap your handheld into Power To Go, you don't even have to stop working.

Fits in your pocket. You can easily carry one or more Power To Go units wherever you go. Use it to extend your workday or workweek and only recharge both the handheld and Power To Go when it suits your schedule.

Pass-through HotSync®. Power To Go has a pass-through Universal Connector so it does not interfere with other Palm™ cable and charging solutions.

Smallest, most portable recharging solution; Ideal for travelers. Take Power To Go with you when you travel. It fits easily in your pocket, briefcase, or luggage and requires no bulky cables or adapters to recharge your handheld. Snap one on to recharge, then stow it away until your return. Take two or three Power To Go units for extended travel -- there's nothing more convenient.

Wireless Keyboard
One keyboard that works with all current Palm™ handhelds! Type effortlessly with this foldable, practical keyboard that connects to your handheld wirelessly via infrared. Convenient and practical, it's the ultimate keyboard solution.

2003-10-02T10:40:00.000+08:00

"The Dell Effect"

I like Ed Hardy's of Brighthand explanation of the Dell Effect , that I decided to post it up here

"The Dell Effect"

Dell entered the handheld market at the end of last year, and nothing has been the same since.

The Axim X5 Basic offered what had previously been considered high-end features but for an entry-level price, only $200 after a rebate. This put tremendous price pressure on the competition and we're still feeling the effects. I sincerely believe that if the X5 series had not been released, every handheld currently available would cost $100 more than it does now.

Let me give you an example of the Dell Effect. Palm debuted the Tungsten T late last year. Not too long after its release, Dell entered the market. Compared with Dell's $200 Axim X5, Palm's $500 Tungsten T looked wildly overpriced. A few months later Palm had to admit that sales of the Tungsten T had been lackluster and dropped its price by $100, at which point sales picked up significantly. And notice that the Tungsten T2 cost just $400 when it was released this summer. That's the Dell Effect at work.

The effects are felt all over the industry, not just at Palm. Without the Axim X5 putting competitive pressure on it, there's no way Hewlett-Packard would have released the iPAQ h1935 for just $200. This model would have cost at least $300.

And it doesn't end there. Dell has already said it is working with Good Technologies to develop a cellular-wireless handheld. I predict there will be a version of this that will cost less than $300, maybe much less. Other companies will have to follow suit. Currently, Verizon is charging $600 for the Samsung i700 cellular-wireless Pocket PC. The days when that can happen are rapidly coming to a close... and we have Dell to thank."

Source:Brighthand - How Low Can PDA Prices Go? (by Ed Hardy)

2003-10-01T21:22:00.000+08:00

Brighthand — Sony Releases the Low-Cost TJ Series

Palm is not only the one introducing new PDAs, Sony is following close behind. Weeks after announcing the UX50/G sony now releases the Clie PEG-TJ35 and PEG-TJ25.

These two new Clies are to replace the SJ33 and the SJ22, Sony's low end PDA.

A rundown of the specs:-

Both TJ25 and TJ35 have:-

Motorola i.MXL processor at 200 MHz.
PalmOS 5.2
slots for Memory Stick or Memory Stick Pro
Sony-standard HotSync port,
4.4 inches tall, 3.0 inches wide, and .47 inches wide.
weigh 4.9 ounces.

PEG-TJ35

The TJ35 has 32 MB of RAM, 23 MB is user accessible.
The TJ35 will have an audio jack and be able to play MP3s
The TJ35 will also come with Piscel Viewer and the Decuma text-entry system.
$220 after $30 rebate from Sony Style

PEG-TJ35

The SJ25 has 16 MB of RAM, 11 MB is user accessible.
no audio jack, which means no MP3
$179 after $20 rebate

This put these two Clies to compete with Palms Tungsten|E. The Zire21 looks like it is alone in the budget $99 PDA.

My thoughts on the TJ25/35 ....

Sony introduced 2 models to sandwhich the T|E. Notice the T|E $200 pricing is sandwich between the TJ25 $180 (RM685) and TJ35 $220 (RM840) pricie.

A good marketing plan I'd say.

Sony doesn't want to lose its customers who is "eyeing" the SJ33 to go for the T|E OS5 machine. So introducing the TJ35 is the next logical step in order to stay competitive and try to hold the current market share in that price range.

The TJ25 is a model that tries to make the Zire21 "look bad" and the T|E "a little too expensive". I as a prospect buyer, thoughts going thru my mind could be ... "would I just get this good Zire21 as an electronic organizer?" OR "For another $80 I can can have a color hi-res PDA with Memory stick expansion" AND "this TJ 25 has double the RAM of the Zire21 ...."

IMHO, PDA market are getting crowded that finding space in the correct target market is very crucial.

2003-10-01T12:48:00.000+08:00

BargainPDA: Palm Tungsten E - Official Press Release, Spec Sheet and Photos

BargainPDA posted a press release of of the Tungsten|E

The leak a few weeks ago did "kill" the surprise. Mentioned specs:-

Memory 32MB (28.3MB actual storage capacity)
Screen 16-bit, 320x320 transflective TFT color display supporting more than 65,000 colors
Size and Weight 4.5" x 3.1" x 0.5"; 4.6 oz.
Processor Texas Instruments OMAP311 ARM Processor
Operating System Palm OS® 5.2.1
5-way Navigator Access information with just one hand
Battery Rechargeable Lithium Ion/Polymer battery
Headphone Jack Supports 3.5mm stereo headphone plug (sold separately)
Palm Expansion Slot Add extra memory, or content like a dictionary, sold separately.
Supports SD, SDIO and MultiMediaCards
Updated PIM apps Calendar, Contacts, Memos and Tasks

This, I think would be a favourite for beginners in both the enterprise and the consumer market., prices at $199.
Zire71 - camera + new casing =Tungsten|E

2003-10-01T12:33:00.000+08:00

BargainPDA: Palm Tungsten T3 - Official Press Release, Spec Sheet, Photos and Video

The new Tungsten|T3 we've all be waiting for ...

The specs are as were leaked previously:-

Memory 64MB (52MB actual storage capacity)
Screen 320x480 Transflective TFT color display supporting more than 65,000 colors and can be rotated in either portrait or landscape mode
Size and Weight 4.3" (closed) x 3.0" x 0.66", 5.5 oz.
Processor 32-bit, 400MHz Intel® Xscale™ processor
Operating System Palm OS® v5.2.1
Voice Memo Button Capture and organize thoughts with a single touch of a button
5-way Navigator Access information with just one hand
Battery Rechargeable Lithium Polymer
Stereo Headphone Jack Supports 3.5mm stereo headphones (sold separately)
Palm Expansion Slot Add extra memory, or content like a language translator, sold separately. Supports SD, SDIO and MultiMediaCards
Palm Universal Connector Add peripherals such as a battery pack or wireless keyboard. All sold separately
Bluetooth Radio Built-in Bluetooth radio for wirelessly connecting to other compatible Bluetooth devices
Notification Vibration, Audio and LED
Updated PIM apps Calendar, Contacts, Memos, and Tasks

Read the press release here.

2003-10-01T12:22:00.000+08:00

At Last .... The Zire 21 Revealed .... Officially

Features mentioned in the press release ...

• Four times the storage capacity of the original Zire handheld with 8MB of memory (7.2MB user available);
• Faster access to information with new 126MHz Texas Instruments OMAP processor;
• Newest versions of Date Book, Address Book, Note Pad and To Do List with the latest Palm OS(R) software, Version 5.2.1; and
• New Software Essentials now included on the installation CD.

Basically it has the same "original" Zire shell with new OS, Faster Processor and Bigger RAM (8MB) and priced the same as the previous model at US$99. Personally, I am not impressed with this model. An SDIO slot included in the specs would make the Zire21 a better competitor in the PDA market .... but thn at $99 .....

Reas the whole Press release here at BargainPDA.

2003-09-30T11:20:00.000+08:00

Palm to introduce trio of devices | CNET News.com

A little bit of more info in the Zire21.

Quote:
"Like that original model, the new Zire, the Zire 21, will use a similar plastic case, monochrome screen and no backlight. But it will come with 8MB of memory and a more powerful processor and use an updated version of the Palm 5 operating system, according to sources."

Not very impressive IMHO. At least PalmOne should go for the 320x320 display, now that it has become the industry standard. The Clie TJ25 reportedly has a better specs.

2003-09-29T15:25:00.000+08:00

Tungsten | T4 ??..!!

The excitement to attend the Launch of the latest Tungsten|T3 next week has not cooled down yet and a new T|T4 is rumoured ...

Reading the Forum postings at cliesource it could very well be "photoshopped", since the logo is still the "old" Palm logo ... Remember, it in now called palmOne.

I was wrong the first time I saw the T|T3, but looking at the pix I really don't know what to say. The pix of the T|T3 leaked out before the T|T2 was realease. Could this be the same case?

If this is for real, I expect this to come out as an OS6 device.

I was fooled once when I posted the Sony Clie TW20 ...

Now for the spoiler!

It's a fake!

The original poster, s_n_m indirectly admitted to it when he said:-
"I put the buttons under the keyboard because quite frankly its hard to type on a keyboard on the edge of a device. The TG50 is allright with the keyboard on the bottom because it is so small and light."

Well ... people can dream and dreams serve as a "drive" for most people.

2003-09-26T10:57:00.000+08:00

Treo600 coming ....

Just got word from Sebastian at TechStop 1-Utama, that the Treo600 would be arriving here in Malaysia as early as the first week of October. It's going to retail in the RM2500 - RM2800 range, no exact figure given. That's the price when the frist Treo180 was introduced.

Those interested could possibly see a unit at TechStop by the 10th of October.

2003-09-25T11:05:00.000+08:00

Another Palm Resource: Palm Tungsten/T3

I came across this screenshot of the Tungsten T3 while browsing Brighthand.com Forum ... it is interesting to see the "Real Performance" of the XScale processor on the T\T3 is 667MHz!!

All this while I've been searching the net for the TT3 spec, the processor was supposed to be 400MHz. Is there a difference between the 400MHz speed rating and the "actual Performance" of the processsor? I need to learn more about this... Anyone can help?

Here's another screenshot confirming the TT3 16MB ROM, 64MB RAM. I presume the 491.3MB available RAM Disk is a 512MB SD card inserted in the SDIO slot. This is a Palm PDA with PPC specs ...

Just click the title of this blog to view more screenshots of the Tungsten|T3

On a related note, the Tungsten T3 is already advertised for sale by a UK online retailer here. All these information leaks out one week ahead of its October 1st expected announcement.

2003-09-23T09:56:00.000+08:00

More on the Tungsten T3

Source: PDAClub and deesee@kvpug

Looks like this Tungsten T3 would be the real thing (I am a late believer). The source of this news is in Polish though ...

2003-09-22T17:59:00.000+08:00

Sony Clie PEG-UX50/G Now Available in Malaysia

Source: Sonystyle.com.my

The UX50 has reached local shores ... and at a good price I would say ... RM 2499.00. Still cheaper than the top of the line NZ90.

I'll be visiting Sony Wings at KLCC soon to have a hands on feel of this new Clie.

Read more "story" here.

2003-09-22T09:05:00.000+08:00

Tungsten|E .... Reviewed

Source: BargainPDA and Mobileslash.com

The cat is out of the box ... Tungsten E that is.

The budget $200 (RM760) Tungsten E is out in the open before the official announcement from palmOne. I was not expecting it until October, and this was a pleasant surprise. At this price, it will be competing with the Clie PEG-ST35 I blogged about earlier. From what I read this is almost a Zire71 without the camera packed into a slim m5xx style form factor a lot of users were asking for.

Why I say almost .... the T|E has no universal connector. It uses a USB connector, similar to the ones on the $99, 2MB, white Zire. What a bummer. I thought Palm announced long ago that their models would come with the universal connector(UC). Why the change? Could it be its cheaper it build a USB connector compared to the UC?

The Tungsten model, being an "Enterprise" model comes with Documents to Go but has no mention on which version. I really hope it's the latest version, version 6.004. Being able to handle native MSOffice format is great! But I digress.

Some quick specs I spotted:-

32 MB of RAM (28.3 actual available)
SD slot with SDIO support
Stereo Headphone
Arm Processor
Palm OS v5.2.1
USB cable and AC Adapter
320 x 320 display

2003-09-21T15:57:00.000+08:00

Bye Bye Clie SJ22 and SJ33 .... Hello TJ25 and TJ35

Source: Brighthand

I blogged about this new Clie a few days ago and I thougt it's only going to be in blue ... I was wrong. This is another picture is a "silver" unit. Another report from Brighthand and Palminfocenter states that the new Clies will come in red, blue, black, pink, white and orange.

This new design will be marketed as 2 models, the Clie PEG-TJ25 and Clie PEG-TJ35 and are said to replace the "slow moving" SJ22 and SJ33. Looks like Sony is moving all its new Clies in the OS 5 playing field. With the introduction of these models, all CLies will run OS5.

These are still rumours, but some expected specification are:

OS: 5.2
RAM: 32MB (TJ35); 16MB (TJ25)
Audio jack (MP3): TJ35 only
Screen Res: 322x320 (becoming a standard for all Clies now)
Processor: Motorola i.MXL processor 200MHz
Size: 11.9mm thickness

TJ35 have Picsel File Viewer, Decuma Handwriting recognition and an MP3 player application. Since it will be running PalmOS 5.2 I expect Grafitti2 will be used as well.

That's all the info for the moment on the specs.

The jog dial for these new models have been moved to the front (the center navigation buttons that look like a roller). Ease of use with this new design ?? ... will have to wait and test it out. I suspect it's not going to be compatible with some games.

Price wise, the TJ25 expected to sell for JPY20,000 in Japan, that comes to aroung US$170 or RM640, there's where the SJ22 used to be. Nothing was mentioned on the TJ35 pricing.

2003-09-21T14:44:00.000+08:00

Is this the new Nokia 3660?

2003-09-17T23:47:00.000+08:00

In Depth - Tapwave Zodiac

The Tapwave Zodiac, the grown-ups GameBoy ...

There's a good preview of the PalmOS Game Machine, The Tapwave Zodiac, over at BargainPDA.

Tapwave's Palm-powered gaming device, the Zodiac, goes on sale today. We bring you a full preview of its design and specifications.

The Zodiac runs on a 200 MHz Motorola Dragonball MX series ARM processor, and features a 480 x 320 pixel widescreen display, 32 or 128 MB of RAM depending on model, built-in Bluetooth, and special graphics acceleration and 3D rendering hardware. As if this all weren't enough, Tapwave claims up to 16 hours of battery life. At this point, without a test unit in our hands, we can't really comment on the performance of the Zodiac's enhancements, or its actual battery life, so we'll mostly be discussing design and established features.

...... read more

2003-09-17T23:32:00.000+08:00

Sony Shows Off New Clie

BargainPDA reported on this new Clie. Sony seems to move away from its Silver casing PDAs ... this one is blue. It started with the Clie SJ33 with coloured filp covers ... this model is blue all over.

Also noted in the report, that this clie is expected to sell in the $150-$200 range. Sony could be removing its last greyscale model the SJ20 to make way for this model. In my opinion a good move to counter palmOne expected introduction of the "budget" Zire21 next October. We'll just have to wait and see.

The Palm OS PDA race is heating up ...

2003-09-17T10:30:00.000+08:00

HP iPAQ h4350 - Bluetooth, WiFi and HP's First Integrated Keyboard

Who would have thought the iPaq would come up with a model that has built-in keyboard ...

Expected to be available in Fall (usually October) and in the price range of USD 600, it's kind of looks odd to have an iPaq with the keyboard.The transcriber on a PPC is a favourite amongst PPC users, now a "hard" keyboard is made available for the PocketPC. I am so used to seeing a PPC with a "full" screen unlike most PalmOS PDAs have dedicated grafitti area to write on. This iPaq has a full screen pus the keyboard, and that makes it look a little "oversized".

Specifications:-

- Operating System: Windows Mobile 2003
- Dimensions: 138.7 x 74.6 x 14.5 mm
- Weight: 165 grams
- Processor: Intel XScale 400MHz
- Wireless: WiFi and Bluetooth
- Memory: 64MB RAM, 32MB ROM
- Expansion Slot: Secure Digital (I/O)
- Battery Type: Lithium Ion 1560mAh (removable)
- Audio Out: Speaker, stereo headphone jack
- Audio In: Integrated microphone
- Display: TFT, 65,000 colors
- Keyboard: Integrated QWERTY
- Handwriting Recognition: Yes
- Resolution: 240 x 320 pixels
- Viewable Image: 3.5' diagonal
- Digital Camera: No
- Other Hardware: USB cradle"

Source: BargainPDA

2003-09-13T09:02:00.000+08:00

More Tungsten|E Pix.

A better pix of the Tungsten|E from goodthatway

Update (1):
Sorry about the pix. Goodthatway had it removed and I did not have a copy of the original image....

Update (2):
image of the T|E is up again ...

2003-09-12T11:14:00.000+08:00

More on T|E

Just being curious, I zoomed in the Tungsten|E picture 400% to check out the hard button and the D-Pad .... The result:

Very grainy but the 4 hard buttons are visible enough.

Well my initial guess was wrong. It looks like palmOne designed the hard-button to be similar to the Zire71, remove the Joystick Navigation and put in a T|T3 D-Pad.

2003-09-12T10:43:00.000+08:00

Pictures Leak of the New palmOne Tungsten E and Tungsten 3

Source: BargainPDA

Well ... it looks like the initial picture of Tungsten T3 that leaked out is getting more believable. More pics are popping out on the new T3. Here's one 1 got from PargainPDA comparing the T3 side by side to a Zire71:

A pic of the Tungsten|E is a little less detail, but we can see that, the slider design is not there, just an exposed grafitti area. I can only see the D-Pad navigation button on the T|E picture. Looks very much like the T|T3, perhaps it is similar. (Playing Zap!2016 would require a few adjustments here :-P)

2003-09-07T09:07:00.000+08:00

Brayder's JackFlash and Palm Zire71

All this while I thought the Zire71 has a non flash ROM. Well, I learned that there were two versions of Zire71... the US version has non flashable ROM and only has English Language support. The Zire71' s for the international/multi-language market does come with Flash ROM. More on the Zire71 Flash ROM here.

The latest version of JackFlash, JackFlash 3.0b10, have support for Zire71.

I just downloaded JackFlash and now have additional 2MB of memory. I moved AgendusPro to ROM, Memo Plus and a few other programs, and I still have 740K free Flash.

WOW!!!

2003-09-07T08:22:00.000+08:00

Review: GSL Xplore G18 Smartphone (MobileBurn)

Snapshot by Siddharth Raja on Wednesday August 20, 2003.

China's Group Sense Limited (GSL) and PalmSource recently announced GSL's first Palm powered wireless handlend, the Xplore G18. While it does have a silly name, the Xplore G18 is quite advanced, sporting dual-band GSM, digital camera, TFT screen, and a 33Mhz processor. The fact that it runs the Palm OS means that all of the Palm OS 4 applications already available will work on the Xplore G18. GSL has included 16mb of RAM, and while that may seem very little, it's quite reasonable for a Palm device.

The digital camera has a resulution of 320x240 pixels, which is a little disappointing. Still, the photos should look fine on the TFT screen, which has a relatively high resolution of 160x240 pixels.

One of the most impressive aspects of this device is its form-factor. In dimensions and wieght the Xplore G18 can be considered to be in the "standard" phone category - compare its 100 x 48 x 21.1 mm and 105g with the T610's 102 x 44 x 19mm and 95g.

Here are some quick spec's:

Dual band GSM/GPRS 900/1800
Dimensions: 100 x 48 x 21.1 mm
Weight: 105g
Display: color TFT (160x240 pixels)
320x240 res camera with digital zoom
Memory: 16MB
Palm OS 4.1.2
SMS/MMS

This phone is available locally ... saw the advertisement in yesterday's paper, Utusan Malaysia, Seni pullout, page14. Fifth Media Sdn. Bhd. is the sole agent and is currently doing an exhibition of the PalmOS smartphone at Low Yat Plaza, concourse level from 5-7th September.

There was no mention of pricing in the advertisement though. I'd like to compare this to a Tungsten|W. The specs kind of matches the T|W.

Reading the mobileburn review, there were no mention of on expansion slot. After a "Googling" session, I found a posting in Palminfocenter forum confirming the absence of an expansion slot on the Xplore G18... bummer!

Personal opinion. Good form factor, nice looking screen at 160x240 pixel with virtual grafitti (compare that with the upcoming Treo600's 160x160 display plus keypad), but I wonder why it is powered by PalmOS 4.1.2.

2003-09-04T08:57:00.000+08:00

New flagship model from Sony Ericsson: the Z600

Source: InfoSync World, Anthony Newman, Wednesday 3rd September 2003, 11:51 GMT

While we await the successor to the Sony Ericsson P810/P900 Sony Ericsson introduced the Z600 ag the compant Flagship model. This is the first clamshell type phone that I like. looking at the pix, the camera does not have the rotating lense like the Samsung's SGH-D700 Symbian Smartphone. When flipped open, the camera lense will be at the top of the phome plip cover ... cool design. I played with Sony Clie PEG NX80V PDA camera but dont really find the rotating lense very useful.

News Blurb:

Mobile phone manufacturer Sony Ericsson today announced the Z600, a clamshell mobile phone with complete imaging and messaging capabilities. The Z600 is the first GSM/GPRS clamshell phone with exchangeable front and back covers and also features an integrated camera and colour screen.

Sony Ericsson have introduced a new feature called QuickShare with the T610 phone, which is designed to quickly share pictures with other users. Two key presses and a picture is taken, six presses and the picture is sent off to the recipient. The Z600 features a built-in camera, 16-bit colour TFD display and a range of imaging applications. As well as QuickShare, it is also possible to exchange pictures from the Z600 directly over a Bluetooth connection, or even drag and drop pictures to a PC.

The front-and-back covers are available as accessories and come in an array of colours and patterns that enable owners to control the device's exterior. The theme of personalisation is continued on the inside of the phone with the large colour display for themes, images or wallpapers. The phone comes with preloaded themes matching all standard covers and additional themes will be available for download from the Fun & Downloads section of the Sony Ericsson web site.

A second display on the outside of the phone shows information such as caller ID, time, network and battery status. The Z600 also has a dedicated speaker for the 32-voice polyphonic sound, which reproduces musical ringtones and boosts the sound effects of the mobile games. For the aspiring music producer there is the Music DJ feature, a 4-track music creation tool, with which consumers can create their own ring signals and also send them to their friends.

The Z600 comes with several embedded games, most notable V-Rally2, recognizable from game consoles. It allows both single player and multiplayer modes over Bluetooth. The phone supports both Java and Mophun game engines, the latter of which is found in several other Sony Ericsson handsets. The Multi-Action keypad allows for simultaneous key-presses, to for instance move and shoot at the same time. For the devoted mobile gamer, there is also a new game console accessory, the Gameboard EGB-10, which attaches to the phone.

The Z600 claims up to 200 hours of standby or 6 hours of talk time, and weighs in at a chunky 110g.

Hi-Res picture here.

2003-09-02T19:17:00.000+08:00

Rumor: New Details on the Tungsten T3, E and Zire 21

Source: PIC on Tuesday, September 02, 2003 1:21:20 AM

Tungsten E
- TI 144MHz OMAP processor
- 32MB of RAM
- Palm OS 5.2.
- metal finish
- bundled with Versamail 2.6 and Docs-to-Go 6.0.
- dedicated hard Graffiti area, and not a thumboard.
- no cradle.
- separate power and mini USB cable connections for syncing, similar to the original Zire.
- retail for $199 USD.

Zire 21
- TI-OMAP processor, 8 MB or RAM and runs OS 5.2.1.
- The screen is 160x160 pixel monochrome display.
- same casing as current Zire.
- cost $99.

Tungsten T3
- Tungsten T slider design.
- 400mhz Xscale processor
- 64MB of RAM
- built in Bluetooth
- large 320x480 pixel high res+ screen.
- retail for $399.

Official announcement is expected on October 1st.

More and more details crop up about these 3 new Palm devices .... Can't wait till October for the Official announcement.

2003-09-02T13:15:00.000+08:00

Motorola A920

Source: InfoSync World
By: Anthony Newman, Monday, 1 September 2003

The A920, running UIQ on top of Symbian OS 7.0, boasts a large, 16-bit colour screen which can operate in widescreen landscape mode for watching movie clips and playing Java games on the console-like buttons.

Motorola's latest offering also supports all the features of the Three network, including video calling and video messaging courtesy of the built-in rotating camera. The handset is also tri-band 900/1800/1900 MHz, allowing use in the USA.

Other features include an MP3 player, which works with either the included earbuds or through the unit's speaker. Most importantly, however, is the unique feature of the A920: built-in AGPS, or Assisted Global Positioning System. This will allow users to access location-based services as well as the usual GPS features such as automobile navigation.

Extra application can be downloaded installed on the unit, and it supports J2ME applications which will be available over the network. Music and data can be stored on memory cards, one of which is reported to be included in the box, along with a spare battery, spare charger and headset.

Although no pricing was officially available, the A920 is expected to be 'aggressive' when it is released in September 2003 across the Three markets in Europe and Australia.

Eventhough Motorola abandoned its Symbian "Partnership" it looks like the giant mobile company still have faith in the Symbian operating system. As I see it more mobile manufactures are adopting Symbian for their new generation phones. Palm and Microsoft PocketPC is trying very hard to set a foot hold in this segment of the market. If at Palm and Microsoft succeeds competition will only benefit us ... the end users.

2003-09-02T12:45:00.000+08:00

Dell Axim X3 Details Leaked (Picture)

Source: BargainPDA.com

PDAClub.pl, a Polish website, is reporting some details on the upcoming Dell Axim X3. They have also posted a vector based graphic of the Axim X3, we can only assume this is a rough representation of what the final product will actually look like, but we can be a little more sure of some of the tech specs that PDAClub is reporting since the device is slated for a late fall release so it makes sense for the device specifications to be in place.

People will be excited to know that both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi will likely be included along with consumer level InfraRed. A link to the PDAClub article (if you read Polish!) and image along with specs follow below:

http://www.pdaclub.pl/view.php?news_id=6271

Specs:

Consumer level IR
SDIO
Intel PXA263 CPU
64 MB RAM, 64 MB NOR Flash ROM
3.5" transflective screen
300 Mhz speed for the entry-level model, and 400 Mhz for the advanced model
Built in Bluetooth and WiFi
117mm x 76mm x 14.8mm, 150 grams
950 mAH battery

The entry level model will have less RAM and a USB cable If Dell is able to keep the price down on the Axim X3 device, under $400 for example, it will definitely be hard to compete with.

Nice clean looking PDA...if it is for real. And good specs too. HAve to wait for the official announcement before I actually "buy" this news. The power button at the top center of the device look rather "suspicious" but then Dell Axim X5 placed the power button at the same place.

Like I say ... let's wait for the actual announcement.

2003-09-02T10:01:00.000+08:00

Review: ZLauncher 3.5

I have always been partial towards tab based launcher. When I first bought my Palm IIIe in 1998 the first thing I did was to replace the default application launcher with Launcher III, a freeware at that time. I tested MegaLauncher for a while but did not bother to register after the trial period expired. Later, I purchased LauncherX for my HandEra330.

I now use Palm Zire71™, and decided to try out new third party application launcher to complement my new colour PDA.

My choice .... ZLauncher by zztechs.
The result ...... I like it!

Read more....

2003-08-29T10:12:00.000+08:00

MDA II PocketPC Phone

Theres some information about the upcoming MDA II PocketPC Phone by Germany's T-Mobile at infosync.

T-Mobile announce that the MDA II, as it has been branded, will run on a 400 MHz X-Scale processor. 128 MB if RAM is available for users. It is powered by Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 and supports tri-band 900/ 1800/1900 MHz GSM.

If you see the resemblence of the MDA II to the O2 XDA, it is because the XDA is actually the "original" MDA pocketPC phone, rebranded and marketed by O2. It doesn't look like a phone at all without the antenna. The only giveaway is the two receive/send call buttons ...

2003-08-28T12:33:00.000+08:00

Coming Soon: Palm OS 5.3

There was this discussion in Pocketloft Community Discussion Forum about the upcoming Palm OS update ... the 5.3. The news is also hightlighted bt Brighthand.

The rumour has been that the OS6 would be available in October, but now, we have the 5.3 instead.

At the monent the 5.3 is available to developers only and from my reading the OS 5.3 now supports Virtual Grafitti and multiple screen resolutions. With 5.3 we will be seeing support for 160x220 pixels display as well as QVGA 240x320 and 320x480 ... that's great. It took Palm (now palmOne) a while to implement virtual grafitti, but it looks like it could be a new standars for PalmOS PDAs. HandEra has made virtual Grafitti with OS3.5 and Sony followed suit when it introduced the NR70V running OS 4.0.

My personal view with this news is that OS 6 might come a little later than expected. I think the 5.3 is buying a little time before the actual OS6 rolls out and be made available on new devices.

2003-08-16T23:26:00.000+08:00

nVoy e100 Communicator by Pogo Mobile Solutions

Pogo Mobile Technology ... PMS :-) was reported to revive the "deceased" Pogo communicator as the new nVoy e100 Communicator.

infoSync world highlighted a the new improved "pogo" functionalities...
- proprietary OS
- integrated digital camera
- a 3.5 incg 16-bit colour display (landscape orentation)
- 320 x 240 pixels
- in both GSM and CDMA versions
- combination of USB, Bluetooth and Infrared for connectivity
- SDIO capable SD/MMC expansion slot
- Internal memory amounts to 32 MB RAM.
- SMS, MMS, e-mail with attachments and instant messaging
- polyphonic ring tones
- PIM Funtions
- voice dialing
- expected retail price EUR350.

"Voice dialing" caught my attention. Does this device do voice communication as well? The original pogo was a "data-only" communicator. Looking at the photo below, I could not imagine where the microphone and speaker would be. My guess would be, if this nVoy e100 does voice then, it has to come with some sort of ear piece.

Also mentioned in the report, that the nVoy e100 will not have "syncing" capabilities like most other PDA. You can export your MS Outlook data once via web service to the device and thats it. What I understand from this type of a "model", the nVoy will become the primary PIM center, where any changes in information or data is updated directly into the nVoy. Well, I'm not so sure about this idea. I still prefer to have the ability to sync with my Primary computer, for both backup and easy accessibility. Even mobile phones with PIM funtions now come (some as optional accessory) with data cable and software to synchronise the data with a notebook or a desktop computer.

Enfora Soon Releasing Case with Built-In Wi-Fi

2003-08-16T10:49:00.000+08:00

Enfora Soon Releasing Case with Built-In Wi-Fi

I blogged about this in April but the release of the product was not heard of in any of the "gadget/PDA sites" I frequent. Now, Brighthand reported on the delay and announced that this Wi-Fi enabled casing will be coming real soon.

The reports says that this Wi-Fi case supports PalmOS 4 through 5, and the pix shows it is used with a Zire71. If it really does work with the Zire71 OS 5..2.1, then it's sure is great news.

Currently, the Wi-Fi-SD card is not yet available. This case would give Zire71 users to add on wireless capability and at the same time have a built-in camera. As far as I know, until now, Palm has no PDA with camera and wifi-built in. The Zire71 has camera only, the T|W is GPRS only, T|T(2) has Bluetooth only and the T|C has Wi-Fi only. I wonder when will Palm make an all-in-one PDA ...

Addition information:

measures 3.8 x 1.4 x 6.2 inches (95 x 35 x 155 mm).
supports data rates of 1, 2, 5.5, and 11 Mbps
supports the 40-bit/128-bit WEP wireless security standards.
maximum range of about 150 meters outdoors and 30m in an indoor office setting.
Price: US$169

ZDNet Top PalmOS PDAs

2003-08-13T17:47:00.000+08:00

ZDNet Top PalmOS PDAs

For those who would like to get a PalmOS PDA or just wanted to know how his/her PalmOS PDA fairs in the market, ZDnet had compiled a list.

The Sony Clie PEG-NX70V tops the list ... I guess ZDnet haven't received their NX80V yet ;-)

Three New Palms Coming Soon .... Oct'03

2003-08-13T16:32:00.000+08:00

Three New Palms Coming Soon ....

Richard W Harvey posted in Brighthand Forums about some news he gathered of the three new Palm PDA coming in a few months time. Below is the whole posting reproduced here:-

Ricahardwharvey wrote:

I just got back from CompUsa and in their computer system are the three new Palms.

*Palm Tungsten E
*CompUsa Product ID#306210
*$199.00

*Palm Zire 21
*CompUsa Product ID#306212
*$99.00

*Palm T3
*CompUsa Product ID#306211
*$399.00

They also listed a

*Tungsten T3 Hard Case
*Tungsten E Hard Case
*Tungsten E,C & W Stylus

This seems to indicate that for some reason the existing Palm Hard Case for the T & T2 won't fit the T3 for some reason. Also that the Tungstgen E uses the same stylus as the T & T2.

These items were listed as on order but not yet in their main warehouse, which indicates that they won't be here real soon, but it is the first certain proof that I have seen (Yea!) that the T3 really exists.

There is another post on PDABuzz in the PDAnews section that verifies much of what I have said.

I am really surprised that the T3 will open at $399.00, maybe Palm is starting to appreciate the real competition coming from the new HP Ipaq's. I guess this means that either the T2 will immediately drop in price to $299.00 or the T3 is missing something big, so it can remain on the same level as the T2 just with different features? Maybe no bluetooth, same T2 processor, same memory and with wifi.

Peace

He is being specific on the model names. We know that the T|T3 leaked out but the Zire21 and the Tungsten|E is well guarded secret until now. No pictures of the two either.

I expect the Zire21 would replace the original Zire model based on the $99.00 pricing on the device. I would expect Palm to compete with Sony with it's entry level PDA, the PEG SJ20. Sony recently has announced some price adjustment to its entry level Clies to compete with Palm and I think preparing the arrival of the new PalmsMy guess is that the Zire21 will have an SD expansion slot, 16MB RAM and OS4.1

The $199 Tungsten|E is prices below the Zire71 (currently $299 at palm online store). This looks like an entry level Tungsten. Perhaps a color OS4.1, competing head-to-head with Sony Clie SJ22... an upgrade or a redesigned m515 perhaps.

As for Tungsten|T3 ... we know what to expect already.

Please take note. The above are my own speculation based on the limited information I gathered from the internet.

2003-08-12T09:13:00.000+08:00

Motor Insurance Calculator

Last night I wrote this small app to help me quote motor insurance premium to my customers. This is my first attempt. I actually have this insurance calculator in Quicksheet format but then I intend to share this app with my sales people. some of them uses PalmOS PDAs but they have no Quicksheet. Most PDAs come with Docs to Go ....

My next step is to incorporate calculations for third party cover premium. This version only calculates comprehensive cover. I think it is easier to do an insurance calculator in Malaysia since its premium calculations are based on a tariff ruled by Bank Negara.

2003-08-07T09:51:00.000+08:00

More T3 News

Another article about the T3 ... although a little dated.

This article from BargainPDA! is "unrumouring" the Tungsten|T3 ... Well, have to wait 'till October to see if T3 in indeed one of the three PDA to be launched by Palm SG.

Even if it's true, I still cannot understand the 320x480 screen and the slider design. Watcha gonna hide??

2003-08-06T23:48:00.000+08:00

Siemens unveils ST55 camera phone

Hmmm .... another camera phone by Siemens. There was this MC60 which I blogged about last month. Now comes the ST55.

A run down of the specs:-

Dual band GSM
integrated VGA camera,
4x digital zoom
1.2 MB of memory for storing photos
65,536-colour TFT
120 x 160 pixels display
MMS support
40-tone polyphonic ringtones
GPRS Class 10
WAP 2.0 compatible microbrowser
PIM functionalities
Address book offers up to 15 fields per entry
Measuring 99 x 47 x 22 mm
750 mAh Lithium Ion battery
standby time: 140 hours
talk time: 4.5 hours

Three short comments here.

One - The 4 x digital zoom should be interesting to have on a camera phone ... claimed to be the first incorporated into one.

Two - I totally agree with the report by infosyncworld.com, that the 1.2MB of memory for pictures is way too small, taking into account the VGA res pix the phone is capable of snapping. An MMC/SD expansion card would be a welcome addition to the specs. Siemens are you listening.....

Three - Nothing is mentioned about Infrared and bluetooth capabilities. I think this is important nowadays with more people are looking for phones that could "talk" to their PDAs or notebook computers.

Sigh ... still no SX1. I've given up waiting for ths SX1 actually, and am now eyeing the Treo600 "communicator".