Iomega Corporation (NYSE: IOM), a global leader in data storage, today announced the availability of its best-performing optical drive, the Iomega Super DVD Writer 16x16 Dual-Format USB 2.0 Drive, which comes with an enhanced collection of software applications for effortlessly capturing, sharing and saving videos, music, photos and other digital data.

One Drive Does It All

The Iomega® Super DVD Writer delivers a richer user experience and looks great on the desktop. The external drive, housed in a slim black enclosure, handles all the major disc formats with speed to burn, including 4x recording of new DVD+R DL (double layer) discs. The included software speeds users through common tasks, making it easy to capture and share precious memories on long-lasting DVDs or CDs. Each 8.5GB* double layer disc holds about 34,000 photos, 160 hours of music, or 12 hours of video.**

Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ:BRCM) , a global leader in wired and wireless broadband communications semiconductors, today announced the integration of Broadcom(R) Bluetooth(R) technology into a broad range of popular products available from HP. Broadcom’s leading Blutonium(R) Bluetooth technology is embedded within select HP notebook and desktop computers, HP iPAQ Bluetooth(R) Stereo Headphones, wireless keyboards and mice, dongles and other devices. In addition, Broadcom’s Bluetooth silicon and software enable HP computers to wirelessly play high-quality MP3 and other music files over next-generation Bluetooth wireless stereo headphones and wireless speakers.

Enhanced Bluetooth sound quality is made possible by the powerful combination of silicon and WIDCOMM(R) BTW (Bluetooth for Windows(R)) software from Broadcom. This combination is optimized and tightly coupled to deliver the highest level of wireless audio quality available. The Broadcom Blutonium family of silicon and WIDCOMM BTW software products are the industry’s most advanced and feature-rich, including functionality enabled by Broadcom’s unique implementation of the Bluetooth audio/video profile, which is a new software component that dramatically improves audio quality. Utilizing Broadcom technology, consumers connecting to HP iPAQ Pocket PCs with wireless headsets can enjoy the richest possible multimedia experience over Bluetooth wireless links.

Notice the iPAQ 2200 plugged onto the top of the unit...pretty cool.

Innov-X Systems, Inc. announces the introduction of the new handheld analyzers, the smallest and lightest tube- based XRF available. The “Alpha Series” provides on-the-spot, fast and precise elemental analysis from phosphorus to uranium. Innov-X’s breakthrough design uses an X-ray tube in a compact, ergonomically designed handheld unit with a pocket PC for unprecedented flexibility in a portable analyzer.

A rear-facing display makes the new units easy to read, supplementing the high-resolution color PDA, and allows convenient reading from any angle. The removable handle allows the “Alpha Series” to fit into tight spaces with ease. The result is the best ergonomic design of any handheld analyzer on the market. They are designed as “point and shoot” analyzers that produce results virtually anywhere - at a production line, field site, power plant, scrap yard, or refinery ... from blazing desert to arctic environments.

No Radioactive Isotopes, Broad Uses

The new units use “Smart Beam(TM)” X-ray tube technology and a high- resolution Si PiN diode detector eliminating radioactive isotopes, removing government regulation, costly disposal or travel restrictions.

Applications span material identification for new product quality control and assurance, recycling of metals, checking levels of impurities such as environmental testing, pharmaceutical or food tests, analyzing contaminants, and a broad range of tests on solids, liquids, coatings and powders.

Powerful Software

The Analyzer’s HP iPAQ pocket PC runs with up to 25-element software suites using fundamental parameters, spectral matching and/or empirically- generated calibrations. Pocket PC features a color touch-screen display, up to 1 GB of memory, Bluetooth wireless communications, email and Internet access, GPS, plus many other features.

Pocket PC technology offers flexible software, exceptional graphical user interface (GUI), and conventional MS Windows architecture for rapid and seamless customization.

Trimble (NASDAQ:TRMB) announced today that its subsidiary, Trimble Mobile Solutions, Inc. (TMS), has signed a memorandum of understanding to form a distribution alliance with AmeriQuest Transportation and Logistics Resources Corporation. The companies will offer low-cost asset tracking and security solutions using Trimble’s TrimTrac(TM) locator. The TrimTrac locator, based on Global Positioning System (GPS) and cellular communications, is a palm-sized, battery-operated device that enables fleet operators to locate cargo, trailers, heavy equipment, and other high value assets via the Internet.

“AmeriQuest continually looks for value added solutions such as the TrimTrac locator to expand our state-of-the-art technology services, which reach a network of 525,000 transportation vehicles,” said Doug Clark, CEO of AmeriQuest. “Trimble Mobile Solutions is a premier partner and the TrimTrac locator’s affordable price, small footprint, and unique feature set fill a real need. We believe this alliance will be very well-received by our customers.”

SanDisk® Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK) today introduced the Waterproof* USB Drive, a new line of rugged flash drives aimed at original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) targeting the health care market.  Small enough to be worn all day as a necklace or kept on a key chain, the Waterproof USB Drive will be available to OEM customers in capacities of 64, 128, 256 and 512 megabytes (MB) and 1 gigabyte (GB)**. The announcement was made at the annual Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) conference, where SanDisk is demonstrating products at Booth #6205.

The Waterproof USB Drive lets consumers and patients carry their medical records (including both text-based and visual information like MRIs and photographs) with them in a rugged yet wearable USB device that can be used with any computer equipped with a USB port. At 55.7 x 19.0 x 7.9 mm and just 11.5 grams, the Waterproof USB drive is small enough to wear comfortably all day on a neck strap or a key chain.

The USB drive has a specially designed cap with a latching mechanism that helps prevent the USB drive from accidentally falling off or becoming lost. This easy-release mechanism allows emergency response personnel to quickly remove the USB drive so that they can plug it into a computer and read the emergency medical file. 

SanDisk® Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK) today announced that MedKey Corp. of San Diego, CA, will use SanDisk’s SD™/USB combo flash card for its new MedChip® line of products for storing and accessing patient medical information. The announcement was made at the annual Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) conference, where SanDisk is demonstrating products at Booth #6205.

The wearable MedChip® EHR (Electronic Health Record), which consists of the card and MedKey’s EHR application, enables patients to carry their medical records and present them to medical clinics, hospitals and other health care providers.  The MedChip is the size of a standard SD card and can be worn on a wristband, necklace or key chain. It will be sold both to health care providers and directly to consumers. 

The MedChip EHR can be read by any USB-enabled computer as well as via the SD interface found on many PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) and smartphones.  Consumers will be able to securely update their health history by accessing the drive via their personal computer’s USB port.  In a hospital or clinic, authorized health personnel will be able to quickly access patient data by plugging the MedChip directly into the SD Card slot on their PDAs or into any notebook or desktop with a USB port. 

Today, Siemens unveils the SF65, a quality clamshell dual band GSM 900/1800 mobile phone that combines the best of digital photography with mobile communication. With an integrated 1.3 mpixel digital camera and 18MB of storage, LED Flash, 4x Zoom, swivel action screen and 65K colour TTF display,every single moment can be captured in details. SF65 has a high gloss finish in Polar White and a distinctive minimalist feel. It is stylish and weighs only 97g.

http://www.ocworkbench.com/2005/siemens/sf65/sf65-1.htm

Future Looks has posted a review of the A4 tech EasyGo mouse. Here is a quote:

“The A4 Tech Mouse goes into the category of things that should have been thought of earlier. The cord management is excellent, but how’s the actual performance? Read on to find out!”

Direct Link:

http://www.futurelooks.com/cms/?m=show&id=18

We also reviewed this product here: http://www.pdatoday.com/maximumpda_more/2607_0_2_0_C/

Niveus Media, Inc., manufacturer of media entertainment devices for the high-end audio/video market, has announced it’s participation in this Spring’s Electronic House Expo in Orlando, Florida, February 24-26. Niveus Media will be joining Exceptional Innovation to demonstrate the companies’ shared vision for the digital home, including Exceptional Innovation’s Life|Ware home control solution for Windows Media Center displayed on the Niveus Media’s Denali Edition media center system.

Exceptional Innovation’s Life|Ware home control solution is the perfect compliment to our cutting edge media center systems,” said Tim Cutting, CEO of Niveus Media. “Now, not only can our customers control their digital media, they can also control their lighting, security, climate, audio and surveillance systems from the comfort of their living room couch, all with a single remote control.”

LingvoSoft continues to advance its core concept of Understanding by expanding its line of European language dictionaries. We recognize that not everything revolves around English! In answering the needs of our European customers, we have created ten new dictionary applications aimed to improve communication lines for those speaking or studying German.

Two updates and eight new products for Pocket PC, which broaden the talking and non-talking categories alike, feature new bidirectional software dictionaries providing translations from and into German.

The German <-> French, German <-> Italian, German <-> Polish, German <-> Russian, and German <-> Czech software dictionaries will enhance your handheld with instant translations, German speech synthesis, and much more. Two-language interface, support of higher resolution and screen rotation, and quick and easy search options aid you in understanding languages in a most time- and cost-effective way.

palmOne, Inc.’s new Treo(TM) 650 smartphone is giving European mobile professionals what they need to stay connected and in touch. The award-winning smartphone has launched in Europe with two initial mobile operators:

—palmOne and Orange, one of the world’s largest mobile communications companies, announced the launch of the new Treo 650 smartphone in the UK, France and Switzerland; and
—palmOne and TIM (Telecom Italia Mobile), the leading mobile operator in the Italian market, announced an agreement for distributing the Treo 650 smartphone in Italy.

The Treo 650, which will be available in the above countries in early March(1), simplifies people’s lives by combining a compact, full-featured quad-band mobile phone with email, a Palm OS(R) organizer, messaging, and web access(2), and a digital camera.

Notify Technology Corporation , today announced the availability of its NotifyLink Hosted Service targeted at small to medium businesses using Novell GroupWise or Microsoft Exchange email platforms. The NotifyLink Hosted Service is designed for organizations of all sizes that want to avoid the hassles of an “on premise” wireless synchronization solution. The NotifyLink Hosted Service provides secure, real time wireless synchronization of email and PIM (calendar, contacts, and tasks) for all mobile Novell GroupWise and Microsoft Exchange users. The NotifyLink Hosted Service supports a variety of Blackberry, Palm or Windows Mobile wireless devices. In addition, the NotifyLink Hosted Service will support most major wireless carriers including AT&T Wireless, Cingular Wireless, Sprint PCS, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile Wireless, Nextel Communications in the United States and Bell Mobility, Rogers Communications, and Telus in Canada.

“We are very excited about our new hosted service as it provides small to medium businesses with a very simple and cost effective solution that allows them the flexibility to mix and match different types of wireless devices depending on their needs,” said Paul DePond, president and founder of Notify Technology. “There are many small to medium businesses out there that initially only need a few wireless devices but find the cost and complexity of an ‘on premise’ solution prohibitive. Notify has developed a solution that does not penalize these organizations for having small numbers of wireless users.”

MP3tunes, a new San Diego-based music company, today introduced a new music appliance called MP3beamer, which organizes an entire music collection in one convenient location and then makes the music accessible from almost any device or location. Users can quickly store their CD collection and MP3 libraries and then organize the music and construct custom playlists. Once stored to MP3beamer, the music is universally accessible from computers, home stereos, PDAs, and portable devices including iTunes software and iPod players via iTunes. MP3beamer is available for immediate purchase in a $399 hardware version or a $69.95 software version at www.mp3beamer.com

“The MP3beamer is the jukebox in the sky, but it lives in your computer room,” said Michael Robertson, CEO of MP3tunes. “It acts like your own personal digital music recorder [DMR]. Just as a digital video recorder stores video and allows you to play it back on TVs, a DMR lets you add a music track or album to MP3beamer and immediately have it available on your home stereo, iTunes, PDA or portable device—virtually any device with speakers or a headphone jack.”

MP3beamer makes it easy to combine computer files and CDs into an organized library. CDs can be added by simply inserting them into the CD-ROM drive without additional user interaction. It takes three to four minutes to rip a CD, including automatic detection of artist, album and track titles. Tracks are recorded in MP3 format at high-quality 192kbps. Once it is completed saving, the CD is auto-ejected, making the MP3beamer ready to rip another CD. Individual MP3s can be copied to MP3beamer over the Internet or be transported via USB devices for import into a music library. Tracks purchased from online music retailers such as MP3tunes and emusic can also be loaded into MP3beamer. Once music is stored, songs can be sorted by genre, artist, and album, and users can construct their own personalized playlists.

palmOne, Inc. (NASDAQLMO) and PHT Corporation, the market-leading provider of electronic patient reported outcome (ePRO) solutions used in more than 150 trials worldwide, achieved a record year in 2004 by deploying approximately 20,000 handheld electronic patient diaries for use in clinical trials. To date, PHT has shipped more than 40,000 LogPad(R) Systems, using palmOne(TM) devices, to thousands of subjects and clinical research sites in 46 languages and 48 countries around the globe since 2000.

PHT is palmOne’s largest healthcare customer, and has implemented its market-leading LogPad System on multiple palmOne devices, including the m500, m515, Tungsten(TM) W and Tungsten T3 handhelds.

Medify Solutions Ltd.(MFYSK) a Delaware Corporation acquired Medify Ltd the first UK business to have developed a Secure Remote Access product - addressing critical requirements of Governmental/NHS strategic directives, using the latest flexible, integrated wireless and web-based technologies.

Remote Access to patient notes is the ideal solution for healthcare professionals in their quest to provide better, more efficient, and more informed quality care to the patients. This ‘killer application’ has not been available - until now. Medify Solutions have developed and are about to commence roll out of a wireless remote system whereby healthcare professionals will have the ability to securely access, update, and review patient records, from anywhere in real time. MedifyRemote will integrate into any patient record system with no capital expenditure required on new hardware, and with immediate user access ‘out of the box’.

MedifyRemote is an application that allows remote access to Patient notes and clinical systems through a Pocket PC in real time. The unique proposition of this application is that it is not specific to any one or other NHS clinical data system; it can in fact be applied to all software systems being used within the NHS. Further more the fact that our technology allows real time access means that in relation to security, there is no downloading nor time delay and that patient notes can be accessed in the field, updated and recorded via a Pocket PC with all amendments being recorded at the server within a doctors surgery, NHS trust or other data site. This will, ultimately, support remote data management within the NHS SPINE single patient record project.