HTC keeps releasing such great toys. The HTC Breeze is purported to equipped with a quad band radio, EDGE/GSM/GPRS/UMTS as well has unverified rumor of HSDPA. HSDPA would a huge boon for Cingular customers in the Seattle area where there could be limited HSDPA access currently before the nationwide rollout sometime next year.

Additionally the new phone has a high-rez (for a smartphone) 320 by 240 QVGA screen, Bluetooth, 1.3 Megapixel Camera w/Flash & a CIF (low-rez) Video Cam in the front for video conferencing, a TI OMAP 850, 64 RAM, 128 ROM, and a Micro SD slot.

http://msmobiles.com/news.php/4507.html

Garmin has been busy this week with plenty of GPS product releases for the holiday season. iQue M4 comes preloaded with City Navigator North America NT covering the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.

The specs for the M4 seem lack luster for a device being launched in Dec of 2005. 312 MHz XScale processor, Windows Mobile 2003 SE, 64 megs of RAM and 32 megs of ROM, 240 x 320 screen, SD card slot and of course GPS w/WAAS for the kingly sum of $749.99 USD Suggested Retail Price.

Ummm, yeah...Ok that would have been a decent PDA set-up about a year or so ago but can it compete today? No Windows Mobile 5.0, no wireless, no VGA screen...I guess the real test will be to try one and compare it against similar products; maybe we are missing something here. I think I’ll wait for the iQue Mx.

http://www.garmin.com/products/iQueM4/

Gizmodo has a post about Eurotechs new Wearable Computer WWPC. WWPC means user-centric ubiquitous computing: content-aware sharing and access to services are easily achieved everywhere you’re thanks to the integrated GPS receiver and wireless extended infrastructure.

Features seem to include 72x55 mm display with touchscreen, direct-access keypad and joystick, support for USB HI devices, microphone, flat speaker, headset/stereo headphone jack. L1 16 channel GPS receiver with active helix antenna; wireless connectivity: IrDa, Bluetooth v1.1, wireless LAN 802.11b. 32 MB system rom-flash, 64 MB system SDRAM, up to 1 GB on built-in SD memory slot.

The “wrist-worn personal assistant” is meant for emergency, security, health care and other professional users. You would think that the country that spawed the Ferrari and Lambo could have made it a bit less “Star Trek the Original Motion Picture” looking; however I’m sure it was has a great personality.

Wearable Computer WWPC [Product Page]

MLSPDA allows users to retrieve Multiple Listing Service (MLS) information anytime, anywhere, direct to their SmartPhone or PDA. It is positioned as an add-on feature for broker and agent Web sites, intended to help real estate professionals extend better service to their clients by providing them with more immediate, tailored information.

“Our goal with this project is to promote the product as a client side tool. Real estate clients with PDA phones gain benefit from working with a MLSPDA.com connected realtor. Our competitors focus on Realtors telling them with their PDA applications they can be more efficient agents. We are going completely sideways focusing on enabling the consumer and making them bring the realtors to us”

MLSPDA supports all leading next-generation wireless handheld devices and their operating systems, including Palm OS (palmOne Treo), Pocket PC (all manufacturers including Siemens, Samsung Compaq, etc.), and BlackBerry (BlackBerry 6000 series and BlackBerry 7000 color series).

http://www.mlspda.com/

Slashdot reports that there have been serious intelligence violations by the FBI. Ya think? Who didn’t see this coming? Anyone...Bueler? 

“The FBI has conducted clandestine surveillance on some U.S. residents for as long as 18 months at a time without proper paperwork or oversight, according to previously classified documents to be released today.”

The good news is that there are watchdogs like the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) an advocacy group that has sued the Justice Department for records relating to the Patriot Act.

I am all for protecting our assets and people but there are some scary similarities to what’s going on now and here to what was going on in other parts of the world back in the 40’s. Our government puts a better spin on agency names and laws by giving them names that would make anyone who disagreed sound like an agitator.

But let’s be fair, I don’t think the FBI is really out to do any intentional nefarious activities they are just doing what they are told to do, and for the most part they do a stand up job. What seem to have happened in the past several years are an imbalance of powers and a lack of checks and balances.

Anyway, back to more pressing stuff like what am I having for lunch…

FBI Papers Indicate Intelligence Violations [washington post]
Significant FBI Abuses of the Patriot Act [slashdot] [source]

The Pocket LOOX is back showing off its stuff. Bluetooth, GPS, Windows Mobile 5.0, WiFi. The processor seems a bit anemic at 312MHz considering it needs to power GPS and WiFi it could be a bit dodgy on the responsiveness i have seen t this in another model with similar specs. It also seems that it only has a 64 meg RAM/64 Meg ROM setup but for around $425 I guess you get what you pay for, I think 256 should be a baseline these days. If you plan on installing any maps to use that GPS I would add the cost of an SD card to your budget, good thing they almost give those away.

For about $50 more you can get Navigon’s MobileNavigator 5 that ships with maps for North America, 27 European countries and six Gulf States, as well as being usable in 16 different languages.

The LOOX does look nice and brings some great fearures in under $500.

http://www.biosmagazine.co.uk/article.php?id=2288

Xantrex Technology introduced the XPower Pocket Powerpack 100, a lightweight battery and inverter combination that can operate or recharge a wide range of mobile consumer electronics products through alternating current (AC), or direct current (DC) from a universal serial bus (USB) power outlet. The portable Powerpack weighs less than 2.4 pounds, fits easily in a laptop bag and can recharge a Blackberry(TM) 30 times, an iPod(TM) 20 times, a cell phone at least eight times, or can provide up to 2.5 hours of additional runtime for most laptops without plugging into an outlet.

The XPower Pocket Powerpack eliminates the cumbersome battery pack accessories, or “bricks,” that are traditionally required to recharge mobile devices like cell phones, laptop computers, MP3 players and personal digital assistants (PDAs). The product also includes integrated vehicle and airplane connectors to allow users to operate or recharge devices while in transit.

The suggested retail price of the Pocket Powerpack 100 is $119.99. For additional information about the product, visit http://www.portableinpower.com

Modern internet connectivity has taken many leaps in the last few years.  With a WiFi capable laptop or PDA, you can now be connected to the internet almost anywhere that you go, locally or in most major cities all over the world.  Even though your equipment has the capability and wireless networks are expanding quickly, you will not always be able to find a connection and searching for one with your laptop or PDA can be a long, slow process.

The Targus WiFi Scanner is the second generation of WiFi locator from Targus.  Small and lightweight (2.16"x1.1"x2.46" and 2.05 oz.), it is simple to use and easy to keep in your pocket.  With its single line, 12 character LCD display, it can provide SSID, WiFi Channel, signal strength, and WEP status for multiple access points within its range.  Simple push the white button and after scanning the area, the WiFi Scanner will display one of the identified access points.  Press the button again to see the next access point.

Targus WiFi Scanner Review

PhatWare has released CalliGrapher 8.1 – the first upgrade to CalliGrapher 8.0! Version 8.1 includes performance and usability improvements and support for square screen devices. The upgrade can be downloaded from the PhatWare web site and is free for users of v8.0 and users of CalliGrapher 7.5 who the product between March 21 and September 1, 2005.

CalliGrapher 8.0 is the next generation of PhatWare’s award-winning handwriting recognition software for Pocket PCs. Version 8.0 added support for Windows Mobile 5.0, a new SIP called Write Pad and a Statistical Analyzer, a feature that learns the user’s writing habits by accumulating information about the words the user writes and automatically fixes common recognition errors when enough data is collected.

http://www.phatware.com/calligrapher/index.html

The AirCard 850/860 wireless wide area PC Cards accommodate 3G data speeds up to 1.8 Mbps* over HSDPA-capable (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) UMTS wireless networks. Users will enjoy secure, global wireless access to the Internet, e-mail, corporate networks/VPN, and streaming video on their mobile PC wherever mobile operators provide network coverage. Applications once limited to wired connections or WiFi hotspots are now possible anywhere you want to work or play!

The AirCard 850 features HSDPA/UMTS on the 2100 MHz frequency band for European and Asian customers while the AirCard 860 uses the 850 and 1900 MHz bands for North American customers. Both cards also offer global quad-band back-up support for EDGE/GPRS/GSM networks** using the 850, 900, 1800 and 1900 MHz bands. Global roaming gives you access to information anytime, anywhere you need it!

The AirCard 850 and AirCard 860 wireless network cards are scheduled for delivery in Q4, 2005.

http://www.sierrawireless.com/ProductsOrdering/ac8x0.asp

From Engadget:

“Well, at least one other person besides us has managed to get their hands on a Treo 700w — according to an FCC filing Palm recently submitted one to the agency for approval. Doesn’t look like they’ve gotten the green light quite yet, but we’re sure they’ll get it in time for the phone to debut sometime early next year.”

https://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/oet/cf/eas/reports/ViewExhibitReport.cfm?mode=Exhibits&RequestTimeout=500&calledFromFrame=N&application_id=666696&fcc_id=

http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000143064864/

Seems like Sharp is enjoying crow along with Palm and the dark matter guys. Windows Mobile 5.0 seems to be the choice of a new generation these days.

Venerable Linux Zaurus maker Sharp will be releasing a PocketPC Phone Edition WM5 edition PDA, the W-ZERO3 or WS0003SH (whoosh?). It will feature a 3.7-inch VGA touchscreen, 416MHz Xscale processor, 128MB of flash, 64MB of RAM, a MiniSD slot, mini-USB, 802.11b, W-SIM, and a 1.33 megapixel camera.

Similar to the HTC Universal, Engadget had this to say. “...if you thought the Universal was hugemongous, well, the W-ZERO3 is still freaking ginormous at 70 x 130 x 26mm (2.75 x 5.1 x 1.0-inches) and 220g (7.75oz), but that’s a bit less than the 127 x 81 x 25mm/285g size n’ weight on the HTC...”

http://www.willcom-inc.com/ja/lineup/ws/003sh/index.html

More Bluetooth features and easier OEM integration see to be the order of the day over at Adeneo. Adeneo announced the release of their new Bluetooth manager for Windows CE CE.NET 4.2 and CE 5.0. Developed in Native C, there is no need for having the Compact Framework on the device.

All standard Bluetooth features available - Adeneo’s Windows CE Bluetooth manager implements all standard features such as devices and services enumeration, authentification, encryption, pairing, remote services connexion, local services implementation. Furthermore it supports most of the profiles available in Windows CE (SPP, OPP, FTP, ...).

Licensing model allows purchasing either binary version of the product, or source version. Binary version addresses customers willing to use the product without any modifications. Source version addresses OEM willing to implement some specific customizations.

Windows CE Bluetooth Manager : Enhance your Bluetooth communications under Windows CE

Wireless Developer Network [Source]

Slashphone has the biz on the Lenovo ET980 Pocket PC Phone. It seems interesting at first with it’s 4 megapixal camera but lack luster specs featuring a 312 MHz PXA270 processor, 1100 mAh battery, 64MB RAM and 128MB Rom along with an uninspired design leave me glad that it will stay on that side of the world.

From the article: “You might never see Lenovo at your local store but they has been making Pocket PC phone from models like ET560 to ET960. They have just presented their next Pocket PC Phone ET980 in China Communication show. The ET980 has an odd 4 megapixel camera (normaly we see 2.0, 3, 5, 7) and will be running Windows Mobile 5.0 OS. “

Lenovo ET980 Pocket PC Phone [Slashphone]

Lenovo ET980 Pocket PC Phone [pconline.com.cn]

Wow...ROFL. Sorry Gizmodo but this is too funny and I am going to have to copy it verbatim:

Hello, Mrs. White Person! Please put your suitcase on the scanner! You are going to a tropical island? That sounds like so much fun, Mrs. White Person! Have a nice flight! Maybe you can bring me back a pet wombat!

Hello, Mr. Brown Person! I’m afraid you are on a watch list. That is because you are a bad person, Mr. Brown Person. Please come in the back room with me while I put on these tiny rubber gloves. No, your lawyer cannot help you.

Playmobil Security Checkpoint [Schneier on Security]
3172 Security Check-in [Product Page]

Source: Gizmodo link. Be sure to read some of the great comments over on Gizmodo