From: akihabaranews.com

“One of the most famous robots from the manga scene will soon be available in the shops in the shape of a robot. Vstone, the team that won the RoBot Cup 2005 with their magnificent robot that could kick the ball like a pro (the green and black one on the pictures), will be the company behind it. This robot measures 185x140x380mm and weighs 2.5kg. It will move just like the robot in the manga series, and this really is a dream come true for an incredible number of Japanese salarymen!”

Source: Engadget

Torq claims the P120 is the “smallest wireless LAN PDA available with a phone function.” The Windows Mobile 5.0 device incorporates quad band GSM/GPRS, 802.11b, and Bluetooth in a 4.4 x 2.4 inch package slightly less than an inch thick and weighing 5.8 ounces.

The P120 is based on a 400 MHz Samsung S 3C 2440 processor equipped with 64 MB of RAM and 128 MB of flash. Expansion is supported through a SDIO/SD/MMC card slot.

The 1.3 Mpixel built-in camera features enhanced brightness and white balance controls for improved imaging performance, according to the company. Torq supplies several multimedia software applications for managing and manipulating camera images. Other supplied applications include the usual Windows Mobile office suite, along with Skype Internet telephony for Pocket PCs.

More: http://www.windowsfordevices.com/articles/AT7928578991.html

PSHUG.org March Meeting, 3/28/2006

This month, your chance to vote for our new board, or run for office yourself! 
Also, a great guest speaker, Anil Dhawan, the Program Manager for Connectivity on Windows Mobile.  He leads a team that defines the user interface for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and cellular technologies on Windows Mobile devices.  Anil represents Windows Mobile in the Bluetooth SIG and also maintains a blog on the topic: http://blogs.msdn.com/anil_dhawan .
Agenda

• ActiveSync with Bluetooth:
  How to setup and sync a mobile device using Bluetooth, with troubleshooting.
• Guest Speaker: Anil Dhawan
  Anil has been featured in several Channel9 webcasts involving Bluetooth and will be sharing his thoughts on the technology as well as demonstrating some cool stuff!
• Networking, Open Discussion and Pizza
• Elections!
  Members will vote and our new President and board will discuss plans and goals with the members

Meeting Sponsor: MVOX Electronics Inc. mVox has given us an MVOX MV900 bluetooth handsfree speaker phone for our monthly drawing. http://www.mvox.com/mv900.html
Date/Time:
Tuesday, 3/28/2006
7:00 PM
Location:
Microsoft RedWest Building E – Emerald Room
Redmond, WA
Turn off 148th Ave NE at NE 56st St. (look for the traffic light and the “Microsoft” sign)
It’s just a little farther down 148th from the PSHUG Nov. and June location, the same location as the Feb. PSHUG meeting.
Map:
http://members.microsoft.com/careers/mslife/locations/images/north_campus.jpg

SlingPlayer Mobile has been released from Slingbox; the new software is available as an open beta for Slingbox customers. SlingPlayer Mobile extends the Slingbox functionality to PDAs and smartphones powered by the Windows Mobile operating system. SlingPlayer Mobile gives Slingbox owners a personal home TV experience with their mobile phones or PDAs.

Beginning April 26th, the retail SlingPlayer Mobile software will be available for $29.99 and includes a free 30-day trial. Slingbox owners who purchase and register their Slingbox prior to April 26th will receive a free license for SlingPlayer Mobile. There are no monthly or recurring charges for the use of SlingPlayer Mobile.

SlingPlayer Mobile uses the network connection on a user’s device such as high-speed cellular services (3G or EV-DO), WiFi, as well as USB or Bluetooth.

http://www.slingmedia.com/slingbox/slingplayermobile.php

Palm Infocenter has gleaned some interesting information from TreoCetral. The upcoming Treo 700p looks to have include:

Power Vision EVDO support
128 MB memory
1.3 Megapixel camera
Bluetooth, SD expansion slot
Refined industrial design, complete upgrade to the Treo 650
Software: Sprint TV, On Demand, Streaming music
Bluetooth DUN modem support

The device is said to luanch on 5/28/06.

More: http://www.palminfocenter.com/news/8473/palm-treo-700p-release-date-leaked/

Our globe traveling senior technology editor Harvey Lee has been using an OQO for over a year now and about 6 months ago switched to the newer OQO model 01+.  We recently posted his review of the OQO model 01+ Ultra Mobile Computer but did not go into great detail on the available accessories.  Harvey has had a chance now to spend some time with the current line accessories for the OQO. The items we are looking at today are the Boxwave Screen Protector, Belt Clip Case, Stronghold Metal case, Battery Charging Adapter, VGA Adapter, Battery (Double Capacity).

Read The OQO Optional Accessories Review

CREDANT Technologies, announced version 5.1 of its flagship product, CREDANT Mobile Guardian Enterprise Edition. In this release, CREDANT extends policy-driven security management and controls across the entire mobile data lifecycle and introduces support for Collaborative Mobile Data Security an enterprise hosted model that allows organizations to control security policies for data on mobile devices owned by business affiliates.

In version 5.1 of CREDANT Mobile Guardian, CREDANT strengthens security across the entire lifecycle with the following enhancements:

Encryption of Removable Media, Intelligent Encryption of Application Data, CREDANT 2Go, Over-the-air Deployment, Activation, ‘Data Kill’, and Policy Updates, Enhanced Audit and Reporting, and more.

Pricing and Availability

CREDANT Mobile Guardian 5.1 is available now. Pricing starts at $85/user before volume discounts. http://www.credant.com

The PocketPC Gurus at PocketPC Thoughts have devled into another great report on one the newest Pocket PC Phones, the Gigabyte gSmart Pocket PC Phone. Raphael Salgado gives it the full on tour.

QUOTE:

"Gigabyte, the Taiwanese maker of motherboards and PCMCIA cards, was gracious enough to send us a late pre-production sample of their first entry
into the mobile device world: the hotly anticipated gSmart Pocket PC Phone. Since this device is not yet released, nor have the firmware and applications been finalized, it would be unfair to call this article an official review. But, I’m sure you’d appreciate my ongoing experience with the unit and what to expect, should you decide to pick up this feature-packed device."

So It looks like they liked the Integrated analog TV and FM (really? that is cool), Great 2.1MP camera, built quality and software. They did not like the small battery, weak reception on said TV, No 850 MHz band support or EDGE (WEAK!, move along, nothing to see here), Proprietary wired headset.

Yeah, just reading that makes me say...Pass.

http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/articles.php?action=expand,46925

Customers of Alarm.com, provider of wireless, web-interactive security and monitoring system technology, are able to manage and monitor their home and business security systems from their PDAs.  By logging into a special PDA-friendly website (http://www.alarm.com/PDA), Alarm.com users can arm or disarm their systems, view current system status, assign and manage user codes, and even control lights.  They can also receive email and text message notifications of power outages, alarms, and more.

“We were hearing from an increasing number of customers that our web dashboard and email and cell notifications were very useful, but that PDA-compatibility was also needed,” said Steve Trundle, CEO of Alarm.com. 

Alarm.com’s straightforward web interface allows an enhanced usability that no traditional security system offers.  And unlike landline-based systems that can be disabled if an intruder cuts the phone line, Alarm.com systems are more secure because they communicate all signals wirelessly.  Now, the connectedness of the Alarm.com system has been extended to PDAs, so that users have complete control and oversight from these increasingly popular devices.

DataViz has announced a FREE update to Documents To Go Premium Edition 8 with new PDF-related features. This update includes support for:

Security-enabled PDF files, specifically RC4 encrypted and password-protected PDF files
Encrypted PDF files can now be decrypted and viewed on the handheld or smartphone. Similar to the user-experience on the desktop, password-protection support ensures only those individuals with the proper password are able to access confidential or proprietary content within protected PDF files.

eFax.com PDF format
This web-based service allows customers to receive faxes as PDF e-mail attachments. Now, in addition to MyFax.com, Documents To Go customers can access faxes received from the eFax.com service.

Documents To Go Premium Edition 8 customers can download this FREE update to version 8.003 by visiting http://www.dataviz.com where they can “log in” to access their free update.

I dont post much iPod stuff, but sometimes neat products come like this one.

The nanotune It combines an FM Transmitter, FM Radio and Headphone Amplifier into one unit. The nanoTune’s FM Transmitter allows you to play your iPod nano’s music in the car, at home, anywhere there’s a stereo. It also adds an FM radio to the iPod nano for on-the-go news, sports and weather updates. Other unique features include a headphone amplifier, an integrated protective case that doubles as a desktop stand, and a 30-pin iPod connector for use with all existing iPod car chargers and most iPod docks.

Hmmm...lots of goodies if you own a Nano. Still the price is high at $70 and agian the main reason I have not bought into the iPod craze, I would go broke buying add ons. My Windows Mobile Smartphone has a great MP3 player and works very well.

http://www.dlo.com

Hi all, I will be out of town this week snowboarding at Mt Bachelor. 

Mt. Bachelor offers nearly 3700 acres of varied terrain and sits in the high desert of the Central Cascades therefore being known for dry snow and the best skiing and riding in Oregon and the Northwest. It also features 4 very different terrain parks and an Olympic size superpipe.

News will be a little slow for a few days. We do have some new reviews almost ready for release next week.

--Bill

Looks like the Motorola PEBL is fit for tossing:

“For a product as utilitarian as a cell phone, care should always be taken when inserting a gimmick that could limit functionality. To be sure, the smooth rubberized PEBL feels like no other handset—the TV commercial in which the phone is meta-morphed from meteorite to river-worn rock, captures the feel of the phone. And once mastered the PEBL’s geek-cool sliding cover that pops up when slid down and disengaged from its magnetic hold is kind of addictive. But all this cell style belies the bland cell phone underneath—plain old GPRS, not EDGE, network compatibility; VGA instead of mega pixel digital camera with no flash; a narrow monochrome instead of square color exterior display. The PEBL performed well, but so do many other far less expensive, admittedly less attractive T-Mobile models.”

Link to the article: http://reviews.designtechnica.com/review3233.html

Beginning Sunday, March 12, PDA24/7 is hosting a unique “Group Read” of The Daughters of Freya, the serialized online mystery novel they have written about on a few occasions in the past. The idea is to have a group of people read the mystery at the same time, and discuss it in an online forum as it unfolds.

The story - about a journalist investigating a cult in California - unfolds through e-mail messages deposited in your inbox a few times a day over the course of three weeks. It’s a new way to use the Internet as a storytelling tool, and the mystery has been getting a great response from readers readers and reviewers alike. (You can read the synopsis here.)

From their website:

I read it on my PDA and Treo (twice). It’s well-written with lots of suspense, and we thought it would be fun to offer you the opportunity to experience the story collectively, in real-time. The Group Read will begin at 9:30 p.m. (EST) on March 12, when the first installment of the mystery will be emailed to readers. A forum will be set up on our website where you’ll be able to discuss the mystery while it happens.

The authors have been kind enough to extend a special price of US$2.99 (regular $4.99) for those who wish to take part. If you’d like to participate, you can sign up here any time prior to the start date. http://www.clieuk.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?p=21656

Hmmm...interactive book reading on the PDA. Could be cool when combined with a chat client. Thanks Michael Betcherman for the news tip.

Engadget posted a blurb from SamsungHQ about the upcoming 8GB SGH-i310 Smartphone. I’m just gonna lift their copy and link this bad boy. From Engadget:

"Sometimes, just sometimes you do get what you ask for. Introducing the SGH-i310 smartphone from Samsung with 8 freakin’ 8GB of capacity. Not only does this latest object of our lustful ways double the capacity of their previous i300x musicphone, Samsung has also bettered on the OS by (finally) dropping in Windows Mobile 5.0. Not just that kids, this pup also throws down a 2 megapixel shooter with flash, video recording and playback, TV-out, and microSD slot if you just gotta roll larger than 8GB. You also get USB 2.0 support for moving those AAC/MP3/WMA files on the quick and Bluetooth with A2DP stereo audio support if those built-in dual-speakers just ain’t cuttin’ it. On display starting this week at CeBIT with release (in Europe) during the second half of ’06. “

Am I being lazy today? Kinda, but I like their prose on this, also I cant get all whimsical about cell phone posts after my previous rant a few minutes ago. ;)