March 2007

As announced in January of 2007, Socket Communications is now shipping its first handheld computer. The SoMo 650 Mobile Computer is a handy Windows Mobile 5.0-based device that's more rugged than standard consumer PDAs, yet less costly and more compact than dedicated rugged handhelds. The SoMo 650 impresses with a 624MHz version of the PXA270 chip, 128MB of RAM and 256MB of flash, both SDIO and CF Card, and both Bluetooth 2.0 and 802.11b/g. It measures just 5 x 2.95 x 0.81 inches and weighs just over six ounces. Socket, having its roots in handheld peripherals, offers a large variety of add-on cards for scanning, bar code reading, RFID and other. [read description and specs of the Socket SoMo 650]

Symbol/Motorola releases handy MC35 EDA
Symbol, now Motorola's "enterprise mobility business," introduced the MC35 Enterprise Digital Assistant (EDA), an all-in-one voice/data communication device in the form of a durable, compact handheld. The MC35, powered by a Marvell (remember, Intel sold the XScale) 416MHz XScale PXA270 processor and WinMobile 5.0, joins the MC50 and rugged MC70 as the third device in Symbol/Motorola's family of EDAs and combines cellular technology (quad-band GSM with EDGE), including GPS, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, with office functionality, 2-megapixel camera, and a bar code reader. You can do Voice-over-IP calls, but have to get third party software for that. The MC35 lists from $640 to $750, depending on configuration. Unlike most ruggedized handhelds, the MC35 is tiny at 5.0 x 2.6 x 0.80 inches, weighs little, and has a thumb-type keyboard. -- Posted Tuesday, March 27, 2007 by chb

Treo 750 to get WinMo 6.0
Palm announced that an update to the Windows Mobile 6 Professional operating system will be available for Treo 750 smartphone customers around the world. [see full release] -- Posted Tuesday, March 27, 2007 by chb

Syware mobile tools now fully Vista-compatible
Syware announced that their mobile development tools are now fully compatible with the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system. Syware's powerful mobility development tools make it easy to build applications for all types of Windows Mobile devices: Pocket PC, Pocket PC Phone Edition and Smartphone. SYWARE, Inc.'s products continue to support all previous 32-bit Windows operating systems and are fully backward compatible. -- Posted Thursday, March 15, 2007 by chb

Psion introduces 8515 touchscreen vehicle-mount
Psion Teklogix introduced a compact, lightweight vehicle-mount computer in the XScale-powered 8515. It's a modern, full-function tablet with integrated QWERTY keyboard and ten function keys for easy operation. The 6.4-inch VGA touchscreen has special anti-reflective and anti-glare treatment. The 8515 offers excellent connectivity both wireless (802.11b/g and Bluetooth) and wired (3 USB and UART DE9). It's also a tough unit with a high-impact polycarbonate shell, IP65 sealing and all the requisite environmental testing. [read our description and specs] -- Posted Thursday, March 15, 2007 by chb

PDAMill merges into Nav N Go, discontinues Palm development
PDAMill has merged with Nav N Go and changed its name to Nav N Go Game Studios. The company also announced that they are discontinuing all of products for the Palm OS platform. They did this because some of their Palm OS products worked on a device by device basis and because of recent developments with the Palm OS platform itself. Nav N Go was originally known for GPS solutions, including the much praised iGO My Way GPS navigation product, but quickly expanded beyond expectations and continues to grow. Emphasis will now be on Windows Mobile, BREW, J2ME (mobile Java), and Symbian devices. -- Posted Monday, March 5, 2007 by chb