ASUS MyPal A636 Review

The ASUS A636 and A632 are the first Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PCs with integrated GPS to hit the US market. We'll take a look at the full-featured A636 which offers the SiRF Star III GPS chipset, WiFi, Bluetooth, an SD card slot, 256 meg SD card with Destinator navigation software, Destinator PN navigation and mapping software on two CDs (US, Canada, Route USA) and a brilliant QVGA display (the A632 is the same but lacks WiFi and adds a mini SD slot).

Mobile Browsers Still Closed for Business

While a range of new technologies have appeared that offer better Web browsing capabilities on mobile devices, most experts agree that the software remains too limited and unpredictable for business use.

QUICK REVIEW: A handful of gadgets

Geeks.com were very kind to send us four new items for review, a Wireless Keyboard for PDA and SmartPhones, a 23-in-1 USB 2.0 Card Reader and Writer, a Small Digital Video Camera Case and a Power Charging Cradle for the PSP.

Wireless Keyboard for PDA and SmartPhones

This portable keyboard is a great gadget for those who own many different gadgets. It works with PalmOS 3.5 up to 5.x, with Windows CE 2.0 up to Win2003SE and with Symbian versions 8 and 9. It is powered by a single AAA battery which is able to deliver many hours of keyboard operation (over 50 hours). The keyboard is not particularly small, but it is considerably smaller than normal keyboards too. You will definitely need a laptop or other bag to carry it around. The Infrared receptor is able to deliver the infromation to the keyboard from devices that have their IrDA located on the top or on their left. If your PDA's IrDA sensor is located at the bottom or right below, you will be out of luck. We found the keyboard to be very responsive and work reliably, however sometimes it would make our Pocket PC very slow.

Rating: 8/10

23-in-1 USB 2.0 Card Reader and Writer

This is a card reader for flash storage cards like many other out there, however it has a few unique features: First of all, it's extremely small and handy. It fits almost everywhere so it makes it a great product to take away on photography trips. It also has LEDs to indicate which kind of flash card is currently mounted. We tested the reader under multiple operating systems and it worked flawlessly with all. And being a USB 2.0 reader, it did so very fast.


Rating: 10/10

Power Charging Cradle for the PSP

This is a nothing but a charging cradle for the Sony PSP. However, it uses the same material as the PSP is made of and so when placing the PSP to it, they fit perfectly together. This version of the cradle only supports A/C charging and not USB. There is an LED on the front to show that the cradle is on power. However, I found the cradle very useful when watching a UMD movie on the PSP, with it, you don't have to keep the PSP on your hands all the time. The biggest problem of this cradle is the fact that it completely covers the 3.5mm line-out so you can't use your headphones with it.


Rating: 7/10

Fellowes Small Digital Video Camera Case (Light Blue)

This Fellowes Body Glove Small Digital Video Camera Case features a shock resistant padding for your camcorder. We used it with a Canon Z-series camcorder and it fit perfectly. There is also a compartment with space for your accessories and flash cards, while the actual shoulder strap proved to have the perfect length. Beautiful case!


Rating: 10/10

Teleca and Trolltech enter strategic partnership

Teleca and Trolltech today announced a strategic partnership for accelerating Linux-based mobile phone growth. Teleca and Trolltech will work together to create a joint reference solution, based on Teleca's Obigo applications suite and Trolltech's Qtopia, and to deliver customization services related to the solution. The two companies will also engage in joint marketing activities.

MontaVista facing make-or-break year?

MontaVista pioneered embedded Linux, but could watch the spoils fall to rival Wind River if it fails to consolidate its leadership, suggests a BusinessWeek special report. MontaVista must solidify its financial footing and grow faster if it hopes to keep ahold of markets it helped create, the article says.

Nokia Readying 4 GB Smartphone

Nokia intends to leap on the bandwagon and put out a device with an internal microdrive. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has given this company permission to release in the U.S. two high-end smartphones, and one of these, the N91, will have a built-in 4 GB hard drive. It appears Nokia intends to market it as an alternative to the iPod.

Psion: EPOC SDKs / Emulators

This page contains information about the Psion / Symbian ER5 emulator - a PC application that allows you to run Psion applications and files.

Samsung SGH-P900 Twists & Shouts Handset TV

MobiTV promises to change the way people use their handsets and how manufacturers and carriers approach phone design. Samsung has introduced the SGH-P900, the first T-DMB (Terrestrial Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) standard compatible handset for the European market. It's a phone with a twist.

Linux-based Motorola cell phones frustrate third-party developers

Motorola first announced its intention to migrate its mobile "smart" phones to embedded Linux in 2003. The first such phone to reach the market was the A760 in the fourth quarter of that year. Today there are a dozen or so models (differing product numbers in different markets and minor hardware variations lead to different counts), but there are still no significant ecosystems for third-party applications or developers. Is Motorola's switch to Linux a hit for the company but a miss for end users?

Progress on the Treo 650 Linux Project

Linux working on the Palm Treo 650When I last wrote about Linux on the Treo 650, it was barely booting up the command prompt. Now less than 2 months later, developers have got the GPE graphical interface up and running.

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