Product Roundup: Mobile: Fun on the Run
Talking PDA Blues
Exciting developments in the world of personal digital assistants include advanced all-in-one mini-PDAs, and multimedia power-portables. Power PDAs are best exemplified by the Sony CLIÉ PEG-NZ90. This Palm OS-based, Bluetooth-enabled unit features a swiveling color LCD screen (320 x 480 pixels), an integrated MP3 player, an AV remote control, and optional wireless 802.11b capability. But what really sets the NZ90 apart from its tamer counterparts is the built-in 2-megapixel digital camera that can record 1600 x 1200 pixel still photos and video on Memory Stick media.
Leading the all-in-one PDA charge is the Kyocera 7135. It's a versatile color-screen hybrid flip-phone/PDA with a built-in MP3 player, plus a Secure Digital and Multimedia Card expansion slot. The 7135 runs Palm OS 4.1 and features G3 capabilities for faster e-mail and surfing on compatible CDMA networks.
The futuristic Nokia 3650 is a tri-mode world-traveller with a built-in 640 x 480 digital camera. Beneath the 3650's sleek exterior hides a monster MIDP-Java-capable platform for future development, running Symbian OS version 6.1. But for now, Nokia 3650 users will have to make do with features such as video recording, Bluetooth communications, and fast, flexible e-mail, surfing, and imaging capabilities.
Hearing is Believing
Dealing with awkward wired headset-microphones is a challenge for many mobile communicators. Jabra has come up with a sleek wireless solution that works with both Bluetooth-enabled and most conventional mobile phones. If you're lucky enough to have a Bluetooth phone such as Sony Ericsson's T68i, Nokia's 6310i, or the new Motorola V600, the one ounce Jabra FreeSpeak headset offers instant hands-free wire-free communication for less than $100. An adapter is also available for non-Bluetooth phones.
Laptop Evolution
The new Centrino laptop chipsets from Intel feature integrated 802.11b (WIFi) networking capabilities combined with low power consumption. The first laptops to feature Centrino technology include the 2.3 lb. Toshiba Portege R100 (less than $2,200), the 1.5 GHz IBM T40 (under $3,250), and the stylish, secure Fujitsu LifeBook S6000 (around $2,000).
The Athlon XP-M 1800+ leads a lineup of 12 new AMD chips for thin and light notebooks slated to be used in cost-effective, sub-4 lb. portables from Fujitsu, Sharp and other major brand-holders.
If 10 Mbps wireless is too slow for your immediate needs, check out the 2336W-AG from SMC. It's a 802.11a/g wireless card that costs under $100, offers data rates as high as 100 Mbps, and provides connectivity with 802.11a, 802.112b, or 802.11g wireless networks.
Future Printing
The ability to create presentation-quality printouts on the road has been a sort of Holy Grail for mobile professionals since the first Kaypro transportable crawled out of the silicon ocean some 20 years ago. The new Canon i70 color bubble jet printer fits in the accessory compartment of a laptop case, but delivers up to 9 ppm of photo-realistic color printouts at resolutions as high as 4800 x 1200 dpi. The tiny $299 printer is also Windows IrDA capable, and shoots out B&W pages as fast as 13 pages per minute.
The Ultimate Way to Stay Connected Hands Free
The sleek and stylish JABRA FreeSpeak? gives you total mobility and freedom by eliminating the wire between your headset and mobile phone. The FreeSpeak works with the latest Bluetooth phones and with many other mobile phones through a Bluetooth adapter. Weighing in at less than an ounce, the FreeSpeak is made of a soft, sound-absorbing material that reduces distortions, giving you crisp sound quality. The FreeSpeak fits comfortably and securely behind either ear, and the unit's earpiece features the new JABRA MiniGel, an evolution of the company's patented EarGel.
For more information visit www.jabra.com.
