Product Roundup: Productivity Gear To Go
Organizers Converge
The trend in PDAs and phones is to combine voice and data access in a single compact unit. Handspring's new Treo 270 is a tiny, full-color wireless unit that combines a mobile phone, e-mail, Web browser, and a Palm OS PDA. The unit has a built-in miniature QWERTY keyboard and currently sells for about $500 when purchased with a GSM service plan from Cingular or VoiceStream Wireless. The Samsung SPH-I300 SmartPhone has similar features minus the keyboard and measures less than 5" x 2.3" x 1". The Samsung unit operates on Sprint's PCS network and sells for less than $500 with a service agreement.
A different kind of convergence is seen in Sharp's new Handspring Treo 270 with headset Zaurus SL-5500. The unit brings PDAs into the world of open source software, with its GNU/Linux operating system and powerful organizer application. For the average user, the SL-5500 is just a very powerful PDA, with all the normal organizer functions -- a 65,000 color screen, QWERTY keyboard, Web browser, and MP-3/MPEG-1 audio/video player. But for software pros and enthusiasts, the sub-$500 unit is a pocket-sized computer that will run all sorts of cool software, and has an IBM Microdrive-compatible PC card slot to store up to one gigabyte of databases and music.
Pint-Sized Peripherals
At Comdex we previewed the Palm Bluetooth SDIO expansion card, and now this nifty device is available for purchase. It wirelessly links your Palm PDA to other Bluetooth-enabled devices within about 30 feet -- including printers, phones, laptops, LAN access points, and other PDAs. You can use the device to set up a personal area network (PAN), with great possibilities for collaboration, presentation, and other productivity enhancing applications. The Bluetooth card currently works in the Palm i705, m515, m505, m500, m130, and m125 PDAs and costs less than $130.
ArialPhone is another local area wonder. It uses voice recognition software to place calls and manage contacts through your computer. Its base station hooks up to a phone line and computer via a USB plug, and the 900 MHz wireless earset includes a microphone and speaker. Though the early production unit we tried had a limited range in our RF-noisy office environment, the voice recognition software performed well. The $299 unit could be a real boon to those who like to type, write, or even chop tomatoes during business calls.
The Seiko InkLink Data Clip is another ergonomic wonder. It lets you write or draw on a standard paper pad with the InkLink electronic pen and transmits the resulting pages of notes to your Palm OS or Pocket PC OS handheld, or computer. A recent software upgrade has added multi-language capability to this useful gadget's bag of tricks. InkLink is priced at $99.95.
Does Compute
Transparent access to databases has always been a major objective for PDA users and system administrators. With the new FileMaker Mobile 2, users can easily select information-to-go from their desktop or network databases. New data can be entered while out in the field by using any of a number of simple techniques, including new pop-up lists and check boxes. Updated info can be hot-synced with the main database, making it easy to gather and organize all sorts of information -- from inventory to site survey data. FileMaker Mobile 2 costs less than $50 and works with FileMaker Pro 5.5 v2 or later.
Sidebar: New Handwriting Capture System from Seiko Instruments
The new Seiko Instruments InkLink(tm) Handwriting System is the ultimate tool for instantly capturing your handwriting or drawings directly to your handheld, your laptop, or your Windows(tm) Desktop PC. The InkLink ballpoint pen lets you sketch your notes on ordinary paper up to legal size, and its Data Clip clips onto any single piece of paper or your favorite 50-sheet tablet. Enjoy easy edit features like cut, copy, paste, undo, redo, move text and drawings, and pan and zoom. You can also write and draw in seven colors.
The InkLink software lets you organize files the easy way, using categories and key words. View your files as multi-page thumbnails or use the "details" view.
The InkLink Handwriting System includes universal infrared and USB connectivity.
Everything you need for mobile client site note taking fits in the convenient carrying case for pocket or purse. See it now at www.seikosmart.com.
