Pen-Based Computing
The Journal of Stylus Systems
New Products
From the Original Pages
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Hardware
| Vendor | Product | Description | Price | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3Com and Qualcomm | PalmPilot platform | Qualcomm, the pioneering force behind the Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) wireless system, has licensed the Palm Computing platform for integration into next-generation CDMA wireless communication products. Expected applications for the new devices include email and wireless Internet access. | n/a | n/a |
PC Cards
| Vendor | Product | Description | Price | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hermstedt Ltd. | MARCO | A cross-platform ISDN PC Card capable of being used in both Macintosh and PC-based mobile computers. The card features two active channels permitting data transfers up to 128 Kbps. | GBP 549 | Now |
Digital Cameras
| Vendor | Product | Description | Price | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon U.S.A. Inc. | ZR Digital Video Camcorder | A small camcorder that looks more like a point-and-shoot digital camera, capable of functioning in both modes. The camera uses the standard Mini DV cassette, available in 30 and 60-minute lengths. Measuring just 4-11/16″ x 3-3/8″ x 2-3/16″ and weighing 19 ounces, the camera fits in a waist pocket. | $1999 | April 1998 |
| Eastman Kodak Company | DCS 520 | A high-end digital camera incorporating a new CCD sensor developed by Kodak’s R&D labs. One innovative feature is a histogram displayed on the LCD allowing photographers to verify exposure accuracy immediately after taking the picture. | $14,995 | Late March 1998 |
| Polaroid Corp. | PDC-3000 | A new high resolution digital camera incorporating a single lens reflex design, together with support for CompactFlash media and image compression. | $2,495 | Now |
| Polaroid Corp. | Dual-mode camera | A digital camera capable of capturing still images anywhere, and 20-25 fps video while linked to a PC via a USB connection. | n/a | Second half of 1998 |
Software
| Vendor | Product | Description | Price | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borealis Communications | Borealis Home Inspector | A MessagePad 2000-based software solution designed to automate the data collection portion of the home inspection process. The system is capable of recording hundreds of pieces of information per inspection, and eases the transfer of this information back to the desktop. | n/a | Now |
| JP Systems | One-Touch | A software package which integrates PalmPilot organizers with AccessLink two-way pagers from the Wireless Access Group of Glenayre Technologies. The combination is designed for use with SkyTel’s SkyWriter service, as well as MCI’s interactive nationwide service. | $69.95 | Now |
| Odyssey Computing | Pocket BizCalc | The programmable HP-12C style financial/business calculator will now be bundled with Compaq’s C-Series PC Companion HPCs based on Windows 2.0. The calculator uses RPN to perform calculations including Discounted Cash Flow, Leasing, Actuarial and Markup Functions, and more. | n/a | Now |
| Pendragon Software | OrderForms for PalmPilot | An order entry and processing application for the popular handheld organizer platform. Features include synchronization with PCs and servers, as well as interfacing with bar code scanners and portable thermal printers. | $249.95 for a 3-user license | Now |
| Puma Technology | Intellisync for PalmPilot and Windows CE | A software synchronization solution that links the two most popular handheld computers to the Lotus Notes groupware environment. | $69.95 each | Q1 1998 |
Wireless
| Vendor | Product | Description | Price | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix Technologies | PicoRay | Casio is incorporating Phoenix Technologies’ PicoRay IrDA compatible software into its new generation of QV digital cameras to increase the speed and compatibility of transferring digital images between devices. | n/a | Now |
| Research in Motion | Interactive Pager | RIM announced a roughly $10 million order from IBM and IBM Canada for its Interactive Pager for use on the ARDIS and Bell Mobility ARDIS networks respectively. | n/a | n/a |
| Solectek Corporation | MP1100E | A long range wireless bridge that provides high speed building-to-building bridging together with IP and IPX routing capabilities. The system uses Harris’ PRISM 2.4 GHz direct sequence spread spectrum radio, and operates at 11 Mbps. | n/a | n/a |
| Symbol Technologies | NetVision Phone | A voice-over-IP wireless phone that operates over Symbol’s Spectrum24 2.4 GHz radio-frequency LAN, offering a number of conventional phone features including call waiting, call forwarding, and simple conferencing. | $500-600 per phone | Summer 1998 |
Communication Services
| Vendor | Product | Description | Price | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metricom | Paul Allen’s investment company, Vulcan Ventures Inc., has completed its purchase of 4.65 million shares of Metricom for a total of $55.8 million. This raises Allen’s stake to 49.5% of the company, and gives Metricom more working capital to build out its metropolitan area wireless data networks. | n/a | n/a | |
| North American GSM Alliance | UMTS | The Alliance, representing the seven largest North American GSM service providers endorsed the ETSI approval of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System designed to bring next generation data services to GSM systems. The system is based on the W-CDMA or TD-CDMA protocol, different from the CDMA system employed by GSM competitors. | n/a | Next several years |
| PageMart | The nationwide U.S. paging service provider has selected Glenayre Technologies as a primary supplier for its multi-phased deployments of two-way, narrowband PCS (N-PCS) paging services, based on the ReFLEX25 system. | n/a | Build-out begins in 16 markets, service by the end of the year. |
Batteries
| Vendor | Product | Description | Price | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEC | Molicel | NEC will sell and market the Molicel lithium ion battery in North America. The Molicel is an SBS-compliant battery that is designed to be interchangeable with NiMH batteries while offering lower weight and higher energy densities. | n/a | n/a |
Semiconductors
| Vendor | Product | Description | Price | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris Semiconductor | HFA3365 and HFA3667 | An 800 MHz dual-mode (CDMA-FM) chipset family, designed for Qualcomm-based cellular phone applications. | n/a | Sprint 1998 |
| IBM Research | 1,000 MHz CMOS processor | The research arm of IBM demonstrated what is claimed to be the world’s first experimental CMOS processor capable of operating at one billion cycles per second (1 GHz). Designed at IBM’s Austin Research Lab, the chip contains one million transistors, and was developed using IBM’s existing 0.25-micron CMOS 6X technology. | n/a | Two to three years from now. |
| Patriot Scientific Corp. | PSC1000 (0.35-micron) | Already on the market with its 0.5-micron Java processor, the company is moving to a 0.35-micron version of its PSC1000, expected to run at up to 150 MHz. The 32-bit processor is based on Patriot’s ShBoom technology, and supports C and Forth in addition to Java. | $10 in volume | n/a |
Transcribed from Pen-Based Computing, Volume 8, Number 1 — January 1998. Pages 18, 19.