- Spb Software House Releases Spb Insight - a Full-Text Pocket PC News Reader
- Skweezer Selected by Ask.com for New Ask Mobile Search
- Skweezer Selected by Bloglines to Improve Mobile Experience
- PlanMaker 2006 for Pocket PCs enters public beta test phase
- Spb Software House releases Spb Finance 2.6 with Microsoft Money 2007 synchronization support.
- SoftMaker Office 2006 for Windows released
- New website for PDA Developers
- Spb Software House Releases Spb Diary 2.0
- Demand for Mobile Access to Social Networking Sites Growing
- Skweezer Nominated for Smartphone & Pocket PC Magazine's Best Software Awards
Handheld Shipments Decline Thursday, October 31 2002
Worldwide handheld shipments dipped more than 2 percent in the third quarter compared with the same period last year, according to a revised report from Dataquest.
Globally, 2.55 million personal digital assistants (PDAs) shipped in the third quarter, down from 2.62 million in the year-ago quarter. That continues the decline seen in the second quarter.
Dataquest released a revised report Thursday after stating earlier this week that worldwide shipments were up 0.9 percent. The market researcher attributed the change to revised data from Hewlett-Packard.
Palm continued to lead the market with 30.6 percent of the global market in the third quarter, up from 28.8 percent a year ago.
Sony jumped into the No. 2 position ahead of HP. Sony grabbed 13 percent of the market in the third quarter, up from 3.5 percent a year ago.
HP, meanwhile, saw its share of the worldwide market drop from 12.1 percent to 11.5 percent.
"Sony has been averaging about one new model launched every month of 2002," Dataquest analyst Todd Kort said in a release.
Dataquest also revised its U.S. figures. Earlier this week, Dataquest said the U.S. handheld market had grown 4.5 percent in the third quarter from a year ago. But Thursday, the market researcher said the U.S. market had actually slid 1.4 percent, with shipments falling to 1.2 million units.
Sony also leapfrogged HP in the U.S. market, where it has 19.8 percent of the market, up from 4.1 percent a year ago. HP's U.S. share dropped to 9.7 percent from 12.2 percent a year ago.
Palm's lead was stronger in the United States, where it has 41.7 percent of the market compared with 39 percent a year ago. The big loser in the U.S. market was Handspring, which saw its 22.5 percent market share from a year ago drop to 6.6 percent.
Handspring, Sony and Palm devices all use the Palm operating system. Handhelds using Microsoft's Pocket PC operating system, which include HP's devices, continue to see their presence grow in the worldwide market. Microsoft licensees now account for 28.8 percent of worldwide shipments, according to Dataquest.
"After a slow but steady decline, the Palm OS market share appears to have stabilized, but new challenges are on the horizon," Kort said. "Much more competitive pricing from Pocket PC vendors, beginning in the fourth quarter of 2002, will undoubtedly stimulate growth in Pocket PC shipments and allow Palm less breathing room."
Kort said that Dell Computer's entry into the market could intensify the battle. Dell plans to launch a PDA in the United States soon.
Source: News.com
Ericsson and Vésper Announce LOU Wednesday, October 30 2002
Ericsson today announced a Letter of Understanding (LOU) with Vésper to supply a CDMA2000 1xEV-DO overlay system in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Ericsson's CDMA2000 1xEV-DO solution will support such 3G
applications as streaming audio, video and data transfers. Deployment is expected to begin in Q1 2003 and the 1xEV-DO network is expected to be commercial by mid-2003.
"Vésper has an aggressive plan to roll out 3G data services across multiple Brazilian markets and we are committed to supporting them with our leading products and expertise in 3G services and applications," said Åke Persson, president of Ericsson Mobile Systems CDMA.
Offering peak data rates up to 2.4 Mbps in a standard 1.25 MHz carrier, with a minimum average throughput of 600 Kbps, Ericsson's CDMA2000 1xEV-DO solution is fully compliant with IS-856. It can be simply added to existing CDMA2000 radio base stations or overlaid on an existing CDMA network, enabling operators to provide customers with high speed Mobile Internet capabilities while efficiently
utilizing radio spectrum.
"It is our goal to continuously provide advanced communications services for our customers. As the world leader in wireless technology, Ericsson is a significant and strategic resource in allowing Vésper to deliver 3G services and advanced data communications to our customers," said Luiz Kaufmann, president of Vésper.
"As the only supplier of systems for all major 2G (GSM, CDMA, TDMA), and 3G (EDGE, WCDMA/UMTS, CDMA2000) mobile standards, this agreement reaffirms a long-standing relationship with Vésper and we are proud to be chosen to supply 1xEV-DO in Rio," said Peter Källberg, president of Ericsson in Brazil.
Source: Ericsson
Sprint Connects to Call Center Wednesday, October 30 2002
The next call you make to customer care may not end up in a large, centralized call center at a corporate headquarters. Instead, it may be connected to a trained professional working from a home office anywhere in the country, thanks to the growth of Working Solutions, and its new agreement with Sprint (NYSE: FON, PCS). Working Solutions, the world’s largest virtual call center, has signed a multiyear, multimillion-dollar agreement with Sprint to provide nationwide and international high-speed voice and data services that will connect more than 16,000 agents.
“Our business is built on being able to guarantee reliable, professional customer care services for our customers - so that they can depend on us to meet the demands of their customers,” said Tim Houlne, chief executive officer, Working Solutions. “Our agreement with Sprint links us to a company that has the integrity, financial stability and technical expertise that we can depend on – and that our customers can trust.”
Working Solutions' uses a highly-skilled Virtual Agent Community of 16,000 agents who work from home offices on their computers and telephones. The virtual agent community, coupled with ASP and propriety technologies, as well as the many years of contact and process management experience of the executive staff, has developed into a very successful strategy.
“For Working Solutions, the network is the business – and having a stable communications partner is critical to Working Solutions’ ability to serve its customers,” said John Dupree, vice president, Sprint Business – Southwest. “They have a business model that depends on the ability to instantaneously connect a large number of people to the right agent anywhere in the country without dropping any calls or routing anyone to the wrong agent. It is a great challenge, and one Sprint will look forward to meeting throughout our agreement with Working Solutions.”
Source: Sprint
GSM/GPRS in Nicaragua Wednesday, October 30 2002
PCS Digital has selected Ericsson as the sole supplier of equipment and services for deployment of a GSM/GPRS 1900 MHz network in Nicaragua. The network will have nation-wide coverage. PCS Digital Nicaragua is part of the group America Movil, which is also includes Telgua (Guatemala) and Telcel (Mexico), among others.
"Nicaragua is experiencing significant development in
telecommunications. There are now more operators, more coverage and many more services. We are proud to be part of this positive change, providing state-of-the-art technology and our global leadership in telecommunications to PCS Digital Nicaragua," said Jorge Aguiar, Vice
President of Sales and New Business of Ericsson for the America Movil account.
According to the agreement, the new network will offer value added services such as Short Message Services (SMS), Voice Mail (VMS) and PrePaid. Ericsson will also handle the implementation and maintenance of the system, as well as technical training for PCS Digital's engineering staff.
Additionally, Ericsson will provide consultative professional services to support PCS Digital in developing the best services for the Nicaraguan market.
"We believe in Ericsson's worldwide telecommunications experience and specifically in their GSM expertise. Their leadership makes them an excellent partner for this kind of project, so we are pleased to work with Ericsson in deploying this state of the art network," said Marvin Par-Gonzalez, General Manager for PCS Digital in Central
America.
Ericsson is shaping the future of Mobile and Broadband Internet communications through its continuous technology leadership. Providing innovative solutions in more than 140 countries, Ericsson is helping to create the most powerful communication companies in the world.
Source: Ericsson
Nokia 7650 Now Available Tuesday, October 29 2002
Nokia has started deliveries of the Nokia 7650 imaging phone, which supports the recently announced Vodafone Live! services in Europe. Vodafone will make the Nokia 7650 available for its customers in the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Ireland and the Netherlands.
The introduction of the Nokia 7650 earlier this year signified a transformation in mobile communication with completely new applications and flexibility based on open standards and platforms. Based on the Series 60 platform running on the Symbian OS, the Nokia 7650, which has an integrated camera, has been available in the GSM markets since June 2002.
The new technologies introduced to market with the Nokia 7650 imaging phone, such as the Series 60 software platform, allow mobile manufacturers to configure and customize devices for operators, other trade customers, and consumers more freely. The customisation required to deliver Vodafone Live! is an excellent example of these new possibilities. Access to Vodafone's services is through an easy to use color menu and is pre-configured on the phone.
Commenting on the new service, Isto Pankakoski, Senior Vice
President, Nokia Mobile Phones said; "We are delighted that, together with Vodafone, we can offer a superior mobile user experience by combining the Nokia 7650 and the Vodafone Live! Service. This cooperation is also a strong demonstration of the power of open platforms in providing tailored support of services without compromising interoperability and usability. This cooperation
complements both Nokia and Vodafone brands and gives the superior customer experience in the mobile market today."
Vodafone Live! is a new world of color, sound and pictures for Vodafone customers. Mobile services such as picture messaging, games, ring tones and the best in entertainment and information services are all accessed through an easy to use color menu on integrated camera phones, such as the Nokia 7650.
Source: Nokia
Handspring Reduces Treo Price...Again Monday, October 28 2002
Handspring said it will offer its Treo 180 handheld computer and cell phone hybrid for as low as $249 when people sign up for service contracts with T-Mobile or Cingular.
The new price comes after Handspring reduced the Treo 180 to $349 with service activation in September. Now, the company is reducing the monochrome device's price by an additional $100 for T-Mobile and Cingular customers. Without cell phone service, the Treo 180 costs $449.
Handspring has been slashing prices for the Treo 180 as it ushers its more robust Treo 300 into the market. The Treo 300 is a color version of the 180 that runs on Sprint's PCS Vision network. The 300 model costs $449 after a $50 rebate.
Handspring has been hinging its future growth on the Treo while de-emphasizing its Visor line of standard handhelds. Earlier this month, the company said it sold 44,000 Treo devices during its third fiscal quarter, more than the number of Treos sold in the first and second quarters combined.
Still, times are tough for the handheld maker as it faces weakening demand and strong competition from products running on Microsoft's Pocket PC operating system. The Handspring revised its revenue guidance for the current quarter to between $54 million and $60 million, down from its previous forecast of between $80 million and $90 million.
The Treo line has been so heavily touted because of its ability to act as a cell phone and a handheld organizer. Versions of the Treo also include a thumb keyboard to send e-mails while integrating address book and calendar features with its cell phone service. Treo uses the Palm operating system.
Source: News.com
Handheld Shipments Higher in 3rd Quarter Monday, October 28 2002
Global handheld computer shipments edged up in the third quarter, but risk showing little or no growth for the year unless demand jumps in the fourth quarter, according to industry data.
Worldwide shipments of personal digital assistants, or PDAs, totaled 2.6 million units in the third quarter, up 0.9 percent from the year-ago period, according to preliminary results by Gartner Inc.'s IT.N research firm Gartner Dataquest.
Experts said that demand for the pocket-sized devices has slowed as consumers, faced with a troubled economy, look for reasons to upgrade to new models that cost up to $500.
Handheld makers aim to woo users with devices that -- in addition to tracking appointments phone numbers -- boast features such as faster processing, brighter color screens, multimedia applications, and, for business users, improved access to office data over wireless networks.
Gartner Dataquest on Monday said shipments for the first nine months of 2002 are down 8.3 percent from the same period last year.
"The market will need an exceptionally strong shipment of PDAs in the fourth quarter for the industry to maintain worldwide growth in 2002," Gartner Dataquest said.
Palm Inc. PALMD.O continued to dominate the markets, lifting its market share to about 31 percent from 29 percent a year ago. The market has changed dramatically since then, with former No. 2 player Handspring Inc. HAND.O essentially leaving the market to make devices that marry phones with PDAs, called "communicators" or "smartphones."
Sony Corp. 6758.T held third place in the quarter with a 13 percent share of the global market, up sharply from 3.5 percent a year ago, Dataquest said.
The share of handheld computers that use Microsoft Corp.'s MSFT.O Pocket PC system software surpassed 30, driven by models shipped by H-P and Toshiba.
"After a slow but steady decline, the Palm OS market share appears to have stabilized," said Todd Kort, analyst for Gartner Dataquest. "Much more competitive pricing from Pocket PC vendors beginning in the fourth quarter of 2002 will undoubtedly stimulate growth in Pocket PC shipments."
Source: Reuters
Dell: PDAs Coming Soon Monday, October 28 2002
Dell Computer Corp Chief Executive Michael Dell said on Monday the company would launch a personal digital assistant (PDA) in the United States soon but saw limited near-term growth opportunities in that market.
"It's not nearly at the strategic importance for us of servers and storage or services, but it is a developing market -- a relatively small market today," the head of the world's largest personal computer vendor told a news conference in Tokyo.
"There are many different competing standards but we do see some momentum in the (Microsoft Corp) Pocket PC standard, and if you stay tuned in the press I think you'll see some announcements coming from Dell fairly soon, at least in the United States."
He gave no specific time frame for the launch, but added: "It's a market for us in the future."
The company recently indicated it would expand into the printer and handheld computer markets, where it is expected to apply its renowned low-cost business model to cut prices and grab market share.
Dell stressed, however, the company's target of eventually doubling revenues would depend heavily on expanding in computer servers, data storage and services.
He gave no date for achieving the revenue target.
The chief executive was in Japan to unveil a compact desktop computer, half the size of its previously smallest model and little bigger than a large hard-cover book, which will initially target the space-conscious Japanese market.
Hiroshi Hamada, head of Dell's Japan unit, said the company aims to become Japan's fourth-largest PC vendor by the end of the year, after surpassing IBM Japan in the first half to take the number-five spot.
He added the company would be launching networking and printer products in Japan next year.
Market researcher MultiMedia Research Institute Ltd said last week Dell's market share in Japan in the first half of this year had risen to 7.7 percent, not far behind number-four Toshiba Corp's 8.0 percent.
In the PDA market, Dell added that a move to products with wireless communications was inevitable.
"It's pretty clear these devices will all become wireless, even though the vast majority today are not," he said.
Source: Reuters
Palm to Release 2 New Products Monday, October 28 2002
Palm has announced that they will be offering two new devices, both aimed at corporate users. The first, the Tungsten T, is scheduled to be available immediately, at $499. The Tungsten W, however, is scheduled to be released in the first quarter of 2003, and will cost $549.
The difference between the two is mainly how they send and receive e-mail and use the internet. The Tungsten T will have to receive such communications through a mobile phone, which will act as a modem. The Tungsten W, however, will have integrated wireless capabilities, although users will still have to subscribe to a network.
The main competition in the handheld computing industry now is the price. While this will be a tough issue for Palm, whose devices have generally been in the mid- to high- range price wise, other companies, such as Dell, are supposed to be releasing cheaper models, based on Windows CE, and other manufacturers, Palm.
Source: New York Times
NEC and Canesta Team on Electronic Perception Technology Sunday, October 27 2002
San Jose, CA and Tokyo, Japan - October 28, 2002- Canesta Inc, has disclosed that NEC Corporation is evaluating Canesta's electronic perception technology for applications in NEC's broad product line. Initially, NEC will focus on using the Canesta Keyboard Perception
ChipsetT, which implements the technology, in mobile and wireless devices. Electronic perception technology is the first low-cost, practical technology to enable everyday machines and computer devices to "see" by tracking nearby objects in three-dimensions in real time.
Canesta's electronic perception technology was launched last spring. In September, the Canesta Perception Chipset was introduced to enable the world's first integrated projection keyboards to be designed into such mobile products as smartphones, PDAs, tablet PCs, or cell phones. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) will be able to offer their customers the convenience of a full-sized keyboard and mouse created "out of thin air" by projected beams of light.
"Canesta's technology has the potential to drastically change the way people think of and use electronic devices," said Kazuhiko Kobayashi, Company Deputy President, NEC Solutions. "In particular, it will be a key technology in making a 'Ubiquitous Computing' environment a reality. This will mean that people will be able to use computers and access the Internet anytime, anywhere."
At the WPC Expo in Tokyo, Japan, NEC exhibited a prototype projection keyboard using the Canesta Keyboard Perception ChipsetT. Specifically, the keyboard was connected to an NEC Tablet PC, a new PC concept strongly promoted by Microsoft Corporation. "We are very pleased that NEC has
acknowledged the importance of our technology in the mobile and wireless market," said Nazim Kareemi, Canesta's president and CEO. "We look forward to working closely over the years."
About NEC Corporation
NEC Corporation (NASDAQ: NIPNY) (FTSE: 6701q.1) is one of the world's leading providers of Internet, broadband network and enterprise business solutions dedicated to meeting the specialized needs of its diverse and global base of customers. Ranked as one of the world's top patent-producing companies, NEC delivers tailored solutions in the key fields of computer, networking and electron devices, through its three market-focused, in-house
companies: NEC Solutions, NEC Networks and NEC Electron Devices. NEC Corporation employs more than 140,000 people worldwide and had net sales of approximately $39 billion in the fiscal year ended March 2002. For additional information, please visit the NEC home page at: http://www.nec.com.
About Canesta
Canesta is the inventor of a revolutionary, low-cost electronic perception technology that enables ordinary electronic devices to perceive and react to nearby objects or individuals in real time. When sight-enabled with
Canesta's unique electronic perception chips and software, consumer, automotive, industrial, military, and medical products will gain functionality and ease of use not possible in an era when electronics were blind.
Canesta was founded in April 1999, and is located in San Jose, CA. The company has filed or has been granted in excess of 30 patents. Investment to date exceeds $20 million, from Carlyle Venture Partners, Apax Partners
(formerly Patricof & Co Ventures, Inc.), JP Morgan Partners (formerly Chase Capital Partners), TechFund Capital, and Thales Corporate Ventures (formerly Thomson-CSF Ventures.) Canesta has over 40 employees.
Source: Canesta
ActiveSync 3.6 Released Thursday, October 24 2002
Microsoft has released the next version of their Pocket PC synchronozation software. This version has many improvements, including support for the new Smartphones. It also contains improvements for Outlook syncing, XP, IR syncing, more reliable USB support, as well as an improved user interface.
It can be downloaded from Microsoft: http://www.microsoft.com/mobile/pocketpc/downloads/activesync36.asp
Source: Microsoft
Toshiba Recalls Pocket PCs Wednesday, October 23 2002
Toshiba's Computer Systems Group, which is part of Irvine, Calif.-based Toshiba America Information Systems, announced on Tuesday that it was recalling Pocket PC e740 devices with the serial numbers 72014641L through 92041620L. Toshiba said the problem prevents the e740’s backup battery from recharging. This could lead to a loss of unsaved data when the unit’s main battery is exhausted or removed.
The company is urging customers who have purchased affected units to return them for a free repair.
A Toshiba representative said that most of the e740 devices have been sold in the United States, but the glitch is also affecting devices sold worldwide.
Toshiba added that customers can continue to use the device without a problem as long as they never let the battery fully discharge or disconnect it from the device. To prevent data loss when changing the battery, users can connect the device to an external power supply. Backing up data onto a PC should also prevent data loss, the company said.
The $599 Pocket PC e740 was introduced in the United States in June and made its way to Asia in late September for around $720. The device features built-in 802.11b wireless networking capabilities.
Source: News.com
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