Lightning in a Bottle

Microsoft released the latest version of their Pocket PC operating system today, giving it the rather lengthy name of Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC. Most people are still calling it Pocket PC 2003. The improvements are mostly in areas that the user won’t see, with the major exception being increased support for WiFi wireless networking. Software for quick and easy connection to wireless networks is now built in.

The Brighthand website has a nice overview of the changes at http://brighthand.com/article/Windows_Mobile_2003_Overview.

The July issue of Consumer Reports has a comparison of 20 popular PDAs. They recommended the Sony Clie PEG-SJ20 and the Palm Zire for new PDA users, the Palm m515 and Tungsten T for current Palm users that want to upgrade, and three for users that need (or want!) more power - the Palm Zire 71, the Sony Clie PEG-NX70V, and the Dell Axim X5 Advanced Pocket PC.

The article is not available online unless you are a current subscriber, so I can’t provide a link to it. If you are interested in purchasing any of the Palm models reviewed, however, make sure to check out our discounted purchase options at http://www.edtech.wednet.edu/purchasing/equipment/default.shtml.

A June 11, 2003 message from eSchool News tells us that some administrators are employing a new type of handheld computerized device: portable alcohol testers. The handheld device can test for alcohol on a student’s breath or detect its presence using a special sensor that can be scanned across the top of open containers.

North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine To Purchase
Palm Tungsten C Handhelds for Students

One of the nation’s leading schools of veterinary medicine plans to provide its
students with the latest wireless handheld technology from Palm. North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine in Raleigh will provide Palm Tungsten C handhelds to all first-, second- and third-year students starting this fall. The handhelds will be used in classroom instruction and to prepare students to use the technology during their fourth-year clinical rotations. The high-speed wireless device has integrated 802.11 technology (also known as Wi-Fi).

If you’re a health or biology teacher (or just dieting yourself), this USDA-created database looks quite useful. It lists calories, carbohydrates, fats, fiber and more for over 6,000 different foods. You can download to your Windows PC, or install it on a Palm-based handheld to take with you when you go grocery shopping or visit a restaraunt. Probably not a good idea to check the foods in the school cafeteria, though…

http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/.

Those busy folks at eSchool News have posted a new online report on handhelds at http://www.eschoolnews.com/resources/reports/hhc/. This looks like one of the fastest-growing areas of educational technology right now, with lots of new education solutions being developed. Rather than a list of “what-ifs”, this paper mainly discusses actual implementations. It’s worth a look!

One of several companies seeking to develop cheap, flexible computer displays has shown a prototype of a rollable plastic screen. You can see a picture and read the details here. Pretty cool!

A report from the Brighthand News Team this month states that the total number of handhelds shipped worldwide dropped significantly during the first quarter of this year because of the weak economy. A study by IDC showed that worldwide handheld device shipments fell over 20% in the first quarter of 2003 when compared with the same quarter last year. Palm continues to lead the market with a 35% share, shipped 882 thousand units during the quarter, nearly double the number of its closest competitor. A statement at the end of the report concludes that handhelds have a limited appeal to the majority of consumers and enterprises.

Palm has released two new Palms that offer some interesting options for educators. The Zire 71 has a sharp, high-resolution color screen and a built-in digital camera. The Tungsten C has a built-in thumb keyboard and wireless networking. You can read more about them at Palms website at www.palm.com/us.

Palm has just announced that they have accomplished a sevenfold breakthrough in memory for their handhelds. Palm has developed a memory technology that extends the amount of random-access memory (RAM) possible from the current 16MB to 128MB. In the future, Palms will be able to carry more images, video, music, applications and Microsoft Office documents.