Mobile Computing News, Reviews, & Tips

PDA Reviews: Palm's New Tungsten, Dell's Latest Axim

PalmOne's Tungsten T5 and Dell's Axim X50v, two new PDAs, each deliver something extra, in different ways, writes PC World's PDA Pundit Denny Arar.

The $399 Tungsten T5 offers 256MB of memory, which is nearly four times as much as its predecessor (the Tungsten T3) had and the most on a PDA to date. And it's nonvolatile memory: If the T5 loses its charge, you won't lose any data. Denny would like to see a removable rechargeable battery and Wi-Fi networking instead of the included Bluetooth, however.

Dell's $424 Axim X50v Pocket PC packs Intel's most powerful CPU for handhelds, it's also one of the first mainstream PDAs with a dedicated graphics processor and Windows Media Player Mobile 10 preinstalled. The result: You can playback multimedia content from subscription services that support Microsoft's Windows Media Digital Rights Management 10 technology. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are built in, and the batteries are removable and rechargeable.

Denny concludes that the Axim X50v should delight any power Pocket PC user, while the Tungsten T5 should appeal primarily to those who want a Palm-OS business handheld that doubles as a portable storage device.

Read the full review for more info. For current pricing on the Tungsten T5, go to the PC World Product Finder. For the latest Axim X50v pricing, go to Dell's site.

Notebook News: Gateway PCs in Circuit City

Gateway will start selling notebooks and desktop PCs in over 600 Circuit City stores around the U.S. in January, the PC maker says. Gateway has closed its own stores and is distributing its computers in Best Buy and CompUSA retail outlets. For more details, read "Gateway Heads to Circuit City."

Notebook News: A Good Reason to Keep Your Lap Cool

Word is, guys, if you work with a notebook on your lap, you could be compromising your reproductive potential, according to a study published in the UK journal Human Reproduction.

The heat generated by a notebook, and the position of the thighs needed to balance the computer, can elevate the body temperature in a rather sensitive area. Over time, all that heat can cause a decline in sperm production, the study claims. The study was unclear about how much heat could cause damage and warns that years of heavy notebook use "may cause irreversible or partially reversible changes in male reproductive function." Bottom line, guys: Use your notebook on a desk, not your lap.

Accessory News: An InMotion to Match Your U2 IPod

Unlike its other Apple IPod portable speaker systems, Altec Lansing's new InMotion IM3 Black Limited Edition ($180) is black--to match the IPod U2 Special Edition from Apple. The 20GB IPod U2, which sells for $349, features autographs of the band U2's members engraved on back. The matching speakers are sold at Apple's IPod store.

Also, here's my opportunity to correct an item I wrote earlier. Contrary to what I wrote in a previous column, the Altec Lansing InMotion speaker set for IPods is indeed compatible with the new IPod Photo, according to an Altec Lansing spokesperson. The newer InMotion IM3 isn't compatible with the IPod Photo, however.

Notebook Review: Sony's Businesslike VAIO

Sony's $1600 VAIO VGN-B100B02 (how do they come up with these clever names?) is a configurable business-class notebook with a 14.1-inch screen and a standard array of features for business professionals: fixed optical drive, PC Card slot, two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire port, and more. At 5.1 pounds, the sleek silver unit is fairly portable, but you may want to carry an optional $200 port replicator, too, for access to a parallel or DVI port, says PC World reviewer Kalpana Ettenson.

Check out the notebook at Sony's Small & Medium Business site.

Gadget Trends: The Cell Phone's Future

Cell phones "will be more powerful, have better screens, provide longer battery life, and push more features," according to Andy Abramson, an industry guru who has a popular blog on Voice over Internet Protocol telephony. On the near horizon are cell phones that capture multimegapixel photos, stream TV and feature-length videos at smoother frame rates than today's models can muster, and play realistic 3D games. Cell phones with tiny hard drives built in are coming, and multiprotocol phones that can switch between digital cellular networks and local area Wi-Fi are expected to be more prevalent.

For more tea-leaf reading, read "Tech 2005: What's New and What's Next."

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